Sab-a-dab-a-doo! The back-country LJ build has officially started
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Hit up Super Fast Matt's link on YT and get a 15% discount at Send Cut Send.
https://www.youtube.com/@SuperfastMatt/videos
He posts the list in his recent (within the past year) videos as he's sponsored by them. You can reuse the link each order. If I recall, you give them your email to get a code. I've used the discount at least twice so it isn't (or wasn't) a one & done type link.
He's also a fun channel to follow. I like his humor, tied with real math, engineering approach, and a good 'get it working' approach.
Thanks, FarFire70! Here's the direct link to input your email and get the code: https://sendcutsend.com/superfastmatt/
Work on the cutting brakes continued today. I started on the hard lines for the bottom side of the tub. The first task was to install two pair of mounting brackets. I'm installing rigid lines from the bulkhead fittings on the bottom of the tub behind the cutting brake master cylinders to just above the Savvy rear upper control arm mounts on the tub. Then, there will be flexible lines from the bottom of the tub to the inside of the Savvy rear upper control arm mounts. Those flexible lines will allow me to raise the body off the frame a bit for maintenance without having to disconnect brake lines. I had SendCutSend make some brackets I designed for the outside bottom of the tub and the Savvy rear control arm bracket. I mounted them using two 1/4-28 button head cap screws per bracket. This picture shows the two brackets (OD green) with -3AN bulkhead fittings installed on the driver's side:
With the brackets and bulkhead fittings installed, I started on the rigid lines for each side by cutting them slightly longer than I expected. The jeweler's miter cutter arrived during the week, and it works really well. The first step is the cut:
Followed by filing it square:
The tool steel used for that tool is very hard - the hacksaw and file don't touch it! Deburring was done using a stone on a rotary tool, and flaring was done using the Rigid tool, just like my previous post. Using this method makes really nice flares. This is the best picture I could take (I'm not a photographer):
I bent up the driver's side line first:
Then I bent up the passenger's side:
And here's a shot looking straight up at the bottom, showing both lines:
And that was it for today. Tomorrow, I'll work on the rigid line from the combination block to the center bulkhead fitting in the picture above. Since that line starts and ends connected to the body, no flex lines are required. It'll be one long rigid line.
I also measured the length needed for the flex lines from the body to the Savvy rear control arm brackets on each side and ordered those. I'll install those next weekend, and then start putting the underside back together.
With the brackets and bulkhead fittings installed, I started on the rigid lines for each side by cutting them slightly longer than I expected. The jeweler's miter cutter arrived during the week, and it works really well. The first step is the cut:
Followed by filing it square:
The tool steel used for that tool is very hard - the hacksaw and file don't touch it! Deburring was done using a stone on a rotary tool, and flaring was done using the Rigid tool, just like my previous post. Using this method makes really nice flares. This is the best picture I could take (I'm not a photographer):
I bent up the driver's side line first:
Then I bent up the passenger's side:
And here's a shot looking straight up at the bottom, showing both lines:
And that was it for today. Tomorrow, I'll work on the rigid line from the combination block to the center bulkhead fitting in the picture above. Since that line starts and ends connected to the body, no flex lines are required. It'll be one long rigid line.
I also measured the length needed for the flex lines from the body to the Savvy rear control arm brackets on each side and ordered those. I'll install those next weekend, and then start putting the underside back together.
The transport company picked up my rig this morning, so it should arrive at your place mid next week. Can you have my cutting brake plumbing finished by the 10th?
That is some beautiful work on the stainless lines, Scott. Fantastic bends following those contours. Can’t wait to see how the setup works.
When the transport gets here, we'll load mine up for the return trip to you. I won't need it until the 17th, so you'll have an extra week to get the Savvy brackets on the axles and in my rig.
