00 xj 8.25/D30LP moving right along

[shawn]

how many pictures of D35s with shafts hanging out can we post up?

Ride down the gravel road at URE on any Saturday afternoon, and you're likely to come across somebody with 1ft of rear axle shaft showing.

I've never stopped for pictures, though. It seems rude.

 

[Jody Treadway]

I actually machined 5x4.5 to 8x6.5 wheel spacers for my TJ back in 2001ish when I grenaded the D35 for the umpteenth time and installed the D60FF In the rear. Didn't want to have non-matching tires and track width, so I converted the D30 to 8 lug for a couple years till I got a D60 front. Held up fine other than going through hubs every 15-20k miles...

Well, everyone isn't master fabrimacater like you Jeepmattdude. Just because yours held doesn't mean everyone else's will implode...
Oh snap, now I gots the 88Jeepster sickness. Curse you NC4x4!

 

[RHSCTJ]

I actually machined 5x4.5 to 8x6.5 wheel spacers for my TJ back in 2001ish when I grenaded the D35 for the umpteenth time and installed the D60FF In the rear. Didn't want to have non-matching tires and track width, so I converted the D30 to 8 lug for a couple years till I got a D60 front. Held up fine other than going through hubs every 15-20k miles...

Well, everyone isn't master fabrimacater like you Jeepmattdude. Just because yours held doesn't mean everyone else's will implode...
Oh snap, now I gots the 88Jeepster sickness. Curse you NC4x4!

@jeepinmatt didn't you make a h2 wheel boring tool out of a d35 shaft?

 

[John Fuller]

As they say. Somethings will never change

speak for yourselves pal...i'm not the one who started doggin people's threads and their jeeps

 

[John Fuller]

so here's my jeep for those actually interested in my current build..finished bumpers today front and rear and i like em...they will do the job i need em to!!

 

[RHSCTJ]

I like it. It's got kind off an executioner look to it. What kind off seats ya got there?

 

[XJsavage]

You welded the bumper to the unibody? Can't say I've ever done that, can't say its right or wrong but as long as you know that that whole bumper is only as strong as what its welded to (sheet metal). The front bumper looks OK but huge. A cucv comes to mind.

 

[John Fuller]

I like it. It's got kind off an executioner look to it. What kind off seats ya got there?

have no idea..bought the jeep for 400 with them in it already so i was pretty stoked about that..very comfortable

 

[XJsavage]

Somebody's probably gonna call and want their trailer ramp back.

 

[John Fuller]

You welded the bumper to the unibody? Can't say I've ever done that, can't say its right or wrong but as long as you know that that whole bumper is only as strong as what its welded to (sheet metal). The front bumper looks OK but huge. A cucv comes to mind.

yeah..i went like waay bigger (didn't mean to but I'm all about some body armor and since i tore the front end up i thought to make sure it gets protected this time and eventually will tie in to the rest of body armor that will come later on. And for my personal jeep...i like to weld and bolt everything for added strength and stuff..eventually the whole left and right unibody rails will be plated with 5" C-channel like the back bumper is

 

[XJsavage]

I gotta give it to ya, you have the right idea there! Keep up the good work sir.

 

[John Fuller]

to explain and hope i was right for thinking this way...u know the rear xj has the square hole at the rear of the rails and the stock bumper mounts 2 holes on each side of the square hole...well i put a 5/16 plate, u can see it i think, on both sides covering the square hole and the 4 original bumper mount holes and bolted it and welded it all the way along and then mounted the bumper to that with those 1/4 steel sqares from hitch so i think it will be strong enough...

 

[RHSCTJ]

Yeah man that thing is on there!

