Build Thread The '80 FrankenJeep frame off reassembly

[Belizean]

I'm thinking he's out wheeling it and didn't even let us know

 

[shum8]

I'm thinking he's out wheeling it and didn't even let us know

You done anything on your Jeep lately?

Uh, no and no..... Even tho I don't get summers off anymore, I somehow haven't been able to shake the summer jobs..... only thing I've done to the CJ lately is install a new soft top. Which reminds me - I need to list the old one and see if I can sell it.....

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[CJ]

Thread posting test.......

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Should be fixed.

 

[shum8]

Alrighty - Just started on a summer project I never started during the hot weather... Figured I’d better get on it. The liftgate hinge bolts that attach the hinge to the top we’re all fubar’d when I got the top - thru bolts and large washers were being used. That prevents the bolts from actually holding the hinge in place - keeps riding up. Not to mention it crushed the inner wall of the top on the driver’s side.






Was pondering on the best way to fix this. So far my leading theory would be to cut a couple pieces of steel maybe 6” wide and a couple inches tall, drill two holes large enough to pass a 3/8” steel tube thru, and align with where the bolts need to be at the hinge. Tack weld the tubes to the plate on the inner side, then once welded in place, trim tubes to act as crush limiting sleeves between the hinge and reinforcing plate. Drill thru the gasket flange in a couple places and use countersunk screws to hold the plate in place, attaching the plate to the top with Evercoat Fiber Tech. Once all cured, lay a nice smoothing coat to blend the plate into the inner surface of the top, painting to match the rest of the inside surface.

Now, I know I’ve been accused of doing the hard way in the past, so let’s here some easier ways to fix this that will fix my proble [emoji6][emoji106][emoji106]

Oh - one of my gripes has been the hinges are slotted where it interfaces with the top. I would prefer to make those holes instead and fix the hinge location......


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[Impory]

The hinges on mine are steel...so you could weld up the open slot and re drill as a fixed point...and..if you can push out the top deformation...I would cover one side holes and inject resin into the void..should be able to create a solid core at the hinge point..jmho..happily ..mine was still good...

 

[shum8]

The hinges on mine are steel...so you could weld up the open slot and re drill as a fixed point...and..if you can push out the top deformation...I would cover one side holes and inject resin into the void..should be able to create a solid core at the hinge point..jmho..happily ..mine was still good...

That’s the plan for the hinges- but as for the deformation - it must be hollow at the spot? I thought about reinforcing the interior area, but wasn’t sure if it was just dead air........ hard to get a structurally sound filler in there with nothing to make it stay. And I didn’t want to cut into it if I could help it.

Wonder what’s inside there??? Did they all have they bolts there or was there a blind nut setup inside that’s broken loose...


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[Impory]

Pretty sure the captive nuts were imbedded..or possibly threaded fibreglass ...less likely..

 

[Impory]

could always use hi density expanding foam..that may well get you enough support
for through bolts

 

[shum8]

Did some pokin around yesterday - took a 5/16-24 tap and hit the holes.... not sure why the PO had used 1/4-20 screws, but the 5/16 tap threaded the inserts that were in there. Before I fix the holes on the inside, I'm gonna torque the bolts pretty good and make sure the inserts are still structurally strong enough. At that point, I will either repair the inner surface and paint, or, if the inserts don't seem to wanna pull their weight, I'll drill a hole over the back side of each bolt, run a nut onto the end of the bolt, and lock tho bolt in that way. If I size the hole correctly, I can get a socket in there, then hit the hole with a hole plug...... initial reassembly shows the inserts appear nice and solid. Repairing the slots in the hinge is next.



Now, I know I had started out making backer plates, crush tubes, and big dealing the whole process, so I apologize for taking the easy road..... LOL


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[Belizean]

Unless there is scenery to see, usually the easy road is best.

 

[shum8]

Thought I’d bring this thread back from the dead.......

