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'65 Rubicon Rig

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by timsresort, Dec 27, 2020.

  1. Apr 26, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2014
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    The view from inside, looking back to the rusted floor, this is a major improvement.
    [​IMG]
    Some quick primer, and with both sides done, I can actually look forward to getting the body back on. The rear end will be here in a few weeks, and I have the transfer case still to do, and exhaust, but I can see this body back on the frame, soon.
    [​IMG]
    But first, I'm off for my olive drab disease therapy.
    [​IMG]
     
    truckee4x4, tymbom, locrwln and 4 others like this.
  2. May 9, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    OK I'm back and recovered. With an eye on getting the body back on, I want to reinforce the rear body mount area. This area takes a ton of stress, and the stock beer can thickness mounts are not up to the job. I want to pick up some beefier mount points, so am playing with some 2" flat bar.
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    I can get 2 holes through the body under the tail light, 2 holes through the tail gate hinge, and 1 more above the inner mount, through the tailgate frame.
    [​IMG]
    The outer mount i am replacing with some angle. All welded up, and this will be much sturdier. I will get some correct length 3/8 stainless bolts to clean it up.
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    A coat of satin black on the new floors, it won't show too much once it's on the frame.
    [​IMG]
    Lowered the body back down on the dolly flat for the first time in a while.
    [​IMG]
     
  3. May 14, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    On to exhaust. I got a pile of fittings, muffler, flanges, hangers from Summit.
    [​IMG]
    The muffler is a welded turbo from Summit. Nice dimensions, reasonable price. A little quieter than my 3B with a straight through race muffler. This is about where I want to locate it.
    [​IMG]
    I started with trimming back the header collector, tacking on a V-band clamp and a 3"x 2" reducer. Then a bend to get it in close to the frame.
    [​IMG]
    Then another bend to straighten back out.
    [​IMG]
    Then a straight section with a 90 under the frame. This will work.
    [​IMG]
    The muffler about where it goes. I will have to cut the crossmember to keep it high.
    [​IMG]
     
    Danefraz, Rubicloak, ITLKSEZ and 3 others like this.
  4. May 14, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    This is what I picture when I want everything high and tight. I have ripped off enough mufflers in my life. (And even driven over them afterwards).
    [​IMG]
     
    Danefraz, tymbom, locrwln and 7 others like this.
  5. May 15, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Truckee CA
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    May 30, 2008
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    It’s cool to see a custom crawler exhaust come together.

    This picture makes me scared and at the same time jealous at how awesome your rig is going to be to be able to do stuff like this...I think I’ll be the guy at the far end of the trail that brings the cold beer on the dusty forest roads!
     
  6. May 15, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Jan 22, 2014
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    This system is 2" into 2-1/2" at the single inlet/single outlet muffler. So I need a wye. The 2-1/2" straight picks up the driver side, the 45 degree 2" picks up the passenger side. I'm going to fab this up on the table, being as I don't have one.
    [​IMG]
     
    Rubicloak and Fireball like this.
  7. May 15, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    It's a ton of fun, and you are right here in the Rubicon's back yard. With the right group, you know you are taken care of, basically the buddy system. And you need to be the guy that does the trail, then has the cold beer in camp.
     
    Norcal69 and Fireball like this.
  8. May 16, 2021
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    Exactly!
    The ECJ5 crew is very easy going. Cold beer in camp is icing on the cake...
     
  9. May 16, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Fabbing the wye. I hole sawed a starter hole the widened out to the shape of the fish mouth cut I did on the angle piece.
    [​IMG]
    Everything else so far I have only tack welded, but this is pretty much the starting point, so fully welded.
    [​IMG]
    With the muffler hanging, I added a flange, and the wye.
    [​IMG]
    Now I can connect the driver side, a slight kick up, then an elbow into a reducer and the wye.
    [​IMG]
    On the passenger side, sort of the same thing, except the 2 30 degree bends are rolled, so they turn and raise towards the 45 section of the wye.
    [​IMG]
    Now I can take the sections out and weld up on the table. The closer I have the cuts to butting, the easier the welding.
    [​IMG]
    It's hard to see, but the complete system looks ok. Still some more welding to do, and tunneling through the rear crossmember, and hangers.
    [​IMG]
     
