ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

[csp]

I shouldn't answer for Mike but. Yes the heater is used for the final bearing.....

I'm familiar. The question was the result of confusion between the setup and final in the sequence of the post.

I wasn't sure if Mike's setup bearings were just tight enough that they also needed a little bit of help.

 

[zmotorsports]

I'm familiar. The question was the result of confusion between the setup and final in the sequence of the post.

I wasn't sure if Mike's setup bearings were just tight enough that they also needed a little bit of help.

No worries. My setup bearings are what I would call "snug". They will slide on/off with a little help but not merely drop on. I don't like them too loose or I feel they won't provide adequate dimensions for preliminary setup.

Thanks for asking and for checking in on my projects.

 

[zmotorsports]

Last night I was able to get the last of the welding done on the actual WJ. We were trying to determine where to mount the limiting straps and decided on mounting them just inboard of the rear coil springs, up under the frame box and the lower mount for the straps on the outermost upper corner of the rear axle truss. This should keep the limiting strap away from the rotating tire and yet provide enough clearance for the strap to be loose at ride height. My son fabricated a couple of plates the night before out of 3/16" plate to weld the actual upper clevis mounts to and last night I welded the 3"x6"x3/16" plates to in inside of the frame boxes to obtain some surface area. While I was finishing up the welding my son ran a flap disk over the undercarriage where we have ben welding for the past several months in preparation for paint.

After the welding was complete and my son was done blending the welds we walked around the entire undercarriage and applied 3M Urethane Seam Sealer to any and all seams that needed it in preparation for paint hopefully tonight. IF we can get it painted tonight we plan on commencing final assembly tomorrow.

Sorry no pictures of last nights work as it was getting late when we closed up the shop and I was dead tired. I will try to post up as many as possible of the painted chassis as well as the assembly.

 

[LXCam]

Exciting stuff Mike and not just for you two. Hopefully this means we're just a couple more days from....


What's in the box!

 

[zmotorsports]

Exciting stuff Mike and not just for you two. Hopefully this means we're just a couple more days from....


What's in the box!

Still probably a few weeks away on the unveiling of the box. I have another Jeep to get in and work on and my son wants to use the lift to put his winter tires/wheels on THEN I can move on to my project.

Trust me Cam, I am even more excited than you are and I think it will be worth the wait.

 

[Finallygotit]

Still probably a few weeks away on the unveiling of the box.

Geeeez you're a tease.

 

[zmotorsports]

Geeeez you're a tease.

Sorry Dan. I actually may have been a little overzealous on my initial projection on how long my son's project was going to take. We ran into a couple of hurdles as far as trying to figure out the best way to put JK axles into this WJ but I honestly didn't think it was going to take 4 months to do this project. To say I wasn't being practical in my estimate is an understatement.

I definitely appreciate you following along with anticipation however.

 

[zmotorsports]

My son and I were able to get the undercarriage painted tonight.

First step was a couple coats of gloss chassis black along the frame boxes and frame stiffeners that we welded in.








Next step was to apply the Duplicolor Bedliner to the area that sparsely had undercoating,mainly the wheelwell areas.












That concludes the painting process.

 

[Boosted1]

Looks good. You're in the homestretch now.

 

[JustinS]

Almost to the finish line!

 

[zmotorsports]

Looks good. You're in the homestretch now.

Thank you. Yep, on the home stretch now.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[zmotorsports]

Almost to the finish line!

Yep, getting close. After big items go in just a few little things to address then it’ll be on the road in no time.

Thanks for checking in on it.

 

[zmotorsports]

We were able to accomplish quite a lot today but still not as much as we had hoped. One of the reasons for slow progress today was due to addressing items that we noticed along the way that we had on the white board and trying to knock them down while completing the final assembly. I noticed while painting the other night that the transmission cooler lines that run up along the oil pan were hanging freely and not secured. The small plastic keeper had broken and I’m not impressed with the ones that merely slide on over the threaded studs.

We fabricated a small metal bracket that mounted to the passenger motor mount and then used an Adel clamp to hold the trans lines.






