#FabSpace

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I actually dislike yellow, but I think it's a cool combo with what you're doing

 

[gearhead1960]

I love the yellow. Orange is also up there as a favorite. Not enough car manufacturers offering bright colors either....

 

[lilscorpion]

More yellow

With the vehicle residing on it’s weight now, the next step is to get the sliders and rear quarter panel armor installed. The previous owner had installed some other brand slider so there were 4 holes at the rocker and about half dozen on each side of the quarter panels which we needed to deal with. I started with using a counter sink and body hammer to flatten out the lip on the holes that he drilled. We need those sharp lips on the sheet metal to be absolutely flat in order to seal them.



We’re going to seal the holes with tape so we also needed to make sure that the paint was as clean as possible and remove all of the dirt and surface imperfections. This attachment is a polishing pad that I use frequently to touch up blemishes on our cars paint. With nothing more than a little polishing compound, I can buff out even scratches in the clear coat.



I had been looking for some tape like you see on the fart right below. The factory uses it to seal the various drain holes in the tub. Thanks to Mike (motorsports), I was able to track down 3M’s Clear Repair Tape which has excellent adhesion properties for exactly this purpose.



One at a time I sealed each of the holes into the tub making sure not to touch the sticky side with my fingers. I’ll later spray a little rubberized undercoating on the inside to ensure that the holes achieve the maximum seal possible.



There’s couple blind holes on the tub where the corners attach. Each of those are drilled to the appropriate size and then rib-nuts are installed to eliminate the need for a nut on the back-side.



After posting the paint, the passenger’s side of the jeep is now ready for armor (and looking damn good). We have to release the body mounts and jack up the tub so we can slip the sliders between.



All of the body armor came with stainless steel fasteners. Neither Andrew nor myself felt that the shiny metallic look of stainless goes that well with yellow so I did a little looking for black fasteners. Initially I was looking for fasteners that had been powder coated which was an absolutely failure. At some point I tripped across 18-8 (stainless) which comes in a black-oxided (chemically rusted essentially) finish. Black oxide isn’t a protective finish however it also does not alter stainlesses corrosion resistance which means that they should not rust (more) and stay black the way we intend on using them.



Sliders were slid into place and the 3/8-inch flat head bolts are used to secure them to the body through the pre-drilled holes. Given the time we spent making sure the holes were absolutely centered, they ended up perfectly flush.



The black-oxide bolt’s color is a perfect enough match that it’s fairly difficult to see them at a distance just like we hoped. Invisible.



Now magic (and contrast) happens. The secondary reason that we wanted to use black fasteners was to create a secondary contrast causing the fasteners themselves to stand out. The corners may be the most beautiful panels out of all that we had powder coated. With such a significant amount of surface area, the Yellow Jasper color and clear coat almost looks wet but once you land a few of these mat fasteners in the field of yellow, they pop.



This is one of those moments where you almost can’t take your eyes of the result. The clear is deep enough that you can see the reflection of the flare in the finish and the flat heads of the bolts look almost like they were painted on.



And a step back. Here’s what it’s going to look like done. The driver’s side can’t be installed until we get the gas tank re-installed because I need to weld in a splash shield. That comes next.

 

[Arclitgold]

Holy moly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Farmall450]

Nice build, but a spendy first vehicle. Hopefully it stays upright and safe from hazard.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I read through the entire thread tonight... such an awesome build. I appreciate that you never half-a$$ anything. That is a lesson that your son may may not fully realize or appreciate until he is a little older, but he that will sink in with him too.

I think he does. To sell it to mom the jeep could only be his while he's in school. After that, it becomes mine in exchange for something more college ready, like a Honda Accord. I'm probably going a little overboard on the build but I figure it's a once a lifetime thing that may prove to be a deep and meaningful memory for my son. We're hoping anyway.

I'm planning to do a similar project with my son except our project is a 1972 CB350. My son turns 14 the first week of October and I'm trying to get my garage cleared out more so I can start the process of prepping the CB350 frame for upgrades so we can start our project next summer before he starts high school. My son is already looking forward to getting his motorcycle endorsement as soon as he can, but he knows he won't be allowed to ride the CB350 to school except a few times a year when the weather is cooperating. He's inheriting my 2017 Subbie Forester for his daily driver. The bike will stay with me until he's out of college and has settled down with a house that has a garage. He also knows I get first right of refusal if he decides he ever wants to sell it.

