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the sound of inevitability

Yeah I am undecided on the panels. I wasn't sure on them but I do like having them on. Keep alot of the road crap, water, and mud we ran into out of the inside. Also keeps straps/coats, etc from falling out.

The final skins will be different. Want to have them look like a XJ.
 
anyways it did pretty well this weekend. Happy with the end result, no glass.

IMGP8622.JPG
 
Yeah that is phase 3. As soon as I get some wheeling in this fall and recover from the last bit of work.

The front will be narrowed to the edges of the radiator. It will be full width at the back of the stock hood and narrow from there. I have a fiberglass hood sitting at Twisted for this. Will be doing a new stubby bumper, etc. Unsure on lights. I would like to have some kind of headlight and ambers up front.

It also needs some steering work. Thinking hydro but that's another project really.
 
I spent quite a bit of time trying to make mine look like an XJ, and cut actual skins off a 2 door door and rear quarter. It was a lot of work.

I decided that if I were to do it again, I would just worry about the lower body line joggle, and do flat pannels above that.

People still think mine is a toyota, and one person complimented my suzuki... :gag:

dsc_0102.jpg


dsc_0040.jpg


The hood used to fit better, and the front fender upper body line used to line up, until a roll over the drivers side of the stinger pushed the header panel down quite a bit. Oh well...

They looked nice at one point.
 
Thats exactly what I was thinking. We looked at doing stock panels but really leaning towards just doing the lower line like you suggested, for those reasons. I'm also probably just going to use zip ties. Dsuz are pretty expensive and a couple guys here have had issues with them loosening up and falling out.

Something I hadn't thought of but Jason mention that I could run the stock flares or paint flares on the panels it give it a more 3D look. They painted flares on Hal's Grand and it looked pretty good.

Also I might play with just running the rear skins, sorta of like a jeep with the doors off or shorten the middle panel to only run forward a couple feet for the same type of look.

I hear you on the Toyota look though. Just the way it ends up with the roof gone, lots of similarities to a 4 runner or even a X chassis.

Definetly going to keep them simple.
 
Thats exactly what I was thinking. We looked at doing stock panels but really leaning towards just doing the lower line like you suggested, for those reasons. I'm also probably just going to use zip ties. Dsuz are pretty expensive and a couple guys here have had issues with them loosening up and falling out.

Something I hadn't thought of but Jason mention that I could run the stock flares or paint flares on the panels it give it a more 3D look. They painted flares on Hal's Grand and it looked pretty good.

Also I might play with just running the rear skins, sorta of like a jeep with the doors off or shorten the middle panel to only run forward a couple feet for the same type of look.

I hear you on the Toyota look though. Just the way it ends up with the roof gone, lots of similarities to a 4 runner or even a X chassis.

Definetly going to keep them simple.

I did tabs and pan head 1/4-20 bolts. I tried zip ties, but they broke off to easily. I also didn't want to go with the dzus for the cost - and the pain in the butt to align them when installing them.
 
Well I'm glad I didn't spend a ton of time on the skins.

Went down to CO to some friends place for a fun weekend. The duct tape is just from the trailer ride home and last weekend:

R0000347.JPG


Badlands 2 weekends ago resulting of the use of duct tape:
IMG_20141025_171352_659.jpg


back to CO, finished off the driver's side:
IMG_116755634988627.jpeg


and after a day of super tight canyons like this:
R0000361.JPG


the panels had to be re zip tied multiple times:
R0000389.JPG



So until I either learn to drive better, which is doubtful, I probably won't spend a whole lot of time on body panels. :D
 
well after getting some decent wheeling in, I did another round of mods.

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Aa738AlAbUmPoJiIqPVdcG-LtOX5jsFv-CLEtP_HrFy2uGIsoKaxzOMZoEgR57Isc6TydUxlCm57MAb9Cye1ZDzHSnOSpAKBRAw2fVe__QlL3j4KVBGtBoS1r7k-PCgVWhHYKD3tKFbLtL6_Y6KffRBEc1cRKG4jVUvQ_K2aISFIZu58Yve9jyTsd2lTvqcnyGYpAI7Edu7mEIY_081KTh34TCMgPR-P_rbQk7cVQi_mKuR0Q5ncYFr4sIZ_S_jwS26Onu8P0oGnTc_wWYrz-k7RAlWBqeOqoTz51ZOdZvDE2mzPnQKF7uo_85k0j3TYnijHbEPHvv6nbOhoEY5PilqCstjkht-2mPPcFw8alkvdhwqDbfV0iMSTjFgMmYrH0QhtZEzgQNFZhIa_Zaf2iObmvViQM8OliNAI7IzHp9W5sryZfYrLhz5ulGn8Cnk5GrFZYxSk_xGIwEuA9WcJ8aj7_xxGO-1hKS2GtTyvFBKRPVksYa8a0zsI0BwwiyWZ-SBjq487foUS9gmYC_QIMHV_-_r9lUCfpwfNQBztWh6h=w1980-h1311-no


This run did in the steering. Bound up bad and just sucked. Stock steering, durango box. So got home and found out all the bolts on the box were loose and what I surprise, cracks in the frame rail! So started to pull the box out and the steering joint fell apart so it's time for hydro steer.
 
