[inline6]

the engine hoist is from harbor freight, nothing special. I bought a 2000lb capacity hanging scale to see what things weigh. Just a curious exercise and opportune time to weigh each component. The weight thing cam up from a local group and their LJ being almost 5500 lbs. Got me to wondering what 11 items are 500 lbs each. So, I bought a $50 scale for fun as I put things back together.

 

[johncanfield]

My old LJ weighed about 4700 pounds in one of its several iterations of bumpers, etc.

 

[inline6]

It will be interesting to see what this pig weighs when done.

Ive mostly been removing the work from other suspension systems and cleaning up the frame. Not sure there are really good pics of what I have done, but it's there and I feel better for cleaning up the old welding work. It's amazing how long it took me to clean up the work I have done in the past. Not sure if this was the quickest route, but at least now I have a clear direction on suspension, vs the one I designed myself. I will say, no instructions, but there are not many places to put the sub frame. Basically about 1/2 inch of variation front to back..

I did get another grinder, got tired of switching disks around. Also going from a 7 amp grinder to a 13 amp grinder seemed to help as well. That or a placebo or some similar effect.

Tomorrow should be welding day, or clean up day. Lots of grinding crap left behind. Not sure what will happen, thinking my body will tell me.

 

[Mouse]

Looks great - what length of links do you think you'll end up with?

 

[inline6]

should be somewhere around 36 up from and 40 out back, LCAs. Not sure yet, that was an initial guess from the mockup.

Turns out I am hosting Christmas, no jeep work today. Gotta clean up for visitors soon.

 

[inline6]

finally got some work done, a few hours yesterday. I am probably bring to particular on filling up old grinder marks and stuff. No one will notice or know for most of it besides me, well and you nice followers of the multiyear saga.

I also found that the frame relaxed, for lack of a better term. I need to pull the frame together in the center section for the belly pan to fit. I made lots of measurements and checked the FSM on dimensions. Lo and behold, the frame relaxed by about 1/2 an inch with out any of the cross members and the body off the frame. Glad I checked and found this while fitting the subframe and belly pan.

So for weight, the belly pan is right about 85LBS by its self, then each control arm sub frame is about 30 each.
running tally
Frame: 320
Bumpers: 70
Transfer case skid/belly pan: 85
about 475 as it stands now
Should be interesting to see how things add up, or I am just a geek. well, am...

 

[inline6]

I should also say, I hope to get at least 4 hours a day this week on this project. Should help me get closer to done. Its taking way to long...

 

[FLLJ]

I also found that the frame relaxed, for lack of a better term. I need to pull the frame together in the center section for the belly pan to fit. I made lots of measurements and checked the FSM on dimensions. Lo and behold, the frame relaxed by about 1/2 an inch with out any of the cross members and the body off the frame. Glad I checked and found this while fitting the subframe and belly pan.

That happens all the time with the CJ's (especially the longer 8's).
It's interesting that the stronger LJ frame has the same issue.

It's sounds like we are alike in not being able to overlook things that just aren't perfect
It's too painful to leave something that reflects on your workmanship.

 

[inline6]

Today should be flip day. I got all the old areas filled and mostly cleaned up over the last couple days. I also got the center section in and welded up, the under side any way. Hoping to get all that finished up today and then flip the frame over to finish up the welding and cleaning up of the top portion of the frame.

I may need to clean up the garage after that as I need to put a new oil pan on the engine. The garage is so full of metal grindings and junk, I don't feel like opening the engine in all the mess. Cleaning up and out the garage may take a couple days, it's a mess. I have so much less room here it gets dirty so much easier. I may just leave the tub outside for a few days. Didn't want to do that, but its allot of space being taken up now and just in the way of lots of parts and staging.

The welder was acting up yesterday, changed and swapped a bunch of things out. Turned out it was not the welder but possibly contaminated metal. Not sure how that happened, I peeped both side of the frame the same but on side welded up awesome, the other side gave me fits. pissed me off really more that anything. Even thought it was a duty cycle thing, nope and it should not of been given my welder.

Any way, hoping my "attention to detail" does not keep me from finishing. Next goal, clean up and flip to finish the top of the frame. Everything may not get done this year.

 

[inline6]

well, its been a few days of welding, grinding, welding, grinding... I may of gotten that out of my system, but of course noticed a couple other areas in the pics.

But, that said. Engine has been in and out, mounts welded in, rear frame cleaned up, sub frame welded in, track bar mount, steering clearance area, I think that is about all I got done. Does not seem like much, but took quite some time. I thinkI have about 40 or more hours in the above.

Guess I won't be done this year. ha.

some pics
rear CA mounts

front CA mounts

Track bar, tube and notch

Its been fun cleaning up my old work and stock frame mounts that I didn't clean up all that well the first time.

The last things to add to the frame should be, transmission cross member, front shock mounts, bump stops F&R, body mounts, possibly a rear sway bar mount. have not decided on that yet. Some times writing this out helps me remember what I have not done yet.

I might take a day off, instead of 6-8 hour days for the last week.

As for a weight update
Frame 260
Belly Pan 85
Center LCA mounts 60
Rear bumper 20
Front Bumper 50
Engine 515
Front Axle wheels and tires 775
Total 1765 weighed so far

 

[Mouse]

Good progress! I like the detailed work.

 

[johncanfield]

Beautiful welds!

 

[FLLJ]

Beautiful welds!

I was going to say the same thing.

Now I know where to take my project to get some work/welding done,

 

[inline6]

Not all the welds are mine, the really nice ones are form the genright subframe. Mine are the ones attaching the subframe to the frame. But I did post pics of my better welds. And of course as usual, my best welds are where they won't be seen...

As for progress, which is a weird trying to figure out staging and what to do next and all that. I was thinking I needed to get the powertrain mounted to figure out the transmission mount, then the new body mounts... So I went to pull the oil pan and replace it with a low profile pan with a baffle. Well, best laid plans went off the rail, well not totally. I thought I had purchased all the stuff needed to do the work. Well I didn't, so ordering the stuff from summit, I may just go pick it up today, but its a 4-5 hour round trip depending on traffic.

So, delayed again.

 

[inline6]

I made it back and forth from Summit. 60 mile one way, traffic was not too bad. Took them 30 minutes to pull the order. First time doing curb side pickup with them. I could have ordered and the stuff would have been here Thursday at the latest, but now I can go get the engine assembled and the power train in the frame, hopefully today. Then I can take control arm and drive shaft measurements.

things are getting closer

 

[Mouse]

Not all the welds are mine, the really nice ones are form the genright subframe. Mine are the ones attaching the subframe to the frame. But I did post pics of my better welds. And of course as usual, my best welds are where they won't be seen...

Your welds still look good; strong penetrating welds are better than pretty ones. What technique are you using (pulling or pushing the puddle)?

 

[inline6]

thinking I usually pull the puddle, all depends on the position I am in and all that.

Didn't get much done today, ended up with other house projects.

 

[Mouse]

I generally have better welds pushing the puddle, but sometimes position dictates pulling instead. When pushing the puddle, I can get more consistent penetration and welds that more resemble the Genright welds

 

[inline6]

More practice welding is always good thing. Tough to compare my welds to professionals...

Got some more work done

The new oil pan required a modified windage tray. The oil pan is about 4 inches shorter that the one from the crate engine. I also added a baffle to the sump to help with off camber oil starvation issues.

Bolted the engine to the transmission and stabbed it in the frame. Then installed the gas tank to make sure of front and read axle clearance.

I like the font driveshaft and control arm clearance provided by the new sub frame. It fixed all my concerns in that area. What it does not do is provide more belly pan clearance, I am sure there is more than stock, but it's about 2 lower than what I was planning. But that is just the center section, I Ould of had the LCA mounts hanging down that low any way. So it's a nice flat section from LCA to LCA. Should not really be in impact off road. Nice 1/4 inch plat to slide over.

I went to install the transfer case and lost energy last night. Because of the belly pan and engine place meant, I should have plenty of room to clock the case how ever I want. The cross member I need to make will allow the belly pan to be removable with the driveline still supported. In fact the belly pan will not support it at all, there will be that 2-3 inch gap for the most part. I may go ahead and gusset the front and rear sections of the pan, but 1/4 inch plate will be hard to bend...

The transmission pan should be easy to set up as well, again lost of clearance.

I didn't take this pic, but the exhaust fits fight above the LCA mount and is also determining the engine height/angle. I should not say determining, the engine angle is correct and the pipe is right above the LCA.

If I had used the genright engine mounts, they may of placed the engine lower in the frame. That is what they state. Looking at the front axle clearance, not sure I could drop the engine any more. But they also use a rock jock front axle and move the mounts around a bit to get more clearance. I don't really think that would have made that much of a change in placement. But never know, they modeled all this stuff in CAD and came up with their design.

That was the work from the last couple days, changing my expectations and goals to be done this quarter. Its a challenge of time, projects and cashflow...

Once all this is mocked up, it will be taken apart again for some sort of paint. That should be an adventure in itself. I noticed I have not put a new tag in the jeep since 2019, gotta get done.

 

[inline6]

As for a weight update
Frame 260
Belly Pan 85
Center LCA mounts 60
Rear bumper 20
Front Bumper 50
Engine transmission, transfercase 725
Front Axle wheels and tires 775
Total 1975 weighed so far