My new BJ of unknown origin... (1 Viewer)

[coleman2347]

try again hopefully

Third try...hopefully

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Well we redid the Shackles, hand made out of plate steel, our own design..seem to work ok.

I'd seriously reconsider those shackles.
First, they are going to hit the frame before the spring flattens out, limiting articulation.

Second, I'd be very concerned that they would collapse due to the stresses involved with the suspension. I do see that you put a gusset between the plates, which will help, but I'd still be very concerned that they would break.

Last, I don't think that shackle design really buys you anything that a straight shackle of the same length from pin to pin will do for you.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[coleman2347]

Ill let you know after I run them, you might be right. I had two more pictures of them so I could show the gussets better but they won't post. Now when you go to manage attachments there is not even a button to upload...their about twice as strong as the straight shackles were..but if they don't work I can always go back...thanks

 

[coleman2347]

More stuff..

Just some more pictures...

 

[coleman2347]

Thought you guys would like to see some of this stuff

This is just a couple of BJ40 in the same place as mine.
The guy with the blue one is gona swap me his wing window set up.
The Jeep is original WW2 with original engine..thats very rare here

 

[lostmarbles]

I'd seriously reconsider those shackles.
First, they are going to hit the frame before the spring flattens out, limiting articulation.

Second, I'd be very concerned that they would collapse due to the stresses involved with the suspension. I do see that you put a gusset between the plates, which will help, but I'd still be very concerned that they would break.

Last, I don't think that shackle design really buys you anything that a straight shackle of the same length from pin to pin will do for you.

Just my 2 cents.

Ill let you know after I run them, you might be right. I had two more pictures of them so I could show the gussets better but they won't post. Now when you go to manage attachments there is not even a button to upload...their about twice as strong as the straight shackles were..but if they don't work I can always go back...thanks

Hi Lee.

Firstly, I finally figured how to upload pics after these weird changes the ih8mud administrators appear to have made to the site.. On the small upload box you now have to scroll right to find the upload button or else convert it to full-screen to see the upload button (both of which are annoying additional steps)!

So using this annoying extra step, here are your revolutionary shackles again:


And Tigerstripe asks what you gain from your boomerang-style compared to traditional straight ones (as shown in red)...

Well, sorry to say, I'd have to agree with TS that I too think you've gained nothing.

The boomerang design isn't even "anti-inversion" (but in any case I can't see those springs being capable of causing inversion problems).

And I have the same doubts about strength.

While I admit there's not much load on them (unless part of them hits the chassis) 1/4" plate bent in a dogleg seems a bit too dodgy.

And how are your pins held in the shackle plates? They look to be loose on the side we see. So are they welded in place on the other side? And if so, it would be hard to take these shackles apart (and reassemble them) during any future bushing replacement.

Or are those pins just temporarily fitted for testing the design appearance?



Edit: Ooops. I see you've added more pics as I've been typing this.. Perhaps the strength is OK but my concerns remain about what you gain by the boomerang-design and about the way the pins are fixed.

 

[coleman2347]

Last ones for now

More shots of the truck, probably will wait to post again till after the whole thing is painted...got to go out of country for a couple of days. Had a hell of an earthquake over in Cebu and Bohol, just glad we were spared..

 

[coleman2347]

Tom, I could be crazy, hehe some will tell you I am, but it looked to me like I could achieve more spring articulation. Its just something we thought we would try, there is some stuff on the web about them. Admittedly not exactly like what we did... The bolts are free floating and there is a nut on the other side with cotter pins holding the nut on. BTW do you have any idea where we can get JDM fender mount mirrors? Thanks for looking I appreciate it....Lee

 

[lostmarbles]

Tom, I could be crazy, hehe some will tell you I am, but it looked to me like I could achieve more spring articulation. Its just something we thought we would try, there is some stuff on the web about them. Admittedly not exactly like what we did... The bolts are free floating and there is a nut on the other side with cotter pins holding the nut on. BTW do you have any idea where we can get JDM fender mount mirrors? Thanks for looking I appreciate it....Lee

I'm having trouble connecting to my ISP right now and getting the run-around. The latest is that a "Vodafone techie" is going to come out and replace my modem. I have my doubts that this will work because the problem is intermittent and started only since they modified their setup to force my modem to be permanently "live" (whereas before I could turn it off whenever I wanted with the use of a little button on the top). And with the "free replacement modem and free techie visit" they intend locking me into a further 12mths contract with them to stop me from swapping to another ISP... We'll see about that. If they don't fix the problem I WILL swap. (And don't you just love being kept on hold forever while you wait for a human to pickup the phone!)

Anyway... Now I've finished that rant (and I could rant much more about the reason for them wanting to lock the modem on!) ...

I think the extra-articulation comes from that boomerang design only when it is allowed to pivot at the centre so that the shackle length automatically increases (to keep the wheel on the ground) whenever that wheel drops into a hole.

