• Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.

Converting A Cj2a Into A Truck

cj2atruck said:
The transfer case is installed and it passed the test drive, and this might be the quietest Dana 18 I’ve ever had. With the install complete, it was time to install the new cross member, so I grabbed some 2” painters tape.

IMG_3285 by Rick , on Flickr

The tape helped me determine the location of the tabs that would be welded to the inside of the 2x3 tubing that was welded to the bottom of the frame. The cross member was pretty easy to install, I just clamped a couple of small pieces of 2” angle to the tubing, placed the tabs with the new mounts on the angle iron, placed the cross member on top of the new mounts and tack welded everything in place. I had already attached a piece of 1 1/2 x 3/8 flat bar to the bottom of the transmission adapter, so I was ready to weld in a piece of 2x2x1/4 tubing between the transmission adapter and the new cross member.

IMG_3286 by Rick , on Flickr

I also made a piece that would support the passenger side of the transfer case, but I’ve read this might not be necessary…no harm in adding a bolt and spacer at this location.

I have also eliminated the stock rubber transmission mount, so the transmission and transfer case are solid mounted to the new cross member, and the poly bushings at each end of the new cross member are now used for the entire drivetrain.

Tomorrow I will start working on the belly skid plate…I am well behind the progress Fireball has made.

Speaking of Fireball, his carb work made me wonder if I was getting full throttle when the accelerator is on the floor, as I struggle to pull 3rd and 4th on a hill, so decided to check. Nope, only about 1/2 throttle when the pedal is on the floor. I must have messed this up years ago during the initial installation, but a quick modification and it is resolved.
Click to expand...
cj2atruck said:
The transfer case is installed and it passed the test drive, and this might be the quietest Dana 18 I’ve ever had. With the install complete, it was time to install the new cross member, so I grabbed some 2” painters tape.

IMG_3285 by Rick , on Flickr

The tape helped me determine the location of the tabs that would be welded to the inside of the 2x3 tubing that was welded to the bottom of the frame. The cross member was pretty easy to install, I just clamped a couple of small pieces of 2” angle to the tubing, placed the tabs with the new mounts on the angle iron, placed the cross member on top of the new mounts and tack welded everything in place. I had already attached a piece of 1 1/2 x 3/8 flat bar to the bottom of the transmission adapter, so I was ready to weld in a piece of 2x2x1/4 tubing between the transmission adapter and the new cross member.

IMG_3286 by Rick , on Flickr

I also made a piece that would support the passenger side of the transfer case, but I’ve read this might not be necessary…no harm in adding a bolt and spacer at this location.

I have also eliminated the stock rubber transmission mount, so the transmission and transfer case are solid mounted to the new cross member, and the poly bushings at each end of the new cross member are now used for the entire drivetrain.

Tomorrow I will start working on the belly skid plate…I am well behind the progress Fireball has made.

Speaking of Fireball, his carb work made me wonder if I was getting full throttle when the accelerator is on the floor, as I struggle to pull 3rd and 4th on a hill, so decided to check. Nope, only about 1/2 throttle when the pedal is on the floor. I must have messed this up years ago during the initial installation, but a quick modification and it is resolved.
Click to expand...
Fantastic work! I really love watching all you guys fabricate some really innovative and cool stuff!
 
The 47 and I went for a nice drive to make sure I didn’t create an new rattles, noises or weird vibrations after building a new cross member and using Poly bushings, as well as the new skid plates. Happy to report that the Jeep in it’s current form is the best it’s every been…well, at least on the road, but I expect off-road abilities have been significantly enhanced as well, just won’t be able to test until May in Moab.

However, before Moab, I still have some things to address. This weekend I tackled the loose lower radiator mount that is no longer soldered to the lower tank. It was pretty easy to pull the radiator, and to my surprise, the passenger side mounting bracket was no longer soldered to the radiator at all, either top or bottom.

IMG_3305 by Rick , on Flickr

At first, I was irritated that I had missed that the mount was completely disconnected, but after looking at the bracket, it was actually a good thing that it was completely disconnected from the upper and lower tank, as it will be easier to fix. I started with an angled air die grinder with abrasive discs. I removed all of the old paint, then heated the tanks at the mounting location and the mounting surface on the bracket. I smeared on a little flux on each surface while hot, and sat the the mounting bracket on the tanks. Starting with the bottom tank, I carefully heated the mounting tank and applied solder in the mount hole and along all edges, and then repeated the process on the top tank. I’ve soldered a lot of radiators in the last 4 decades, and one of the reasons I am using a brass and copper radiators, as I know I can fix anything.

After the bracket was soldered in place, it was time to pressure test the tank, as I was concerned the mounting locations of the electric fan may have created a hole in the radiator when I removed the fan from the radiator.

IMG_3306 by Rick , on Flickr

Pressure testing is pretty simple, I use rubber plugs on the inlet and outlet, and put the cap in place. I then opened the drain, and added a little air with an air gun while applying a little Dawn soap to the areas of concern. It doesn’t take much air, just enough to create bubbles in the soap. Fortunately, no leaks, so it was time for paint.