Like you, I'm also going in a little overboard... but mostly with upgrades that will make the bike safer and more reliable for him as well as more enjoyable to ride.


I can't wait to see the Jeep finished.

 

[mike93lx]

Lots of high quality, detailed work. Keep it up.

The different shades of yellow would drive me nuts though.

 

[zmotorsports]

That is looking more sick each and every day Matt.

Thanks for the tip on the 18-8 Stainless Steel fasteners, I learned something today that I may use in the future.

I agree with Boilermaker, you don't half *** anything. I respect and appreciate that.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Really coming together now!

 

[C91x]

This thing would have gotten me in big trouble when i was 16. Awesome build!

 

[lilscorpion]

I read through the entire thread tonight... such an awesome build. I appreciate that you never half-a$$ anything. That is a lesson that your son may may not fully realize or appreciate until he is a little older, but he that will sink in with him too.

In my experience half assing things has consequences. I'd rather skip those and get to the life lesson.

I'm planning to do a similar project with my son except our project is a 1972 CB350. My son turns 14 the first week of October and I'm trying to get my garage cleared out more so I can start the process of prepping the CB350 frame for upgrades.

Like you, I'm also going in a little overboard... but mostly with upgrades that will make the bike safer and more reliable for him as well as more enjoyable to ride.

That'll be awesome. Hopefully you plan to document it so we can follow along. I'm a little jealous, you wisely chose a project of that only needs a fraction of the garage. I, not so much.

 

[lilscorpion]

Lots of high quality, detailed work. Keep it up.

The different shades of yellow would drive me nuts though.

Yeah, unfortunately what looked like a very close match on the powder coat swatch wasn't as close as I would have hoped. Both Andrew and I were a little disappointed but we spent some time thinking through it - we intentionally chose powder coat because we wanted it's durability. Typically people pick black for body armor because they can't match the color (perfectly). We didn't like the idea of being like everyone else so we chose to try to match.

So...

Black or a very close bright yellow? The bright yellow does not look bad. Not perfect? No. But what in life is?

Someday, maybe around the time I put an LS in it, I'll get the parts that aren't powder coated wrapped. Then I'll be able to both match the powder coat and add some kick *** graphics.

 

[lilscorpion]

This thing would have gotten me in big trouble when i was 16. Awesome build!

Yeah me too. F-it.

 

[lilscorpion]

I actually dislike yellow, but I think it's a cool combo with what you're doing

Yeah me too. The first LJ we found was kinda like Hugger Orange but the guy wanted too much. Orange would have been cool.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

That'll be awesome. Hopefully you plan to document it so we can follow along. I'm a little jealous, you wisely chose a project of that only needs a fraction of the garage. I, not so much.

Ah, but I also have a fraction of the space you do and a fraction of the tools.

 

[lilscorpion]

Ah, but I also have a fraction of the space you do and a fraction of the tools.

Fortunately it ain’t the space nor the tools. You’re caught up on the thread, you know I could have essentially done it all with a 4 1/2” grinder and a welder. It’s more a creator and an idea. Specialty tools just speed up the process.

 

[Badboy]

What drive shafts you and Andrew ordering. Jeep looks fantastic...

 

[lilscorpion]

What drive shafts you and Andrew ordering. Jeep looks fantastic...

Thank you. I use to get mine built locally but the old guy doing them retired and his son took over. His attention to detail (quality) is quite a bit different than his fathers. So last time I purchased Adam’s driveshafts for my JK and was very pleased. Was thinking of going with them again.

 

[Badboy]

Adam's is a great shaft. I use them on my rig, no problems yet. What gears and lockers to turn those 40's did ya decide on? Also is it stick or auto? That black does pop on the yellow.

 

[lilscorpion]

Adam's is a great shaft. I use them on my rig, no problems yet. What gears and lockers to turn those 40's did ya decide on? Also is it stick or auto? That black does pop on the yellow.

5:13’s for gears and ARB’s front and rear. I originally wanted to go bigger (5.38’s) but learned that once it’s LS’d, I’d probably prefer taller. Also, 5.13’s and 40’s are a know combo for me. JK and a few other rigs over the years were 4.88’s and 37’s . The combo has been good to me over the years.

