High travel, high clearance & high octane, a streetable adventure LJ story

I'm with Chris, this build just makes me ache with envy and tear into mine, but no garage or budget big enough at this time.

One of my biggest regrets is selling my house in the country with a 23X27 garage and buying a house in town, however I did it for my daughter as I did not want her isolated from her friends, so it's regret I can live with it :)

Keep the updates and pictures coming :)
 
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20180726_hoop-cover1.jpg
 
After spending 3 evenings on them, I wasn't liking how the covers were turning out by bending the metal with simple hand tools. I decided to start over on the covers — this time with 75% more flange and 100% more welding. Aside from the frame repairs, this is proving to be the most time consuming and frustrating part of the build. The learning curve is real.

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I know you're trying to do it all in the garage, but if you make a cardboard template and bring it to a fab shop, they can use their press brake and get your tabs and flanges bent WAY nicer than you can do at home. Bending 18 gage on the workbench is ok...16 is TOUGH. Just make sure the cardboard is exactly what you want...bring it in assembled, and tell them to measure outside dimensions. I'm sure you already know, but sheetmetal stretches when you bend it, so you need to account for that in the pattern making stage.
 
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I know you're trying to do it all in the garage, but if you make a cardboard template and bring it to a fab shop, they can use their press brake and get your tabs and flanges bent WAY nicer than you can do at home. Bending 18 gage on the workbench is ok...16 is TOUGH. Just make sure the cardboard is exactly what you want...bring it in assembled, and tell them to measure outside dimensions. I'm sure you already know, but sheetmetal stretches when you bend it, so you need to account for that in the pattern making stage.


Thanks for the idea. As you've no doubt realized, I'm trying to learn how to do everything. However, sometimes part of learning is learning what you can't do and learning to ask for help for those things. I'm still working away at these having put 8+ hours days into it both Saturday and Sunday.

Metal is a very interesting material to work with the way it bends and stretches. I watched a video a while back making an old school vintage motorcycle gas tank from a sheet of metal that you reminded me of.

 
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Thanks for the idea. As you've no doubt realized, I'm trying to learn how to do everything. However, sometimes part of learning is learning what you can't do and learning to ask for help for those things. I'm still working away at these having put 8+ hours days into it both Saturday and Sunday.

Metal is a very interesting material to work with the way it bends and stretches. I watched a video a while back making an old school vintage motorcycle gas tank from a sheet of metal that you reminded me of.


That video is awesome! Thanks for sharing......your build is fun to watch, I love seeing some good fab work, it’s like engineering and art merged together. Enjoying your thread. Thanks for sharing your build with so much description.
 
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Thanks for the idea. As you've no doubt realized, I'm trying to learn how to do everything. However, sometimes part of learning is learning what you can't do and learning to ask for help for those things. I'm still working away at these having put 8+ hours days into it both Saturday and Sunday.

Metal is a very interesting material to work with the way it bends and stretches. I watched a video a while back making an old school vintage motorcycle gas tank from a sheet of metal that you reminded me of.



Ron Covell is a metal working genius, I could watch his videos all day!
 
What are you going to do with all the emission / evap bullshit in the rear wheel well?

With all the work you're doing (including having moved the fuel tank), I didn't know if you were going to reinstall it, or just leave it out and deal with the annoying check engine light that won't go away.
 
What are you going to do with all the emission / evap bullshit in the rear wheel well?

With all the work you're doing (including having moved the fuel tank), I didn't know if you were going to reinstall it, or just leave it out and deal with the annoying check engine light that won't go away.

It's easier to leave it if you can. For me it's more difficult since I'd either have to modify a fuel cell and run another line out the body for it to be done properly. If I had to pass inspections I could hook it all back up and shove it back into the taillight corner.

Without going into too much detail, I found that the evap and LDP fits nicely inside a 5 gallon garbage can. I also am allowing the CEL to function properly without throwing evap check codes at startup by doing a little work to the ECU. *Cough* *Cough*
 
It's easier to leave it if you can. For me it's more difficult since I'd either have to modify a fuel cell and run another line out the body for it to be done properly. If I had to pass inspections I could hook it all back up and shove it back into the taillight corner.

Without going into too much detail, I found that the evap and LDP fits nicely inside a 5 gallon garbage can. I also am allowing the CEL to function properly without throwing evap check codes at startup by doing a little work to the ECU. *Cough* *Cough*
As part of an ongoing experiment, mine hasn't thrown any codes with the charcoal canister sitting on a shelf for three years.
 
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As part of an ongoing experiment, mine hasn't thrown any codes with the charcoal canister sitting on a shelf for three years.

Yup. It won't if you connect that hose up. I'm assuming that you're still running the evap solenoid and ldp though?
 
It's easier to leave it if you can. For me it's more difficult since I'd either have to modify a fuel cell and run another line out the body for it to be done properly. If I had to pass inspections I could hook it all back up and shove it back into the taillight corner.

Without going into too much detail, I found that the evap and LDP fits nicely inside a 5 gallon garbage can. I also am allowing the CEL to function properly without throwing evap check codes at startup by doing a little work to the ECU. *Cough* *Cough*

I'd actually like to know how you did this (and we can talk about this via PM if you'd rather).

I live in a city that has no inspections and no DEQ whatsoever, so there's nothing at all to worry about. I'm starting to go off the deep end with my build, and I'm thinking about ways I can get rid of things I don't need such as the EVAP system, etc. However, I don't want to live with some annoying check engine light.

