well cutting the crap out of it... A little feedback is good

[RWKHausSupply]

well plan on running panels on the sides in the triang. just next to the front seats, door bar to b-pillar to rocker. Then may do something in the rear. I work for a HVAC company and we have own own multi millon dollar sheet metal facility. So IF I can figure out how to use them on this I will. Only dont want to rid myself off being able to see the terrain around me so much.

Currently I have 1 of those poly type race seats I was going to mount in nthe center, thats why theres so much tube in the back (and I forgot I have 2 more to add). But I am thinkinng of a TJ rear seat. Only prob with TJ rear, I dont think it would be very wise to run a harness, its just not tall enough. For the front I got full race seats and 4 point cam locks.

as for the front fender area. the front will have a |/ from the bumper up to mid tube that runs to the A pillar area. Then from mid to the A pillar will be the opposite \| basically like most run I think. / \ is all it is missing.

 

[BrettM]

looks good, except I hate the whole windshield area, but that's just a cosmetic complaint. use lexan for the rear panels so you can still see the terrain.

 

[rehab]

looks really good man. i wish i had the balls to cut mine up.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

looks good, except I hate the whole windshield area, but that's just a cosmetic complaint. use lexan for the rear panels so you can still see the terrain.

I Agree the windshield is outa place. but since its cali, I think as long as I smog it and keep the lights and the windshield, I will be ok to drive it on the street. Oh after I get it all painted also.

 

[aparke4]

haha lexan would be cool and i think paint will help the windshield look not so out of place... thanks for the replies

 

[Jump This]

As long as you know its butt ugly, you don't need me to point out the obvious!!
Just yanking your chain, I'm not thrilled with some of the bends (being a high speed buggie guy myself) but I'm thinking your not entering it in any Baja races soon.
Build and learn. I like the race type seats myself but don't like the harnesses when going wheeling.
Remember the only reason you cut it up was to loose weight and prevent sheet metal damage. :cheers: This type of approach might become more common. Many of us have enough fun running with 35" tires, and spending the HUGE bucks to build a reliable 37" shod rig just doesn't make any sense.
Maybe after some more body damage I just might tube out the stock rig.....
Now get it done.
Rick

 

[barillms]

What size square material did you use for the rockers?
Me likey.

 

[motorcityxj]

i had to squint to see his face, but seems your neighbor looks absolutely appalled you live in his neighborhood :yelclap: :clap: lol

sweet i like the direction this is going.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

What size square material did you use for the rockers?
Me likey.

The 3.5x3.5 (X.188) fits perfectly inside the remains of the firewall area when its cut like this I found.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

i had to squint to see his face, but seems your neighbor looks absolutely appalled you live in his neighborhood :yelclap: :clap: lol

sweet i like the direction this is going.

Actually hes one of the Few that actually are cool and comes over to chat all the time. Now the Other side of me... :repair: = :explosion

 

[XJ_ranger]

The 3.5x3.5 (X.188) fits perfectly inside the remains of the firewall area when its cut like this I found.

why did you keep the rockers so low?

seems like if you were loosing all that sheetmetal anyhow, and most of what makes an XJ, an XJ... then you ought to raise the rockers, or eliminate them completely...

and why did you go with a 3.5x3.5? why not a 3.5x2 or something thinner (for more clearance and less weight)?

 

[RWKHausSupply]

why did you keep the rockers so low?

seems like if you were loosing all that sheetmetal anyhow, and most of what makes an XJ, an XJ... then you ought to raise the rockers, or eliminate them completely...

and why did you go with a 3.5x3.5? why not a 3.5x2 or something thinner (for more clearance and less weight)?

Well I didnt want to loose the floor, I the floor remains. Also being 6'5 and not a small guy I wanted to keep the head from beind that much higher then the old roof line, and sholders safely away from the side tubes. If I would have cut the rockers completely out and raised the floor and rockers then the seat would have also moved up.

3.5sq was used to match up exactly to the ID of the old rocker area at the firewall once the rockers were cut out. and yet still be about .5" higher then the floor at the bottom. All in all I gained about 4-5" of rocker hight over what I has when I started this. I had 2x6 rocker gaurds mounded about 3/8" under the pinch seam.

Currently I would say its a Very close match in the amount of tube I have now as I did before doing this. But I lost the entire sheet metal above the floor and windshield back, and the heavy ass doors and hatch and such. Also lighter seats, and this also would in therory lower my COG (since all the weight loss was above the floor).

