Woodstock

I agree, they look pretty cool.

Tire Tool Tray - Bolt Together – TMR Customs

 

http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/158203/

I got it for Christmas. TMR Customs has a lot of great stuff, and great customer service.

 

That is pretty sweet. You know, it probably wouldn't be hard to make one out of wood.

Flat piece on top, some 2x2s going down and sitting at 10 and 2 o'clock, and 4 posts going vertically down the sidewall.

 

Now that military month is over, (it was fantastic btw), I get a short window of painting weather this week, so I want to repaint the outer frame. First, remove the burnt paint from the re-weld of the windshield top channel. Oh, and while I was gone, they got G503 photo album working again, so I can post photos.

Loaded up the gun with 2oz of hot rod flat and shot the inside. It was almost 60 degrees so I can turn it over in a few hours.

Then, chasing the sun late in the day, sanded and shot the outside. I'm sure there will be a few bugs in it, and it will flatten out when it dries. I'm ready to get this on the jeep and move on to more pressing issues now that spring is here.

 

The final day on the ventilating windshield project. Reassembled the inner to the outer, and got it on the jeep. The only remaining problem is that the rubber is so new, it doesn't want to latch. I had been hoping once I got it in the sun, it would relax and close enough to latch, but no. And of course the latch screws are the only ones I saw no reason to remove up to this point, and one of the 4 does not want to come out. It's a steel screw in an aluminum frame for decades, and it's not moving. I successfully drilled it out. Not bad, huh?

The solution is to space the latch out 1/8" so it can grab the keeper. If it ever relaxes enough, I can remove the spacer.

The adjusting arms are all done and work correctly.

I cleaned up some paint touch up and cleaned the glass, and went through a few cycles of opening and closing and latching.

Fully open, it looks pretty good. Now to move on to Rubicon prep.

 

Love it!

 

Back in "the day" we had an Allis Chalmers 190 with a cab. (No air conditioning kids, just a fan and maybe the option for heat). Summer time the doors would come off and the back window would open up. Then with every mother FN rut in the rented hay field that window would bounce up and SLAM shut typically with one arm backwards so you could not open it till you were done with the row. Then back through the field with the same rut BOOM. Finish the day covered in dust, sweat, and grease.

 

One last item to address before I go out on a test run this weekend. Last year after the overdrive installation, I was experiencing oil travelling back from the transfer case, though the overdrive and PTO adapter, and overfilling the PTO, which is at the end of the line, obviously. On a long drive, where there is never time for the oil to flow back forward, I had it coming up through the PTO shifter. So, looking at it, I see no reason the have oil-sharing holes from the OD to the PTO.

I am going to try just sealing the holes with RTV. The PTO has its own fill plug, so I see no reason to let oil pump all the way back there.

 

Reinstalled the PTO, filled the transfer case with GL4. Went for a good hot drive. Then let it sit overnight, topped off, and I think the over fill problem is solved. Next for Rubicon prep is something I have been meaning to do for 2 years. I broke a main leaf on the Jamboree, and vowed to have a better or maybe easier fix for if this happens again. That day, I welded the leaves together with some nickel rod, then wrapped it with a chain, (mostly for looks). After I got to main camp, I wrapped the pack with steel, and it held until I got out.

So what I want is something better to start with, if this happens again. A big band-aid-splint kind of thing. This is what I have so far. 2 pieces of 3/8"x 4" flat bar, drilled to sandwich the leaves with 6 bolts.

Next I see a gap between the 2nd and 3rd leaves, so I made a removable spacer for that gap.

I cut 2 pieces of 1-1/2" flat bar for the sides, that i will leave loose, but could be welded in the field.

Taken off the spring pack, the 2 side plates sandwich in the assembly that will go into the tool box. This at least gives me a start when the unexpexted snap happens. I would like to think that event is a ways in the future, but time flies. This rig gets 3 Rubicons a year, and some other wheeling, so it's easy to forget the kind of maintenance that should probably be happening.

 

Brilliant!

 

Was just thinking (I know dangerous activity for me) I was looking at your emergency spring splint. A very good idea. Given that you have onboard welding available would it help to pre drill your top splint plate with about 4, 1/2 inch holes down the center of it between the row of bolts. So the splint could be welded to the broken spring leaf on each side of the break to help keep the broken spring leaf from separating. Your top splint plate would be a throw away at that point but it might help you get home. I may be suggesting something totally undoable, like I said it is often dangerous for me to do too much thinking. Looking forward to your next Rubicon adventure photos. Jim

 

I like that idea. I was figuring it would be welded around the edges, but down the middle would really help. And I think this thing could be disposable, but hopefully invaluable, in the middle of the trail. If it gets welded on, or even goes on a different rig, it's gone.

 

Interesting...

That's going in the "cool ideas" folder.

 

I'm taking Jim's advice and drilled 4-5/8" holes in the top plate and 2 in the bottom plate to facilitate getting more weld on the 2 halves of the main leaf.

And I was thinking, gee, I wonder why my jeep is so heavy. It's all the crap, I mean totally valuable trail fix parts and tools I haul around. Well, this idea was an actual weight saver. Thanks @Ol Fogie .

 

Glad it worked out for you.