Overview of the driver’s side after paint, undercoat, bump-stop, limiting strap and steering gearbox all mounted and ready to accept the axle.


Passenger front.


Driver’s rear assembled. Axle installed, bump-stops, shocks and limiting straps.








Next on to the front axle. Ten Factory chromoly axle shafts at the ready.


Reid Racing knuckles installed.




Axle shafts in place along with dust shields prior to the unit bearing.


SKF unit bearing and ABS sensor installed and torqued in place.




Teraflex Big Brake rotors installed.


Tires mocked into place.








Here she is sitting back down on its tires/wheels for the first time in nearly four months. We put a floor jack under the front to see just how much of a spacer we need to get everything where we want it. Looks like a 1” spacer will do the trick.


Thanks for looking.

 

[lilscorpion]

Here she is sitting back down on its tires/wheels for the first time in nearly four months...

The reveal moment is always a special one and I’m sure your son was grinning ear to ear. I think it looks fantastic.

Hope your sons wife is on the taller side.

 

[Boosted1]

Very nice work.
Full compression clearance check is ok for tires x fenders?

 

[zmotorsports]

The reveal moment is always a special one and I’m sure your son was grinning ear to ear. I think it looks fantastic.

Hope your sons wife is on the taller side.

Thanks Matt. I think it looks pretty sweeeeeet as well. I always like the final assembly part of a project as things come together for the last time.

As for my son's girlfriend, yes she is quite tall @ 6' and my son is 6'4". They "tried" it out last night when she came over. I was ready to put it back up in the air but he wanted to leave it on the ground for when she came over.

To be honest, I think she was shocked. They started dating back in March of this year and it was stock. She has not been around automotive and gearhead minded people as I get the impression that none of the men in her family give much thought to anything automotive as long as it gets them from A to B. My son was impressed that she takes good care of her car and gets the tires rotated and oil changed regularly. When my son told her he was tearing it down to the shell to build the suspension and swapping axles and that it would be a mean looking WJ when it rolls out of the shop, I don't think she knew what to expect. For nearly four months now my son would show her the progress but I still don't think she could really envision it. Last night when I asked her what she thought her eyes lit up and she had a big ole smile and said how nice it looked and not even close to what she expected. I think she's getting a feel for just how bad my son has the bug. My son jokingly said to her, "now to get you on the trails and see how ya do."

They went looking at rings yesterday afternoon so I guess it's getting serious.

 

[zmotorsports]

Very nice work.
Full compression clearance check is ok for tires x fenders?

Thank you.

Yes, full compression and droop were all checked, verified and determined during the build process. Most of the build was done without the springs in place to check for movement and interference issues so we should be fine. We still have to fabricate the lower part of each of the four bumpstops but that is on the list of things to do yet.

Thanks for stopping by and checking on the progress.

 

[LXCam]

That looks great Mike and I really like those rims. The first time I read the comment about your son and her going out shopping for rims I thought WTF, those are already cool.

Maybe I should grab my glasses outta the truck eh?

I remember when I went shopping for rings sooo long ago....

The wife never did catch on to why the bowl of cracker jacks was always full

 

[NUTTSGT]

I got caught up again Mike, great progress, pictures and story telling as always.

When you weld something up in the shop, do you wait for a time period before leaving the shop for the evening as a "fire watch" period ?


What's in the box ?

 

[shortykorte]

Good to hear she might enjoy his hobbies and you get a daughter in law.

Guess I’ll bring my step ladder so I can go for a ride. lol


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[zmotorsports]

That looks great Mike and I really like those rims. The first time I read the comment about your son and her going out shopping for rims I thought WTF, those are already cool.

Maybe I should grab my glasses outta the truck eh?

I remember when I went shopping for rings sooo long ago....

The wife never did catch on to why the bowl of cracker jacks was always full

Thanks Cam. I think the wheels fit the build great. I was looking at those a while back thinking I may upgrade wheels on my Jeep with the next set of tires but then he went and bought the ones I was looking at. Oh well maybe I’ll get new ones maybe not but I think those look better on his silver WJ than they would on my black JKU.

 

[zmotorsports]

I got caught up again Mike, great progress, pictures and story telling as always.

