ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

[aka Larry]

And I gotta commend you on the engine oil drain locations. Being I’m a modern hemi guy Chrysler has made a complete **** show outta everything for the last 15 years when it come to servicing fluids.

Is it vehicle specific Cam? The oil plug and filter are both easy to access in my wife's 15 Charger R/T, which has the 5.7L Hemi engine.

 

[rattle_snake]

I see you resisted the urge to repaint the entire press. I guess snow on the ground isn't exactly painting season. Anyhow, nice welds.

Speaking of tires, can you comment on the G2s you put on your truck?

 

[bradpac]

Chrysler has made a complete **** show outta everything for the last 15 years when it come to servicing fluids.

Seems they are especially bad on the trucks. My 05 Hemi and my 17 both drained the oil all over the steering rack and that exhaust crossover is a joke, talk about heating the trans fluid and a pain in the **** getting the pan off, why not move it 6 inches back where the tail shaft is.

Yet I'm looking for a Hemi/8 speed combo to swap into my 72 Dart as we speak.... love is love.

 

[zmotorsports]

I see you resisted the urge to repaint the entire press. I guess snow on the ground isn't exactly painting season. Anyhow, nice welds.

Speaking of tires, can you comment on the G2s you put on your truck?

Thanks Justin. I almost didn't even paint the work table at all because I prefer the patina look but I was digging through my cabinet and found some Chevy Orange that was nearly the same color so I figured what the hell....Had I not had any paint I doubt I would have painted it and just lived with the mill scale look on the front of the press.

As for the Nitto Terra Grapplers on my Duramax, so far I really like them. I have less than 600 miles on them though. I had only driven the truck to work a few times and then it sat for several weeks due to foul weather. A couple of days after Christmas the weather was nice and my wife and I took it on a long Saturday drive and we both commented on how nice and smooth they rode. Sorry I don't have any report on bad driving conditions because the truck usually doesn't come out of the garage when there is snow on the ground.

 

[rattle_snake]

Well, you could get an old Ford if your afraid to get that Duramax stuck or rusted out


Sorry couldn't resist. Let yourself open on that one.
I don't drive my Cobra if there is any hint of rain, although I did have to drive it in the snow one time on drag radials. Only time I have ever driven in snow in PHX in 20 years.

I guess you could do a faux-tina on the work table to match the rest, if you want to get in touch with your arty feelings.

 

[zmotorsports]

Well, you could get an old Ford if your afraid to get that Duramax stuck or rusted out


Sorry couldn't resist. Let yourself open on that one.
I don't drive my Cobra if there is any hint of rain, although I did have to drive it in the snow one time on drag radials. Only time I have ever driven in snow in PHX in 20 years.

I guess you could do a faux-tina on the work table to match the rest, if you want to get in touch with your arty feelings.

Thanks Justin, not afraid of getting her stuck just hate keeping her clean and the undercarriage looking good. She's not a show stopper but I want it to last and no need to drive in in foul weather when I have the Jeep that is more suited for it and definitely easier to clean.

As for the patina on the work table, I may have to scratch it up a bit so it looks like the rest of the press because it's something that I don't use a ton but boy when I need it I'm glad I have it.

 

[bmxdad]

Do you have a skid plate for the oil pan? Looked and can find any mention of one.

 

[zmotorsports]

Do you have a skid plate for the oil pan? Looked and can find any mention of one.

No additional skids. I have the factory Rubicon skids which are under the fuel cell and the transfer case.

Personally I'm not a fan of the full underbelly skids/armor as they trap too much heat in and with these small engine bays they have a hard enough time expelling the heat. I've seen too many heat related issues on these Jeeps when full undercarriage armor enters the equation. Not to mention they make repairs and just general maintenance a royal PITA.

 

[lilscorpion]

Thanks Matt. My welds are coming along. I wish I could get them more consistent in ripple spacing and conformity but I don't weld enough these days to get as good as I want to be.

