MiRustyjeep

[Mike_H]

Finally started digging into the pile of new parts I bought over Christmas today! Installed my Savvy T-case shifter and my M.O.R.E. 1" engine lift and mounts. I also got the front axle hanging today, and new front shocks in. Busy day.

The Cable shifter took me WAY longer than I thought it would. There are no instructions for the 241. Its Savvy sent me directions for a 231 and they are not great. I think @JMT mentioned it too, some of the pictures show Novak's stuff, some is Savvy. I also noticed a few incomplete sentences and steps truncated and / or left out. I emailed Savvy to let them know. Hell, I'll re-write them for a little discount on some Rock Sliders! Anyway, its not "hard" per se, but its a little persnickety getting it all lined up and working correctly. After I got the cable shifter in, I had to slap a new tranny mount in, Bolt up the front driveshaft, and throw the skidplate on.

Next up was installing the motor mount lift. This was also more difficult that I thought it should be, but its entirely my fault this time. Instead of working on one side at a time, I pulled both mounts at once. Don't do that...its a giant pain in the ass to get everything lined back up. The instructions tell you this, but I didn't read them. It was 4 bolts and 2 nuts, how hard can it be? Pretty hard, turns out! I had to get my cherry picker out and rig up a ratchet strap to pull the drivetrain around to get the holes to line up again. I also cross threaded on of the bolts to the frame, so I had to clean that up too. But, they are in, and look good.

Finally, I started working on getting the axle hanging again. Its all there now, shocks are in, holes are drilled for bumpstops. Tomorrow, I'll start working on getting the track bar and steering in, and bumpstop it appropriately. Then I'll throw the springs back on, and the fun starts all over for the rear end!

 

[Mike_H]

Got the front axle buttoned up today. All my steering went back in, new JKS trackbar, and I drilled the spring pads for bumpstops. Cycled the suspension and ended up with 1/2" of bumpstop. I made them from some 1/4" Al plate I had laying around. Tomorrow, I should be able to put the new springs in, and get it setting on her wheels. Good feeling!

Shocks bottomed out, Jounce bumper cup almost touching the spring pad.

Wider angle shot...Full stuff on Passenger side.

My Aluminum bumpstops. I think these are temporary. I don't like that the Bolt hole is not counterbored. I just wanted to get something there, and when I have a chance, I can turn some better ones at work. The bolt head protruding up will make my 1/2" bumpstop closer to 3/4" Note, I made bumpstops before I put my tires on. Two reasons...
1) I still need to do my body lift and bolt fenders back on.
2) I will trim my flares if I need too. Not going to sacrifice shock travel for some stupid plastic. I like the look of factory flares, but I've seen some trimmed ones that look good too.

Couple of questions for those of you following along at home...@BobtheTJ, I'm looking at you...OME mentions something about needing to run their FK16 bumpstop kit in the rear. Any reason why? They look like 1/2" steel bumpstops, and at 20 bucks, I will maybe buy two sets (one for front and one for rear) Just curious why they require it? Because of coil bind or the trackbar bracket getting into the tub?

 

[bobthetj03]

Couple of questions for those of you following along at home...@BobtheTJ, I'm looking at you...OME mentions something about needing to run their FK16 bumpstop kit in the rear. Any reason why? They look like 1/2" steel bumpstops, and at 20 bucks, I will maybe buy two sets (one for front and one for rear) Just curious why they require it? Because of coil bind or the trackbar bracket getting into the tub?

They are 1" bump extensions. They are required to keep the TB bracket from hitting the tub at stuff and from bottoming out the rear shocks. Your experience may very since you are running different shocks. You'll want to run the bump stop extension form the lower pad in the front. The front coil arcs a lot at droop, which could cause the jounce bumper to make contact with the spring if you add bump from the top.

This might be a good time to show @Chris the clearance of your JKS front TB to the diff cover since you have the Dana 44.

 

[Chris]

They are 1" bump extensions. They are required to keep the TB bracket from hitting the tub at stuff and from bottoming out the rear shocks. Your experience may very since you are running different shocks. You'll want to run the bump stop extension form the lower pad in the front. The front coil arcs a lot at droop, which could cause the jounce bumper to make contact with the spring if you add bump from the top.
View attachment 31088

This might be a good time to show @Chris the clearance of your JKS front TB to the diff cover since you have the Dana 44.

Oh yeah, I would love to see! Especially if you have a Dana 44!

 

[Mike_H]

Oh yeah, I would love to see! Especially if you have a Dana 44!

I do, and I have a bunch of pictures. I'll post them up later. In short, there is plenty!

 

[Mike_H]

@Chris

This is fully stuffed, Driver's Side. Its as close as it ever gets to the Diff Cover

Something else I noticed...Check out the JJ clearance to the Lower Spring pad bracket. It "just" squeaks in there.

Finally, full stuff

 

[Mike_H]

Just thought I put in a place holder for more rust repair...

Current score on bolts...1 body mount bolt (drivers side, front of tub), Found one already broken and the end was rusty, so that has been there a while. Still have two more to try...cross my fingers.

One Fender support bolt to the tub

Four, yes, all Four Upper shock mount bolts.

The two lower screws that hold the drivers side rear flare on (the screw into captive nuts) both broke. Will need to reinstall nutserts.

Working on rear axle removal now so I can address some rust around the seams in the tub. Also going to clean the axle up, weld in a track bar support, and get some good paint on that. By the time I'm not with this jeep, I'm going to have so much sweat equity into it, I'm never going to sell it!

