Grayguy

Well, several months after talking about getting a jeep, and a few months after actually getting some jeeps, I am finally starting to work on a jeep project.
Plans for the near future are:
4.5-5" Lift Welded rearend
31x10.5's
Mini-Boatsides
Raised Gas tank
Custom Bumpers front and rear
Berliner interior/ partial exterior.

The first order of business was tearing my parts jeep apart. I bought it primarily for the lift parts, but am keeping all the drivetrain stuff, and a few other body parts. Here's what I started with, 5 minutes after I got it off the trailer my co-worker was already trying to steal stuff from it haha
I tore into the motor/tranny/tcase first and get it out of the way,
Next came the axles/suspension (and no, I was NEVER under the jeep when I had it up on the bobcat, safety first haha)
I was actaully pretty amazed how fast it came apart, I've only really put about 4-5 hours into it, and that includes a little time playing with my other new toy.

The 4dr is licensed and insured so I took it down to the shop and took care of the fender flares, trimmed the fenders, did the rear hack and fold on the quarters, put a new serpentine belt on, and started ripping out the carpet. A fairly productive afternoon.

Nastyness under the rear fenders



Trimmed



And the rear hack and fold (which I would hate to do on sOmething that the paint mattered)

Grayguy

Well after 3-4 days driving it I noticed that the jeep was getting worse MPGs than my silverado, and I quickly discovered that the tank was rusting out and gas was seeping through it...

So, it looks like I'll be starting with the gas tank relocation before the rockers I've got everything measured and marked, and I'll start cutting tomorrow.

I also decided that I'd only gain another 1.5" at the rocker if I cut into the doors as high as I could, which made me quickly decide that I was going to cut as high as I could with out door mods.

Proof of progress!

Grayguy

I picked up a ZJ tank from A member of my local club.

After much measuring and thinking, I pretty much cut out all of the rear floor frOm seem weld to seem weld, and the 22" forward of where the hatch latches. I cut into the seem welds on either side and pounded them flat agaist the frame:



In the front corner I had to cut into the shock mount ( the ZJ tank is about 3-4" longer than the stock one)



So I made a patch out of some 1/8" flat bar and marked it out and nibbled it out on our 55ton iron worker :twisted.gif: test fit



Welded it In, and then I welded the seam welds I had hammered down against the frame:




After all that to do this:



So far it's been fairly easy, easier than I thought considering I pretty much have never welded anything thinner than 1/8". So far I've
Got about 3hrs into the project.

Grayguy

I wanted to put the tank about half way through the floor, which meant that the tank would have to sit about 2" below the frame rails. I went and picked up a section of 2.5" x 1/8 square tube to use. The 2.5" matches the width of the frame rails almost exactly. So tonight I got most of the frame work in and tomorrow I will size the 1/8" plate I'm using for the bottom.

Grayguy

More progress.

Welded the front and rear strap mounts, 1.5" angle with 1/2 nuts welded
To them.



The trickiest part was welding around the hatch latch, the sheetmetal seemed extra thin there.



The rear mount didn't seem sturdy enough to me, so I tied it I to another piece of angle that I had already welded to the bottom of the body



Finally, I cut out and welded the bottom piece of the skid. Just after getting it part way on is when I ran out of Gas. Hopefully more progress tomorrow!

Skyline

I really like where this is going. Looks like you have some neat ideas in the works.

I am subscribed

Bluemax

so what was wrong with the 2dr that made you part it out

Grayguy

It was pretty rotten, and the interior/ motor/ front clip was already taken/ cut apart when I bought it.

SignWorX

This is the first time I see some one raise the gas tank. I like where this is going!

Grayguy

Well after a hecktick week, I got some time this evening to work on it. I got the rear plate and front sheet metal in, and the gas tank perches (a term I just made up) welded up. I'll be putting padding on them so the tank doesn't rub against the metal. As I type this I'm waiting for the cleaning agent to dry so I can primer and seam seal where I need to.

View from the back


View from rear seat.

Grayguy

While I waited for the primer to dry, I got bored and started cutting the rear quarters



Once the primer was dry, I put on some seam sealer. I decided I didn't want to wait for that to dry, so I put the first coat of paint on the areas that I could.

A taste of things to come haha

Grayguy

More progress

I plated over the hole in the frame rail that the gas hose passes through


I chopped most the floor out on the drivers side, it was pretty rotted.





The underside

Grayguy

Passenger side done. Hopefully onto the tank straps and enclosure tomorrow.

Grayguy

Busy day, this Tank project is taking a lot longer than I would have guessed, I bet I'm near 50 hours atleast. But I'm on the final stretch





I still need to work out that little corner that's missing, the door wouldn't open with it in place...

Grayguy

Finally! After primer, seam sealer, bedliner, and paint, it's finally just about done (well this project)! Can't wait till I paint the rest of the truck, it's gonna stand out a bit haha!



Also finally cut the top for the tank box, needs primer and bedliner and that's done too.



I'm going to upull tomorrow with to pick up a pump/ sender, and I'm tryin to order some IRO 5.5" rear springs, then I have pretty much everything to lift it!