 

[lilscorpion]

Man, I am struggling to move forward in the LJ. Nothing impedes my ability to make progress on a project like unplanned maintenance. As dumb luck would have it, the damn JK lost it’s power steering pump which caused me to drive without power steering for a couple of days while parts came in.



A normal guy would just buy a new pump and swap it in. Had I been normal, I would have had the simple swap done in probably a couple hours but Nooooooo, had to go the upgrade/high-performance route - PSC big bore and hydro assist kit.



Kit includes a new, and much tighter, steering box which has a massive sector shaft and tapped for hydro assist. An aluminum fluid reservoir, hoses, and high-flow pump. Everything a grown boy needs.



Here’s where training the boy pays off. He started in on the swap by breaking down the front end by removing the ARB lights and the grill.



Then we removed the winch which will move to his LJ. I’ll get a newer winch at some point when we do the next round of upgrades on the JK.



Now we’re ready to go. Wishing a little I had purchased one of those transmission funnels to better catch the fluids as they’re drained.



Started with the main culprit - the pump. The location of it is less than ideal but I found it much easier to remove than they way YouTubers portrayed it. I might have had it out in less than 10 minutes.



The new one has a much bigger pulley on it and much higher tech too.



Andrew then installed the fluid cooler/heat sink.



The location isn’t ideal and I am slightly concerned about air flow now. When it gets hot I suspect that the radiator will now get mostly hot air (meaning the cooler will raise the ambient temp in front of the engine).



Kinda looking like a full blown Jeep shop now.



Next was to swap in the new big bore steering box.



That damn thing was freakin heavy. We didn’t get a pic because it took both of us to get it done and still took three tries.

While bleeding the system, Andrew noticed something suspect - “hey dad, should the thermostat housing be bubbling?” Turns out there was a sizable crack and was slowly seeping.



I’d lose about a cup of antifreeze a month and hadn’t figure out why yet. Quite the crack, surprised it didn’t leak more. Proud of him.



Got the new one installed. Might have been the easiest fix on a vehicle I can remember. Torqued it to 110 inch/lbs...money.



Also learned something kinda cool. Getting a closed cooling system to burp has been a pain but the manufacturers are getting wise to the pain and added a bleeder to help out.



Has a little hole that runs into the neck on the high side of the casting. Open it up and - burrrrp.



Got it done and washed just in time Sunday for Andrew to head on over to work on a team chemistry project. Good to have it running like a top again.

 

[JustinS]

 

[Monza Harry]

More yellow
There’s couple blind holes on the tub where the corners attach. Each of those are drilled to the appropriate size and then rib-nuts are installed to eliminate the need for a nut on the back-side.

All of the body armor came with stainless steel fasteners. Neither Andrew nor myself felt that the shiny metallic look of stainless goes that well with yellow so I did a little looking for black fasteners. Initially I was looking for fasteners that had been powder coated which was an absolutely failure. At some point I tripped across 18-8 (stainless) which comes in a black-oxided (chemically rusted essentially) finish. Black oxide isn’t a protective finish however it also does not alter stainless's corrosion resistance which means that they should not rust (more) and stay black the way we intend on using them.

Are those the cheap "Aluminum" Inserts. Or are these a more desirable material (Steel)? And if steel, can these be easily "Crimped"

Matt you are going to share where you were travelling to "Trip Over" Those little gem's Right?

Thank You In advance Harry

 

[lilscorpion]

Are those the cheap "Aluminum" Inserts. Or are these a more desirable material (Steel)? And if steel, can these be easily "Crimped"



Matt you are going to share where you were travelling to "Trip Over" Those little gem's Right?



Thank You In advance Harry

Riv-nuts: the ones I used are steel and crush fairly easily. I haven't quite figured out the tool I have yet for setting the depth right so I do it by feel. Worked ok so far and never gave me a reason to read the instructions (LOL). The largest size die I have is for 3/8” so that's the biggest I've tried in steel. Bigger ones may not be as easy.

18-8 Black Oxide hardware: I tripped over them at McMaster Carr. I had set the fillet to “18-8 stainless” and was working on additional filters when I noticed that under finish it had 2 choice - (1) nickel and (2) Black Oxide. I have noticed that MC doesn’t carry any stainless with black oxide finish in Metric. Not sure why. If anyone finds it somewhere, please let me know.

