Pretty damn cool!

 

Amazing cant wait to see it in action in little moab

 

Thanks man! Me either!

 

Okay... So here's my attempt to update it with all the pictures i had. I didn't get a lot taken because i was workin' alone and didn't think to stop and take most pictures. But here's what i got kinda jumbled around.

So for the front end, the first step was making the Radius Arms. I took the stock radius arm and hacked it in half. The next step was to slit some DOM tube down the middle. Sounds easy enough, right? Well it took 2 solid day with me and Derek just grindin' the **** outta them and the radius arm halves to get them to finally fit together snuggly.



We ended up having to cut these all fancy to get the DOM to fit.





This is one finally slid together. Biggest pain in the **** of the whole project, I'd say.



And welded up. These things weight probably 40 pounds a piece with joints and all. They're huge.

 

Here's my crossmember how it ended up being. Nothin' fancy, but it works.

 

I really did miss so many pictures. But here's how the front end was getting mocked up and centered, with just my tie rod on.

The tie rod is 1'' ID 1.5'' OD DOM with 7/8 Rod ends with 3/4 inch inserts/High misalignments.



My first issue that i found immediately was the trac bar. See where it would've mounted? Right into the coil. That would have been fine if i was using the stock bracket. But i wasn't. I ended up having to flip the trac bar upside down. It has a bend in it to clear the diff. But flipping it, shot it forward a few inches, and out of the way.



This is the trac bar bracket. The "frame" on the cherokee angles in some and it would've set the bracket at an angle, not allowing my rubber end to fit in it. So i added about a quarter of an inch of plate to it on one side and welded it down real good to even it all out.



And once that was welded, i welded the bracket up to some plating, added a gusset, and welded it to the "frame"



And with the weight all on the Jeep for the first time, I got the trac bar dialed in and set





I don't have any pictures of mocking up the arms either... I was so focused on getting everything lined up, i totally spaced pictures.

 

These were the parts i got cut out from Cory's buddy, Cory. Cut them out on his water jet. they 1/4 inch plate. They weld on the 44 up and over the radius arms where i can mount the coil buckets.



Once those were welded up and welded on, I had most everything dialed in, besides the drag link and shocks.




Next though, came the shocks. I used the adapter shock mounts on the cherokee side, and some little brackets on the arm side, and welded them to the arm. They sit right on the arm where they would have on the F150 they came off of.



Bilsteins



Here were my brake lines i got made up at Evco also. Got em blue... Keepin' the theme i guess.

 

I was able to retain my front driveshaft... barely. With the pinion on the 44 being about 2 inches longer than on the 30, i was going to have to push the front axle forward a couple inches. Well, it's forward a couple inches. The driveshaft is all the way stretched out on it's splines, and so i figures the front might be 2-3 inches pushed forward. Nonetheless. It works. I had to get a 1310-1330 conversion joint to fit the 44 yoke.

 

And so the next day came. I had to work out a few little things, (bleed brakes, hook up tcase linkage, put driveshaft in the front, charge the battery... etc.) And we rolled her outta the garage. It started up fine, and with a buncha frustration with the tcase linkage, and one hub locked in, it drove. I got so excited i ran it down to the church parking lot a block away and played on the snow.








I was worried about my horrible shackle angle and that my leaves wouldn't flex. But here, the tire was as for into the fender ( which is now trimmed accordingly) as it would go, and the leaves wanted more. Very impressed. I need to add a traction bar still, but i say the stretch is awesome.



Overall i'm impressed. The brakes need a little more lovin'. The tcase linkage needs an upgrade ( already planned) and a traction bar. But other than that... I'm very impressed.

 

This came yesterday, i had to get a driveshaft in the rear. Derek had the front shaft offa his, as he didn't want it. The cv is junk, and i'm sure it'll fall apart on me soon. But for now, it works.





i cut the sucker in half. It was made out of 2"x.120 HREW. So instead of trying to get the same tube and line it up, i got some 1.75"x.120 HREW that would slip inside the existing tube perfectly, and allow me to weld it together, and keep it as straight as possible.

It needed to be lengthened 10 inches total. the shaft was 32 3/4" and i needed it to be 42 3/4". I cut a piece of HREW 14" and slid it inside the driveshaft, giving it two inches on either side to slide in and help me line it up. This took a lot of the heachache of trying to keep it perfectly straight.

I'd heard a lot about how people say doing your own shaft is a huge deal and to have it done professionally. From what i saw. Fawk it. I've got my jeep up to about 50 mph with the shaft, and it doesn't vibe at all. I tinkered with it to get it straight, and it was good enough. Besides... It's a rock crawler. What should a little harshness be?

Well anywho... made sure the yokes were phased together, welded it up, and slapped it in with a 1310-1330 joint, and we're set to go!! The shaft holds just fine, and the only issues it'll have is the ball in the CV isn't happy.

 

looks pretty good bro.

next time you need to do a shaft, a heavy straight piece of angle iron worrk pretty good to clamp the shaft together and weld.

 

Thanks man. Yeah i thought about doing that. If i ever do one again on a street driven vehicle, ill go that route

 

Sick build man do you have any pics of where the radius arm mounts to the "frame" ?

 

They actually mount on brackets on the cross member. I don't have any pics of it... so i guess it wouldn't hurt to get some up. But i will!

 

Looks good! more pics!