A new era begins ...

[Don]

Well, here's the next project. It's an '84, 2.8 v6, 4spd ... ect. I can't complain about what I paid for it. It looks like doing a $1000 build just might work

First thing ... we need to name the little feller ...

[Grumpy]

Uh, Rusty Or Little Blue

[bobracing]

with a carbed 2.8, "driveway art".

[Grumpy]

Ouch

[colemancooler]

looks like fun

[Roman]

Don, you get the roof cut off yet?

[Grumpy]

That'll help the structural integrity Can I watch

[Roman]

Structural integrity?

It's a frame on cab! Not to mention he's going to cage the whole thing . . .

[Grumpy]

Do you have trouble with my brand of sarcasm sometimes Don't you mean YOU'RE going to cage the whole thing You got the bender

[Don]

Nope. Tryed to fix the broken rear u joint and yoke, but got the wrong stuff at PAW. So, I have to hit six states tomorrow. This evening when it cools down some I'm going to start tearing the carpet, trim panels, ect. Tomorrow evening after I fix the d-shaft I'll run it down to the car wash to clean up the undercarriage to I can pull the sway bars, ect.

To get ready for Rimrock, I'm thinking I'll just cut the back section off, then cut the rest of the roof when I'm ready to cage it. I'll also need to get some tires, and weld up the rear end.

[Roman]

Cutting the rear section off with no cage will hurt the structrail integrity. I think it might be better to leave the rear roof. Although you might think about pulling the rear windows before you blow them out on the trail. Windows that big are structure but broken windows arn't

[Grumpy]

Those openings are pretty big. Maybe a bar to reinforce the hole ...And Bubba say bring the parts back so you'n him can figure out what you really need

[Roman]

Hey Don, no outta town for you this week?

Hope not, you got a lot of prep work on that BII

[Don]

I'm going to try like hell to not have to go out of town this week I started tearing into it this evening, but it occured to me that I don't physically have the title in my hand. The PO is supposed to bring it to me tomorrow. But I got parts of the rear seat out, and some of the trim panels. Looks like I got the version that has the rear windows glued in instead of the nice easy clips. So, I'm leaning towards just busting the glass out.

Jess is out of town tomorrow and Tues, so I'm hoping to get some serious time in. Tomorrow will be fixing the driveline and hopefully more interior removal. I discovered this afternoon that the radiator has a pin hole in it, so while I'm at PAW tomorrow I'll try and get one of those. I also think I have a vacuum leak somewhere that needs to get tracked down.

On a positive note, it does have an AC compressor. Jose, you'll have to give me some tips on OBA.

So here's the list for Rimrock:

- Fix driveline
- Fix radiator
- Remove all unnessacary interior parts
- Remove rear glass
- Tires/ maybe wheels (31's)
- Cut fenders to fit
- Weld rear end
- Remove sway bars

The rest of the plan:

- Chop top
- Cage
- Bumpers
- longer Shocks/ hoops
- extend existing radius arms
- xj coils
- chevy leafs

Jose, sorry I didn't get your calls this evening, not sure what is going on with the phones. Give me a call tomorrow if you want, I'll be in the garage.

[88cherokee]

Stock XJ coils? I might have some ya can have but It wont be til later this year. Maybe beginning of 08.

I dont believe in holidays but I will prolly get like 50-100 bucks in january for our family gift day.

if your wondering im a jehovah witness! I know you guys are nice and wont give me a hard time about it,

[OldGreen]

We're not nice and will give you a hard time about it. . .but it will be in fun.

If you do XJ coils Don. . upside down, I'm guessing. . .it will be a flexy little sucker!!!

Colletively, how do "WE" feel about cutting and turning our own beams and fabbing up some longer radius arms?

I feel GREAT about it in theory and design, but, practically, I can barely do what I'm told. . .of course, there are some not so secret reasons that I ask this question.

[Fozzie]

I recall mentioning that the driveline was off a '95,give me a chance to make it right,eventhough you picked it.

