Sheetmetal work is always so much fun.
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gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Still trying to knock out the shit that needs to be done before I pull the body.
So next up is making a fucking grill. To trim the stock grill enough to work..................the head light holes would no longer be there. I laid out a new grill on a piece of sheet metal a long time ago.....................now it's all rusty and I can barely see any scribbles on it anymore.
So, I started over with alum. Three simple goals.....maximize air flow to the radiator, two headlight holes and the tires can't rip it off the first time I turn the wheels. It's gonna look like what it looks like in the end. I won't actively try to make it look stupid, I think it will do that all by itself.
So here's the start.
I thought for a minute about just cutting a big rectangular hole for the grill opening. Then figured that would be actively trying to make it look stupid. So, I went back to what I had done on the sheet metal way back when. 7 slots like God intended, Just made a large as I could fit.
This is with the top and sides bent back at a 90* to keep it from flopping around.
Headlight holes in. Yes, holes are bigger than the headlights and the headlights aren't centered in the holes. There's a reason.
The headlights sit back a ways from the grill, so the holes needed to be bigger. Once if figured out what hole size would work, I cheated them inboard until they looked right on the grill.
Hit with the english wheel to give it a little shape. That also made it follow the front of the hood.
Trimmed up the bottom to be flush against the x-member that the radiator tray bolts to. This will seal the bottom.
Got one of the side pieces tacked on today. The sides will seal against the engine cage tubes.
I sure hope I don't fuck it up cutting out the slots. That would suck.
So next up is making a fucking grill. To trim the stock grill enough to work..................the head light holes would no longer be there. I laid out a new grill on a piece of sheet metal a long time ago.....................now it's all rusty and I can barely see any scribbles on it anymore.
So, I started over with alum. Three simple goals.....maximize air flow to the radiator, two headlight holes and the tires can't rip it off the first time I turn the wheels. It's gonna look like what it looks like in the end. I won't actively try to make it look stupid, I think it will do that all by itself.
So here's the start.
I thought for a minute about just cutting a big rectangular hole for the grill opening. Then figured that would be actively trying to make it look stupid. So, I went back to what I had done on the sheet metal way back when. 7 slots like God intended, Just made a large as I could fit.
This is with the top and sides bent back at a 90* to keep it from flopping around.
Headlight holes in. Yes, holes are bigger than the headlights and the headlights aren't centered in the holes. There's a reason.
The headlights sit back a ways from the grill, so the holes needed to be bigger. Once if figured out what hole size would work, I cheated them inboard until they looked right on the grill.
Hit with the english wheel to give it a little shape. That also made it follow the front of the hood.
Trimmed up the bottom to be flush against the x-member that the radiator tray bolts to. This will seal the bottom.
Got one of the side pieces tacked on today. The sides will seal against the engine cage tubes.
I sure hope I don't fuck it up cutting out the slots. That would suck.
You could cut the slots around 1/4 inch smaller than your drawn pattern and bead roll/wheel them into small flanges that will add a lot of rigidity to the final piece (and give you more room for error) or not. Sheet metal work is a pita.
grapehead
Junior Woodchuck
Solid suggestion about the bead rolling, definitely do something like that.
Opiebennett
XJ_Ranger
Steering arms showed up. Came out perfect. Q&T 4140.
They now clear the bypass shock at full lock and will also give me almost 100% Akermann. Not going to drill the tie rod holes until after I get the ram mounted.
will it clear the bypass body and longest compression tube at full flex and full turn?
granted, not likely to get there at any rate of speed, being full turn and all, but even a slow tap on the bypass adjuster or the shock body would make me sad.
I’m concerned about that mix in my build, which this problem is all in my head currently, as I don’t have anything in steel yet. I’m leaning towards building my own steering arms to attempt to make it all fit.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
That was my first thought. But I killed the motor on my bead roller a while back. I bought a cheap router, a couple bits and a couple pieces of oak to make a male and female set of "dies" to beat a radius edge in the slots.
You guys got me thinking a new motor for the roller is the better way to. Sometimes I get the tunnel vision going working by myself.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Clears the bypass body just fine. I swapped out the lower eye for a longer one a while back just for that reason.