When you weld something up in the shop, do you wait for a time period before leaving the shop for the evening as a "fire watch" period ?


What's in the box ?

Thanks for stopping by and checking in on my projects Eric.

As for welding, I do exactly as you stated, I plan my welding around quitting time and don’t weld anything before calling it a night. I like to have at least and hour plus before closing up the shop after welding, even more if I’m welding under a vehicle such as on my son’s Jeep where the heat can get into the floor boards and or inner panels.

As for the box, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait just a bit longer to find out. Stay tuned....

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[zmotorsports]

Good to hear she might enjoy his hobbies and you get a daughter in law.

Guess I’ll bring my step ladder so I can go for a ride. lol


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Thanks Shorty. So far she has been very interested in my son’s Jeeping and motorcycle hobbies but she has admitted that she has never been off-roading before and is a bit anxious. I told my son we need to be very respectful of that and ease her into the hobby so she will enjoy it and not scare her.

Thanks for checking in Shorty.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[zmotorsports]

Today after breakfast my son and I went out in the shop to work on a couple of items as well as measure for brake lines.

I cut the aluminum for the front bump-stops.


One down, one to go. These will require minimal machining.


While I had the bandsaw going I also went ahead and cut two pieces .625” thick from a chunk of 6” diameter 6061 that I had. The rear doesn’t require much of a lower bumpstop so we decided to machine some lower spring retainers and have them serve double duty as lower bumpstops.

These really put my horizontal bandsaw to the test but it did a nice job. I don’t think it would cut much larger diameter than this.


While the saw was cutting I machined two smaller pieces measuring 2.850” which is the inside diameter of the bottom of the rear coil springs. These will serve as a spacer/spring locator for the rear springs.


Here they are sitting in place. They measure about .125” lower than the spring diameter so I will machine a small step in the top portion of the spring retainer.


Machining the step on the spring retainer. This step will measure the same 2.850” diameter by .125” deep. The outside of the spring retainer was taken down to 5” diameter from the original 6”.




Parts ready for test fitment before cutting the upper retainer. I used a piece of cardboard to test and mark for final trimming.


Parts complete and ready for final assembly. The top part will capture the lower spring coil and sit firmly against the spacer.


Thanks for looking.

 

[LXCam]

That elliptical relief for the spring is slick Mike. Band saw?

 

[zmotorsports]

That elliptical relief for the spring is slick Mike. Band saw?

Correct Cam, just made a cardboard template and transferred to the retainer, cut on the vertical bandsaw then blended with the disc sander. Sorry, nothing too high tech.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Not to my knowledge. My son keeps telling me he is going to post it here but he hasn't yet. He isn't active on any Jeep forums any longer either, he got tired of all of the wanna-be's and their lame *** comments. You know, the guys that think they are the only real Jeepers because they buy their parts out of the junkyard and then half-*** their **** together and break down on the trail for bragging rights.

Yep. They exist in every form of motorsports and other hobbies too. Idiots who are proud of cobbing **** together and looking like they swim in grease vats, in the process. They’re relatively easy to spot in every environment, including their shops; black, oily floors with two dozen air hoses and hack-sliced extension cords everywhere. Every drawer and cabinet door hung open, looking like an abandoned industrial shop from the turn of the century (not the current one, either) requiring a tetanus shot and various other inoculations, prior to entry, wearing clothes that look like spill containment textiles. I get it... you and your shop can become sloppy and disorganized in the middle of a late night thrash project, but c’mon, don’t sacrifice at least some minimal standards.

Sorry... rant over. Proceed.

 

[Firstram]

Yep. They exist in every form of motorsports and other hobbies too. Idiots who are proud of cobbing **** together and looking like they swim in grease vats, in the process. They’re relatively easy to spot in every environment, including their shops; black, oily floors with two dozen air hoses and hack-sliced extension cords everywhere. Every drawer and cabinet door hung open, looking like an abandoned industrial shop from the turn of the century (not the current one, either) requiring a tetanus shot and various other inoculations, prior to entry, wearing clothes that look like spill containment textiles. I get it... you and your shop can become sloppy and disorganized in the middle of a late night thrash project, but c’mon, don’t sacrifice at least some minimal standards.

