Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Wildman's TJ is getting a face lift

3 down and one to go.... Arms are tired...

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lBasket said:
Nice!! Hopefully they survive, I'm sure it'll help at least some to have them not on the bottom side
Click to expand...

Well there's nothing hanging down now. So I'd have to really catch something to snag one.

Other than Tig welding tabs on I don't see any other way to do this.
 
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I know I've mentioned it before but I'll say it again.

A good buddy of mine who was killed in Iraq had made me my first windshield banner that said Wildman and it was Blue because it was his favorite color.

So to honor him I've put Blue accents on the Jeep. It's why the dash lights are Blue also.
 
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Since we were talking about BJD's in @bbaldwin237 thread I figured I'd touch on them here again since it was almost a year ago that I'd installed mine.

When I'd installed my BJD's I didn't have a fish scale or anything else to test the resistance to turning. This is done at each knuckle and on mine with the Old School version is as follows:

  1. Torque sequence: torque each lower nut of top/bottom assemblies to 40 ft/lbs. Continue this torque sequence in 10 ft/lb increments rotating the knuckle between torque sequences. Do not exceed 60 ft/lbs. If resistance is felt at 50 ft/lbs it is acceptable to stop tightening.
  2. The knuckle should be able to be rotated with 1 hand and will have some resistance felt. (This is the spherical rotating inside the race of the bearing.)
Click to expand...

I've now got a scale to be able to do a pull test with so I can try and get this set correctly now. And for my trip I'd ordered a rebuild kit on their Black Friday Sale in Nov.
 
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Well I'd started this yesterday afternoon when I'd gotten home from my appointment.

First issue I'd ran into was the lock piece for the Stage8 retainer had spun on the spindle and put a grove in the threads.

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Not sure how or why. I've got a spare Stage8 kit so I'll replace that part.

Then after making a sacrificial 1 1/16" wrench that would fit around the RCV bell/boot I attempted to tighten the nuts.
And all I managed to do was round off the edges of the nuts.

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So after a few hours of frustration and cussing I'd quit for the night.

Came back out this morning and got the boot off the bell..... finally after much aggravation the boot came off.
Got the cage off the axle shaft and was able to get a better grip on the nuts.

Now remember the post just above? I was looking for 40 lbs resistance when pulling the knuckle? And could go up to 60 lbs resistance.

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I'll take it as a win 🏆......

This was on the passenger side knuckle.

Now to disconnect the drivers side knuckle and check it out also.

I've got a new spindle for the passenger side coming already...
Hopefully the drivers side spindle isn't damaged.
 
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Well FUCK me running......

Didn't want this right now......

Drivers side spindle was the same.
So called Stage8 and asked if I'd somehow fucked up on the installation.
They were NOPE you didn't.
Seems that there were some spindles made a while ago that weren't heat treated. They said that if properly treated the keyway shouldn't have been able to spin like it did.
But that's neither here or there at this point.

So then called Parts Mike and asked if they'd shipped my order from last night yet? Thankfully no....

So I added a second spindle to my order plus two standard spindle nut kits and two hub seals so I can repack the wheel bearings while I've got it apart.

It's only money right?

Hopefully the parts will be here NLT Friday.

So I'll check the resistance on the drivers knuckle and then move on to the power point since I can't reassemble the front axle until I have these parts.
 
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Wildman said:
Well I'd started this yesterday afternoon when I'd gotten home from my appointment.

First issue I'd ran into was the lock piece for the Stage8 retainer had spun on the spindle and put a grove in the threads.

View attachment 672642

View attachment 672643

View attachment 672644

Not sure how or why. I've got a spare Stage8 kit so I'll replace that part.

Then after making a sacrificial 1 1/16" wrench that would fit around the RCV bell/boot I attempted to tighten the nuts.
And all I managed to do was round off the edges of the nuts.

View attachment 672639

View attachment 672640

So after a few hours of frustration and cussing I'd quit for the night.

Came back out this morning and got the boot off the bell..... finally after much aggravation the boot came off.
Got the cage off the axle shaft and was able to get a better grip on the nuts.

Now remember the post just above? I was looking for 40 lbs resistance when pulling the knuckle? And could go up to 60 lbs resistance.

View attachment 672641

I'll take it as a win 🏆......

This was on the passenger side knuckle.

Now to disconnect the drivers side knuckle and check it out also.

I've got a new spindle for the passenger side coming already...
Hopefully the drivers side spindle isn't damaged.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's just a trick on the eyes with angles, but in that first spindle picture, is the outside also flared outward? Surely not or you would've played hell getting the nut off.
 
bbaldwin237 said:
I'm pretty sure it's just a trick on the eyes with angles, but in that first spindle picture, is the outside also flared outward? Surely not or you would've played hell getting the nut off.
Click to expand...

Nut came off with no issues so it must just be the angle. Need to go out and pull the drivers spindle off so I can have it all ready when the new parts arrive.
Parts Mike is one of my favorite vendors and I've bought a lot of stuff from the over the years. Whish I could remember when I'd gotten these ruined spindles from.

While I like the Stage8 kit going back to traditional spindle nuts just seems to be the better option right now....

I was getting frustrated enough with the RCV shafts yesterday that I was considering putting my stock axle shafts back in....

Hopefully once I get this back together I won't have anymore issues with it.
 
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Well front axle is as back together as I'll get until parts arrive.

Doing a dry test of the steering it feels better than it was.
Then with the engine running it again feels better than it was. But won't know completely until it's sitting on the ground.
 
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The guy I talked with at Stage8 said if I wanted to I could send him the bad spindles & he would Rockwell test them to see if they weren't hardened like they were supposed to of been.
So if I have time before I leave I might send them to him just to find out. Be good to know why it happened.
 
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Wildman said:
The guy I talked with at Stage8 said if I wanted to I could send him the bad spindles & he would Rockwell test them to see if they weren't hardened like they were supposed to of been.
So if I have time before I leave I might send them to him just to find out. Be good to know why it happened.
Click to expand...

If they weren't, you might be able to push for some refund (at least partial) since the failure would ultimately be on them.
 
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bbaldwin237 said:
If they weren't, you might be able to push for some refund (at least partial) since the failure would ultimately be on them.
Click to expand...

Stage8 is the company that makes the spindle locking system. They aren't who I got the spindles through. At this point I can't remember where I'd bought them from. Looked on Amazon to see if I'd bought them there and I hadn't. There are a few other vendors I could of gone through too...
But it'd still be nice to know. If come to find out they were hardened then that might bring up other things..

I don't know what's all required to do Rockwell testing of a metal.

The Rockwell test is a rapid, non-destructive indentation method used to determine the hardness of metals by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter (diamond cone or steel ball) under a specific, two-stage load. It is widely used for industrial metal, from soft aluminum (Scale B) to hardened steel (Scale C).

Industrial Physics +4
Key Aspects of Rockwell Hardness Testing:
  • Process: A minor load (usually 10 kgf) is applied to penetrate the surface, establishing a zero position, followed by a major load (60-150 kgf) that creates the indentation. The difference in depth determines the hardness value.
  • Common Scales:
    • HRC (Rockwell C): Used for hard metals like hardened steel, titanium, and tools, utilizing a diamond cone.
    • HRB (Rockwell B): Used for softer metals like brass, aluminum, and soft steel, using a 1/16" steel ball.
  • Result: The result is a dimensionless number, with higher numbers indicating harder materials.
  • Standards: Tests are conducted to standards such as ASTM E18 or ISO 6508.
  • Sample Prep: Surfaces must be clean, smooth, and free from oxide scale to ensure accuracy.
 
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