Bulkhead Modification

[martiar]

Bear with me. I am going to *try* and explain this in a way that can be understood. About 10 years ago I bought a Scrambler and have been working on the engine and drive train for that time and now it is running well and my son is going to be driving it daily to school. He is excited.. he was around 7 when we went to pick it up years ago! Here is the problem...

My son really wanted a half hard top so on a road trip a few months ago I picked him one up on our way home along with some full doors that my wife found on Facebook marketplace. The previous owner of our Scrambler welded the tailgate shut (a discussion for another time ) and replaced the rear bed (presumably due to rust) with diamond plate and painted it. While this is fine for a full top or no top it is pushing the bulkhead up an inch or so. This, of course, makes the hard top not fit correctly and we cannot attach it due to a gap on the sides where it rests on the jeep by the door. Do you think it would be possible to take an inch out of the bulkhead? The bottom of our bulkhead has a bit of rust so I figured I would just cut a half inch or so off the bottom and then just re-bend it with a metal brake. I am scared to do it and need a little convincing if anyone here has modified a bulkhead and can point me in the right direction....

Any ideas or encouragement would be welcome before I get to cutting on the bulkhead.

Thanks guys!

 

[CJ7Pilot]

I'd set the top on the body without the bulkhead, and make a new bulkhead out of plywood that just goes straight down to the bed.

This would give you more room inside the cab behind the seats (I've thought about doing this just for the extra room), and you could line the outside with diamond plate to match the bed floor.

Also, this would allow you to preserve the factory bulkhead for future use, or to pass it on to someone else who could use it.

Have fun!

Edit: When I was considering this, I had removed my roll bar... it might not be feasible with the roll bar in place. It depends on how creative you want to get with it.

 

[jpnmaine]

How was the floor installed? If it is plate over you may be able to cut the plate to expose the original floor to allow the bulkhead to fit. It is work and some unknowns.

 

[martiar]

@jpnmaine It appears to be welded on. If I can, I will send a pic this afternoon. I actually thought about that, but was a little concerned about water getting in that way.

 

[barrys]

If the bulkhead is in hood shape, maybe sell it after you find one that has rust issues in the bottom. You should come out $$ ahead.

 

[Kim Dawson]

As said, fit the top and then see how much needs to come off the bulkhead. Be sure to leave a little clearance for weather strip on the top and a little caulk or rubber on the bottom. Figuring those measurements in, how much needs to come off? Cut that amount off the bottom. Slide the cut piece up on the bulkhead and weld it in place. Probably will look better if the cut piece is on the cab side. If you don't weld, pop rivet it together and fit it and then take it to someone to weld it and weld up the holes used to pop rivet it. You'll need to drill and tap new mounting holes in the steel plate that it will sit on. You'll need a cutting wheel to make the cut without distorting the bulkhead (use a face shield) and you're home free from there.

 

[martiar]

Here are pictures of the gap and of the welded floor. Also included a pic of the side of the bulkhead that is rusted.

 

[Kim Dawson]

You probably need to get some sheetmetal and bend it in an L shape and attach that after you cut off the old rusty metal.