[jeepsterjc]

Originally Posted by 07wurubi

That thing is sweet looking.

Oh yeah, it sure is. I don't know if I want to go to 40s just because it'll look a bit odd in the parking lot but the scale of things with a Scrambler body may tone down those big Goodyear MTRs...

[472cid]

go big or go home!! is this thing running yet. lol j/k looking good so far

[jeepsterjc]

Originally Posted by 472cid

go big or go home!! is this thing running yet. lol j/k looking good so far

Hey there Amos. How are you doing? I've read on another thread you have another 5.0 swap underway. Are you finding time to sleep, too?

Oh yeah- It's running!! Not... I should have the front CA brackets mocked up today in cardboard and steel plate cut (the Currie front lowers are another set of rears... so not usable in their current form) and tacked in another day or two. I'm thinking of integrating a mechanical attachement into the driver-side front bracketry to supplement the welding. I'm going onto the pumpkin but my Mobile Welder fellow has said not to worry- the brackets will be there forever when he is finished... Dunno- still deciding.

I was going to use 38s or 39s to assist in the final gearing using one of my NP435s but the Goodyear MTRs seem to come in 40s, not 39s... They are labelled "Not For Highway Use". Anyone know why?

Right now the bottom of my frame rails at ride height is 21.5 inches. That is if I go to 39 inch diameter and who knows what the Goodyear MTR true diameter and loaded will work out to.

So I guess at this point I'm going on the big side with 40s.

[jeepsterjc]

Looks like my wheelbase is coming in at 103 inches. Spot on the the published Scrambler wheelbase.

I need to add an inch in height to the upper front passenger CA mount.

[jeepsterjc]

I've now dialed in the rear axle a 1/2 or so and will cut off and re-position the upper driver's rear CA and trackbar mount. I have it tacked a little too far to the rear and my thread count on the arms is too excessive.

I'm looking to pull in the axles to be as close as possible to perfect geometry wise and then if I need to adjust (from perfect...) I'll have plenty of thread and clearance to move stuff around.

You can see uneven thread counts on the uppers. The lower may get tweaked on the driver side rear, too.

Here, you can see the old breather port and brake T mount on the rear axle. When I pull the upper bracket forward I may have room to screw in a plug then weld/grind it flush. Either way- it gets plugged. I'll put a new breather through the former ABS sensor hole above the tone ring on the carrier.

The front driver lower CA brackets I made up and tacked in place. Great fit and spot on the Jeep OEM numbers when I'm done.

Another front lower shot. Maybe the setup will be adjusted and ready for the Mobile Welder this Monday/Tuesday!!!

The front driver's upper tacked in place and waiting to be removed and pulled reward 3/4 of and inch to preserve Jeep OEM bracket mounting and Ford pinion/caster. The Ford caster on my daily driver 1 ton measures out a 5.5 or so positive. I'll set the caster to 6 or 7 positive on this unit.

The last shot. This shows the front setup from a different angle. Never enough photos! I used a Currie spare rear lower here. The setback is farther rearward due to the driver-side lower mount going outside the thick pumpkin tube sleeve.

This bracket fit perfectly on the Dana 60 after one tap with a BFH on the anvil.
I should finish my passenger front upper today sometime. Gota pay attention to our 10 month old doodle named Duke- yes named after John Wayne. Who could be cooler??

I've got the frame ride-height lowered another 1/2 inch. I may go with this height but I haven't checked to see if the Goodyear 40s will sit under the rear aluminum tub edges without altering the fender wells. It will be easy enough to do that later.

[bruteboy]

nice job jeepsterjc.
I have been enjoying reading about your build.

you may want rethink using the abs sensor hole for the vent as oil spray from the ring gear may cause
oil to be pushed out the vent.

[mschviuz]

looking good, looking good!

[jeepsterjc]

Originally Posted by bruteboy

nice job jeepsterjc.
I have been enjoying reading about your build.

you may want rethink using the abs sensor hole for the vent as oil spray from the ring gear may cause
oil to be pushed out the vent.