Thanks, Jeff. That's high praise coming from you! It really isn't that difficult to do. Patience, as with anything I design or build, is a virtue. I just can't work when I'm in a hurry, and that's why this build takes so long to complete. Figuring out the work-hardening issue with the stainless flaring was the hardest part. Finally, having the right tools for the task (a concept I with which I know you are well familiar) is critical. For those reading, here's my tool list for making the brake lines:
- Hacksaw - any old hacksaw will work, but use a sharp, high-quality, fine-tooth blade (I used a 32 teeth-per-inch blade).
- Jewelers Miter Cutter - there are cheap imports, quality French-made, and highest-quality Swiss-made versions. The cheap imports are lower-quality tool steel that will be marked by the saw and file and they are not nearly as precisely machined. I like quality tools and ended up with the French-made version only because the Swiss-made Bergeon was not available anywhere (Otto Frei told me that Bergeon won't even reply to emails requesting a ship date for their backorders.) The cheap version would likely work just fine if you don't plan to use it for other things and don't care if it's destroyed in the process of making a set of SS brake lines.
- Hand File - any decent fine-toothed file will work for squaring up the ends of the tubing after cutting using the miter cutter. I'm partial to Nicholson files, but Apex bought them, and I expect they'll employ "cost-cutting" methods that will hurt the brand.
- Rotary Tool with Fat, Pointed Stone - I used this for deburring the tube after filing and prior to flaring. Any rotary (Dremel-style) tool will do, but the best stone I found was a silicon carbide "flame" shaped stone that I had in my toolbox. If I didn't have that one, this one is what I'd have ordered instead (in fact, that one is aluminum oxide, which would be better for stainless steel).
- Grinding Wheel Dressing Stick - I'm not sure if this would be required with an aluminum oxide stone (I suspect so, but not sure). The stainless steel did a number on the silicon carbide stone, and about every third flare required re-shaping the stone to get a point back. That's why a fat stone is important - so that you can dress it numerous times before it's ready for the trash can. I had a dressing stone on hand, but this one would be what I'd order if I needed one.
- Flaring Tool for 37° AN Fittings - one of the first decisions I made that I think was the most important one for this brake plumbing project was to use AN fittings, which only require a single flare. Not cold-working the stainless with a second flare makes it so much easier to avoid leaks in the flares. Adapters are widely available to use AN fittings in place of inverted-flare fittings. The Ridgid Model 377 (Catalog Number 41162) cannot be improved upon for this task. It turns the flaring process from frustration into bliss! I linked to Amazon for the tool, but I found a slightly better price on eBay. {By the way, while writing this, I realized there's a "d" in Ridgid, so I went back and fixed my multiple spelling errors to stay on the good side of @JMT 's mom. }
- Tube-Bending Jig - I did a bunch of research to find a high-quality tool with adequately-useful degree marks on it. I ended up buying the Inline Tube TLB00 bender, and I'm very happy with it.
- Pliers Tubing Bender - I found this type of bender to be indispensable for making bends where the jig wouldn't fit due to short distances on either side of the bend. I bought the Lisle 44150 bender. It's just adequate. It'll occasionally leave small marks on the tubing because one side is flat and has a sharp corner edge. Also, you have to make sure that side of the tool has a free end of tubing not attached to anything because any resistance to bending on that side will cause a kink. I wasn't smart enough to foresee this...
- Leak-testing Kit - On a final note, testing each line with compressed air for leaks around the flares is a good habit to develop. You don't want to deal with leaks after everything is installed and you're bleeding the system. I took that Fragola test kit mentioned earlier and improved upon it by ditching the Shrader valve and replacing it with a hose and quick-disconnect, making it much easier to submerse the lines in water and look for air bubbles forming:
I doubt anyone is more eager than I am!
Sadly, I still have a lot of work to go before I'll be to the point where I can test the cutting brakes...P.S. The Vevor drill bit sharpener was delivered this morning:
They use "OnTrac" for shipping. Never heard of them, but they were efficient - ordered on a Friday, delivered in two days on a Sunday! Probably not OnTrac's doing since it came all the way from China, but there was a small bit of shipping damage (slightly bent sheet metal), but it was an easy straightening job. Crap, now I have more work to do putting this to the test...
