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another build thread. . .

I didn't get a whole lot done today. I spent the morning making cardboard templates for the front spring hangers, went outside to see how'd they'd work and ended up ditching the idea. . . I redrilled my spring instead. I was looking for 5" of stretch, and I didn't like the idea of turning the spring around, so instead I made another weak point for the spring to break at! :)

I just measured 5" over and used my TiNi coated unibit, lots of oil, and a drill press and made quick work of it. I have a bastard pack using 2 full sets of leaves, so I drilled the main leaf and the cut main leaf, and turned the other springs around so the long side is facing towards the front. I figured that would help combat axle wrap until I can get around to building a traction bar.
I also wire wheeled all my spring and primered them and will be painting them tomorrow.


I'll be plating the rearmost part of the rails this week, so I removed the gas tank, cut the supports for the rear seatbelt latches, and started to clean up the rails. Tomorrow I'll be cutting out the stock upper shock crossmember, cutting the floorboards above the rails to lay nut strips for the last 2 pieces of my belly pan, painting the springs and new diff cover, measure for the C pillar portion of the cage and maybe start to relocate the gas tank. We'll see what the weather brings!
 
I don't know why I even make lists. . .
Here's the diff cover painted

All I got done today was getting some sheet metal on the passenger side tube fender. Just loosing the motivation to spend 12 hour a day on my days off. . .







Everything went smoothly, I just had to weld in 3 little pieces onto the fender from when I chopped them up-without the intent to build these things.
I think it looks good considering this is my first time ever messing with body work sheet metal fabrication stuff. (Besides the rear fenders)
Picking up the angled steel and tube tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll get the rails plated this week.
 
It's been a while since I've had a decent weekend to get anything done, and since today was in the 70's all day I got a bit to show.
I got the rear half of the unibody plated


Then I started to build some new rear shackle boxes.

I cut all but 2.5" of the original box and plug welded 3/16th plate to the outside of it.

Then I started on the actually shackle mounts.


It's all made out of 3/16th plate, which I think is pretty thin, but it'll be gusseted and braced against the "new" frame rails so I'm not really worried about it.
Over the last couple weeks I did get a couple other things knocked out. Like my leaf packs.

And I started on my U-bolt eliminators. Once I have something to locate the axle to I'll be fully welding those on.

That's about all I've gotten done so far. I'm hoping tomorrow I'll get the shackles welded in, the leaves hung and start burning in the "C" pillar portion of the roll cage.
 
Another awesome day out so I got alot done again.
I got both leaf packs mounted:
Shackle mounts fully burned in with shackles-ignore the butter bolts on the shackles, they have 10.9 grade in there now.


Getting the leafs hung

It's been a while since I've had these under there!

You can see in this picture how much more of an angle the shackle's at now. I'm curious to see what it'll end up being when the weight of the vehicle is on it.


Then I started on the UBE's, I just got the outsides burned in, I'm still working out what to do with my 9"

 
After I got the shackles mounted and helped my brother with his mustang header project I jumped back on the roll cage. I got the C pillar portion fully burned in and ran 16 gauge metal from the A and B pillars to the roof. It seems that the roof in only glued together to the roof "crossmember thingy". Oops, I burned it all off, guess I'll run some stitch welds to the roof and repaint it.


Here's where I extended the tube from the B to the C. I ran a smaller diameter tube on the inside and plug welded it to both tubes and butt welded the outer tube together, I feel confident that in a roll over I'll be protected.

Here's some on the plated cage to roof






I still need to run 2 tubes from the C pillar to the floor, but I think I'm going to wait to run those until the gas tank is relocated and the box is fully built for it. I'll probably start that next.
 
those shackles angles are going to be damn near perfect, mine sat like that at full droop, and are at 45degrees or so sitting with wieght, i suspect yours will do the same.


cage looks great, i like how you put the plate to the roof from the cage to reinforce it, and that should keep your body kinda straight in a roll over, maybe your doors/windows will still work afterwards.

best possible interior cage i think.

my motivation on the old jeep has about dried up too, but keep up the good work, i think i'm going to go fill up the flat on my jeep and roll it around to the garage at least today and take a look at what i've got.
 
