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Woodstock

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by timsresort, Jan 10, 2023.

  1. Feb 13, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2014
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    1,382
    The Raceline model 232 aluminum 17"x 9" bead lock wheels had arrived, and this was good, at least because it's the only way I can move the jeep. I need to drive it on to a ramp to check the wheel cut outs and bump stops, and then on a trailer to get the body painted.
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    There are something like 30 grade 8 5/16-18 bolts that need to be very slowly torqued to 16 foot-lbs, in several steps. I used a 5 gallon bucket with the wheel on it, then dish soap to squeeze the tire over it, then start the bolts, and resist the urge to use an impacter.
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    It's quite a bit of work, but at least I could do it myself. After one was done, I had to see how it looks.
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    After 2 were done, I could see the stance, and the width (58"), that I am really not used to after being stock width all these years.
    [​IMG]
     
  2. Feb 13, 2023
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2002
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    12,529
    Make sure you check the torque on those bolts fairly regularly. Frequently at first until everything settles in.
    Looks good!
     
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  3. Feb 14, 2023
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2005
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    1,998
    Wow, the jeep looks great with those wheels and tires!
     
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  4. Feb 14, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2014
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    Yes, I try to remember to check them, but I doubt I will follow the Raceline instructions that say to change the bolts every year.
     
  5. Feb 14, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2014
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    I wanted to be able to flex the jeep before I do the fender cut, and this little mound in the neighbor's front yard isn't going to do it. There was nowhere off road I could get to easily because of snow.
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    Then I remembered our club has an RTI ramp that I could tow over to the house and play with at my leisure. I made the cut off the template I made, then ran it up the ramp.
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    I think this will work, and I will cut the steel corners to match so they can be painted along with the jeep.
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    Now to finish body prep, and it can go to a friends shop to get painted.
     
  6. Feb 14, 2023
    neohic

    neohic Gentleman Jeepist

    Woodland Park, CO
    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2018
    Messages:
    500
    Awesome build. Well done, sir! :beer:
     
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  7. Feb 14, 2023
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Apr 8, 2008
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    it's hard to follow what point in time we are at, might be good to note year with each post. this is still 2016-2017 right?
     
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  8. Feb 15, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Jan 22, 2014
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    Sorry about that, I have been kind of rushing through this so I can get to the present. This point of going to paint was spring of 2015, I'll start dating the posts.
     
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  9. Feb 15, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Jan 22, 2014
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    April 2015. I made a deal with a buddy, I supply the paint, he squirts it, he gets my used 33" BFG's and wheels. Man, that was a dry winter, there is 10' of snow in that spot right now.
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    I'm really glad it's done (in 2 weeks), because I still have a lot to do. It looks mostly good, and it will do for my purposes.
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    I still love the Woodstock Green, it is perfect for this jeep. It must have been popular in 1953, as there were a lot of them. If I had walked into a showroom then, it would have been this color coming home with me.
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    Now some assembly can commence.
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Feb 16, 2023
    Stakebed

    Stakebed Member

    Lake Co....
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    Aug 2, 2022
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    656
    @timsresort is Woodstock Green a solid or metallic (poly as they used to call them)?
     
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  11. Feb 16, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    It's a poly, so it has a nice metallic flake to it.
     