 

[Monza Harry]

Thank You! I haven't come across the steel ones yet, I have the aluminum kit but rarely use for the whole Aluminum/steel fight that will ensue. I will have to spend some more time on Mc Master Carr's site for that Hardware, I have a couple of projects that would be better looking in black hardware then (Bright) SS. Thank You Again! Harry

 

[zmotorsports]

Matt, I just returned from vacation and wanted to check in on your LJ project.

Added bonus was seeing you upgrade the steering on the JK. You'll like the PSC Big Bore XD gearbox. I ran one for about 9-10 months before swapping over to hydro-assist and it worked well with my 35" tires.

As for the cooler, I mounted mine behind the crash bar under the front bumper up and out of the way. It isn't in direct airflow but those heat sink style coolers don't need to be in direct airflow to function properly which is one of the reasons I like them. I was going to mount it where you did but I have a stacked plate auxiliary transmission cooler in front of my cooling package that wouldn't allow any more components to be mounted and I didn't want any more heat going through the cooling package that I already have.

Glad to see the installation went well and it's back on the road. The JK looks great.

 

[lilscorpion]

You'll like the PSC Big Bore XD gearbox. I ran one for about 9-10 months before swapping over to hydro-assist and it worked well with my 35" tires.

I purchased the box with a hydro assist but haven't added the ram yet (they lines were too short) and I need to relocate the mounting bracket. The one that came on the Dynatrac is too low and too far off to the passenger's side.

Did you swap the box out when you went to hydro assist?

As for the cooler, I mounted mine behind the crash bar under the front bumper up and out of the way. It isn't in direct airflow but those heat sink style coolers don't need to be in direct airflow to function properly which is one of the reasons I like them. I was going to mount it where you did but I have a stacked plate auxiliary transmission cooler in front of my cooling package that wouldn't allow any more components to be mounted and I didn't want any more heat going through the cooling package that I already have.

I think I'm going to move mine to the crash bar as well. Though it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal where it is, I have noticed that the engine temps are higher than they used to be and the fan runs more. Given it's now cooler in Denver (70's - mid 80's), that's probably not a good thing. I agree it doesn't need to be in direct air flow. Having a heat sink to dissipate heat is far better than not having one and not many rigs have had them historically. Besides, the under draft of the vehicle at speed should pull heat away from the sink just fine. Only time that it might be an issue is in extremely low speed wheeling where engine temps start to climb anyway.

 

[zmotorsports]

I purchased the box with a hydro assist but haven't added the ram yet (they lines were too short) and I need to relocate the mounting bracket. The one that came on the Dynatrac is too low and too far off to the passenger's side.

Did you swap the box out when you went to hydro assist?



I think I'm going to move mine to the crash bar as well. Though it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal where it is, I have noticed that the engine temps are higher than they used to be and the fan runs more. Given it's now cooler in Denver (70's - mid 80's), that's probably not a good thing. I agree it doesn't need to be in direct air flow. Having a heat sink to dissipate heat is far better than not having one and not many rigs have had them historically. Besides, the under draft of the vehicle at speed should pull heat away from the sink just fine. Only time that it might be an issue is in extremely low speed wheeling where engine temps start to climb anyway.

Matt, I removed my PSC HDII gearbox just prior to my LS swap and I am running the OEM box that is ported for hydro-assist. This was a stupid on my part. When I first talked to Robbie @ Motech about 4-1/2 years or so ago I was contemplating the LS swap and trying to get my ducks in a row. At that time I asked him about the gearbox swap and he told me that the PSC gearboxes would fit with the LS engine. Dummy me didn't realize that in that 4+ year time frame they had actually came out with the HDII (second version) of the gearbox which was much larger than its predecessor and was NOT compatible with the LS engine due to the size and interfering with the A/C compressor. I had purchased and installed the PSC HDII gearbox about 10 months or so before doing the LS swap and then one day I realized that they were different in size. I called Robbie and he told me the HDII would not work so that is when I decided to go to the OEM gearbox and ram assist on the tie rod which would alleviate the stress to the drag link and gearbox thus taking that failure out of the equation.

