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Easiest way to shorten a LB wheelbase?


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How about instead of moving the leafs foward... just chopping the frame behind the cab, and taking out a 6" section and reattaching everything having it professionall stick welded and reinforced.

 

Keeping the front leaf mounts where they are, and using stock XJ leafs to help with the departure angle... and re doing the rear leaf mounts.

Relocating the gas tank or using an XJ tank or fuel cell?

 

I image this would shorten it up about 8 inches.

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Not sure but isnt that getting real close to the opening for the tire?? You have to consider if you shorten it with the stock bed and you are shortening the wheelbase you may have probs with the tire not being in center of wheel opening. Just a thought you might have looked over. Thats why most of the guys that want shorter go truggy cause in the end it works out better than trying to stay stock looking. I would try to find a SB and throw that bed on it if you want to keep the stock bed if not tube it. You can see By PONG and Bretts truggys they still have alot of room plus plenty of space to strap from. Check out the guy in the projects forum truggy. Its a newer post but I like the look of his bed section.

 

Cole

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How about instead of moving the leafs foward... just chopping the frame behind the cab, and taking out a 6" section and reattaching everything having it professionall stick welded and reinforced.

 

Keeping the front leaf mounts where they are, and using stock XJ leafs to help with the departure angle... and re doing the rear leaf mounts.

Relocating the gas tank or using an XJ tank or fuel cell?

 

I image this would shorten it up about 8 inches.

 

Chopping and redoing the frame, moving the rear spring mounts for XJ leaves and relocating the gas tank... not even considering the modifications to the bed, you might as well go truggy for all that work.

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Yes i plan on linking the rear. I am also going to cut off the rear portion of the cage work, it was designed with that in mind. The whole cage was built out of 1.75x.120 DOM except for the rock rails which are 2x.250, and the windshiled down bars are 1.5x.120.

 

The only thing stopping my project from going forward is trying to find a cheap HP60. Guess I am just going to have to pay the going rate

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it would be simpler to just build a new rear frame than do all that splicing. ditching the bed would make everything easier, or you could get a shortbox to throw on. if you're doing all that work, are you sure you only want to go down 8 inches?

 

you could always go to 99(?) inches like MJ Dan:

 

picture.JPG

 

picture.JPG

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The only thing stopping my project from going forward is trying to find a cheap HP60. Guess I am just going to have to pay the going rate

 

 

 

Buddy of mine picked up a F350. HPD60/Sterling 10.25/460/C6/NP-something...

 

 

For, $1000.

 

 

Sold the 460 for $800. The sterling for $200. The C6/T-case and body are going to go too.

 

 

So, his HPD60 (came with 4.10 gears too :roll: ) so far has cost him nothing.

 

 

 

F' I hate him.

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That's not totally unheard of. I bought a 78 Bronco with 4.10s for like $800, parted out the perfect interior and low mileage driveline for like $2000, threw away the rotted-out body, and got free axles in the process. :D

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If it makes you feel any better, I didn't find it by accident, but the more traditional way. I hunted for more than a month in auto ads and junkyards looking for the 78-79 Ford 1/2 ton axles (with 4.10 gears) while I was researching/planning the axle swap. It was advertised in autotrader for like $1500 so I went to check it out. It was a non-running piece of rusty garbage, but all I wanted were the axles so I made an offer and waited patiently. Couple weeks later he accepted and I drove up with a Buddy's truck and a tow bar and we hauled it away. :D

 

P.S. And just a lesson-learned to share with everyone, the long lengths of threaded rod you see for sale in the hardware store aren't very strong. Or at least not strong enough to be used to secure a tow bar to a Bronco frame. :roll: It lasted about 1 mile and snapped when we pulled into a parking lot to double check everything before hitting the main roads. The good news is that I no longer had to worry about draining the radiator, seeing as the towbar pushed right into it. :D

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just do a coil spring conversion on rear,and bob the bed take it right to the rear flair, a guy I ran with a few years ago had one done this way unfortunaly he only had it for 6 wheeling trips as he really needed a new master cyl and put it off one to many times lucky for him he got out before it droped 200-250 ft strait down,he ran 6" TJ lift w/2" spacers for 8" total cut the fenders alittle and moved flairs up he was running 37" boggers flexed real well.sorry no pics even if I knew how to put on here.

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I don't find deals like that.. Or if they come along I don't have the cash :cry:

 

I'm'a heading to the 'yards tomorrow....lemme see what I can find. PM me your cell # again (I lost it) and I'll call ya if I find something.

 

Jeff

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P.S. And just a lesson-learned to share with everyone, the long lengths of threaded rod you see for sale in the hardware store aren't very strong. Or at least not strong enough to be used to secure a tow bar to a Bronco frame. :roll: It lasted about 1 mile and snapped when we pulled into a parking lot to double check everything before hitting the main roads. The good news is that I no longer had to worry about draining the radiator, seeing as the towbar pushed right into it. :D

 

 

It's grade 2, course thread.

 

 

Absolute $#!&.

 

 

Go to a machine shop and buy gr12 all-thread... At $12 a foot it's a little harsh though.

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Would have been worth it if I had known about the grade 12 stuff. We got by using the big Grade 8 bolts I brought as a backup (in case the rod wasn't quite long enough, at the time I never doubted it's strength). What a night of fun. :D Limping along at 25 mph really late at night with flashers-a-blinkin', orange flags flappin' everywhere and a chase vehicle. Many-a-cop passed us reeeeal slowly, but no one ever stopped us. Sometimes it's better to attract as much attention as possible so no one thinks you're doing something nefarious or dangerous. :D

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I think I'm going to do what he's done above, that's what I planned on originally. I don't want a truggy. 108 inches looks pretty sweet.

Move the springs forward, and use XJ leafs sprung over with revolver shackles or a buggy leaf.

Relocate the gas tank... this is MUCH less work than building a tube back.

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