Had some down time at work so I started drawing up a mock up of the system.

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VHcnpySkyQcO5uYARxE3a9myEWMin4_WAdiEuD5xyr_o_lNhjPnfp__qBVfdOujAdblAzv7ur9_SlJ7S_fawMXxQ9-2sYXmhbr0ilwr5sJVRjOifDrJq2J7S74tmv5xpS76mCkPieiHDTPxDJ6WZjogx1Tf-s6KDxWpToR7rW-RsCr45VCX0KquGuJ9c2wdXqzeMw0Q22eavTb9yxOAs_dPR_2sGwPXV2jV8eQNL2k2VLAxhqI_WLdoN5wcqvZkCcWfIwFTYCw3tuzvjW1SAktR1ZXYhR8ZsX1TtW2NhuZcWdxcWfE2HaJj0HsDyCPxUhhMcDyDBQuNV-RHvTJkIcQeDaFooT6L4raz7WK-GVgWHWja1mrqz3RmDKlyTIzvchD0fNoHyTk57C8_k0nXpkhv_2ZUp9kJ5YXfQc28vrenzQM0S3Zy7junbo0n_haqSRjvTY6O4G3WIwxnGVjW-FNzgbpZLaaWnobIqT21337pNLhmBxStBDm2U6InV4VG6KyBdUht0mhuAG29Kqr924k4qsfbVwShtimxVvglo957o=w725-h622-no


So anyways as you can see in the models I ended up installing air shocks. Tie rod got into the coil buckets a ton and the trackbar mount was in the way.


Anyways started with plating the frame rails:
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Trackbar mount, you can see the original placement of the shock mounts and used 2.5's for mock up.
Qpxwlk4gf2QgKJ04ceFyn7U_1mvJiyckSdxgsED_JAFlJjmTzOQyH62J-0s_Hs-e4e01NBE8oNYoAE91ul4pDqBthGc-YL-UDP1-nfVKoM1BXL6aOC0LTL1h8hO0x9WoLugAJ0eUOkXj2R3soW-7wzRHu38ZWft7x0048080KTHfHaqBF5MndsQG461tCJJMHtBJvX8AzpN-VUyTxdbdjcXriAHOhlP16gIOWnnXZez_9MhHA3cIDTlvVIYVAnSnzB3lqlUUbstKEaRGooutu0FVYEIMtG26dOfpu8SYXInHTqgf7AuTrYTtYvICcpCRBbIFt7k8Pc5Ua6RBNHWm3P8eCCTW3z7L-zvuFVq7jCNdn967k4-EcFLbRuBUfNa2F4efBtDpA981Kz5VJoO-NdtJBL7KNXGRohwlj76ZnFld7B6Gc7VmDr3MxkUVb8pM1fhD26r0I_Je9gTI6qKHO5dgu7Uyrl591U6OzgXQwcw24AS6X8wj-hf74vFbQ-avtFuV-mbCZAf-xr2rn_Zs2mIG8t4kXVrc2DEybRwxh8JS=w1980-h1311-no
 
everything mocked up into place:
kNb3KPTKT-U9iDAJMVdHKiTmvIRvFbjLn__m2mupOU0q7ILa6WYp0lS4z8oYUs8j0mRvE2jiBgNP5jB66Sepb33NxW3JeeKSYnnnNAKtnHONQrMd3kq6Vd57vJ3r94ZAfJ0rjD_Qmqx8O5vi7uCMYT-RMH_qGqBDAV3GYHsc-v5V41naFg6iI0-c7Jv8bj5ljhh342nnEmM0c_u9D4SqDaR57aps954jBDgjL781FhWMrhWDxBd8MGNE3qmiTJ1ezpAQz-x0SPWjVVCQY3w_Wjvu0rJ4-911JdlDaz2ZKt__waDa_uZvaIK1wqM0O0n2yM6P1o4PTyo-ds8G-EJVK6J-jzfqoAO998qWrba-EBsdfHGHEHf4Up6a49nK0WmPf8ttjt3r3eXkH-rRyvME3njT_6afbp4u6BHzzcZsTxU1YaY_R1TUALpZouXoCqbqfMXCUuW2QpQOAUdqqvKk8ZgdFOi4xQKt7FxiJ_bh50iKN6LpfFc8JLBtwujw9-7auDB-29qfkf12q_-nOcjJlReBGLUYik2F2O0LEmy1IS7j=w1980-h1311-no


