Someguys 04

[someguysjeep]

so i took a couple days of vaca. to try and get some stupid stuff knocked out. today i got a new digital angle finder and took .5* from the castor and gave it to the pinion. it's still got some vibes but the start point has changed, so gonna give it another.25* and see what that nets me.

the CEL is still lit, still the same 1494 evap code. a visual inspection shows not evidence of anything being loose, disconnected, bent or broken.
i picked up a new gas cap and i removed the old rubber jumpers up into the engine bay and most of the hard evap lines from down the frame rail. they are temporarily rubber hose now, and tucked high n tight on the frame.

the louver works, it and the inner fender holes seem to be just enough to keep the heat off the strut. 20mi drive and it was barely warm at the very top above the mount. you can really feel a push of hot air out those vents.

just about got the CJ tailgate refinished, it had about 10 coats of shit paint and now it's smooth as a baby's ass with a 600 grit wet sand.
gonna try and get more miles on tonight, when traffic dies down, after i add that .25* to the pinion side.

grass is mowed and grill is cleaned and lit for a nice fat T-bone.

 

[someguysjeep]

well another 100 miles and i can inspect that front diff, and change the oil.

a JK rear TB came up real close today. i been on the fence about my hillbilly stick homemade TB. so lets build another, right ?
the rear JK bar fits over my front diff like a glove. it's even capable of being kept within the profile of the diff cover itself. no forward or over the top intrusions, meaning it'll not effect my top end travel limit or require space behind the drag link in front of the diff, like some bends do.
it looks to me like i could get that axle forward 2.5". diff cover, right up to the pitman. and this would line my TB 90* from axle into frame in a straight line.

another inch could rid that vibe for me, but i got it adjusted to just in OD now.

1 pic is how well it contours the diff cover. and 2 shows it well behind the face of the cover.

 

[someguysjeep]

this pinion castor thing is has been run about as far as i can take it, i think.
i started this with pinion at 0* and 6* to the castor. it was producing vibes at starting about 30MPH.
i raised the pinion which moved the castor back .5*. still producing vibes starting at about 30MPH.
the next adjustment was to .75* favoring the pinion. still getting vibes but now not until i get into OD.
i took it 1 step further and went to 1.10* favoring the pinion, this seems to have just about stopped the vibes but leaves the steering (me) wanting a little more return to center.

so next adjustment will be back to .90ish for the next test.

 

[someguysjeep]

so i just been dealing with the steering as is above ^. i never did turn it back and just dealt with it to get my miles on the gears............it's there. inspection and new gear oil this wkend.

got my brackets built in pieces for the rear end work. pics in next day or 2.

been hittin FB marketplace daily to catch a deal on a workable trailer. passed on so many and lost a few cause they went so quick.
new 7k's GVW are dirt cheap around OH, MI, IN, PA. but as Blaine stated it's a risky venture if your on a long haul and loose a wheel or axle, the other is not rated for whole load. i'da gone for a 7k if i was gonna stay in state, but i'd like to see some other places.

a 16ft frame with 5K axles w/brakes on both (10K GW), came up tues. guys askin 300$........ so i'm all over it.
goin out tomrw eve.
i don't want a full deck, like to keep it as light as possible, so this'll give me opportunity to have what i want and not have to deal with crap like dove tails, crap ramps and a heavy steel deck. i'm gonna try and set it up as a drive over or deck over at the wheels with nothing hanging below those frame rails.

 

[someguysjeep]

also a real cage was on the list for some point. i'd like to try and build my own but i got to much to do already.
a PS full cage kit came up recently, it's about an hr away and it's 1/2 price. NIB asking 800$, retails for 1600$.

the bender i was gonna buy is 350$ and the die is another 300$ then i still have to add time and materials. all i'd really need is rework those stanchions into tubes down behind the dash.

