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Randyzzz Scrambler Restification Thread!

jeepdreamer said:
You know... Every time I look at yours, MINE knows it and hates me for a week!
The carpet looks great but why didn't you bed line it also? While I don't see you blasting away with a pressure washer near that monster radio thing... seems like it would have blended in a little more? Just curious. :)
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My leg tends to rub against the console, also your knuckles get pretty close on both the parking brake and the T/c shifter. The bedliner is like a big cheese grater...I'd rather leave my skin where it's at!
 
Was at a garage sale today...ended up with a Ford 9" housing out of a truck, a carrier with 3.70 gears, and one 28 spline axle shaft for a whopping $17.50

Not a lot of usable stuff, but for the price it's something to play with...maybe a starting point. That D60 is one heavy sucker, the 9" I lifted into the back of the Scrambler myself.

Just did some research...it's out of a 63-72 F100, big bearing, and 61.25" width...this might work!
 
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I have a 9 inch out of a 58 T-Bird under my 42 Ford. Like a Timex. After 14 years, still going strong.
 
Randy, I'd watch that big bearing third member carrier. the 9" axle has little room in it to start with. So when they put the big big bearing third member in all they did was lose space or material around where the bearing goes. And it is the weak link in that third member. I'd look for a standard third member for your 9" with the standard bearing. or look into the after market world.
This is one of those times when you hear "big" that you should stay clear. I'm sure for you application it would work... but it sounds like you might have a heavy foot! lol
7jeeps7kings
 
Hadn't posted up the pics before, so here goes...

WARNING-GRAPHIC CONTENT FOLLOWS- MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME!

I mentioned a while back that one of my tires had "clearanced" my fender lip a bit. So I decided to "fix" the problem with a little trim. Nothing like cutting off perfect sheet metal... Once the trimming was done I pulled the flares and painted the area with black bedliner. At some point when I repaint I'll reweld a short lip where i made the cuts, but this will do for now.

Dana 300 017rs.jpgDana 300 018rs.jpgDana 300 019rs.jpgDana 300 020rs.jpg
 
I need to do that to mine... But i dont have the heart to do it!


Sent from my Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator
 
Randy,

I have just spent a few hours checking out your build. I know it's been said many times here before, but your patience, skills and vision are amazing! What a gem. I am curious specifically on how you did the hand brake. Was this a reclaimed part and you used the existing cabling or did you build this from the wheels forward? Living in Western PA, it would be beneficial to have a hand brake, but hoping it's an easy conversion.
 
Daddy Stew said:
Randy,

I have just spent a few hours checking out your build. I know it's been said many times here before, but your patience, skills and vision are amazing! What a gem. I am curious specifically on how you did the hand brake. Was this a reclaimed part and you used the existing cabling or did you build this from the wheels forward? Living in Western PA, it would be beneficial to have a hand brake, but hoping it's an easy conversion.
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Thank You!

The handbrake was a junkyard part, and it was one of several I picked up a couple of years ago so I don't remember the application. The one from a Grand Cherokee was second in line, this one just mounted more compactly for my space. The upper cable is the same deal...I collect parts (my wife calls them junk) and it just so happened one of them fit. I did have to cut it down and re-swedge the end onto the cable- I have a bolt cutter notched like a giant crimper that did a good job of that. The rear cables are stock Scrambler. I just switched sides, moving the original front bracket to the passenger side of the frame.

It was easy, but made much more complicated in that I wanted to integrate it into the console. If it was floor mounted or stand alone, I think the Grand Cherokee unit would be a great fit. Even the regular Cherokee would probably work.

I seem to remember the handle came out of a Mercury Merkur or something bizarre like that...
 
Those are off a 1980's Panasonic stereo display rack. I worked a FedMart, and when they went under, I got the whole stereo display. There were about 20 of those "handles", I only have a few left. I sold the stereos, kept the "component system". It did come with one of the CJ style in dash c/b/radio combos... I think I sold it for a whopping $20 back then.

Anyone remember the old Component System? Made my EB dash look like an airplane...

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I've been driving the Scrambler a lot lately, and I thought I'd post up my "impressions" thus far.

