Glucosamine treatment for an old warrior

[Cdaniel]

Thanks for the tip on the rad support, but my stock one is long gone. I'll be putting a Ron Davis aluminum rad an custom bracket back in and this steering set up willl actually add space for maybe a wider one.

 

[pb4ugo]

My frame rails are toast & were scabbed w/ 1/4" plate, then I had 3/8" plate which I doubled up for the outside of the frame rails. I knew this thickness was too much, so I removed the raised areas on the box mounting surface so the box would fit closer to the frame. The pitman shaft is too vertical, if I install a stk wagoneer pitman arm, it would hit the frame, also the box is moved back compared to alot of other folks installs. I knew I was going to use a drop pitman arm & I wanted the drag link to be closer to parallel w/the tie rod(front to back). I wanted to eliminate bump steer, i'm fine w/this configuration. In the future I will be tracking down another frame & would probably rotate the back of the box up so stk pitman arm would clear the frame & SOA. I'll PM you more pics.

 

[Cdaniel]

Where did you source that stock style coupler for the connection to the input shaft?

 

[pb4ugo]

Originally the PO butchered in a Downey steering conversion kit, so I used 1 ujoint & a portion of that shaft. The lower portion of the steering shaft & coupler is from a CJ. All my friends I wheel w/have jeeps, so I was very familiar w/this coupler, plus I had the parts laying around. I never really liked the ragjoint set up, they always seem to fail @ the wrong time & alignment seems more critical. This coupler allows for a around a total of 1 1/4"+ of movement in & out, & the input of the shaft can be on a slight angle. I figured w/frame & tub flex on the trails this slip joint would be good. I think i've seen this type of coupler on several other vehicles too. W/this coupler you need the matching steering shaft end to slip into it. You can get replacement parts thru 4wheeldrivehardware & I'm sure other places carry this stuff, there all stk parts. The Downey kit had a solid shaft & was never collapsable, my altered steering shaft is the same way. FYI, My box has the 13/16" input.

 

[pb4ugo]

I'll have to see If I infact have a 13/16 input. The coupler I used may not be jeep.
apparently jeep boxes have a 3/4" input.

 

[Cdaniel]

I'll have to see If I infact have a 13/16 input. The coupler I used my not be jeep.
apparently jeep boxes have a 3/4" input.

I'm familiar with the coupling, It's on gagillions of GM products. I was just curious if you found it new somehow.

My Scout box has the 3/4 input. My other GM box has 13/16.

 

[pb4ugo]

I got the impression you found a scout box for a core. The cheaper scout box thru Autozone is the 13/16input box. They will never know the difference. 4wd.com has the coupler & parts new, but you will still need the shaft, if you do what I did. They also ref the omix-ada part # which should allow you to find the parts locally. I'd try to find someone parting out a jeep cj, sj or j series & get everything you need. What thru me off was AZ reference the jeep box as a 3/4 input & advanced ref. the 13/16 input. My old box, out front, was purchased about 15 yrs ago & has a 13/16 input & was purchased from AZ.

 

[Cdaniel]

That box is a core, but I plan on having it rebuilt at a local builder. After some further investigation, I'm in luck. My previous installation had an AA spud shaft that adapted from large to small input shaft. And the splined U-joint will mate to the Scout box. All I have to do is shorten my existing steering shaft.

And thanks for the extra pics

 

[77TLCFJ40]

That box is a core, but I plan on having it rebuilt at a local builder. After some further investigation, I'm in luck. My previous installation had an AA spud shaft that adapted from large to small input shaft. And the splined U-joint will mate to the Scout box. All I have to do is shorten my existing steering shaft.

And thanks for the extra pics

WOW! That was lucky. Keep up the good work!

 

[Cdaniel]

New (to me) parts week.
Collected some fresh Ford shock towers
And
Some later model knuckle assemblies.
Had one of those WTF am I doing moments today. Probably shoulda just put a clutch in it and drove it until something else broke.

Too late now though, must press on.

 

[Cdaniel]

Thought better about having the cross member dipped because of having raw steel inside the box afterward. Never will get it all covered again.
So I went at it with a wire wheel. Whats left of the white I couldn't get will now be primer. I was surprised by the amount of surface pitting under the paint. It's still solid though.

1st coat with some rust converting primer.

 

[Cdaniel]

One in the win column!

Frame Salad Transplant Surgery Complete!

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Are you planning on stitch welding that cross member in?

I just got my frame back from the sand blaster. I knew that I had some damage, but having everything clean really lets you see what is left to do.

 

[Cdaniel]

Are you planning on stitch welding that cross member in?...

No. IMHO that will lead to cracking. I think the frame engineers used rivets to allow some relative movement between the pieces. The one place they did weld is the funky tube that ties the sides together mid frame. I think they had a plan

 

[Scott68FJ40]

I'm really torn on whether to box my frame or not to. I wonder if it being riveted was just a production consideration or by design?

 

[Cdaniel]

I'm really torn on whether to box my frame or not to. I wonder if it being riveted was just a production consideration or by design?

Well production and design considerations go hand in hand when it comes to manufacturing. The rivets must have been the functional and economical solution for the times. For your rig and your plans for it, I would think it's fine to leave it as is. (fix them spring hangers though )

The boxing I'm doing is only to reinforce the alterations I'm doing. I have done and will be doing fairly hard trails and don't see much reason to box in the entire chassis. I may add some gusseting to the rear forward spring hanger after seeing what happened to DSRTRDR's frame though Her story

 

[Cdaniel]

On to my boxing match

Final welding and some reinforcements.
Driver side jigsaw puzzle

 

[Cdaniel]

Passenger side,
And out of fathers day time to get the welding done. On to dinner with the family

Just when I was getting the groove going for some better looking beads.

 

[69LC]

Nice work!

I used the Scout II box mounted similarly to yours and Ford shock towers. I modded the towers though to stand up straight to angle the shocks inward like the stock towers. If you just weld on the ford towers, the shocks are beyond vertical and lose effectiveness when stuffing a wheel. I did have to do some creative clearancing on the left tower to clear the steering shaft. I used a mini truck steering shaft with a real slip yoke and u-joints that Toyota also used as late 70s/early 80s small car rear driveshaft u-joints. I modded the lower u-joint to bolt up to the scout rag joint two bolt flange.

I was learning to weld at the time, so don't flame me for the crappy and temporary welds...

At the time I set the shock tower height for some bone-yard z71 rear shocks that matched the travel I had.

 

[69LC]

One more...

Here's one for exhaust and steering shaft clearances with shorty block huggers.

I know my fenders are not bolted the frame. This 40 took a left front hit before I bought it and things wouldn't line up with the fenders bolted to the frame. Metal Tech tube fenders?