 

[someguysjeep]

so went and looked at the trailer.
5200# dual axles, 6 lug hubs w/ electric brakes. it's straight, it's main beams are intact and it pulls great.
41mi all highway at 60+ to get it home. hubs are as cool as when i started out so no immediate issues there.
it never bounced or got twitchy. the guy mentioned the dolly arm was toast but it balances on the axles for now.

it'll give me 14' x 7' of usable deck with a bout 3.5' of tongue. 2" ball catch, good safety chains (once i add clasps).

it's got some surface rust but it should clean easily. and the hardware and bushings on the axle mounts and springs will need cleaned up and refreshed. and the hubs and brakes will need full inspection and likely some rework as well as new wiring, + a breakaway braking unit as well. tires are older but no dry rot cracks and good treads.

the jeep comes 1st, this is a when i got time, rainy day kinda thing for now.

pics tomrw.

 

[someguysjeep]

so 1 tire is flat this morn and another is going flat, so new tires will be in order. at least it was home in the driveway. the rims need blasted and painted anyways.
i got the rest of the wood stripped from the frame. it's in good shape, but needs attention in a few areas. might look into the $ of having a mobile media blaster come by, and clean it up real quick. if i had a bigger compressor i'd go get my own.

it was clearly a vacation trailer frame and a lot of it's strength came from all the individual supports to be tied together, so i'll add some 6" channel for a front and rear headers and a couple pieces of 4" where the weight will carry. the cheesy light duty outriggers will be swapped for 4" channel as well. and i might just build a 6"x 4" channel support box for the spring mounts to move the deck up to tire height. and the tongue will be reinforced.

as far as the axles........if they are gonna cost me more than 100$ a hub to refurbish the brakes and bearings i have a source on FB-MP in MI. that sells new Dexter 5200#'s for 200ea. w/brakes and springs. and might be then worth the long drive to save $ and labor time.

i wanna try and keep weight down, so it's not gonna be a full deck, just runners out of 2x2x1/4 and HD expanded metal. and if i can pull it off some lockable storage down the middle.

 

[someguysjeep]

got into that front diff this morn.

the magnet on the drain plug had a fair sized blob on it, but it was all beyond dust. likely just scale from the new stuff.
no grit of any kind.............looks good to me.
no odd markings, no chips or misalignment witnesses. gonna fill it up and call it good.

i have been real reluctant to get into the rear diff until i saw what i had done up front. i'm fairly confident now i can move ahead into it now.

 

[someguysjeep]

ok , so i just got off the horn with the Tom Woods shop. they say i'm F_cked.
my angles are crap and there's not much that can be done with them as is.

having cheated the castor back/pinion up 1.25*, i'm still getting just a minute hum-vibe from the front end when i get into that OD gear.

since my front shaft sits at about 11* it's already exceeded what they run single joints at, being about 10* max.
they say the DC is gonna still be the best option even though i can't line up that bottom joint...... ever.
they also claim it could be the OE shaft giving me some input if it's not 100%, the balance could be off or the joints may not be a tight as i thought they felt.

1 dam detail i missed and it's got me in a hard spot, i really needed to turn those dam C's. no way it can happen now.
this is gonna drive me insane, just knowing it's not right.

side note also: that guy was nice enough to negotiate a little and i'm likely gonna go snag the PS cage.

 

[someguysjeep]

ran out and scooped this up today. 50% off retail.

 

[Wildman]

Nice awesome score.

 

[someguysjeep]

a roll cage now, a trailer to rebuild and still haven't touched that back end. sorry excuse for any kind of builder i am.

so i got out there this eve and played with that front TB. the passenger side will have a nice long overlap into the DOM (7"). the driver side needs to be trimmed real close to the hump, so it's gonna be a small sleeve. only about 1.5". since it's not a lot of overlap (1/2"), i may weld the exterior end as usual and maybe taper the inserted rod so i can get some internal weld too. i need enough to hold that rod forever and an inch to sink the bung. gonna have to rework the mount on the frame too. if i get it together strong enough, it'll allow the front axle 2" forward.
i've not committed 100%, not gone past the point of just putting it back as was.

and i got underneath the ass end and busted everything loose. pulled the sway links and sway bar out, loosed all CA's, the shocks and TB. tomrw i'd like to have the axle out.
b4 i go and mess with that though i need to do those 2 body mounts b4 the rear wheel and raise um.

