The Lab Rat - SFR's R&D Comanche

Ohhhhh, I like that. I've been wanting to stash my solenoid box for years but haven't found the perfect spot. I think you just found it. I'm going to steal this and then I'll tell everybody that I thought of it first :D

If you want i can make you a duplicate of the bracket i made to mount it. It even uses one of the existing holes in the jeep.
 
So I had to kinda laugh the other day, driving my more or less stock 2wd Jeep down the freeway, hitting a bridge junction and setting off some of the most violent paintshaker style death wobble ever. Laugh because this is usually the kind of think I'm telling people how to fix.

Well in my case it certainly wasn't hard to find. The lower track bar bushing was chewed bubble gum and was allowing the axle to shift about an inch back and forth. It was actually hammering so hard on the bolt it pressed threads into the inside of the center tube of the bushing. I thought about just popping a new bushing in there, but that's not a real solution. Instead I installed one of our SFR Track Bar Mounts on the frame, and built a new heim jointed track bar.

If you're interested the mount is available here http://www.stinkyfab.com/jeep-steering-and-brake-kit/sfr-heavy-duty-xj-mj-zj-track-bar-bracket.html and I'll likely be adding the track bar itself very soon.

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Ohhhhh, I like that. I've been wanting to stash my solenoid box for years but haven't found the perfect spot. I think you just found it. I'm going to steal this and then I'll tell everybody that I thought of it first :D



Very cool.y 87 has room under the hood after I did the cooling system conversion to the 91 style. My 00 has no room all smog stuff and a/c lines


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It seems everything in this damn truck is worn out, which is only frustrating because I'm getting ready to replace everything that's falling apart, but would like to continue driving it until then. Replaced the driveshaft u-joints yesterday, building lower control arms right now that will end up in the trash by new years. SMH.

Maybe I'll just send em to the next NAXJA event to be raffled off when I'm done with them.
 
It seems everything in this damn truck is worn out, which is only frustrating because I'm getting ready to replace everything that's falling apart, but would like to continue driving it until then. Replaced the driveshaft u-joints yesterday, building lower control arms right now that will end up in the trash by new years. SMH.

Maybe I'll just send em to the next NAXJA event to be raffled off when I'm done with them.


The NWchapters nwfest could always use more sponsored parts to be raffled off lol
 
Any plans to sell control arms? I'm ready for a set now.

There weren't any previously, but now that I've made these I don't see why not. I have a few things I need to add to the site that I'll be trying to do today. WJ swap tie rod and drag link, the frame reinforcement plates, lower control arms, etc. I always intended for this thing to be a development vehicle, but it seems to be spawning more than I expected, and I haven't even started building it yet!
 
Well, I'll be getting a set of steering from you soon, so if you're making control arms by then I can just get it all, and probably drive down to pick it up.
 
I'm working on adding the control arms to the web site today, just gotta finish going through the numbers and knocking out details.
 
Long day today. Just came in from the shop after doing a lot of my least favorite stuff, body work. Started off with some stripe removal. I dig the hockey sticks but they are falling apart, and the rig is gonna get a pretty drastic cosmetic overhaul anyways. Unfortunately they were so old and dead it's about impossible to get them entirely off, but close enough.

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You'll notice that the taillight is missing there, that's for good reason. The Comanche uses a unique taillight and they are kinda hard to come by, and also rather expensive. Since these seem to also get broken and awful lot I decided to spare myself the future pain of breaking one and just replace them up front. I did a little measuring, and came up with these sheet metal filler panels that'll allow me to use generic trailer lights.

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My first attempt to bend them was by tacking them in place, then slowly bending them around the corner. This didn't work very well, as the thinnest sheetmetal I had on hand was still a bit too thick to bend by hand easily.

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I ended up using a rubber mallet to bend them around a pipe, then adding a little curve to the side pieces by bending them over my knee.

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Welded them in solid,

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Then used a flap wheel to smooth out the welds

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And spread on a little bondo so I can make it all disappear.

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Tomorrow I'll sand it all smooth, shoot it with a little paint and hook up the lights.
 
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Didn't mean to leave you all hanging. I got it all sanded down and shot a little paint on there.

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