Woodrow's 97 Green TJ (NOT SO) Moderate Build
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That looks perfect Mike. Nice recovery.
All the trouble you had were reasons we fabbed my rub rails. That way we could make tabs that matched the GR armor and use SAE hardware.
Seeing you had to remove everything to get back there was painful to read. Your patience paid off though.
All the trouble you had were reasons we fabbed my rub rails. That way we could make tabs that matched the GR armor and use SAE hardware.
Seeing you had to remove everything to get back there was painful to read. Your patience paid off though.
Looks great! Agreed on the approach of not wanting drill shavings between the armor and tub. You have motivated me to install the rub rails I have been putting off for a while now.
Back to the rub rails. Like so many Jeep projects, this one was more complicated than expected. First, I had hoped for a quick bolt on. But I had to trim the passenger side rail to clear the Morryde hinges I’m using as detailed above and the mounting points on Flux’s hardware doesn’t match the holes in my Genright corners. There are 5 mounting points for the rails. Three carriage bolts (yellow zinc coated) and a cap screw on each end. The carriage bolts and cap screw at the back go through simple holes in the tub (and corner armor and in one case the steel stiffener for the armor):
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More drilling than I had hoped but easy enough. The problem turned out to be the front cap screw which goes into a double walled area:
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As I had discussed with @Fluxor and @sab, options would be tap the armor or pull it and put a rivnut/nutsert in the tub. I chose the later so I had to pull the armor (and taillights, and gas filler cap, and tailgate and hinges). I decided to go this way because I didn’t want drill shavings left between the armor and tub and think MAYBE the rivnut is stronger. It is also an opportunity to clean:
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Anyhow, once I brushed a little Rustoleum into all the new holes to protect the exposed metal, I put the 2 rivnuts in and started the reassembly process. Next I got stalled by my assumption that the hardware with rub rails was 5/16”-18, like my Genright corners and rockers. WRONG. It is, in fact M8x1.25 which is pretty damn close but not the same.
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I started the cap screw into the rivnut on one side and it went in tight and I spun the rivnut which meant I couldn’t get it back out. So for reasons unknown, I went over to the other side to check the threads of the other 5/16”-18 rivnut with the supplied M8x1.25 cap screw (I think I was thinking maybe I had damaged the threads of the rivnut when inserting it with too much pressure-I really don’t like rivnuts, btw…). By the time I figured out that side wasn’t going in smoothly, I had spun it too. No pics. Walked away mad to settle down and think about how I was going to get out 2 spun rivnuts with stainless bolts stuck in them, one of which was behind the aluminum rail and armor…
The next week, after cooling off, using the 3/8” or so gap between the 2 pieces of aluminum, I carefully cut the SS bolt between the rail and armor with a 4.5” cut off wheel on a grinder. I put Gorilla tape on both aluminum surfaces so a gentle bounce wouldn’t immediately scar the surfaces. To my surprise, I was able to cut the stainless and get the rail and corner off without damage. Phew! Next, I had to get the rivnuts out, still with stainless bolts or fragments thereof stuck in them (so I couldn’t just drill them out). I did that very carefully with a carbide burr on a dremel tool and was able to salvage the holes for new rivnuts:
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Now, I finally reassembled everything with the rails and new stainless 5/16”-18 cap screws. In addition to the hardware issues, I had to massage the radius on the rails to better match the imperfections of my tub/genright corners. I used my 20T press very carefully and a 3# dead blow. They turned out pretty close:
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Also, while the armor off, I tried a little more surface prep than I had when I rushed through it before the Sand Hollow trip. These blank corners were a lot more scratched up than the pre-cut ones I had before and sold to @macleanflood. I ended up using brown and then green Scotchbrite in a swirl rather than linear pattern which worked OK. The final product:
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One of my favorite Jeeps here. Your work is always well thought out and tastefully executed!
Sorry for the delay, but it occurs to me that I didn’t mention how sexy I think that V90 is. Long and low. VERY nice. Too bad I can’t talk my wife into a wagon again. I’d love to LS or coyote swap one of those with a manual.
Thanks. It has nice hip lines that make it look wide from either end too. A raucous V-8 would be sweet, but make our a flat plane. The C-8 Z06 one would do. Or maybe a spicy turbo 5 cylinder?
A good friend had the old turbo R wagon with a manual and a hot tune. That thing was sweet putting out 450hp or so.
We rarely see the low V90s. They've only brought the lifted cross country versions in since '22 I think and not that many of the low ones before that.
A good friend had the old turbo R wagon with a manual and a hot tune. That thing was sweet putting out 450hp or so.
We rarely see the low V90s. They've only brought the lifted cross country versions in since '22 I think and not that many of the low ones before that.
I have driven fords and chevys with NA flat plane V8s and I like ‘em. A high revving NA motor like that is wonderful but at your altitude, boost would probably be worth it.
450hp out of a 245 turbo? (or are you talking something more recent?). If not, was the bottom end stock? Those 2.3s were bullet proof in stock NA form but the ‘85 we had was about 113hp, I think and the turbos were not much over 150 IIRC.
Besides the newer V90, the other Volvo wagon I’d like to V8 swap is another 245. Both cars have those hips. Someday, maybe.
No, newer. V70 era I think. Square bodied. It was a 2.5L turbo inline 5 making 300hp stock. Those were stout.
Turbos do great here, but don't underestimate how nice the sound of a good N/A motor is.