Oh yeah. Saved me puddles of syntheic! Thanks. I'll just drill another one... Jim

[jeepsterjc]

Originally Posted by mschviuz

looking good, looking good!

Thanks, Now I can start measuring about how to tuck that engine in there... Did you keep your air conditioning pump and the oil cooler in place? It'll be close down there. Same with the steering shaft. Could you snap some pics of clearances down there?? Please!

[jeepsterjc]

OK. I got the passenger side upper bracket in there with 7 degrees of caster at ride height.


I may mount the engine the same as the LT1 in my YJ- slightly offset to the passenger side. If I do, the steering may fit better with the accessories and I may be able to keep the oil cooler. Too soon really to worry yet.

Nice and deep tacks and strong enough to cycle the suspension.

The front coil buckets/shock mounts are next. Maybe tomorrow.. Not sure.

[jason m]

Looking good. Dont forget to weld your axle tube's to your center section. The upper arms twist when under load forcing alot of pressure on the factory plug welds.
I know your going to but dont forget to add a brace to that Pass side control arm mount. Are you adding a truss anyware from center section to axle tube or upper link mount?

Jason.

[jeepsterjc]

Originally Posted by jason m

Looking good. Dont forget to weld your axle tube's to your center section. The upper arms twist when under load forcing alot of pressure on the factory plug welds.
I know your going to but dont forget to add a brace to that Pass side control arm mount. Are you adding a truss anyware from center section to axle tube or upper link mount?

Jason.

Hi Jason. I had been thinking about having the welder weld the tubes to the housing. I can't believe I'll put them through rougher work than the tree planters did for 14 years of rugged mountain skidder trail driving.

The upper mount on the pumpkin may get a mechanical two piece attachment using a few diff cover bolts and brackets on each side of the JJ barrel as a safety backup. Also the lower CA mount on the driver side. I haven't decided yet. That Ford 5.0 has to fit between the upper CA mounts when the Dana 60 comes up. It is tight right now I think using eyeball-engineering so I can't take up too much room. What ever the welder says at this point about strength. If he is confident I really won't worry. I've checked around on this fellow and people only have praise for his abilities and knowledge.

I do know that when cutting off one of my tacked brackets that one of the 3 deep tacks had cracked and was brittle. It cooled down REAL fast, that I know... I'll leave this to a pro.

I do have two triangles of 1/4 plate to web up the tall CA mount. I have left them off so that the welder has a clear path for the main tube/bracket weld then he can add the webs after.

[jason m]

Here was my first 14 bolt with unwelded tube's.





That was from a 4.0, 39" tire's and a hard landing. I also had a good friend twist his 79 Ford 60 front on the Pass side tube. Trust me have somthing for weld added, its not worth breaking but worth the piece of mind.

Jason.

[jeepsterjc]

Originally Posted by jason m

Here was my first 14 bolt with unwelded tube's.





That was from a 4.0, 39" tire's and a hard landing. I also had a good friend twist his 79 Ford 60 front on the Pass side tube. Trust me have somthing for weld added, its not worth breaking but worth the piece of mind.

Jason.

I thought "What am I looking at here?? Holy Cr@p! No way!" Now I'm thinking about what you call a hard landing is what I would call life ending! OK. Sold. Those tubes will get welded. Why not. He'll be here anyways and what is 10 minutes? Money well spent. Thanks.

[jason m]

Ya the Pics are a little fuzzy and hard to see but that was the factory plug welds on the pass side tube on the 14 bolt. I bounced the jeep around 3 feet into the air trying to bump a ledge and when I can came down the rear found plenty of traction.
Well the I thought maybe it was just a rear drive shaft





So while I was swapping to my spare rear shaft, I saw some shinny stuff, well it was all three plug welds on the anti wrap side of the axle. I was at the point of the trail were we had to turn around any ways, made for a interesting ride off the trail with the tube moving up and and sliding in and out.

Even if he welds them with a Mig ( your welder ), it better than nothing and it will help alot.
And if the tac welds on the cast are cracking heat them up a little before you tac them.

Jason.
Jason.