 

[someguysjeep]

got her skirt pulled up just need to get her panties off now.

i stripped the back end out yest b4 it got to hot n humid. dropped the tank this morn and axle is next up/out.
lotta room under there without that tank in the way.
don't laugh at my temp'd TB riser. i messed up the height on the axle bracket and you could really feel it shift the ass end over bumps without the riser to position it into a tighter travel arc and therefore less shifting. had i not had plans to change the links it would not be like that.

 

[someguysjeep]

and this is it a few hrs later.

 

[someguysjeep]

well i've had this plaguing issue in my left shoulder, for almost a yr now. numbness in my hand and arm with constant pain in the rotator cuff.

well long story short is i ripped my muscle yest............ tore that bitch clean off my shoulder............now i got me a scott steiner arm.....huge egg on my bicep. it's contracted and rock hard in my arm and won't release. my womans already named it my popeye arm.
no pain now at all, unless i push on the area it tore from, and actually have better range of motion in my shoulder now. but it's a fresh rip and is tender so i took a vaca day today, doubt there is anything that can be done unless i wanna let them cut in and try to reattach it, but i'm not up for 6+ wks of downtime and a yr of rehab right now. and unless it hinders me in some way, i don't see the point.

 

[someguysjeep]

managed to get all the rear frame brackets off and got my plug weld holes drilled in the frame to tie in my back 1/2 tubes.
got those last 2 body mounts off and the new 1's hung ready for tacking.
i still gotta clean up some of the inside of frame rail yet, then my new brackets can be built in place.
also managed to get the axle open and drained and got the shafts loose ready to be pulled, well 1. that same stud that got to spinning on my axle flange is moving again and will be my obligatory PITA.

 

[someguysjeep]

today i got to cut and tack this track bar together, it'll work. almost to well. it would gain me 3" forward, as is. this would require rework/lengthening of my front upper for sure and possibly the lowers they'd be real close to, as extended as i care for. so we're gonna replace what was there for now and save this for a future date.

here's my cut line, the lines at the end of the flat section of frame rail.

 

[someguysjeep]

the frame starts to thin down right at my line so i may come back a little, i need to see what the pieces i made to mate are gonna allow.
i got every stand i own and a few i had to whip up, under the rig right now. i have the frame supported. i have the body blocked up from the frame. i have horses under the torque boxes, stands under the rear section of frame as well as stands to support the body. i think it's all supported. 2 HF stands in the back are to drop that rear sec of frame back onto, as is they aren't holding anything yet.

been working on removing all the old brackets off the axle, just have to do an ass load of grinding to clean all the old roots off.

can't find any simple rear trusses. Savvy sells the front solo but not the rear. so i did some gouge and bend to a chunk of 3/8x4, this will be the new truss. gonna make it as tight to the diff as i can. most of the vertical will be lost when that's established and it's radius'd for the tube.

 

[flyinfish]

i got every stand i own and a few i had to whip up, under the rig right now. i have the frame supported. i have the body blocked up from the frame. i have horses under the torque boxes, stands under the rear section of frame as well as stands to support the body. i think it's all supported. 2 HF stands in the back are to drop that rear sec of frame back onto, as is they aren't holding anything yet.

View attachment 186884

Looks like a Jeep Jungle Gym!

 

[someguysjeep]

no going back now........... frame tipped right back nice n gentle onto those HF stands as planned. now to get it down n out.

wasn't really my plan but i'm gonna slide that section back 11" and see what it looks like.