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Muzikp's Sometimes Driveable Build

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by Muzikp, Aug 11, 2017.

  1. Mar 7, 2018
    '74Renegade

    '74Renegade Active Member

    Fair Oaks, CA
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    I'm building something like this for spring under right now. Guess I need to learn how to use Beaming Pix so I can post up what I have been working on.
     
    Focker likes this.
  2. Mar 7, 2018
    browncoat

    browncoat Member

    Maitland Australia
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    Sep 1, 2016
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    Can hardly tell it's a little bit off centre now.
    (y)
     
  3. Mar 7, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Sep 27, 2016
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    You just had to bring that to everyone's attention didn't you :rofl::rofl:. It is off center slightly. It's just the way the tank ended up sitting in the Jeep, it doesn't come thru the tub perfectly centered. But at the rapid 47mph this thing travels at you'll never notice.
     
    Fly Navy likes this.
  4. Mar 8, 2018
    Oldriginal86

    Oldriginal86 Member

    Pasadena, Md.
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    Nov 5, 2014
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    589
    My factory stock tank doesn’t sit in the center of the opening either, has the rubber pushed to one side. I live with it. You did an awesome job on that tank.
     
  5. Mar 8, 2018
    fesser

    fesser Napa, CA 2024 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Napa, CA
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    Oct 16, 2014
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    You work a lot faster than I do James. I am just about ready to bring my two narrow 30's to a mechanic who can take my gears, the loose power lok, and the disc brake knuckles and make them one unit. That should leave me with a narrow 30 housing which may or may not have the open diff 3.54s in it. Just letting you know there will be another housing if you end up needing it. Really nice work on everything by the way. Frank
     
    Muzikp and ITLKSEZ like this.
  6. Mar 8, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Thanks, it is nice to have more than 8 gallons of fuel in there, even nicer that 4 gallons of it doesn't pour out when turning right :clap:
     
    Danefraz and ITLKSEZ like this.
  7. Mar 8, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Thanks. Good to know on the axle. I'm going to try and get shocks on this weekend and see if it looks better.
     
  8. Mar 12, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Sep 27, 2016
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    Now that my steering has the power my steering wheel is WAAYYY too big. Are there simple options for a smaller wheel on the stock steering column?
     
    Danefraz likes this.
  9. Mar 12, 2018
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    Aug 18, 2014
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    Just don't turn as much/far/hard. I like my stock steering wheel.
     
    47v6 likes this.
  10. Mar 12, 2018
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Aug 13, 2015
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    Somebody here said an adapter is available through Walks(?) to convert to a standard wheel, but the problem is the depth of the adapter and the extra dish of a new wheel will put it up in your face.
     
  11. Mar 12, 2018
    '74Renegade

    '74Renegade Active Member

    Fair Oaks, CA
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    Sep 1, 2005
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    Big wheel and power steering is great off road or in the rocks.....you'll get used to it.
     
    47v6 likes this.
  12. Mar 20, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Sep 27, 2016
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    Would like thoughts and opinions from you guys.

    I started cutting out these rock sliders using my old cheesy aluminum ones as patterns.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I'm not sure what the thickness of the bottom edge is, but they are pretty thick. They are cut from a big piece of C channel.
    Question:
    Just bolt these to the tub like the cheesy aluminum ones were or build a system to tie them into the frame? I'm just looking for protection of the rocker and nothing else really. Is bolting them directly to the tub effective?

    Next topic. I started to build spring plate things to recess the u-bolt nuts. They are really beefy and I had my friend who is a far better welder than me weld them up. I'm feeling good about them but just want to run it past you guys. They are constructed from 3 pieces.
    A piece of .188 wall square tube (cut the top off) makes up the bottom and one layer of each side.
    A piece of 2"x 3/16" square tube cut along two corners to make L's are inside the .188" wall square tube and welded inside on the bottom edge and outside on the top edge.
    3 .188" gussets on each side.

    Here is a pic of the two L's tacked into the U to help that lousy explanation make more sense.

    [​IMG]

    And pics of the current setup (needs clean up and a bit of beauty grinding).

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    How do we feel about these?
     
