shipp_m Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 So i have been on this site for many years and have never really posted or published much. i am currently active with the Marines and my actual truck is nearly 3000 miles away back in IDAHO. so i have been buying parts over the last 8 years and now have a stock pile at my parents house. Since my truck is so far away and i can not work on it but a little at a time i decided to endure a journey of building a SporTrailer. the main focus behind the trailer is to have a matching camper to go with the truck for hunting, camping or full on bugging out. i like the idea of having everything all ready to go and just hook up and pull away. Since my skillset is something other then fabrication it has been a rough time designing and building this thing. very long process and its still nowhere near done. i am on a limited timeline to finish it because i am leaving the area in a few months. GOAL: Fully Sustainable camper trailer matching M88J (matts 88 jeep) Parts: Comanche Frame and Bed Operational tail lights Comanche camper top Carpeted bed with interior Storage Roof Rack Hell Creek Suspension 4.5 inch lift Front rack with water/fuel jugs and Ammo Can Storage Spare Tire Water tank possibly 20-30 GAL Water Pump JCR Offroad rear Bumper Awning Map/Field desk Chuck Box Stove and military style tent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellaheep Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 MJ trailers are nothing but cool! I'm excited to see what you come up with! One suggestion..... Skip the lift springs. You don't want low hanging leaf packs on a trailer dragging on the trail. Just invest in a large tube trailer axle (cheaper than new spring packs too), put it spring-under and adjust height to match your rig with an add a leaf or shackles if you need higher. Also consider a sway bar since you're talking about using a topper and roof rack. Someone on here recently found that the rear sway bar from a Chevy s10 ZR-1 package Blazer mounts nicely using WJ link rods and XJ rear sway spring plate brackets..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thanks yellaheep. unfortunatly i have already purchased the kit and actually installed it yesterday. i have dana 44 axle that i put underneath it so i can transport it to idaho where it will get a rebuild and regear and go under my truck. figured ill keep a spare under the trailer incase the axle breaks on the truck. just swap em out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 :needpics: . :MJ 2: . :yeah that: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 i know i know I'm stil trying to figure that out!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Here is the shell i picked up in laclede Idaho while on leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 the old the newer ( it just a temp till i can rebuild and put on my 88 sportruck back home and its easier to haul if its under the trailer) painted frame (i broke the phone that had the pics of the frame prior) Hell Creek Springs spent all night putting those things on in the dark..... i think i put them on backwards? let me know got the bed on this morning not sure why the tire is so far forward. this is why i think the spring are on backwards and the jeep bedliner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 the bed needs work. but i think i can fix it. if not then ill get a new one once i move back to the states that don't rust everything over night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellaheep Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 If you mounted the springs with the big bushing to the front, the small bushing in the rear shackles, then they're on correct. But yeah, that looks wrong. Does Hell Creek sell springs for other vehicles? They look too short. Your shackle angle is AWFUL! Way to far forward. At worst, they should be straight up and down at static height, the bed weight should take them just off straight and angled back a tad. Those shackles are in danger of actually flopping forward if you unload (flex the axle down) the suspension, then they'll bind forward and bend your main leaf. Definitely send those pics to Hell Creek and see what they say. I have 5+ years in the leaf spring industry having sold them for XJ's. Those ain't right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Yellaheep, is it a possibility he has short bed springs on a long bed frame? I don't have the two to compare but maybe that's why the shackles look wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellaheep Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Nope, there were no difference between long bed and short bed leaf packs. I can see in his pics, the springs have painted markings "MJ 4 1/2" so it would appear they sold him what he asked for..... wondering if they somehow got mis-marked. Granted, when installed on the trailer frame, there isn't remotely enough weight to get those leaf packs loaded as they're intended to be...... Wondering what the shackle angle looks like with the bed on it. The other thing he needs to do is measure the distance from the front spring eye bolt to the center pin on the OEM leaf packs, then measure the lift packs. That measurement is supposed to be the same. The measurement from the center pin to the rear spring eye bolt is gonna be longer than stock. The idea is that as the suspension flexes upward, and the shackle moves backward as the packs flatten out, the axle movement is in a slight arc up and back into the fender well. Think of the front half of the leaf pack as a control arm. It's pretty common for the rear wheel to NOT be centered in the wheel well at ride height or when flexed downward, but when flexed upward, it should be pretty much centered in the fender well to eliminate any tire rubbing front or rear in the well. For reference....... This is my long bed trailer with OEM leaf packs, unloaded: This is it pretty heavily loaded: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 good looking trailers . :MJ 2: . . :MJ 2: . . :MJ 2: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 um. thanks for the help. i sent hell creek and email with the photo asking their advice. I'm not mechanic but somethings not right. its darn cold out with icey snow so ill have to wait till it warms up a bit to measure and see whats up. i copied the old leaf packs and the way they were set so i think its the same. they build the springs to order so it would be pretty hard to mess that up one would think. Thanks Spectormj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Contacted Tom at hell creek. here is his reply--- Hi, Matt, I just looked at my Comanche, and the tire is closer to the front of the wheel well on it as well, but not that much. However, mine weighs more than yours does. Since the shackles are on the rear of the springs, the direction that they will move when loaded or flexing is rearward. If the tires were centered in an unloaded condition, they could rub the fenders when fully loaded. As I said earlier, my Comanche, or yours for that matter, weighs more than an empty trailer, so the effect is not so pronounced. The springs will settle a bit in time, also, so that would help. The center pin-to-front bushing dimension is actually 1/4” more on our springs than the O.E.M. dimension. I hope this helps. Thanks, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 gotta say man i can wait to see pics of the trailer in use behind your rig and don't think anyone has said it yet on this post THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE :USAflag: :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Thanks Spector i can't wait to see what it looks like finished, and how it works. :cheers: Cheers brother, its my pleasure thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 if your ever in the nashville area a round of beer on me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 i was just in nashville two weeks ago. haha we drove from virginia back to idaho. I'm actually going back through in a couple months. i might just hit you up on that offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 good deal man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 dec decided to try my hand at electrical....wanted to make a plug and play for the MJ with a 4 flat and a 6 pin....and with the trailer just a 6 pin. Trailer 6 plug and play with 4 and 6. tomorrow i will connect to the trailer and see if i have lights!! as for the plug and play i need to borrow someones MJ to test. Any local volunteers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 good luck on the lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 failed attempt. only thing came on was the reverse lights and that was right when i plugged it in. lights on truck werent even on. so its back to the drawing board...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectormj Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 least its somewhat working Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 roof rack with the JEEP off of the front of a comanche Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipp_m Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 here is a mach up of what i would like the front to look like. i just need to build a bracket or mount for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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