- Location
- Bakersfield, CA
-
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XJ front "frame" build
- Thread starter macgyvr
- Start date
- Location
- NE Indiana
guess you're gonna make sure that i'm broke for the show and shine then...lol
mac 'cya soon' gyvr
- Location
- NE Indiana
So, are you going to be ready for the big dog run??
i have pics covering the rest of the build but I leave for Moab tommorrow and don't have time to update as I should...i will upon returning...including if the front end stayed together for the trip...
mac 'drive it like ya stole it' gyvr
beakie
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
NICE
looking forward to the final pics.
looking forward to the final pics.
- Location
- Dracut, MA
lookin good excited for more pictures as well
excited for more pictures as well
- Location
- NE Indiana
I promised an update with photos of some close ups of the end result of this step of build. Well tonight wrenching in the garage got done early, everyone else was busy, so I got a chance to hang with the dogs (ie drinking with them) and try to wrap this step up. There's probably going to be a bunch of photos. There is also going to be some pretty ugly welds. The welds survived moab and two trips locally since, so...they are still sticking no matter how ugly they are.
With pretty much two months before I was to leave for moab I was in bad shape. I pushed through with some awesome help from my local jeep friends and my thanks to them for not giving up.
Now done with the blah blah blah...on to the master piece in metal...lol ok my junk in one piece.
the pretty $300 drive shaft from the eaton (btw before you ask the rear axle is an eaton) to the atlas
the whole build dealt with the front "frame" however for me it worked out that i was able to throw coilovers in the rear during the process
i was also able to move the battery from under the hood to the back of the jeep
I'm a hack when it comes to 12 volt wiring...but I know someone that knows what's going on...got my switches looking stock and nice
we were also able to get a stock radio in the buggy...with the xm radio going it sure made the tunes rocking in the middle of nowhere utah...
btw, probably the best bang for the buck as far as durable head units out there
got speakers mounted as well...(and found a place for the cooler)
those atlas shifters sure do look gooooooooooooood
got a steal on a steering wheel so i wouldn't have to keep staring at the airbagless stock one
got to stay legal yo...keep the 5.0 from comin...
tied the front bars into the a pillar and there is a welded plate to the body tied in as well
we move on to the front...
to be continued...
With pretty much two months before I was to leave for moab I was in bad shape. I pushed through with some awesome help from my local jeep friends and my thanks to them for not giving up.
Now done with the blah blah blah...on to the master piece in metal...lol ok my junk in one piece.
the pretty $300 drive shaft from the eaton (btw before you ask the rear axle is an eaton) to the atlas
the whole build dealt with the front "frame" however for me it worked out that i was able to throw coilovers in the rear during the process
i was also able to move the battery from under the hood to the back of the jeep
I'm a hack when it comes to 12 volt wiring...but I know someone that knows what's going on...got my switches looking stock and nice
we were also able to get a stock radio in the buggy...with the xm radio going it sure made the tunes rocking in the middle of nowhere utah...
btw, probably the best bang for the buck as far as durable head units out there
got speakers mounted as well...(and found a place for the cooler)
those atlas shifters sure do look gooooooooooooood
got a steal on a steering wheel so i wouldn't have to keep staring at the airbagless stock one
got to stay legal yo...keep the 5.0 from comin...
tied the front bars into the a pillar and there is a welded plate to the body tied in as well
we move on to the front...
to be continued...
- Location
- NE Indiana
cont...
front coilovers were tied in at the top...
even found a place to tie in the rock lights
tied the air filter off to the removeable bar running between the coilover mounts
found a place for the fuse box
and the computer
power steering pump installed and plumbed
as well as the radiator and the fan
here you can see some more of the tie in from the "frame" to the body and such
found a place to nicely mount the power steering reservoir
and trimmed the hood up
just one more post...
to be continued...
front coilovers were tied in at the top...
even found a place to tie in the rock lights
tied the air filter off to the removeable bar running between the coilover mounts
found a place for the fuse box
and the computer
power steering pump installed and plumbed
as well as the radiator and the fan
here you can see some more of the tie in from the "frame" to the body and such
found a place to nicely mount the power steering reservoir
and trimmed the hood up
just one more post...
to be continued...
- Location
- NE Indiana
cont...
made a custom bracket for the windshield wiper reservoir to keep it in the stock location
got the psc hydro steering mounted and made a brace for it
i didn't exactly plan it this way, but it worked out to make a way to tie the winch to the front end...and let me tell ya, its like cheating on the ledges
built and bent my own custom track bar
here's where the winch line comes out from the bottom as well as the support at the bottom of the radiator
front end...branik hawse fairlead to come someday...
and posing in the shop after the trip to moab
If there's some part of this mess that you want to see that I didn't post a photo, let me know and I'll try to help you out.
