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- #1,741
Did he link the actual calculator somewhere? If so, I need to save this too.
Builds The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter RWBeringer4x4
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Did he link the actual calculator somewhere? If so, I need to save this too.
- Thread starter
- #1,742
@Godfather90 - one last question on your slick spreadsheet. Is it possible to use it to calculate how long the pitman arm needs to be to accomplish what I’m trying to accomplish. For example - my current 5.5” pitman arm is currently maxing our the box and leaving 1/4” of travel (if I were to max out the stops as currently oriented) at the knuckles. If I want to gain an additional 1/4” of travel at the knuckles (move the steering stops back 1/4”) how long would the arm need to be?
Not sure it works that way but seems like it could be back-calculated.
Not sure it works that way but seems like it could be back-calculated.
My pitman arm:
it’s about 5.5” and a 1.5” drop.
Wrangler is about 6.25’
Scout II is 10.25” with a 2” drop.
forum.ih8mud.com
it’s about 5.5” and a 1.5” drop.
Wrangler is about 6.25’
Scout II is 10.25” with a 2” drop.
Long Pitman Arm
I have an advanced adapters P/S conversion kit installed on my FJ40. I need a drop pitman arm due to a 3" lift. Does anyone know if a Jeep Wagoneer pitman arm has the right taper for a CJ tie rod end? I'm also looking for other suitable pitman arms that are 6.5" long with a 2-3" drop.
forum.ih8mud.com
I had a look at my parts axle knuckles and compared it to your pictures here. Your stops are much further out. I’d say at least the thickness of the lock nuts on your stops.
I was doing more research and thought you might be amused
forum.ih8mud.com
Normal Turning Radius?
69 fj40 - saginaw power steering setup LOUSY turning circle. Worse than my Suburban was.. Is that typical? Is there a test that can be recommended to see if there's something physically wrong with the system that might be causing it? Thanks!
forum.ih8mud.com
- Thread starter
- #1,746
Keep in mind, one stop is way out, the other is way in, on my setup. The "short" one on both sides has about 3/16 - 1/4" of inward travel left. Which Godfather determined would likely be a pretty substantial improvement to the turn radius,
My pitman arm:
View attachment 2480181View attachment 2480182
it’s about 5.5” and a 1.5” drop.
Wrangler is about 6.25’
Scout II is 10.25” with a 2” drop.
Long Pitman Arm
I have an advanced adapters P/S conversion kit installed on my FJ40. I need a drop pitman arm due to a 3" lift. Does anyone know if a Jeep Wagoneer pitman arm has the right taper for a CJ tie rod end? I'm also looking for other suitable pitman arms that are 6.5" long with a 2-3" drop.
Why is your pitman arm on a bench?? Shouldn't it be in the truck? I've been able to find some of the information you posted but the issue is a lot of the "OE" parts are missing, replaced by skyjacker/rugged ridge parts (especially the jeep arms) that are all designed around lifted applications. So it's tough even trying to buy something online to know what you're really going to wind up with.
Further, there's very little information on the taper any of these arms are running, so it's tough to tell if my tie rod end or drag link will ultimately be compatible.
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- #1,747
@bikersmurf - some more details for you.
Here is how far I can move the stops backward. I can probably get a quarter inch if I clean the grime out. How does that compare to your own?
I also need to be careful about the total length because I’m getting close to crossing into the plane of the spring - right now it clears by about an inch, with the drop, the spring could articulate up about 2” before running into some trouble if they overlapped. anything longer than about 6.5” will absolutely overlap with the spring.
Seems like 6.25 or 6.5 with a 1-1.5” drop is about as perfect a scenario as I can get.
Also found some more interesting carnage - that bushing didn’t last long...guess I overtightened...
Here is how far I can move the stops backward. I can probably get a quarter inch if I clean the grime out. How does that compare to your own?
I also need to be careful about the total length because I’m getting close to crossing into the plane of the spring - right now it clears by about an inch, with the drop, the spring could articulate up about 2” before running into some trouble if they overlapped. anything longer than about 6.5” will absolutely overlap with the spring.
