JB Weld and Hockey Pucks

97' 4 Popper

Opened a Can of Worms
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Who has used this method for bumpstop on front spring perch? Is it reliable, does it make a difference if the vehicle will not be used offroad?
 
JB Weld is great stuff, works well for static adhesion. However, it's probably not going to last, since it will repeatedly get compressed and released, and pushed at a slight angle, and endure wide temperature swings. I would use a bolt. Yes, it's a pain to have to remove the springs to drill the holes.

On the other hand, a dozen hockey pucks doesn't cost much. If you try JB Weld, and lose one, it's a cheap experiment. Let us know how it goes.
 
If I was any good at tapping threads, I would use that method. I have one shot and that's it I'm screwed if I mess it up. Only one of the perches can have a nut placed behind, the other has no access. Rubicon express makes a kit with self-tapping bolts, however I would still have to drill through inches of steel in an awkward place and the tapping could still go wrong.

I had read of some people using the hockey puck and JB weld method, but couldn't find much other information on it. One of the posts was of Jerry Bransford from 2008 and it fell out after trail riding.

I already have the springs out, it's a road only garage kept vehicle, so I decided to just reduce the amount of bump stop needed by bending my Currie track bar out. Not happy about having to modify a 466+ dollar bar that was supposed to be the best. But doing so should reduce my additional bump stop extension from 2.5 inches down to 1.625. With it being a road only vehicle driven once a week, I will just tolerate any potential rubbing on the bumpstop cup against the coil.

However this got me thinking that in the future for the next build I would have to come up with something better as it would be trail jeep. I guess I should have practiced tapping on scrap metal before I opened this can of worms.
 
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Would you explain this?

The Currie track bar is the first point of interference. It hits the diff cover before my shocks bottom out. If setting bump stop for shocks I need 1.625 additional bumpstop. If setting bumpstop for track bar it would be 2.5 inches, too much to go between the cup and bumpstop tube. It also robs me of the last 1 and 1/8ths of uptravel. The thing is the Currie bar just barely makes contact with the diff. If the bend could be increased out even 1/8th of an inch it would clear. I know because I continued to jack up the axle on both sides until the track bar cleared to the other side of the diff cover. It's a Dana 44 stock cover. The RS55239 shocks are the right ones for my 3.25 inch lift as they split my travel in half at ride height. I tried RS55255, they bottomed out before the track bar interference but they were too long. They reduced my uptravel and increased bumpstop needed. The track bar is centered at ride height as well, I even tired different adjustment points on the bar but the problem remains.


Thanks for the useless post
 
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Is it just the gusset at the frame end which hits? Many people have to grind that gusset out a little, and there are several threads on here mentioning it, but I can't find them at the moment. If it's the bar itself, then yeah, bending it should work. Do you have a press?
 
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If I was any good at tapping threads, I would use that method. I have one shot and that's it I'm screwed if I mess it up. Only one of the perches can have a nut placed behind, the other has no access. Rubicon express makes a kit with self-tapping bolts, however I would still have to drill through inches of steel in an awkward place and the tapping could still go wrong.

I had read of some people using the hockey puck and JB weld method, but couldn't find much other information on it. One of the posts was of Jerry Bransford from 2008 and it fell out after trail riding.

I already have the springs out, it's a road only garage kept vehicle, so I decided to just reduce the amount of bump stop needed by bending my Currie track bar out. Not happy about having to modify a 466+ dollar bar that was supposed to be the best. But doing so should reduce my additional bump stop extension from 2.5 inches down to 1.625. With it being a road only vehicle driven once a week, I will just tolerate any potential rubbing on the bumpstop cup against the coil.

However this got me thinking that in the future for the next build I would have to come up with something better as it would be trail jeep. I guess I should have practiced tapping on scrap metal before I opened this can of worms.

It's not hard to tap. I don't think I've ever messed one up, yet. Just go slow, make a few threads, back it out, go back in and go further, back it out, et. al., use a cutting oil. The perches aren't that thick, so it doesn't take too long. If you mess it up, go one size larger. Good practice.
 
