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Never Ending Scrambler Build

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
Purchased a 82 cj8 in 2009 from ebay. Scrambler was far from a daily driver as advertised. This started the search for a good frame and tub. P1000579.jpgP1000615.jpg . In 2010 I found a frame in mi. Guy purchased it from someone else who sandblasted the frame then cut out bad sections and welded in patch pieces (except for one spot he left cut out. The guy I purchased it from also had the tub but already sold it :eek:.
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I took the frame to Indianapolis In. to get it acid dipped. I had a cj7 I rebuilt years ago and had the frame sandblasted. Seven years later I crawled under her to fine the frame rotted out from the inside out. Never again. After getting the frame back I found pin holes where the drivers side skid plate bolted up. I ended up welding plate in this area and welding a plate where the previous owner left the piece cut out. I also cut out the rear brace and welded a new one in and cut out the brace in front of the fuel tank and welded in one from the cj7 I had sitting around. I also had to cut out a few of the body mount brackets where the bushing sits and welded in new metal. I then took Nason black auto paint and used a pump sprayer (put 4ft. of 3/8 fuel line in the center of the wand to get in the frame) and sprayed the inside of the frame (after taping most of the holes in the frame).P1040706.jpgP1040707.jpgP1040710.jpgP1040711.jpgP1040712.jpg. I then rotated the frame to coat the inside. I then sprayed the outside with the black paint. P1040713.jpgP1040717.jpgP1040718.jpg
 

gr8dain

Old and Slow
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Ashburn
State
VA
Wow. Nice work on the frame. I am in need of one pretty soon. I will have a lot to do to make sure the replacement does not end up like my current one.
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I still wanted to restore the cj8 to original except larger tires and lift. In 2012 I was able to find another frame in Michigan. Went out to check it out and hit the jack pot, a frame with minor rust. The only flaw was a grinder cut where someone spot welded engine mounts (looks like a test fit). I got it back to Cleveland and started taking apart the original cj8. I made another trip to Indy and got the frame, hood and tailgate acid dipped. P1000702-1.jpgP1000706-1.jpgP1000707-1.jpgP1000711.jpgP1000713.jpg. I forgot I also took the grill.
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
Also in 2012 I found a tub (naturally in Michigan). Sorry Eric, driving out to your area is starting to get old. From what the owner explained he bought the tub from someone who was doing a build and decided to part it out. From what it sounds like the tub belongs to one of the two frames I have. The tub was suppose to be rust free, in primer and ready for paint. I didn't trust it (after being burned already) and didn't want to take a chance so I did a third trip to Indy to have the tub acid dipped. When it came back I was glad I had them do it. The floor pans were full of pin holes along with under the roll bar. A metal patch was welded under the drivers and pass side JEEP signa. What was worth was they were not completely welded so you could see through the holes where there was no weld. The owner just used body filler to fill the pin holes and the weld holes.P1000683-1.jpgP1000692.jpgP1000694.jpgP1000699-1.jpgP1000700-1.jpgP1000701-1.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
The rest of the tub was in good condition. I ordered the replacement sections then started on the frame. I filled the grinder gash and ground it down. I've learned since the first frame. This time I make the pump sprayer and instead of using the Nason chassis paint I sprayed epoxy primer in the inside than rotated the frame then resprayed. I then sprayed the outside with the paint gun and epoxy. When dried I sprayed the inside with dupont enamel paint (new pump sprayer only one use per sprayer). I also sprayed the outside with the enamel paint. The epoxy primer is incredible, I wet sanded my work truck with the epoxy and enamel and sanded through the paint. This was in 2010 and it still hasn't rusted in Cleveland winters and salt.P1000734-1.jpgP1000760.jpgP1000762.jpg:rolleyes:
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I also put the epoxy on both sides of the pin holes and welded spots on the tub (it looks like he also used some lead on the repair, I don't know why he didn't lead around the patch completely?). Here comes my downfall, I can weld heavier metal but I have a habit of burning through on sheet metal :banghead:. So I cut the patch panels to size and used panel epoxy and rivets to install the floor pcs. The 3m panel adhesive is stronger then the metal itself (just can't use for structual components). If it's good enough for quarter panels it should be plenty good for patch pieces. P1000781-1.jpgP1000782-1.jpgP1000783-1.jpgP1000784-1.jpgP1000785.jpgP1000786.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
A little bit of body filler to smooth out the joints then I epoxy primer the inside black and the outside grey. P1000861.jpgP1000858.jpgP1000856.jpgP1000111.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I then went to work on the outside. I put a thin layer of body filler and block sanded flat. To a number of times but I got it pretty flat for a jeep. P1000097.jpgP1000098.jpgP1000101.jpgP1000103.jpg:smokin:
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I needed to get to get to the bottom so I made a make shift rotisserie for the tub. It's cheep, but it works. I needed to get to the underside to grind down the rivets and epoxy primer the bottom. I then smoothed out the joints for the new panel pcs. (body filler) then sprayed epoxy again.P1000119.jpgP1000121.jpgP1000122.jpgP1000126.jpgP1000127.jpg. I finished it off with Raptor bedliner. The epoxy will help protect the steel if the bedliner fails. This jeep will never see a winter or salt. By the time I'm done with this theirs too much work and money to do that in Cleveland.P1000137.jpgP1000136.jpgP1000132.jpgP1000131.jpgP1000143.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I also epoxyed the tailgate grill and hood. The tailgate and the inside of the tub were next to get the bedliner.P1000144.jpgP1000145.jpg. You guys that love pictures ought to be getting a kick out of this.:rotfl: Next I epoxy primed the fenders and the windshield frame. I poured the epoxy into the frame and rotated the frame to seal the inside. No matter how much I tried to tape the holes it still came out the seams (no metal will be exposed). I then painted the outside of the frame along with the hood, grill, tailgate and fenders.P1000478.jpgP1000479.jpgP1000480.jpgP1000481.jpgP1000482.jpgP1000483.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I next went over the exterior of the tub with a final sanding and painted the tub. P1000474.jpgP1000486.jpg. Don't have the tub pics on this computer, will have to add to later. This takes me up to Dec. 2013. I said it was a slow build, it just keeps me in trouble with the wife:rolleyes:.
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
Gr8dain my origional plan was to do everything original but after watching the price of cj8s dropping so low, I realized if I wanted a original it was cheaper to buy a rust free one for around 16,000. I wish I would have come to that opinion earlier, I would have gone with a tdk frame (like my cj7 I did). By the time I bought the frame, did the run to acid dip it I've got 1,500.00 in the frames. For a little move I could have got the tdk frame (man they are excellent frames). Live and learn, actually just changed course. I still keep a eye out for good frames for you, I remember your earlier posts. :wave:
 