  10. May 17, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Time to tackle the rear crossmember. This was beefed up in one of the previous upgrades, probably about 15 years ago. I used a porta-band, a hole saw, a sawzall, and a grinder. I could have just plasma'd it out, but this was cleaner.
    [​IMG]
    Started with the filler boxing, and hung the muffler to check the final fit.
    [​IMG]
    Made a sheet metal template for the guard the will surround the tailpipe, as well as beef up the tubing.
    [​IMG]
    Then copied it on to 2" flatbar, heated with a torch, bent in a vise, and welded in.
    [​IMG]
    With that done, all the pipe is final welded, cleaned and looks like quite the pile.
    [​IMG]
    Outside for some VHT header paint. It always looks so much better painted. I know it won't last, but it's easily touched up, and it will look good on its first trip.
    [​IMG]
     
  11. May 20, 2021
    wheelie

    wheelie beeg dummy 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    York, PA
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    This is some great work, all the way through to this point. I feel like an ape after seeing the work some of you cats do.

    So....backing up a few pages.......your spring hangers for the YJ springs........do you see any structural issue with spinning them 180 and having the more sloped end facing forward? I realize it would require other frame mods and or some spring length issues but that's what Ive been thinking of years anyway. So, just from a strength/safety perspective, would those hangers worker in the opposite orientation?
     
    timsresort likes this.
  12. May 20, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    I have considered this. On the fronts, the reason I am using them is for the extra length hanging out front. On my 3B, I had to use them, as well as add 2" to the horns to make these springs fit. Also I really like the look of them pointing forward. On the rears, it's just where they want to sit, and I can't really envision the difference structurally. They are fully welded around on a boxed frame. The only disadvantage might be that they won't act as a rock ramp because they're pointing forward, but in some pretty heavy rock use in my 3B I'm not sure I've ever touched them to a rock, let alone gotten hung up. So yes, the rears would work the other way, and probably intended to work that way, but for no great reason I matched the front. Good question. And thanks for the compliments. We are looking forward to driving it soon.
     
  13. May 21, 2021
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    I have the same spring hangers on my YJ springs but they are swapped 180 to act as a ramp. 2 trips through the rubicon And they haven’t been touched.... they probably work the same in either orientation
     
    timsresort likes this.
  14. May 21, 2021
    wheelie

    wheelie beeg dummy 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    York, PA
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    Thanks. Rock ramp is precisely what I was thinking. Or overthinking.
     
    timsresort likes this.
  15. May 24, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    OK it's official, Nick graduated with a bachelors degree in economics from Chico State over the weekend. We had a great celebration. Now i am back, facing work and project. The Novak Dana 18 master kit arrived while I was gone, and this is one of the last items I would like to accomplish before the body goes back on, so I opened it up.
    [​IMG]
    I got the old case up on the table, ready for disassembly. The internals are destined for the big-hole 20 case I have already prepped. I noticed here that I need a 1310 yoke for the front output.
    [​IMG]
    I had also noticed that I needed a rear bearing cap, the old one had a broken ear from me dropping it over the winter. A member on here and friend in the MV group, Jay's WWII Jeeps helped me out. Thanks Jay!
    [​IMG]
    This was after work, so I didn't get very far, but I did drive the intermediate shaft out. Until today, I had not noticed that this is a small-hole 1-1/4" case. Hmm, don't remember when or why that got changed. I always assumed it was a 1-1/8" shaft. I will still use the 20 case since it's all ready to go, and purportedly a little stronger, and the fact that the case will install over the output gear. Then I found some white under the grease, my dad rebuilt it 12-89.
    [​IMG]
     
  16. May 24, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    the 4" bore case didn't come until the dauntless, but the 1-1/8" to 1-1/4" transition happened in 53, according to novak. my '61 has a small hole 1-1/4" as well.
     
    timsresort likes this.
  17. May 24, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Well, I did not know that, or I forgot. So this could be the original case for a '65 4 banger. Makes sense, as I don't know why my dad would have changed it out.
     
  18. May 25, 2021
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
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    Congrats to him for completing his degree! I'm an IT auditor at the Federal Reserve, so as such have had the opportunity to collaborate with many economists over the years. It's truly an incredible place to work, so as such I would totally encourage him to consider a job there! Feel free to reach out via PM if you want.
     
    timsresort likes this.
  19. May 25, 2021
    Michael Crabtree

    Michael Crabtree Member

    Lake County, CA
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    Congrats! I’m a Chico State alumnus as well. It’s a fantastic school, and I’m sure your son made some great memories while there.
     
    timsresort likes this.
  20. May 26, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    The school is great, the town fun and compact, and a real sense that it is just a big family. He loved it. Oh, and Fifth St. Steakhouse, awesome!
     
    Michael Crabtree likes this.
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