Tummy Tuck Pics

It looks good. Well worth the time.
 
looks nice, how about a write up on it? i am on the way to do one pretty soon.
a 4cylinder huh, hows that working out for ya???

tyler
 
Nothing better then a flat skid, sweet work!
 
jeepeater2003 said:
how about a write up on it? a 4cylinder huh, hows that working out for ya???

tyler
Click to expand...

Write up? OK :) After stretching the wheel base I seemed to be hitting the skid more and decided I needed a little more clearance there. Got a piece of 1/4" plate from DH Griffin, local salvage yard, for $15. Used the stock skid to get a pattern but made it longer to take up all the room between the spring hangers. All the stock fasteners were rusted out so I cut holes in the frame with a hole saw and tack welded nuts on the inside (visible in the side shot). Will probably weld the hole plugs back in later. I had to cut the trans hump out of the tub, basically in a key hole shape, to get the drivetrain high enough for the skid to be flat. The sticking point was actually the CV joint on the front of the rear driveshaft. I basically welded a 1" sheetmetal strip around the bottom of the cut out hump and then welded it back in place. Used 1/2" hex drive button head bolts to fasten the skid in place with 5 bolts per side instead of the stock 3. Put 2 pieces of angle iron on the inside for reinforcement, one under the trans mount and one toward the rear for extra support under the traction bar mount. Didn't have to modify the traction bar since I lengthened the skid from stock. The trans is direct bolted to the skid with button head bolts, no isolation. I've not wheeled it yet, only test drove it a couple of times, and there is significantly more vibration transmitted through the solid mount, (it's not a daily driver though), but in order to get some type of isolation cushion I would have had to go much higher with the drivetrain. As it is I may have to shorten the trans and tcase shifters as my hand contacts the dash in the forward most positions, not bad as long as I'm careful but no speed shifts. Still using the driveshafts as they were before the mod. I crossed it up in my test area a few times and they look OK, maybe marginal. I have flat springs so hopefully they will work without lengthening. Will have to see after I beat on it a bit. Ended up with about 2 1/4" of spline engagement. All in all not too hard to do. Worst thing was getting the holes in the plate in the right place as my stock skid was so warped from rock knock :)
BTW, the 4 cyl TorqueMaster works great! Lite weight & runs all weekend on a tank of gas. Idled up Daniel and Dutch John hill at UNF last weekend.
 
Is your engine solid mounted too? Between frame twist and the engine being rubber mounted, I think you will want something to have some give in it.. because transmission & transfer case cases don't give, they just crack.
 
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