What did you do to your TJ today?

mjonesjr84 said:
Stupid question, is the front pinion angle supposed to be set up like the rear? Getting ready to replace my front control arms with adjustable ones.
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If it’s a DC shaft then u set the pinion angle 1* to 0.5* higher than your shaft bc the PA will tip back up front.

I learned this right after setting up the front like the rear and realizing I needed to do the opposite.

If you ever get manual hubs, it will allow you to prioritize caster and not worry about pinion angle (within reason) since the front shaft and gears will be turned off on the road. My caster was far too negative when the PA was dialed in, which makes for a less stable steering at highway speeds.
 
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MikeE024 said:
If it’s a DC shaft then u set the pinion angle 1* to 0.5* higher than your shaft bc the PA will tip back up front.

I learned this right after setting up the front like the rear and realizing I needed to do the opposite.

If you ever get manual hubs, it will allow you to prioritize caster and not worry about opinion angle (within reason) since the front shaft and gears will be turned off on the road. My caster was far too negative when the PA was dialed in, which makes for a less stable steering at highway speeds.
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Thanks! Exactly what I needed.
 
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mjonesjr84 said:
Thanks! Exactly what I needed.
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Also, I ripped off the rear CA bracket from the rear axle bc I didn’t properly share the load on the CAs.

Blaine set me straight on how to set up the upper CAs, and I’ve done it the following way three times in the last two weeks (had to redo the rear after raising the rear for the Rubicrawler install).

The following applies for adjusting the upper CAs.

- loosen jam nuts on both CAs
- remove one end of one CA from the rig
- adjust the pinion angle with the other CA that’s still attached
- dial in PA and tighten up the jam nuts
- recheck you PA to confirm it’s still good
- loosen the bolt on one end of the attached CA that u just used to dial in the PA
- barely crank the axle housing to relieve load until u can spin the loose bolt by hand
- install the other CA’s end by adjusting it until it fits (don’t worry about measuring bc it doesn't matter)
- tighten jam nuts and ensure the bolt on that end also spins by hand (so both CA’s are sharing the same load
- tighten the loose bolt on each CA
- enjoy the rig :)
 
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Weasellee said:
A good friend has a ‘74 Bronco w original 3 on tree. Fun to drive.

I always thought the work van with the three on the tree was a pain in the ass to drive but now I’d love to tool around town working out of that ole tin can.
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I learned to drive on a '64 Ford Econoline truck. 3 speed on the tree and the straight 6 between the seats. My dad said if I could manage that, I could drive just about anything and he was right. It was a fun rig to scoot around in once you got the hang of it. Wish they'd have hung onto it.
 
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AirborneTexasRanger said:
I learned how to drive stick at 17. Never had a chance to drive 3 on the tree though.

Edit: I'm 40 so manuals were still somewhat relevant when I was a kid.
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I’ve got a few years on you…my dad always went for the manual trans because back in the 80’s a/c was an option, and I guess it was roughly the same cost as the automatic, so by his logic getting a stick was like getting free a/c.
 
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hear said:
I’ve got a few years on you…my dad always went for the manual trans because back in the 80’s a/c was an option, and I guess it was roughly the same cost as the automatic, so by his logic getting a stick was like getting free a/c.
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Learned at 15 on a 1963 Valiant, three on the tree. Linkage was junk, so if you shifted too quickly into second, it would jam. In 1965, most cars were manual transmission, an automatic was a premium upgrade. Many automatics were two speed transmissions! Gas was 28¢/gal, so nobody cared about fuel economy. Moved up from there to a '64 Chevy Impala, 327 with a Hurst 4 speed. Kept breaking off the carrier bearing on the drive shaft. then, a '78 CJ-7 - another stick!
 
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DaveC said:
My dad said if I could manage that, I could drive just about anything
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Funny eh? I learned on my brothers ‘79 bronco with the 4 speed. He told me if I could drive I could drive anything and I’ve lived that mentally since.
My son and daughter learned on my sons ‘79 F100 with three on the floor.
I told them the same and they will forever be confident enough to drive anything.
 
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Finally decided on my design for rear storage in the LJ. I have some more shaping to do around the tailgate area to make it fit closer to the tailgate.

IMG_0268.JPG
 
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DavidBT said:
Pretty cool. I've been thinking about something similar, except maybe having the ply wood extend across the top of the wheel wells.
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I thought of that also. I barely got this out of a sheet that I had cut some shelves for another project. I used similar design in the TJ and it was solid. It does hold dirt between sides and wheel well housings.
 
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Viking Jeeper said:
Finally decided on my design for rear storage in the LJ. I have some more shaping to do around the tailgate area to make it fit closer to the tailgate.

View attachment 514410
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I constantly throw around in my head building something like this but I think my biggest question is how do you mount it to the tub. I would think I would like some sort of a quick release system so I could still remove it or build it in a manner that the dogs could ride on top. I know there is many threads on this.
 
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RangerTJ said:
My brother-in-law used to have an old van with the 3 on the tree.

Driving it was a pain for me, not because of the transmission, but because you were sitting on top of the front wheels.

I ALWAYS turned way to soon to go down a street.

Turn, correct back to straight, then turn again.

I'm sure I could've gotten used to it eventually, but the few times I drove it I just couldn't get myself to almost drive by the road I wanted before turning the steering wheel.
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That's how EVERYBODY drives in Florida - "Florida Corner Cutters"
 
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Weasellee said:
I constantly throw around in my head building something like this but I think my biggest question is how do you mount it to the tub. I would think I would like some sort of a quick release system so I could still remove it or build it in a manner that the dogs could ride on top. I know there is many threads on this.
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Mine will bolt to the same place the rear seat brackets bolted with aluminum L bracket.
 
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