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Post by Rock Dawg on Sept 27, 2008 20:00:33 GMT -5
Well, I checked over the axle the best I could. If it is bent I can not tell with a straight edge and angle finder. I have it lifted up in the air and the spring is loose, but I was to chicken to pull the spring out and start working under it without anyone else around. My dad's trailer is being barrowed, so I will not be able to bring it over to Jason's house any time soon. I will try my best at replacing the spring mount first, then work on the trackbar mount next.
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Post by poorboy1 on Sept 27, 2008 20:49:21 GMT -5
i bet Zack or pigpin has tall jackstands.
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Post by popeye on Sept 27, 2008 21:34:43 GMT -5
one guess who i borrowd from....possum said he had a set also
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Post by Rock Dawg on Sept 29, 2008 9:53:59 GMT -5
Thanks guys, I was able to use the cherry picker to pull the front end up off the ground and used a high man to help secure the one side.
I replaced the spring pad and she is now sitting back on all 4 wheels under her own weight so I will not need the jackstands anymore. It looks kinda hill-billy-ish at the moment with the c-channel bracket, but when I get the other brackets on, I think they will cover the front that I don't like the looks of. The most important part is that it is STRONG! The metal is at least 2-3 times thicker then what came off of it and I am going to run extra gussets just for the over kill effect.
I still have to make the trackbar bracket and the steering stablizer bracket, then I can drive it. I should also make the anti-sway bar bracket, but that will be down the road.
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Post by Rock Dawg on Oct 6, 2008 15:18:00 GMT -5
Well, I got the steering finished yesterday. (Sorry still no pics.. I keep forgetting the camera). It had better never brake again!! The Pan hard bar is now made from ¼” steel and is formed around the spring, boxed and welded both front and back. The steering stabilizer bracket is now 3/16” steel and welded and bolted to the pan hard bar. Both brackets are then supported by the C-channel (¼”) from the spring bracket. The C-channel bracket is welded to the axle tube and gusseted using ½” (Yes ½ thick) mild steel. I wire fed the first pass then stick welded it for the final pass. My dad was a welder for 30+ years and after looking at the mess I made of the brackets, he said, if my welds are good it should be about 1000 times stronger then the junk I took off. I took the jeep for a test drive and it did fine. The steering wheel is centered while driving down the road. I got it up to about 50 MPH before the top came loose and I had to turn around.  I flexed the jeep out by driving over a big pile of dirt. Once my front tires were over the pile, I climbed out of the jeep and checked to see how the brackets looked. Other then them being dirty, they didn’t look like they were flexing at all. |
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Post by popeye on Oct 6, 2008 18:17:36 GMT -5
cool way to go
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Post by poorboy1 on Oct 6, 2008 19:14:47 GMT -5
Is it con proof
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Post by mudslinger97117 on Oct 7, 2008 7:26:59 GMT -5
Hmm....... Sounds like it is ready for woodys on Sunday  Good to hear it's up and running bet your itchin for a lil' mud on the tires |
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Post by Rock Dawg on Oct 7, 2008 9:39:30 GMT -5
LOL.. NOTHING IS CON PROOF  , but I guess time will tell. "Hmm....... Sounds like it is ready for woodys on Sunday Good to hear it's up and running bet your itchin for a lil' mud on the tires" Yes I am dieing to go, but I've been to busy.. I will have to wait until Steveo's B-day (Next weekend, not this one) to take it on it's first outing. I have not added the bracket for the sway bar yet. I might want to add that for driving on the street and I might put plate the c-channel where the first one broke, now that I know where all the pressure is going to. The other thing I don't like is the back side of the track bar bracket it only held on by 1/2"-1" weld (like factory). their is no room with the spring being there to have it any longer  and I was welding blind (a spot I could not really see) because of the axle, spring, steering bars and panhard bar were all in the way. |
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Post by mudslinger97117 on Oct 20, 2008 21:55:42 GMT -5
The ol' DAWG held up real good on our Sunday drive through the woods, even sounds like it drives WAY better than Lucille.. She started getting the shakes something fierce today on the way home like she lost all 20lbs of weight on the front tire for like 30 seconds then... All good? Time to put her slipers back on I think. But your rig looks like the brackets will hold up to plenty of abuse. |
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Post by Rock Dawg on Oct 28, 2008 22:48:39 GMT -5
Some pics of the much improved "home made" brackets. Sorry for the mud! Had to test it.. Plus the welds look better with mud on them.  3/16 stuff.  a couple close ups of the bottom front 1/2 thick gusset under the spring perch   Front view of the C-channel spring perch  |
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Post by Rock Dawg on Oct 28, 2008 22:51:16 GMT -5
Pic of the front top 4-link that I may need to put more steel in.  This is the stock bracket I didn't replace on the drivers side front.. Ugh more work.  |
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Post by Rock Dawg on Oct 28, 2008 22:52:17 GMT -5
More pics of the front that I replaced.   |
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Post by chevtech on Oct 28, 2008 22:52:48 GMT -5
Looks definitely beefier. Should hold up alot better.
Josh
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Post by Rock Dawg on Oct 28, 2008 22:53:41 GMT -5
Now onto the back brackets.    Notice they are all 3/16"thick now. |
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