As for the tires, yes, I am very pleased with the mileage thus far out of these big Nitto's. They're also wearing very true and flat as well but I do a 5-tire rotation at every oil change which helps. I don't know why I track tread depth but for some unknown reason I've tracked them on my cars for a while now.

Well you TIG about 100x better than me. Practice is on my list, so is getting another TIG. [emoji1787]

I think it’s wise to track tire wear. Andrew and I saw your post and are going to start. If for nothing else, we may learn a thing or two about setup and it’s impacts.

 

[mtnkrake]

I've got a 20 ton Nugier press also, although mine has a blow down valve. They are way heavier than todays 20 ton presses.

 

[LXCam]

Sorry about the side track Mike.

Is it vehicle specific Cam? The oil plug and filter are both easy to access in my wife's 15 Charger R/T, which has the 5.7L Hemi engine.

Of course. Hell before the 8 speed in the LX/LC/WK lines the Nag1 all though perfectly accessible didn't have a drain plug so you had no choice but to dump a corner and we all know how great that goes.

So now they add a drain on the trucks and ya can't use it...

Seems they are especially bad on the trucks. My 05 Hemi and my 17 both drained the oil all over the steering rack and that exhaust crossover is a joke, talk about heating the trans fluid and a pain in the **** getting the pan off, why not move it 6 inches back where the tail shaft is.

Yet I'm looking for a Hemi/8 speed combo to swap into my 72 Dart as we speak.... love is love.

Boy oh boy, good luck on that since no one makes a stand alone for the 8r. But if ya wanna go with a brand new TR6060, I got one here.

 

[toddoky]

Boy oh boy, good luck on that since no one makes a stand alone for the 8r. But if ya wanna go with a brand new TR6060, I got one here.

SGA (Sound German Automotive) can provide stand-alone control for the RFE, NAG1 or 8HP transmissions. He’s basing his stuff around the PCS controller/software, so it’s well developed, but expensive.

 

[bowtiguy]

Boy oh boy, good luck on that since no one makes a stand alone for the 8r. But if ya wanna go with a brand new TR6060, I got one here.

What kind of output does the TR6060 have? Clutch too?

 

[zmotorsports]

Well you TIG about 100x better than me. Practice is on my list, so is getting another TIG. [emoji1787]

I think it’s wise to track tire wear. Andrew and I saw your post and are going to start. If for nothing else, we may learn a thing or two about setup and it’s impacts.

Thanks for the compliment Matt. My TIG welding has come a long way but again, I just don't weld enough for me to get real good at it.

I don't know why or when I started tracking tire wear but I've been doing it for years now and just find it interesting to track.

 

[zmotorsports]

I've got a 20 ton Nugier press also, although mine has a blow down valve. They are way heavier than todays 20 ton presses.

I completely agree. You'd be hard pressed to find a better quality and better built 20-ton press these days, especially in a relatively small footprint.

When we purchased our new air over hydraulic 30-ton press at work and they were going to auction off the Nugier to the mechanics I was all over it. Even though it had a leaking ram and pump I was still happy to give the $75 for it that I bid. I think I was into it another $25 dollars or so for all the seals and packings to bring it back into proper repair.

It's been a great little press.

 

[zmotorsports]

Tonight my son and I commenced the next phase of his WJ build, the front bumper.

OEM bumper cover removed. Some measurements taken and a plan devised.


Warn Zeon 10S winch at the ready.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

This will be a good project to follow; I'm looking forward to seeing how you guys match the contours of the front end.

 

[LXCam]

Sorry again Mike

What kind of output does the TR6060 have? Clutch too?

It's set up for the typical dodge rag joint. It's off a 2010 SRT challenger I built with Saleen. We swapped out the manny for an auto because the manny couldn't handle the HP that was being built for it. And yes, I've got everything and I mean everything for it. If you have anymore questions please PM me. Thanks, Cam


Anyhow back to our story. Boy oh boy Mike, I'm excited to see what you guys come up with. No matter what I know it'll rock.

