Bulk head fittings with Savvy mid arm

[The4bangertj]

I have finally graduated and got a real job. This means I have the financial freedom I didn’t have as a college kid. I have dreamed of installing the mid arm for years and with kids in the horizon I want I get this on before I’m house and kid poor and fear it will never happen. My short arm lowers are a stock arm in the rear which is very bent and a rubicon express in the front which ripped off the lower bracket of my buddy’s jeep (I’ve added Currie mini skids in fear of them). I would like to finish the suspension but I still have the high antisquat and get hops on steep stuff. Enough that going to a place like Moab scares me just for that reason. So what better way to doing the lowers than to swap it to a mid arm.
The whole install seems simple. Cutting brackets as painful yet simple as they are don’t worry me. The brake lines will need some bending which I als plan on doing a bbk and re doing my whole rear brake set up so I’ll try and bent the lines for the mid arm when I install it. The exhaust will need to be re done which sucks bc I just had it done last year but it is a simple fix (re weld the cat and muffler farther forward) especially if i axle dump it since nh now doesn’t have inspection and I can’t imagine anyone ever caring. Plus with the plan of Ls swapping I’ll need to redo the exhaust yet again and will hopefully get it out the back.
My worry is the bulk head fittings for my arb lines. I think my front fitting might be able to stay in the same location. The rear will likely have to move. Can anyone give a good guess based on your savvy truss if these will work? I haven’t seen anyone say how they plug the old ones once moved.

 

[mrblaine]

I have finally graduated and got a real job. This means I have the financial freedom I didn’t have as a college kid. I have dreamed of installing the mid arm for years and with kids in the horizon I want I get this on before I’m house and kid poor and fear it will never happen. My short arm lowers are a stock arm in the rear which is very bent and a rubicon express in the front which ripped off the lower bracket of my buddy’s jeep (I’ve added Currie mini skids in fear of them). I would like to finish the suspension but I still have the high antisquat and get hops on steep stuff. Enough that going to a place like Moab scares me just for that reason. So what better way to doing the lowers than to swap it to a mid arm.
The whole install seems simple. Cutting brackets as painful yet simple as they are don’t worry me. The brake lines will need some bending which I als plan on doing a bbk and re doing my whole rear brake set up so I’ll try and bent the lines for the mid arm when I install it. The exhaust will need to be re done which sucks bc I just had it done last year but it is a simple fix (re weld the cat and muffler farther forward) especially if i axle dump it since nh now doesn’t have inspection and I can’t imagine anyone ever caring. Plus with the plan of Ls swapping I’ll need to redo the exhaust yet again and will hopefully get it out the back.
My worry is the bulk head fittings for my arb lines. I think my front fitting might be able to stay in the same location. The rear will likely have to move. Can anyone give a good guess based on your savvy truss if these will work? I haven’t seen anyone say how they plug the old ones once moved.

View attachment 673988

View attachment 673989

The part that threads into the cast iron is typically 1/4" NPT. When you move it to a more suitable location, just use an internal hex NPT plug with red Loctite to seal the original hole. Neither current location looks like it will work. The front may clear but you likely won't be able to work on it if you get a leak and need to remove it.

 

[The4bangertj]

Darn.

The part that threads into the cast iron is typically 1/4" NPT. When you move it to a more suitable location, just use an internal hex NPT plug with red Loctite to seal the original hole. Neither current location looks like it will work. The front may clear but you likely won't be able to work on it if you get a leak and need to remove it.

Thank you. Do you have a preferred spot to put them?

 

[mrblaine]

Darn.


Thank you. Do you have a preferred spot to put them?

No, I just hand the truss to the gear guy and tell him to set it in place and make sure the bulk head banjo can be removed relatively easily.

 

[mrblaine]

Oddly, the rear line most often winds up on the right side of the upper mounts on the mini truss. Typically, the air line runs down the left side arm along with the flex brake hose. Great care needs to be paid to the routing if the stock swaybar is used. It will swing back into the truss base under full droop and pinch the line. The arms get very close to the truss base under full stuff so they can pinch the line against the truss. Don't leave it as good until you have cycle the axle and watched for potential problems.

 

[The4bangertj]

Thank you Blaine! I will have to wait till next winter to install it then. The jeep is still the daily and i was hoping I could do the bulk head relocation before hand so I could possibly do the front over a 3 day weekend and then do the rear another. Not confident I could locate and do the fitting without the truss installed and suspension cycled and that would need to more down time since I’m a one man show here.

Thank you, That saved me from having a head ache trying to do it too early.
Do you have any other recommendations on things to do before hand? I plan on running the bmb body lift with genright raised brackets, doing the 16in bbk with tie rod flip, and bending new lines in the rear hopefully enough to add the truss without issue or having to move the breather junction. Anything else I should do before?

Savvy seems pretty stable now. Any fear of them taking the mid arm off the market like they have before but never did? Will probably buy the other stuff soon and the mid arm closer to next year if not.

 

[mrblaine]

Thank you Blaine! I will have to wait till next winter to install it then. The jeep is still the daily and i was hoping I could do the bulk head relocation before hand so I could possibly do the front over a 3 day weekend and then do the rear another. Not confident I could locate and do the fitting without the truss installed and suspension cycled and that would need to more down time since I’m a one man show here.

The relocation can be done anytime. Just set the truss on there, pick a spot with diff cover off and go for it. The line routing isn't going to change where the bulkhead goes.

