Jeep update

[94xjstud]

Here is my first/intro thread
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=998237

But since then I have been very enactive because I was at school for six months, but anyways the last time I went wheeling (week before I left) I broke the steering and tracbar mount. Then I let it sit until I had time to work on it. Finished school, got a job, and moved into a new house where I can finally have my jeep with me.

Here is the new place/garage

Jeeps new home

What was broken/trail rigged to get in the garage

The only way to work on the jeep

So basically when we welded the steering the welder was not hot enough and it did not penetrate fully penetrate so sh*t broke. The tracbar mount broke off, and one of the heims ripped off of the DOM.

The problem I am having is that I want to re-weld the other links, but I am not sure which is the best way to do it. Here are some pics of the links

What do you think my best option is? Weld over top? Slide some over metal over and weld it? Cut it and reweld (which would be the best way to do this option?) anything else

 

[SeansXJ]

if i were in your shoes i would just start fresh, thats just me though. my steering is something i will not second guess.

what size welder are you using?

 

[smallshafts]

x2 also if you have alot of adjustment on your hiems left you can cut off your old bungs and by some new ones and use a good welder. looks like you used a off brand 110 fluxcore welder

 

[Letterman]

If it was mine, I would cut the arms at the weld, pull out what is left of the bung and weld in new ones. Looks like some ugly welds, was that with gas outside in the wind or paint on the tube when it was welded?

When I built a backup set for Bryan C. I put a very LARGE 45 degree bevel on the tube for more weding area. I had my welder on so hot when I was done the end of the bung was glowing, the bolt that was in it to keep the threads true was glowing too.

If your new bungs are long enough you can drill a hole and rivet weld it too, but that might be over kill.

I used a Miller 220 and it was on a VERY hot setting, with a very slow wire speed. I would not make links with a 110, even a fluxcore 110 without gas is not hot enough for that kind of job.

I just hate stearing issues!

 

[94xjstud]

I thought that the surfaces were clean when we welded it, but the main welder put it on a hot as possible with a fairly fast wire speed and I just dont think that an older Lincoln 110 could handle the tubing size.

So I think I am going to cut at a 45 degree angle on the heim side and like a 15 degree angle on the other side till is either out or close to cutting into the bung then reweld it with a better welder (both the person and the machine)

 

[Letterman]

That could work, just might be hard to get the thing clean enough and the bad weld out.

If you have to use a 110 slow down that wire speed as much as you can, let it heat that metal up as much as you can before you fill in with wire. It's like that ready welder, it has no heat control, so you use the wire speed for temp control. Slow it down for hotter/deeper welds.

If you need someone to weld that for you, I will hook you up for free. I am just not going to do any grinding or cutting! (It's not you I just HATE that part of it!) You bring it to my place good to go, and I will burn all your links together for you.

Remember to mesure and write down the size of each link before you go to work on it, I always forget to do that!

 

[94xjstud]

Cool thanks. My friends is a welder but if he cant get around to it will be definitely call on you services.

The metal is cleaner then it looks and the dremel kit I just bought should make it easier to clean.

 

[94xjstud]

Work is slow but here is some progress. Sorry about the crappy cell phone pics

Steering off

Two rod ends off and almost totally clean, still they re-usable

Got bored and decided that the rear doors needed to be removable. I still need to take off the hinge pins but . . .

For the next few days=hood pins, finish rear doors, finish taking off old welds, remove sh*tty trackbar and figure out new trackbar plan.
Any suggestions and comments are very welcome and helpful.

 

[Letterman]

I think you can get away with using the same arms just put a BIG bevel on both the arm and the bung so you have a much bigger area to weld then just the one little line. I would also drill at least one hole and rivit weld (Fill Weld) that for extra safty.

I don't think anyone can read my bad spelling so here is a pic, top is what you have and the lower one is what I would do:

 

[94xjstud]

I love that idea thank you. I may have to come over and have you weld this up for me. Now I just have to figure out how I am going to drill through this think ass tubing.

 

[Letterman]

I do NOT DRILL OR GRIND! :laugh2:

I am home after 6 most weekdays, just not wednesdays, should be a quick weld job, send me a PM if and when.

 

[94xjstud]

Why don't you drill or grind. ITS SO MUCH FUN . . . not but whatev. Probably some time next weekend if thats possible. I still have some more stuff to do in the mean time.

 

[94xjstud]

So I got my hood pins installed: pics

Then I got all the heims cut out and bevelled, so my buddy basically stole them from me and welded em up. 220V lincoln and he was welded his steering, to custom beds to his trucks, multiple bumpers and sliders . . . so I trust him.

Now I need to finalize my trackbar plan, but I need some help. So I am thinking of getting this bracket for the frame http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/NEW-Adjustable-Panhard-Tracbar-Frame-mount-_p_1669.html and then I am going to offset this bracket http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Panhard-Trackbar-mount_p_1399.html on the axle tube. Then I am going to order some DOM and heims and put it all together. The problem that I am having is if I want to have the axle mount 6" or 7" high. I know that I want to keep the angle the same(why I am getting the adjustable mount) just looking for advice. Pics of the angles and height

Any comments advice would be awesome.

 

[Letterman]

Try to keep the angle the same and the lenth the same too.

 

[94xjstud]

I just went ahead and ordered the two brackets, heims, tube adaptors and tubing only $140. It should ship out monday so I will update as I go

 

[94xjstud]

The stuff I just bought are going to ship on monday from AZ to CA so it should be here quick. Once I get that welded up I'll be off to Hollister Hills to test it out.

The two brackets that I got from ballistic should work. The frame side as adjustable holes at 2 1/2", 3 1/2" and 4 1/2" drop from the frame and the axle side is supposed to be 7" off of the frame (a little above the UCA mount) but it will be tilted off center so it will be only 5-6" higher off the axle tube. The heims should be good and responsive.

Do you think I could just weld the bracket to the frame or do I need to weld it to an piece and then bolt that to the frame?

 

[foulbutt/]

hey did you break the rod at a hollistr run.

 

[94xjstud]

hey did you break the rod at a hollistr run.

Yeah I broke it on the last run. I am pretty sure I was on the Jungle trail.

Been busy with work and haven't done much. I almost finished the cowl air filter intake but my sawsall broke and I need to finish the exhaust tubing to connect the flex tube to the throttle body.

I discover a new problem though. When I was limping off of the trail last time, I was using the wince cable to try and maintain some steering (broke the line), but I broke the ground cables to my bumper lights. I cut off the broke lines and re-connected them using those wiring connects (tube with metal on the inside, and clamp it down) and I still am not getting power or something to the lights. The in cab switch goes on, the fuse is good, other line appear in good order but the lights still don't come on. What am I over looking?

 

[frontman]

if its the ground and you are able just wire it to the body. those blue couplings are not all that good and with smaller wire dont make good connections imo.

 

[94xjstud]

No pics yet, but I finished my cowl intake. I used a 3x7" filter, some ADS piping (black, plastic piping used for like drainage) 3" muffler tubin and some claps. Then instead of routing the random tubes that use to go into the air filter box into the new tube I got two small filters and connected it that way.

Also cut and folded the pinch seem insice of the wheel well for a little more flex without cutting my tires.