I think you're on the right track to relocate the cooling heat sink. When talking to the guys at PSC as well as Red Neck Ram both mentioned that with a hydro-assist ram a cooler really isn't necessary like it is when just running a gearbox because of the added volume and the ram itself acting as a heat sink but I had already installed my steering cooler so I just opted to keep it with the hydro-assist as a little extra insurance to ward off overheating my steering when crawling around at low speeds. So far it has performed flawlessly with absolutely zero steering fade when hot.

 

[lilscorpion]

Matt, I removed my PSC HDII gearbox just prior to my LS swap and I am running the OEM box that is ported for hydro-assist... the HDII (second version) of the gearbox which was much larger than its predecessor and was NOT compatible with the LS engine due to the size and interfering with the A/C compressor.

Well ****, that means that the box I just got is too big for me to keep when I do an LS swap. Didn't even think about looking into that before ordering. Guess I need to start thinking about compatibility.

I think you're on the right track to relocate the cooling heat sink. When talking to the guys at PSC as well as Red Neck Ram both mentioned that with a hydro-assist ram a cooler really isn't necessary like it is when just running a gearbox because of the added volume and the ram itself acting as a heat sink but I had already installed my steering cooler so I just opted to keep it with the hydro-assist as a little extra insurance to ward off overheating my steering when crawling around at low speeds. So far it has performed flawlessly with absolutely zero steering fade when hot.

That's awesome. Now I gotta decide if having it in the loop is worth it. I don't like having so many hydraulic fittings especially when they're aluminum. I current have 2 leaks and, as you know, you can't just tighten them up. The threads do strip. When they're steel, it's not as big of a concern (getting them too tight). Second thought...my hoses will now be too short so I'll probably take the past of cheapest resistance. If I can move it without making new hoses, I'll keep the cooler. If I need new hoses, I'll eliminate it.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Nice PSC setup man!

 

[Clemson13]

Any updates? I loved following the build. It's always nice to see a non bolt on build.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[lilscorpion]

Any updates? I loved following the build. It's always nice to see a non bolt on build.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

Yes! Was actually working on it just now...

 

[lilscorpion]

One more step closer to being able to install the gas tank and the driver’s side corner. I need to add back the sheet metal shield that goes in front of the filler neck. It’s been a few months so I’ll take you back…

One of the goals of the build was to make the jeep more stable and to accomplish that, we stretched the wheelbase 3” in the front and 4” in the rear. The rear stretch and larger wheels required me to enlarge the wheel well 4” to the rear. On either side, there was what I’d call a splash shield which prevents **** from being flung up into the rear cavity under the tub. These shields also serve as a quarter brace and attach between the corner and the inside of the tub.



This pic shows what the shield was protecting on the driver’s side - it’s the filler neck. The gas tank relocation moves the neck back nicely into the remaining pocket and there’s just enough room to sneak the shield back into place. It will be spot welded back in place.



In the process of removing the shield I hadn’t realized that I needed to put it back in so it isn’t in the best shape. I started by flattening all of the edges by working around it with the body hammer.



When cutting the wheel opening, I managed to cut into the brace. Nothing a little weld can’t fix.



The original spot welds have all been removed but it’s left the panels with holes where I’ll need material. Here’s a little trick I saw a body guy do years ago when he was patching some holes left after the removal of a roof rack. You use the head of a nail as a backer so you have some meat to weld to.



Get a drill bit slightly smaller than the head of the nail. This case I’ll open up the holes to 1/4”.



Then you pull the nail through the hole with your free hand and spot weld it in place with the other.



Cut off all of the shanks of the nails and metal finish both sides.



Hit it with the primer and it’s done money.



Now the only way I could screw this up is if I forgot to fit the panel in with the neck in place. I measured and there’s plenty of room inside for the neck itself, all I need to worry about is the bezel. Simply setting it in place was all I needed to do.



This helps gain a little perspective. The hole in the pic below to the left, the one that has light coming through it, that’s where the panel was originally mounted. The new location is slightly more than 6” to the rear now and ever so slightly angled forward at the top.



I drilled holes through the tub on both the quarter and bed side and welded through into the shield. After Grinding them flat I cleaned the weld and scuffed the paint around it so the POR-15 could get an adequate bond.



The three in the bed ready for coating.



I don’t want to butcher it too much so I’ll only paint in the prep’d area. I cut a hole in some cardboard about the size of the prepped area.



