The Silver Fox LJ Build
- Thread starter JMT
- Start date
When I removed the rear Rancho shocks they were both totally shot. Gotta do something! Not sure on my timetable. What’s going on with this weather? Just now getting cold over here. I’m aiming to do the outboard ASAP.
I am excited to hear how your tuned shock experience goes with this outboard, it's hard to really understand what "predictability" means with shocks and wheeling until you feel it. It really ups the wheeling game a surprising amount.
We were colder here this past week than we have been, but that was still only around 30. I can't speak for up north.
Tahuya probably wouldn't be worth the drive over unless you just wanted to check it out and do something casual. There's stuff to play on, but all short trails and obstacles. I've never been to Reiter or Walker.
Reiter and Walker are the only two I’ve been to!
Reiter is better. A lot more to do.
Yeah, Walker was pretty boring. The open gravel pit area has some hill climbs and some rocks IIRC. The trails had like one kinda difficult spot that wasn’t difficult..
In the pic from your post, are there some gussets above the plate welded to the frame for more support?
Why does it need more support?
The load is very small on the crossmember that is holding up the rear half of the drivetrain. The tab is well over 4" long out of 3/16" steel bar stock. When the crossmember flange is bolted to it in 4 places, that brings the thickness up to 5/16" and creates a unitized piece. In order for the tab to move or dislocate in any manner, it has to bend into an S or 2 bends, 1 right at the frame just outboard of the end of the crossmember flange and then again on top of the flange.
It would take a very high amount of force to bend the tab on the frame between the end of the crossmember and the frame. That is a very short span with a very high resistance to bending. You will damage a lot of stuff beyond repair if you manage to inflict enough mayhem on the skid to shove that crossmember up high enough to bend that tab(s) any appreciable amount. Gussets there are what you do when you don't understand how anything works.
If you are going to weld them, I'd encourage you to stop welding as cold as your body mounts show.
Beautiful work Jeremy! I hope I’m ready for Sand Hollow so I can see it in person
Coming along great! Can't wait to see it this summer
Heck yeah Baby! Hoping @Woodrow can join us for some summer outings too! Of course, he’s gonna have a really great departure angle! Heck ya!
We need to make Brown's Camp/Tillamook this year. I'll be out of my league amongst you guys with all your frame lifts and outboards and Rick's.....everything.
Rick's isn't an everything..... There is a TON of things I'd like to redo or do over... And I still might... At some point but first I want to enjoy it for a while. Yes there are things I want to do along the way but I'd like to wheel for a while before I cut some more.
But I can't wait to see Jeremy & the Silver Fox plus Mike in the new @Woodrow machine...
Yes I'm OK with another trip to Browns Camp....
And Bend too.
Now we just need to get @NashvilleTJ up here too.
The upper perches were moved so the springs are not bowed. Follow @hosejockey video on BFH Garage. It’s a great video. Everything you need to know is there.
The outboard is a lot of work. Follow @hosejockey61 video on BFH. If you don’t have a rear trackbar it’s much better when you’re doing the upper perch relocation because you can actually get them right without fudging and that helps get your outboard towers closer to 90* to the lower control arm. Having the midarm already in play is nice, but make sure your axle is centered, pinion angle set, square to frame, the whole nine yards. It’s a lot of measuring and remeasuring. Have plenty of jack stands and jacks. Keep at it till you’re sure. Cycle, cycle, cycle. Don’t burn anything in till you know you are good. Just painting is a lot once it’s all in. Boy am I happy most of it is done. Should have the rear all back together by next Thursday.
The outboard is a lot of work. Follow @hosejockey61 video on BFH. If you don’t have a rear trackbar it’s much better when you’re doing the upper perch relocation because you can actually get them right without fudging and that helps get your outboard towers closer to 90* to the lower control arm. Having the midarm already in play is nice, but make sure your axle is centered, pinion angle set, square to frame, the whole nine yards. It’s a lot of measuring and remeasuring. Have plenty of jack stands and jacks. Keep at it till you’re sure. Cycle, cycle, cycle. Don’t burn anything in till you know you are good. Just painting is a lot once it’s all in. Boy am I happy most of it is done. Should have the rear all back together by next Thursday.
Big thing that messed with my mind was when I did the caliper flip I could not get the crush washers to seal the hose to the caliper. I messed with it and messed with it and finally called Blaine. He said with the rear 44’s you have to swap the hoses too (because they’re clocked??? I was in the middle of something and wanted to understand better). I picked up some new crush washers and hope to get to that tomorrow or Tuesday or Thursday. Whenever I can get back out there. Thanks @mrblaine. The brake and all things Jeep guru. 