About time I did a buildup thread (1 Viewer)

[Fryedaddy]

Yeah I looked at it a month or so ago. I think the front of my engine & attachments are around 6 inches from the factory radiator location. I have some room to work with but wondered why they used those. I'll have to look into it further when I get the body back on.

Thank you

 

[FJFOOL]

Nice job, definately a unique rig. Thanks, looking forward to the finished product !!

 

[xjnation]

I had a question of height after the soa and 35s. I went out and took some pics with the tape. Here's the center of the door to the ground:



Here is the rear:



And the front:



I also have 8" between the tire and fenders / quarters.

 

[xjnation]

I've been wondering how to get the kiddo into the back seat easily. I wanted to make the passenger side seat able to flip foward but wasn't sure of an easy way to do it. Then I remembered I had a couple bear-claw latches I got off of an airflow tailgate I warrantied. Fabbed up some brackets to hold them and used some 5/8ths all thread. All in all it came out really well. The latches pop by reaching under the seat about an inch and pulling a lever. It works alot smoother than I would have thought.









I just realized I need to figure out a way for the seatbelts to work with it tilting now......... hmmm.

 

[xjnation]

I also made a battery tray today. I've got some room between the firewall and the engine, So I designed it to fit there. It will bolt up to the firewall where the heater bolts in to the inside. It sits low and fots pretty good. Not too bad for a Plasma cutter, hammer, and a vice, eh?

 

[AKcruiserfreak]

Wow! You are my hero. You make it sound like it takes a couple of tools and no prior experience to pull off a sweet built. I'll be calling you halfway into my build... Crying.

Good job, keep it up.

TK

 

[xjnation]

IT'S ALIVE!!!!! I got her running for the first time tonight. Damn thing sounds like a V8 without the exhaust. Couldn't run it very long as I don't have it plumbed yet but hopefully soon. Anyone know where the heater lines hook into a 1993 4.3 CMFI motor? The front pass side of the intake has 1 port, but where is the other??????? TIA

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Man I love this thread Looks great

 

[4x4 Station Wagon]

I like it you are not afraid!! A lot of us can get nervous about rust....... Rust gets nervous about you!!

 

[xjnation]

I got a Marlin steering kit and knuckle kit from orangefj45 and tore into the front end. While I was waiting on the parts I pulled all the old ........ new parts. Replacing the brake hardware was one of the first things I did so I'm going to lose some $ there, but atleast it all came off easy. I remember how dirty they were the first time around.



I used a 4" grinder with a cutoff wheel and began the c&t. I got the rough cut made and then evened it out with a sawzall. That SOB was hard to turn. I used a torch to heat the tubing and an icepack on the ??bell and it would not move with a 3' bar, actually my jack handle. It was all that fit between the axle and fender. I found a piece of pipe thet fit the holes much better and ended up making a killer "tool" out of that and a piece of 2x steel. Made rotating the knuckle cake.




I got held up because I couldnt press the studs into the new rotors. I had to wait until I could go to work to do it. After that everything went on really well.

 

[xjnation]

Engine wiring cleaned up and batery tray installed. I was hoping I'd get the black plug wires when I ordered them but they came in bright yellow.



Here is a pic of the rear shock mounts and the shocks finally mounted. I want to pull the rezzies off but I don't have access to the equipment to recharge them. I'm pretty stoked to see how it rides.

 

[4x4 Station Wagon]

Holy crud I just read clear back through your thread!! It had been a while since I viewed and had to catch up

Those shocks are wicked!! How much are they going to allow your axle to travel up?? I am a little worried there but pics don't allways show exactly

Your work here has been more than awesome!! Don't feel bad I have owned a cruiser for 12 years and had only driven it probably 30 miles on the street (Can't count the hay fields can ya) when I inherrited it I tore it apart the next day so your at 0 miles in 5 years and I will raise you 30 miles in 12 years!!

Don't wait another 7 to beat me that dang thing is getting to close to

 

[xjnation]

Those shocks are wicked!! How much are they going to allow your axle to travel up?? I am a little worried there but pics don't allways show exactly

Your work here has been more than awesome!! Don't feel bad I have owned a cruiser for 12 years and had only driven it probably 30 miles on the street (Can't count the hay fields can ya) when I inherrited it I tore it apart the next day so your at 0 miles in 5 years and I will raise you 30 miles in 12 years!!

Don't wait another 7 to beat me that dang thing is getting to close to

The tire will be in the quarter before the shocks bottom out. I really wanted to be setup for more droop and keep the truck low. I guess it could be lower. I'll probably end up taking out a leaf in the rear to get it down a bit. Real problem right now is the rear driveshaft. I'll need a shaft that can handle over 40* to max out the shocks. That sucks. I can either limit the rear DS travel with a limit strap, or cut out the drivetrain and lower it a bit. I really DON'T want to do that, especially since I just sold my engine hoist last week. Right now I really don't know what I'm going to do with the rear end.

Aside from that I did get some more done. I just have not been taking pics. Next chance I get I'll snap some and get them posted.

 

[fireflyr]

Tim,
You are absolutely fearless! It looks like you are having a blast and the cruiser is coming out great. A friend has the 4.3L in a CJ5 and it is a wonderful motor. Plenty of torque and smooth as glass. Congrats on a job well done and thanks again for the wall clock. It's the coolest thing I've ever won.

 

[orangefj45]

hey tim.
finally got a chance to check out the thread and your work. i like it! keep it up, looking forward to seeing some wheeling pics when it's done!

georg @ valley hybrids

 

[xjnation]

She's getting close. I just need to get off my arse and order the final few bits and pieces. Still need to build the exhaust, not really looking foward to it but at the same time excited to do it..... I need to update the thread with the latest progress. Hopefully soon...........

 

[rsc71]

so what did you do for a rear driveshaft?

 

[IPOR]

Wow Tim, great work. Very innovative. I love the way you find positive solutions instead of problems.

 

[John Smith]

Have you had a chance to flex out the rear to find out if the axle makes contact with the gas tank in the rear?

 

[xjnation]

Wow Tim, great work. Very innovative. I love the way you find positive solutions instead of problems.

Yeah, my friends call me MacGuyver. Thanks! I try to keep a good attitude when problems arise. I figure what's done is done. Getting pissed only leaves me with a bigger problem or broken parts/bloody knuckles.

so what did you do for a rear driveshaft?

I'm swapping out the 1330 output with a 1310 and am ordering neapco parts that bolt to the pinions. They will also accept a 1310 joint. I'll end up running a Cherokee front shaft in the rear and a stock Chevy DC in the front. I really wouldn't even need the DC up front as the shaft is so long, but it's there and bolts up(after some lengthening). I think with a bit of grinding the XJ shaft will pull the angles I need.