BryGuy

Awesome Rig. Hopefully mine will turn out as well in 5-20 yrs when I finish it :shake: I'm curious to find out why you didn't mount the rear shocks out a bit further towards the the ends of the axle for more stability? It looks like you had room in the bed and on the axle. Don't take that as criticism..... I'm just trying to learn more as I go along, and from what I've read thus far wider apart is better.

I was wondering the same thing. Must be a pimp or a g thang. :laughin:

As part of my build I deceided to take a look at getting my gas tank ready for installation (way down the road). I drained the old fuel, removed all the hoses, the sending unit, etc... and after taking it outside to flush it out I realized (for the first time) that it has a pretty big dent in the bottom of the tank. Since my tank is dented I'm considering replacing it with another used tank. If I replace it with another used tank, I'd love to find one that: 1. Has a larger capacity. 2. Isn't as tall. Ideally I'd love to be able to mount the tank between the frame rails. 3. Obviously the tank will have to be longer/wider to accomdate #1 and #2. Does anyone know of a tank that might fit my needs? Any tips/suggestions on what I need to know before doing this?

Thanks for the links.

I've unsuccessfully searched for more pics/info on this Cherokee.... hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

Anyone who's removed the heater box knows it's a PITA The Culprit: Missing from the picture is the nut that threads onto the long finer threaded side. In theory to remove the heater box it should be as easy as removing the 5 nuts and pulling the heater box out from the inside. The problem starts when the nut rusts on threads. Typically a rusted nut isn't a big deal.... apply some penetrating lubricant and/or some heat, apply a bit of torque and the nut usually breaks free. The only problem is that almost any torque applied to the nut causes the thicker threads on the opposite side to rotate, due to the fact that they are threaded into plastic. That's typically when the cursing starts and the minor problem of a rusted nut becomes a nightmare. I've removed 3 heater boxes and all 3 gave me the same problem. Even after you manage to remove the heater box, your now left with another problem.... the mounting holes in the plastic are now sloppy due to the fastener spinning around. My Solution: Junk the old mounting hardware and replace it with Stainless Steel grade 8 coated bolts, nuts and washers. Tools Needed: - Drill with 13/64 bit - 13/64 Drill bit - 2 9/16 sockets with ratchet - 1 9/16 wrench (preferably a ratcheting one) Materials Needed: Qty 2 3/8 -16 x 2-1/2" Zinc Plated Grade 8 Bolts Qty 2 3/8 -16 x 1-1/2" Zinc Plated Grade 8 Bolts* Qty 1 3/8 -16 x 2" Zinc Plated Grade 8 Bolts * Qty 10 3/8 Zinc Plated Washers Qty 5 3/8 Zinc Plated Nuts * I lost my notes, so the length of these might be wrong. I will double check soon. Step 1: (Assuming the heater box is already removed from the vehicle) Remove the panel that allows you to gain access to the heater core. 10 fasteners hold this cover on (see red circles on Pic #1 & 2), 8 on the top, and 2 on the back. Once these 10 fasteners are removed you will need to release 3 clips (see yellow boxes on Pic #2). With the fasteners off and the clips released the panel comes off easily. With this cover off it will allow you to get your hands on the inside of the heater box for step #3. Step 2: Using a 13/64 drill bit drill out all 5 of the mounting areas so that there is a hole all the way through the heater box to the inside (be careful not to hit the heater core with the drill bit). The holes are purposely drilled smaller than the diameter of the 3/8" bolts, and is explained in the next step. Step 3: Place a washer on a 2-1/2" bolt. Starting with one of the mounting holes closest to the heater core, thread the bolt in by hand for the first couple of threads and then all the way through with a 9/16 socket and ratchet. Snug it up so the washer just starts to dig into the plastic. Repeat this step for the second mounting hole above or below the one you just completed and continue to Step #4. Step 4: Follow Step #3 on the middle mounting holes with the following differences - 1-1/2" Bolt, using a 9/16 wrench due to limited space. Step 5: Follow Step #4 on the remaining mounting hole with the following difference - 2" bolt. Step 6: Reattach the panel removed in Step #1. Step 7: Reinstall the heater box using the remaining 3/8" washers and bolts. Pic #1 Pic #2 Pic #3 The Conclusion: The jury is still out. Since I'm still in the design phase of my project I've had my heater box removed and reinstalled a few times now with no troubles..... BUT there isn't any rust or corrosion on the nut, so very little torque is needed to remove the nut. In theory I could run into the same problem with this set-up as occurred in the previous set-up. I do believe this modification will fare better for the following reasons: 1. The hardware is zinc coated and far less likely to corrode/rust. 2. The threaded area in the plastic is a greater length thus providing more resistance and making it less likely to strip. 3. Even if the same problem occurs the bolts can be cut off and replaced.

