Project "flapdoodle" (95 XJ)

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
Well yesterday I think I found the source of my Death Wobble for good... The sector shaft on my steering gear wobbles about a half inch side to side! I'll try to get the wife to help me get a video of it to share, I was pretty surprised since it's not leaking any fluid.

Pulled the gearbox from the parts Jeep, snapped off two of the three bolts. I heated the ears up and sprayed them down with penetrating oil. Got them out with some vise grips.

Then this piece of crap broke as was expected.

You must be registered for see images attach


That's fine. I was planning on doing away with it anyway. Nothing a couple hours and a some crappy welds won't fix! Feel free to critique my welding if you want. I really don't know what I'm doing. It's flux core .030 wire because that's what I have.

You must be registered for see images attach


You must be registered for see images attach


You must be registered for see images attach


You must be registered for see images attach


I'll let that cool and mess with test fitting it on the parts rig later. I know I'll have to trim it down to make it fit right. And no I didn't weld that on the gear box. I fit it on the gear box, welded it, then put it back on to verify fitment.

I have the rest of the tie rods coming in next week just so they're all good, along with two new shocks so it will quit tossing me into the next lane on these crappy roads.

Also ripped open the dash and swapped the headlight switch in from the parts Jeep, yesterday I had to run the switch several times to get the lights to actually turn off. Swapped a couple tiny bulbs around so my HVAC illumination works, just took the bulb from the fog light switch because I didn't care enough to go buy bulbs.

I'm thinking about my bumper build. I'm not sure how I want to make the brackets. Should I bring them all the way back to the steering gear or should I plate the front with 11ga and just run the six bolts on the front for the bumper?
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
Mike will be along shortly to tell you how ugly black wheels are;PokeLOL

He can say whatever he wants. I LOVE how it turned out :rock:

You must be registered for see images attach


That picture doesn't do it justice compared to before.

Now if I could afford new springs to fix that typical Cherokee squat...
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
FINALLY got started on my bumper.

Drilled 3/8" holes all the way through. My shackle mounts are 3/8 plate. One piece goes straight through and is tied into the back, the other side is welded to it and the front.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach


Welded a piece of 3/4 to the inside of the bumper to drill and tap for mounting bolts.

You must be registered for see images attach


I'll get more pictures at some point soon. I don't really want to showcase how messy my shop is right now.
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
Finally stopped raining long enough to get some pictures. First comment on FB assured me my welds are crap and it will fall apart. Gotta love people lol.

You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
 

Thewespaul

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Posts
8,796
Reaction score
8,058
Location
Bulverde, Texas
That’s gonna fall apart!!!


LOL Looks good man, and didn’t cost you $800 plus for an off the shelf unit, are you going to put a winch on it?
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
That’s gonna fall apart!!!


LOL Looks good man, and didn’t cost you $800 plus for an off the shelf unit, are you going to put a winch on it?

Nope no winch mount. I'm planning on putting a 2" reciever on it so I could use one at some point. I have a winch mounted to a plate with a hole in it... Can't find the picture now. I can always chain it to one of the shackle mounts if need be.

I'm planning on making some kind of grille guard too, it probably would be a $1200 bumper if I bought it when I get done.
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
That’s gonna fall apart!!!

He was just being a ****. He said the welds won't hold which if that's true I'm greatful but sometimes it's not what you say but how it's said. I don't tend to take advice well from people that just come off cocky and pompous.

If they're really that bad I'll ask the guys at work what I'm doing wrong. Not like I really know what I'm doing lol!
 

Thewespaul

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Posts
8,796
Reaction score
8,058
Location
Bulverde, Texas
Haha I get that, I’m open to critique but you gotta give input a certain way or it just sounds ***tty. People want to judge and critique to just make themselves feel good and their own crappy welds look better.
 

subway

be nice to the admin :D
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Posts
6,542
Reaction score
1,038
Location
York PA
people are great sometimes, i can tell you are not a welder (i am not either) but to quote one of my favorite youtubers "a grinder and paint make me the welder i aint" LOL

i would recommend grinding clean the surfaces you want to weld, i think that might help you out some. besides that, the welds look plenty strong for what you are doing. making them look like a stack of dimes takes a lot of time and practice.
 

snicklas

6.0 and Loving It!!
Staff member
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Posts
6,164
Reaction score
2,342
Location
Greenfield, Indiana
people are great sometimes, i can tell you are not a welder (i am not either) but to quote one of my favorite youtubers "a grinder and paint make me the welder i aint" LOL

i would recommend grinding clean the surfaces you want to weld, i think that might help you out some. besides that, the welds look plenty strong for what you are doing. making them look like a stack of dimes takes a lot of time and practice.

AvE! Love his vi-ja-ohs........ just watched a few yesterday.... skookum!

Makes you think about what you are purchasing. Some times the cheap stuff isn’t as bad as you think, and the expensive stuff isn’t as good as you think.
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
people are great sometimes, i can tell you are not a welder (i am not either) but to quote one of my favorite youtubers "a grinder and paint make me the welder i aint" LOL

i would recommend grinding clean the surfaces you want to weld, i think that might help you out some. besides that, the welds look plenty strong for what you are doing. making them look like a stack of dimes takes a lot of time and practice.

Exactly. I don't care if they're "ugly" as long as they'll hold. Not like you'll be able to tell after sanding and painting lol!

I like watching some of AvE's videos. I like this old tony too, and @laserjock got me sucked into watching Bad Obsession (project Binky)...
 

subway

be nice to the admin :D
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Posts
6,542
Reaction score
1,038
Location
York PA
HA, This Old Tony and Bad Obsession are my other go-to youtubers as well!

i also like watching forging videos, Alex Steel for entertainment and Black Bear Forge for your "grandfather teaching you how to do something" feel.
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
Well I'm still not as far as @subway is with his bumper yet LOL

But... I had to fix the exhaust. Smelled melting plastic last week, figured it was probably exhaust related somehow.

You must be registered for see images attach


Turns out the muffler seam had rotted apart and melted the parking brake cable. Didn't dare try using it anyway, it's probably rusted up real bad.

Brother in law gave me a muffler he had butchered the end on. I managed to make it work.

You must be registered for see images attach


Didn't have enough exhaust pipe, the new muffler is a good bit shorter... Had pipe and a welder! Fit perfectly over the old pipe and against the muffler!

You must be registered for see images attach


Won't win any awards but it works!
 

hacked89

Full Access Member
Joined
May 30, 2018
Posts
1,739
Reaction score
2,328
Location
Bucks County PA
Hey Chris what ever happened to this and how did the bumper hold up?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
91,217
Posts
1,128,502
Members
24,045
Latest member
Ramtough01

Members online

Top