Eric's Postal Build Thread (was: Postal rebuild thread)

[mulescj8]

Bout time your working on that pile of parts bro.....................it's looking good.................so you bout ready for the rockwells,one link and 44's

 

[John N]

Come on over to Hatteras...I'm trying to be there this weekend.

 

[kohldad]

Starting to look like a complete Scrambler again. LJ must be doing very well to give you so much project time.

 

[bigwalton]

Thanks fellas, Kate's about as anxious as I am to have this out of the garage and back on the road again. Her only requirement is that the back seat and belts are in

I forgot to add wiring up the brake lights and I have to do something about a reverse light at some point, but that won't stop me from doing the test drive.

 

[canzo]

Too bad you don't live in Virginia, the law here is that you don't have to have the backup lights as long as there is no wiring to the light assembly. I don't know if NC has that little loophole.

It's looking really good, BW. Congrats!

 

[bigwalton]

Just talked to Sheldon at Goferit and my new drag link will be here tomorrow or Thurs. with the flip bushing to make it fit up the right way! WOOT!

That's really the last piece of the puzzle...

I do have one possible snag in that the large U-bolt that goes over the end of the pumpkin on the front axle had the threads on the nut spall on me and was a B*(#$(@ to get off. It mauled some of the threads really bad but they are on the part of the bolt that I was going to cut off anyway, so I'm hoping to save it. I'll work on that tonight and order a new ubolt tomorrow if I have to...

I'll try to get more pics tonight as well...

 

[bigwalton]

late night progress....

Been in the garage past 1AM the last two nights... I'm getting so excited I can't sleep.

Here's what's been done this week, took pics, but haven't gotten them off the camera:

-front bumper/steering box mount/winch & plate all bolted down
-ran winch wires
-saved the munged up u-bolt and got them all cut to length and installed (required some "massaging" of the RE ubolt skidder with a cut off wheel)
-installed the steering box brace
-installed the driveshafts
-filled front diff
-filled rear diff, but cover started leaking so I drained it to reseal properly

Things were going too well, so I finally had my Jeep gotcha...

I found that the banjo bolts pulled from my core calipers do not fit the remaned calipers I have now (why would I ever think that???)... finding the right bolts has become a MAJOR PITA. Tonight, at the least, I hope to get new calipers and matching bolts from Advance, they said that they have both in stock, but I can't get there until after work.

Kate's leaving for Fri-Sun to visit relatives with Laura (tagging along with her sister & kids and there's literally no room for me). So I could be working on/driving my Jeep all weekend. If I can't find a caliper/bolt combo that works, I'm going to GO POSTAL!

 

[bigwalton]

Test Drive!!!!! It Works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I drove it!

1 year, 2 months, and 29 days after the accident that put her in my garage.

I was out last night until after 3AM doing all of the little things that I needed only to find out that I had bought the wrong lugnuts... today I had to mow the lawn before it got blazing hot and then finished off a couple of things, pulled the tires out from under the deck, changed the oil and went over the list of everything that I could have forgotten three or four times...

Got up my courage to see if everything would work, shot her with starting fluid (hadn't started her for about 10 months or so of that down time ) and turned her over.

It took only three shots at it and she fired up remarkably smoothly and idled right in! I could NOT believe how easy she ran with year old gas and all that down time... it's like she wanted to be running again.

I backed out of the garage enough so I didn't choke on exhaust and bled the power steering while letting her warm up for a good while.

After that was done, I hopped in and eased out.

No odd noises, brakes didn't seem to be dragging, so out we went. I live at the top of a large loop that has some pretty serious hills on either side, so I stayed up at the top of the circle, testing the brakes and the steering. I need to play with the length on the Big Daddy draglink because i have more throw left than right, but other than that, I can go lock to lock without anything hitting.

The ebrake has never been as good as it is now and the brakes feel great except that all of the action is at the bottom of the pedal throw. They feel really solid once you get down to the bottom of the throw, so I wouldn't call it spongy, just late. I'll have to fiddle with that, but it's a very confident feeling once you get used to having to push them that far. They work GREAT and it doesn't seem to be biased front or rear...

Overall, I'm COMPLETELY THRILLED to be drving it again! I have to go out and splice in the LEDs (got impatient and was only going to stay in the neighborhood) and then I think I'll might drive it the rest of the day

Oh, sorry for the poor pics. Kate took the digital with her so I've only got the phone...

 

[WildTurkeycj8]

Sweet, Eric! Congrats!!!!!