 

[zmotorsports]

This will be a good project to follow; I'm looking forward to seeing how you guys match the contours of the front end.

Thanks. Yeah, this one is more angular and contoured than our previous ZJ's that we've owned and my JK and TJ that I've built bumpers for. First plan is to build the winch mount then go from there. I'm leaning towards doing this one more modular as the rear bumper was a bear to handle. I'm thinking a center section for the winch mount and main mount to the car, kind of like a stubby, and then outer wings that will bolt to that center section.

Sorry again Mike


Anyhow back to our story. Boy oh boy Mike, I'm excited to see what you guys come up with. No matter what I know it'll rock.

No worries Cam. Thanks for following along. I hope I don't disappoint ya on design.

 

[LXCam]

No worries Cam. Thanks for following along. I hope I don't disappoint ya on design.

Ya right, like that could happen. Lol.

 

[fnieto]

Front bumper gonna be epic!

 

[lilscorpion]

Tonight my son and I commenced the next phase of his WJ build, the front bumper.

Oh sweeeeet!!

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks guys. The front of this is so multifaceted it should make for an interesting bumper.

 

[zmotorsports]

My son and I made a little progress on the front bumper of his WJ over the last two nights.

After scratching our heads a bit we devised a pretty slick mount that will be both functional and strong. Being a unibody we need to ensure the fasteners won’t pull through the sheet metal as well as spread the load out all while keeping it as tight up to the core support as possible yet not obstruct airflow through the radiator.

After some measurements we started cutting some 1/4” plate.


Once one side is mocked up I disassembled and used transfer punches to duplicate.


Test fitting with 1/2” bolts.




All four pieces cut, trimmed and test fit before prepping to weld the nuts in place.




I generally use muriatic acid to remove the zinc coating on the nuts prior to welding but i opted to just knock the coating off the flats with the belt sander tonight which is why the soot.




Bolted in place.






Here is where it could be a bit “Flexy” and not rigid enough when using the winch in a recovery situation so I opted to add some strength by creating a rib or backbone to the mounts.








Thanks for looking.

 

[macgyver]

Looks like an awesome start!

 

[LXCam]

Is it done yet?

 

[Boosted1]

Very nice.
I need one of those SWAG finger brakes.

 

[gearhead1960]

Such MAD skills on this thread!

 

[fnieto]

Mike,

As I'm reading and looking at your photos, my mind is planning the next step and then I see it come to pass. You son is so fortunate to have a father with skill and equipment. You are so fortunate to have a son who's learning under your wings.

I truly admire your time spent together!

The front bumper is gonna be a work of art!

 

[zmotorsports]

Looks like an awesome start!

Thanks Quinn.

Is it done yet?

Kind of slow going Cam, as I haven't been in the shop much over the past week. This is only about 3-4 hours worth of actual shop time.

Tuesday night didn't get any shop time because I had a city council meeting to attend and just a couple hours over the last two nights.

Sorry, I'll try to pick up the past next week.

Very nice.
I need one of those SWAG finger brakes.

It works ok for the money, especially on things like this.

Such MAD skills on this thread!

Thanks Mark, trust me I'm in awe of many of our fellow forum member's skills as well.

Thanks for following along guys and for the comments.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike,

As I'm reading and looking at your photos, my mind is planning the next step and then I see it come to pass. You son is so fortunate to have a father with skill and equipment. You are so fortunate to have a son who's learning under your wings.

I truly admire your time spent together!

The front bumper is gonna be a work of art!

Thank you Paco. This was one of those bumpers that took me a bit to come up with a plan that would involve recovery stresses and the unibody isn't the most conducive to that. Finding areas where the sheet metal is double or triple thickness and then spreading the load out and yet not interfere with radiator, A/C or suspension components was less than ideal but I think I have it now so progress should speed up.

