2X4 frame for my CJ2A

Nice job on the frame, you will see major difference on handling. I had mine change for a custom built one and it worth every hours i put on it.

Keep on the good job

 

Why steel fuel lines ? I've been using nicopp for a few years now no more rust issues.

 

I can't find 5/16 nicopp for fuel lines. I already ordered the 3/16 nicopp for brake lines. I really like it a whole lot better than the straight steel. The fuel lines aren't getting flares anyway, they are connected with short pieces of fuel rated rubber tube.

 

First mock up of body on frame after initial fit up and first time since the rear differential/ gas tank clearance problem was "solved". If you remember it entailed me lengthening the rear frame 2 inches. Now the rear bumper/crossmember hangs out proud of the body. I kind of like it. I got as far as hanging one fender on to scribe and cut for shock tower clearance before I got called in for kid duty.


I need to make sure the fenders and the grill are where they need to be because all this is prep for cutting out the rear wheel wells to allow these bigger tires to fit and have sufficient articulation without tearing up the body. The body is a hack special that i put together 6 or so years ago. Its not completely symmetrical, so I need to actually bolt on the parts that i havent completely hacked up, the fenders and grill, to locate the rest. The frame IS symmetrical, square and straight. Im pretty happy with it.

 

Mocked up the fenders and the grill. The passenger side of the tub is 1" shorter than the drivers side. All my fault too. Cut out recesses for the shock towers.

 

The tub still looks great from your pictures, and your frame looks awesome! You've inspired me to consider building my own frame for my project. I definitely don't need to with all of the project creep that is going on, but it looks so much sturdier than the c-channel stock frame. Well done!

 

Thank you. The tub is not great. Its not square, not symmetrical, not a lot of things....It will work though.

Project creep is just plain inevitable. I destroyed my engine, so that needed fixing, My 4th gear synchro is bad in my sm420, so why not now? I should do the d18 intermediate shaft too. It just makes sense to do it now.

The most important thing you can do in a frame build is good fit up. The parts need to fit very well before welding. If your measurements are short, don't fill with weld. It makes a poor product. Also, don't overheat your rails, it will cause twist or warp. I completely avoided any of that. Tack everything and plan on cutting it apart at least once.

A plan is very important. I know that sounds like a no brainer, but the first time around on the last frame I didn't really have a good plan, any money, or faith that what i was doing was really going to be more than yard art. It was a learning experience in welding amongst other things. After I got it on the road and drove it I realized I had not done things the way I really wanted them to be. I'm not talking about 30k worth of stuff, but more like making sure my frame is straight, welds are not full of porosity, poor penetration etc. Sometimes the best thing to do is NOT make everything yourself. The spring and shackle mounts being an example. Sometimes its cheaper in time and quality to have a fab shop make some stuff. Spring perches are another example.

The thinner walled tube would probably work, but you would need more plates and the possibility of warping and twisting is greatly increased for sure with not a whole lot of benefit.

 

I'm sure you're harder on yourself than you need to be, given the experience that you've accumulated. I feel the same way about my tub (the one in my signature). I rebuilt it as a 15 year old kid with zero experience, very little money, and before the Internet. Therefore, while it looks great from 10 feet away, I know that the repair panels are actually pop riveted on and bondo'd over, and nothing is square. Now that I DO have a welder and comparatively much more money, I'll be going over the tub and replacing the patches that I made over 20 years ago. It's all a learning experience though!

 

I really LOVE that you admit pop riveting panels on and bondoing over them. Your honestly is refreshing and very much appreciated. I have a very similar story....

Bought my first cj5 1977 w 304 levi edition, when I was 18 or 19. The body was really bad. I had no money but lots of time. I plated the entire outside and the bed with.. wait for it... STREET SIGNS! I cut all of then to to fit, recessed the pop rivets and covered with bondo. Obviously I put the reflective side in. People couldn't tell, especially because I painted it the "Resale red of jeeps", Olive Drab!

I hit a telephone pole with that jeep one night sliding on ice. 45 MPH sideways right into it. The funny part was that when someone showed up on that country road the body panels all reflected a different sign where they were bent outwards!

 

made a 36" radius template out of some scrap luan underlayment. Traced it on the body.

cut it out

 

We all learn as we grow up and hopefully do things better. My older brother wondered why I was welding in new metel on my 3B instead of just screwing on some diamond plate. Because this is the correct way to do it and I really don't like using diamond plate as a Band Aid solution.

 

Well I hope it was fun! I am having fun piecing together this thing together. At his rate I might have it back together for spring.

 

As much as it's bugged me for so long, the paint is just starting to bubble in a few places so I must have done a pretty good bondo job. Either that, or I put it on so thick that its become structural! We pretty much replaced every panel behind the firewall, so I have half a mind to just buy a new tub and be done with it rather than try to rebuild it properly this time around. I think it was so far gone that I'll never have a show quality Jeep no matter what I do to it, but at the same time I would hate to cut into a brand new tub to make alterations such as the wheel well openings that you just did.

 

Steel is fine. That's what I've used. I'd think that 5/16" Nicopp would get pretty expensive if you could find it. Steel tubing is cheap enough that you can screw it up and throw it on your junk pile without feeling guilty.

When I bend steel fuel lines, I use either an Imperial-Eastman bender for 3/8" or my RobinAir bender for smaller sizes. http://www.amazon.com/Robinair-18548-Four-In-One-Tubing-Bender/dp/B000KIRV7M

Typically I put a 'bubble' on the end of my fuel lines with my flaring tool. The double flares are a two-step process, making the bubble on the end of the tube, then folding the outer half down to form a flare. I just stop with a bubble. Seals real nice.

 

The main problem with that is the bondo is porous, and any drilling through the panel will leave the back side exposed to air. Regular bondo is polyester putty filled with talc, and it soaks up water if its not sealed on all surfaces. I'd recommend a glass-filled bondo - I like Duraglas - http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/usc...NsQ4JHOufrUTFVmRu2BuLFzx9r1BfE89JIBoCPgDw_wcB

 

i use the fiberglass type first and finish with regular bondo the fiberglass is harder to feather out to a nice edge.

 

Huh. Our mechanics at work STILL use street signs and pop rivets to fix floors in our trucks. Yessir. But, we have plenty of old street signs. They're pros alright.

 

Street signs are easy to cut with a jig saw, never rust and as a farm kid they were everywhere.