I started with a 2" ram and 8" throw. But I only could use 6.5" with the short stock arms and hitting everything else. So made a spacer for the ram:
UoBSW6JnqmAigznu6graNTy4WakwsYgJ-5CHRgGXMZS8Me6ZkG4sqLwCFbPxHOl4dQlkuXhGA_liK9ivXDzNjf8jYhmajdB3-BnmEEGwZSDTnzMyQ7kOnEQLzlXNp73mRP9bwvrTOA_K34zTJpxgkfWTesq7R1ic2dt-ICgv6mjTiXH-LAnc021hZ0WQbSlehb9dvga0Ent4Dtz1S6S04CHo2RYENIOAAudRfFalsuHDx6rAlEm4zO6vBFEOsmXMGchPTe1VFKK3bac51_tWSm3F0VohNPH1JSzviqOzUvc_iNZ4j7rMEyHQ3odyralKA9CKkbOU_8Vu5GKf4pgqiWR7OKC2EfEBHdTVmZLAuoZhPy5liFojKGrQGj_thFEt-3XkVCeocSh4E1sgoTpQGWN5RrMNBvxVS6gPggG6V3E3hNfzPN3EY1aAg96rAccDl7Bpckys5tLmogH9xVBRQ3fClSmRb3Q39BPeS_ysmcWbuk-MXqioWs-92bFU4pfoETXQ43Oohy2ockjVBWH8qj6wHKcy3KxnlY2LVeIEVVC7=w1980-h1311-no


Cut a hole for the shocks:
osvuNVoHG8KC0Ye1QOYtYUfNStkcI3Iscp-UKz1-CFGTCo70HVWkx9huFF4GRmQGaxAKwTPZISk298raQhdMVOss5cV0d6PBs1A6BFnrHYQBpHzXSvDJEN5-diVlcij0_N6Nu8qv6G0wu86uVZUx2ZlzGCvL0LDXT_dshq2Sc4jA6ZXzV7IlyrySUVYOoXX27PGL6bdDQkzIO60p3IlfvT_7fJ-fWTGFn8ALECLyBPBVzBVUqWlJLCHD-nv-wxukw-88Qu2VRMZVqxGArGjI1e3G4uQ0QOokForFpPFxaWMjfe_eQQTBrw9IboZaRTyk7ahx58eUfx56CYBytMc_vvQsHh4W_LvBi34ZeAfURFaSThjDlH6IcpyanmfM1Z8Ptt4FBup0YCBhxqx60gKvJErJkUpJ45jyblDYi0am8rx89nSeg6-B07_XmhTaGFbnaKeV_w90kgkcx8IlqEQO-WVFaSwN3JgulUg9AaKGNYtZgcvKuwstSXpvECEtK-D3CrZ0UbT5RsqqH4sZHJ_luivweg9dlkcJbheZ4mMW9iju=w960-h720-no



Had these laying in the shop and only a couple days to complete this project so we used them:
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brace to help keep movement down:
AdcNo5S1Y9wxFxCczbtQ8bJp-2vXONopPAe8-SRVBlzi4XYxjZj8Gc10zFaRk9RkBZvw1kVd57z_D8n9NO6Ss-0rbI4cy38MKmA2nsHP3Y4mrpcBiCjJf--S8XpK3JdFQuayeFOEzQhnqqd26jWOthYT2Y2MJZIUvWhMUtdQTzhoSCzYkeXBiQFGnKtY4wTlXU1jhHcCquVjBdBMIoweMAYkddC8nSck-aIlgOcG0oKSZimgK6qnIpMMwOe56nFIcUuD7pAS9SaIy3JrSwNP7ZGXTrqhK_LPL7HeVhchJa-ToJfz1E35hux-1n0rg772Sb8KWiqaPnNPHozxlo97dk3TX3eGASXcjSNSM_-Be1LPEgwp226Stxa-7-EuygCCgFEPPlMySUPsYFbwagj7NLsVAGq0EMPYXI-KEHVUXRWjfmz3A6d-TNSNgvBdZK8O1ZcY15-RC7lk-zPohuFGBw3FhZRdL4Re5-E-f8dLTJChJw1iBeVo-EMx4vFg9re88fUbpCr8pSicj-rMVU7X05J_ZerY81gzHD0duJ1xRbGr=w720-h960-no
 
Everything is going to be tied it together better when I get around to dovetailing the front end. Had to fix a broken brake line this weekend and working on getting the shocks rebuilt, had a couple bad seals.

Orbital is mounted in the stock steering box location, hoses pointing up. I started with the Liquid Iron bracket and welded it in place but the steering column wouldn't reach the orbital. So I ended up having to cut it off and rotating it up slightly and forward.
 
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