But this idea of articulation is over-rated in my opinion anyway because a wheel is never going to give you a worthwhile push forward if it has no chassis-weight resting on it (so it might as well be up in the air). Diff locks are really worthwhile, or improved spring travel ... but not improved shackle-travel IMO

Sorry but i have no idea about where to get the JDM fender-mount mirrors. .. Maybe try Japan4x4 here on ih8mud.

 

[lostmarbles]

Cripes!!!!!

Lee... We do so hope you and your family survived this catastrophic storm that has hit the Phillipines!!!

I'm sure there's no way we're going to hear back from you in the short term and your BJ40 pride-and-joy is surely gone for ever now!

I just got a private message from a Manila-based BJ40-owner and before then, I didn't realise you actually lived in Tacloban City (described now as "City of the Living Dead").

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/desperation-grows-in-tacloban-city-of-the-living-dead-1.1542569

I'm sure I can speak for all of us here on ih8mud in saying that our prayers are with you and your lovely wife and baby right now...

............. - Tom in New Zealand

 

[OGBeno]

Cripes!!!!! Lee... We do so hope you and your family survived this catastrophic storm that has hit the Phillipines!!! I'm sure there's no way we're going to hear back from you in the short term and your BJ40 pride-and-joy is surely gone for ever now! I just got a private message from a Manila-based BJ40-owner and before then, I didn't realise you actually lived in Tacloban City (described now as "City of the Living Dead"). http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/desperation-grows-in-tacloban-city-of-the-living-dead-1.1542569 I'm sure I can speak for all of us here on ih8mud in saying that our prayers are with you and your lovely wife and baby right now... ............. - Tom in New Zealand

What Tom said.

Good luck and hope everything is ok.

 

[coleman2347]

Guys Im OK

Im sorry it took so long, there is no pwr or internet here..this is on a cell phone conection..
Tacloban was mostly destroyed as was most of the towns close to us..its still hard to get stuff, and we have been driving to Ormoc to get some stuff thats not availible here..
I was extremely fortunate, my house suffered minor damage as I am out of the way of the storm surge...The BJ40 took minor damage..the usual scratches (had just painted it) and a steel beam through the roof but otherwise in good shape. We went ahead and put it in commission pulling out cars and pulling apart junk looking for bodies...the offical body tally is by far low ball as two months later there are areas that havent been searched..
the estimate on pwr and communications is sometime in April...Ill post a more in depth description then..
We had 15 members of the family here for a month or more as they lost everything. Where there was a house there is just sand...the pictures I have seen on the news dont convey the full impact...The Phil Govt is keeping a lid on it.
The day after the storm bodies were everywhere...mostly due to the storm surge that was about 12 meters..nobody lcl (from here) understood the words storm surge so most didnt leave...
Thanks for your consern and prayers...we still need them but we are coming back....
Lee

 

[peteinjp]

Great relief to hear that your ok! Keep us up to date when you can. Hang tough- sounds like there is still lots of hard times ahead.

Pete

 

[peteinjp]

Also Lee- there is this thread concerning your whereabouts:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-seri...iserhead-missing-i-think-we-all-can-help.html

Pete

 

[JohnnyC]

Yes... Great relief.... Happy to see you OK

I will continue to pray for you and your family... Look forward to hear more from you

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Glad to hear you're ok!

 

[fj401978]

Lee, I have never communicated with you personally, but have read many of your posts, it is SOOO good to know you and your family are alright! This 'Mud community is truly a 'family' as many have been concerned of your well being. This is absolutely the best forum! Good luck with all that needs to be done still, and all of you folks over there are still in my prayers...God speed sir!

Skip

 

[lostmarbles]

Wooooohooooo!

This is such great news to see in the New Year.. (I must say I was starting to think you'd left us for good Lee.)

Your typhoon experience is not one I envy. So much death and suffering! So much ongoing hardship!

I surely have no real idea of the extent of it really. (How could anyone without being there?)

But I know that storm was of such severity as to be classed as "the mother of all storms" ... to date anyway..

I'm sure you have many tales to tell, but I would expect most would be reserved for close friends and family in a face-to-face privacy rather than for Internet broadcast.

I'm so looking forward to resumption of our normal communications and ongoing cruiser chat.



PS. If anyone hasn't yet donated to any of the "Philipine Typhoon Haiyan Appeals" (and are able to) I suggest they do so ASAP.

 

[sggoat]

This is really good news!!!

 

[coleman2347]

Just thought I would update you guys, we are mostly recovered from the storm, the BJ40 is back on the burner, we had to find a new fiberglass top. We have some major wiring ahead of us, we are cleaning up the dash and converting all the dash switches to the steering wheel where we can. Doing some more suspension work and eventually will have to completely repaint. The storm destroyed the brand new paint job.
I know you like pictures so I will get some as soon as there is something worth while to take pictures of...Thanks Lee