If I have the bypass rotated so I can remove the inner fender dzus fasteners with a straight screwdriver, the adjuster ends up about 3/8" from the steer arm when I crank the axle up till the rubbers on the shafts squish and I start to lift the whole front end.
Plan it to have them rotated out of the way (which I can do, but it won't miss by much) and make a tool for the dzus fasteners. I have the top caps loose right now so I can rotate them around.
Another thing that added to things getting close together was the amount of caster I'm running. 12* has the steer arm sticking up higher.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Just ordered another motor for the bead roller and a 5/32" full radius die set. I realized my wooded die set idea was going to turn into a nightmare due to the shape in the grill.
Look forward to seeing the results
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Well, radiator slots with a radius are proving to be a bit harder than expected.
Using .080" alum, which is 14ga'ish. That's not helping.
The 5/32" full radius die set puts a neat radius in it, but doesn't like the .080" material.
I tried the rolled edge "tank" dies. Too big of radius and doesn't make a 90*.
5/32" radius on left, tank roll on right.
90* dies is just too sharp.
So I tried hammering a radius with scrap on a piece of 2x3 rectangular tube.
Cleaned up, it looks real nice, just a bit bigger than I want. Would also be a big pita to get the rounded top/bottoms right and follow the curved shape of the grill.
So next up was bending a 90* around 1/4" round stock.
I believe we have a winner.
Now I can cut long strips the size you see in the above pic, bend them around the 1/4" round stock and shape them with the shrinker/stretcher to match the grill.
Just need to bang out a bunch of it, make it match the shape/openings, trim for the depth and weld. Hit the welds with a flapper and my simple idea for adding a radius edge is complete.
I think simple took the day off cause this is going to take a while
.
Using .080" alum, which is 14ga'ish. That's not helping.
The 5/32" full radius die set puts a neat radius in it, but doesn't like the .080" material.
I tried the rolled edge "tank" dies. Too big of radius and doesn't make a 90*.
5/32" radius on left, tank roll on right.
90* dies is just too sharp.
So I tried hammering a radius with scrap on a piece of 2x3 rectangular tube.
Cleaned up, it looks real nice, just a bit bigger than I want. Would also be a big pita to get the rounded top/bottoms right and follow the curved shape of the grill.
So next up was bending a 90* around 1/4" round stock.
I believe we have a winner.
Now I can cut long strips the size you see in the above pic, bend them around the 1/4" round stock and shape them with the shrinker/stretcher to match the grill.Just need to bang out a bunch of it, make it match the shape/openings, trim for the depth and weld. Hit the welds with a flapper and my simple idea for adding a radius edge is complete.
I think simple took the day off cause this is going to take a while
.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
I'm going to cut the slots out now and see how bad they look without the radius
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
I'm doing this on my phone and I get the feeling that these pics are gigantic. Guess I'll figure it out when I get to my laptop in the house.
Grill still has it's shape.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Those strips between the open slots will most definitely need the support of the radius pieces. Without them the strips will probably vibrate and sound like a swarm of bees..........................drowning out the sound of sweet horse power. Can't have that.
I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with how the grill looks, now that everything is cutout, I like it. I was fully expecting to hate it. And considering the first picture I have of the grill design was taken Dec '17................that's a long fucking time to expect to hate something.
I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with how the grill looks, now that everything is cutout, I like it. I was fully expecting to hate it. And considering the first picture I have of the grill design was taken Dec '17................that's a long fucking time to expect to hate something.
I'm not sure you sectioned your hood enough yet. You oughta put in a couple extra pie cuts. .... that must have been a pita
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
The real pain was the 184 billion tacks to stick it all back together. Cutting it pretty much killed the strength that the bottom support structure gave it. Cutting the hole for the cowl induction finished off that support structure. All that's left is pretty much a floppy piece of 20ga sheet metal.
My plan is to bondo it up, shape it, smooth it and then pull a mold off it. I'll make a composite that can be way stronger than what's there now.
I've been planning to do the same with the grill, but now I'm starting to think I might not need to. It might be smart to pull a mold from it just to have.
My plan is to bondo it up, shape it, smooth it and then pull a mold off it. I'll make a composite that can be way stronger than what's there now.
I've been planning to do the same with the grill, but now I'm starting to think I might not need to. It might be smart to pull a mold from it just to have.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Thank you Sir.