IMG_3307 by Rick , on Flickr

The next thing to address was the electric fan mount, as I have never liked it attached to the radiator. I use a pusher fan, and while it was originally the primary fan, it’s now a backup to a mechanical fan using a 210 degree thermostat with an override switch just in case. For the mount, I used 1 1/2” angle iron that is bolted to the fan and welded to the bottom radiator support. The electric fan is about 1/2” from the front of the radiator, but since it’s a backup, it should be fine. At least with the new mount, I know I’m not going to rub a hole in the radiator on the Rubicon.

IMG_3308 by Rick , on Flickr

With the fan in place, it was time to reinstall the radiator.

IMG_3309 by Rick , on Flickr

The last thing to install will be the upper radiator hose once I pick up new clamps tomorrow. I’m also going to build some type of fan shroud. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just something to help force the air to be pulled through the radiator, but that’s a project for another day.
 
Now that the radiator is all fixed, I needed to test fit the 47 in the new enclosed trailer, and make note of the front bumper so I can start to figure out the bike shoes for the Harley and KTM in front of the Jeep.

IMG_3313 by Rick , on Flickr

IMG_3318 by Rick , on Flickr

I had a couple of inches of clearance on the door as I drove in, and the light has a couple of inches at the ceiling once the jeep is inside. I have 9 feet from the front bumper to the nose of the trailer, and really only need 8 feet for the Harley, so that’s a win. I have two tie downs at the rear, but will need to install two more in front of the jeep. I also need to find bike shoes for the front wheels that are easily removable, maybe something from e-track of similar system…
 
Next project, Half doors. Back in the 80’s, we used to make frames out of 3/8” round stock and cover with vinyl, but I’m going a different direction this time…let’s see how it works out.

First step, kill some cardboard.

IMG_3320 by Rick , on Flickr

I had a small sheet of 16 gauge steel in the shop that would allow me to cut both sides, so marked things up and cut with a jigsaw.

IMG_3321 by Rick , on Flickr

After cutting, I cleaned up the edges and added a 10 degree bend using the brake press. I use this thing all time.

IMG_3324 by Rick , on Flickr

Now for a test fit.

IMG_3327 by Rick , on Flickr

I think this is going to work. I think I will weld a piece of 1” tubing along the top, and probably downward the inside at and angle for strength. Still thinking about the hinges, might just be a couple of pieces of flat stock, one side welded to the roll bar the other to the inside of the half doors. I expect to have to trim the front of the half door to allow for full opening, so I’ve left extra up front.

My plan is to mount these so water will drain on the outside of the jeep as much as possible, and still need to figure out a latching mechanism. I expect I’ll have trouble sleeping for a few nights while I design the hinges and latch, but that the price of fabrication.

Stay tuned…
 
I had a good day in the shop and I finally figured out the hinges. I didn’t want to drill holes in my body, so my goal was to mount the half doors off the front roll cage. I also wanted to use 2 hinge points for adequate support since the doors are al metal. I’ve already posted pictures of the concept and the cardboard pattern, so if you are following my build thread (this thread), you have already seen my concept.

So, today, I finally got to the finish line on the design.

IMG_3335 by Rick , on Flickr

This is the passenger side door once it was finally on hinges. The hinges were actually the hardest thing to design, but once I clamped a piece of 2” angle iron to the down leg of the roll cage, I started to see a vision. I used 1/2” tubing, which will accept a 3/8” steel rod to make the hinges. I also used 3” flat bar to extend the hinge point far enough out so the doors was even with the outside edge of the body. Here are a couple of pictures of the hinge.

IMG_3341 by Rick , on Flickr

IMG_3340 by Rick , on Flickr

As you can see, there is still a lot of work to do to finish welding everything, add bracing along the top of the door and down the front side and I still need to figure out how I am going to keep the door closed, but I have half doors that open and close. You can also see that I attached the angle iron to the roll cage with band clamps while was designing and building. I might even keep this attachment method until I know I like the half doors, at which point I will weld the angle iron to the roll cage.

Probably another 10 hours work to finish and I’ll have half doors. I’ll take pictures of the final finished project.
 
Another great day in the shop! Last Saturday, I built the frame for the new half door panels using 1” square tubing, as I want the doors to be strong, so I spent this morning welding and grinding so the half doors were ready for paint.

IMG_3344 by Rick , on Flickr

IMG_3345 by Rick , on Flickr

The panels are made of 16 gauge, so welding was a slow process to ensure the panels didn’t warp. Essentially, I just moved around and welded small sections until everything was welded. After welding, I spent another 2 hours grinding and finish sanding with a DA palm sander. Then it was time for primer in my custom outside paint area.

IMG_3346 by Rick , on Flickr

I wrapped tape around the hinge pins, as there is not much play in the hinge tube and I didn’t want to have to sand off paint to install the doors.

And then it was time for final paint.

IMG_3348 by Rick , on Flickr

I used Rustoleum Black Bed Liner as I wanted a flat textured finish to match the fenders and top. It just wouldn’t look right painted with a gloss paint.