gr8dain

Old and Slow
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Ashburn
State
VA
Thanks. Those TDK frames do look nice. But I have a daughter looking to go to an out of state college this fall. Ugh.
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
Good luck you have your work cut out, she'll cost more than the jeep and worth it.:rolleyes:
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
Time to take the tub off the original tub and strip the frame down. Here's the reason for the new frame and tub. P1000594.jpgP1000595.jpgP1000596.jpg. I did my best to free up all the body bolts and hardware (who knows what will be needed in the future).P1000621.jpgP1000622.jpgP1000623.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
Stripping the frame down. Ground down the differentials and metal prep them. Loosen the differential cover and backing plates. Also on the front removed the axle shafts and the differential cover. I got everything broke down for my mechanic. P1000636.jpgP1000638.jpgP1000655.jpgP1000656.jpgP1000677.jpg. I'm having the mechanic install 4.56 gears and a detroit truetrac differential in the rear with moser one piece axles. The front will just be a open differential.
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
While I had the axles out, I sand blasted the axles, the differentials, power steering brace, steering stabilizer and most all of the metal pieces that are going to be reused. I then metal prep, epoxy primer and painted. The axles got new u-joints and dust seals. P1000716.jpgP1000717.jpgP1000736.jpgP1000737.jpgP1000738.jpgP1000740.jpgP1000741.jpgP1000768.jpgP1000769.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I forgot the skid plate also got the treatment. When the mechanic was down with the differentials I started putting the axles together. By this time the lift kit arrived. Installing a Rubicon Express 4.5" lift kit. I also got the M.O.R.E. axle offset plates to move the rear diff. back 1". After I got it together I decided to get the M.O.R.E boomerang shackle plates for the rear.P1000747.jpgP1000750.jpgP1000830.jpgP1000832.jpgP1000834.jpgP1000836.jpg
 

jammer1

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Maple Hts.
State
Oh
I got the front diff axles and hubs installed. The bearings were in good condition (looks like the previous owner had the front redone). Since it looked like it was redone I cleaned and reused the bearings. I didn't take a chance with the calipers or rotors so they all got replaced. The rear brakes got rebuilt also including new drums. It cost nearly the same to get new drums vs having the old drums turned. After the axles were done and sitting on wheels I installed the stainless steel brake lines and bent new fuel and return lines.P1000747.jpgP1000750.jpgP1000830.jpgP1000832.jpgP1000834.jpgP1000881.jpgP1000872.jpgP1000843.jpgP1000836.jpgP1000917.jpg
 
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