DirtyComanche

I don't mind copying at all. It's actually the smart way to do these things... I stole the idea for the crossmember from BrettM origonally, even though it looks nothing like his. Anyways, it's all flat stock because I wished to build a drop out tray for the winch. To use a peice of angle would have been impractical as I'd have to make a pretty major amount of cuts in it. Also, the peice of angle I really wanted (6x8x.250, IIRC) is not avaliable, and would have to be broke. So, it was just easier to use flat and weld it all together. As far as the actual mesurements go, well, I'd suggest you draw your own diagrams and figure them out! I doubt you would make it exactly like mine, nor want to. And in retrospect, this is NOT the best design. However, the main peice accross the front is 35" of 6x.250 FB. The tie-in plates on the outsides are 12" of 6x.250 FB each. The one inside tie-in is 6" of 4x.250FB. They other side is about 4.5" of 2"x.250 FB (Clearing the steering box gets things ugly, unless you're willing to move it.) I REALLY suggest you go out there with a tape measure and make a drawing/diagram. Then post it for criticism. :cheers: Oh, and don't forget the leaf hangers at the other end. I still have to go pick up the steel for those. Tomorrow hopefully.

I've got about 23... I used to have about 30. 5-35s. 4-P225/75R15 - winter 4-P225/75R15 - summer 4-something or other car tires (my cutlass) 4-other car tires (my dad's) 1-donut spare 1-31x10.5 spare Luckily now the 35s are slowly being moved out. Then hopefully I'll sell the extra car tires. And the donut spare needs to meet the trash.

CD players are an amazing mod. It cured my whiney peugeot, rough 4.0 and the rattling of all the loose parts trying to fall off.

They're SOA from the factory. Bad idea.

Hell, there'd be a chance I'd actually show up then.

I should point out it is VERY easy to have an axle setup to go in a truck. When I did my 8.8 I couldn't weld, so all I did was take the axles and the perches down to the local machine shop and said to weld 'em on at a 42" centre-centre and have the pinion angled 6* up. It wasn't the cheapest way, granted, but it was basically hassel free.

Sorry, can't help you. This is a N/T axle. It's only 61.5" WMS-WMS. But, if you want I'll make a mental note of it. I'm going to be visiting a certain W/T cherokee to borrow the passenger side knuckle at some point here.

The UBE's aren't done, that's still mockup. I was looking at my ford spring plates and realized making them out of 1/2" plate would be less elegant than would make any sense... So, they will be getting some ribbing when I pull them off, and clean off the whole axle and finish all of the welding and such. The spiring mounts were taller because I screwed up. Bascially. I wasn't enough of a man with the hole saw when I made them. They're actually only about 3/4" taller than the ones on my 8.8 - which means I can pull a overload and it should be fine. And about them having no triangulation, who the heck am I supposed to? They're long enough, and welded along the outsides, insides, and the bottom of the HSS (well, when I do totally final weld them). Making them any longer is without benefit, see the stupid thread in the tech section if you want a farther exp. Oh, and part of the reason it looked so much taller was I hadn't set the shackles in place and then raised the front. The weight is not on the springs correctly as it is. And the reason I cut the C's off the HPD44 was because they were in my way. The tubes will now be chop-sawed to waggy width. I will use the C's off the waggy axle because it has ball-joints in it, and I could not remove the C's from the ford axle without damaging them. (it was them or the tubes, and I need the tubes to be the same length as stock so I can measure them correctly for cutting) Also, I need to set pinon angle and caster anyways.

Well, as best I could make it work with my limited ability with physics (been too damn long), I can make a summation that: As long as the perches are at LEAST as long as the spring plate you will have less axle wrap then if they are shorter. This is as it does not allow the movement (stretch) of the ubolts to become a factor. If they are longer than that, they will only aid if you don't have an overload leaf, in that then the pack will wrap only as far as until it is flat on the perche. Making them bloody small makes no sense. From a wrap point and a strength point.

I'll say; you guys are :nuts:

Well, whatta ya know, if you use a pick those things come right off... Wag axle almost completely stripped. I'll take the outers off sometime soon, then cut the tubes right at the inner C's, then cut the tubes out of the inner C's. Image Not Found Going to work on the HPD44... Something's missing. Image Not Found Just a reference for me. Image Not Found Both off. As you can see, my 'small persuader' is standing ready. Image Not Found I also cut my horrid rear bumper off (truck looks WAY better) and started messing with my shock mounts.

