New year, new financial mistake, 4800 build.

[Byro]

So, a couple of years ago I built a full ground up trail rig. DJ5, tons, 40s, ORIs, fuel injected SBC. Beat the hell out of it for the past couple years, no issues other than a broke stock 78-79 KP60 inner shaft and a driveshaft sheared after I dorked it on a sharp rock. The thing does every thing I want it to do, been a great rig.

As of lately I’ve got to urge to go faster, well that’s fun. Then the joke was made somewhere, “You drive it like an Ultra4” Well that started the gears turning even more.

•It’s a stockish style frame.
•Has full hydro steering.
•Has some original body panels•
•4 linked front and rear.

Ok, so 4800 is my class I fall into, knife to a gun fight kinda as it sits, whatever. Next issue being the 1.75” cage, never weighed it but I know it’s gotta be close to the limit, then adding all the race prep stuff to it would definitely put me over. That and the cage is tiny and minimalist, great for rec trail work but it needed some more for go fast stuff anyways.

So…Ive decided I’m going to chop up a perfectly capable and operational trail rig to rebuild it to 4800 class specs so I can bankrupt my company to go to some of the east coast races. As of a few hours ago this is how she sat.

Few hours later and the old cage was off.

The old Race Trim suspensions are out. Talked the old lady into a run to Summit Racing and picked up a set of Corbeau FX1 Pros to replace them. Stick them in to see what they looked like.

The first pieces of the refresh.

Widdled a little more before calling it a night. I wanted to keep it running and driving, undecided if I’m going to build it at the house or take it to my shop. This is where she sits now.

 

[Byro]

So plans include,
-Going rework cage to 2” .120 wall.
-Stretch rear frame section.
-Stretch WB out the back a few more inches, (currently 112”)
-Fuel cell with bladder
-Ditch the ORIs for C/Os
-Panel floor as opposed to welded solid as it is now to make access to trans and case easier. Also with my belly pan set up the belly has to be dropped to change the front driveshaft.
-All necessary safety equipment
-Move radiator up front, originally used an XJ radiator in the rear because I didn’t want to have a custom one made.
-Spare tire basket

-Probably a ton more stuff I’m forgetting.


Build is going to be slow, I’ll try and update and catalog any work that gets done.

 

[Byro]

Sent some pics to a friend. His response, “Keep cutting.” So widdled out the front fender bars.

Plan is to move the door bar/fender bar up 3-4” to help with containment. The original door bars were pretty low and while great for trail work still left you feeling pretty out in the open.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to gain another 3-4” of up travel. Currently the axle side upper links bump out right at the floor. Obviously the rear floor section will be changed up some but I still have to fit a spare, fuel cell and whatever else back there. While making dinner I had a eureka moment, while the meat loaf was in the oven I ran out to the barn with some tape.

Triangulate lowers, outboard uppers. Moving the axle side uppers outside the frame rails gains me all kind of clearance for up travel. The switcheroo also lets me move the frame side lowers from the bottom side of the frame rails to flush with it, true flat belly with no mounts hanging below, like they do now. Outboarding the frame side uppers also lets me keep separation where it needs to be. 3” more ground clearance, 4” more up travel. Win/win.

Next step is to get it out side and washed up, I’ve almost got all the dirt cut off at this point.

Oh, and a quick cartoon of the final product.

 

[Bebop]

Nice !! Subbed !

Only thing I see as a mistake is the switch to front mount radiator. If you're racing you need a big ass rad in the rear.

 

[FC4X4]

Maybe pressure wash it? I hate working on dirty rigs.

 

[gt1guy]

I love it.."keep cutting". Simple and to the point.

 

[Byro]

Nice !! Subbed !

Only thing I see as a mistake is the switch to front mount radiator. If you're racing you need a big ass rad in the rear.

I keep going back and forth on that one. Trail riding I hated listening to the sound of the damn fans. I would like to trail ride it when it’s not racing. Guess a set of comms cancels the fans in both a race and trail ride scenario.

So that settles that.

Maybe pressure wash it? I hate working on dirty rigs.

Yeah, it’s been raining. It’s getting washed before I go any further with it. I didn’t. Realize how much shit my boatsides hold til I took them off. Brand new barn I’d like to keep it clean too.

 

[tribal4krawler]

Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you race it in 4500? looks like you have a square box tube frame.. You'll also be able to be alot more competitive right off the hit with fewer entries rather than racing 20+ sandbaggers that have been racing 4800 cars in brand new purpose built cars for years. All you'd have to do is install a steering box with a sweet valve. I'd suggest just seeing how it is first with 112" wheelbase, especially in the east coast racing stuff. You'll like the shorter wheelbase weaving in and out of the trees and its a wheelbase you're already familiar with. I also agree with keeping the radiator in the back.

 

[Byro]

Building a track bar and adding a steering box to a rig that was first set up for 4-link would be a pain. My front links tuck into the frame at full bump. Trying to get a box, drag link etc to cycle would be a nightmare IMO.

 

[Opiebennett]

Push pull steering box at frame, above lower control arm frame side mount? Pivot on front axle housing? Been done a few times...

 

[Byro]

Push pull steering box at frame, above lower control arm frame side mount? Pivot on front axle housing? Been done a few times...

It would be tight. The original build was 10lbs. of shit in a 5lb bucket.



