[aw12345]

When I am bored I will expand some more on my Jeep built.
Here is today's tinkering

Finished today's chores. Mounted the passenger seat, raised the rear of the driver seat up a bit.
Finally mounted my first aid kit in it.

 

[Xpress]

For a half a mill-second there... I thought this was Chris' YJ...

Looks sweet

 

[aw12345]

Thanks bud

 

[Chris]

That is a sweet ride. I'm grabbin ideas for mine now.

 

[greenjeepgurl87]

very bad ass. nice!

 

[RikRotorhead]

Tinkertoy. Perfect name for a Jeep.
Nice rig.

 

[aw12345]

Had a few days of spare time since we came back from the desert.
First I finally swapped the parking brake valve for one that actually works.
Then I mounted my fancy cupholder.



Then I started looking at the tailgate, scratched my head a few times and got busy.
Well that was a fun little project,it's all done, pretty happy with it.



I just need easier access to the recovery gear and tools in case I need them.






I officially suck at sheetmetal welding, but nothing that a little bondo cannot resolve. Made some more progress on my tailgate, just needs some cable and a way to latch it shut. In time I might just skin the inside with some thin aluminum diamond plate. Had to make a little frame to stiffen it since all I was using was the outer skin of a 1997 TJ tailgate

 

[aw12345]

Kinda backwards, but here is the start of this madness

Two years ago after our second visit to the Hammers and running Clawhammer, Sledge Hammer and Big Johnson a friend and me both decided that to keep our daily driver Jeeps in one piece something a bit more carried away was needed to have fun and keep our Jeeps from looking better than something that sits in a junk yard. So after some horse trading and side work I got my hands on a 2004 TJ that had been rolled. I ended up with the Jeep minus axles, transfercase and suspension.
Here she is after I knocked the tub back in shape, sitting next to my little Jeep.

Once that was done the axle hunt was on ended up with a 14 bolt for the rear and a Dana60 HP out of a 79 Ford F350

Once I got some more side work done I really got going on it last May
I wanted everything underneath flat so no control arm brackets, skid plates or anything beneath the frame

Since I was waiting for some parts started to think how the transfercase was going to go under there

Whole bunch of sheetmetal had to go to make that fit

 

[aw12345]

Started to get a handle on the front suspension

Had to modify the frame a bit to get some clearance for the axle and some room for the steering

Cut the front of the frame off and replaced it with some rectangular tubing, this way the steering box can come forward to accommodate the front wheel base Stretch. Front axle moved about 6 inches forward

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p289/aartw12345/tinkertoy/
bigyeller099.jpg

 

[aw12345]

Then picked up the coil overs and look ma the front sits on it's own weight.

From there I moved on to making some crossmembers and came up with a lo pro mount for the trans

Once that was tackled, I sacrificed a week vacation and used that time to make a start on a rear suspension

Then the next day it stuck it's nose out of the garage for the first time

That put me towards the end of August of last year.

Then I started to make the mounts for the rear coil overs

Got some nice beadlocks for it also

Week or so later rolled it outside to see how well it would flex and check for clearances

 

[aw12345]

Then started making a bracket for the York compressor for the onboard air

Then borrowed a tube bender and started on a roll cage

Then stuck the rear driveshaft in and drove it for the first time down the street

 

[aw12345]

Then on to hi lining the hood and making some tube fenders

Time for a poser shot lol

Time to get the gearing changed and install the lockers

Once that was successfully concluded I started on the onboard air system

So I made a manifold and got this tank from harbor freight

Once that was all plumbed it was on to some rock sliders

 

[aw12345]

Became time to tackle the steering box and PCS ram

So took the steering box back out and drilled and tapped it

From there found a place for the reservoir

Mounted the ram

 

[aw12345]

Getting closer to the finish

Cleaned up wiring etc under the hood

Time to mess with the center console, the stock stuff had to go to make enough clearance for the shifters and I wanted it gone period

Plenty of room for more switches and idiot lights

On to trying the lockers out

Also in betwixed and between made a rear bumper with some shackle mounts

The finished product

Time for it's first road trip and shake down

Finally got a trailer to drag it to the trail.

The fenders on the trailer did not clear so out came the plasma and of the came. They are now easily removable
This week's chores were to install a rear anti rock and make an engine and trans skidplate

Well that took eleven months of all my free time and vacation time
So that's all folks I need a break and I am going wheelin

 

[aw12345]

Working my way up upper SledgeHammer, the quality of the video is poor, my buddy was to busy spotting and trying not to fall on his behind
Still pretty cool though

 

[aw12345]

Seems like I made a wise decision yesterday when I turned around and headed back to the trailhead when my steering started to act up.





On the bright side the housing is reusable, just got to find a old steering box where I can rob some parts out off.

 

[aw12345]

Gave it a hell of a work out on the Hammer trails in the last 2 days.
Love them Pitbulls, for as much as we spun them, pinched them stuck them under rocks, smoked en and what ever other abuse we could think off the didn't really chunk, bite pretty darn well and in general take all the abuse you can dish out for them without any complaint.
The little girl took her licking without to much complaint the score for 2 days of hammering is a bend tierod, might make a skid/ armor plate for it, a barber poled drive shaft, but it's a thick tubed one so it didn't bother it, some seriously scratched up skidplates and the front diff cover is leaking more than when I started. any way this is what happens when you only have 21" of bellyclearance

 

[aw12345]

Fairly productive day today, my buddy Fred, drilled and tapped another steering gear housing for me, thanks Fred. Then I ran over to the autoparts store and ordered a new seal kit for it, should be here tomorrow.



Then ran over to a bolts place and sourced some bolts for the diff cover and a few big allen bolts to fudge around with the steering linkage some more, would be nice to get that higher up and out of harms way.
It will have to do for now though.



The crossmember for the rear lower control arms, seems to flex, so I will beef that up before it's next outing in a few weeks.

 

[aw12345]

Started messing with a few things today. First called king and discusses what to do to get the Jeep to sit 2" higher, so will swap some springs later this week. Then started messing with the rear crossmember and cut this piece for it, needs a bit more trimming and that can be welded in.

 

[aw12345]

Tackled the steering and diff cover today, took a bit of work but, the steering gear is rebuilt and working the way it should.
Straightened the tierod, that thing started to look like a pretzel, had 4 different bends in it from the last round of trail fun. Didn't hurt the auxiliary ram any though. I guess this summer I'll get around to giving the Jeep a true high steer setup or something close to that.
Swapped the leaking diff cover and fixed the a few fuel vapor lines that had a small leak according to the OBD 2 system.
All that is left is a bit of welding tomorrow and sticking the belly skid back on and she is good for another round of hammering