Is it just the gusset at the frame end which hits? Many people have to grind that gusset out a little, and there are several threads on here mentioning it, but I can't find them at the moment. If it's the bar itself, then yeah, bending it should work. Do you have a press?

The gusset was hitting until I realized my axle wasn't centered properly at ride height, causing my axle to be shifted to driver. Once I got my ride height established and the axle centered the gusset cleared perfectly. The track bar hits the diff cover if axle is centered, if off centered towards passenger it gets worse. I don't have a press but a friend of my dad's does. He has a lot more knowledge than me, huge garage and has done many restoration projects.

It's not hard to tap. I don't think I've ever messed one up, yet. Just go slow, make a few threads, back it out, go back in and go further, back it out, et. al., use a cutting oil. The perches aren't that thick, so it doesn't take too long. If you mess it up, go one size larger. Good practice.

Honestly I didn't even think to drill to the next size although knowing me it would probably need to be drilled out multiple times. I think I'm just going to pick up some scrap metal and practice because this is one of those things that I really need to know how to do. I got a tap set and cutting fluid to work on some bolts in the rusty Orange tj that snapped. But I could never get more than a few threads started before the bolt slipped through. I read that the metal has to be roughly the same thickness as the diameter of the bolt being used.
 
I've broken my share of taps, mainly the little ones. First, don't use Harbor Freight taps, worst taps I've ever tried. Even if you tap perfectly with them, the threads will be sloppy, too loose or too tight. Anything else is probably better. I usually use an Irwin tap from HD or Lowes.

Keep the tap very straight, and go slow. Once I get it cutting, I turn it about 1/4 turn, then back it off a little, then a 1/4 turn further, then back it all the way out to clear the chips. It's slow, but you don't break taps or tear up threads that way. And it's all about feel. With some practice, you can tell when you're twisting the tap, and how far. They're brittle, they'll twist a little bit but go any farther and they'll break. If it gets stuck, just keep working it back and forth slowly until you can get the chip to back out.
 
Chalk me up as another one who's never broken a tap, and I use them all the time. Maybe it's just because I don't use super cheap ones and always use cutting oil. Drilling the proper size hole is a good start.

I bought THIS SET years ago and use it all the time. A bit pricey but comes in handy so often, it's been one of my favorite tool purchases of recent memory.
 
A few taps can use common drill sizes, but most want a special drill bit. Get a tap drill size chart and find a common size really close (within a few thousandths of an inch diameter), or break down and go buy the exact size drill bit.
 
A few taps can use common drill sizes, but most want a special drill bit. Get a tap drill size chart and find a common size really close (within a few thousandths of an inch diameter), or break down and go buy the exact size drill bit.

So I'm guessing this is where I was struggling, using regular common size drill bits and then using a tap, instead of a specific tap drill first. For example I drill out a 1/4 inch diameter hole, then proceed to use a 1/4-20 tap, when I needed a "#7" tap drill, right?
 
So I'm guessing this is where I was struggling, using regular common size drill bits and then using a tap, instead of a specific tap drill first. For example I drill out a 1/4 inch diameter hole, then proceed to use a 1/4-20 tap, when I needed a "#7" tap drill, right?

Yeah, that won't work. A 1/4" bolt threads are 1/4"-ish diameter at the outside of the thread. If you drill a 1/4" hole, the tap will barely scratch it, and the bolt will drop through. You need a slightly smaller drill bit, a wee bit bigger than the inside points on the bolt thread. Most taps have a stamp on them with the drill size needed. And any handy tap & drill size chart on the Internet will help.
 
A few taps can use common drill sizes, but most want a special drill bit. Get a tap drill size chart and find a common size really close (within a few thousandths of an inch diameter), or break down and go buy the exact size drill bit.

Another good tip. I got a big poster sized drill/tap chart for the wall in the garage. Also good reference for quick metric/standard/decimal conversions. Huge quality of life thing

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