Varg In Jeep's Clothing

I just read your thread again. For like the fourth time... Pretty awesome stuff...
I'm still planning to redo my engine and transmission mounts and I plan to use your build as inspiration...

 

Thanks tymbom. Be careful... it's a disease. I have issues with finding the happy medium between "too custom" and just "good enough".
I spent 4 1/2 hours last night cutting and welding 14 pieces of steel --- for 2 (seemingly simple) spring perches.

 

I need to make mine better... I'd like to incorporate a crossmember with the engine mounts to help resist the small block twisting my frame... And I'd like to have a little better ground clearance at the transmission crossmember. And move the engine up and to the driver's side an inch or so... No big deal...

 

I just ran into an issue that is going to turn a 3-day job into possibly a 3-week job. I planned on recessing the spring and shackle mounts into the frame. Well, the shackle mounts are easy; more on them later. The spring mounts fall right on the corner of my B-pillar outriggers. This is gonna get interesting.

 

Cant wait to see you adapt, and overcome!

 

Let's hope!

 

Drill press + hole saws + cow mat = spring bushings.



I have to run these YJ springs backwards because I'm using stock XJ shackles. The shackles fit the frame-mount-end of the springs perfectly, but the shackle-end factory bushings are too wide and low-tolerance to use as a frame-mount, being designed to be compressed by the shackles, removing any play in the process. Without that compression, they're too sloppy to positively locate the axle.
These will work great.

 

You sir are a FabMaster!!

Really nice work!!

toolman_ar

 

I was thinking about your problem with the spring mount and the outriggers today and thought possibly you could outboard the springs and recess the spring mounts into the outriggers. Then I came back here and looked at the picture again and do not think that would be any easier. I look forward to seeing your solution.

 

I have a plan. I'll mess with it tonight if I'm allowed out of the house.

Outboarding isn't really an option because of all the time I have into the rear bumper, where the shackles are recessed into. Here's a very temporary mock-up. (I clamped two main leafs back-to-back to get them flat to simulate finished ride-height.)

 

Like I was supposed to know you had already fabricated the coolest shackle mount ever into the rear bumper...

 

Ok, here is my solution.
2/3 of a piece of 3" x .120" DOM tubing recessed into the frame and outrigger. The excess tubing will get trimmed off before I weld it in place.



Side view:



With tension on the spring to flatten it:



The shackle mount will need to be messed with to get the proper angle, but I'm digging this. Now I just need to match it on the other side.

 

Killer!

 

Looks great!

How well do the cow mat bushings hold up?

 

Thanks guys.

Surprisingly well, actually. They're made from recycled tire rubber.

I have a little utility trailer that I've routinely overloaded and abused over the last 6 years that I built with this cow mat as spring bushings and makeshift spring boosters where there was always spring pressure against it, even without a load. This summer I upgraded the suspension design to a standard leafspring setup, which gave me a chance to inspect the rubber. The spring bushings were as tight as the day I put them in, and the boosters only had a slight indent. I think it's worth a shot in a jeep.

Even if they only have a service life of 5 years, they're easy to replace and I have a ton of this material to make more.

 

Interesting, I thought maybe because of how it's made it would crumble easier. It's a good trick to know for sure.

 

That is quality work right there. Very good solution. I like the bushing idea.

Where might I purchase this cow mat material?

 

Any farm store will have it, like Tractor Supply Co. or North 40.

I think this is exactly what we have. 4 ft. x 6 ft. x 3/4 in. Thick Rubber Stall Mat - For Life Out Here

We bought a few sheets for the weight room in our old house, then moved.

 

I need to make some roll cage mounts. That stuff may work great as pads between the mounts. and might also work great as tub mounts.