Waaaaaay back when I bought the Jeep, I was just gonna paint it and swap the seats. Last year I picked a pair of front seats from a Liberty - got the driver’s seat in. Decided 8 years was long enough so today I started on installing the passenger seat.

Been pondering this for a few days....... I wanted to keep the folding seat bracket, but the seat needed to be lowered 2 “ (the Liberty seats have a deeper frame.) The driver side brackets were fixed and easy to shorten, but the folding base had me scratching my head. Made one out of cardboard, shortened it, and it worked fine. But how to hold everything in place once cut apart?

Made a fixture holding the base in place upside down. Removed the 4 “posts” holding the base secure, removed 2” from each, reattached the posts, and commenced to hacking up the frame.





Part of the pondering was trying to decide what to do with the latch posts ...... so I cut em off





And will drill new mounting holes and weld em back on in their new spot.

After mounting all the pieces back to the fixture, I overlapped the cut pieces and cut the excess off to prepare for welding back together.












Now all I have to do is weld everything back together.

Can’t wait to see if it’s gonna work!


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[caveman]

Interesting. I need to do the same thing for my seats.

 

[Belizean]

Super job ! Is that the frame from a YJ or CJ ? Looks slightly different.

 

[Masscj7]

Man, I’ve been pondering this for a year, was either lose some weight or modify this seat bracket but still try to maintain the fold forward... a year later, still pondering how to cut the brackets [emoji23]


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[shum8]

Super job ! Is that the frame from a YJ or CJ ? Looks slightly different.

That is a YJ bracket - It what was in there with the YJ seats, and I didn’t have the heart to cut up my CJ bracket.


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[shum8]

Man, I’ve been pondering this for a year, was either lose some weight or modify this seat bracket but still try to maintain the fold forward... a year later, still pondering how to cut the brackets [emoji23]


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I hear ya - that’s why it’s taken me so long to swap it........ Wasn’t looking forward to this, but finally got tired of stepping around the seat in the basement. As for the cutting - a couple cardboard mock ups says it’ll work. With the geometry involved, reducing the height by 2” only required removing a little over an inch of material...... The front riser pieces and cross braces are a piece of cake - but the rear risers need the latch pins to be relocated. They will be situated after everything else is welded up. Drill a mounting hole and weld both sides.....Stay tuned.....


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[Belizean]

Over on the CJ8 forum there is a great write up with diagram and pictures and measurements on cutting and welding the brackets.

 

[shum8]

Well, let’s see if I can sneak back in here and toss an update on here…. Been an interesting, frustrating, and joyous few months. I’ll get the ball rolling, then add more later. Early November, clutch started slipping, so I ordered a new clutch setup from Rock Auto, and took everything to a buddies wood stove heated garage and swapped it out. Fast forward to early Feb…… Drove out to the DMV to renew my drivers license, was almost home, and when I pulled away from a red light, it sounded like the pressure plate was scraping the inside of the bellhousing. Not possible, I know - but that’s what it sounded like. Dropped everything aft of the engine, found a rotten throw out bearing, so I thought “ this won’t be too bad. Since that was my first purchase from Rock Auto, I blamed the clutch set. Picked up a new one from Napa, grabbed the throw out bearing to see if that was the source of the noise. Nope. Still scraping and knocking around. So I dropped everything aft of the engine, again, and replaced the rest of the clutch set. Put everything back together and fired it up. Noise was a little different, but still there. Dropped everything aft of the engine, again, and decided to start it with nothing but a bare flywheel, then add one piece at a time till I found the culprit. Cranked it up, and viola - a bad rod knock…… And there was my first WTF moment.

Ok - time to crash. I’ll add more tomorrow …. With pics

Had to add this - Wanted to give everyone time to come up with ways to tell me I’m stupid…… It’s coming - I can smell it LOL

 

[Belizean]

Not us . What a dragggg.

 

[coldair]

Oh I love stories