Just another SPOA YJ

[Levigarrett76]

Thank you for taking the time to post this, very nice. I dig the simple old school tech, with the right parts where it matters

 

[DannyK]

I've made some progress on the steering. I will be doing some notching and rebuilding of the frame over the steering to allow for some reasonable up travel.

 

[DannyK]

I installed a 1.5" aluminum spacer from McMaster Carr in the ram to limit the travel. The ram bottoms/tops when the knuckle stops hit the axle housing.

 

[Gravy]

I'm worried about the leaf springs, LOL, but didn't want to dive into the deep end with linking this thing right from the start. I will be building a traction bar for the rear. I guess I will see how long the leaf springs hold up and just replace them as necessary. Maybe buy some high quality Deaver leafs to keep it on the trail until I give in some day and link it. This isn't a hill killing extreme rig. It is just going to be a street legal trail Jeep. At least that is what I told myself when I started the build.

Throwing some half leafs on the frame side will help with bending. Hack way to military wrap them is to get rear Cherokee springs and knock out the big bushing, then slip the leaf eye over the spring and drill a new centering hole.

 

[DannyK]

Throwing some half leafs on the frame side will help with bending. Hack way to military wrap them is to get rear Cherokee springs and knock out the big bushing, then slip the leaf eye over the spring and drill a new centering hole.

I've been thinking about doing exactly what you described. I will be building a traction bar too

 

[DannyK]

I designed some low profile spring perches for the rear, and my friend at work cut them out for me.

 

[DannyK]

The joints in my steering shaft were loose, so I bought a new one, then cut it and extended it with a piece of tubing for the forward steering box position.

 

[DannyK]

The frame notching for steering clearance is in progress.

 

[DannyK]

I finished the frame notching.

 

[DannyK]

Cut the grill to clear the frame rails. Need to build mounts next.

 

[DannyK]

 

[The Freeak]

DannyK How long is your pitman arm? Does it give you full turning angle in both directions?

 

[DannyK]

DannyK How long is your pitman arm? Does it give you full turning angle in both directions?

I drilled the drag link hole in the pitman arm 5.5" from the steering box shaft hole. Yes, I get full steering in both directions. The pitman arm actually has about another 1/4" that it can travel in both directions before the steering box runs out.

 

[DannyK]

I got the grill mounted. I ended up cutting the stock mounting bracket off the bottom of the grill so I could raise the mount up a little over 1". I needed a little more room for the drag link. I had to build a custom bottom grill mount off the winch plate.

 

[DannyK]

 

[DannyK]

I built the transmission crossmember and mounting. The crossmember is 1.75" OD x 3/16" wall tubing. The bottom of the tube is flush with the bottom of the frame rails so I can bolt up a flat piece of 1/4" steel to the bottom of the frame for a skid plate. I may have to cut four holes in the skid plate for the four transmission mount bracket bolt heads. There are steel sleeves welded in the frame for the mounting bolts. I also installed my PVC driveshaft to measure my rear DS angle at 16 degrees relative to the TC output.

 

[DannyK]

I also removed the stock tail lights and replaced them with some LED units, then made a patch panel for the stock fuel filler hole.

 

[DannyK]

I finally got around to capping off the rear ends of the frame rails where I had cut them. I suck at welding in any position other than perfect. Trying to keep it low while doing a spring over meant cutting into the frame pretty heavily at the very rear. The angled notch is to allow the shackle to swing under during full droop. I'm fully questioning my sanity for sticking with leaves. I probably should have just picked up some cheap coil springs and linked it.

 

[89yjon]

Looking good so far!

 

[Levigarrett76]

I like the theme of this, im anxious to see how it does

 

[rattle_snake]

Cool build!

 

[mastadon]

Love this build. One of these days I want to do an older rig on leafs.

 

[DannyK]

I'm still slowly making progress. I cleaned up the rear of the tub and repainted it. I also painted the fuel cell mounting brackets and mounted the fuel cell. I've got some traction bar parts on the way along with some shock hoops.