Don's Check List

[Roman]

So it took buying another bunny to get you working on the heep again?

[Grumpy]

So it took buying another bunny to get you working on the heep again?

Now that's funny, says the guy who can't get moving on his kid's truck

[Don]

So it took buying another bunny to get you working on the heep again?

Isn't funny how that works. I've yet to figure out my thought processes.

[Jobin]

What thought processes don?

[Don]

I couldn't be happier with how the Jeep did this weekend! I popped one bead, which was operator error, had to tighten the alternator belt and picked up a power steering leak.

I made a last minute switch back to the Rochester 2G carb. It did GREAT. Ran perfect. Lots of power when I needed it. No issues running at all angles and dangles.

I never got the rear end welded up, but it never seemed to hinder me. I'll have to do that before I get onto bigger and better trails.

If I can figure out a cage, I may consider FYBR .... If not that, hopefully we get a Christmas tree run. Maybe even a little Weber run could be in the near future.

[Don]

Well, in preparation for Darland run, I took the jeep out on Saturday and BEAT on it out at Juniper to try and shake any bugs loose. Mission accomplished!

Here's my too do for prep: (geez ... feels like going racing ...)

- Fix power steering line

- Fix steering box mount

- Reminded myself I needed to secure the battery after an unplanned sudden stop. (fixed with ratchet strap )

- Finish NEW rear bumper with integrated body mounts and D-Rings (finally!!!)

- Improvise some sort of spring clamps for the front (hose clamps?)

- Finish enclosing fuel cell box.

- Wire wheel and paint the frame and axles.

- Pull a leaf out of the rear spring packs to get the a$$ to settle a little.

- Re route one front brake line.

- Mount fire extinguisher, high lift, storage box and center console.

- Change engine oil and fluid in diffs. Hopefully get some breather lines installed.

- Maybe get the CB installed.

It will be a busy week! All in all, I'm more confident in the jeep than ever

[White trash]

Don't bother with the hose clamps they will fail... Ranch and home has small square exhaust type clamps that work real well or you can always just bend a piece of flat bat and run a couple small beads on the leaf spring and drill the ends of the bar for a cross bolt.

[OldGreen]

or use duct tape.

[Don]

Tried duct tape first! Then bailing wire ... seriously, lol.

Thanks Trash, I'll check out those square clamps. I'll eventually order up the correct parts.

[Don]

Here's the start of my new rear cross member and body mounts. Its 1/4" 4" x 4" angle. I'm not sure if I'm just going to weld D-Rings on this and call it a bumper, or get more creative.

Just leaving the angle would be plenty strong, would make the D-Rings basically welded right to the ends of the frame and would make installing LED rear facing lights super easy. But ... it looks a little hoaky. May be it would look better if I creatively capped the ends??

I've thought about stitching 2"x4" tube, capped and angled to the outside. That would put a ton of steel on the rear of the jeep for sure. And the D-Ring mounts wouldn't be quite as strong. It would look beefy though ....

Any suggestions?

[White trash]

Angle cut the vertical and cap it with flat plate so it is all tied together and MUCH less likely to tweak catching on something. Looks good though.

[Don]

Cool, thanks, that is what I was thinking. To get more technical, the front bumper is 2x4 box that is angled and capped. So I was thinking angle the rear to match the front, cap with some 2" flat, then angle the horizontal from the cap back to blend under the body.

I'm also picturing 1 1/4" tube fender flare, welded from the rear bumper to the rocker and plated. With matching tube front flat fenders ... hmmm. I need to get a bender ...

[White trash]

Hmm.... High fender the front, put the front shackles through the frame so the eye's are level then tie the whole works together attaching the rear flare tubes to the cage so the tub is protected.

Leveling the front springs will make the rig climb better, the flatter angle makes the front want to walk out from under the front on steep climbs and it'll drive a bit better as well..


Sorry I'm in the middle of the brainstorm from hell researching and analyzing every possible way to make my junk better while I'm rebuilding it..

[CopenhagenCowboy]

nice jeep. get that thing finished, we need more cjs in this group. im surrounded by wranglers.

[OldGreen]

Don

One word and you know what it is. . .one word. . .

[White trash]

Don

One word and you know what it is. . .one word. . .

I hope that word is cage... That 4 point will certainly help a good bit but a good roll and it's toast along with the occupants..

[Don]

Yep .. cage. I've got all the tube to do it

[White trash]

Yep .. cage. I've got all the tube to do it

What size tube? If it's 1 3/4" my neighbor just bought a bender with that die..

[Don]

It is 1 3/4". Has he got it set up yet?

[White trash]

I haven't talked to him since he got it. If you brought over a case of beer and the tubing he'd probably whip out the simple stuff you need quickly. He can weld it or you can, I'd suggest you just tack it there and burn it in at home so he doesn't have an excuse to try and charge you.

[Don]

Oh ... so, he knows how to use it too, lol? That's a bonus! I'm like a retarded monkey when it comes to benders.

I'll have to hook up with you/him before the next run. Think I'll take my chances in the snow this weekend ... its soft, right? I'll figure up a simple design and get all my foot plates and stuff ready to go. If you see him, would you mind asking him if he's up for it, and what his booze of choice is?

[White trash]

Keystone light is his weakness but if I'm going to be there make it coors light.

He's never touched a bender before but for the simple stuff you need it'll be easy as pie. I'd make a simple halo coming off the stock bar forward to the windshield then 2 slightly bent bars down the windshield to the floor. Everything else is just cutting and coping unless you want to do a rear hoop too. It's kinda hard to screw up 2 90's and a couple 5* bends..

[Don]

Oh trust me. You should have seen all the head scratching and siphering Jose and I put into the cage in the Bunny!

I appreciate your suggestion. Out of personal preference for looks, I'm thinking down tubes from the B-hoop, bent at the windshield and down to the floor. That makes for 4 pretty easy bends. From there I can cut in the B-hoop diagonal, the dash and windshield header, 2 spreaders and a shoulder bar. That style cage looks gay with the windshield down, but nice and clean when it's put together. You see any major flaws in this?

Something along these lines:



That ought to do it.

I like 'stones and coors ... so I'll bring a case of each. That ought to get 'er done.

[White trash]

That looks just fine. I'd add a few small gussets in all the corners and a bar coming down right in front of your hip to keep things very square but other than that it'll work.


Now you just need to see if Mr bobracing can whip out a quick bend tech set of specs... Well I guess actually that wouldn't be all that hard and I've been looking for an excuse to buy a HF digital angle finder anyway...

[Don]

Cool. Good idea on the gussets. I was even considering door/ floor bar (below the door sill) between the A and B pillars.

Probably my biggest aesthetic concern is making sure the top bars are as close to parallel to the rocker as I can get and still clear the hard top. I'll be sure to pull measurements off the of the hard top. I've had it mocked up before and it should be too hard to do.