Jeep Willys ground-up build

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
I have it on good authority that he's just about ready to start thinking about making a plan to begin contemplating bolting up some steering.

It's vaguely like progress.
 

Kiel

Formerly WJ ZUK
I heard a rumor its being parked in the garage and starred at for 30 seconds at a time
 

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
YOU'RE ALL WRONG! Except Kevin and RockMonkey. They're pretty much right. And Muleskinner, since he didn't say I was or wasn't doing anything. So really, only Kiel is wrong. :D And he's pretty much right, except for this particular time.

So I've been battling (in my mind) the steering setup. I originally wanted to use an Astro Van steering box, since it has a forward-facing pitman. I realized it wouldn't come anywhere close to fitting where I needed it, so I got rid of it and got a normal Jeep-ish Saginaw box. I really didn't like how it would end up being the furthest-forward thing on the front, and the steering shaft routing was going to be interesting at least. Long story short, I ended up with this solid-axle Toyota steering box, originally used in the useless push-pull configuration. Thanks to Kevin for his take-off box. :cool: This is pretty much where it will live.



Since it mounts sideways on top of the Toy frame, it has it's bolts in weird spots--so here's the majority of the bracket for it. It will get gusseted to the motor mount in back, and to the radiator-support tube in front. (and the "frame" tube)



I cut the stock pitman arm apart, and turned the spline section smooth, then cut some stuff to fit around it. I also made a bellcrank to go along with this whole mess. The pitman arm and the bellcrank will be connected by a short link and 3/4" rod ends, and the drag link will use a normal tie rod end...that's why you see the 3/4" thick chunk at the end.



Those pieces mostly finished--still need to make the bushing tube for the bellcrank, and pick up some Delrin for the bushing material.



Here's where they'll sit in relation to each other.



...and top view:



Besides keeping the front end short, the big reason for doing this is to get a shorter drag link. I know, that sounds backward, and it is--but I have very little room for a panhard bar, so to make everything work this is what had to happen. I COULD have just gone with a long drag link and a shorter panhard, like just about every Jeep out there--but I didn't want to do that. This way both links can match length and angles, even though they'll only be about 29"-30" long.
 
Top