I know this isnt optima for high clearance, but with the FT front arms...

SO far I am happy.

Oh and PS.. It really isnt that important that its an "XJ".. just thats what it started as.. I would do a tube chassis and all (or try to), but why start from sctrach when something like this has most the crap done for ya, and just needs the tube, or so to speak.

And you never answered me on the other tread. What did you get for tires and rims now?

 

[XJ_ranger]

Well I didnt want to loose the floor, I the floor remains. Also being 6'5 and not a small guy I wanted to keep the head from beind that much higher then the old roof line, and sholders safely away from the side tubes. If I would have cut the rockers completely out and raised the floor and rockers then the seat would have also moved up.

3.5sq was used to match up exactly to the ID of the old rocker area at the firewall once the rockers were cut out. and yet still be about .5" higher then the floor at the bottom. All in all I gained about 4-5" of rocker hight over what I has when I started this. I had 2x6 rocker gaurds mounded about 3/8" under the pinch seam.

Currently I would say its a Very close match in the amount of tube I have now as I did before doing this. But I lost the entire sheet metal above the floor and windshield back, and the heavy ass doors and hatch and such. Also lighter seats, and this also would in therory lower my COG (since all the weight loss was above the floor).

I know this isnt optima for high clearance, but with the FT front arms...

SO far I am happy.

Oh and PS.. It really isnt that important that its an "XJ".. just thats what it started as.. I would do a tube chassis and all (or try to), but why start from sctrach when something like this has most the crap done for ya, and just needs the tube, or so to speak.

And you never answered me on the other tread. What did you get for tires and rims now?

you can raise the rockers without moving the floor... look at Ron's build... I got in and out og his just fine, and we're about the same height...

Im running 35" BFG KM's that I won at the raffle... on some alloy rims that arent steel, and arent bent. (i dont know what they are, I bought them used)

 

[RWKHausSupply]

you can raise the rockers without moving the floor... look at Ron's build... I got in and out og his just fine, and we're about the same height...

Im running 35" BFG KM's that I won at the raffle... on some alloy rims that arent steel, and arent bent. (i dont know what they are, I bought them used)

So just trying to paint the picture here in my head. So if you dont raise the floor. then how do you raise the rockers? Dose the floor mate to the rockers? On mine the floor is about .5" lower the the lowest portion of my rocker now. So I just in need of a little picture painting, kinda cornfussed..

I know that mine are also about 2" narrower each side then stock. So with the say 4.5" higher and 2" narrower, that yields some gain at least.

Cool... I dont so much like Procrap (which I have lol) or BFG's, but new tires for free are the best kind :yelclap:.....

 

[cracker]

Robert, My rockers are about 5 inches above the floor.

it is a crappy pic but you can see how high it is.....

 

[RWKHausSupply]

so the rocker is high and then run sheet down to the existing floor where it used to meet the old rocker?

 

[cracker]

so the rocker is high and then run sheet down to the existing floor where it used to meet the old rocker?

you can but right now I have no sheet metal on the other side right now as it comes down to my floor. My boatsides seal me from the floor.

My stock floor exists all the way to the edge of the frame rail and then we made supports going diagonal to the height we wanted the sliders to be (which was dictated on how comfortable we felt cutting into the vertical stock A-pillar).

 

[RWKHausSupply]

you can but right now I have no sheet metal on the other side right now as it comes down to my floor. My boatsides seal me from the floor.

My stock floor exists all the way to the edge of the frame rail and then we made supports going diagonal to the height we wanted the sliders to be (which was dictated on how comfortable we felt cutting into the vertical stock A-pillar).

Aww thats right stock seats and mounts.... Was going to ask how did you mount them then.

Well its done and its much better then before.

 

[cracker]

Aww thats right stock seats and mounts.... Was going to ask how did you mount them then.

Well its done and its much better then before.

I got these and now we are going to try to come up with a better lighter way to mount them.

I saw the way Scrappy and Goiat had theirs mounted and it entailed tubing spanning the width of the rig bent to go around the tranny hump.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

well this past weeked was the 5th aniv. and had to go away and didnt have much time the past week or more to do anything till yest and today. So this is how it sits currently.

I think the cage rear of the windshield is fully done. Now just have to add two tubes per side in the fender area.

now just have to mount the lights, remove all the extra wiring now (about 3/4 of the wires are usless now) and wire the euro box for the new LED tail lights. THen mount the filler neck for the Tank, and set up the stereo.