If this was anything like the BMWs I used to own, I could use the DIS software to simply turn off those emission systems in the ECU. However, I am not even sure if this is possible with the Jeep PCM, as no one appears to be able to directly access it from my understanding.

If you know of something I don't, I'd love to hear about it. And again, we can discuss via PM if you'd rather. Assuming of course that you're willing to share.
 
I'd actually like to know how you did this (and we can talk about this via PM if you'd rather).

I live in a city that has no inspections and no DEQ whatsoever, so there's nothing at all to worry about. I'm starting to go off the deep end with my build, and I'm thinking about ways I can get rid of things I don't need such as the EVAP system, etc. However, I don't want to live with some annoying check engine light.

If this was anything like the BMWs I used to own, I could use the DIS software to simply turn off those emission systems in the ECU. However, I am not even sure if this is possible with the Jeep PCM, as no one appears to be able to directly access it from my understanding.

If you know of something I don't, I'd love to hear about it. And again, we can discuss via PM if you'd rather. Assuming of course that you're willing to share.

Let me get to turning my engine over first and making sure it works before I start suggesting things. At that point I don't mind discussing it (so please remind me) although I may not be able to lay out the entire path for you to follow if my ECU guy doesn't want to be mentioned.
 
Let me get to turning my engine over first and making sure it works before I start suggesting things. At that point I don't mind discussing it (so please remind me) although I may not be able to lay out the entire path for you to follow if my ECU guy doesn't want to be mentioned.

I'll remember that!

And if your ECU guy wants money to do the same thing to mine, I'm happy to pay for his time (of course) while keeping his secrets if he wants me to.

It would just be nice to get rid of some of that extra junk I don't need. One reason I envy the earlier model TJs is because they have less emission stuff. For instance, no big honkin' pre-cats in the downpipes.
 
I'll remember that!

And if your ECU guy wants money to do the same thing to mine, I'm happy to pay for his time (of course) while keeping his secrets if he wants me to.

It would just be nice to get rid of some of that extra junk I don't need. One reason I envy the earlier model TJs is because they have less emission stuff. For instance, no big honkin' pre-cats in the downpipes.

If you're not going to a fuel cell you'll need to cap those ports on the tank. The evap system on the TJ also helps get better MPG since it holds evaporated gas and feeds it to the engine once it gets to temp.

I don't entirely mind the cats. They keep the exhaust noise down.

About a year ago I was in a developing nation with poorly maintained vehicles. The air pollution from the vehicles (there was no notable manufacturing or other source of pollution in the country) was enough that you'd blow your nose and black would come out and I'd wake up with a headache each day, when it rained the roads would be slick from oil. After that experience I don't mind having a cat and other well functioning emissions controls if it helps us breathe a little easier. In the same way I'm not going to dump my used oil on the ground and I spend a little extra time to recycle it. What gets me going is when emissions and the EPA makes things not function well and it becomes a hassle. Like the new gas can nozzles that drip gas.

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If you're not going to a fuel cell you'll need to cap those ports on the tank. The evap system on the TJ also helps get better MPG since it holds evaporated gas and feeds it to the engine once it gets to temp.

I don't entirely mind the cats. They keep the exhaust noise down.

About a year ago I was in a developing nation with poorly maintained vehicles. The air pollution from the vehicles (there was no notable manufacturing or other source of pollution in the country) was enough that you'd blow your nose and black would come out and I'd wake up with a headache each day, when it rained the roads would be slick from oil. After that experience I don't mind having a cat and other well functioning emissions controls if it helps us breathe a little easier. In the same way I'm not going to dump my used oil on the ground and I spend a little extra time to recycle it. What gets me going is when emissions and the EPA makes things not function well and it becomes a hassle. Like the new gas can nozzles that drip gas.

View attachment 49660

I wasn't aware of that! I was planning on going with the GenRight tank, and I'm not sure if that works with the stock EVAP system and everything. Maybe it does?

Since I'm also removing the rear wheel wells and outboarding the rear shocks, I also figured that the EVAP system may (or may not?) get in the way under full stuff. Maybe I'm wrong about that though.

The TJ is hardly an emission heavy vehicle I suppose. I look at news vehicles and some of those things have so many emissions devices that it's a pain in the butt to even work on the engine.

Also, you're right about the cats and the noise. I removed the third cat (under the vehicle) and it made it louder for sure, but it's actually a good loud (not an obnoxious loud). Removing the pre-cats might make it even louder, which I wouldn't want.
 
I realize that it's been a while since I updated you guys. I assure you that the boxes are made and I haven't been struggling the last few weeks!

I fully welded them together and then applied 3M panel bond to act as a seam sealer.

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A access hole is cut so I can check torque on the upper coilover mount without taking the cover off. I will be using a grommet from a JK floor pan (55397226AA) to seal up the hole.

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I sprayed them with a primer to keep them from flash rusting until I get to painting everything else towards the end of my build:

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I will probably use a silicone sealer between the flange and tub so it'll be removable when I need to do coilover work.
 
I've come to realize that I'm not a huge fan of a tailgate. They make getting stuff in and out of the back difficult. But since I'll be placing my fuel cell and spare in the tub I think the tailgate is kinda fun to keep. The PoisonSpyder tailgate doesn't fit great (I previously had to cut it to get the top to close properly) so some day I'd like to put more effort into making a better tailgate.

For now I decided to replace the lower portion to remove their branding.

I picked up a section of 6061-T6:
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Using the original piece as a template I drilled through:
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I tapered the holes at 82* and picked up phillip head bolts to match the Savvy corner guards:
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