CJ3A Volkswagon TDI

One of the best looking jeeps on here.

 

Wow thanks guys! You are too kind.......

 

very nice project

 

Now promise you won't cheat on us again... posting your work on other forums.

 

I promise to share with you from now on...

So, since I had my axle completely tore down I figured it would be a good time to fix the rear brake setup that came with my jeep It was a sketchy bubba bracket that was shimmed out really far from the flange and only used two bolts. It was made from 1/4" steel. The caliper wiggled all over when you grabbed it. I made a new bracket that 3/8" steel, it catches 3 bolts, and it bolts directly to the flange with no shims. Should be much stronger.

Cleaned up and ready for paint.



Old sketchy bracket

 

Love your Jeep!!!

 

Well......3 days later Im back to where I was before I discovered the broken axle. I installed a replacement from a spare rear I have. It really made me realize that a trail side axle repair would not be easy. One of the axle nuts came off easily with a 1/2" ratchet, The other needed impact....heat, and hammer. I also had one hub pop off with the puller and a light tap.... the other needed to go in the press. It took all of the 30 tons and then finally exploded off. No way the puller/hammer method would have worked on the trail.



All painted up and back together.







Done! Now on to turn signal/tail light wiring!

 

I had a free D44 that had a detroit in it. I used air impact turned all the way up, heat and a 6 foot breaker bar and couldnt et the pinion nut off. I did get the axle nut off one side, but the hub was not coming off. I would have easily broken my hub puller and it still would bit have come off. I even put the hub puller on with a lot of pressure and beat the hub until it was bent and it still wouldnt come off. I ended up scrapping the entire axle.

 

And then there are the times when the axle breaks and it (all) comes off too easily! You can't win. Full floaters remove such issues. Willys (and the military with the M-series jeeps) never should have spec'ed out the Dana 44 with anything but full floating axles. I consider it their greatest design failure.

 

First drive video!

 

Love it.

 

Awesome!

 

I love everything.

Curious what the choke knob will do now?

 

Thanks guys! At the moment the choke and throttle knobs dont do anything. They are hacked off just behind the knob. I tried to come up with something cool to do with them, but drew a blank. Im open to ideas if you have any. If I had a mechanical injection pump I would definitely have one be a shut down actuator.

 

It was weird today..... I dont really have any major work to do on the jeep. I am waiting on my exhaust to get here, the windshield frame is at the glass shop.... so I just tinkered. I cleaned, painted the front calipers. I also dressed up and serviced the cutlas hubs. They are one of my favorite little details on this jeep. I also changed the front diff fluid and went over all the u bolts and driveshaft bolts. Im beginning the pre-flight check list. Ive had this thing apart so many times I needed to make sure everything had been torqued. I installed the boost gauge, and tach. I got all my lights working and installed turn signals. I know their not original but with the way people drive around here I feel they are a safety item!



I also took some glamour shots.







I cant remember If I posted this on here or not, but I had this cool decal made. I wanted it to look original but have some VW TDI flair!

 

That's awesome!!

 

Just climbed back in my chair, but found some cheez-its on the floor while I was laying there, so not all is lost. This thing is beautiful, great work. I like the turn signals.

Are you in low range in those vids? It sounds really low geared if not.