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SJScrambler - Getting Started

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
SJ stands for my daughters initials, not a SJ, although I am sure people read it and scratched their heads.

Second, 5.5 years ago, I wrote "and having another little one running around in September... so I guess that means I need to build ANOTHER scrambler for her as well"... well guess what, the time has come.

A few months back I picked up a tub/frame and parts/pieces. I combined them with a bunch of stuff I have lying around here from other Jeeps I parted, and in an "off the shelf" fashion, I think I have enough to build a full Jeep, minus the "safety" stuff... I will need brakes/fuel items, but all in all the big metal parts/pieces I should have... interior, axles, etc.

I just put this up on my website as well... http://certifiablejeep.com/SJScrambler/samscrambler1.php

Here are a few pictures:


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8006f9adfd9e855b9da3ff16e06f970a-1.jpg


cb
 

Domin8

Scrambler Enthusiast
Lifetime Member
City
Astoria
State
NY
I wonder how many people on the planet have ever built Scramblers using both a Matkins, and an Advanced Frameworks/TDK frame, not to mention OE. There can't have been more than a handful of people to have ever done that.

Congrats on the new build, and good luck. I'm sure you'll be done well before I turn the first bolt on mine!
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
So, I am still waiting on a few parts for the front axle/brake/shaft rebuild (namely ball joints) and I decided to see how "bad" this aftermarket body was.
I went for it and got the windshield hinges on the aftermarket windshield frame and then tried to mount it to the body.

I was off all over the place.
The holes that were for drilled the lower hinges seem to set the hinges up in the air about 1/2" over the top of the cowl.
The side to side was off about 1/8" on both sides.

So, I get out the measuring tape and compare the other original body to this one... sure enough, side to side across the cowl is off about 3/16 or so... 58.5" was the original body and the aftermarket one is shorter than that, so that explains some of the side to side.

I knew there would be issues, so I kept fudging here and there and loosening, but there also seems to be a dip where the defroster is.

It was hard to capture in the pictures, but side to side if I try to line up the holes, it is not level at all... I realize it will be covered up by the rubber/cowl piece, but this was a bit more than I had bargained for.

I gave up and went inside and will try the rear tonight (tailgate/mounts) see how we do back there.

cb
 

jerseyjeeps

Crazy about AMC Jeeps
Lifetime Member
City
Landing
State
NJ
Those aftermarket windshield frames are so UGLY, not to mention the horrible fit. We have all seen your awesome welding and fabrication skills on the tub, how bought repairing your best original w-frame? :wave:
 

BRKLYNZ28

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
BROOKLYN
State
NY
a few washers will fix that right up. You can call it drainage openings..

sent from my flaming samsung note7
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
I skipped the front and went to the rear and tried to see how a tailgate would do in there... all in all, it fits, it will work, but it took a lot of tweaking.
the rear looks like someone over heather it when welding, or the jig wasn't quite level. The driver side rear tail panel was off by 3/4" bending inward.
The whole tub was out of square.
So, I was able to knock it back to where it was within 1/8" out of square and the tailgate seems to like it a whole lot better.

There are no pre drilled holes for a lot of the parts/pieces. The tailgate cable supports will need 6 holes drilled on each side, then flipped over and nuts welded if I am going for a "as close as stock look/performance" as possible.

I didn't drill last night, it was all just fitting. One of the lower tailgate hinge bolt holes wasn't tapped to the correct size either, so that was a bit of a head-scratcher. I kept trying to put it in and it wouldn't go, so eventually I had to get a size smaller and that didn't work. It almost seems like they used a metric tap, not sure... I was confused and ended up laughing at it in the end.

I will drill that out get it all situated tonight.

I also noticed that the cables that were on the tailgate and the ones that were on the tailgate support (2 different parts from 2 different Jeeps) had different ends.
I forgot to take a picture of it, but one was very short with the metal end and one was considerably longer.

Scramblers didn't have different cables, did they?