    Danefraz likes this.
  13. Mar 21, 2018
    '74Renegade

    '74Renegade Active Member

    Fair Oaks, CA
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    So, in my experience you don't really need to tie the rocks sliders to the frame, is it nice?.....yeah. I used to run 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 x 1/8 angle iron rock sliders simply bolted to the body for years, and beat the snot out of them. Was there some body damage?........sure but it was really minimal.

    What you have there is way heavier than what I was using. However, I think it would probably be pretty easy to weld in a piece that ties into the body mounts. And your rocker panels are really straight, would hate to see them get beat up. There I talked myself into you tying them into the body mounts.

    As for your spring plates, thats pretty much what I have come up with. I used 2 pieces of 1/4 thick angle and welded the top on, to come up with basically what you have there. The diff side will need to notched to clear the webbing stiffeners. Have you figured out the lower shock mount?
     
  14. Mar 21, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Dangit!!! I was totally thinking about that notch when I started out and apparently forgot along the way. I'm guessing the gusset is in exactly the wrong place for the notch... :mad:
     
  15. Mar 21, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    My D30 axle has shock mounts welded on the back of it near the bottom of the axle tubes. In some of the pics above you can see the shock mounts I cut off the extra spring plates. I plan on welding those to a support that will weld on the top of the frame similar to the stock ones, only they will be setup to run the shocks on the back of the axle instead of the spring plates. There isn't much room for them on the front of the axle since the wide track turns so sharp the tie-rod comes really close to a shock mounted in front, actually I think it would hit the shock if I tried to run them in front.
     
  16. Mar 21, 2018
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Looks good. The only potential issue I see is the curvature of the inside of the tubing you're using as the cradle. If the inner diameter (width) of the cradle is exactly the width of the springs, that bend in the tubing corners might not be sharp enough to clear he corners of the bottom springs. In other words, the weight of the vehicle and the tension of the u-bolts will be resting only on those corners. You'll have issues with the ubolts not holding tight as the parts stretch to conform (or crack?).

    I wouldn't tie the sliders into the frame unless they are also getting tied into the cage in a substantial way. The frame flexes. The body flexes. Those sliders won't. I have a feeling if you try to tie them into the frame, you'll develop cracks at the mounting points.

    Didn't you have any thicker material you could have used? :p

    Edit: I just looked at the pics closer. It's hard to tell, but it looks like the outer pieces of tubing go inside the piece you used as the cradle? (y) Carry on. Disregard my rambling. :blah:

    Edit #2: I just re-read your explanation and it confirmed my first edit. Just make sure the welds are cleaned up inside the cradle to avoid any stressors.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2018
  17. Mar 21, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Great input thx. Shockingly I thought about the corners and the cradle is a bit wider than the springs so they won't rest on the weld. But now you got me thinking that since they are wider they will want to bend in at the top towards the springs under tension, although it's a pretty straight pull from the u-bolt. I could easily put thin spacers in so it was a tight fit at the top. Also my caster/camber wedges will need to be trimmed down to fit inside these which will be an opportunity to make them perfect width with a chamfer on the bottom corner to miss the weld. I feel like that will also help.

    I'm torn about the thickness of my rock sliders, they are pretty thick. I guess it would be nice to have that thickness on the bottom and be a bit thinner on the sides to save some weight. I can certainly make them shorter but wasn't sure what the ideal height up the rocker would be. Maybe I'll cut them down and weld a thinner piece on that attaches to the tub. Or maybe I'll just cut them down :shrug: .How far up the rockers should they go?
     
  18. Mar 21, 2018
    '74Renegade

    '74Renegade Active Member

    Fair Oaks, CA
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    I think it's up to you how far up they go. How high are they now?

    I currently have some that are 4x4 that I cut out of square tube. I don't think they are overly high. They also hide my poor driving skills. :whistle:
     
  19. Mar 21, 2018
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    They are 3.75" inches tall right now. Knocking a 1/2" off the height could save some weight but maybe negligible.
     
  20. Mar 21, 2018
    '74Renegade

    '74Renegade Active Member

    Fair Oaks, CA
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    I would look at how and where you plan to bolt these to the body before you cut them down.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
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