Nashville TJ's Build - Continued

[rhanna]

It looks like to my untrained eye that the driver side looks higher from the back but lower from the front. Since it hit on that side I wonder if it's just pushed off center towards the back. I don't think I would have noticed it from the back other than the rear bumper looking like it had more of a gap on the driver side.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

What are your coilovers measuring out at? Wheel camber all good?(wheel bearings loose?)

I actually checked the coils, and everything measures out pretty closely side to side. No other issue with the suspension or the axles.

 

[Apparition]

Another result of the Moab Flop is that I've got a bit of a nasty gangsta body lean toward the passenger side.

View attachment 429187

View attachment 429188

Thinking that it was just tweaked a bit, I loosened all the body mounts and lifted the body a bit on each side hoping it would settle back straight.

View attachment 429216

(As you can see, I used a couple of high-lift jacks - so I am currently posting from the hereafter...)

Although it improved a little - it's still leaning, and I am a bit perplexed. Any idea what I'm missing? My rubber body mounts are original - so 19 years old. Maybe I smooshed the mounts on the right side beyond their ability to come back into shape? I should have paid more attention when I had them loose, but I did not - I guess I need to get under there again. While it was loose I did look at all the frame mounts, the torque boxes and other body mounts, but I did not see anything glaring.

Any suggestions?

I hate to say it but your front bumper looks off with relation to the hood and grill.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

It looks like to my untrained eye that the driver side looks higher from the back but lower from the front. Since it hit on that side I wonder if it's just pushed off center towards the back. I don't think I would have noticed it from the back other than the rear bumper looking like it had more of a gap on the driver side.

It's hard to tell from the picture of the front, but if you look closely the driver's side is a bit lower than the passenger side relative to the frame and the grille hoop. It did improve a bit after loosening the body mounts, but it's still there.

The picture from the back is prior to my loosening the body mounts, and it has improved a bit, but it is still there.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

I hate to say it but your front bumper looks off with relation to the hood and grill.

It is. I'm hoping that is all the result of the body leaning toward the passenger side relative to the frame (and therefore the bumper and grille hoop) - and not the frame being twisted. I did not hit that hard, so I would be surprised if that was the case, but who knows.

 

[Apparition]

It is. I'm hoping that is all the result of the body leaning toward the passenger side relative to the frame (and therefore the bumper and grille hoop) - and not the frame being twisted. I did not hit that hard, so I would be surprised if that was the case, but who knows.

That big heavy hemi…

It looked like a pretty soft roll to me.

 

[FarFire70]

It is. I'm hoping that is all the result of the body leaning toward the passenger side relative to the frame (and therefore the bumper and grille hoop) - and not the frame being twisted. I did not hit that hard, so I would be surprised if that was the case, but who knows.

Have you used something like a laser level on a tripod to check the bumpers, front bumper hoop, etc, to see if that are a valid reference point? If they're tweaked, then they throw off you trying to 'square' the body up against them.

 

[Rickyd]

It is. I'm hoping that is all the result of the body leaning toward the passenger side relative to the frame (and therefore the bumper and grille hoop) - and not the frame being twisted. I did not hit that hard, so I would be surprised if that was the case, but who knows.

Next thing i was gonna suggest was support the jeep next to the skid and measure down from the frame ends to check for twist.

If you still think its body maybe measure frame rails to ground and then points on the cage and grill to ground?

 

[RINC]

It is. I'm hoping that is all the result of the body leaning toward the passenger side relative to the frame (and therefore the bumper and grille hoop) - and not the frame being twisted. I did not hit that hard, so I would be surprised if that was the case, but who knows.

Frame is toast. Full tube chassis is the way to go.

 

[AMS417]

Hemi torque I bet. I cant get mine level with the ORI's. I fill it, bounce it around and it looks fine. Drive it and park and its an inch to one side. I gave up. It leans.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

That big heavy hemi…

It looked like a pretty soft roll to me.

Hey, that’s how I roll…

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Have you used something like a laser level on a tripod to check the bumpers, front bumper hoop, etc, to see if that are a valid reference point? If they're tweaked, then they throw off you trying to 'square' the body up against them.

