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"Dirthead 509" TJ Project

178K views 1K replies 102 participants last post by  Mr. Beefy 
#1 · (Edited)
Build plan:
98TJ
3-link front, double triangulated 4 link rear
Hydro assist
79 Ford D60 front, 5.38's, undecided locker
14 B rear, 5.38's, undecided locker
Flipped D300, possibly 231-D300 doubler....if I can find the right parts:sonicjay:
4 cyl to 4.0L conversion since it was missing the 4 cyl :sonicjay:
Full cage
Highline tube fenders
Non comp cut cut
Fuel cell
I'm sure there's more.......


The story:
I picked this up on the coldest day last year....remember when it was 0 deg for a high with a -20 windchill in Jan 08, yea that day:teehee:

We bolted a front axle under it with wheel bearings and put tires on to roll it onto the trailer. Was a 4 cylinder.....minus the 4 cylinder, front axle, rear ring and pinion, airbags deployed.
Put the hood and stood the grill in place to access the damage once I got it home.

Picked up half doors and uppers this summer, color is fugly but they'll serve the purpose.
Bought a take out 4.0L and AX-15 with computer, wiring ect this summer. S.Hembree, Pwilson22000 and I set that in a couple weeks ago and started it. Tucking that up as far as I can. Folded the pinch seam up and out of the way on the firewall when I pulled the engine back out. Gained about an inch of clearance for wiring and such :thumb:


Then it came back out and S.Hembree and I cut the frame to straighten it back out. This heep was in a front collision, the frame was 1.5" taller on the drivers side, had to cut the frame to twist it back to about where it's supposed to be.

Frame gave right under the 4 cylinder motor mount. Had to cut 3 sides and 1/2 way up the fourth before it would move.

Frame tacked in place, onto front crossmember/bumper. I will be transfering my 8274 from my XJ to this one when done so I've been building the front so that it will accept that winch. Bumpmember mocked up:

Still need to put another 4" section of 1/4 across the front and brace it back. Will have to drill holes after that but I want to have the winch sitting in the bumper before putting holes in.
Relocated steering box up and hopefully out of harms way. 2/3rds done :teehee::


Still need to tap the steering box for hydro assist.
Went to LKQ last weekend and pulled a 99+ intake for $18, put that on saturday and replaced the powersteering fluid tank with one that didn't have the tab broke off the back.

Got my 14 bolt SOLID diff cover that I won at the Sundowners Rodeo this week. Also ordered disc brake brackets and D300 flip/clocking ring early this week but didn't get anything in time for this weekend. Pic of 79 D60 front and 14B rear:

Started on my flat belly kit this afternoon. Doing this one cheap for now. We'll see how it turns out. Ends cut off and sledge hammered flat :teehee:




Comments/criticism welcome, that's where the good idea's come from. Sorry for crappy pics, keep forgetting the camera.
 
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#63 ·
Tonight got the upper and lower rear links built. Also moved one of the lower axle brackets down, always remember to add the 1 inch below center :fish: Not sure I like it. I have at least one design flaw......the upper brackets are below the axle truss, which makes it really hard to adjust the links. Not impossible, just more of a pain.



Not sure I like how the lower links lay in. I'll cycle the suspension tomorrow. I may have just built my front lowers without realizing it :teehee: :fish:
 
#65 ·
Got a bit done today. Started by cycling suspension. As planned, need to clear for droop on the upper truss.




Full bump for now, need to clear the gas tank bolts out of the way.



Plenty of room between uppers and lowers

Cleaned up and drilled my brackets for the front axle


Cleared my rear axle truss for droop. Wasn't a whole lot of fun but I'm happy with the way it turned out.


Cut spring perches off the frame, also removed the rear track bar mount. Then I welded all my cut marks back up, I guess I'm weird like that. :fish:

Set front axle into place to get an idea.

Noticed my motor is about 1.5" to the passenger side. I'm going to have to move the motor mounts again :(

Questions for people that have cut spring perches into the frame. Do I line the cut up just below the inside frame bracket?



I was a little unsure of where my lower links were at, after cycling it today, I'm going to run it and see how it feels. I can always move my crossmember and sleeve new lower links if I don't like it. Thoughts/questions/comments?
 
