Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Tell me more about this carrier bearing.... When I stretch the Jeep more I want to build a two piece front drive shaft so the front and rear shafts are interchangeable.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

it's a Branik pc that i had them customize. i sent them a used CV yoke off the front of a ram 241 to machine vs a standard yoke on one side. got the yoke from TorqueKing. the same yoke is interchangeable with the ram's 1350 or 1410 CV drive shafts.

http://branikmotorsports.com/branik-...-bearing-1410/

https://torqueking.com/product/99108...1dhd-np241dld/

my YJ was built with the same CV shaft front/rear with a 2pc front. but a WAY cheaper junkyard build. i took the front output shaft from a roached NP231, radially cut the gear off, and turning ground whole thing to 1.5". just the seal dia the whole shaft back. that slipped into some 1.75" x 0.120 wall DOM leaving half the shaft exposed. i then slipped a cheap pillow block onto that remaining 1.5" OD and mounted that to the frame. the stock 231 1310 CV yoke will bolt on/off. nice and rebuildable with basic bits. a stock TJ slip yoke also uses a 1.5" seal so it slipped into the other end of the DOM to complete the mid shaft and go to the d300 with a standard joint.

only issue is the angles aren't set up right and will vibrate bad at speed if i don't unlock the hubs. the 55 however has precisely set angles ;)

https://i.imgur.com/vgxKmP9.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

That's a great idea! Will there be a need for the short shaft to the transfer case to get longer or shorter a bit with the flex of the motor, even if it is like only 1/4"? Just a thought.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

no issues so far! my engine/trans are on a more firm mount than factory, and i didn't make the carrier mount super stiff so it could absorb every so slightly a shock load.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

mocked up the air compressors with the new backing plate, just need to make the tabs that weld into the fuel tank mount channel.

got the throttle pedal in, and the high beam foot switch in.

also got the steering in!!! I've been wanting to see this together for a while. it's super close to the engine mount bolt and the shock tower, but clears by enough. it's also like 1/2deg before internal contact in the joint at the column, but is still smooth. the heim mount shouldn't flex much :lol:

EDIT: ... i'm going to have to clearance the shock tower for chassis flex clearance ...

Edit 2: change flex to torque twist at launch :lol:

https://i.imgur.com/JIfUvDt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3tQIRnr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Ih06Mep.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dQfwOb9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0O8RdAN.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

A whole lot of great fab work goring on over there....Nicely done..

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Nice... That is what I was planning. A Junk Yard solution. I'm all about that.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

well, started a new project/adventure on Monday. a new accessory for the 55 when she's finally ready to tow!

1970 23ft Airstream Safari that my grandfather bought new. it's been about 10 years since it was used, and he stopped using it after it had fallen to such bad repair. well i've had it for about 8 years, and it's been about 6 years since he passed away, so it was time we dropped it off for a partial restoration at P&S trailers. SUPER excited not only for the family trailer to be useable again, but to be able to adventure with it.

far left

https://i.imgur.com/W8nFzj8.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Great work on the rust repair. That Airstream doesn't look too bad. It's cool you got it and I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. That is going to look great behind your truck!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

The Airstream will look right at home behind the Tow Rat.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

That's so cool, I love the old air streams. I saw an old air stream motor home on the highway last year, didn't even know they made them.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

small updates, but lots of summer fun. got my exhaust hanger brackets cut and placed, that's a 4" inlet to an adjustable 4" exhaust brake, and then 5" out thru the 5" muffler. hopefully when the bolts are tight she'll hang a bit higher, or i'll end up with a bar or something to hold up the middle.

spent Saturday trying to brake the jeep again, but she held together. then Sunday took one of the wife's friends and her b/f out on the ski boat for a day of proving we weren't too old for this sh!t. :lol:

these are the exhaust rubbers i used:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/wlk-35296

https://i.imgur.com/PyQkZgN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VO1fSLV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LJ02VG9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sOpUmQY.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

The exhaust looks great. I like how tucked up high it is. I used some similar hangers on mine. They work great.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i feel like this could be a polarizing subject, but lets hear your thoughts either way.