To skip to the next post for the cutting brakes project, see Post #637.
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When the transport gets here, we'll load mine up for the return trip to you. I won't need it until the 17th, so you'll have an extra week to get the Savvy brackets on the axles and in my rig.
Thanks, Jeff. That's high praise coming from you! It really isn't that difficult to do. Patience, as with anything I design or build, is a virtue. I just can't work when I'm in a hurry, and that's why this build takes so long to complete. Figuring out the work-hardening issue with the stainless flaring was the hardest part. Finally, having the right tools for the task (a concept I with which I know you are well familiar) is critical. For those reading, here's my tool list for making the brake lines:
View attachment 604812
- Hacksaw - any old hacksaw will work, but use a sharp, high-quality, fine-tooth blade (I used a 32 teeth-per-inch blade).
- Jewelers Miter Cutter - there are cheap imports, quality French-made, and highest-quality Swiss-made versions. The cheap imports are lower-quality tool steel that will be marked by the saw and file and they are not nearly as precisely machined. I like quality tools and ended up with the French-made version only because the Swiss-made Bergeon was not available anywhere (Otto Frei told me that Bergeon won't even reply to emails requesting a ship date for their backorders.) The cheap version would likely work just fine if you don't plan to use it for other things and don't care if it's destroyed in the process of making a set of SS brake lines.
- Hand File - any decent fine-toothed file will work for squaring up the ends of the tubing after cutting using the miter cutter. I'm partial to Nicholson files, but Apex bought them, and I expect they'll employ "cost-cutting" methods that will hurt the brand.
- Rotary Tool with Fat, Pointed Stone - I used this for deburring the tube after filing and prior to flaring. Any rotary (Dremel-style) tool will do, but the best stone I found was a silicon carbide "flame" shaped stone that I had in my toolbox. If I didn't have that one, this one is what I'd have ordered instead (in fact, that one is aluminum oxide, which would be better for stainless steel).
- Grinding Wheel Dressing Stick - I'm not sure if this would be required with an aluminum oxide stone (I suspect so, but not sure). The stainless steel did a number on the silicon carbide stone, and about every third flare required re-shaping the stone to get a point back. That's why a fat stone is important - so that you can dress it numerous times before it's ready for the trash can. I had a dressing stone on hand, but this one would be what I'd order if I needed one.
- Flaring Tool for 37° AN Fittings - one of the first decisions I made that I think was the most important one for this brake plumbing project was to use AN fittings, which only require a single flare. Not cold-working the stainless with a second flare makes it so much easier to avoid leaks in the flares. Adapters are widely available to use AN fittings in place of inverted-flare fittings. The Ridgid Model 377 (Catalog Number 41162) cannot be improved upon for this task. It turns the flaring process from frustration into bliss! I linked to Amazon for the tool, but I found a slightly better price on eBay. {By the way, while writing this, I realized there's a "d" in Ridgid, so I went back and fixed my multiple spelling errors to stay on the good side of @JMT 's mom.
- Tube-Bending Jig - I did a bunch of research to find a high-quality tool with adequately-useful degree marks on it. I ended up buying the Inline Tube TLB00 bender, and I'm very happy with it.
- Pliers Tubing Bender - I found this type of bender to be indispensable for making bends where the jig wouldn't fit due to short distances on either side of the bend. I bought the Lisle 44150 bender. It's just adequate. It'll occasionally leave small marks on the tubing because one side is flat and has a sharp corner edge. Also, you have to make sure that side of the tool has a free end of tubing not attached to anything because any resistance to bending on that side will cause a kink. I wasn't smart enough to foresee this...