Seems like 6.25 or 6.5 with a 1-1.5” drop is about as perfect a scenario as I can get.
Also found some more interesting carnage - that bushing didn’t last long...guess I overtightened...
- Thread starter
- #1,748
To avoid repeats of the “Meltdown” at Fall Crawl, it’s time to make a new battery tray. The current tray is literally an 8x11 sheet of 3/16 with legs that mount to some existing bolt holes in the frame.
There were two threaded J-hooks on either side of the battery that held a plastic, 2 piece adjustable/universal tie-down. When the plastic piece snapped, the battery slid off the lipless tray and onto the passenger side manifold. It took a spark plug wire with it, and left a nice acid stain and charred plastic glob on the manifold.
Obviously, welding a lip on this tray and devising and reusing the J-hooks with a metal tie down is the easy solution here; and it may come to that...but first I’m going to try and get stupid with it.
Today I cut a 14” x 7.5” cardboard pattern for fitment.
The goal is to make something that will house anything from a big BCI 31 dual purpose battery, to a standard car battery, and do so without any fear of it falling on the engine. This means adjustability and redundancy. That way if I find myself out in the sticks with a dead (or melted) battery in the future, I can throw virtually any battery in and drive out.
I have an idea in my head for something that will undoubtedly be a huge, overthought waste of time, but I’m going to give it a shot.
My main conflict, right now - is the exhaust.
If I make a tray this big, the back corner will only have about 2.5” of clearance to the front of the (very hot) manifold.
In such close proximity to the fan, I’m not sure this is a huge issue but it doesn’t make me super comfortable. I guess I could try to add some sort of heat shield?
The previous battery tray is only about an inch farther away, and hasn’t caused much of a problem but I’m not really sure where to draw the line. I could maybe go a half inch higher but the front corner over by the overflow bottle only has about 10.5” of clearance as confirmed by my daughter’s playdough. Since most batteries are aroun 9-9.5” tall, and I’d like at least 3/4” between the hood and a battery terminal - I really don’t have that much wiggle room to go up.
Any opinions out there on an appropriate/safe gap between engine/exhaust heat and battery?
There were two threaded J-hooks on either side of the battery that held a plastic, 2 piece adjustable/universal tie-down. When the plastic piece snapped, the battery slid off the lipless tray and onto the passenger side manifold. It took a spark plug wire with it, and left a nice acid stain and charred plastic glob on the manifold.
Obviously, welding a lip on this tray and devising and reusing the J-hooks with a metal tie down is the easy solution here; and it may come to that...but first I’m going to try and get stupid with it.
Today I cut a 14” x 7.5” cardboard pattern for fitment.
The goal is to make something that will house anything from a big BCI 31 dual purpose battery, to a standard car battery, and do so without any fear of it falling on the engine. This means adjustability and redundancy. That way if I find myself out in the sticks with a dead (or melted) battery in the future, I can throw virtually any battery in and drive out.
I have an idea in my head for something that will undoubtedly be a huge, overthought waste of time, but I’m going to give it a shot.
My main conflict, right now - is the exhaust.
If I make a tray this big, the back corner will only have about 2.5” of clearance to the front of the (very hot) manifold.
In such close proximity to the fan, I’m not sure this is a huge issue but it doesn’t make me super comfortable. I guess I could try to add some sort of heat shield?
The previous battery tray is only about an inch farther away, and hasn’t caused much of a problem but I’m not really sure where to draw the line. I could maybe go a half inch higher but the front corner over by the overflow bottle only has about 10.5” of clearance as confirmed by my daughter’s playdough. Since most batteries are aroun 9-9.5” tall, and I’d like at least 3/4” between the hood and a battery terminal - I really don’t have that much wiggle room to go up.
Any opinions out there on an appropriate/safe gap between engine/exhaust heat and battery?
