Collector grade Jeep Wrangler TJs for sale

Operation Phoenix

So I should be working on my cad model of my grapple hinges and getting those cut out...but I've been on the computer all day and need a break. So I'm puttering in the shop cleaning and putting things away. Looking at the steering box from the rusted out Sahara and thinking I could swap that in pretty quick...so I go stare at the Redhead box in the Jeep...and noticed a washer was crooked...huh...bolt is loose, washer is moving. So's the other bolt. Grab a 5/8, tighten up the tops, give the bottom one a little more. Guess I need to go for a drive and see if that's the dead spot in the top of my steering.

Also weighed the truck pulleys. The Traveller from Tractor Supply weighs a touch over 7 lbs. The new one is identical to my trusted ten year old one. The Orcish brand I ordered from that jungle website is $15 less, weighs 8 lbs and is rated for 1/2" vs 9/16. The Traveller cast pulley weighs 12 lbs. So four pulleys weighs 44 lbs and that's why these are truck pulleys.

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-Mac
 
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macleanflood said:
So I should be working on my cad model of my grapple hinges and getting those cut out...but I've been on the computer all day and need a break. So I'm puttering in the shop cleaning and putting things away. Looking at the steering box from the rusted out Sahara and thinking I could swap that in pretty quick...so I go stare at the Redhead box in the Jeep...and noticed a washer was crooked...huh...bolt is loose, washer is moving. So's the other bolt. Grab a 5/8, tighten up the tops, give the bottom one a little more. Guess I need to go for a drive and see if that's the dead spot in the top of my steering.

Also weighed the truck pulleys. The Traveller from Tractor Supply weighs a touch over 7 lbs. The new one is identical to my trusted ten year old one. The Orcish brand I ordered from that jungle website is $15 less, weighs 8 lbs and is rated for 1/2" vs 9/16. The Traveller cast pulley weighs 12 lbs. So four pulleys weighs 44 lbs and that's why these are truck pulleys.

View attachment 698715View attachment 698716View attachment 698717View attachment 698718

-Mac
Click to expand...

Amazing how much recovery gear can weigh. Especially, when you have to carry multiple heavy snatch block pulleys!
 
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Irun said:
Amazing how much recovery gear can weigh. Especially, when you have to carry multiple heavy snatch block pulleys!
Click to expand...

Especially when you add in bow shackles.

You really see why folks quickly switched to aluminum recovery rings and synthetic rope and soft shackles.

Big reason I use the big pulleys is it keeps the rope captive. If I have to climb 40' up a tree I can't have a rope slip off.

And yes Factor55 or Yankum make rings with silicone nubs to capture a rope...but at $100 plus it's too much for this volunteer.

-Mac
 
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Macster - How do you feel about those lightweight "donut" style pulleys?
 
NashvilleTJ said:
Just the general concept of using the donut instead of a traditional snatch block. You do so much recovery I value your opinion there.
Click to expand...

For quick and dirty Jeep recoveries on the trail the rings are fine. And I'm a big fan of using rings...gets more line out and gets you down to that 2nd or 3rd wrap and doubles the pull power. I burned up to many winch motors doing single line pulls.

For the big heavy stuff I like the pulleys. Especially up in trees when you need things captive. That and I'd swear the pulleys have less resistance and are kinder to synthetic rope...I find fuzz and melted plastic rope occasionally on rings.

And I don't consider myself an expert at all...I need to follow around folks that really know what they're doing...the ones that probably don't have YT channels.

——-

Swapped my steering box with the one I salvaged from the rusted Sahara. Seems like my dead spot is gone but I need to recenter the steering wheel...the or I got the pitman off a notch...that actually sounds more plausible.

My Redhead box lasted three years. I don't really blame them for the failure... they're rebuilding boxes and you really need a new case.

Hoping this used one can last me until I can afford a $2500 PSC kit.

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-Mac
 
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Pulled the pitman arm and tried straightening the wheel and reclocking it. No dice. Wheel was about 90 degrees off. Pulled the pitman off...box has three turns lock to lock. I recall the 97 boxes having something like 4-5...quirk of the 97s...so I put the wheel in the middle, moved it enough to install the pitman and adjusted the bar about 3/4" to center the wheel. Steers great. You can feel just a tiny 3-4 degree dead spot in the top but I think that's endemic of Saginaw boxes. That and it's probably the original 26 year old steering box from a rusted out Jeep.

Went over to a neighbor's house to drop a couple of trees. What wasn't mentioned was the chest high blackberries, the sticky burrs and the nasty hook in both doug firs...one was leaning towards the house, so I ran a strap 20' up and around the tree and played out almost all my winch line and pulled most of it over as a precaution.

Friday I found a novelty canteen. I think @mrblaine should use these for his power steering cooler kits.

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-Mac
 
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Mac,

You always impress me. Whether it's your wild pulls, your clearing garbage from our beautiful country, rebuilding you or a friends engine, building a envious workshop (and using your Jeep for it), or just an overall positive attitude.

Thanks for all you share. Thanks for all you do for our forests.

The pic of your worn winch line triggered me to post this moment.

I want @Chris to offer an award for 'Jeep most used for a Jeep's design purpose' — aka 'use' after the war. And you must be the lead runner for using our TJs for what the old CJ was sold & used for as a utility vehicle!
 
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