cjcraig7's JKuggy Build

[cjcraig7]

For those with Currie Rock Jocks, as you probably know, Currie make a nice bridge set up for the rear.

Now for the front, if it was a JK specific RJ, and you want to build an axle truss for upper links, you have this to deal with:



Yep, it appears that Currie mills off the driver side boss tower, so as not to deflect the upper link on a JK.

So, I had to use my 4 inch hand mill and mill the area flat, I will redrill and tap the bosses and make a custom bracket. I am going with an Artec truss and I will be cutting it up and adapting it to the Rock Jock front.

[cjcraig7]

I spoke earlier about the crossmember tube under the radiator. My stock unit had a mass of steel and rollers welded on it for use with my suck down winch. I cut the stock unit out and slid a 2" x .25 wall dom tube through there - straight. Little bit of plastic trimming and shaping on the fan shroud - very little. I used this hunk of steel for several reasons: 1) I am attaching a platform in the center in front of the harmonic balancer to hold a Warn 2500# atv winch to use as a new dedicated suck down winch, 2) the outer tips outside of the frame are there to support custom 1 3/4 inch shock hoops that may have to penetrate the hood in order to stuff the 16 X 2.5 inch Fox Coilover in there on top of the axle.

Here is a picture of the tube:



For strength I am actually going to hole saw the top of the frame 3/4 inch in to capture the shock hoop. Same idea for the rear mounting platform except the pipe will be through the frame, of course it can't tie into the opposite framerail because of the engine.

[Co4Lo]

Originally Posted by cjcraig7

Actually, a wishboned upper single link with the 3" Ballistic Forged Badass Joint was originally where I was headed. But, if I can sneak triangulated uppers in there over that cast mass of hp RJ60, that is what I am trying for. Never know I may be shopping for a stock oil pan before I am done.

You can't see the entire link, but this was the one on my YJ...
The "C" was bent out of Stainless Steel and TIG welded to the wishbone. 3" Johny Joint on the axle.

[cjcraig7]

[QUOTE=Co4Lo;1012772]You can't see the entire link, but this was the one on my YJ...

Yeah - I wish I could keep my top link that low, but not without some bending. That hunk of HP Currie cast is mucking up the works, unless I want to go for Draken height.

I think I might get away with about 5 inches over stock and about 4-iffy on the bump.

[DynoGuy]

Originally Posted by cjcraig7

The pan shape is designed for max volume with a set of 2 inch upper control arms running down each side.

What about losing oil going down hill, because if I got there, don't I have to get back? -- Check on the pan windage.

This maybe a no brainer for you but thought I'd post anyway. Easy way to double check volume you have while running is after you finish welding the pan back together put 4-5 quarts of water in pan (do this with the pan off), this should simulate the amount of oil that is actually in the pan while the engine is running, and then start to tilt the pan and see how far it can go before the area around the pick up would start to pick up air. If this is less than what you would expect to see while off roading then you need to move the pick up, add a "sump box" or redesign the shape of the pan. We run into this all the time on some of our road race engines that use wet sumps, here the G loads move oil away from the pick up instead of angle but it ends up being the same thing. Also sometimes running just a little extra oil will fix this usaully 1 quart will do.

[marinespence]

what did you do with the back half of your jk?

[cjcraig7]

Metal Scrap - except I kept the tailgate and OEM tail light housings.

[cjcraig7]

Well, I have been busy finishing up some back end build items. I am getting close on the oil pan. I think I have my new cross member/link support/transmission mount engineering complete.

I have parts and pieces coming from many sources and all different delivery- availability schedules, but it looks like I will have most of the builder parts within the week, and the shocks in from Poly Performance in about two weeks.

Bent up the 1.75 X .120 wall 1020 DOM shock hoops today and got the driver side mocked up. I will not be notching the hood - I have about 1 inch to spare. Shock will be mounted about 2 inches above the top of the axle, about 5 degrees in and 5 degrees back, 34 inches eye to eye with about 6 inches of up travel.

Hoop in position drivers side:





One of the challenges to this type of mod is finding a place to move all the under hood hardware. Finished the easy one - the On Board Compressor. The batteries were handled in the last project.


Some may question the use of DOM on the shock hoops considering my rants in another thread. The two upper shock mounts will want to twist and rip the shock hoop, hence the enhanced properties of DOM. If you were not carrying the load of the entire front end and just running shocks, imo HREW would be fine.

