Thanks!!!

Well, hasn't moved anyway besides the driveway. But got a short trip planned this weekend, so well find out. Everybody who's done the switch to dual hiems on the trackbar, say they will never go back.

Paint, all rustoleum;
Axle => Hammered black
Trackbar, Upper control arms, diff cover, pitman arm, knuckles => Hammered dark bronze
Steering, axle u joints => royal blue
Calipers => VHT flat black header high temp paint

I think that everything thing....

Upper control arm bushings at the axle are stock, but have been machined out to accept an 1/2" bolt.

 

Will do, once it's stop raining here. But will definitely by this weekend.

 

Looks great! Thanks for the finished pictures; looks very nice. I know the feeling about the wife deadline, "I swear it'll only be another 30mins tops!" Ya right!

eh... It has rub issues with the track bar axle end bolt at hard right, but I suppose any straight shot of DOM from knuckle to knuckle will do that. The spacers they send you to help limit the tie rod roll won't last long, that's why you see those aluminum ones on mine. Other than that, its DOM tubing with TRE's; so there's the weak link.

 

cool, thanx for the info... it looks real nice & glossy... been undecided what type of paint to use for axle/steering/undercarriage... i'm gonna be using chassis saver, from magnetpaints.com, for various places on the rig, & thinkin about using it for axles/etc.. we'll see tho, ur paint came out looking real nice, & touch ups would be a quick run to a local store, if none on hand

haha, so true... i try to over-estimate, then surprise her with an earlier completion

yea, x2 on the pics... thanx for sharing with us

 

I also thought about picking up a quart of chassis saver paint, a local shop around me carries it. Just never made the trip and I already had the rustoleum. For the axle housing, I got a majority of it brush on style. Then a light final coat with sprary can. Everything else was done with rattle can.

 

Here's a shot from the passenger side wheel well, I know its not in focus all that well (Iphone), but it kinda gives you and idea of what the back of the truss looks like. I plan on installing my steering stablizer tonight, so hopefully I can get some better pics.

 

wow u got a lot of work on that D30, im just surprised that u didnt go to a bigger axle

 

There is a bigger axle in this XJ's future. I hear'ya, but needed to make this one last for a few more years.

 

^^gottcha

 

Did you just weld that diff bolt plate straight to the cast or what?

 

I did weld to the cast in a couple of spots, but am not truly counted on it for strength. I did wrapped plate around the upper control arm mount and brought it down to the driver's coil mount.

 

i'm curious how u went about it... did u bolt the cover extension to the axle/truss mount, bolt cover to the axle, tack, remove (?), finish welds?.. or leave everything bolted on & zap solid??

 

ya X2 on that.

When you get a few mins if you could snap a few pics of the truss on the driverside and how the diff bolts that would be awesome

 

my last truss was similar.....I bolted on the cover, truss extension, and went to town welding i up. Mine bolted to the truss a little different, but you get the idea.

 

Here's a shot of the back from the driver's side wheel well. Without pulling the upper control arm, its kinda hard to see. But the "bolt plate" that is welded to the diff cover is 3/8", it matches the thickness of my Blue Torch Diff cover. The vertical "plate" on the axle housing is 2" x 1/4" angle that is tapped for 1/2"-13, it is also cut and clearanced to fit the upper control arm mount. The top 3/8" plate that runs between the upper control arm mounts is welded in a couple of spots at the top of the "punkin", but are covered now by other pieces. I also welded the vertical 1/4" plate that runs between the "punkin" and passenger side upper control arm to the "punkin". The plates that fit around the upper control arm mount and down to the driver's side coil mount are 1/4". If I had to do it over again I would have spaced the top 1/2" bolts a little further apart, the farthest one to the driver side sits right at the upper control arm. So I had to cut it down and made a thin nut-plate to back up the 1/4" vertical plate, where as I used nuts on the other two as reinforcement. Also, I had to clearance the lower side of the upper control arm "fork" to clear the truss, but I was able to keep the load bearing area the same.


Also, here's a shot of the completed front end.....well at least for now. I am not happy with the damper placement and will probably change it in the spring when I put the hydro assist in. I need to get my AGR box rebuilt and going to have them tap it, since they are going to have it all apart, so why not.



The damper is a 7.5" stroke Napa special, basically I searched "steering damper" and when I found the one that had the right ends and stroke, I ordered it up. The eyelets are standard 5/8" bushings, I made a couple of flanged spacers to reduce them down to 1/2" and make up the 1.5" spacing of the shock mounts I got from Polyperformance. I also ordered thru Poly, a trail-gear 1.5" OD tube clamp, which is clamped onto my tie-rod.


So I took her out for her maiden voyage last night around Glenville and everything went great!!! Flexed it on a few things and the bumpstops work prefectly!!! Its hard to find a good RTI ramp around here without ruining some guy's import, LOL!!! Anyways, it goes to Midas tomorrow to get inspected, then I can renew my registration and it will be road legal again!!!

Oh ya........found out one of my front driver's seat mounts is broken, LOL!!! Always wondered why the seat leaned back, HAHA!!! Not too bad, its the actual seat mount that is right under your left thigh. At least its not the frame or floor!!! Looks like new seats are the next project!!

Thanks again for all the complements and words of encouragement!!!