Build Thread The '80 FrankenJeep frame off reassembly

[shum8]

I wanted to hit a couple overlooks on the Parkway this past weekend and catch the leaves...... couldn’t make it work. May try tomorrow


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[Posi]

Nice!!

 

[shum8]

Ok - What do my half doors need that’s missing?

With the uppers off it’s really obvious. Here’s the beginning of the process.....

Old, beat up upper frames that came with the Jeep. Couldn’t bring myself to throw em away, now I’m glad I’m a pack rat.

I had to replace the driver’s seat in my car - got a replacement from the pick n pull for 20 bucks, and kept the leather and vinyl seat cover off the old one. Just happens to be the same color gray as the Jeep interior gray. So I’m gonna make a couple arm rests for the half doors, and the sections of the old upper frames will be the arm rest mounts.

I’m anxious to see how this turns out...... I hope they look in reality like they look in my head.......


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[gert]

Arm rests will be a great addition to your half doors


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[gr8dain]

Interested to see what you envision for them. I just rest my arm on the big flat section of the top. Never had an issue. But I might realize I have always had an issue once I see what you come up with.

 

[Belizean]

interested to see what you envision for them. I just rest my arm on the big flat section of the top. Never had an issue. But i might realize i have always had an issue once i see what you come up with.

x2 ^^^

 

[coldair]

Did you have any problems with your lug nugs on your front axle being to short for your wheels? I have the same looking wheels when installed only had like 3 to 4 threads. I did find some studs that are 3/8 inch longer now i have around 1/2 inch or so of stud sticking out.

 

[shum8]

Interested to see what you envision for them. I just rest my arm on the big flat section of the top. Never had an issue. But I might realize I have always had an issue once I see what you come up with.

The top of the door works well, I’d just like it a bit higher. LOL - When I get em done you may realize you truly never did have a problem...

Did you have any problems with your lug nugs on your front axle being to short for your wheels? I have the same looking wheels when installed only had like 3 to 4 threads. I did find some studs that are 3/8 inch longer now i have around 1/2 inch or so of stud sticking out.

No, my lug nugs worked very well. I had to order new ones cause the old ones were beat up and rusty. The shank on em is about an inch long, which was about the same as the thickness of the rim at that point. I did use the original studs....



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[shum8]

Ok - I've been distracted from the armrests...... haven't forgotten em, I'll get back on em before long.

Did have a strange occurrence today..... when I hooked the wiper assembly up, they wouldn't make a full sweep like they should. Almost like the pivot arm wasn't long enough. Tonight, when turning the wipers on, I went to wide open unintentionally, and after that, they make full sweeps as they should. My " What the heck" moment.

Can't explain it, but I'll take it.



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[gert]

Looks like we have the same crappy weather


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[shum8]

Yup - Calling for sleet here Thurs morning


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[gr8dain]

So you have to be revving to get full sweep? Does it increase gradually with revs or go from short to full all of a sudden?

Either way, it seems voltage related. Do you have a bad ground somewhere?

And yeah, the weather is so stinking wet and not looking forward to the “wintry mix” on Thursday. Ugh.

 

[shum8]

Actually, none of the above. I was getting partial sweet - like 80%. When I hit wide open, it must have unjammed something. Now I get full sweep like I should in all gears, I mean speeds. Kinda strange. Doesn’t sound any different, but works as it should now.


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[gr8dain]

Ok. That is odd. Probably coincidence. But all is good now. So be happy.

 

[shum8]

Don’t worry, be happy.....

Sorry - I had to


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[shum8]

Well, we got a good foot of snow this past Sunday - A perfect time to test out the front half of the drivetrain. Headed out about 2:00 pm with a good 8” on the ground. Roads were covered, so they gave a good proving ground. Despite the fact that mud tires and snow are not close friends, everything went smoothly....... right up until the wipers quit. And it pouring snow and I was a good 10 miles from home. Sooooo, max defrost and secondary roads did ok. Had to stop a couple times and manually wipe the windshield, but it wasn’t too bad.

Yesterday they closed my office, so I worked on the wipers. Raised the front of the hard top enough to lay the windshield down, and began surgery. I was expecting to find the wiper motor arm had come off due to the retaining screw backing out (this Jeep does have a history of screws backing out LOL). Nope - the plastic bushing had popped out of the wiper linkage. And being an old YJ wiper setup, new bushings we’re not available, at least immediately. I did pick up a generic bushing pack but nothing fit. Here’s the problem:

This bushing snaps into the linkage arm from the top (in this orientation) and the wiper motor arm snaps into the top of the bushing. The bushing was worn at the linkage arm, and would pop out easily. So what to do...... I figure all I need to do is have it stay fixed till warm weather so I can convert the whole linkage to heim joints. So here’s what I did. I decided to bring the bushing up from the bottom side and capture the linkage arm between the bushing and wiper motor since it was a pain in the ars trying to get it off the wiper arm in the first place. I used drilled out washer to remove slip and a socket as a backer when pressing the two together, wiring it for retrieval. So far so good.........

And yes, the two sockets are different - the first one was a bit too tall......


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[gert]

That’s a pretty interesting idea converting to hiem joints, it will be interesting to see when you get done


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[shum8]

That’s a pretty interesting idea converting to hiem joints, it will be interesting to see when you get done


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I’m mulling it over in my head - I think I’ll start gathering parts for a proof of concept prototype.


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[shum8]

And this may sound weird, but I’ve been looking forward to getting the Jeep back on the road and runnin a wreath on the front for Christmas....... just stuck it on there..... it kinda gets lost behind the brush guard.

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[gert]

Something so right about a Christmas wreath on the grille of a CJ


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