Making 2x4 tube frame questions

I can find bits and pieces of other peoples builds, but still have some questions. I plan to use 2x4x3/16 steel tube. My jeep i started building when I was 16, am 29 now, and for the last 5 years it has just sat with the motor blown. Well I started to tear it down to replace the engine and realized that my work as a teenager was not so good. I am a tube welder at a power plant, so my quality of welds are WAY WAY higher now. The frame is junk! Now I want to build a new frame. Every one is see pictures of they step up in the front and the rear by stacking the tube. I can see why with my 66 cj5 I would want to step up in the front to clear all my stealing, but in the rear I see no reason? I have SOA front and rear so not like the axle tubes would come up and hit the frame? Am I way off on this? Thanks in advance. Zach J.

 

What Warlock says is correct..............you have to get over the front and rear ends somehow to create clearance for the both to articulate up & down...........doing so in the front but not the back would create a rake with the back being higher because of the rear shackle's. Your Jeep body is already built that way in the rear.
If your going to build a new chassis , it's important to plan that out correctly where all the cross members need to go along with the steering gear box , motor , transmission , radiator mounts , front & rear spring perches and shock mounts be it for either leave or coil suspension's. Also if your using wider axles or a different spring package the frame width may want to be wider.........is a rear fuel tank also on the wish list? Need to also plan space for that.
You'll also need a nice level surface to work off of...........once the rails are laid out and just tacked up its important to get your body up on the chassis for a location check & lay out body mounts as well as a mock up for both the engine & transmission mounts & front and rear suspension mounts and steering...........Off course this is all temporary and well be taken apart several times before your finished.

 

Thanks guys. Yeah today I did some more tearing down and a Bunch of measuring and I agree that I will step up in the front and rear now. I want to post some pictures cause my body is not stock, it's one I built. Already made and have a rear fuel cell that went between the frame rails. Chevy s10 leafs at all 4 corners SOA. Will be keeping the current frame in tact fully till I am completely done with the new one as a reference.

 

Well that didn't work at all for posting photos.

 

Thought I'd try help you out. See if this works.....

 

i like the custom body. i bet you get good clearance with those wheel wells being that way.

 

@oddfirejeeper, thanks. The stock body was totally shot. The only problem is that they deflect only about 20% of the flying mud and water! But I love being able to actually see everything around the tires while crawling over stuff. And I built the whole jeep planning to just run 35" tires, but I think the way I have the body I could run much larger tires if I ever wanted. Definitely also going to switch to some flat top knuckles and make is high steer. To many times that I have bent up my steering and had to remove it and hammer it "straight" to get it back.

 

Went and picked up the 2x4x3/16 tube yesterday. Way better price to buy at 24' lengths. So needed up with 48' for right around $200. After two frame rail, and a few cross members I will still have about 12' left over, but I am sure I will find a use for it. And a little extra material leaves me back up if I screw anything up while building the frame.

 

An update. Made up both rails this last weekend. did a TON of measuring and now need to make some decisions. My current wheel base was only 81-82". Which meant that my front driveshaft was 31" and the rear was 18" (I am at work and think those were my measurents, have them at home). I built the rails so that I can extent the wheel base by up to 10", or cut then ends off to whatever length WB I decide on. I want the longer WB for the longer rear driveshaft. The rear shaft is on a 35deg angle as well! It worked, but i want better than that. Any problems you can see if I extend the rear of the jeep? Thanks, Zach J.

 

The wheel base I have been hearing talked about the most for rock crawlers (at least out here in the west) is 103 to 108.

All my Jeeps are 101 to 103 and I like the size. Had a 1982 CJ5 five for a while with the 83 wheel base and scared my self to death with it every time I drove it. It worked good had lots for fun just to scary.

Taking yours out to about 93 will give the wheel base close to CJ 7 and Wranglers.

By the way my Jeeps are a CJ8, CJ6 and LJ