I know right now I’m not beating the big money teams. I don’t have the money or trickery know-how to build a car on that level. I do know I can build a pretty damn good trail rig and I’m pretty not bad at driving one. I want to run a race with my dad before he can’t go anymore. We’ve raced harescrambles on bikes for years, he doesn’t ride anymore, this is my way to get him out in the woods hauling ass one last time.

 

[Byro]

So had enough sun today to get it out of the barn and give her one last bath. Unfortunately that’s all I really got done on her today.

I picked up some 2” 0.188 wall for the new sliders/boat sides as well as the front and rear frame ends rework. Hit the lumber yard in town and picked up some stuff to make a table. I don’t know what ended up happening to the saw horses I made that I built this thing on originally.

Hopefully I can get it all leveled and plumbed up and trim some more off of it and actually start putting some new stuff together this week.

 

[Rockwood]

Don't have to be competitive to have fun as long as you're not doing it for glory or gold-painted pieces of plastic to show off. Run it, be irreverent towards the podium, and have fun.

 

[Byro]

No real updates. Got it sitting on a sketchy table, still needs added to and leveled up but this is how it’s sat for the last 2 weeks while I was at Hammers.

Some tabs and trailing arms from RuffStuff did show up while I was gone so maybe lll get her squared up and start cutting some old link tabs off and tacking the new ones in.

 

[FC4X4]

Needs more triangulation.

 

[Bebop]

Needs more triangulation.

 

[Rockwood]

Needs more triangulation.

Just don't push on it, shit'll be fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

 

[Byro]

Just don't push on it, shit'll be fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

Shits fuckin mint if you squint man. It’s only holding up a SBC and a TH400.

 

[Byro]

So after a couple weeks of not even looking at it I decided that after reworking the front and rear frame sections that I would be left with 2’ of the original frame. When I originally built it it was the close dimensions of the original DJ5 frame, inside to inside rail is only 28” which makes packaging a nightmare so I decided to hell with it I’m building a whole new chassis and putting this one back together.


Snagged a running driving 6.0 for $1100 delivered with a free truck attached to it on Saturday.

Picking up tube today so, currently I have ;
A junk 2500HD
Pair of Corbeau FX1 seats
JAZ JeepSpeed 32g fuel cell
RoughStuff rear trailing arms
A cut apart trail rig

Off to a great start.

 

[bunk]

Seems logical.

 

[Byro]

Seems logical.

Somewhat. I wish I would have had the idea before I scalped so deep into the trail rig but is what it is. I wanted to change the cage on it for a while anyways, now I have to.

 

[RunningProblem]

Anything new?

 

[Byro]

I said it would be slow. I’m poor as hell.

But I’ve been acquiring parts. Whole bunch of 1.75” .120 wall is getting delivered today so I’ll start updating the cage work on the trail rig.

I have the LS, TH400 so the next step will be building the subframe for the 4800.

 

[RustyC]

I would consider using the 4L80 from the donor truck and gear the axles to take advantage of the extra gear.

 

[Byro]

I would consider using the 4L80 from the donor truck and gear the axles to take advantage of the extra gear.

We don’t have huge flat stretches out here, and I would rather let the motor rev than run the extra electronics to control the 4L80.

I imagine hearing this thing so at 80mph it’s wrung out. Should it ever make it to KOH a swap of 3rds for a little more speed would be easy enough.

 

[Byro]

So yesterday I spent the better part of the day cleaning up the yard and had a little time left in the evening to whip up some tube racks. Nothing exciting I know, but bringing my bender home from the shop so I can start twisting some up for the trail rig.

I’d like to start the subframe for the 4800 car as well. I need JR4X to tell me all the Ultra4 tips and tricks.

 

[Byro]

Boring update. Started the cage on the trail rig. I should have it a roller again in another few evenings and then I’m going to get started on the 4800 car subframe. Axle housings are showing delivery for Monday so I guess I’ll twiddle my thumbs over the weekend.

Plan is to build the cage to run panels to emulate the original mail Jeep box. I’d like
To do the cage similar on the 4800 so they both match. I just need to find another DJ5 grille for the race car.

 

[Byro]

Ok so some progress. Nothing exciting.

Got the subframe for the race car tacked together. Keeping very similar dimensions to the trail Jeep, though tight, everything packages well and the link geometry works, not that I’ve ever ran the number or that it matters since the 4800 will be trailing upper.

So the bottom square is 32x36, original frame on the trail rig was 30” wide, which only gave 26” to pack everything. Vertical height from the bottom of the frame to slider was 9.5”, race car got bumped to 12” of separation there.

Outside to outside of slider will still be 60” to match the DJ5 tub, which I currently am on the hunt for another.

Lower section and sliders are 2” .188 wall, the rest of the tie-ins will be 2” .120.

Stacked some stuff up real quick so see what it’s gonna look like.

 

[Byro]

Mini update.

Main cage is back together in the trail rig.

The Corbeau XP’s are considerably bigger than the SS’s that were in it. Always hated how the SS hit right at the base of my head. Neck beaker 3000’s.



As far as the 4800 I got a grille from Texas.

And currently figuring bout the best way to get a cowl from Oregon to Ohio.

$700 seems outrageous to me, probably gonna is what it is that price though. Cowl and title/vin is worth it. Build a mail Jeep Ultra4 car I said.

 

[chaplinfj60]

keep on keeping on. i think we all have been there when we get excited for a new project and just hack shit apart only to realize then i should start over or should have thought this through first. its all good. you have a plan now.