And a few coats of POR-15 makes it as good (maybe better) than new…but black.



Outside received the same prep but we’ll hold off for now on spraying any more POR-15. Think we need to remove the quarter the other side so we don’t get any overspray on it. That would ****.

 

[lilscorpion]

Though I could have left well enough be, Andrew and I decided that modifying the frame to accept the new rear upper coil buckets did in fact weaken the frame enough that we needed to do something about it. The following process is one I used way back when I decided to box in a 1969 CJ5 C-channel frame. I started with a CAD (cardboard aided design) copy of the frame profile.



Nothing fancy, I just sat the cardboard behind the frame and traced it with a sharpie.



Alittle razor action and I now have a matching profile of the frame.



And proof for all you non-believers.



I don’t want to cap an existing hole in the frame. If I do, then moisture/water that gets inside the frame will have a way to get back in behind the piece so I’ll need to design the brace around the hole. I take a few measurements to take back to the bench.



Doodle time with a pencil gets me the rough shape for the gusset. I don’t need it to extend too far beyond the coil bucket forward or rear. The goal is to increase the weld surface area of the coil bucket and fish mouth the ends as to avoid creating a stress riser on either end of the gusset.



Cardboard is easy to tune if adjustments are necessary but the final tuning will be made to the final pattern.



Andrew seemed to think that we should take a break and make a pair of rubber band guns. Though tempting, we pressed on.



Next step is to trace the pattern on a piece of 1/4” MDF.



An adjustment needs to be made to the patter before I cut it out. I’ll be tracing the pattern with a drag shield on my Hypertherm hand torch so we need to accommodate for 1/2 the width of the tip. Here in the pic you can see why I’m only using 1/4” material for the template. The beak of the drag shield is about 3/8” in length.



The tip is almost 1/2” in diameter so I will only need to reduce the size of the template by 1/4” on all sides.



I make a bunch of ticks in the part measuring in 1/4” with a ruler and then sketch-complete the line.



I follow this new line with the jigsaw and a trace blade (super skinny) which allows me to turn tight corners.



The new pattern, now reduced in size, just needs a little touch up with a sander and it’s ready to go.



Here a few tweaks and test fits dial in the final pattern.



We drug out a scrap piece of 3/16” steel plate and got it set up on a bench in the driveway and got after it.



If you’ve cut with a plasma cutter before, you know that just about any twitch translates into the part so you need to keep a steady hand unless you want to spend the next few hours finish grinding the edges so slow steady and controlled it is. The first piece I cut out was good practice, the next two were much better. Notice how few sparks you can see above - that’s a song of clean penetration.



Only minor tuning was necessary with a flapper disc on the grinder and the part was good to go.



Now you may be surprised that I used wood as a template for plasma cutting. No it doesn’t burst into flames or significantly damage the pattern. This is the front-side of the pattern.



This is the backside (side face down to the steel I was cutting). The heat does char the wood a little but is good for tracing maybe 4 or so times. Getting the cut speed right and avoiding blow-back both significantly increase the longevity of the template.



Though this process is no replacement for a CNC plasma cutter, it can work very well for making a few copies of one-off parts like these. With the insides both primed and painted, they’re now ready to be welded to the frame.



Before I can burn in the coil buckets and the gussets, I need to extend the front legs of them to fit the over-sized hole I cut in the frame for them. Just needed a bit more…



A little metal finishing and trimming to better match the hole it’s supposed to fit in.



And then more primer and paint to ensure they don’t rust inside the frame. This part don’t need to be pretty so no time is wasted trying to do so.



After cleaning the frame, I prepped with more self etching weldable primer, and then cleaned up around the bracket before welding. Even if you get the edges perfectly clean, weldable primer does mess with the weld which can be frustrating. You’re running along with a sweet puddle only to get a “sputter, sputter…”. It’s not the most beautiful weld but rust should not be an issue nor at am I at all worried now about the frame failing where the coil buckets are frenched in.



Everything looks better when painted. Mark this mod done.



Thanks for checking in.

 

[ClappedOutBport]

Brace looks very nice. Well done on avoiding stress concentrations where possible. From a moment-of-inertia perspective, it may have been more effective to make a bulge on the top, but that may not have been practical. But I'm sure it will hold fine.