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In your last pic with your daughters play doh - Could you spin the battery 180 degrees so that the terminals are inboard and gain some clearance?
FWIW - I made a bracket that rides on the shock tower for my batt. It also bolts to the fender and the rad frame and the top has a plate that I bolted one of of those premade steel battery holders to. The steel box is a cheap version like this one at ballistic fab
Ballistic Generic Battery Box
Ballistic Generic Battery Box Secure Your Battery the Right Way The Ballistic Generic Battery Box is perfect for safely mounting your standard 10.375" x 7.25" x 6.5" battery. Cut from 1/8" steel on our in-house laser and bent on our in-house press brake, this battery box will add some style to...
ballisticfabrication.com
I can always move it around and drill a few new holes in the base plate if I find I do not like the location.
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- #1,750
In your last pic with your daughters play doh - Could you spin the battery 180 degrees so that the terminals are inboard and gain some clearance?
FWIW - I made a bracket that rides on the shock tower for my batt. It also bolts to the fender and the rad frame and the top has a plate that I bolted one of of those premade steel battery holders to. The steel box is a cheap version like this one at ballistic fab
Ballistic Generic Battery Box
Ballistic Generic Battery Box Secure Your Battery the Right Way The Ballistic Generic Battery Box is perfect for safely mounting your standard 10.375" x 7.25" x 6.5" battery. Cut from 1/8" steel on our in-house laser and bent on our in-house press brake, this battery box will add some style to...
I can always move it around and drill a few new holes in the base plate if I find I do not like the location.
Yes I can 100% flip the battery around and gain some clearance - but the goal is to position it such that I have copious options when it comes to battery replacement. This stems from the fact that when I melted my battery last weekend, the closest replacement was at Walmart, 30 minutes away. When I got there, they didn't have a matching replacement to what was currently in the right (BCI Group 24) so I bought the closest thing I could (24F). Its terminals were reversed and it was a bit taller. Just from a future preparedness standpoint, I want the tray positioned so I can throw just about any relatively common battery in there . That means if I wind up with something with the terminals on the other side of the battery again, I don't have to worry about contacting the hood.
Really, it's more of a design challenge for me that something I'm super worried about. Just like thinking of contingencies and making things universal as best I can.
It’s not on the bench... it’s on the floor
I’m moving from the parts collecting phase into the fabricating parts phase. I’ve got the Scout II box, a couple pumps, U-joints, scab plates, and a slip shaft. I’ve started fabricating the smaller parts so that the job will be more manageable and involve less downtime once the truck goes under the knife.
I prefer Armstrong steering, and haven’t yet done a power steering conversion for that reason. Recently I’ve determined that if I’m going to keep driving my 40, it’ll need power steering (since my arms don’t work as well as they should). Putting it all together has been a challenge to balance time and energy to make progress... it’s been slow, but I’m working to keep it moving forward. Even if it’s at a snails pace.
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- #1,752
Well, best laid plans...between the holidays and waiting an eternity for paint to dry in my basement, this took a while to wrap up.
I started out by figuring out the maximum length I could squeeze into the space available. The goal is to (eventually) be able to house a battery as large as group 31. The heart of this setup would be two pieces of 10 gauge angle iron. I cut slots in the corners the “old fashioned way” - drilling multiple holes in a row on the drill press, then hogging out the remaining web with files while drinking and swearing.
The max width I could accommodate was 7.25” - 7.5 would provide a few additional options for this “universal tray” but the fit against the radiator was a bit too tight.
Next I cut the “runners” that would serve as the fence to grab the battery for the bottom. These consist of 1/8” angle iron with coupling nuts welded to the back and, ultimately, allthread tax-welded into the coupling nuts.
Had to use low profile nylock nuts to clear the radiator and the bracket on the fender.
From there, I started working on the hold down. I used 3/8” allthread, threaded into coupling nuts on tray, and a 3/16” steel bar.
