Re: Pix are up!

Looking good!!

Yep, a good place to work makes all the difference in the world.

Curious to know why you choose to go rear drum brakes on your new D60 instead of a dual-disc setup. I went disc rear on my D60 along with a dual-disc master cyl and have MUCH better braking than the previous drum setup. My old drums used to lock up on me all the time when damp too.

What size output yokes did you go with? 1350s?

Terry

Thanks!

Yeah, it's a nice space. Mills, lathes, tools, and welders all at my disposal!

I may have this problem, too. I figured that the original setup was drum rear/disk front, so scaling up the diameters of each would be sufficient. I actually requested it, but believe it or not, Steve at Dynatrac actually pooh-poohed it and said it wasnt really necessary. So I figured, what the hey. I guess I'll see how it goes.

I also should have chosen a high-pinion option on the front Dana 44. Since the t-case is still angled to favor the rear, the front driveline angle is not so hot and it also leaves the front driveshaft more exposed; clearance is the main reason I did all this stuff so that's kind of disappointing for me.

(wincing) 1310s. Yet another feature requested and pooh-poohed. Oh well, I guess I have to have a weak link *somewhere* in the driveline!

I'm thinking that's probably next!

That I do! It means I'm going to get more exercise, climbing in and outta the rig to engage and disengage 'em. My vacuum line and indicator harness look so lonely now...

Thank you. Lots of space.

It's mine. I'm actually turning down some work so I can keep the space open until I finish the Jeep!

It does. I love it. Still, no matter how big, the floor quickly gets littered with tools, discarded gloves, oil-soaked paper towels...hard to keep track of what's where unless I clean up and organize from time to tim.

If you live in So Cal, you can. Until the next big job rolls in, anyway!

nice work man! those new tires look soooo huge compared to the 31's!! must be nice to have a shop to work in. i have access to a shop too but only the tools-sure makes it nice to at least have that though! damn-if i lived down south i'd definitely go check it out...

Really? Where are you at? I'm in Newport Beach in a little appartment. I got the MPI kit install snuck by my appartment manager because of my unique location of my parking space.

I'm not planning anything that I need a shop for anytime soon but it would be nice to know a fellow jeeper in my area.

You mentioned a welder. I need someone to shorten a receiver hitch for me. I bought this thing through the web without measuring it but thought it would fit since it was on a Scrambler. It's just a little too long to fit between my frame. Either I can shorten`it or sell it and buy one for my jeep. It's really a heavy duty hitch.

thanks,

bill

Actually, 1310s isn't a bad choice. A lot of guys choose the 1310s when building a rig. The thought process here being if you get into a predicament where something is gonna break in the rear drive train, better to break a u-joint that something in the t-case. That D60 isn't gonna break, so make the weakest link the u-joint. You may get less articulation with the bigger u-joints too.

I opted for the 1350s just to be "middle of the road", instead of going with the smaller 1310s or 1330s on one end, or the 1480s at the other extreme.

Terry.

Looks nice....

As others have commented, Oh to have a shop like that!

I do have a couple comments for you on the build. Take them for what they are worth. ;-)

You bent the new brake lines the same as stock ones. Stock ones rely on the leaf spring for protection. Your leafs are on top now.

The first branch that pops up and slides along the axle is going to hit one of the u-bolts and get directed right into that brake line dip and tear the line off. Or a rock that you might back into will crush it.

If the spring was there, the branch or rock would just slide along the spring.

If I was mine, I would run the line up over top.

I run in bush and have even hooked the top flex line in the rear and have seen many others get hooked on the top line and e-brake cable.

Speaking of e-brake cable...

You did this: "and custom-machined brass ends on the aircraft cable. These were affixed using a solder pot."

Sorry to tell you but no way solder has even close to the shear strength needed to hold a brake cable into a fitting.

The cable has to hold almost the same pressure the hydraulics put out to make the rear brakes stop you.

Brazing 'usually' will, but I have even seen brazed on steel ends let go. (used to ice race front wheel drive cars, the e-brake was in constant use on corners, we used to wear the cables out fast, even oiled up good and 'quick fixes' were the norm to get you through the next heat.)

If it was mine, I would get the cable ready and take it and the fittings to a machine shop and pay a couple bucks to have the fittings properly pressed on. I think they should be steel fittings too, not brass. Brass won't hold the crimp near well enough.

That emergency brake has saved my butt more than a couple times and there have been more than a couple times when I sure wished the damn thing worked, last time on the Labor Day weekend even. Lost a complete brake pad, metal backing and all somehow at 60 mph and the pedal went to the floor. Broke the e-brake cable a couple weeks before that.... Used the gears ok, but had visions of turning the key off to use engine compression if needed.

Anyway, my $0.02 for you.

Mike

Cal Wheeler wrote:

Thanks, serg. Those meats are so big it's almost embarrassing. They take some getting used to. I'm thinking of some kind of sprung bar to make the ingress a little more graceful...

