Well, after long hard years of abuse...ok ill cut the emo stuff now.
Anyways, on my driverside front frame rail right behind the front leaf spring shackle there is some hole in the frame, its actually on both sides. I assume its factory. But anyways, Apparently now there is a small crack on the top and bottom of that hole extending about a inch and a half.
I can easily just straighten out the frame, or i can replace it. As I am saving about 1100 bucks a month just for the jeep and im not really going to be able to do anything with the money till i am home in august of 2011. I have already bought lots of stuff for my drivetrain. Performance parts for the engine (big big power), RE extreme duty YJ spring, and pretty much rebuild and upgrad kits for my tranny and t-case.
But having this crack there is telling me that my frame is already weak. Its probably going to happen again as i did not do that hard of wheeling on it when it was new (to me) because i didnt want to destroy the weak parts. There is no rust like whatsoever on the jeep, except for little spots of pesky surface rust that is so thin it comes off easily. Its mostly because of off roading and mud gettin stuck to it causing the rust. Other than that feble rust its clean as a whistle.
I am going for 1 ton axles and obviously now I have to fix my frame. I got to thinkin while talkin with my brother-in-law (XJ jeeper) about just replacing the frame with a 1 ton frame and cutting it down a little and keeping the axles. There is like no way i am going to run the same engine that comes with the frame because I already have about 3600 invested in performance parts for the engine tranny and t case. Most of it is for the engine lol.
Also too many people have them dang 350's in their....uumm everything. Everyone and their mother has a 350, so im keepin the 351 and gonna name the jeep something cliche.
I was basically just checkin with yall if yall think ii should just replace the frame with a frame from a 1 ton chevy and replace the front axle with a ford d60. Cut down the frame a few inches and maybe leave a few inches and give it a little stretch. I know all the junk yard owners real well so i can probably get it at a good price. I also want the frame replaced cause I am going to have massive amounts of power (pushing 450-500 hp and tq) so it might be best to get a stronger frame.
All I would really need to do is remove and relocate all the brackets for shocks, drivetrain, if the leaf mounts are different sizes replace those. Hhhmmm what else, I dont really have the time to do a tube frame and i also do want to do one cause if i do I will go OVERBOARD and there will probably only be a jeep hood and grille left over lol. Im thinking that if i get a 1 tone frame it will be really deep and when i do the SOA and install the RE springs ill have some stupid amounts of lift that will make it retarded off road for my use. Im also gonna be runnin 39 inch pit bulls. Id rather not return my RE 4.5 extreme duty YJ springs, but i really dont know how much clearance ill have between the axles and frame if i dont use it.
I guess by doing this Ill have to put the camaro in storage and clear out the garage and bring my welder and goodies from my corner in the shop home.
What do yall think. Straighten and fix the frame or replace frame with beafy frame?
Anyways, on my driverside front frame rail right behind the front leaf spring shackle there is some hole in the frame, its actually on both sides. I assume its factory. But anyways, Apparently now there is a small crack on the top and bottom of that hole extending about a inch and a half.
I can easily just straighten out the frame, or i can replace it. As I am saving about 1100 bucks a month just for the jeep and im not really going to be able to do anything with the money till i am home in august of 2011. I have already bought lots of stuff for my drivetrain. Performance parts for the engine (big big power), RE extreme duty YJ spring, and pretty much rebuild and upgrad kits for my tranny and t-case.
But having this crack there is telling me that my frame is already weak. Its probably going to happen again as i did not do that hard of wheeling on it when it was new (to me) because i didnt want to destroy the weak parts. There is no rust like whatsoever on the jeep, except for little spots of pesky surface rust that is so thin it comes off easily. Its mostly because of off roading and mud gettin stuck to it causing the rust. Other than that feble rust its clean as a whistle.
I am going for 1 ton axles and obviously now I have to fix my frame. I got to thinkin while talkin with my brother-in-law (XJ jeeper) about just replacing the frame with a 1 ton frame and cutting it down a little and keeping the axles. There is like no way i am going to run the same engine that comes with the frame because I already have about 3600 invested in performance parts for the engine tranny and t case. Most of it is for the engine lol.
Also too many people have them dang 350's in their....uumm everything. Everyone and their mother has a 350, so im keepin the 351 and gonna name the jeep something cliche.
I was basically just checkin with yall if yall think ii should just replace the frame with a frame from a 1 ton chevy and replace the front axle with a ford d60. Cut down the frame a few inches and maybe leave a few inches and give it a little stretch. I know all the junk yard owners real well so i can probably get it at a good price. I also want the frame replaced cause I am going to have massive amounts of power (pushing 450-500 hp and tq) so it might be best to get a stronger frame.
All I would really need to do is remove and relocate all the brackets for shocks, drivetrain, if the leaf mounts are different sizes replace those. Hhhmmm what else, I dont really have the time to do a tube frame and i also do want to do one cause if i do I will go OVERBOARD and there will probably only be a jeep hood and grille left over lol. Im thinking that if i get a 1 tone frame it will be really deep and when i do the SOA and install the RE springs ill have some stupid amounts of lift that will make it retarded off road for my use. Im also gonna be runnin 39 inch pit bulls. Id rather not return my RE 4.5 extreme duty YJ springs, but i really dont know how much clearance ill have between the axles and frame if i dont use it.
I guess by doing this Ill have to put the camaro in storage and clear out the garage and bring my welder and goodies from my corner in the shop home.
What do yall think. Straighten and fix the frame or replace frame with beafy frame?