Next thing i was gonna suggest was support the jeep next to the skid and measure down from the frame ends to check for twist.

If you still think its body maybe measure frame rails to ground and then points on the cage and grill to ground?

Yeah, I’ll have to spend some more time measuring before I go at it again. Other than the body apparently leaning a little to the passenger side on the frame, nothing else seems terribly out of whack.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Hemi torque I bet. I cant get mine level with the ORI's. I fill it, bounce it around and it looks fine. Drive it and park and its an inch to one side. I gave up. It leans.

I really regret not doing an LS - then I wouldn’t have to deal with all these “too much power” related problems…

 

[Rickyd]

Yeah, I’ll have to spend some more time measuring before I go at it again. Other than the body apparently leaning a little to the passenger side on the frame, nothing else seems terribly out of whack.

Roll it to the other side,that might straighten it out?

 

[gasiorv]

My suggestion is to just park next to a jeep like mine at Cars and Coffee which will ensure no one ever notices that lean or just stick to wheeling with us at Hawk Pride and we will get it to lean the other way one trip or another

I just mounted my hi-lift on the rear of my new cage, figured someone will say how useless they are when I go to Moab next week, but I think I have used it every time on the last few trips to reseat a tire bead. You haven't seen sketch until you see me on the downhill side of a jeep pulling on tire with a CO2 tank hooked up to it with the jeep sitting on a hi-lift and the winch cable holding everything from falling. It's better in a downpour and when the tire if full of clay mud. Good times!!

 

[Apparition]

I just mounted my hi-lift on the rear of my new cage, figured someone will say how useless they are when I go to Moab next week,

 

[AMS417]

My suggestion is to just park next to a jeep like mine at Cars and Coffee which will ensure no one ever notices that lean or just stick to wheeling with us at Hawk Pride and we will get it to lean the other way one trip or another

I just mounted my hi-lift on the rear of my new cage, figured someone will say how useless they are when I go to Moab next week, but I think I have used it every time on the last few trips to reseat a tire bead. You haven't seen sketch until you see me on the downhill side of a jeep pulling on tire with a CO2 tank hooked up to it with the jeep sitting on a hi-lift and the winch cable holding everything from falling. It's better in a downpour and when the tire if full of clay mud. Good times!!

Yeah, that was a Safety 3rd situation lol.

 

[JMT]

At 28 sec in the video, if you slow that down, there’s a lot of movement up front on the rig.

Isn’t it common for TJ’s to be low on the passenger side? At least the rear passenger? I’ve read quite a bit about it in a few threads.I noticed mine was that way at least a couple years ago. I’ve measured everything I can think of. I can’t find where the discrepancy is coming from. I actually ordered a spacer a week ago to finally just fix it that way.

Of course, you would have probably noticed yours a long time ago, so likely this is a new situation, but you’ve probably got pre-flop pics you can thumb through and check.

 

[Mike_H]

At 28 sec in the video, if you slow that down, there’s a lot of movement up front on the rig.

Isn’t it common for TJ’s to be low on the passenger side? At least the rear passenger? I’ve read quite a bit about it in a few threads.I noticed mine was that way at least a couple years ago. I’ve measured everything I can think of. I can’t find where the discrepancy is coming from. I actually ordered a spacer a week ago to finally just fix it that way.

Of course, you would have probably noticed yours a long time ago, so likely this is a new situation, but you’ve probably got pre-flop pics you can thumb through and check.

The common reason is the rear passenger spring takes a slight "set" from dealing with the engine torque all the time. Not that our engines are torque monsters, but the frame does twist up a bit.

Jeff would have dialed that all in with his coil-overs...so I'm sure he broke his. Its junk and I'm heading to Nashville this weekend to get rid of it for him. He has a couple parts I can salvage for my jeep.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

For anyone interested, I've taken up a new hobby - sewing.



No, not quilts and doilies, heavy stuff like canvas bags and tool rolls.

Here is the thread:

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/taking-up-sewing-need-advice.70906/

And here is my first project which I described in that thread. It's a scaled down prototype for a pair of bags I'm planning to do to transport my half doors. It's a lot of fun.