Boatsides...

[asp]

valid point. and that's my situation :gee: it's nice to have an intelligent argument sometimes.

more fab less talk.

 

[XJ_ranger]

Why not use a piece of round and arch it?

Dont own a bender - yet.

Not a shackle.

I see your point, but I doubt Opie cares enough to worry about it. For someone who is out there every weekend and DD's it, then yea, they should be worried.

I'd like to be out there every weekend! Maybe once I finish this round of mods and decide I'm too broke to work on it, I'll wheel it 3 weekends a month?

valid point. and that's my situation :gee: it's nice to have an intelligent argument sometimes.

more fab less talk.

My leaf springs dont droop enough to go all the way out of there... at least I dont think so...

my leaf springs are 'S' shaped, and likely going to go away at some point. if the front leaf spring mount gets more hammered, I guess thats okay. :gee:

 

[Goatman]

this is a bit off topic, but shouldn't you have a bolt going across that spring retainer on the right of this picture? those are there to make sure leafs don't over extend downward too...

The bolt across the spring retainer would limit flex. Its not really needed. Just keeps the leafs from sliding sideways and such.

The bolt should be there. The extra droop gained isn't worth the loss of spring force in the pack that keeps the spring stabilized under torque and resists axle wrap and hop. It should climb better with the leaf springs properly contained and no cheating done to gain unneeded flex and droop. I've learned this from experience.....done it both ways. As an example, the guys with good leaf packs, like from Big Offroad (Alcan) and National, with all of the spring retainers in place, always climb really well compared to other XJ's. Mine also climbed better when I retained the springs in the normal way.

 

[Goatman]

I don't see you having a problem with the winch mount. The tubes themselves have become one piece with the winch plate, so the load is on the welds at the outer tubes and the inside floor plate. If those welds are done properly they won't fail, and it won't go anywhere. Remember, you have an 8000 lb winch with a small cable, pulling against welds and steel with a strength of 60,000 lbs per square inch. Think of what you'd hook a strap and D ring to on many rigs. If you were concerned with the force pulling upward, a gusset on the bottom of the cross tube to the outside tube would add good strength, but I don't think you need. The only issue long term could be flex in the floor adding stress to the welds at the outside tubes, and a couple small gussets on the bottom would solve that.

 

[XJ_ranger]

The bolt should be there. The extra droop gained isn't worth the loss of spring force in the pack that keeps the spring stabilized under torque and resists axle wrap and hop. It should climb better with the leaf springs properly contained and no cheating done to gain unneeded flex and droop. I've learned this from experience.....done it both ways. As an example, the guys with good leaf packs, like from Big Offroad (Alcan) and National, with all of the spring retainers in place, always climb really well compared to other XJ's. Mine also climbed better when I retained the springs in the normal way.

I have a traction bar...

no axle hop

 

[Goatman]

I had a traction bar too, and ran with no bolts in the spring clamps to get more flex. I found that the springs liked to seperate on climbs reducing the ability to put torque to the ground, even with the traction bar. I have no idea how your rig climbs, but mine climbed better when the leaf springs were properly retained. Keep in mind that the leaf spring is the control arm, and is what transfers the torque of power and traction to the body. On a linked rig we spend a lot of time figuring out the arm lengths and angles for good power transfer, keep that in mind about the leaf springs.

 

[XJ_ranger]

Got a bunch done this past weekend, and last night.
Made a FRONT fairlead mount (3 of 3)

Made an inner fairlead mount, that uses the fairlead as a structural member for the firewall / cowl support (2 of 3)

I relocated, my already relocated engine fuse box thing - to the cowl this time, where I think its more protected, and definately more out of the way -

Also had to move the 'hot' power lead junction block thing -

Front fairlead installed -

can Kinda see how the cable runs in this shot (just using the cable to test, right now the cable is at MasterPull getting re-worked [Thanks Alex!])

 

[XJ_ranger]

Had to drive the jeep and make sure all the wires that I'd fawked with after taking the dash off, remounting things, cutting things and welding with the battery connected and all that -

That is one messy garage -

Pat, from Those Guys cut out my boatside plates. I'd origonally wanted .188" aluminum, but after looking at price, and talking with pat about how aluminum sticks to rocks, rather than sliding, we decided that 16ga (~.065") would be cheaper and just as effective in saving weight. (just a little less bling :thumbdown: )

CNC Plasma cut -

After rolling my junk in my first competition and crushing my winch syelnoid pack as well as the engage / disengage lever, I needed some new ones. John from Auburn Car Repair and OffRoad has a contact at Warn, and got me the parts that I needed...

Drivers side, installed, and painted (except where I didnt paint yet :eek2: )

Winch installed, Sylenoid pack installed, tested (IT WORKS!!)

Passenger side -

More pics here:
http://www.therideracing.com/images/Jeep/Shop4809/index.html


I'm going to test em out this weekend at Tahuya, so, it should be a good time!


:guitar:

 

[5spd_xj]

:clap: lookin good sir!! :clap:

 

[whitneyj]

messy garage? are you kidding me? I'd be a much happier man if mine was that clutter free.

 

[XJ_ranger]

messy garage? are you kidding me? I'd be a much happier man if mine was that clutter free.

There was about 2lbs of grinder dust and metal that got scooped up :rtm:

 

[Mr.OverKill]

There was about 2lbs of grinder dust and metal that got scooped up :rtm:

i leave the grinder dust down on the floor to catch and hold the gear oil that spills from axles i am working on ( i tell them to bring them dry and clean but do they listen???? NO!!!!!!!!!! :banghead: ) but 4 times a year i change it out LOL......:laugh: