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Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
That feels ok to me. Mine is 107.5".

When I get back into it (when my kids are a bit older I think) I'd like to do a mini boat side. The sliders get me stuck most when I'm climbing stuff at an angle (like Eagle's Nest). (Like bellying out at an angled break over).
I'm just gonna side-delete Britney. To hell with this boat-side garbage.
 

Pile of parts

Well-Known Member
Location
South Jordan
Looking good!
I have the 14" ORIs and run them with about 5.75" - 6.25" of shaft showing at ride height. 112" wheel base and 43" tires. Frame height, with tires aired down for the trail, is about 23ish. I was not able to keep a completely flat belly and the t-case crossmember hangs down about 1.5". Height seems to work well with the length and width. Good compromise, as you said. Works well in the big rocks. Can't wait to run some trails with you.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Back to this.... decided to start fitting up the MotoBilt TJ Cage kit, starting at the front. Bolted it to the dash/fire wall, decided the floor plates needed to be bigger to help spread out the load. I picked up a couple of additional floor plates awhile ago, I'll need to trim them around the tub shape, but I can make them work.

I cut a piece of 1.75" DOM for the lower dash bar and dropped it into place. Working around the TJ windshield frame is interesting, I'd like to make the top tube work as high as the highest point on the windshield frame, mostly for head room.

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Since the next build point for the cage is the B-pillar, I decided I'd better tackle the remaining sheetmetal work. I need to remove the factory leftover wheel well and set up where the floor plate will need to go. It's a lot of work to get this done right, but I'm doing my best.

Broke out the plasma cutter, cleaned up the cuts and trimmed a little more. Used some thick card stock to come up with the pattern, then cut it out with the plasma again. I had some edges I needed to fold over and decided to go the old-school way, using a hammer and chunk of rail to roll the lip over.

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Once the floor plate shape and size was figured out, I set in place with a handful of Cleco's and used another piece of card stock to trace out the quarter panel corner.


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Not a lot of progress, but sheetmetal work is time consuming.... 🙄
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Just playing around in the shop last night... I had the roof rack and light bar for the Bonneville laying on the floor and decided I needed to set it up on the TJ, just to see how it looked. :D

I dig it, I think I'd like to add one that's easily removable with 4 bolts. I'd build it more narrow, matching the width of the windshield frame and bolting to the roll cage. It would be awesome for evening/night runs and give it a #TrophyJeep look. Obviously the light bar would need to get pulled if there was a chance of flopping/rolling. Probably use .090 wall 1.25" instead of the .120 I had on hand. I'd like to find a 6" light too, rather than the 5" lights that I currently have, which look small in the 6" bend radius.



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1969honda

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
Cache
Alternate idea... use those sexy dimple dies and a bead roll around the perimeter to make a stiff but light weight sheet metal removable rack with the lights frenched in? Kinda xterra roof light like but not ugly and stupid.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Continuing on with the corner sheetmetal... this work is a PITA!

Traced out my cardboard template onto sheetmetal and cut it out with shears. I fit up that panel at least 40+ times, trimming, adding flanges, drilling spot weld holes, etc. I don't have a way to roll the sheetmetal, so I made several partial bends in the brake to make the 90* bend. The end result isn't perfect, but it's good enough to seal up the tub on the inside and then get covered with armor on the outside.

The distance from the door to back of the tub is 16", should be perfect for leg room and space behind the seats for storage.

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I need to patch some more holes, wrap up the welding, add some primer and paint eventually... and I'll probably bedline the tub once it's all done for easy cleanup and sound deadening.
 
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