#77 ·
Not much done this weekend, got front axle set in place and old bracket welds cleaned off. Found out my 3-link calcs are junk, kept it too narrow. So I designed brackets to go under the frame instead for the lowers and I'll move the axle side lower mounts out wider. Like H a g g a r said, it takes longer to make your own brackets but it saves money.........definitely not time though.



I'll be gone next week on a cruise so it'll be a couple weeks before I can get back to work.
 
#78 ·
Had an oversight while making brackets, need to put my JJ's for the front lower links on the frame side and designed my brackets for the JJ's to be at the axle side. Width's are the same but the poly sides are 2.0" dia vs the 2.5" dia of the JJ's. Going to have to "fix" my frame side brackets to accept the JJ's instead of the poly.....

Found pic, going to need clearance in the brackets to the JJ's fit.
My plan:


Bolt hole centerline is 1.5" from the top and the mat'l is .25" so I'll just have interference with the mat'l depending on how accurately I placed the hole. With the clearance cut I don't think it'll be an issue. Just going to look a little booty with the notches but I think I'll be ok.
 
#79 ·
just move your stock spring hanger in the rear so it sits strait. if your cutting the back off and making a new frame, you can still use the stock one just weld it in good!
 
#80 ·
Got a little bit done yesterday. Finished the lower brackets off friday night.


Saturday I started tacking stuff in place, it's hard to hold everything in place by yourself. I started getting really pissed when I had the drivers side on and I tacked the passenger side axle brackets on without noticing that the axle had rotated and the pinion angle was all wrong. Took about 45 min to get the pass side in place and tack it together, then another 15 min to cut it all back off :teehee: I still need to finish the upper mount and tack that in, then I'll move to the trackbar and steering.
Upper mount incomplete:




 
#81 ·
you better do some more bracing on your front upper link mount on the axle. you will bend that.looking good.
 
#83 ·
Paul came over today and was a huge help! We got the knuckles/TRE/Pitman arm reamed for TRE's. Also mocked up the steering, moved the steering box again and figured out where to put the track bar. I'm still mocking that in to make sure my upper is in the proper location.
Move the steering box another 3" forward, had to move the front bumper out an inch.

At 3.5" up travel. Should be able to get another .5-1.0" out of it.



I'll finish mocking up a trackbar tomorrow and cycle the suspension to check for clearance issues. I have to get DOM ordered this week. Thanks again Paul :thumb:
 
#84 ·
looks good -

seem like its going to clear now ?

in terms of that frame mount, a gusset (as you mentioned) should do the trick. sometimes it can still deflect inward when its shock loaded in full droop, but if you can fit 45 worth of triangulation on both sides of the mount, and the bottom edge is to the box section of the frame, all the better :thumb:
 
#86 ·
i cut that crossmenber out completely and then put it in the frame, i suggest get it sitting down on the springs first and then decide if you are going to need to chop the frame, only reason i cut mine was because i wanted to keep it low, hindsight i think i would have just ran factory rear Tj springs with relocated buckets


http://www.misfitoffroad.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=7614&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

all the way at the bottom
 
#87 ·
.....i wanted to keep it low, hindsight i think i would have just ran factory rear Tj springs with relocated buckets
That's the plan for now, get suspension done and set it down on springs to get an idea of how it's going to sit. Ran into a snag.....well more of a choice really. I can run more lift to get the frame away from the axle or.......move the front of the frame up.

So with the trackbar mocked in place I no longer have any clearance issues between the upper mount and the oil pan. It did bring up some other "issues" though.

Testing suspension out




And the "issue". With belly @ 21" or whatever it's at with the current setup I'm going to be bottoming out bump stops on speed bumps :sonicjay:. This is with pass side at ride height and 4" uptravel at drivers spring perch.

Flipped tie rod is into the track bar mount.


For the record, TJ's look retarded all low with big tires(maybe it's just the type of tire :teehee:) It's already been pointed out that it's on backwards......its so I can reverse out of the mud hole when I get stuck:teehee::sonicjay:


 
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