IMG_3349 by Rick , on Flickr

IMG_3350 by Rick , on Flickr

IMG_3351 by Rick , on Flickr

Tomorrow I will build the latch mechanism, which will just be a piece of 1”x1/8” flat stock and will use heat shrink to cover the steel so it doesn’t damage the soft top or gouge my hand. Not sure you can see in the last picture, but I welded a 1/4” bolt inside the square tubing so it protruded out of the tubing before I welded the stop on the back side of the tubing, so I already have my attachment point for the flat bar.

While I was waiting for the paint to dry enough for another coat, I started planning the fan shroud. I found a piece of plate in the shop that I believe is 18 gauge that will be enough for the four pieces to the fan shroud. Once I add the bends, it will be plenty strong enough for the shroud, so I worked on the layout on the plate so it is ready to cut and bend tomorrow.

IMG_3347 by Rick , on Flickr
 
Well, after spending an entire day working on the fan shroud, I have abandoned my second attempt at a fan shroud, as I just didn’t like the way it was turning out. The reality is that I have a radiator that was used for a Ford V8, I have a mechanical fan as my primary fan and I have an electric fan as my backup, so I’m going to wait until I have a heat related problem before I attempt another fan shroud. The 47 has been in Moab 3 times, and I’ve never had an overheating issue, so I think I might be designing for a solution in search of a problem. Sometimes a project is just a failure and you need to know when to stop and regroup.

So, I am switching projects and building a swing away tire carrier. First step, cut some steel that will weld to the rear bumper.

IMG_3358 by Rick , on Flickr

I bought a pivot with bearings to make things easier. As you can see, my tailgate goes side-to-side of the bed, so I am going to mount the pivot as for to the passenger side as possible to I can drop the tailgate when I pivot the spare tire. The pivot will also need to mount as low as possible to clear the tailgate when it’s down..

Now that I am able to visualize the pivot mount at the bumper, it was time to start visualizing the arm.

IMG_3360 by Rick , on Flickr

There’s a lot going on in this picture, so I wanted to highlight a few things.

1. The arm is 2 inch square tubing 1/4” wall, which is a lot heavier than I need, but I had it in the shop.
2. The stop is always a pain, so this time I’m trying to use a spring plunger. I’m not sure how it will attach yet, but I am hoping to attach it to the pivot, which allows me to use a short arm. I have a 5” round 1/4” plate that I am trying to use as part of the stop that will go under the pivot.
3. I have already cut the end of the arm with a 2 1/4” hole saw to get a tight fit.

This is the 4th spare tire mount I have built, so hoping this one is the right approach. I’ve mounted the tire in the bed, which was a miserable failure since I didn’t have any room for anything else in the bed.

I mounted the tire on the roll bar, which was another failure, as the tire blocked the view from the rear view mirror. It looked cool, but I couldn’t see anything behind me.

I built a mount using the receiver, another failure. It was a pain to fold down the tire to get to the bed, and the tire was in the way when I tried putting things in the bed.

I should make good progress tomorrow and will know if this latest mount will be the last one.
 
I assume your intentions are to trailer this marvelous beast on the road. Cause around here you would be getting pulled over all the time for your lack of rear fenders. Here you have to have the fender or mud flap extend to the centerline of the wheel. ON my camping support trailer I added some nice rubber mud flaps made out of a Door mat I got from Home Depot. I'm cheating buy about an inch but they will ignore that.



 
For the Rubicon Trail, I’m camping in Tahoe and driving to the trail head. I have a classic vehicle license plate, wonder if that would give me some love from LEO. No one really knows the Jeep didn’t start life like this unless they are into old jeeps.
 
It’s nice when a project comes together and works just like I see it in my mind. Here’s a picture of the finished product.

IMG_3372 by Rick , on Flickr

The tire swung to the side with the tailgate down

IMG_3369 by Rick , on Flickr

And the spring plunger I used as my stop. I had a 5” round plate that is 1/4” thick from the coil spring conversion, so I whittled down with the band saw so it fit this application.

IMG_3366 by Rick , on Flickr

This is no doubt the best tire carrier I have had on the Jeep.
 
cj2atruck said:
It’s nice when a project comes together and works just like I see it in my mind. Here’s a picture of the finished product.

IMG_3372 by Rick , on Flickr

The tire swung to the side with the tailgate down

IMG_3369 by Rick , on Flickr

And the spring plunger I used as my stop. I had a 5” round plate that is 1/4” thick from the coil spring conversion, so I whittled down with the band saw so it fit this application.

IMG_3366 by Rick , on Flickr

This is no doubt the best tire carrier I have had on the Jeep.
Click to expand...
Is the pull pin the only thing that holds it closed?
 
Looking good, I would add some gussets to the upright and the extension holding the tire, there’s a lot of weight hanging off that.
 
Norcal69 said:
Is the pull pin the only thing that holds it closed?
Click to expand...
Yes. It’s a 1/2” steel pin, so should be able to handle the load. My concern is rattling or wobbling out the hole, so I’m going to monitor this to determine if I need a secondary latch on the end of the arm. I’m also thinking about adding a rubber bumper at the end of the arm that will press against the bumper to control rattling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top