I'm a bit further north, the shop is in Simi.

You wanna make the drive up this weekend, I'll be wrenching. I suck with a cutting torch (and hate the clean-up), so my Milwaukee porta bandsaw or my abrasive chop saw could probably do the trick. Take some out of the middle, and weld it back together, that what you're thinking?

Price of admission, service, utilities and space rental: 2 bottles of Moosehead. I know it's steep, but times are tough!

I know. It looks inevitable. I was hoping the SOA would take care of most of the lift (and it did), but not enough. This may sound silly, but I'm going to install some air springs and try and offset the Compression/Droop distances. So that my "normal" ride gives me more travel in compression (currently 3" compress/7" droop).

I know that this may stiffen the ride too much, but I just want to try it before I start carving into the body. Drilling holes in it, I have no problem with. I did some major fender well cutting on my Silverado to handle 33" Swampers, and I'll do it to the Jeep, but I'd rather keep it as a last resort.

Good. Now I don't feel so bad!

Righty-o. I'm investing in a spare driveshaft, u-joint, and a couple sets of yoke u-bolts as part of my spares kit.

Thanks, Mike. Lots of people are liking the shop!

;-)

Or rolling over a boulder and having the axle drop and scrape down it...

You're absolutely right.

You have a very good point. I did it because, yes, that's how the stocker was, and also because that was the shortest distance between the the rear wheel port and the vent plug that I used as an anchor point for the t-fitting. It's definitely vulnerable, and I can modify it, but I still have to deal with where the brake port is; I wish THAT would have been on top as well.

Maybe I can fab up some armor just for that area...

Sh*t. All that work for nuthin'! :(

Good points all. I thought I was being clever. But I'd hate to set the e-brake only to watch it roll away and tumble down some rock pile I'd just struggled to the top of because the solder broke loose. Thank you very much for the heads up. I mean it sincerely.

Consider swapping to TJ flares. They'll fit fine with some minor fender well trimming, giving you a couple more inches of room. With those on my rig (92YJ) along with approx 4.75" SUA suspension lift and 1.25" body lift,

Terry.

Those brake lines are set up strange... Any particular reason for the big brass junction at the back of the drum? I 'really' don't like that myself.

This puts the line 'way' out in the open just waiting to hook on something in my mind, but then I am a bushwhacker, so I think trees and stumps. I have even had a tree branch jump up and take out my fan belt... First time off road in my 'new' CJ7 at midnight with only a bic lighter and one pair of vise grips along... That was fun... I learned 'real' fast to always have a tool kit with me...

When I did my frame up build on my CJ7 I put all new lines in and tucked them in close to the backing plate and to the top back of the axle tube. There was no big brass junction on my setup.

I also didn't put the coil armor on mine. The ones I replaced were all rotted where the coil was on, the bare places were still fine. Way too much salt on our roads and the coil holds it and wet mud in.

Do you really need that brass junction on the backing plate? If not, then a line right from the wheel cylinder, down tight on the backing plate to the top back of the axle tube and across and up over the spring to the splitter is what I would do. My t-fitting splitter is on top of my Dana 44, but the back side should still be ok, that is where my lines are. Then you only need a 'skid plate' for the splitter.... A couple muffler u-bolts with a bent out plate or 2" angle iron welded between them would work easy. Or a plate welded across the flat clamp part with the u-bolts pointing to the back and down a bit might clear it and protect it.

Oh, by the by, where are you running the vent line from on the axle? Didn't see it in the photos.

And if you are figuring on any water crossings, just be aware that a Jeep doesn't have a high water vent for the transmission, they just have a stupid button vent on the top side of the shifter tower. I pulled out my button vent and glued a piece of 5/16 gas line in the hole with JB weld to make a nipple for a tranny vent. I had to hammer it in, it was a tight fit, but used the glue anyway. I then ran the line up above the battery on the firewall where the t-case vent goes. I also ran my rear diff vent line inside the frame all the way up to the front and terminated it in the same place above the battery, same for my front diff vent, but it just ran along my engine to the firewall. I used transmission cooler line, bought a 25' roll.

I also opened every plug and socket I could get my mitts on and put dielectric grease on all the seals/seats.

I can run in standing water 42" deep (bottom of my headlights) with a bow wave over the hood and one very wet butt and have all my fluids check out clear after for water contamination. Just changed my rear diff fluid for the first time in 5 years and it came out clean gear oil. Well, too many metal shavings from a blown pinion bearing, but no water....

Just a couple more thoughts for you....

Mike

Hey, I'm in SoCal... where does one get something like that? I've got a decent garage and all, but need something better... I live in the IE, local industrial spaces rent for about 50 cents per square foot, but it's always the funky commercial lease agreements that get in the way. Where does one find such a happy place? I could especially use such a place for my (soon to be started, I hope) project Mustang and my art metal sculptural stuff.

Bryan