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  12. Feb 17, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2014
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    1,382
    May, 2015. Finished welding, painting the cage, installed it. Fitted the rear corners, they look pretty good, you can hardly tell they're there. Made some pretty long bump stops to keep the tires from hitting the body. It has a ton of droop, but not much up travel. One more trip up the ramp to check bump stops.
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    They finally opened the gate to a trail in my neighborhood, and I know a rock up there that's good for flexing.
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    Stepping it up, and out to my test trail in town, Twin Peaks. This is an excellent test to see if it's Rubicon ready.
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    By July, I was taking it on the Jamboree, this is near the postpile, on the original Rubicon that goes through Wentworth Springs instead of Loon Lake. It's a good way to get around traffic in the granite bowl. So far, so good.
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Feb 18, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Everything was going so well, we decided to go to Barrett Lake in September. This trail is my favorite, is closer than the Rubicon, less crowded, and very scenic with a huge payoff at the end- a beautiful lake on the edge of wilderness, at over 8000 feet. The trail is a challenge, to say the least. I have seen more breakage there, for some reason, than anywhere else.
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    There is a narrow gate at the trail head that keeps big rigs out, and then a good gatekeeper obstacle in the first 250 feet that gets your attention. Especially when I was still on pavement, airing down, and could hear guys bashing their way up the trail. It's a standard Sierra rock crawling granite trail, with beautiful scenery, about 5 hours one way, in and out on the same trail.
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    This big clunker rolled along with us, grabbing my spring that's under the axle. (Foreshadowing).
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    This bridge was the result of the lawsuit that closed the trail for 5 years. And it actually added to the length of the trail, to get to a spot they had a natural abutment.
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    We had a good group, a stainless-body 2A, a CJ5, a stretched 2A, me, and a GPW. We started calling camp the "rubicon for adults", because of the chill attitude in camp.
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    But on the way out, I badly bent a rear main, and realized the party with these old Alcans is over.
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. Feb 20, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Jan., 2016. The big arch required in the Alcans to give me 3-4" of lift is problematic. There is now too much leverage on the outer ends of the now longer axles, and bigger tires. When encountering an obstacle, I could see the axle pushing rearward, and that's what bent the main leaf. I was also not comfortable with the narrow leaves, and single main, doing the work they were now trying to do. So out they come, we are going spring over.
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    I am going with Rubicon Express 1445 YJ reverse eye springs. These are made for spring over applications, the reverse eye keeps the jeep a little lower. And the front 44, which was originally sprung over, and I changed to spring under, is going back. (I know, I know. ) These springs are so much beefier, will have big YJ bushings, will ride almost flat, to keep the center of gravity down. I am adding WFO perches to the housing, with offset center bolts, so I can stretch 1" front and rear.
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    I am also running the reversed shackle through the frame to reduce height.
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    Up front, to get the length I need, I got cantilevered hangers, and need to add 3" to the frame.
    [​IMG]
     
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  15. Feb 22, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    I put the weight on the springs to check how the shackle would ride. It's about right, and the front end is now 1" forward. I should have 82" of WB now.
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    In the rear, I got the shackle hanger as far back as I could, but still need boomerang shackles to get the length I need. I notched the rear crossmember, and reinforced it to allow clearance.
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    With the spring over, an anti-wrap bar is a must, so got a kit from Ruffstuff. Quite a bit of fabrication to do, and I like their design that keeps the axle bracket up high. I reinforced the transfer crossmember to accept a short shackle to grab the front end of the bar.
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    New spring perches on top of the 60, new u-bolts and spring plates from WFO, new shock mounts on the axle tube, and Rancho 9000XL adjustable shocks.
    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Feb 23, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Of course, I had to redo the exhaust a little to make room for the anti-wrap bar.
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    For the front driveline, I need some travel in the spline to account for axle wrap, so Dean at Driveline Service in Carson City made this up for me. Tractor PTO spline. I think it will be sufficient for this little jeep.
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    Looked at the front bumper, that needs to move forward because of the frame stretch, and hold the winch, it was just easier to start over. 2x4, 3/16" box tubing, and a bunch of welding.
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    And the towbar. This is from old friend Jay at Tow Rite Towbars, with the Willys logo. His claim to fame, (patented), is the hitch is removable, so you aren't looking at it while driving, and it stays with the rig on all trips.
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  17. Feb 24, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Jan 22, 2014
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    April, 2016. With the spring pack now in the way, I went to a crossover setup. The drag link goes from the pitman to a high steer arm from WFO. Then the tie rod goes from the stock knuckle to knuckle. This also keeps the drag link fairly parallel with the axle to reduce bump steer. WFO made me these really nice links. I went with a slight drop on the pitman (TJ, I believe), to line it up, and miss the PTO shaft.
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    Not great photography, sorry, but also added a West Texas Offroad Redneck Ram hydro assist. This has the ram mounted to the axle tube, and pushes on the tie rod. I call it the "wood splitter"- always pushing in the direction of the work. On my very first trip, (in a few months), one of the crappy Napa-crimped hoses blew the end off, and since I was on almost literally the first rock on the Rubicon, I turned around.
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    Once I had both axles under there, I played around flexing in the garage.
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    I think I ran out of stroke on the lift, and all signs are this will have some good flex.
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    First look outside. There is 28" under the rockers. I would later pull 1 leaf out of the 6-leaf packs, then end up putting them back in the rear to carry the heavy load I seem to always have going in to the Rubicon.
    [​IMG]
     
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  18. Feb 24, 2023
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    Pretty sure there is only one other 3b I might like more than this one...
     
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  19. Feb 24, 2023
    Sierra Bum

    Sierra Bum Member

    The High Sierra
    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2017
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    329
    I love that you’ve documented the journey of this beautiful, classic, four wheeling Jeep. Great story. Looking forward to seeing the current project.
     
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  20. Feb 24, 2023
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    South Lake Tahoe CA
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    Thanks, there's some nice B's on here.
     
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