Welcome and great snag for the price.

Very impressive cage. This MJ was impressive even before you got your hands on it, and now it's just spectacular. :clapping: A few more questions: 1. Did you friend use Bend-Tech or a similar software? 2. Which Manufacturer/Model Tube Bender did he use? 3. What Make of Bead Locks are those? Sorry if these questions are answered elsewhere.

Before I start to tell you my plating plans, let's take a look back at what the rear frame & bed brackets used to look like: As a reminder here's an earlier pic of the rear frame with the rusty bed brackets (notice the drivers side rear bracket is missing) What was left of the drivers side rear bed bracket Since the one of the bed brackets was kind enough to remove itself, I figured I might as well remove the other 3 so I could plate the top of the frame without them in the way. Bed brackets removed (shaded red area is where they were) Once the bed brackets where removed it was obvious that I really needed to cut a section of the top part of the frame out. I figured that this would not only get rid of the rusted out area, but it would also allow me to access the inside of the frame as well. In this pic you can see I already started to drill out the spot welds. The yellow line shows where I carefully cut across with a zip disk (trying to only cut the top layer) Front cut successful and spot welds removed Making the rear cut was a bit more of a challenge since the outside edge of the metal curves into a 90 degree angle. Basically I cut what I could with the zip disk, drilled a hole close at the end of the cut, and finished the cut with a air body saw. Rear cut What I found after I removed the cut out section After I cleaned out the inside of the frame Bottom View Section to be cut out My Plan: - cut out the rusted portion (see pic above) - replace cut out section - remove remaining surface rust - treat inside of frame to prevent future rust buildup - replace top cut out section - repair/treat and reinstall bed brackets (1 will have to be fabbed up) - plate frame with 3/16" steel - POR-15 Sealant & Chassis Coat There is however a few things I'm uncertain of. When it comes to the inside of the frame, I plan on removing as much rust as possible, by cutting out the bad parts (mentioned above) and sanding/grinding away as much of the remaining rust as I can. I'd love to be able to coat the inside of the frame with POR-15, but I'm pretty sure the heat from the plating will ruin it. I recently purchased some weld thru primer, but unless every little bit of the rust is gone, covering it up with primer won't solve the problem. I could spray the inside with a rust converter, then primer, but I'm worried the rust converter will be ruined by the heat as well...... any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.

After some fun with a cutting torch my MJ is about 12" shorter in preparation for the bed bob and shortening the wheelbase by 5" to 108" Next Up: -Removal of the Front Control Arm Brackets -Removal of the remaining rear Lear Spring Brackets -Lots of frame prep & plating

Really quick update: - I've removed the intake & exhaust manifold, the heads, oil pan/pump, timing gear/chain..... basically all that's left is the block complete with cam, crank, pistons. I'll be leaving this intact so the pro's can inspect it & figure out what's got to go and what I should save. Pics of the engine teardown are on my phone.... I'll pull them off later. ZipLoc Bags, Dollar Store Storage Bins, Labels & a Sharpie Marker are your best friends during the teardown. Finally removed the rear axle. Rear minus the axle.... this is the cleanest the floor has been in months. Drilled out the spot welds on the upper part of drivers side unibody..... had to grind a ton of rust to find them. Inner part of the lower section of unibody on the drivers side (front half) ..... not nearly as bad as it looks. Inner part of the lower section of the unibody on the drivers side (rear half) Me getting ready for the next step..... more coming soon.

Awesome job. It's been awhile since I've read your build thread, and I was blown away by your progress and work..... TOP NOTCH :thumbsup: Few questions for ya: 1. What size tires? Didn't see ya mention that. 2. What changed your mind obout the bed bob? 3. Out of curiosity, what tube bender are you using?

A real quick update: Finally got the engine on the new engine stand Picked up a few things necessary for the teardown Part way through the teardown Loads of pics/details to come.

Yep..... this is it:

Found this on Pirate4x4.....enjoy