I have to admit, I've been missing having my son in the shop for the past while. The last couple of nights have been awesome to be able to have him back in the shop if even for a short time. It's been harder and harder for me to want to go out in the shop for the past 6 months or so without him being there but I am trying to get past that and just enjoy it when he's able to join me.

Thanks for stopping by and for the comments my friend. Hope you're healing up well and can get back out in your shop and continue to amaze us with your skills.

 

[4 FN 27]

Dang Mike...I know how hard it is to make flat parts with a Water Jet. Measure, design and execute.

My hat is off to you and your skillset and patients to do it the old fashion way!!! Looks awesome.

This should be cool...

 

[zmotorsports]

Dang Mike...I know how hard it is to make flat parts with a Water Jet. Measure, design and execute.

My hat is off to you and your skillset and patients to do it the old fashion way!!! Looks awesome.

This should be cool...

Thanks Pat. I wish I had the capabilities and skills that you have to be able to cut these parts out on a CAD machine because my CAD system kinda *****. This cardboard cutout system is slow and tedious.

 

[aka Larry]

Thought you were messing with us for a minute there Mike. I was like "why isn't Mike putting any strength on the vertical axis?" Then I scroll down and see the added plates, which makes perfect sense.

Can't wait to see the rest of the build.

BTW, are you planning for any recessed lighting?

 

[4 FN 27]

Thanks Pat. I wish I had the capabilities and skills that you have to be able to cut these parts out on a CAD machine because my CAD system kinda *****. This cardboard cutout system is slow and tedious.

You know Mike Omax has a new machine on the market with a very attractive market entry point...aint say'in it is cheap but a little side work and it will cover the payments...

Software is intuitive and easy to use. Only limited by the measurements of the operator/designer.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thought you were messing with us for a minute there Mike. I was like "why isn't Mike putting any strength on the vertical axis?" Then I scroll down and see the added plates, which makes perfect sense.

Can't wait to see the rest of the build.

BTW, are you planning for any recessed lighting?

Thanks Vincent. Yeah, that was one of the design limitations that we were having while staring at it the other night. Usually I'm able to pick up the frame using vertical pieces alongside the frame rail but that wasn't an option here so a little more creativity had to come into play.

When he purchased his Warn winch last year they were running a promo where he also got a Warn 14" light LED light bar. He really wants to use it on his bumper but I'm trying to convince him not to put that thing on and obstruct airflow but rather sell it and use the funds to buy some nice LED's that we can sink into the bumper. Personally I'm not a fan of light bars but I'm trying to get him to come to that conclusion on his own, I hope I'm successful.

 

[zmotorsports]

You know Mike Omax has a new machine on the market with a very attractive market entry point...aint say'in it is cheap but a little side work and it will cover the payments...

Software is intuitive and easy to use. Only limited by the measurements of the operator/designer.

I've seen these becoming more prevalent but I'm not sure I want to give up the real estate in the shop for the little bit of fabrication I'm doing. Who knows, maybe one day.

 

[aka Larry]

I'm trying to convince him not to put that thing on and obstruct airflow but rather sell it and use the funds to buy some nice LED's that we can sink into the bumper.

Yes, those are what I was referring to. LEDs that are either flush mounted, or recessed into the bumper. I think they would look better and be more fuctional than a light bar.

 

[zmotorsports]

Yes, those are what I was referring to. LEDs that are either flush mounted, or recessed into the bumper. I think they would look better and be more fuctional than a light bar.

Agreed. I'm just not a fan of light bars, on anything for that matter.

 

[aka Larry]

Agreed. I'm just not a fan of light bars, on anything for that matter.

I'm currently building a cooler kart (haven't posted any pics of the build yet) and I will be a using a small light bar (8" long) for the headlight. It's small, powerful, and cheap, but it won't be used on the highway so maybe you can forgive me?