2X4 frame for my CJ2A

A short right angled step that is what I have done sometimes........the short step sets on top of the frame rail.

 

I did a search and found this.
http://www.earlycj5.net/forums/showthread.php?65677-front-shock-towers

I have spent a lot more time thinking about the shock mounts than I wanted to. I ended up basically cutting out all the angle and making a step as Tarry99 suggested. The extra step is to go on top of the strap that I welded on top of my frame to cover the open ends of the 2x4 tube. Here is a clearly visible part number if anyone wants these Ford F250 and various other model shock mounts. They can be purchased relatively inexpensively.


I decided that the right way to install these is more straight up and down, but when I mocked it up I wanted a very slight angle outward to make sure the shock body clears the frame when the suspension moves.


As it looks now, it should be ok

 

No worries with the shock body hitting the new Ford mount when the suspension cycles? Just curious. I've had to mount front shocks upside down on my cjs in the past, as well.

Mounting the bottom end to the spring plate or will you fab a lower mount onto the axle tube? I always thought a mount welded to the upper 1/2 of the axle tube would help keep the shock and mount out of harms way, on the trail but, I have no idea if this is a good idea, mechanically or....... functionally, or not. I'm sure someone here could explain the pros or cons of such an arrangement.

Looking good Chris. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks Dave,
I can mount the shock this way or the other, it will fit both ways. I can mount the shock body down and it will clear the caliper too. There seems to be enough room for the shock body in the ford mount when the suspension moves... For simplicity I was going to weld a bolt on the back side of the spring plate. I could weld a bracket to the axle tube too. I went with mounting the shock to the back of the axle as apposed to the front because the shackle and spring move forward. The old mounts were to the front of the axle. To me this could allow the shock body to come in contact with the axle tube. Maybe not? I didn't have trouble before.

Seems that when doing a search, I have come across this setup.

Heck, I am just kind of making this up as I go along.

I am going to go out and get about 3 ~400 lbs of sand before i finish weld this frame and stack it on the front end to see what happens

good reading
http://www.earlycj5.net/forums/show...nt-w-Bilstein-5150&highlight=ford+shock+tower

 

Made some tow brackets/ recovery points out of some 1/2 plate I had in my shop.


they would have been a lot easier to put through the bumper if i had planned it earlier. The bottom of the bumper under the shackle mount is fully welded. I drilled holes, cut with an angle grinder and used a square file to make them fit.


They should work nicely for me to flat tow when i make a tow bar in the future.

 

I actually cut a square hole and left the tube intact... well I cut an oval and squared it off with a file. Not very economical of time, but its going to be very strong. I was going to just weld a mount to the bumper, but I have the ability and time to do it better. I was also thinking about welding 1/4 plate to the 3/16 wall. That seemed not as strong as this idea. I will be going something different for the rear , as I need to think about a spare tire carrier in addition to some clevis points.

 

Back to the gas tank.

I have plenty of room now between the rear bed and the top of the tank with the 1.25 body lift I have integrated into the frame.


I am now concerned with the differential housing coming in contact with the tank. I cannot go any further back with the tank and I would really rather not move the differential forward. Is this enough room?

 

That may be a little close..........keep in mind your rear shackles and springs will be swinging the rear axle housing towards the tank as one comes up while the other goes down.......what kind of angle do you now have on the rear shackles? They need to be at least 10-15 degrees leaning back un-loaded and twice that when loaded.

 

The shackle angle is less than 10 probably. Tomorrow I am going to get 400lbs of sand and load it up to see what happens. I have heard this is an issue. I can't just move the axle assembly and springs forward because the shackles will then interfere with the tank. This is another reason why Chuck builds his own tanks.

I know some of you have had this issue. How did you remedy it?

 

Chris: No magic wand is going to fix that.........your flat out of room. Move the tank up , use a Smaller tank , limit the suspension compression via some bump stops or use an offset spring hanger or plate on your axle or a longer offset spring with the center pin further forward.............most of these of course are just band-aids that move the issue somewhere else.