 

[lilscorpion]

Brace looks very nice. Well done on avoiding stress concentrations where possible. From a moment-of-inertia perspective, it may have been more effective to make a bulge on the top, but that may not have been practical. But I'm sure it will hold fine.

Thanks. A bulge like this (more or less) would have been the strongest but doing so seemed much more complicated and may make for a more difficult welding situation/position. What I did is more of a reinforcement I guess than a gusset.

 

[gearhead1960]

Your attention to detail and write-ups are exceptional. Carry on!

 

[zmotorsports]

Your attention to detail and write-ups are exceptional. Carry on!

^^Agreed. Great work as always Matt and excellent detailed write-ups.

Keep the awesome work and pictures coming.

 

[lilscorpion]

Thanks guys, slowly getting there. [emoji16]

With the coil buckets in place, now we need to get under the vehicle and burn in the new gas tank relocation bracket. Before I do though, I have to fix a screwup. When I was test fitting the cross member, I test fit it upside down and, when it didn’t fit, I cut these notches in the bracket so it would fit up into the coil buckets on the frame. Then I realized that it was upside down and, when correctly installed no trimming was necessary. So I gotta hide my screw up.



This little trick I use all the time. The material thickness of the crossmember is 3/16”. I’m going to make a filler out of 1/4” steel rod.



If I need to match a radius in a part, I make little slices with a cutoff wheel and bend it until I get a matching angle. This works in matching tight radii and large sweeping bends too if you just space the slices out further. Here’s the piece to weld in.



Ready to weld in.



A set of needle nose vice grips hold the pice in place while I tac-weld it. Since the rod is round it makes a nice little chamfer to weld in when it’s held up next to the part. To create an even nicer V, I grind a slight relief into the part as well.



Burn it in hot.



A little metal finishing and the mistake is only a mammoth. Now only you and I will know I screwed it up. Andrew thought this was super cool and couldn’t believe I was able to fix it in only a few minutes.



Though this will never be seen by human eyes again (this side faces towards the bottom of the tub), I went ahead and metal finished this side too. These are the subtle touches that are just for me.



This high-clearance crossmember now tucks nicely up against the bottom of the tub and welds into the back leg of the coil bucket ready for the tank.

 

[lilscorpion]

When we recently installed the passenger’s side corner, we forgot to prep the cut sheet metal edge which would instantly rust had we not. We don’t need to go all crazy here, just get a protective coating on the edge and a half inch on the inside and outside of the tub. As much as it hurt Andrew and his mom to do so, off the corner and back into the living room it went. From there we taped things off appropriately in prep.



Scuffed up the surface well so we’d get good adhesion.



The lip then received a couple of coats of POR-15. The now black edge looks gaudy now but will become invisible once we undercoat the inner wheel wells.



During fit-up a while ago we noticed that the lower riv-nut I installed for the gas filler bezel wasn’t lined up very well. Not sure how I messed it up but now’s the time to fix it. Drilled out the riv-nut and use the nail trick again to fill it in.



Finished it like the other body fixes - smoothed out the weld on both inside and outside, scuffed the surrounding paint, and POR-15’d to seal the fix up.



Metal coated inside as well. It’ll also get under coated later. I still have to fix where the splash plate was mounted before bit were focused on getting it running and it’s not critical path at the moment so I’m the ToDo list it goes.



Meanwhile, at the other end of the beast, Andrew was hookin’ up the Jeep with some bling. Winch and fairlead support install, check. Glad we chose to coat the fairlead yellow, the contrast really pops.



Once Andrew was done, we now had to put the drivers side slider and both corners on.



Gas filler bezel in place. Need to order longer stainless black oxide screws to attach it. It just setting it in place have us both that feeling of mad progress.



With the body armor back on, immediately it was obvious that the OME 2 1/2” lift springs and 1” budget boost spacers aren’t going to be tall enough. Yes, it looked awesome low but the added weight of the sliders and corners alone had it squatting so much that we only had 3” of clearance between the top of the rear truss and the bottom side of the bed. With the rear bumper and 4” tire still to go, and knowing that the coils aren’t progressive, we’re thinking it will squat another inch or so before we start to put gear in it. So it’s final, we need the taller springs...and we swapped them in. Honestly I’m not sure anyone will be able to tell a difference even though it’s probably sitting 2” higher now.