The official Xota build thread

[patf1234]

I want one where do i sign up

 

[87xjco]

After upper tube tacked on

Needs a little work on the ends

 

[againstherwill]

Skills....undeniable
Manhours....too many to count
Finished Product.....Priceless

Dude your xota and the skills you have used to produce it are great. Keep it up and Keep the pics coming.

 

[87xjco]

Got the rest of my 100" tubing order in

I'm a little worried that I don't have enough practice bending yet. I'm going to have to do the main hoop behind the cab soon and I'd hate to mess up a long piece of tube.

 

[Gridikal]

I must say it was worth the wait using dial-up

:thumbup:

 

[feerocknok]

The guy behind me is selling his XJ for cheap, and I was thinking about doing this to my project Yota. Would have been all for it if I didn't see what you guys deal with for wiring. Something carbeurated is more to my liking.

Brother told me jokingly that if you disconnect a Jeeps blinker, it won't start. How do you guys do it?

BTW, couldn't stop smiling while looking at this. Amazing.

 

[87xjco]

So i said screw it and went ahead and bent the main hoop behind the cab. What a pain in the a$$ that was.

Test fit after I bent the first two angles. If I were more confident with the bender I would have just started at on end and worked my way along the tube making each bend as I go.

I am happy with the Final fit to the cab.

 

[davidt]

what kind of bender is that?

 

[87xjco]

Pro tools dies on homemade brackets

More info-
http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75916

 

[jeepinandy]

Great work!!


A+++

 

[ArcticXJ]

Maybe its too late to comment by this point, but what about fitting a small wedge of some sort between the bottom of the grill and the fender on each side? Thus leaning the grill back a little in order to help smooth out the lines, not to mention giving you proper headlight alignment.

Judging by what you did with the fender/cab mating, theres no question that you could smooth in a small filler panel to close the newly made gap.

It'd look killer..... moreso than it already does.

 

[XJedi23]

Wow... you sir, are quite amazing. This truck is coming together so clean, my eyes go crosseyed when I look at it - i mean really, my brain can't process the look of this truck - half yota, half jeep, all of both.

I suggest you stop before I spontaneously combust or you open up some third dimension and and worlds collide. I mean really, am i the only one who gets freaked out (in a good way) by looking at this thing?

Awesome work.

-jm

Really nice work.

 

[Markos]

Maybe its too late to comment by this point, but what about fitting a small wedge of some sort between the bottom of the grill and the fender on each side? Thus leaning the grill back a little in order to help smooth out the lines, not to mention giving you proper headlight alignment.

I was thinking the same thing...

 

[87xjco]

Maybe its too late to comment by this point, but what about fitting a small wedge of some sort between the bottom of the grill and the fender on each side? Thus leaning the grill back a little in order to help smooth out the lines, not to mention giving you proper headlight alignment.

Judging by what you did with the fender/cab mating, theres no question that you could smooth in a small filler panel to close the newly made gap.

It'd look killer..... moreso than it already does.

I was thinking the same thing...

Hmm, you guys must be seeing something that I'm not. That header panel does have more than stock down angle, but it doesn't seem that excessive to me. Maybe I've just gotten used to it.True the fenders have alot of downhill slope on them. I already checked and the headlights have plenty of adjustment. But I'll look closely at that once the rear has all the weight on it and the final ride height is accurate. If it does need changed, the filler panel would be the easiest fix.

 

[dfreeman616]

of course, with all you already done, i don't think changing the headlight mounting would be that difficult

 

[87xjco]

I've been working on a crossmember that the shocks mount to and helps stiffen the frame.

The reason I cut out the original crossmember is so that I could store a spare under the flat bed. This is a 33" tire, plenty of room for my 35's.

Should clear under the new bed that will be built off of the vertical pipe on the hoop

Rear driveshaft is in and I think the angles are good. Full droop position.

 

[JLane99XJ]

I've been working on a crossmember that the shocks mount to and helps stiffen the frame.

that is very nice fab work,
>>> but i can't believe you have choosen to leave those *boat anchor" lower shock mounts hanging down below your axle, especially since you have a perfect oportunity to raise them and make an upper mount where-ever the he11 you want..
omg!! you do know you could have done away with those bar pins..

really its super looking fab work tho...

 

[87xjco]

I've been working on a crossmember that the shocks mount to and helps stiffen the frame.

that is very nice fab work,
>>> but i can't believe you have choosen to leave those *boat anchor" lower shock mounts hanging down below your axle, especially since you have a perfect oportunity to raise them and make an upper mount where-ever the he11 you want..
omg!! you do know you could have done away with those bar pins..

really its super looking fab work tho...

I still may move those lower shock mounts. But I really don't expect this D35 too last long so I'm not aure it's worth the trouble.

Bar pins? what's that

 

[XJ_ranger]

Bar pins? what's that

the crappy rear upper shock mount attachment that cherokee's have...

 

[JLane99XJ]

I still may move those lower shock mounts. But I really don't expect this D35 too last long so I'm not aure it's worth the trouble.

the problem isn't shaving off the axle mounts and positioning new mounts higher on the axle tube, but unless someone is manufacturing a shock that can travel about 10" and is only 12-14" long total, then those upper mount (like the stock XJ mounts) will be a waste.

my lower mounts (weld-on mounts with 2 holes and a bolt-thru design) are positioned so the shock eye is about the center of the axle tube (and to the rear) and the shock body is pitched forward about 45* and the upper mount is on the inside of the ~frame-rail~ (the original stud from the lower mount welded onto a piece of plate and then stitched onto the uni-frame..

the longer the lower mounts are the better to a degree they help nuetralize axle wrap, acting as a lever in combination with the shock.

yeah the effectiveness of the shock to dampen bumps is reduced when pitched at an angle but most shocks advertise that at 45* degrees they're still 90% effective
>>and if you shave off the lower mounts and flex the rear and get under there with a tape measure you'll find that there aren't many options for mounting the upper shock eyes that'll be more effective, without going through the body, BUT in your case you don't have to worry about that, and i suppose you can always worry about that MINOR detail later and fab a new x-member..