I might be way down on power, but the N/A 3.8L 9A1 with sport exhaust (center delete) in my car sounds amazing at 6000rpm with the sunroof open in Eisenhower tunnel. The 996 and 997 turbo will drop me instantly, but sound muffled.
Has happened. They just have so much more torque down low and a good bit more power up top.
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Sitting at the airport waiting for another delayed flight (to Chicago this time). I don’t travel much for work but this is my 2nd time in as many months. Still sucks. I don’t think I’ll be able to invite myself on any wheeling trips in Chicago like I did in Nashville with Jeff and John and the boys last month (thx again @NashvilleTJ and @John Cooper!).
Anyway, thought I would share some non Jeep stuff going on:
I put a hitch on my wife’s new XC60. Volvo wanted $3600 for a hitch (that should be stock). I asked “what’s so special about a Volvo hitch” and was not sufficiently impressed with the answer so I got a Curt hitch and 4 pin harness kit from e-trailer for about $350 plus less than 2 hrs of my time:
4000# trailer/400# tongue wt max should be good for a bike rack or single axle trailer.
Next up: the whine in my ‘12 Mustang GT rear end. Its a Ford 8.8 with the 3.73 ratio. Stock shafts are 31spline and look pretty stout. The housing is somewhat unique in that the inner pinion bearing is a larger (“high torque”) variant for ‘10-‘14, I believe.
3.73 was as low as Ford offered when I ordered the in the car in the fall of ‘11 (6 or 8 mos after they began putting the Coyote in the S197s). But this motor is super happy to rev. The fuel cuts at 7K but it feels like it wants to keep going. So I have always wanted a bit lower gearing. RGA did not have 4.10 in Ford 8.8 in stock. But, thanks to @NashvilleTJ, I got plugged in with Ben Brazda at Filthy Motorsports and he had a RGA R&P in 4.10 that he sold me for a nice deal.
So I pulled the old stuff:
Old bearings and seals looked fine but will be replaced. Fluid was not low but backlash was a little high (to me) at 0.013”.
Pattern looks deep to me but Mike (@hosejockey61) what do you think?
Edit: To be clear, these are the old (70K mi) gears. I checked out of curiosity since they have become noisy.
After confirming the bearings and seals, I ordered new Koyo and FoMoCo stuff.
Hopefully, I will get it back together after my trip.
Anyway, thought I would share some non Jeep stuff going on:
I put a hitch on my wife’s new XC60. Volvo wanted $3600 for a hitch (that should be stock). I asked “what’s so special about a Volvo hitch” and was not sufficiently impressed with the answer so I got a Curt hitch and 4 pin harness kit from e-trailer for about $350 plus less than 2 hrs of my time:
4000# trailer/400# tongue wt max should be good for a bike rack or single axle trailer.
Next up: the whine in my ‘12 Mustang GT rear end. Its a Ford 8.8 with the 3.73 ratio. Stock shafts are 31spline and look pretty stout. The housing is somewhat unique in that the inner pinion bearing is a larger (“high torque”) variant for ‘10-‘14, I believe.
3.73 was as low as Ford offered when I ordered the in the car in the fall of ‘11 (6 or 8 mos after they began putting the Coyote in the S197s). But this motor is super happy to rev. The fuel cuts at 7K but it feels like it wants to keep going. So I have always wanted a bit lower gearing. RGA did not have 4.10 in Ford 8.8 in stock. But, thanks to @NashvilleTJ, I got plugged in with Ben Brazda at Filthy Motorsports and he had a RGA R&P in 4.10 that he sold me for a nice deal.
So I pulled the old stuff:
Old bearings and seals looked fine but will be replaced. Fluid was not low but backlash was a little high (to me) at 0.013”.
Pattern looks deep to me but Mike (@hosejockey61) what do you think?
Edit: To be clear, these are the old (70K mi) gears. I checked out of curiosity since they have become noisy.
After confirming the bearings and seals, I ordered new Koyo and FoMoCo stuff.
Hopefully, I will get it back together after my trip.
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Cool to see the jeep skills transferring.
Man the pleasure was all mine!!!! You have an open invitation any time you like to come wheel with us!!!!! I'm almost sure Jeff won't mind you borrowing his Jeep.........
Yes! Trying new things on the TJ has boosted my shop confidence 1000%
That's incredible. Unless you have a service plan from when you buy the vehicle, I can't imagine doing anything at the dealer. Especially when a bolt on solution exists.
Happy travels to Chicago, I love visiting that city.
Once gears and bearings break in, the backlash naturally opens up, so I wouldn't worry abou that at all.
The drive side of the pattern is deep. I would remove 5 thou and see what it does. Tag me again when you repost to make sure I don't miss it.
Lastly, how much do you love handling that 8.8 carrier? I couldn't imagine doing that without a lift or the axle pulled and on a stand. Those carriers are heavy!
Well compared to my Dana 30, yeah. But no big deal vs my AAM 11.5. THAT was heavy. Carrier and ring gear were 75# IIRC.
That was my point..."compared to a Dana 30 or Dana 44".......but you know, them tunz guys gotta make jokes
That was my point..."compared to a Dana 30 or Dana 44".......but you know, them tunz guys gotta make jokes
I am impressed at how stout the whole thing seems. Definitely seems beefier than the Dana 44 in my TJ. On the other hand, the 8.8 lives with 400 ft.lbs. to the wheels so it probably needs to be slightly burlier.
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