 

[Crossbones]

CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS !!!

We know you've been waiting a long time. Can't wait to see it out on the trail again.
Robert

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Congrats Eric. It has to be a great feeling. I'm just entertained by the fact that you now realize how much time kids take...it takes forever for me to get anything done with 2 rugrats in the house.

Great job on the progress!

Craig

 

[bigwalton]

Thanks fellas, I just got back from three hours of driving nowhere in particular and all of it within maybe a 5 mile radius of my house

I included a celabratory burger, fries, coke and shake from one of my favorite take out joints too... I love that place in the Scrambler because it has service windows on both sides of the building, so I can go in the left lane and be on the correct side to pay and get the food I get the most odd looks from the cashiers, but none of them have ever commented on the RHD.

I am so happy with the way it rides, I know the springs need to break in but I love the change in the handling with the RE 4.5" kit! It's soft enough to be comfortable but still all CJ. There's some body roll (no swaybar for me) but nothing at all uncomfortable.

Getting used to the powerful new brakes will take a bit, I'm stopping a little hard. I need to figure out how to get the action back up at the top of the pedal throw. I don't mind how it is now, but I wouldn't want anyone else driving her with it set up as it is.

I'd also completely forgotten that I'd dropped down with the gearing in the diffs!!! There's REAL power back in her!

I will have to rework the rear lower shock mounts, there's not enough travel with the mounts we welded on the axle. I am going to try to use the bolt on mounts for the RE ubolt skidders tonight.

I found a nice pile of rock to try out a little flex. If you look at the photo, the left rear shock is bottomed out and is completely limiting the flex I can get. There's LOADS more in the spring at this point, I'll be real interested to retry this with the shock repositioned.

I'm just entertained by the fact that you now realize how much time kids take...

Well, kinda, but it wasn't MY kid really that dragged this out so long. Honestly, what limited my ability to get this done was entirely the welding on the outboarding brackets and the rear axle. I'm NOT complaining AT ALL because he completely volunteered and repeatedly refused offers of any type of compensation (other than taking a set of XJ Ventvisors), Joe was amazing with his help... but at most it probably worked out that he came over once every three weeks for about 1.5-2 hours at a time on average. With all of the measuring and checking that he/we did, that really wasn't much actual working time.

If I knew how to weld like him and had a welder, this would have been driveable L-O-N-G ago. However, I can't and I don't, so I'm thrilled with his help and I love the results.

I love what I was able to do with his help and if I hadn't happened to end up with him as the frame guy after the wreck, I'd probably have my old WTs in there... so I'm glad it worked out as it did. But his two kids and everything else really restricted when we could get to work. If I'd have known this was going to play out, I could have dropped the Scrambler at his house and he could have worked on it much more easily...

I'm going to head out to try and get the rear flares on (it looks like crap without them) and check everything over... then I think I'm going to have a beer and cigar to top this most excellent day off

 

[John N]

FANTASTIC!!!!

Congrats Eric...........

 

[bigwalton]

Tightened everything up, the springs definitely settled in just in the driving that I did today. The ubolts needed some ratchet love...

I started on the flares but I need to run and get a drill/tap set for the screws I want to use though, guess I'll have to drive it to get them in the morning. I'll have them set before lunch tomorrow.

Instead of finishing up the flares, I put on the manual choke that I picked up. It was one of those HELP kits and it's basically crap. I had to reinforce the main bracket to get it to work worth a darn, but it's good now.

Can't wait to play with it again tomorrow.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

BTW, I also dig the "au natural" slate steel look of the crusher corners & rocker knockers. Very cool about the RHD with the drive-thru, too.

Craig

 

[kohldad]

Big WELL DONE for finally getting it back on the road.

then I think I'm going to have a beer and cigar to top this most excellent day off

Through all the reading, was wondering how long before you mentioned having a cigar to celebrate.

For the brakes, adjust the rod out. I had the same problem til I ran the rod out long enough to get all the slop out of linkage. After that, I don't have a complaint at all.

Enjoy the driving.

 

[Truck]

Eric,

That is most excellent news..glad to hear it..

Truck

 

[bigwalton]

BTW, I also dig the "au natural" slate steel look of the crusher corners & rocker knockers.

I'm working today to try to get them painted (I've got to find a way to keep it drivable while I'm painnting it up ). The reason I picked the color I did is because I got attached to the bare steel look.

I'll go play with the rod before I hit the hardware store this morning. Thanks for the tip Eric.

