Build Thread 85 CJ7 Rebuild, Labor of Love

[Ultrunner]

If I remember...isn’t that where the exhaust attaches..

Could be, it’s been so long since I ripped all that out


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[Belizean]

If I remember...isn’t that where the exhaust attaches..

Yes

 

[Ultrunner]

I’ve removed almost everything. I’m down to a few brackets the two remaining bolts on the gas tank (totally stripped, tried everything, not sure how I’m going to get these off) and the axles.

Any advice out there on the sway bar and power steering brackets? Do their bolts fasten to nuts that are welded into the frame? If so I’m screwed (literally) because they are rusted so badly. If not, how would I get a wrench on the nut inside the frame?



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[gert]

Ya about that nut on the frame......


I know that the sway bar mount bolts go into rivnuts..... why on earth they used them we will never know, your going to have to grind the heads off the bolts get the bracket off and figure out how you want to replace the rivnuts....... all of mine spun in the holes so I had to grind the heads off so that’s how I know and still haven’t fixed them lol


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[Ultrunner]

Ya about that nut on the frame......


I know that the sway bar mount bolts go into rivnuts..... why on earth they used them we will never know, your going to have to grind the heads off the bolts get the bracket off and figure out how you want to replace the rivnuts....... all of mine spun in the holes so I had to grind the heads off so that’s how I know and still haven’t fixed them lol


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Thanks for your perspective, now you’ve got my confidence that mine will be any different pretty low. I started trying to remove one of the bracket bolts and it felt like it was turning, but you know when you get that feeling that it’s not really coming loose, and I realized I was just twisting the head off.

If I figure out how to fix them I’ll let you know, I’ll have to get the power steering gearbox bracket back on somehow.


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[Ultrunner]

Ya about that nut on the frame......


I know that the sway bar mount bolts go into rivnuts..... why on earth they used them we will never know, your going to have to grind the heads off the bolts get the bracket off and figure out how you want to replace the rivnuts....... all of mine spun in the holes so I had to grind the heads off so that’s how I know and still haven’t fixed them lol


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I’m thinking once I get the brackets removed (sway bar and steering gear) I’ll clean up the frame and just have the brackets welded in place. When the hell am I ever going to strip this down like this again? Prolly never.



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[Ultrunner]

Today marked a turning point. I have removed everything from the frame and am ready to send it off to be blasted. It seemed like getting to this point was never going to end with the endless amount of rusty nuts and bolts that would seem to just appear.


Finally got the tub off and beginning to remove everything mounted to the frame.


Brake line, fuel line and steering removal.


Had to cut these leaf spring bolts, no amount of force would budge them.


Finally the frame is on stands and axles removed.

Any idea how to get all the rusty bits out of the inside of the frame?


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[Masscj7]

Today marked a turning point. I have removed everything from the frame and am ready to send it off to be blasted. It seemed like getting to this point was never going to end with the endless amount of rusty nuts and bolts that would seem to just appear.


Finally got the tub off and beginning to remove everything mounted to the frame.


Brake line, fuel line and steering removal.


Had to cut these leaf spring bolts, no amount of force would budge them.


Finally the frame is on stands and axles removed.

Any idea how to get all the rusty bits out of the inside of the frame?


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I'm fighting that now with all the junk in the frame. Did my best to blow it out with air and now I wish I had done a pressure washer. I saw somewhere else that someone said when you replace the rear cross member, good time to blow it out the back.Too late for me now, got a sandblasted and coated frame and it keeps dropping rust scales. I guess I'll just keep sweeping up periodically.

Your build is moving nice. You're a little behind me. But you're more daring than me diving into the tcase and tranny. Only a couple more months before the white stuff flies again up here, yaayy...

 

[Ultrunner]

Masscj7, good point. Maybe I’ll just replace the rear cross member fully, I’ve got to fix the body mounts anyway, and with it off just get all that out.

Yeah, exciting times coming. Have to move into the garage.


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[Masscj7]

Masscj7, good point. Maybe I’ll just replace the rear cross member fully, I’ve got to fix the body mounts anyway, and with it off just get all that out.

Yeah, exciting times coming. Have to move into the garage.


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If you get one, check out Chief Wahoo out of Kansas. His are way nicer than most aftermarket ones. Beefier, will size to either CJ or YJ tubs and good price, if I remember around $125.

 

[Ultrunner]

If you get one, check out Chief Wahoo out of Kansas. His are way nicer than most aftermarket ones. Beefier, will size to either CJ or YJ tubs and good price, if I remember around $125.

Wow! That is a good price for a custom job.

By the way: anyone know what all these little bolts sticking down from the rear cross bar are for? Mine weren’t fastened to anything.




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[Belizean]

Wow! That is a good price for a custom job.

By the way: anyone know what all these little bolts sticking down from the rear cross bar are for? Mine weren’t fastened to anything.




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The Wahoo back bar is a bargain. Bolts should be for the tank and skid plate I believe

 

[Masscj7]

Correct. Gas tank and skid.


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[Ultrunner]

Weird. My tank was not at all fastened to those bolts.


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[gert]

I’m thinking once I get the brackets removed (sway bar and steering gear) I’ll clean up the frame and just have the brackets welded in place. When the hell am I ever going to strip this down like this again? Prolly never.



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Lol even if you do strip it down you don’t really need to pull the sway bar mounts off anyway


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[Ultrunner]

Lol even if you do strip it down you don’t really need to pull the sway bar mounts off anyway


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Haha, too late. I got the passenger side off no problem so I got all excited and when I started turning the bolts that hold both the sway bar brackets and steering gearbox bracket the heads sheared off.




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[Ultrunner]

Lots of progress this past weekend. Got the axle pulled apart, shards removed and ball joints out. Now to clean the knuckles and paint before it starts getting to cold.




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[Masscj7]

Nice work! I really enjoyed rebuilding my knuckles and spindles. If you use that press for axle shaft u joints, be careful you don’t bend your yoke ears in. Mine were so frozen that didn’t realize I bent them in till I was trying to put the new u joints in and they didn’t fit.


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[Ultrunner]

Nice work! I really enjoyed rebuilding my knuckles and spindles. If you use that press for axle shaft u joints, be careful you don’t bend your yoke ears in. Mine were so frozen that didn’t realize I bent them in till I was trying to put the new u joints in and they didn’t fit.


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! Never thought of that. The driver’s side came out with easy effort. The Passenger side has been tough. Hopefully I didn’t do the same thing.

How did you correct the problem once you figured it out?


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[Masscj7]

Threaded rod or long grade 8 bolt and some nuts and washers. Thread them opposite to push outward.




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