 

[bobthetj03]

Keep fighting the good fight brah! You'll have er whipped into shape in no time.

 

[Mike_H]

Rear Axle is out! Pretty whipped today, that was a big job. I actually had to pull the axle shafts, to get my impact on the lower control arm bolts. So not only did I get the housing out, it's basically all stripped down too. Pulled the gas tank...wish I had remembered that it was full. I have an ATV Jack, but it's not quite tall enough.

Here is an example of the rust I'm going after. The pinch welds start rusting first, and it keeps spreading. I'll get my knotted wheel out and make a giant mess...then start cleaning it up.

 

[Mike_H]

Last couple of days have been cleaning pieces and parts. Also been buying boring stuff like brake hardware kits. I did take the opportunity to combine orders, and pick up the rest of the stuff for my CB radio install...but anyway.

Been working on the rear brake backing plates, axle adapters and some really great knuckles donated to my cause by the wonderful @bobthetj03 .

They came in with a touch of wear on them...which was cool. I would have had to weld on mine too, and these are WAY better than the rusty shit on my axle right now. Anyway, we have a TIG at work, and since I pretty much run the place, I helped myself to some stainless rod

I'm not a great welder, but they turned out OK.

I thought I had taken some pics of the nastiness of the brackets and whatnot...but I guess I didn't. I sandblasted all my parts, a couple hours a night, after work. Tonight, I got the first half of them painted with Chassis Saver...

Backing plates.

Rear Caliper Mounts

Steering Knuckles

I'll finish painting these (flip em over and paint the backsides) and then start cleaning the axle up. While I'm putzing around on this stuff, I'm soaking those dumb nuts and shock bolts. Thankfully, all my body mounts have now come loose, and only two of them have broken. Next step is to lift the body, and get the broken studs out (body mounts and shocks).

I have a couple questions about that (lifting the body) so I'll start a new thread on that.

 

[bobthetj03]

Looking good buddy!

 

[Chris]

Finally, someone who is as OCD as me!

 

[Mike_H]

Ugh...today I worked on rusted bolts. 6 hours, and I got 4 out of 6 out. The two body mounts actually came out, thankfully. I had to go get a welder (borrowed from dad) to get the front body mount bolt.

The rear, I had to cut into the cross member. Stupid design...fully boxed cross member, and there is a floating nut inside it.

The shock mounts, pain in the ass. I cut the welds, two of them are broken out. Had to lift the body up, sitting on 3.5 inches of wood.

 

[bobthetj03]

Wow! You've got your work cut out for you. Rust is teh debil!

 

[Rob5589]

Damn, one of the only times I am happy to live in CA.

 

[Mike_H]

You don't know the half of it. Spent all day cleaning today. Found a hole in the tub (damn). I'm really tired of having rusty snot coming out of my nose!

This one pile from today...not the first time I swept either...

 

[Mike_H]

I found the on another forum where he is a moderator, but I'm going to pick on Mr @Jerry Bransford a little...

"The tub is made from galvanized steel anyway so corrosion with the tub's sheet metal is not a problem."

Hmmm...I beg to differ!

Now, to be fair, it would be worse if it were not galvanized, but galvanizing isn't the end all, be all corrosion protection.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I found the on another forum where he is a moderator, but I'm going to pick on Mr @Jerry Bransford a little...

"The tub is made from galvanized steel anyway so corrosion with the tub's sheet metal is not a problem."

Hmmm...I beg to differ!

I will only say that the TJ tub's exterior sheet metal was dip galvanized per Jeep's initial descriptions of the TJ when it was released in early 1996. But if you're just wanting to pick an argument, as it seems you are, I'm not interested. That was shown in the list of improvements in addition to the stronger/stiffer frame, beefed up tailgate, etc. And the galvanized tub wasn't even new to the TJ, galvanizing the Wrangler body started with the 1988 Wrangler YJ. http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/154-1001-jeep-wrangler-yj-buyers-guide/

 

[Mike_H]

I will only say that the TJ tub's exterior sheet metal was dip galvanized per Jeep's initial descriptions of the TJ when it was released in early 1996. But if you're just wanting to pick an argument, as it seems you are, I'm not interested. That was shown in the list of improvements in addition to the stronger/stiffer frame, beefed up tailgate, etc. And the galvanized tub wasn't even new to the TJ, galvanizing the Wrangler body started with the 1988 Wrangler YJ. http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/154-1001-jeep-wrangler-yj-buyers-guide/

No, not picking an argument, I was actually looking up something else and found that. It struck me as funny, considering what I'm currently going though with my jeep. Sorry if I offended you.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Just keep in mind that galvanizing is not permanent, it only helps the steel resist corrosion up to a point. Something can be hot-dipped galvanized as the TJ's tub was but it can't stand up forever to corrosives like salt from roads. Galvanized surfaces corrode at about 1/10 the rate that ungalvanized surfaces do, so long as the coating is intact. Once that coating is breached from damage or wear, corrosion can take over. So even galvanized surfaces can rust/corrode. My last boat trailer was galvanized and though it resisted damage from my local salt water immersions FAR better than my previous painted boat trailers did, which started rusting soon after buying them, it still required periodic upkeep of its galvanized surface. I had to keep after the galvanized surface with a spray called 'cold galvanize' or it would start rusting. So galvanizing helps a lot, it's just not a permanent solution or preventer of rust.