3 1/4" hole saw for the tops and bottoms. Cut the long straights with a cutoff wheel to connect the hole saw cuts. I can't cut a straight line to save my life with a jig saw. I also have a nibbler that works great but, if I have to free hand a straight line I always go to the cutoff wheel.
Yes, radius around the headlight holes. I held up the little sample radius pieces I made to the headlight holes yesterday. Gave it a big ol fuck yes.
I know your pain all too well. I did a hard cab samurai pickup for my stepdad a couple years ago out of a tin top and a second convertible samurai for the bed section. Sectioning two feet out of that cab was a thousand tacks inside and out to join it all back together, and a thousand more to graft the bed back on. Ended up looking factory, but what a pita.
And if it's floppy, no big deal. Just like a factory CJ hood.
Cod
I Haz Jeep!
Looking good like any Juggy should!
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
A little wiggling I could handle. Folding like a taco is my worry.
You're a evil man
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Here's the start of the radius pieces. Cut the strips with the nibbler.
Only takes a couple seconds to make them flat again.
Only takes a couple seconds to make them flat again.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Got all the radius pieces made, then proceeded to cross my fingers and started pulling the lever on the shrinker/stretcher about a million times.
Most came out perfect like this one.
And 3-4 actually split where I was stretching. Not sure what caused it. Maybe hitting it in the same spot too many times, who knows. Only thing I'm sure of, is that I have no clue about what I'm doing. I can still use the few that cracked and did.
A few hits with the shrinker and they matched the shape of the grill.
Then came the fun part of trimming each one so they would fit together in the space between the grill openings.
Started tacking them in place. Once they get all welded in, I can get the radius back when I smooth the welds.
Everything tacked in. It's way stiffer now and I think it looks a bit better.
Test fit.
Had to nip a bit off to clear the lower engine oil cooler mount.
Also comes pretty close to the cooler itself.
Once it's all welded up, I'm going to cut the part that goes in, down to about a 1/2" on all of them. At least I can do that with a cutoff wheel.
Most came out perfect like this one.
And 3-4 actually split where I was stretching. Not sure what caused it. Maybe hitting it in the same spot too many times, who knows. Only thing I'm sure of, is that I have no clue about what I'm doing. I can still use the few that cracked and did.
A few hits with the shrinker and they matched the shape of the grill.
Then came the fun part of trimming each one so they would fit together in the space between the grill openings.
Started tacking them in place. Once they get all welded in, I can get the radius back when I smooth the welds.
Everything tacked in. It's way stiffer now and I think it looks a bit better.
Test fit.
Had to nip a bit off to clear the lower engine oil cooler mount.
Also comes pretty close to the cooler itself.
Once it's all welded up, I'm going to cut the part that goes in, down to about a 1/2" on all of them. At least I can do that with a cutoff wheel.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Since I had one radius piece leftover, I went ahead and stretched it to fit the headlight hole.
I shit you not, it just turned out to be the exact length to fit the hole perfectly when the ends touched.
I'm going to have to make different pieces with more depth so I can trim to end flush with the headlights. It will have to go from basically nothing on the outboard side to a couple inches on the inboard side.
I shit you not, it just turned out to be the exact length to fit the hole perfectly when the ends touched.
I'm going to have to make different pieces with more depth so I can trim to end flush with the headlights. It will have to go from basically nothing on the outboard side to a couple inches on the inboard side.
Very nice work. If it's getting thin or cracking, it's likely work hardening. Not a huge deal for what they are, but next time get em good and hot with a propane torch about halfway through to re-anneal them. Should help.
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
damn, that looks awesome, great job!!!
Thank you Sir. It was a lot of work and it's still not finished, but it'll be worth it in the end. Those little strips between the openings were weak as hell. Now they don't move.
I didn't even think of that, but I bet you're right. I'll keep that in mind when doing the headlight bits.
Cod
I Haz Jeep!
That looks really good!
gt1guy
Apparently a racist
Thank you Sir.
I like it too, and I wasn't expecting to. I got the top and bottom round parts of the slots welded out yesterday and half of the straight parts. It was 89* and 90% humidity, I was soaked with sweat and kept getting zapped. It started to get not fun.
It's raining now, so I'll get another few hours of tasting my fillings.