Would you actually be able to put enough force on the brakes with the ebrake to actually give you any real traction benefit? Besides, it's not always as simple as having a tire in the air. Winter wheeling is an example...

Aparently it comes out by slipping a pick behind it and pulling it. It won't unscrew. Oh, and I had two overload leafs because I was cheap and wanted it to sit slightly taller. As far as the spring wrap goes... Well, we'll see. I might try the ford exploder mains, because the one main is bent anyways.

Oh, it sits too tall, I'll need to pull the extra over-load leaf from each side. OR maybe both of them, and then check flex and bumpstop as needed. Shock mount mockup will start tomorrow, I hope. Also, I spent some time in the jyard. I actually went there to look at propane parts, but was pretty much SOL because they'd crushed a bunch... Anyways, I got a GM HEI dist from a van with a 250 in it. I didn't realize it at the time, but the cap is damaged, which is probably why the van wound up in the yard (there's no way it would fire). I will go and swap the cap or maybe even buy some new parts. I grabbed a renix intake manifold, just to see if I can easily modify it to suit my needs. I'd say it doesn't look promising. I will probably bend up some pipe and make a custom manifold. I also bought a spare E-fan. It was cheap. And lebaron hood vents... Don't ask me why! And some comanche decals out of impulse.

UBE's burned in partially: Image Not Found UBE's done for now: Image Not Found Springs going on, and getting ready to wedge it under the truck. Image Not Found Hold it right there! That's where the rear tires should be! Now I jsut need to ditch the leafs. Image Not Found When I quit for the night: Image Not Found

I'd be getting the poly ones then! But, we'll wait till it breaks. As is the nature of how I do things. Okay, made some progress, but I dunno about this D44... Image Not Found How do you get that ring off? I tried pulling on it, went out and bought a jawed puller, but can't fit it in... It wiggles, but it won't come out. :dunno: This is what has come off so far: Image Not Found (Some of the bolts are for the 12B, nevermind them) Any thoughts? I decided I better work on the 12B. Just mockup for now. Started basic prep: Image Not Found Spring perch mock-up: Image Not Found Building spring plates and UBE's (U-bolt eliminators...) Image Not Found I also decided to move the wheelbase back about 1.5" at this time. Tacking perches in. Pinion is 6* up. Decent guess. Image Not Found UBE mockup, and the perches are burned in on the sides (There's another weld to do to make them really solid.) Image Not Found

The junkyard! I was at my not so local u-pull-it and there was two MJs there. One had factory buckets and full console! And a good rear sliding window! And a good tailgate and tail lights! But yeah, I don't need those.

My head was the moving part... But rather quickly, as I was holding a wrench and shorted out the alt output wire... Still hasn't stopped bleeding. Maybe it should be stiched? Probably too late now.

You probably didn't, but oh well: Image Not Found Image Not Found

I ate a towhook... Want pics?

That's kidna what I was thinking... But, it's been like that for 2 years and not broken. :nuts:

Ah, but, it only costs me 60 cents a liter, with 87 octane sitting a $1.29/L...

Thought about my timing issue... Aren't YJ's serpentine belt? Wouldn't their harmonic balancer have timing marks? Hmm... Wonder if it would fit?

Not a lot of progress, been kinda busy between work and trying to get back into school. But the good news is that someday I will be fixing planes for a living! Or maybe that's bad news for most people.... Thought I'd ask, are motor mounts supposed to have this much play? Image Not Found Or should I have replaced them about 2 years ago? Anyways, after just about killing DD after an encounter with a water hazard, I decided a better intake/snorkel should be in order for both. However, I cut BB first as she's already a Miss Frankenstein. Image Not Found Then I'll put a hole through into the engine bay there, and run ABS pipe and some radiator hose to make the intake system. And I poked around at some other things.

Yes, the timing needs adjusting, a couple degrees advance, IIRC. But, I still gotta figure out how! Cooling issues are not issues. The engine will actually run colder on the propane. The ONLY thing that worries me about propane is it's next to impossible to start below -40. -45 and you're pretty much dead in the water. Oh, and for the number of miles I put on this thing, I'll have to keep it for about 40 years before the conversion pays for itself...