I will use the ones that came with the original Scrambler, but I never noticed that before.

cb
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
1f4bba89f7473f7f0f5f5ec4db9df6c5-1.jpg


6108cbf25ce552a841e7ea52a6018c9e-1.jpg


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Garage is a bit messy as I am still waiting on the ball joints... they are supposed to be here tomorrow.
I got the rest of the parts and I think they are all corrrect. My plan is to get the front end back together by the end of the weekend as well as the tailgate stuff.
I also have to drag in the roll bar and fit/drill that as well, it needs holes drilled and I want to make sure that is all square.

We are getting the tree and doing all that stuff as well, so I will try to fit it in.

cb
Sent from the garage
 

jerseyjeeps

Crazy about AMC Jeeps
Lifetime Member
City
Landing
State
NJ
I am proud of you for waiting until December to get the tree.

Also, all the tailgate cables length were the same CJ7 and Scrambler. I have seen people tie them in knots tho when they install the tailgate hinges the wrong way :eek:
 

FLCJ8

Legacy Registered User
City
Palm Bay
State
FL
Also, all the tailgate cables length were the same CJ7 and Scrambler. I have seen people tie them in knots tho when they install the tailgate hinges the wrong way :eek:

This has to be one of my top pet peeves.
How can anyone not realize something went wrong on the hinge install when the tailgate no longer opens parallel and flush with the bed after installing the hinges. :shrug:

Although I have seen several CJ's that tout being professionally restored with the hinges upside down.

That being said, I can somewhat understand if it is purchased that way, as they kind of look like the pivot point of the hinge should align with the seam.
 

jerseyjeeps

Crazy about AMC Jeeps
Lifetime Member
City
Landing
State
NJ
Well said. Very good observation also about how assemblers would think the hinges look like they go the other way, but then to send the jeep out the door with the tailgate not flush with the bed floor is beyond maddening and incomprehensible. More than one jeep I have parted has literally had each tailgate cable tied in a knot so that the cable was shorter and at least the tailgate was "level". :crazy:
 

gr8dain

Old and Slow
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Ashburn
State
VA
Whoever did the tub swap on mine to put the fiberglass one on, mounted the hinges incorrectly but had the cable length "right" by mounting them further back. Now that I have the hinges corrected, my tailgate does not open flat. I need to remount the cables to a new spot. That is a project for the spring.
 

tower210

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
Olathe
State
KS
Well said. Very good observation also about how assemblers would think the hinges look like they go the other way, but then to send the jeep out the door with the tailgate not flush with the bed floor is beyond maddening and incomprehensible. More than one jeep I have parted has literally had each tailgate cable tied in a knot so that the cable was shorter and at least the tailgate was "level". :crazy:

Can you take a picture showing how the hinges should be mounted correct?
 

CJ7Pilot

18436572
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Yuba City
State
CA

This photo from post #10 shows the correct mounting of the hinges, with the hinge pin about an inch below the bottom of the tailgate. This way, the tailgate will be flush with the bed when lowered.

Many of these hinges are mounted upside down, so the hinge pin is even with the bottom of the bed... but this makes the tailgate higher than flush with the bed when lowered, and it tilts downward because of the length of the cables.

If your tailgate is not flush and level when lowered, take a look at those hinges!

My CJ7 suffered this affliction when I bought it, and it took me a while to figure it out. I thought my cables were too long, but when I measured a friend's cables, they were the same length, but his tailgate opened flat... the hinge thing became pretty obvious after that.
 

Belizeit

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
River Ridge
State
La
CB are putting that Lock Right in the front? I have one in the back and works pretty good back there


Sent from my iPad
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
I have run them in the front because you can either have them locked in or not... so on street driving isn't any different.
The chromoly shafts and the locker are parts I had on the shelf from previous deals, so figured while I was in there, I would stab it in.
I am headed back out to hopefully button up the front end, I have a lot to go, but I have all the parts, so we will see.

cb
 
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