Front AND rear shocks

again...
If you would examine this-
http://jims73commando.blogspot.com/2012/02/rear-shocks.html
Its the same shocks and setup.  Yes, the shocks survived being dragged all over hells half acre.
Gabriel shocks for the front of a full size blazer being used on the rear of the jeep.
THIS time- not being in a rush to finish I found that the upper shock mounts were too
far outward- they were moved in 2" each and the lower mounts were dropped to mid axle.
The shocks in this configuration are at just a bit less than half travel.  Fully compressed
they will be up above the spring u bolts.
The jeep has became a lot less jiggly in the rear and has lifted about 3/4" from this.

Same crossmember, shocks moved closer together.

-
---------------------------------------------- 12/31/12 Front shock mounts started...

Heres the towers laid on the side- I  taper-cut the gussets on the orange line.



f350 shock towers with "custom lift kit"
the lift kit is a bracket for the frame and some gussets






The shock tower was mounted using engine mount bolts.
 I had to trim into the inner fender a little to fit these due to the height.
The lower bolt is drilled through and welded on the spring perch. 
What is left on shock travel at rest is 5" compression and 8-9" downtravel.

New "tatton" front driveshaft should be here 1-3-13!!!
I'll give an update on that when it arrives- so far customer service has been good.

chevy engine control stuff

Ok- so the engine runs good, but not great.  The symptoms are- it runs better after getting up to temperature, and between 2600 and 3000 rpm it kinda runs rough/ sputters until after 3000 rpms.
So after cruising the internet- I came upon the likely culprits- (in order of popularity)
1   O2 sensor    $45
2   coolant sensor (the intake manifold one - not the temp guage one between #1 &3 cylinders) $17
3   Throttle position sensor $44
4    map sensor  $??
5   electronic ignition timing in the distributor cap  $80 is the cheapest I've found.....
6    timing, timing chain, vaccuum leaks, wires, plugs, clogged fuel filter, fuel pump, fuel
      regulator, clogged fuel injectors, blah blah blah. 
too many parts- as simple as this fuel system is- the K.I.S.S. principle does not apply.

So I started on #1 and 2.  The revving problem went away almost immediately.
I also turned the timing up a few degrees which also helped- although after 3700 rpms there is
a little bit of popping coming from the passenger side exhaust.
I am going to change the thermostat to a 195 stock because if the engine doesnt get to temp the coolant sensor tells the computer its -40* outside.... duh
The original coolant sensor tested good- so its a spare. 

The jeep now has more power and will do a powerbrake burnout.

First drive

Excuse me sir- may I borrow your forklift?

On the way over here the ride was very compliant- if it weren't for the flat spotted
super swampers and their noise- I'd say it was comfortable.  The chevy steering
is tight and had good road feel.  I need to adjust the transmission cable-
it doesn't kick down into second gear easily.

I started out slowly to see what would happen...

 

Then went up some more. 

\

There's 25" under the forks, if the jeep was on the

concrete with the lift it would come to 29"  After fender trimming

I think theres an easy 3 more inches of travel left.

 

Tactful fender trimming is in order- can't believe theres

enough room for a 36" tire to disappear into the fenderwell...

The jeep- unlike at megarun- was very stable when lifted.

Small extension brake lines are in order for the front.  Its fine when the front

axle only flexes, but the drivers

side was stretched taught, if it had a hole under the

tire, it will pull the brake hose off.

 

-------------------------------------------

Here's the brake extension hoses

about 10" long.

Right after getting it all together, I pulled the jeep onto the driveway to clean up the garage

some.  When I hit the brakes on the driveway the pedal went to the floor!  crap.

The right front disks caliper seal blew out  and now I have to re bleed the system.

Oreilly auto warrantied the caliper at least.

 

driveshaft measuring*** New driveshaft

Since I'm waiting on some m14 bolts (just a bit bigger than 9/16 coarse thread and 13 tpi instead of 12 tpi) for the chevy steering box, I thought that the front driveshaft length needed to be addressed.  The front driveshaft was not as bad as I thought it would be-  about 35" full droop and 33.5" full compression. 

If it weren't for some safety margin- a stock shaft with 3" of slip would suffice.
**I ordered a new shaft that should be here asap with 7" of spline and length of  33".**



Thats a 48" hi lift jack holding it up.  On the last click the front tires scooted an inch.  The only thing keeping the tires from full contact is the stretched coil springs.  After dropping the coil buckets down a notch- there's 5" safe upward travel before contact and 12" + of down travel. :)

Note the large superlift shock on the left kinda flopping around **these were replaced by long travel pro comp shocks.**
 ford f250 shock mounts are coming for them.  The old online how to's said they were $15 ea- well they're 22 to 25 ea now depending on what dealer you call.  I just ebayed them for cheaper.
http://www.in2jeep.com/fordshockmt.htm

The stock scout brake lines aren't even tight at full droop because I bent  the metal part upward a bit.
Maybe friday it can go around the block....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-7-13  I was just informed that there is 2 months until megarun- I've got to get this thing done asap!

new front driveshaft from "tattons" w spicer 1310 ujoints .180 wall 2" tube 7" spline.
 37.5" long with 1 1/2" compression

the missing link

FINALLY!!!


Upper frame link mounts.  Started out life as a 1/4" wall square tubing.

Just when I thought everything was going great the drivers side exhaust

interfered with where the mount was supposed to go.

On the right is the modified bracket with a notch out of it.

 

Drivers side mount- mounted.

Passenger side mount

Upper tubes are .120 wall dom. 

Upper links mounted. 

Remember this?  Max droop with leafs. 

Afterwards, just moving one jack stand out of the way

and the rotor rests on the ground.

 

Tiny tim without his crutches.  Note- the degree finder that was on the axle

upper link bracket is still there. See 3 pictures up. 

Take it out before lifting the vehicle and trying to crush it between the harmonic

balancer and the axle . Yes, its still in one piece and functioning.

 

With the degree finder removed...The springs (thankfully)

support the vehicle pretty easily. There will be about 5" uptravel- it

will need bumpstops.

 

Bitchin.

Onto the steering and brakes.