Build Project Bob

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Sweet pictures! Even though there was breakage, it seems that everything turned out alright. Nothing that some elbow grease and time can't fix.
 
Breakage was minimal (with the exception of the bronco)

Axles are not designed for what we were doing and I do not feel bad about it at all. A bit of a PITA but at this time, there are not many good alternatives to the stock axles without spending a lot of money and replacing the entire damn thing..
 
Mace said:
at this time, there are not many good alternatives to the stock axles without spending a lot of money and replacing the entire damn thing..
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You could convert it to a full-floater using ruff stuff ends and put longfields and drive flanges in it. At least you could reuse the housing, diff and drive shaft.
 
I don't want to lose the parking brake..

Ruff stuff uses disks in the rear
 
Mace said:
I don't want to lose the parking brake..

Ruff stuff uses disks in the rear
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TSM makes a t-case e-brake for the split case. It'd solve that problem at least.
 
There was a stock tcase brake as well. Still, the price starts getting up there.
 
Mace said:
There was a stock tcase brake as well. Still, the price starts getting up there.
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Agreed. Just like you did, fix it and roll on. Hopefully you won't be towing broken Broncos around all the time.
 
A tough guy like you should have no problem narrowing an fzj80 axle to fit, then you get Toyota discs and the axle parking brake.

I'm still debating on if I need to get Bobby to make me a long side shaft or if the stocker will hold up to my 2f and 35" tires. Seems like it should...
 
lol what a headache THAT would be :D
 
coolotisdog said:
14 bolt is sick
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And a SERIOUS anchor with 35's

I really liked being able to put a rock directly under the truck and drive over it. Offset Diffs are a great thing..
 
Mace said:
And a SERIOUS anchor with 35's

I really liked being able to put a rock directly under the truck and drive over it. Offset Diffs are a great thing..
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Yeah the offset diff was a pretty cool thing. I always liked it. Just think though, all that anchor weight in the back and you have no problem getting traction. That's what I always tell myself anyway...
 
coolotisdog said:
Yeah the offset diff was a pretty cool thing. I always liked it. Just think though, all that anchor weight in the back and you have no problem getting traction. That's what I always tell myself anyway...
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I have a 14 bolt in my 40. Love it. Stupid strong.

Traction apparently is not an issue, shattering two axles proved that to me :D
 
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So, the next "Major" breakage has occurred. I was out at the King of the hammers race the last couple of weekends and noticed that the rear end was seriously sacked out. As it turns out, the upper leaf (shortest leaf in a 1/4 eliptical pack) had broken off on both sides. The shortest leaf provides a lot of the spring rate so I hating the whoops out there. Easy enough to grab another set of Superduty rear leaf springs, cut them down and replace, but it's a design flaw that I need to address.

The transition from the leaf spring socket on the frame and the frame was apparently enough of a angle to set up a stress riser. Over years of cycling the suspension, the leaf spring could not keep up and cracked right at the transition. What I'm thinking is that if I take another leaf and put a nice radius and taper to it, that will distribute the stress riser and make the springs last longer than 7 years :)
 
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It's impressive that the 1/4 elip suspension worked so well for so long on the first shot!

Haven't changed anything else in the past couple of years?
 
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In the last year I changed the rear locker over to a ARB, added a smittybilt center console, and some additional tweaks here and there, but other than that, I just drive it.
 
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Heck, I picked up Bob in 2005, that was 10 years ago!!

My boys tell me that there is no way I'm ever getting rid of him :)
 
Think you were just getting started on Bob when I came aboard here.
I remember thinking (as this thread derailed into chat) is he ever gonna finish this thing?

Did the broken peaces stay in place, or go tumbling down the highway somewhere?
 
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