appreciate the compliments
I'm really hoping that the shackle sits at a good angle right away, then I can add the gussets to keep that puppy from twisting itself apart.
I'm liking the cage more and more, the only thing that really bugs me about it is that there's no triangulation anywhere. That's the main reason I welded all that sheet onto.
Next project is to get the axle back under there and start on the gas tank relocation. I was measuring the tank and with the bottom flush with the rails it still sticks up 9" above the floor boards. That's quite a bit more than I want it to stick up. You don't know of a fuel tank that's not a high do you?
 
well, you cant get a tank from a vehicle that isn't that high, but with your fab skills, i suppose you could make your own, and use an e350 fuel pump, or some other truck with a 5.4 triton fuel pump, which is external, and found on the frame rail of most 250-350's with the 5.4

i love my ZJ tank, but i think you're a little more concerned about your space in the vehicle, i could also suggest a 70's f150, or 90's f150, with the dual tanks, the rear most tank sits between the frame rails, and has a pretty low profile, my buddy has one on his truck, and i never did measure it, but it really is pretty small, although fairly longer than the xj tank from front to rear, might fill up the entire cargo space, but a very short profile from top to bottom.
 
mscans said:
well, you cant get a tank from a vehicle that isn't that high, but with your fab skills, i suppose you could make your own, and use an e350 fuel pump, or some other truck with a 5.4 triton fuel pump, which is external, and found on the frame rail of most 250-350's with the 5.4

i love my ZJ tank, but i think you're a little more concerned about your space in the vehicle, i could also suggest a 70's f150, or 90's f150, with the dual tanks, the rear most tank sits between the frame rails, and has a pretty low profile, my buddy has one on his truck, and i never did measure it, but it really is pretty small, although fairly longer than the xj tank from front to rear, might fill up the entire cargo space, but a very short profile from top to bottom.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had a couple old f-150's those tanks are pretty low profile, but are long. . . I'm not sure what I'm going to do, I really really really do not want to attempt to build a fuel cell, I might just stick with mine and build the box around it that tall. . . oh well, I'm getting sick of this thing not running so I may just go with the easiest route for now. . .

I need to remember about the Ford external pumps. . . that may come in handy. ..
 
XXXX building a box man, just strap that bitch down and wheel it, run the hose outside, and come up with a solution later, a fuel spill is highly unlikely, and even less likely with the cell inside.

i dont understand why people are afraid of this, expecially in a vehicle with your intended purpose.

if you cant stand it, summit sells some fuel cells for a little under 300 that will do what you want.
 
I'm building the box to keep it dot legal in NC, it can't just be vented to the outside, that and my spare tire is going on top of the box, and I'll be building boxes out from the cetner to the sides of the jeep to carry tools and spares and be able to lock them.
 
whitneyj said:
I'm building the box to keep it dot legal in NC, it can't just be vented to the outside, that and my spare tire is going on top of the box, and I'll be building boxes out from the cetner to the sides of the jeep to carry tools and spares and be able to lock them.
Click to expand...

If you're trying to keep it somewhat street legal, you may not want the loss of range that would come with a smaller fuel tank. Although you probably want to keep some semblance of cargo area too.

My fuel tank is under the floor. :rolleyes:
 
Phil said:
If you're trying to keep it somewhat street legal, you may not want the loss of range that would come with a smaller fuel tank. Although you probably want to keep some semblance of cargo area too.

My fuel tank is under the floor. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You're dead on, I don't want to lose the range, but need to relocate the tank because of kicking the axle back 5".
Cargo space is a concern, but I'm more concerned about raising my COG from lifting the fuel tank upward.
Is your tank in the stock location with a skid plate?
 
whitneyj said:
You're dead on, I don't want to lose the range, but need to relocate the tank because of kicking the axle back 5".
Cargo space is a concern, but I'm more concerned about raising my COG from lifting the fuel tank upward.
Is your tank in the stock location with a skid plate?
Click to expand...


I moved my axle back quite a bit, but it doesnt interfere with the gas tank. I dont remember the # at the momemt though. It comes very close but doesnt touch. I havent had it out on the trail but I have used a hi-lift to flex it out as much as possible.
 
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