 

[bigwalton]

Update...

I spent most of Saturday (I slept WAY in ) getting the holes drilled in the corners to mount the rear flares, I wanted to get it right so I made it a very tedious process of drilling/tapping two holes, mounting the flare with those screws, marking the next two holes.... and so on.

I have to mount the flare up high, actually over the wheelwell opening, because I have zero "lip" where the flares are supposed to mount. That junction of the tub and wheelwhell is the worst rust I have. It looks a little odd to the eye, but I don't care and the corners are nice and flat so the flares mount up really cleanly.

I pulled all the armor off (and replaced the armor with a couple thick washers on the four body mounts I had to cut short so I could bolt the body back on to drive it while painting the armor) then hit it with my favorite new liquid and while I was at it I ground a bunch of spots on the body and hit that with OSPHO too.

I got the rear shocks mounted using the bolt-on mounts on the RE ubolt skids. It's much better as far as the shock travel goes, but they're REALLY hanging out there as rock anchors... no pics yet.

Today I went to paint before it got too hot and realized I didn't have the right thinner and had neglected to get a respirator, so I put that off and attacked the rear seat. I have a flip and fold and put the front mounts on long ago, but never did anything about the rear mounts or seatbelts.

I got the rear mounts in on the wheelwells and then realized I needed to actually buy the belts too. So one trip to the hardware store and Advance later, I had belts to put in.

These generic belts are "Pilot" brand and they are IDEAL for the Scrambler. They aren't sewn to the floor mounts, instead you thread the end of the belt webbing through the mount and a locking plate thing in a way that cinches the belt securely when you pull on it. This is perfect for me because if I take the seat out and need the bed, I can undo all of the belts and buckles and just have the little floor mounting plates left! I also arranged the belts so that one buckle is in the center and one is on the right, instead of putting both buckles in the center or both on the end. This lets me have a setup where two people can sit in the back (or Kate with the babyseat) or I can lengthen the left belt to reach over to the right buckle and have the babyseat or rear passenger in the middle. Since the belts are generic and made for pickups, there's all kinds of length to play with and this will be a very versatile setup. I think I'll be able to use the belts to hold my tooi boxes too if I'm running trails without the back seat...

After getting the rear seat completely squared away, we loaded up and took Laura for her first ever Scrambler ride!! I was very proud of myself as we pulled out and headed to Ben & Jerry's... it was just beyond words how cool it was to know that FINALLY my family was all together out riding around in the Scrambler.

After ice cream, I took a long back way home and finally got it up to what I think (speedo's all kind of off now, gotta get a new gear) was about 60-65 and it tracked PERFECTLY! I didn't bother with a steering stabilizer because I wanted to really know how the steering was and I just simply don't need one. I actually took my hands off the wheel and it drove straight and true. I'll take it for an alignment when I get the drag link set where I want it, too much throw to the right and not enough to the left as it sits now.

I'm using the Waggy tie rod that came with the axle, there didn't seem to be any play in the ends when I bolted it on to test and that sure seems to be the case. Both ends on the Big Daddy drag link are new, so they're good and I think my steering box is nice and tight. So with the MORE box mount, new bearings in the wheels and new suspension bushings, it steers like a dream!

Even Kate is impressed with the ride on the RE kit... I can't get over how it rides and I'm SO glad I didn't bother with an SRS setup.

I do think that the extended down time killed the main seals, both appear to be leaking something fierce. They were kind of weeping before, but now there's a noticable puddle front and rear after driving. I also still need to find a way to seal the 999 pan. I've never been able to get that thing sealed up properly...

Tomorrow, I'm driving it to work (and any day that's remotely nice this week) and I can't wait to take it by the CarQuest where I got most of the parts and have gotten to know the counter guys... they all want to see this frankenstein of Jeep parts that I kept needing stuff for.


It's late, I'll add the pics tomorrow....

 

[kohldad]

Glad to hear you got the Family Ride taken care of. Sounds like you are starting to reap the benefits of the work.

Don't worry about wasting $50 on an alignment shop. The tracking shows you have the caster set properly and there isn't much they shop could do anyhow. The camber isn't adjustable in those axles so nothing can be done there. This only leaves toe-in which you can set yourself. (Just do a search on here, think its been explained before, only takes 15 minutes).

I have run into one hill where having a steering stablizer would have helped. The tires were biting in alterations and made the front end dance so I had to back off the throttle or it would have torn itself up (almost as bad as DW). Besides that, love not having one.