- Leak-testing Kit - On a final note, testing each line with compressed air for leaks around the flares is a good habit to develop. You don't want to deal with leaks after everything is installed and you're bleeding the system. I took that Fragola test kit mentioned earlier and improved upon it by ditching the Shrader valve and replacing it with a hose and quick-disconnect, making it much easier to submerse the lines in water and look for air bubbles forming:
I doubt anyone is more eager than I am!
P.S. The Vevor drill bit sharpener was delivered this morning:
View attachment 604813
They use "OnTrac" for shipping. Never heard of them, but they were efficient - ordered on a Friday, delivered in two days on a Sunday! Probably not OnTrac's doing since it came all the way from China, but there was a small bit of shipping damage (slightly bent sheet metal), but it was an easy straightening job. Crap, now I have more work to do putting this to the test...
Rigid response! Impervious to all grammmarians.
I’d love to have the flaring tool. Looks stellar and I need to cut into my transmission lines. As always, helpful info.
Funny enough I worked at McGard for nearly two years, got laid off in November LOL
Sorry you got laid off, Duner. That's a horrible thing to go through.
I'm telling you it was pretty easy to do once I figured out what tools were needed.
It’s all good, everything happens for a reason. Just started a new job so it worked out!
Having the correct tools is always half the battle I've found.
When I was younger, I used to justify buying tools by reasoning that I can fix a lot of stuff with them and save money in the long run. Now that I'm older and have a bunch of money tied up in tools, I realize that I'm just a tool junkie...
Today I found out it's much easier to copy a brake line than to bend a new one. Yesterday's two lines were new lines - nothing to copy. Today's line replaces the OEM brake line from the combination block to the rear of the frame on the driver's side. I had previously removed it, but this morning I realized that if I reinstalled it, I could mark the spot on it where I have to start the changes by bending 90° to run inside to the top of the transmission tunnel. Once I marked that location, I ran a thin tape measure I've had for years for designing wiring harnesses from that marked spot, over to the center of the tub and back to the bulkhead connector to get a length needed for the new section of the line.
With that distance measured, I removed the line from the Jeep and measured it to get the total length of tubing I needed for the new line, adding a few inches, just in case I screwed up somewhere. After that, I just started bending up the new line to match the OEM line on the shop floor, starting at the front end (at the combination block.) Once I got to the point where the new line diverged from the OEM line, I reinstalled it in the LJ and bent the remaining portion while mounted. Then, I marked the rear cut point at the bulkhead fitting and removed the line again to cut it, install the ferrule and nut, and flare it. The final step was to pressure test it (it passed!) Here it is next to the OEM line:
It may look like it doesn't match the OEM line very well, but that's only because it's impossible to set them next to each other due to the complexity of all the bends. When duplicating it, I had to look at each bend individually to duplicate it.
Finally, I mounted it. Here's a shot from above the engine bay showing it mounted into the two plastic brake line clips:
And the same area from below:
And from there, it runs just above the frame rail, and I used two Adel clamps with button head cap screws from the top to attach it to the bottom of the tub:
And here's the new section:
And finally, another shot looking up from below:
I've ordered the 20" flex lines needed to go from the end of the hard lines above the frame rails to the rear mid-arm control arm mounts and will install them next weekend. At that point, I'll be as far as I can go on the bottom side of the tub until I get the axles done for the mid-arm suspension. I still have to finish the modification of the center console inside the tub, including installing the aftermarket Kenwood subwoofer since the OEM one won't fit with the cutting brake levers inside the console.
