dovetail yj

99ncxj

99ncxj

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Location
Aliso Viejo, CA
any one know of a good write up on dovetailing a yj tub? i'm sure i can just wing it, but thought someone out there had to of taken pics of the work in progress that might help.
 
Mine is a TJ and I didn't really do it the way alot of people do but here is some pics.
Step one cut a 7" or so section out of the back of the jeep

Step two cut all bracing behind sides out
Step three cut along inside to where you want the dove tail to start and make a small cut at the top of the tub to get you started.
Step four bend side panels in until they meet at the back
Step five cover with new steel

Step six bend and cut to match new body shape


Step seven cut out new wheel well

And your done......ok so this isn't how most do it and not a YJ but its something.
 
what is the point of dove tailing a jeep?

it seems to me that most people who wheels their jeeps hard enough that this would be beneficial would be running full width axles.... which would stick out far enough that this woudln't be necessary.

comments?
 
Erik said:
what is the point of dove tailing a jeep?
it seems to me that most people who wheels their jeeps hard enough that this would be beneficial would be running full width axles.... which would stick out far enough that this woudln't be necessary.
comments?
Click to expand...

I think some people, myself included, would rather modify sheetmetal to clear tires, rather than run a ridiculous amount of lift.

Mine will be getting dovetailed shortly. I am running full widths, but I really don't wheel that hard either, it's just to look pretty.
 
It helps to keep the body away from the rocks and gives the tire a little more clearance. I don't run full widths and don't plan to and like to think I'm fairly hardcore. I didn't lose any usable space inside of the jeep so why not dove tail it?
 
i gotcha. makes sense, i was just curious as the whole dove tail thing is pretty new to me.

so if i gather right, dove tailing the rear would make more sense for someone with stock, or close to stock wheelbase while a comp cut would be better suited for someone running xj springs or otherwise moving the rear axle back 8" or more? from a functional point of view anyway.....
 
well, i am running full width axles and xj leafs flipped around backwards. i don't like the look of a comp cut and would like to keep the body away from trees and rocks. i want it to sit as low as possible and run big tires so the dovetail would work the best for me. besides, its just something to do.
 
i hadn't thought of doing like that before. i like the fact you can still have a tail gait. i'm not sure if i will recover the sides. think i'll cut the fender wells out further back and just bend the tub and not cover it. thanks for the pics. looks good.
 
Yea the original plan was to bend the tub in and not cover it but the angles and gaps just were not going to line up with the amount that I took out of it. So this was a last minute change in plans to make it work and still look good.

so if i gather right, dove tailing the rear would make more sense for someone with stock, or close to stock wheelbase while a comp cut would be better suited for someone running xj springs or otherwise moving the rear axle back 8" or more? from a functional point of view anyway.....
Click to expand...
My jeep is stretched 7 inches in the back I choose to dove tail instead of comp cutting cause I like the look better and making it harder to bash on rocks. The way I did it I got to choose where the wheel well would be so it worked just as good as comp cutting.
 
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