Rear gas tank and skid plate

I finally got my rear tank mounted into the frame. I also built my own skid plate out of 10 gauge.





All painted, ready to put in.



New tank installed.






Skid plate and tank all in.




Clearance on bottom.

 

This looks like a near-factory installation. You've done a great job.
I would like to point out one area of concern. The forward tank mount should have a bracket with isolator pad (instead of just a long bolt). With your fabrication skills, I'm sure this should be a fairly easy addition. Here's a picture of a stock '71 bracket.

 

I'd like to see the mount solid as well.
If nothing else, maybe a pipe spacer over the bolt.

 

The solid factory type bracket can support the tank, even if there's a single bolt failure. The factory bracket has two upper bolts fastening the bracket to the frame. One upper bolt could fail and the tank would still be held in place. The single lower bolt can fail and the bracket still has the tank captured, keeping it in place.
By hanging the tank with a single bolt, a bolt failure will cause the tank to fall. Even if the bolt holds, the load in the sheet metal tab is concentrated in a much smaller area without an isolator. The tab can work harden at the hole and break. The isolator also keeps vibration from fatiguing the sheet metal tab.
I'm not saying this arrangement won't work. It's just the structural designer in me pointing out a simple improvement that could save your a$$ & CJ someday.

 

The skid plate should meet the frame without a gap.
The concern, I have raised here, is the joint between the tank and the frame.
I'm guessing that somewhere along the line, Rozcoking23's forward tank bracket got lost or wasn't used. Since he has a very clean installation, I just thought he'd like to see how the factory tank bracket should look.

 

GREAT install, thanks for sharing.

I do have one comment on an area that is a potential problem------You are just a little short with a couple of these bolts------should have at least a thread and a half showing out of the nut.

 

Wow, looks like this threaded wandered into a troop of chimpanzees. Everyone is picking nits.

I think it's great work, and nicely done. I don't see a major issue with the single bolt holding the tank in front, because it appears the skid plate is held by additional bolts on the front sides, besides overlapping the crossmember, offering two or three layers of fail-safing in the rare event that the front bolt holding the tank were to break.

 

dnb5853, Thanks for the pic of the original mount, I had no idea how the tank was mounted. My jeep is an early 70, and didn't come with rear tank. I'll be redoing this very soon.
Rob

 

Mike S, I keep looking at those bolts and keep telling myself that I need to change them, I keep forgetting to buy new bolts when I'm at the local OSH.
Rob

 

I don't mind the comments. Thats why I posted the pics, to get all feedback, so I can tweak this before I finalize this project.
I have factored several things into the design.
1. I have bolted tank in sepertly from skid plate. (I'm gonna change design on how tank is secured.)
2. The skid plate slides over top of frame to help support it.
3. I have 2 seperate bolts holding skid plate the frame.
Thanks for the help, keep it coming.
Rob

 

hey rozcoking23
don't sweat the bolts for the bumper attachment, per american institute of steel construction the bolt only needs to be flush with the top of the nut. think about it, if the bolt starts to pull through the nut, the failure is certain. no amount of threads past the top will help you. anyways, nice job! cheers.

 

Nice job,goin' the same route w/my '65.My concern is,now that you're finished,did you throw that toy for your dog? He/she seemed to be waiting so patiently.

 

Not familiar with the American Institute of Steel Const, but the standard of installation used in the aviation world is a thread and a half exposed.

I like using aircraft standards for hardware, the safety is designed in pretty well.

Another tidbit from the aviation world is to use a witness mark on the fastener, Torque Seal, or similar, to make sure the fasteners have not come loose.

 

Thanks. And yes I haft to stop about every 10 minutes or so and throw Rozco's kong. He's an 81/2 year old Dutch Sheppard that I bought in Holland. His ball drive is crazy!

 

Going to add any sides or way to clean it? See a good amount of mud, dirt, and rocks getting in between the skid plate and the tank rusting out both.
Just my .02
Looks great.

 

I'm not going to put any sides on the skid plate. The stock ones don't have any sides, plus if you look close, the tank doesn't touch the skid plate.