Fuel economy has settled in to about 16MPG combined. Not as good as I'd hoped, but I'm sure there are several factors that are keeping me from better mileage.. The exhaust sounds so good I'm constantly off/on the throttle in town. It's funny how getting a "thumbs up" makes your right foot twitch. Also driving with no top (on the Scrambler) and a board or Canoe strapped on tends to hurt the already lousy aerodynamics. Hot days seem to hurt the economy too, I never finished the box to isolate the air filter from engine heat. Yesterday was cooler, and on a 50 mile trip I swear the gas gauge hardly moved. Gotta finish that box.

Power? In a word- great. Enough to get you into trouble. The auto seems to suck up quite a bit, however- I have to load up the converter to get it to smoke 'em off the line. If I just nail it, it grabs and GOES!

Aside from the ease of driving, I'm not 100% sold on the auto trans. Maybe it's the programming, but it doesn't seem to downshift soon enough, or consistently. Upshifts are spot on, just the downshifts bug me. I think a nice NV3550 or similar car-style trans would make this even more fun to drive and probably help economy too. With the 4-1 transfer case, a close ratio trans would still work fine off road. I really don't need to even think about changing transmissions right now.

Handling- like a dream. Even without a sway bar. You just have to be careful/attentive. The RE springs combined with the Edelbrock shocks are amazing. I'm still working out my steering tie rod clearances, though. A shackle reversal is in the works. I'd contemplated links but changed my mind. I'll probably have to install the sway bar with the reversal.

Gearing at 4.56 with 35" tires is great. The HD20 (Actually AMC23) rear is not up to being flogged on with the 5.3 however. My advice- go big to start with. Or go with an axle that supports lots of upgrades.

Why did I waste my time and money putting A/C into this? As soon as it got warm enough, the top was off and won't go back on until it gets cold again. I haven/t even charged the A/C yet. I went with "Hot Rod Air"- they're no longer in business, and I'm not impressed with the heater portion of their system. Not as hot as a stock system, and not as much volume as stock with the Blazer blower motor. If I was to do it over I'd get the biggest heater available, and skip A/C. When set to "Air" the dash vents blow pretty well, however.

As far as design features, I'm about 95% satisfied. The gauges/dash setup is great, but I never look at the speedo since the stereo has a GPS speed readout. My console setup works great, except there's never enough room. I need some lockable storage for big stuff...down the road. I absolutely am 100% happy with the decision to use Carling rockers for all my electrical switching needs. I love the roll cage, but I do have some advice for anyone building one if you're going with powder coating. Build it and live with it for awhile. Don't powdercoat it right away. I wish I'd added a multitude of little things that I never thought of. Things like tabs for removable roof racks. Bikini top tie-downs. Loops and tabs for mounting stuff. Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist, but I'd rather hook a tiedown through a loop than wrap it around a bar.

While I'm talking about the cage, make sure it fits under your top. Doh! I tried to be too exact, and when I switched hardtops the new one interferes by 1/4". I think I'll just grind and reglass the top. The soft top is great- even in winter- except for access to the back. I didn't say it was quiet, though. The rear window is unusable in the winter, and if you try you'll end up destroying the zippers, like me. Again, Doh!

I love the Metalcloak fenders. They almost make my 35" tires look small- I'd go with 37's, but then I'd have to change gears, and reprogram the computer, and...isn't happening. (yet) I also am pleased with the BFG KM2 tires. Just wish I'd gone bigger...

OK, that's it for now. I'll add if I think of more stuff. For the future-

Shackle reversal
Tubular bumpers to match the fenders/cage
Warn 8274 winch, mount integrated into the front bumper
Rear tire carrier
Rocker Guards
Paint

And even then it probably won't be done.:rolleyes:
 
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Randy: You've done a wonderful job on your Jeep! I would figure out the computer on the tranny however, as a manual trans for that Jeep would be a step backwards, especially if you are planning on driving the car very much on the street. The big thing an auto tranny can do for you off road is allow you to creap up on the Torque/traction when defeating an obsticle. Also if you start to bog down like in a mud hole, downshifts are instantanious. The only negative is you can't bump start the Jeep if you need to. But it is so much nicer to drive on the street with the auto, and the street is where they get driven most .