I started out by figuring out the maximum length I could squeeze into the space available. The goal is to (eventually) be able to house a battery as large as group 31. The heart of this setup would be two pieces of 10 gauge angle iron. I cut slots in the corners the “old fashioned way” - drilling multiple holes in a row on the drill press, then hogging out the remaining web with files while drinking and swearing.
The max width I could accommodate was 7.25” - 7.5 would provide a few additional options for this “universal tray” but the fit against the radiator was a bit too tight.
Next I cut the “runners” that would serve as the fence to grab the battery for the bottom. These consist of 1/8” angle iron with coupling nuts welded to the back and, ultimately, allthread tax-welded into the coupling nuts.
Had to use low profile nylock nuts to clear the radiator and the bracket on the fender.
From there, I started working on the hold down. I used 3/8” allthread, threaded into coupling nuts on tray, and a 3/16” steel bar.
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- #1,753
The hold down would also include some adjustable spreaders that would “grab” the battery on the long sides, opposite of the tracks below. So I cut more grooves, drank more beers, and filed.
Then, because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to try my hand in making something pretty, by hand...
Came out ok - not perfect but better than I thought it would
Then came handles, which would also serve as the “last line of defense” should the hold downs fail, to prevent the battery from winding up on the exhaust again...
Then the ways/slide bottoms got tacked in. At this point it was starting to look like something...
Then, because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to try my hand in making something pretty, by hand...
Came out ok - not perfect but better than I thought it would
Then came handles, which would also serve as the “last line of defense” should the hold downs fail, to prevent the battery from winding up on the exhaust again...
Then the ways/slide bottoms got tacked in. At this point it was starting to look like something...
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- #1,754
Next I had to fab a way to mount the tray to the frame. We will call this the “frame bracket.” This looked a bit like a modern art masterpiece because it had to mount to a point in the frame where the frame bends slightly, I wanted to pick up some existing bolt holes for mounting, and I had to weave it all around an existing radiator support brace. I also wanted to hug the fender pretty closely so I would be able to remove the battery tray from the brace to gain access to the alternator, fuel pump, etc. without unbolting the whole thing from the frame.
This is what I came up with:
Tough to see, but the hole in the leg is to access this bolt - just big enough to squeeze a 12mm socket through. Eventually I added a gusset there to reinforce the missing metal.
Last, I added some tie-downs for a ratchet strap. Just in case ALL of this is for naught and the battery comes loose again.
This is what I came up with:
Tough to see, but the hole in the leg is to access this bolt - just big enough to squeeze a 12mm socket through. Eventually I added a gusset there to reinforce the missing metal.
Last, I added some tie-downs for a ratchet strap. Just in case ALL of this is for naught and the battery comes loose again.
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- #1,755
After that came paint. Which is tough when it’s in the 30’s outside... I painted in the basement - which of course fumigated the whole house.
If that didn’t make the wife mad enough, the basement was even too cold to fully cure the paint, so they came up to the dining room table and ruined her Christmas decor.
If that didn’t make the wife mad enough, the basement was even too cold to fully cure the paint, so they came up to the dining room table and ruined her Christmas decor.
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- #1,756
After watching paint dry for literally two weeks, everything went in today.
I’ll need to whip up a quick bracket to reroute a radiator overflow hose but other than that I should be back in business.
I’ll need to whip up a quick bracket to reroute a radiator overflow hose but other than that I should be back in business.
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- #1,758
It started as almost an inside joke. The club is trying to call me “sparky” now due to the battery incident, so the only way to rectify this was making the most ridiculously over-engineered thing I can think of.
Really, it was an excuse to practice cutting slots and using the metal brake, and trying to line up blind holes on the frame.
Ultimately, I should be able to house any batter up to 13.1x7.25x9.5” - it weighs something like 15lbs all told!
Nice work. Could have just went for the complete spouse piss off and put it in the oven 
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- #1,760
Nice work. Could have just went for the complete spouse piss off and put it in the oven
The wife works from home now - I can’t shove stuff in the oven while she’s at work and get away with it like I used to...