So unless I break this thing in half or something else proves itself to not work...I'm gonna say the XJ front "frame" build is complete...
mac 'ready for a true buggy build...with someone that can weld' gyvr
made a custom bracket for the windshield wiper reservoir to keep it in the stock location
got the psc hydro steering mounted and made a brace for it
i didn't exactly plan it this way, but it worked out to make a way to tie the winch to the front end...and let me tell ya, its like cheating on the ledges
built and bent my own custom track bar
here's where the winch line comes out from the bottom as well as the support at the bottom of the radiator
front end...branik hawse fairlead to come someday...
and posing in the shop after the trip to moab
If there's some part of this mess that you want to see that I didn't post a photo, let me know and I'll try to help you out.
So unless I break this thing in half or something else proves itself to not work...I'm gonna say the XJ front "frame" build is complete...
mac 'ready for a true buggy build...with someone that can weld' gyvr
vetteboy
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- morganville, nj
Nice, I dig it.
So how long til the first windshield replacement?
So how long til the first windshield replacement?
- Location
- NE Indiana
Nice, I dig it.
So how long til the first windshield replacement?
front windshield was first replaced in 2001 when i rolled the jeep the first time...if/when i destroy this one...i probably won't put one back in it...
mac 'though it helps on cold trail riding' gyvr
RWKHausSupply
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- yorba linda, Cali
OUch,... My head kinda hurts now.. Each step/tube/area of work, looks like it was done prior to planning the next.
OuCh,.
OuCh,.
- Location
- NE Indiana
that's what happens when you build on an XJ chassis...
actually the back was done two years prior to the front, the tube work front to back i think looks pretty good IMHO...
the front was actually mapped out with a plan...
oh...and it works...surprisingly really well
mac 'i've lost direction with your comments' gyvr
- Location
- Port Orchard, WA
- Location
- NE Indiana
you dont exactly have a piece of fine art there buddy...
OUch,... My head kinda hurts now.. Each step/tube/area of work, looks like it was done prior to planning the next.
mac 'OuCh,.' gyvr
Pat
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Bloomington, IN
There you go mac, making friends with the Caltards again...
RWKHausSupply
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- yorba linda, Cali
you dont exactly have a piece of fine art there buddy...
:confused1
Well i cant say much for mine at all. other then it was all done at one time and theres no 1" tubing tieing together nodes at odd angles and tube on top of tube and just kinda made to work.
most all of it was done to function first and keep as much XJ as possible without the body. I didnt see the reason to cut a unibody apart only to try and frame it, when theres so many framed rigs out there with stronger engines that would make it alot more functional with so much less work needed. But that was My approach. to each thier own. I was just saying that Ouch my head hurt over all the add on to add on to add on tube, gussetts, and parts.
- Location
- NE Indiana
first off, where were you to help guide me with your wisdom when i was building the rig?
secondly, if you had read the entire 8 pages of this post you would know why some things were done the way that they were done. the stacked tube in the front matches what we did in the back, makes it strong and also makes it look good (at least me and my buddy thought). i built what i built because I hated the uniframe on the front. it was badly smoked from wheeling and the steering box was nearly torn out of the frame. plus i have a lot of time into this rig since i bought it completely stock in december of 1999 (almost 9 years ago to the day). plus...its different. and if anyone should understand that, it should be the people (like you) in this forum that are doing things to an XJ that no sane person should or would do.
oh, and the 1 inch tubes that you see that 'kind of' tie it all together, are bracing to tie it together. it has worked so far. i keep waiting for it to break in half, and it keeps holding together.
the goal of posting this thread was to show the progress, get suggestions along the way, and maybe guide some others if they do a similar project.
i'm gonna wheel this as much as I can as often as I can afford too. Next winter I'll start building a full tube chassis and take things that i've learned from this build into that build and make it better.
mac 'self admitted shady welds...so far are sticking' gyvr
Sponge Bob
Attitude Racing
- Location
- Mokena,ILL
I think your super glue welds look sexy :cheers:
- Location
- West Sacramento, CA
Hey Mac, the part that's really going to suck is if you decide to clearance your rockers, and you end up cutting half your tube away and reworking it so it can come out the way you want. Just take like a month or two worth of work and throw it away.
- Location
- NE Indiana
Hey Mac, the part that's really going to suck is if you decide to clearance your rockers, and you end up cutting half your tube away and reworking it so it can come out the way you want. Just take like a month or two worth of work and throw it away.
yeah i'm not happy with the current rockers/rock rails on the rig. they took a beating on the passengers side in moab, not sure where it happened, but i think it was on lower helldorado. they were a temporary build about six years ago during the first generation rear coils and are made out of 'pipe' :gee: they are tied into the body and the steel connecting them to the frame and the body (its steel not pipe, only pipe is the actual bars themselves) are plenty strong to keep the roll cage together in the event of another roll...but i would love to cut them out and booger weld in some boxed steel...at this point i'd be suprised if it happened...
thanks for the reminder tho, that had actually slipped my mind...i thought i was done
mac 'a project is never done' gyvr
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