Seat Belts / Harnesses

i went for bright orange to contrast the blue n white, and still thinking i'd like to do an orange firewall after seeing the Backyard 55's red. i just love the accent contrast. but that's not the touchy subject.

so i got 5pt harnesses and will be installing them as a 4pt. my goal is to be better off than a 3pt kit, not race-ready. legally i could have none, but that's stupid. i don't think anyone would hate on just a lap belt cuz that's easy and way better than nothing. however with the steering wheel close i wanted more than just the 2pt lap. so i was researching 3pt and it just didn't seam like enough. (there's a reason new cars also include air bags with a 3pt) between the belt stretch, ratchet time to catch, give in the cab corner steel even with a giant weld-washer, my weight as a big dude, and the proximity of the wheel, i just didn't think it would really help enough.

i run a 5pt harness in both jeeps and love em, so that's what i wanted. however trying to get a harness bar in the cab when i'm already basically leaning on the back wall was a rough fit. i saw guys who had a tube welded from cab corner to cab corner, but i'd be leaning on the tube all the time. then i thought about cutting out that whole inner structure below the glass for more space, or running a tube behind it, but the seat leans on it and that low is a dangerous mounting angle for the shoulder belts. another option would be to just bolt the harness tabs flat to the cab structure, but they aren't designed to function in bending and still just a single mounting bolt to the sheet metal. even with a big weld washer.

so here's my solution, the harness plate. it's 12" wide with more bolts to spread the load out over a lot larger area. it's heavy enough to withstand the perpendicular belt mounting, and it let me mount the belts up into the glass area for proper angle off my shoulders. should be nice n solid around town, and any accident hard enough to bend/pull the cab structure right below where it welds to the outer skin in the window, was hard enough it's all fawked anyways. should hold me up better than a 3pt for sure, but obviously not good enough for any form of racing.

https://i.imgur.com/PO28BYX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1dH57cd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Wen6N9o.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

gotta get it above the bottom of the frame to lay frame! haha

i'll also end up wrapping the whole thing to keep the heat in too.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Nah, just drag off anything below the frame....Its self correcting like that.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:lol::lol:

i've done the whole self-clearance thing for fenders vs tires, but never tried to "polish the bottom smooth" :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Ha ha ..Not sure what you are using for air management but I'm using Accuair. Man, I love the adjustability. I wanted a lower drive height so I dropped it another 1" all the way around and re-saved it as my "new" drive height it comes up to when I turn on the ignition. She drives real low now. I wanted to drive it a bit first before making an adjustment.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I'm not sure the shape of your back wall there, but anyplace where you could add a 90 to your load plate would help quite a but. I might even consider extending it out to the corners with some bar stock, or better yet some angle.

That Jeep trail looked fun. I did the Great Lakes Jeep Jam myself... in a monsoon. It looks like the rain all stayed plenty notrth of you guys.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i've been eyeballing the Air Lift 3H/3P, but cant' bring myself to drop the coin yet. the auto height control and multiple set heights is really tempting though!

current plan will just be 4 manual switch paddle valves from ThorBros

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

the cab wall has a SLIGHT arc so i'll need something like a 3deg bend in the middle to help it sit more flush.

it's getting cut from 1/4" plate, and my thought was that even flat it would be enough stronger than the cab sheet that the cab would give before the plate would bend.

i'd love to tie it further around to the door frame structure or tie the plates together, but that's where i run into my shoulder again. i think this is the best i can get without MAJOR surgery. i think i met the goal of better than a 3pt, but to be race-ready i would basically have to cut off the back of the cab and add 12". an extended cab would be better in a lot of ways.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I used a manual set up from Air Ride in my last build. It worked fine, I just like the auto correct and adjustability of this one better. I saw a smoking deal on a (new) Accuair set up on FB for $800.00 for everything you would need (minus compressors and tanks. I stay away from the tank and valves all combined into one. Those have a high fail rate.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

$800 with height sensors would be a sweeeet deal! totally agree on not running the fully integrated system, especially since i have the tank n compressors already.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

It was listed for $850.00. You can find it on the AccuAir owners group page on FB. I was listed yesterday and looks like it is still available.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I'm a visual person. I am looking forward to seeing the plate and how it mounts to the truck. I like the idea of the 4 points. I have a big back window and don't have a lot of room for a 3 point belt. If the plate works out well, you may end up selling some :)