 

[John Fuller]

this is my first time actually trying to do bumpers and plating for them the right way so I'm happy with it...structure strength speaking is the rear plate/mount sturdy enough for what someone else would want for like winch pulling, rock crawling. i ask because couple customers like the turn out of the back that saw it today and are intersted in one for theirs so is this rear setup something good enough to install/sell to someone or no...for me ok but customers i need some input...open to any/all opinions/advise

 

[John Fuller]

i was absolutely BLOWN AWAY when i found out that the rear 5" C channel was only 34.00 that really made my day today and for future upgrades to this jeep

 

[John Fuller]

should've seen the front clip...way worse than this...that's what inspired the bumper build in front and rear. and btw, mounting pre97 front clip to post 97 front end was little more involved than what i was thinking...i did it but kinda pain in the u know what

 

[Jody Treadway]

Those bumpers have sharper features than Marcia Cross and Nicole Kidman's faces.

 

[John Fuller]

Those bumpers have sharper features than Marcia Cross and Nicole Kidman's faces.

ha ha ha very funny!! but in seriousness though...someone or couple critique me on my rear bumper build..good or bad cause it kinda affects future builds for others or not. thanks

 

[Jody Treadway]

ha ha ha very funny!! but in seriousness though...someone or couple critique me on my rear bumper build..good or bad cause it kinda affects future builds for others or not. thanks

Yeah, well that is not the most sturdy, safe or most ideal way to attach thick material to thin material.
You need to make plates that go into the frame rails that then attach to the bumper. You need to use bolts as a means of attaching the bumper to the unibody.
Look at how every other unibody bumper is held on and try to replicate that general idea.

 

[XJsavage]

Close up pic of the welds and we'll go from there. I can see its flux core, not knocking that, I use it too.

 

[John Fuller]

well i figured that..i just don't do brackets because of time and materials so for my jeeps it's easier to just weld it all together. when i drop the gas tank down i will plate that hole area and weld it in to the plates that the bumper is welded to so that should be plenty strong for anything this unibody would ever see or do...as far as welds>>that one picture is the closest i got for now.
Jody>>could you or someone please school me on why this bumper setup would be considered "not the most safe or sturdy" as you stated. i'm just looking at stock bumper is very thin material with 4 cheap bolts going in square pattern on each side of the unibody frame rails so plating that whole area with 1/4" or so all around it and then welding the thick square tube to that surely that has to be like 10 times stronger than what factory design is?? not arguing but just trying to figure out the logistics of the not sturdy or safe part...i know not ideal way but the other 2 i'm kinda confused

 

[John Fuller]

that's closest picture i have right now of my welds..flux core Lincoln 140.

 

[John Fuller]

those plates and square tubes are right in the center of the unibody rails on both sides so in order for the thinnest metal to give...which would be the rails...then both unibody rails would have to give quite a bit cause i know that plate and square isn't going anywhere so i figured would take a hell of a impact for that to happen

 

[John Fuller]

next project is body armor/cage sooooo...not for "roll purpose at all" BUT JUST BODY ARMOR cage what is the cheapest/affordable/easiest to work with piping/tubing for an exo cage just for body protection...I've never rolled a jeep in 14 years and don't plan on it because i never do anything crazy enough to get close to that point so i just really like the body armor type exo cage to keep it looking half way descent...i got a bad habit of rubbing trees and crap when in the woods so that's my reasoning. any advise on this would be great since it's the next thing i want to do so i can repaint it after the cage is done. thank u

 

[XJsavage]

Building tube cages/armor is on a whole nother plane. There's affordable ways to do it but if you want it to look decent and actually work, buy a real tube bender. It's not something anyone can just jump right into and expect perfection. It can take years to get good at it and is not something to skimp on. Use HREW minimum and only for body protection. If you want an inner cage, DOM. Expect $2-3 per foot for 1.75" HREW or pushing $5 per foot for DOM, and to use anywhere from 80' on up to 200'+ on either an inner cage or exo. A good tube bender will not be cheap either. I paid $700 for my bender and die and i'm limited to only one size tube until I buy more dies. Notching and welding tube takes a shit ton of practice and patience as well. Added up I probably have close to $2000 (bender, die, tube) just to do my first full cage! There's nothing cheap or easy about it.