Yet another Cherokee build

[BRUTUS]

Sweet build! If you don't mind I would love to drop by and check it out. I'll send you a PM.

Keep up the good work!

[Dmntxn77]

Nice work...

[csuengr]

Big step today. The front suspension is now suspending.

It's sitting high, but there still is a good amount of weight missing. My upper shock mounts (on top of the spring buckets) are goofy, but they are there until I maybe come up with a better idea.

I am going to use a Bronco 33 gal tank for four reasons.

1. I already have it.


2. It already has the fuel pump I need.
3. I have all the fuel lines.


4. I can make the Ford sender work with the Chero gauge by putting a 120-130 ohm resistor is parallel with the sender.

I will have to rebend these lines. Truck/Bronco fuel lines with an Exploder fuel rail.

Just more pics of the Bronco tank. It's just sitting in there now. I will make mounts later.

[csuengr]

Okay, after a long time of being busy, with other stuff, I finally painted the frame and redid my test.

For a reminder, before:


And after:


Before, I had six inches of deflection. I now have .75" of deflection. Tomorrow, I get to put the engine in, FOR THE LAST TIME!!!!!!

[elbastardo]

The guy in the thread is an engineer for mopar, his resources are (allitle) more than most

[JeepinPete]

I was hoping you would do the after shot The results are quite impressive. Most of the stiffness gained by boxing?

[j20brett]

The guy in the thread is an engineer for mopar, his resources are (allitle) more than most

.

And he is doing a great job with this build! I dont discriminate...i drool lol.

[Stuka]

.

And he is doing a great job with this build! I dont discriminate...i drool lol.

He means the thread with the Cherokee that had all the JK parts and a Hemi in it.


As for this build, great job so far!

One Question I have is, why are you going with an 8.8 in back? The lug pattern wont match the front, its marginal under a 5000lbs vehicle, and its no stronger than the M23 that you have in there now.

If anything, I would look for a 3/4 ton axle, and convert the front to 8 lug. You could probably do it all for about the same cost of converting an 8.8 to being full float.

[csuengr]

Guess I should have updated a little more. The Ford 8.8 idea is toast. Not that it isn't a strong axle (3850lb GAWR and 31 spline axle shafts, vs. 3200lb and 30 spline for a Dana 44) or the lug pattern (One can easily convert the front axle to match 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern). The 8.8 I wanted to use was from under a full size Bronco. The deal breaker was the 8.8's 65" width. My wide track AMC20 is 60.75" wide. I wanted to keep the narrower width for manuverability reasons. Cutting down the 8.8 would be a pain. I also considered a 6 lug SF 14 bolt. Hoverever, it uses 14mm lugs vs the 7/16" for a FSJ. Cutting it down would have been easier since using two short side axle shafts would come out to the dimensions I wanted. So I am sticking with my AMC20, if nothing else so I can thumb my nose at people on Pirate4x4 who thing the AMC20 is junk. And Ian at Extreme Money Pit.

And yeah, most of the strength come from boxing the frame. I also (see an ealier post) added to the tranny cross member to make it more of a structural piece. The worst part of the frame is from where the factory boxing ends to the cross member over the gas tank. There is not much that can be done here since this space if filled with useless junk like the gas tank, transmission and transfer case. I moved my tank, so I tried several different designs for another cross member in this area, but nothing worked well enough to actually make. I did my designing in the virtual world of FEA, in case someone is wondering.

I also added some cross bracing between the gass tank cross member and the one behind it. This also helps quit a bit. One will also notice that this bracing isn't symmetrical. The area to the left is where my battery(s) is/are going to reside. I'm copying GM here. The space under the hood is where the airbox is going to reside.

[Stuka]

Ahh ok. I would advise welding the tubes on the M23, and if you have the time, a truss along the top would not hurt. Its only weak point is really the thinner tubes that can spin. Although mine has been fine thus far. Granted I have a 258, but it has seen quite a bit of WOT use.

[csuengr]

Back to business. I put the body on the frame, temporarily anyway, to check clearances. Some issues, starting with the transfer case coming through the floor.

And the shifter comes out under the dash.


And my new shock mounts will need some fudging of the inner fenders.



The engine fits well. Looks right at home.



The Bronco gas tank.


Side view. It is sitting higher than I wanted. Hopefully it will settle when the interior and the rest of the parts are put on. The tires are 33's.


Here is the cart I built so I can move the body around without the frame.

[Dmntxn77]

It looks like you are getting close...

Its hard to tell from the pics. Is that engine as close to the firewall as you can get it? If so, what are your plans to get that tranny shifter in a better spot?

[csuengr]

If I really, really, REALLY wanted to, I could move the engine back, but holes are drilled and things are welded. I am thinking of a remote shifter for the tranny.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Just bend the shifter to clear. You ever see the shifter in the 70's model ford trucks? It came up under the dash. It was simply bent to clear it.

[Stuka]

Yeah I agree, just bend the shifter. Heat up the part you want to bend with a torch, then bend it over. Like J&G said, 70's Fords had some funky looking shifters because they came out under the dash.