I started another small project today, but ran into a slight roadblock. I installed the TeraFlex thumb throttle some time ago, but I was never happy with how I had terminated it at the throttle body. I used an aluminum double cable ferrule to make a loop that went around the ball stud for the throttle cable. It was very inelegant, and I like elegance of design. I came up with a new plan to use a ring eye cable end and a small shoulder screw mounted to the linkage arm on the throttle body right behind the existing ball stud. Here are the parts:
So, I removed the throttle body and tried drilling the hole with a hand drill while holding the throttle body in my hand (it's very odd-shaped.) I was having trouble drilling it, so I fixtured it to the fab table to drill it with the mag drill:
And that's when I discovered that the linkage arm is made from hardened steel! Cobalt drill bits wouldn't touch it. At first, I thought it was just a dull bit, but then I used a bit I knew was brand new, and it, too, wouldn't touch it. Finally, I took a file to it, and that confirmed that it's hardened. So that's my roadblock.
I've ordered a pure carbide drill bit and will try again next weekend. Stay tuned!
With that distance measured, I removed the line from the Jeep and measured it to get the total length of tubing I needed for the new line, adding a few inches, just in case I screwed up somewhere. After that, I just started bending up the new line to match the OEM line on the shop floor, starting at the front end (at the combination block.) Once I got to the point where the new line diverged from the OEM line, I reinstalled it in the LJ and bent the remaining portion while mounted. Then, I marked the rear cut point at the bulkhead fitting and removed the line again to cut it, install the ferrule and nut, and flare it. The final step was to pressure test it (it passed!) Here it is next to the OEM line:
It may look like it doesn't match the OEM line very well, but that's only because it's impossible to set them next to each other due to the complexity of all the bends. When duplicating it, I had to look at each bend individually to duplicate it.
Finally, I mounted it. Here's a shot from above the engine bay showing it mounted into the two plastic brake line clips:
And the same area from below:
And from there, it runs just above the frame rail, and I used two Adel clamps with button head cap screws from the top to attach it to the bottom of the tub:
And here's the new section:
And finally, another shot looking up from below:
I've ordered the 20" flex lines needed to go from the end of the hard lines above the frame rails to the rear mid-arm control arm mounts and will install them next weekend. At that point, I'll be as far as I can go on the bottom side of the tub until I get the axles done for the mid-arm suspension. I still have to finish the modification of the center console inside the tub, including installing the aftermarket Kenwood subwoofer since the OEM one won't fit with the cutting brake levers inside the console.
I started another small project today, but ran into a slight roadblock. I installed the TeraFlex thumb throttle some time ago, but I was never happy with how I had terminated it at the throttle body. I used an aluminum double cable ferrule to make a loop that went around the ball stud for the throttle cable. It was very inelegant, and I like elegance of design. I came up with a new plan to use a ring eye cable end and a small shoulder screw mounted to the linkage arm on the throttle body right behind the existing ball stud. Here are the parts:
So, I removed the throttle body and tried drilling the hole with a hand drill while holding the throttle body in my hand (it's very odd-shaped.) I was having trouble drilling it, so I fixtured it to the fab table to drill it with the mag drill:
And that's when I discovered that the linkage arm is made from hardened steel! Cobalt drill bits wouldn't touch it. At first, I thought it was just a dull bit, but then I used a bit I knew was brand new, and it, too, wouldn't touch it. Finally, I took a file to it, and that confirmed that it's hardened. So that's my roadblock.
I've ordered a pure carbide drill bit and will try again next weekend. Stay tuned!
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I got the flex lines to install between the tub and the rear Savvy control arm mounts from the brown truck driver today, so on they went tonight:
Once again, having the right tool makes all the difference - drilled through like it was aluminum:
And here's what it looks like with all the pieces in place (top view and side view):
I should be able to re-mount the throttle body and crimp the ring eye on the cable this weekend and mark this bonus project off the list. Stay tuned!
Today, I had some blasting and painting on the honey-do list (hinges for a captain's chair resto project she's doing), so I didn't get a lot done on the LJ. I did finish the thumb throttle bonus project, though. First, I cut the cable to length, and then I used the smallest die on my hydraulic electric cable lug crimper to crimp the ring eye end on it:
And then I installed it:
And that was it for today. Stay tuned!
And then I installed it:
And that was it for today. Stay tuned!