 

Went to the worst orange box store in the country today. No, really its the Mos Eisley of orange box stores. There is no place more apt for the description "wretched hive of scum and villainy", than that place.

Sand was 4.25 or so for 60 lbs and concrete was 4.05 for 80 lbs, so concrete it is.


I get a bit more than 2" of compression with 640 lbs on it. This then happens.


I can't put the tank further back.


I do have the adjustable spring perch on my FF axle.


I will either drill a new hole in the spring plate and move the axle forward an inch or just cut off the tacks on the spring and shackle mounts and move the whole thing forward an inch or a little less than 2. I am limited to less than 2 inches really with how the tires will work with the wheel wells. The wheel wells are going to get cut over sized, but there is a limit to how much I can cut on the front side.

 

Would the tank interfere with anything if you were able to move it back further?
What about a flat 3/8" x 4" bar stock between the frame rails if you cut the end sections...
Cut at the pink, bar stock (vertically) in purple (or maybe even ??" x 4" angle?). This would get you another 1 1/2" at least. Whatever you do for a tire carrier, you could build it up structurally on the outside to make up for what was lost on the inside. Just a thought.

 

Ryan,
I thought about doing that, or cutting a hunk out of the 2x4 to let in the tank. I decided against it because I feel that its an important piece that ties in the frame and the suspension, not to mention the outside corners of the body. If this was the inboard crossmember I would have already done it. I don't really like any of my options. The answer is to make of buy a custom gas tank.

What I did was to cut off the spring and shackle mounts and move the axle forward 1.25 inches. When I stack up 640 lbs on the back axle and then bounce it up and down I can get the axle housing to bump the skid plate, but I get about 4 or 5 inches of travel as apposed to 2. Its not all that bad either. Still happens though.

What I think I will do is maybe make a bump stop for the pumpkin with the crossmember that is pretty much right over it. That would still give me good travel for articulation side to side and stop my tank from getting destroyed? Since my axle is not symmetrical it will give me better travel one side than the other.

This is not ideal. All this is an annoying compromise. I have decided to just not care about the body at all, make this all work and then deal with the cruddy body work and what I have to do to make it happen. Body is trash anyway.

This is what i got now. About 94 1/2 wheelbase.


The front of the wheel well gets cut, the wheel moves back under compression so that gets cut too. The front part has some junk welded in there so i cut it out and make it right.


Thank you for thinking and contributing about my heap

 

Chris, Yep I just looked at that picture you sent and that is what I was afraid of...........so here is something else that may work.........and not saying as I suggested that moving the axle forward would not work but as you have already mentioned as the axle goes forward it's out of the center of the opening and Yada Yada!..............and I just think looking at that point where it is colliding you would probably have to move the axle forward quite a bit...........
How about going back to HD and get a few of those nice 5"x.045 cut off wheels and cut that weld loose in the back? Move your tank back a few inches box that void in where the frame extension would be and call it a day!

 

Terry,
I bought a pack of 25 makita cut off wheels on amazon for 37 bucks shipped. Before this is over I will probably buy another pack!

 

Aside from building a new tank, that sounds like a good band aid.

I did essentially the same, but exact opposite with my 3B... I welded a tab to my pinion housing and mounted a retractable seat belt to it to limit its downward travel while airborn to save my u-joints. My articulation is unaffected, but travel is limited at the pumpkin.

 

I suppose it was in a book I read years ago. If given two options to decide between something that isn't fairly obvious like jumping off of a high cliff or climbing back to the top. Look at the most troublesome option and it is probably the correct choice. As in do the thing that might be more work but will end up being the best in the end.

 

This may be too obvious Chris, you may have already explained why you don't want to do it, but why not just put the tank back under the driver's seat. It's going to be a towed jeep anyway, and you can always use Jerry cans to extend your range.