Sorry... rant over. Proceed.

That's it, I'm cleaning the shop first thing this morning!

 

[LXCam]

That's it, I'm cleaning the shop first thing this morning!

/me mumbling

Um ya, uh me too...now

 

[Bob Heine]

I always close the cabinet doors. Guess I better get to work on the rest...

Actually it sounds a lot like Mr. Johnson's shop (and grounds) that Thomas and Chris restored. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=706042&postcount=1

 

[C_F]

Mike, I have the perfect Christmas present idea for you son & soon to be daughter in law, a set of AMP Research retractable running boards.

Oh, and lookie, they are even on sale! LINK

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks. I’ll let him know but actually they seem to be able to get in quite easily. A 6.5” lift on a WJ is actually much like a 4” on a Wrangler as they sit extremely low.




Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[zmotorsports]

Tonight we ran the rear brake lines, finished up the limiting straps, mounted the sway bar and fastened the coil springs using the spring retainers that I machined yesterday.

For brake lines we used an extended steel braided single line for an XJ (Cherokee) and ran it from the inside left framerail to the middle left rear axle truss where we drilled and tapped the truss to mount the “T” block. We then used extended rear brake lines for a JK/JKU and mounted the frame tabs on the truss outside corners. This will allow a nice low profile line to each caliper.




Next order of business was to get my 3/16” tubing bender out and my Mastercool flaring tool to form the rigid lines.




Left side rigid line complete.


Right side rigid line bent and forming the flair for the outside connection.


Right rear rigid line complete.




Once we get the rear calipers installed we will determine if we need to add another Adel clamp on each side to hold the hose between the rigid line and caliper.

Thanks for looking.

 

[lilscorpion]

Correct Cam, just made a cardboard template and transferred to the retainer, cut on the vertical bandsaw then blended with the disc sander. Sorry, nothing too high tech.

It’s true than I’m a sucker for the freshly machined aluminum part but these are really cool and a neat idea Mike.

 

[lilscorpion]

They went looking at rings yesterday afternoon so I guess it's getting serious.

Sounds like he might have found a keeper. If they’re going to get serious by looking for rings I’d recommend the Method 105’s. They’re what I’m putting on the LJ.

 

[Com_VC]

How are you liking that Mastercool flaring tool? Noticed there are quite a few different styles around now.

 

[zmotorsports]

Sounds like he might have found a keeper. If they’re going to get serious by looking for rings I’d recommend the Method 105’s. They’re what I’m putting on the LJ.

Funny you mentioned those Matt, he was looking at going black but opted to go with the machined finish of the same wheel. He's running the machined finish Method 105's. And yes, I think he's found a keeper, she's a sweetheart and they appear to be happy. I'm excited and happy for them. I think she's getting a feel for his addiction.

It’s true than I’m a sucker for the freshly machined aluminum part but these are really cool and a neat idea Mike.

Thanks Matt. I too am a fan of freshly machined aluminum. I asked him if we should paint them black to blend in with the springs but he wanted to leave them machined finish so it would match the suspension links, shocks and even the silver body. I worry about what the winter and daily driving will do because there is no way to completely protect the undercarriage finishes. He is so happy with the way the paint on the undercarriage, the powder coated links and everything has turned out underneath but I know it won't look like that for long.

Thanks for following along Matt, I appreciate the comments.

 

[zmotorsports]

How are you liking that Mastercool flaring tool? Noticed there are quite a few different styles around now.

I love it. I've had mine for probably close to 10 years now. They are not cheap but I really like how simple, neat and clean the results are.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my projects thread.

 

[Mike.ASC]

Nice work as usual Mike. What brand tubing benders are those your using?

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice work as usual Mike. What brand tubing benders are those your using?

Rigid tubing benders. I have them from 3/16" up to 3/8". They are a bit pricey but sure work nice. I like them because the handle pivots to allow more than a 90-degree bend as one handle can be pivoted back out to grab more than 90-degrees.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the comments.