[Don]

We're not nice and will give you a hard time about it. . .but it will be in fun.

If you do XJ coils Don. . upside down, I'm guessing. . .it will be a flexy little sucker!!!

Colletively, how do "WE" feel about cutting and turning our own beams and fabbing up some longer radius arms?

I feel GREAT about it in theory and design, but, practically, I can barely do what I'm told. . .of course, there are some not so secret reasons that I ask this question.

From what I understand, 3" lift XJ coils keep you between stock and +2". I can make that work with camber adjustments. The plan for the rear is flipping the rear shackle hanger and running 63" chevy leafs. That also should end up about +2".

Now ... about the cutting the beams. At one point I had researched this extensively, and it seems pretty simple. It's just a matter of building a jig that holds the ball joint end solid, and having a movable peg to position the pivot wherever you want. Then cut, patch, weld, and gusset. It really doesn't look that scary. So, I could do a 3" cut and turn with 5-6" XJ coils and extended arms I've also looked extending the radius arms. It looks like the hardest part is making a new crossmember. Basicly it takes replacing the tranny crossmember (or grafting to it), then cutting a section out of the stock radius arm. It looks like about 1"id 3/16 wall tube will slip over the existing stub on the arm, then put the bushing end stub in and weld. The weld at the front ends up in a pretty high stress spot, but nothing a gusset out of 1x3 tube wouldn't fix.

I'm more than willing to use the Bronco as a guinea pig for our experiments.

[Don]

I recall mentioning that the driveline was off a '95,give me a chance to make it right,eventhough you picked it.

Ha ha, thanks. When you working? I've got a shopping list of other stuff ...

[Fozzie]

right now,till 5,then getting drunk and boating

[OldGreen]

We're not nice and will give you a hard time about it. . .but it will be in fun.

If you do XJ coils Don. . upside down, I'm guessing. . .it will be a flexy little sucker!!!

Colletively, how do "WE" feel about cutting and turning our own beams and fabbing up some longer radius arms?

I feel GREAT about it in theory and design, but, practically, I can barely do what I'm told. . .of course, there are some not so secret reasons that I ask this question.

From what I understand, 3" lift XJ coils keep you between stock and +2". I can make that work with camber adjustments. The plan for the rear is flipping the rear shackle hanger and running 63" chevy leafs. That also should end up about +2".

Now ... about the cutting the beams. At one point I had researched this extensively, and it seems pretty simple. It's just a matter of building a jig that holds the ball joint end solid, and having a movable peg to position the pivot wherever you want. Then cut, patch, weld, and gusset. It really doesn't look that scary. So, I could do a 3" cut and turn with 5-6" XJ coils and extended arms I've also looked extending the radius arms. It looks like the hardest part is making a new crossmember. Basicly it takes replacing the tranny crossmember (or grafting to it), then cutting a section out of the stock radius arm. It looks like about 1"id 3/16 wall tube will slip over the existing stub on the arm, then put the bushing end stub in and weld. The weld at the front ends up in a pretty high stress spot, but nothing a gusset out of 1x3 tube wouldn't fix.

I'm more than willing to use the Bronco as a guinea pig for our experiments.

Yep. . that sounds right. you've done the same research that I have done. We should pull a beam, buy some beer, take it to Jose's and have him stare at it for a while to come up with a design for the jig. I'm thinking of using 1.25" heim joints on the radius arms. . .IF there is a good reason to other than the fact that they look really pimp.

[Roman]

On the heim comment,

Don and I have discused this point, and on your truck it is prolly worth it but his will work just fine with stock bushings.

[OldGreen]

I'm not entirely convinced either way. . .maybe not stock bushings, but bushings of the "normal" variety.

[Roman]

Ok, urethane bushings in the stock size/shape . . .

[Don]

At that pivot point, by the time you get your arms extended, I don't think the heims will be an advantage as far as range of movement is concerned. But they would have a huge advantage for wear. On a desert truck you would definately want to use the heims.