Brett
Meat-Hippy
- Location
- Salt Lake City Utah
Well, bigger tire and wider than mine
Still, pretty cool. And I second Carl's request for a side view Jeep Cheap Cherokee Build
- Thread starter RockMonkey
- Start date
Well, bigger tire and wider than mine
Still, pretty cool. And I second Carl's request for a side view 
Corban_White
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Payson, AZ
I request a side view....
Just be glad you didn't have to take apart some of your garage ceiling to make the bends, like I have before.
Is your bender mounted to the floor? If not, I would suggest going outside as opposed to taking the ceiling apart!
Rock, shoot me a PM if you decide to do something complicated, I've got some software that could really help you out and I'd be happy to bring the laptop over.
Is your bender mounted to the floor? If not, I would suggest going outside as opposed to taking the ceiling apart!
Yup, it's mounted to the floor. I figured it was easier to disassemble the trusses a little bit than make a receiver hitch mount or drill holes in my driveway.
jesse
Masshole
- Location
- Everywhere
a mounting area in your driveway might be usefull for future projects
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
The front fenders are on right now, sort-of... So you can't see much in the side view, but next time I work on it I'll snap a pic with the fenders off.
Dominic
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City
Can't wait to see the finished product. Sickest snowflake ever!
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
So it's been over month since I posted an update... Limited progress has been made. The front bumper is mostly done. It needs some fancy dimpled gusseting and lights and stuff, but it's done enough to move on to the rest of the cage. The rear bumper is about in the same state. Lots of plate and recovery point work left to do, but done enough to move on to coilover mounts (since they will be tied into the rear bumper). Today I did the rear quarter panel cut, and played around with the rear suspension to figure out where the coilover mounts need to be.
Here's what a Cherokee on 35s at stock ride height looks like.
Rear quarter panel trimming:
Flexing the suspension to figure out coilover mounts:
Here's what a Cherokee on 35s at stock ride height looks like.
Rear quarter panel trimming:
Flexing the suspension to figure out coilover mounts:
Attachments
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
I have some 3/4" x 3" steel, if you want to use some of it for recovery points.
I like the lines of the rear bumper where it wraps around the side.
Got a band saw to cut it with? If I go with big thick shackle hangers like that I'll probably just pick some up from BHR or something. Last time I was there I saw some hangers made with bent plate and a short piece of tube. I liked them and will probably do something like that. You don't happen to have 2 or 3 inches of 1.25" x .120" tube to spare, do you?
Thanks, the rear bumper kinda follows the same theme as the front, with the wrapping and all.
Got a band saw to cut it with? If I go with big thick shackle hangers like that I'll probably just pick some up from BHR or something. Last time I was there I saw some hangers made with bent plate and a short piece of tube. I liked them and will probably do something like that. You don't happen to have 2 or 3 inches of 1.25" x .120" tube to spare, do you?
Thanks, the rear bumper kinda follows the same theme as the front, with the wrapping and all.
No bandsaw, but it cuts very reasonably with a chopsaw.
I forgot to check on that tube for you...let me look right now, stand by:
Yes, I do! It's in the form of a 14"-ish piece of JK lower control arm, so you'll have to cut it and return the rest.
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
No bandsaw, but it cuts very reasonably with a chopsaw.
I forgot to check on that tube for you...let me look right now, stand by:
Yes, I do! It's in the form of a 14"-ish piece of JK lower control arm, so you'll have to cut it and return the rest.
Can do!
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
Wow, another month went by without an update... Stay tuned for updated pics.
Stay tuned for updated pics.
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
I reamed the knuckles from the top for "1 ton" Chevy joints and flipped the tie rod from the bottom (stock) location to the top. I got a sweet custom tie rod from Ben Hanks Racing. Thanks Von! I also reamed the stock XJ pitman arm from the top for the Chevy rod end, and reamed the steering stabilizer mounting hole in the passenger side tie rod end for the other end of the drag link. Ignore the track bar. Since I didn't know how I was going to mount my drag link until recently, I have not yet made a track bar mount on the axle. I have been using the stock track bar location on my Dana 44, but now that I have a drag link installed I'll build a track bar and mount to match the angle and length of the drag link.
Attachments
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
I got the coilovers mounted and flexed the suspension to see if there are interference issues I need to take care of. The front lower coilover mounts are currently in single shear, but I'll get the other half of that mount done now that I know the coilovers fit where they are mounted.
I only have half the number of springs I need, but this is with the adjusters all the way up, so the Jeep is sitting on the bump stops at all four corners.
I did identify one problem. With the whole suspension at full compression, the bolt from the drag link end at the pitman arm hits the tie rod. It would probably almost never be an issue, but I'll probably change the bump stops a little to account for it. There is the possibility of changing to a Wagoneer pitman arm, reamed from the bottom. I'm not sure yet if this would help or hurt.
I only have half the number of springs I need, but this is with the adjusters all the way up, so the Jeep is sitting on the bump stops at all four corners.
I did identify one problem. With the whole suspension at full compression, the bolt from the drag link end at the pitman arm hits the tie rod. It would probably almost never be an issue, but I'll probably change the bump stops a little to account for it. There is the possibility of changing to a Wagoneer pitman arm, reamed from the bottom. I'm not sure yet if this would help or hurt.
Attachments
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
Then I flexed the suspension with the driver's side fully compressed (on the bump stops), and the passenger side fully extended.
I was pleased to find no clearance issues on the front. The coilovers clear the tires by a mile, and do not hit the frame, or any part of the rough (for now) hole I cut in the inner fenders for them to pass through.
I was pleased to find no clearance issues on the front. The coilovers clear the tires by a mile, and do not hit the frame, or any part of the rough (for now) hole I cut in the inner fenders for them to pass through.
Attachments
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
The rear didn't work out quite as well. The coilovers rub just slightly on the tires on the side that is at full compression. They rub so slightly that I'm not going to change anything. It may never get this flexed during actual driving, and if it does the minor rubbing won't hurt anything.
The hole cut in the floor for the coilovers is also not big enough. I cut it small on purpose, it's easy to cut more, but hard to go back and cut less. So now I know how much more I need to cut to allow the spring to clear the floor.
The hole cut in the floor for the coilovers is also not big enough. I cut it small on purpose, it's easy to cut more, but hard to go back and cut less. So now I know how much more I need to cut to allow the spring to clear the floor.
Attachments
RockMonkey
Suddenly Enthusiastic
This is set at ride height. It's 19" to the lowest part of the frame, right behind the front tires. I want it low and stable. If it turns out to be too low it will be just a few turns of the adjusters to raise it up. The wheelbase is right about 109".
The wheelbase is right about 109".