The shackle reverse is also a must. (I know some will disagree, but it is just so) It takes the slack out of the front spring connections which influence tracking while highway driving. I hate having to chase a vehicle around on the freewaythat has a loose front end and on a long drive it is very fatiguing to drive a vehicle that has to be monitored and corrected every second. The front shackle arraingement has by it's very nature has more slop and allows the axle to move around more. This affects alignmnet and induces unwanted steering inputs, and there is no intelligent arguement to the contrary. It is just part of the design. Even my CJ5 with 35" Swampers tracks strait down the road with the shackles reversed, but it came that way from the factory in 1960! They must have known something back then and then forgot it later?:eek:

The only thing you have to be aware of is the driveshaft will compress when the front is loaded. This is not a big deal as long as your driveshaft has enough slip joint travel to cope with it.

If you are running more than about 1800 rpms at 70 mph, higher gears might be in order. They would also improve your gas mileage, though I doubt you'll be seeing more than 18 mpg with any combination. My Jeep has 4.10's and even with 37's and a 21% OD i'm going to be seeing 2000-2100 at 65mph. If your's is running that fast you definately need higher gears in the axles. Swapping the gearing out would also be a good time to find a D60 for the rear too. Ones from a Ford 3/4 T truck shouldn't set you back more than $100 and another$300 to shorten it and buy new axles. Probably be a $ grand after you get gears and a locker in it. You also might be able to trade or sell your existing axle and take a bunch of $ out of the swap. For your engine/powerlevel you definately need either a D60 or a Ford 9" back there.

With the automatic your crawl ratio is effectively doubled, so if you were seeing a 40:1 bottom gear then that would be equivalent to an 80:1 manual. Mine with the TH400 and 4:1 Atlas and 4.10's is 40.6:1. Your's is around 54.7 or 108 to one. You don't need to be that low with an auto as it slips on the bottom end. With a manual you have to have the clutch out and must crawl with a solid drivetrain so the low gears benefit you by allowing you to go super slow and pick your way thru things. With the auto you just back out of the gas or ride the brakes, and you can go as slow as you want.

I know you've considered all of this before, and anyone who thinks Jeeps are economy vehicles is naive at best They are never done, and you'll be fine tuning your's for the next 20 years. However your's is closer to being done than mine is, and you've done a helluva nice job.

You can also drive your's!

Randy
 
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Thanks, Randy

I'm actually OK with the mileage, it bothers me more to possibly not be getting every pony available out of each drop of fuel. Not that I wouldn't mind better mileage... I probably need top get some sort of programmer that plugs into the ALDL port, because I buried the computer. Not so wise in retrospect. I'm sure the trans issue is simple reprogramming, as the trans is rebuilt. I tried to get the programmer to give me smooth shifts at part throttle and firm at WOT- I think somewhere the codes got a little overlapped. It upshifts just like I wanted, I just wish it downshifted easier/more consistently. Sometimes I'll get a downshift, it quickly goes to redline, and upshifts. Perfect. Other times it just stays in the current gear. I'm guessing it's the computer calculating projected RPM after shift, and I'm just out of the allowable range. Itb also doesn't downshift until about 3/4 pedal travel. Great for high speeds, but I'd rather have 1/2 pedal downshifts for a vehicle as light as this.

My tach is still inaccurate, I think I need to upgrade to a programmable VDO unit. I'm guessing/calculating about 1700 RPM at 55MPH, 2000 at 65MPH. I wouldn't to go much lower, I like the throttle response and I hate feeling like I'm "lugging". I know on steep grades at 60ish the trans drops back to 3rd (1-1) and it accelerates like a rocket.

Yep, shackle reverse is on the list- I never got a front shaft built so I'll just get a long travel one made. I already have a D60, but I have plenty of spare AMC23 axles too. That upgrade is much lower on the list.
 
A little work over the past few days...

Trailer Hitch, tucked about as tight as I could...

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And started on a mount for an 8274. Don't know if I like it or not... I'm still thinking a tubular mount would be cool...

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No,no,no. And you thought I wasn't paying attention anymore. I haven't had anything but good to say about your build from the very beginning but I just don't thinks that winch mount works for you jeep. I know from past experience that your up for the challenge.
 
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"No,no,no. ... I just don't thinks that winch mount works for you jeep."

I have to agree with ZR1 about the winch mount. But Wow! I like the hitch and the rest of this Scrambler build!!!
 
Yeah, no matter how I tried to imagine the mount, it just isn't right. We'll call it temporary and I promise I won't post any more pictures of it.:shrug:
 
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