I have some nice stuff coming in from ARTEC INDUSTRIES, a small shop out of Arizona. One of the items is the front axle truss. Though I have to cut mine up to fit the Rock Jock, their Dana 44 and 60 conventional trusses are super nice and competitively priced. Next week.

[11bravojk]

Craig that thing is looking sick. I am almost done with part 2 of my build. Once I am finished I will post some pics.

[cjcraig7]

Took a little warm vacation and when I got back this thing didn't get done by itself.

I gotta say, parts have been a bit of an irritant on the front of this Jeep, but the UPS guy is starting to make regular stops again. Still waitng for the coilovers and a few other things.

I finally got the Poison Spyder HD crossmember in. I am running lower triangulated links off it. It is equipped with an ARTEC link bracket that I had to modify to fit the "squareness" of the crossmember. Since the links are now where the exhaust crossover was located, I built a new transmission mount, in order to make room for the passenger side exhaust to route over the new crossmember, clear the fuel tank , and cross behind the crossmember.









I cut some reinforcement brackets for both side of the crossmember frame mounts and new grade 8 hardware. The brackets in the picture will have reinforcement brackets welded to them that attached to the frame to take the lateral load of the lower links.

[cjcraig7]

As stated lower links are triangulated off the Poison Spyder crossmember. Links are 2.25 - 3/8 wall DOM Monsters. The reason for the size is that in this location, these act as my new tranny skid.

I bought a batch of brand new Ballistic Joints from a guy on Pirate - that is the reason for the Ballistic chit. There are 1.25s with 3/4 bores - extra beef!

[cjcraig7]

I frenched the shock hoops into the frame for a couple of reasons, strength and clutter. This saves alot of lower bracing and brackets to solidly hold the bottom of the mount. There will be an engine crossover brace to anchor the tops. All the open tube ends will have plugs and welded up.

Couple of sequence shots:

[militaryman4455]

I wish I had the fab skills and access to equipment like you. That stuff looks amazing. Extremely proffesional!

[cjcraig7]

Since I am going without the track bar - I am going full hydraulic steering. I called PSC and they gave me a full retail credit on my PSC Assist Box toward all the components for full hydraulic! Nice.

I built a new 1.5 DOM .25 wall tie rod. Going to run 7/8 heims. The single ended 2.5 X 8" ram is going to be anchored on this ARTEC truss (old tie rod in the picture).



New tie rod:



New high steer arm from Currie. I drilled out the tie rod mounting boss in the knuckle to 7/8". A 7/8" grade 8 bolt and spacer will run up through the new high steer arm for support.

[cjcraig7]

Finishing up the oil pan tomorrow. Also, I am about finished on the upper "wishbone" link and the axle truss modifications and link mount.

Final specs look like a four inch front stretch.

[terrahawk]

Craig, when are you goping to finish this sucker up?

[THECHAD]

Can't wait to see this thing on the trail, your doing an awesome job


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Co4Lo]

Excellent workmanship!!

[11bravojk]

That is coming along awsome. Hey man also thanks for that info last night,

[cjcraig7]

Originally Posted by terrahawk

Craig, when are you goping to finish this sucker up?

Ever see the movie "The Money Pit" with Tom Hanks and the famous 2-weeks quote?

This front end will be done in 2 weeks. Not.

I wasn't kidding a few post back. I do not think I have ordered a single in stock part. Everything is two to three weeks out. Being one off, you order a builder part, cut it up, make it fit so you can order the part that attachs to it, which is also two weeks out.

I know there is always alot of talk about the cost of PSC steering products - but they have it in stock.

If I have this in the snow by March 1st - I will be pleased, and it will be perfect.

[terrahawk]

Yep, I have some suspension components on back order so I'm in build limbo too.

[cjcraig7]

I got the oil pan pieced together and tacked up today. I installed it to check for clearance issues. It looks good to go and weld up add the drain bung and skid.





I am building a second bottom with broke edges that will fit over the bottom of the pan and welded on for some skiddish.

[cjcraig7]

I got the mounting bracket built and mounted to the upper truss. What is going on here in the pictures is the Ballistic Joint used for the upper and turned for axle centering strength. The joint is rebuildable with bronze bushings. Good thing because the joint will be permanantly TIG welded into place in a 2 X .25 wall dom head tube. The joint has 40 degree of movement so it should be both super strong, functional, and maintainable.







And the new diff cover and tie rod installed- about ready for hydraulic steering.



The axle is sitting at ride height with 42"s.

[Joneszj]

i'm really digging what you're putting down. this build is something special.

[STUPIDFACE]

I like the build and the fancy floor.