neohic

I worry about having a second truck and then not using this one at all. Another thing I worry about is getting up and down the hill too. Then leaving this truck exposed to the sun all the time is another is another concern. A couple years ago I clear coated the CJ with one of those wipe on kits and it’s already starting to peel on tops of the fenders. This thing has a single stage paint with no clear. The sun is just so harsh at the elevation I’m at. That was a huge plus for the potential trade for the other truck that it’s already a “maintenance free” exterior model.

What I really don’t need is another vehicle.

I’ve been thinking. The more I look at my SCCA parts, the more that I’d like to do something with them. After passing on trading a welder for another Comanche, it’s like these parts are just asking to go on a truck. I spent the afternoon scrubbing on the worse of the five wheels and it came up pretty good. There’s obviously corrosion from old wheel weights and the faces could use a coat of paint, but this one is leaps and bounds better than it was. What about winter and summer modes? I’ve got pretty much everything to make it happen, but what I think I’d do is get a second set of control arms and steering linkage so in the future going back and forth between the two suspension setups would be an easy day project. As for my front axle, a LONG time ago, I welded on a mini truss between the differential and the passenger side upper control arm… because I’m an idiot. I mean… did I think I was going to jump it or something?! That’d need to go, but I think I’d try to keep it as a 4x4 truck. What I’d do is swap in a 242 transfer case, probably a heavier front sway bar, and add a rear sway bar (which I’d like to do anyhow). So… where would ride height sit? … fairly low. I measured the center of the wheel to the fender flare from old measurements, and I think it’d look pretty rad. For reference, a 235/60 tire would be roughly… … there. Overall, the truck would sit about 8.5” lower than it currently does. To reference a very old thread (oof… 2011?!), the SCCA trucks didn’t have a super slammed stance. That truck had 215/75 (27.7”) tires on it. There would be about a 1.6” difference between a 215/75 and a 235/60. Almost a 5” difference between the 31s currently on it!… which gets me thinking about gearing. How much would I hate the 4.10s with a 26.1” tall tire and an automatic transmission? Not to say that a future manual swap wouldn’t be in the cards either. And the snowball continues. Anyhow… I pretty sure I’m just thinking out loud here. That you for listening to my TED talk.

If it were me, I’d weld everything together. Especially in a case like yours were there’s so much additional plating and material already, I wouldn’t worry about having too much rigidity. Any seams, I’d cover with a non hardening sealer.

Looking forward to more updates.

It’s going to a legit shop in town. I’m sure it’ll be slightly more that a V8 and a lift.

M37 that was recently on marketplace. There was a guy interested in it on another forum site I’m on but he was too late to go look at it. Apparently a local 4x4 shop got to it first and it’ll be going to the SEMA show this year.

Seems like a solid rig.

Sweet! I love seeing updates on this truck

Time to put a pin in this. My buddy with the truck went back and forth a few times, but he and his wife have decided to keep the truck. That’s great though! I think seeing the truck running and moving again really sparked some new interest in it. I’m sure I still get work on it though!

More updates on my table. I bought the world’s most adorable cold saw. This little guy can cut up to 2”x4” tubing. I’d say that 80% of what I do is probably 2” round tube and smaller along with small tabs out of plate. I’m trying to ween myself off of dirty cut wheels on a grinder. The whole works was mounted to a frame I made up that slides into a receiver tube. A pin and big set screw keeps it tight when using it. When not in use, it stows away under the table. Why have I never had a metal saw before?

x2.

Truth. Truck looks great! Very well done build.

Whichever arms you use, you could weld a heavy washer to those brackets to make them use a stationary bolt and get rid of the slot.

Those brackets are for later model Dana 30s like on ZJs (some ZJs?) and TJs. They need cam bolts/washers for properly alignment. Edit… Carter beat me to it.

It’s a runner! I borrowed the battery, starter relay, coil, and ignition module from my Eliminator this morning. All of that got swapped over and then it had spark. A dribble of gas down its throat and it sputtered to life! It was still getting fuel, but my pressure gauge said it wasn’t enough. I pulled the pump and found a couple gallons of amber colored varnish. Pump looked fine so it got put back in followed by five gallons of premium. Another dribble down the throttle body and I got it to idle! IMG_7333.mov Then it was time to check the brakes and clutch. I took it for a toodle around the neighborhood and my buddy hopped in too. He told me what he knows about it again but I was distracted by the “suggestion” at best brakes. This thing still needs a good once over and a pile of work. This truck is technically his wife’s. It was her first car and she spent a bunch of time working on it with her late father. After more stories about her dad, a few tears, and a big hug later they’re torn on what they want to do with it. If the trade doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen. It’s a good feeling knowing what it needs to get it back on the road though. Felt good to be a part of that.

That was one thing I checked. Pretty much just a visual over things since I didn’t have a meter with me.

Still no decisions made. Didn’t have much time to spend with it today, but it got a CPS thrown at it. It’s got no spark. It does have fuel and I think the injectors are firing judging from a wet spark plug I pulled out. The jury is still out. I’d like to hear it run so I think I’m going to go through my spare junk and grab all the known good sensors I’ve got. If this truck comes home with me, something needs to go. Three vehicles is already too many for me.

I’ve ran and still run some real junk. The way to get away with breaking the rules is knowing which ones you can get away with while always having a plan B on reserve. That driveshaft is one to keep a plan B on standby. If the balance is off enough, I could see it being hard on bearings and seals.

What’s going on with that driveshaft? Is it balanced with a weld like that?

… it photographs well. Having a car cover on it for five years screwed up the roof, and water doesn’t even bead anymore over the rest of the truck. I appreciate it though! This thing always needs something.

Clear coat? That’s a single stage paint I did in 2010.

Perhaps something subconscious? These things have had the same red muddy crust on them since I got them. They came from Austin (xjrev10) when I picked up a 2wd ‘91 Pioneer from him. Story was that they were on a 2.5/4x4 truck that a friend of his picked up that supposedly was used as a plow truck by the Archers in the ‘90s. The frame was gone, the engine was painted orange, and it was wheeled hard for the remainder of its life. Three of the five wheels had ratty tires that had broken beads and were so filled with dirt that Austin was using them as weight in the bed for winter traction.