I plan on running the bmb body lift with genright raised brackets,

If you are doing that, you only need 5 pucks, if you raise the rear crossmember, you only need 3 pucks. When you get it figured out, I can get you the parts needed without buying a whole kit.

doing the 16in bbk with tie rod flip,

Don't be like JMT and order the kit without letting me know you want the flip done. All the time spent on the forums and he was not aware even a tiny bit of the options.

and bending new lines in the rear hopefully enough to add the truss without issue or having to move the breather junction.

You're building new lines and adding a Tee between the upper mounts. The vent bolt can stay where it is with a spacer to mimic the T-block thickness. The hardline at the frame just does a 360 and plugs into a frame adapter that is 3/16 inverted flare on one side and -3 male AN on the other.

Anything else I should do before?

No idea, I don't do it that way.

Savvy seems pretty stable now. Any fear of them taking the mid arm off the market like they have before but never did? Will probably buy the other stuff soon and the mid arm closer to next year if not.

If I could predict what he is going to do, I could win the lottery ever week.

 

[The4bangertj]

That’s great to hear. I still think I’ll have to do it over winter since getting the truss on requires cutting the uppers off and actually doing the swap then anyways even if it doesn’t require the cycling for the fittings.

I will absolutely let you know. Should I contact you directly (phone or email off your website) before I place the order or is just putting it in the order info good enough?

Do you have pics of the rear brake line set up? I’d like to do the lines for the mid arm when I do the bbk so I’m not re bleeding the whole system a bunch.

 

[mrblaine]

That’s great to hear. I still think I’ll have to do it over winter since getting the truss on requires cutting the uppers off and actually doing the swap then anyways even if it doesn’t require the cycling for the fittings.

You don't have to cut off anything on the rear axle. The most that is required typically is grinding down the casting seam on top if the truss doesn't fit all the way down. The most that has ever been is a fat 1/8".

I will absolutely let you know. Should I contact you directly (phone or email off your website) before I place the order or is just putting it in the order info good enough?

I don't have the option to sell part of a kit on the website, you will have to get in touch some other way.

Do you have pics of the rear brake line set up? I’d like to do the lines for the mid arm when I do the bbk so I’m not re bleeding the whole system a bunch.

Stop doing that. They are not the same, won't be the same, and you're just mucking about trying to make it simpler. Install either or both, deal with it and move on. There is no change to the front brake lines due to the mid arm install and any changes you might try and make to the rear lines are a fool's errand that will have to be redone when you actually do the mid arm.

 

[The4bangertj]

Looks like I need to learn how to do my own lines then lol.

 

[The4bangertj]

Was hoping to just do this but won’t plan on that.

 

[mrblaine]

Was hoping to just do this but won’t plan on that.

View attachment 674005

The only upside to that solution is it can be made to work. Everything else about it sucks.

 

[The4bangertj]

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/mid-arm-rear-brake-line.38496/
Yup that makes the previous photo look like a hack.

 

[jbarnes85]

Thank you Blaine! I will have to wait till next winter to install it then. The jeep is still the daily and i was hoping I could do the bulk head relocation before hand so I could possibly do the front over a 3 day weekend and then do the rear another. Not confident I could locate and do the fitting without the truss installed and suspension cycled and that would need to more down time since I’m a one man show here.

Thank you, That saved me from having a head ache trying to do it too early.
Do you have any other recommendations on things to do before hand? I plan on running the bmb body lift with genright raised brackets, doing the 16in bbk with tie rod flip, and bending new lines in the rear hopefully enough to add the truss without issue or having to move the breather junction. Anything else I should do before?

Savvy seems pretty stable now. Any fear of them taking the mid arm off the market like they have before but never did? Will probably buy the other stuff soon and the mid arm closer to next year if not.

I ordered my mid-arm mid January and received the brackets within 5 days. The links showed up this past week. It was overall pretty quick. (I'm in Maryland)

 

[tworley]

Here is how my rear brake line is set up.

The line is malleable enough to use your hands to bend it (carefully) where you need it to go.

 

[The4bangertj]

Here is how my rear brake line is set up.

View attachment 674079View attachment 674080View attachment 674081


The line is malleable enough to use your hands to bend it (carefully) where you need it to go.

Thank you! Where are both your bulk head fitting sitting on the housing?

 

[mrblaine]

You should avoid that grommet and drilling nonsense and forget you ever saw it. The bulkhead Tee gets a SS braided flex line that has a 90 on one end and female straight swivel on the other. Slot the tab after you drill it so you can remove the line with calipers attached so you don't have to bleed the system just to work on the truss.

 

[tworley]

You should avoid that grommet and drilling nonsense and forget you ever saw it. The bulkhead Tee gets a SS braided flex line that has a 90 on one end and female straight swivel on the other. Slot the tab after you drill it so you can remove the line with calipers attached so you don't have to bleed the system just to work on the truss.
View attachment 674084

Running the line under the truss made me think I was protecting the line, but this is a clean way to do it

Thank you! Where are both your bulk head fitting sitting on the housing?

You can see the rear one in this pic, Its been there since the ARB was installed 10 years ago. There is enough flex in the line to clear the truss.

The front had to be moved--Ill try and get a better photo when I get home, but you can get a peek of where its at in this photo. We drilled a hole thru the truss and the line comes straight up

 

[rasband]

Not as refined as Blaine's, but this is mine:

 

[RussinIdaho]

I cut and re-flared mine.