[wildman4x4nut]

I started the morning off by making a lot of pie cuts on a piece of 2.5" exhaust pipe.



This is what they looked like after I cut them with the chop saw.



I cleaned them up with a angle grinder.



So now I had some pie cut pieces of exhaust pipe so what am I going to do with them?



I spent a while under the Jeep with some masking tape and this is what I came up with.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

Now I've never done anything like this before so I'm learning as I go. I've watched some videos and read articles but doing it is a completely different thing.

Well it works. I was able to clear the front driveshaft & the upper link.







It's a tight fit but yes it does clear both the driveshaft & the upper link.





And then snaked up around the driveshaft along side the transmission.



I've got some minor adjustments to make to line up the exhaust pipe but it's close.





I got this flex pipe but am not sure if it's needed or if I'm going to install it.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I pulled the exhaust pipe back out so that I can do the final welding to it. This is what it looks like all tacked together.



Not a bad job for a first attempt IMO. Of course I'm biased.



Just a few more shots since I'm a picture whore.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I couldn't wait until tomorrow to weld the exhaust pipe so I went back out to the garage tonight and welded it up. I ran out of tri-mix gas just towards the end so I'll have to wait until Monday and go pick up a new bottle. There are a few spots I'd like to go over again and one or two pin holes I found.







That's all the different angles of the pipe.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I did some research last night and found that I could use the Argon/CO2 to weld the stainless steel with also but it just produces a different looking weld. So I went back out to the garage this morning since my daughter decided to sleep in. Now the one BIG thing I noticed different about using the Argon/CO2 mix was that it seems to burn hotter than with the tri-mix as I had a couple burn throughs where I hadn't with the tri-mix. I finished off the drivers side pipe and added the rest of the crossover pipe. I've to wait for the V=Band clamps to get her so I can finish it all off so for now I left the slip joint in place.





The muffler came yesterday so I can work on that and work on where I'm going to but the turnout for the exhaust.



When I install the V-Band clamp I'll cut off the slip joint and will be able to shorten the pipe up just a bit as it's contacting the lower link mount right now.



But this shows what it's going to look like once it's all done and it tucks up in there really nice. I'll be contacting the ceramic coating shop on Monday to see about dropping the Y-pipe off.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Great work, Rick.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

Great work, Rick.

Thanks Jeff

 

[wildman4x4nut]

Yesterday evening I went back out to the garage and started to mess around with the muffler & possible tailpipe routing.



My two options are one: Snake it up over the upper link and come out the side with it. But here it'll blow on the Anti-Rock arms & then also be blowing on the back of the tire.



The other option: Run a turn down so it's blowing at the ground. I'll try to have it pointed at a angle so it's headed towards the side of the Jeep.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I'd gotten a late start today since I'd overslept and didn't get up until after 9AM. So I'd decided I'd do some media blasting. I started with the bracket for the gas pedal but forgot to take some pictures of it before I cleaned it up.





Next was the cover that goes under the steering column. I don't know or understand why any of these parts were so rusted but they were.





And the gas pedal lever itself.





Not that anyone will ever see these parts but they are cleaned up now and I'll repaint them so hopefully they won't rust anymore.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I'd forgot to take any pictures of the finished drivers side exhaust pipe so here it is. I'll be getting in contact with the ceramic coating shop tomorrow and see about dropping the parts off after the first of the year.







Then I was cleaning up around my 20 ton press getting things ready for doing the gears on the rear axle and installed the release knob from SWAG Off-Road. This is the second one I've bought of them so far. I have one on my engine lift also and it makes things so much easier.



I'm waiting until I can get in contact with Carl from Jantz Engineering to ask some questions about installing the load bolt on the CRD60 axle but once I'm sure of what I'm doing I'll be installing the gears into the rear axle.

 

[daddyjeep87]

The y pipe turned out good. Don't give up now and settle for a turn down. Keep going and make a proper tail pipe.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

Carl Jantz stopped by my house yesterday on his way home after visiting family over the holidays. I'd had some questions for him about the load bolt for the CRD60 so instead of trying to do this thru pictures he stopped by.



And he had Super Jeep with him so I go a chance to check it out. This thing is impressive and those 46" Claw are HUGE.



Then today I went and picked up the mail and this filler plate I'd ordered had arrived. This goes on the tailgate where the rubber snubbers would be.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I really hated to do this but I had to shorten my tie rod since when I'd ordered it I'd measured for it to be mounted between the knuckles and I'd decided to move them up to the high steer arms. So I needed to cut 3/4" off each end.





I'm using a discontinued kit from Artec that connects the high steer arms to the knuckles.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I decided to switch to the flat pitman arm from the GenRight pitman arm. I started off with the heim being mounted on the bottom but that didn't work so had to switch to it being on the top. But forgot to get a picture of it on top.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

The y pipe turned out good. Don't give up now and settle for a turn down. Keep going and make a proper tail pipe.

Thank you. I don't know that I can snake a tailpipe anywhere at this point.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

I like it.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

Well as with everything change one thing and you have other things that have to get changed too.



I lucked out and had a forum member from the WTJF that had sent me some 3" channel that is perfect for this.





All that just cause I moved the heim to here.



Here is the difference between a standard height misalignment and a short one.



Steering at full droop and no binding with the heim either that I can tell.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I moved the trackbar and got angles that came in really good.

Drag link





And then the trackbar





And since I was working on the steering I moved the bracket for the lower heim on the steering shaft since the angles were too steep.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

There isn't anything like just diving into something. Now I've done a lot of different mods to this Jeep but having to notch the frame was just another "NEW" thing for me.





Turned out pretty good. I got the hole a little off but it isn't anything that I can't fix.







This is the part I dislike the MOST... Welding upside down is not my thing.

 

[wildman4x4nut]

I cut the piece of channel down and tacked it in place just to make sure it fit and everything lined up properly.





Then I burned it all in. Again I SUCK at welding upside-down but did it as good as I could.





I cleaned the welds up and then bolted everything back together.