1962 J200 Father-Son Project

[66Stepside]

Don't toss the GW D44 rear! Save for a later swap. They are right width for XJs. Did you get the PS squared away?

This is what they did till '73 AFAIK

Whoa, thanks for the pics! It's too late for the axle. I woke up early and hauled it all to the scrap yard. I made enough to buy the matching rear axle outright.
I have two options for PS: the plate method you posted pics for; I pulled that set up off a 73 j4000 at the north side wrecking yard. The second option is the system the PO used on the white 64 I dragged home over the summer. He fabricated several plates that bolted to the driver's side frame rail. It was pretty clever.
My main concern is routing the steering shaft. It looks like the main shaft will hit the motor mount on the driver's side. I've been pouring over the Jeg's catalogue looking for the parts we'll need to safely by-pass that mount, but I am not sure what exactly I'll need, especially the diameter of the shafts. It might be time to invest in a more precise measuring tool like a micrometer or something.

Meanwhile, I did pull the rear axle from the Dodge, so now we have a matching set. The rear appears to have a limited slip of some type (as you helped point out on the Fsjnetwork site).





So now it's dismantle, inspect, repair/replace parts if needed, and get to work. Our goal is to have the front end and firewall stripped by Jan. 1st.

[66Stepside]

So we fired up the pellet stove and started the tear down, brake system, steering column, clutch res., heater core and mocked up the power steering unit on the frame rail.



So while I finish re-working the PS bracket, my son will be scrubbing and sanding.

[66Stepside]

Caddy tilt-telescoping steering column is in position!



Now on to the power steering box install and front axle swap.

[66Stepside]

Factory 2wd axle is out, dodge 4wd is ready to be burned in.



Edit:

Modified PS bracket from a 7o's j4000:

[66Stepside]

U Bolts and Brackets

I snagged standard chevy u bolts (as patterns for the new ones) and brackets that fit perfectly. They're off an 81, plus, or minus a year, Blazer.



They'll be cleaned up and installed once the front axle is prepped, cleaned, painted and then reinstalled.

The plates cleaned up nicely.



A little more on the Dremel and they'll be good as new.

[my 2j20's]

what are you doing with the 2wd parts 66Stepside?

[66Stepside]

what are you doing with the 2wd parts 66Stepside?

One of two things, keep them if I can find the space , or sell them as a set.

Edit:

I took some time off the jeep to install a few cabinets, mount and hook the shop TV to cable and the sound system. I have to recover the cabinet doors so they match, but I made handles from jeep emblems with an expoxy resin, I should be able to get them done sometime next weekend.



My son spray painted the u bolt plates after detail cleaning them with the dremmel. Base coat gloss black, them hammered finish top coat all in a rattle can.



Speaking of emblems, I went and looked at a truck, but the only thing worth the time was:

[66Stepside]

I am reusing the dodge axle shock mounts. I tacked them into place after cleaning them up, but after reading 44bz's thread, I checked clearance and sure enough the calipers will hit the lower shock mounts. So I bought the only shocks " El Ceapoz" Gatozone had for 20.00 to mock up for the best possible clearance.

Here's the mounts pre-welded, but in the cleaning stage.

.

The steering collar's been tacked back together. Now on to the shaft placement. When you slice those collars, make sure you keep the factory welds on both sides of the cuts so as to not make more work for yourself later by having to re-weld the factory welds and the cuts you made.



This next pic is the result of having to redo the arm 3 times. The steering arm the goes from pitman arm (had to taper drill out the arm so this can go in from the top of the pitman arm). It's roughly 18.5". It ends up on the driver's side high steer arm over the spring. One side is jeep, the other side is chevy as the high steer arm takes a Chevy tie rod end.



Now that most everything is mocked up, it is on to the brake lines, then go through the axle, prep and paint. Same with the frame. The cab will come off next and I'll go through that with the help of the owner.

Edit:
17" brake likes for the front. We are relocating the brake lines from the axle (Dodge style) to Gm/Jeep frame mounted style.



Edit:

We mocked up the braided lines, bent up new lines for the front, mocked up the new porportioning valve, and relocated the lower shock mounts...





We still have to put the fittings on and flare the ends, too, but that can wait until the engine is installed. Slow and steady wins the race- but we hope this build goes quicker than the panel build.

[66Stepside]

The shock mounts are cleaned up with the wire brush attachment on the angle grinder, then detailed with the Dremmel; painted as well. U-bolts were bent up and painted, too.

[jdaniel83]

Nice work! Can't wait to see the finished product.

[66Stepside]

Nice work! Can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks. We've got time and we're pulling out all the stops on this one, or trying to do it all the right way.


Edit:

I've been busy with a bathroom remodel, but we did manage to cut out two pointless brackets, remove the mocked up front axle for tear down, and remove the front leaf springs so I can attempt to replace the bushings.



This is as far down to the frame as we can get in the engine bay. We're going all the way down and back for the build.

[44BZ]

Lookin good. What do you think those brackets were for??

[66Stepside]

Lookin good. What do you think those brackets were for??

Thanks!
I'd have to say they're weak home spun motor mounts from a failed/unused conversion; Or they were welded on as supports for the v6 conversion, but not needed- like the two holes cut into the firewall that were not needed to fit that monster in the bay!

Edit:

What a great Spring-like day. We were able to mock up the steering shaft & column, weld nuts into the frame holes on both sides of the frame for possible winch mounting later and then we painted some steering components. We also started reinforcing the frame.




Edit:
Leaf spring bushings are in; we polished the metal sleeve inserts, leaf spring perch posts and shackle bolts to help it all move smoothly. We will also apply a light coat of grease. Now it's time to disassemble the springs and repackage them with new slider inserts. I don't know if we'll go with standard rubber, or Teflon. We'll paint the outer springs and the edges and slather graphite grease in-between the leafs.



Edit:

Parts iz parts, but painted now.



Edit: front springs are done.

[66Stepside]

4.0

Well, we settled on a drivetrain.



Game on.

Edit:

One step close on this road; the front axle is buttoned up!

[66Stepside]

Dana 300

I went and pulled the dana 300 this morning at the butt crack of dawn. It's sitting in the back of the Cherokee.