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WillyNilly 2.0

skipnrocks

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
1,355
Location
Billings Montana
Im here thanks to Kelly. Thought I would post up my build since this seems to be a good group of fairly hardcore diverse rigs and see If I could get some input. I have been looking over alot of the build threads here over last 3 days and theres some sweet stuff.

So heres the rundown, I built my 97 wrangler while I was in college. Kelly watched me tip it over the first time, I still blame him a bit.. LOL it gets around good and is a solid rig.

heres pics of the build of that rig. Runnin 37s no lift 14in ori front 14 in fox airs in the rear, built 44/ ford 9, belly up, fenders saved my body when i tipped her over..

http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h13/spencer66hwt/Lil%20Red%20Wagon/

And this is what she looks like now

LilRedAllshiny.jpg
 
Now down to the current project, 51 willys based tube rig. We have had it in the family since new. Heres the short on it.

Back when I was in highschool

spencerg-pasjeep.jpg


The trip in this picture, I stripped front and rear r&p ripped off my brake mc (frame mount) It was a fun day.

Then I started building and ended up with this.

New119.jpg


Took it to a shop for some wireing and plumbing just before moving to kansas 3 years and a lawsuit later I got this jalopy back

thBodyOn1004.jpg



Just for an idea it sits 26into the belly height at full compression... SHould have been an awesome crawler huh?

So I got a house with a shop, build my second tuing bender... first onewas great but I reallly love this one.

tubebender20.jpg
 
Busted out the plasma

jeepdeconstructionbackend.jpg


jeepdeconstructionfrontend.jpg


Recentered my rims

Recenteringhummerrim.jpg


set up my wheel base

0929112213_01.jpg


and started yesterday taking measurements and bending up the first tube, and for fun put the grill back in since its been on the wall for quite some time.

firstbendofchassis.jpg


Jeepgrill.jpg
 
Heres the goals/stats,
60/14bolt,
tuneport injected 350
4l80e
atlas 4speed
double triangulated 4links front and rear
12 in belly height full compression
19 in belly height for avg wheeling
111-112 wheelbase
trying to skin it so it actually resembles a willys jeep but proportionally wider and longer.
Going to try and make it a 4 seater, with four bucket seats.
 
Alright So this will be my first chassis and I want to do it right. I want to make sure its durable, but not too overkill like I typically do. So I had always had in mind something similar to the kore chassis

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=690897

then I saw allot of you guys are running two parallel rails for the frame before building out to the body/ cage?

would the kore design be more than sufficient or should I be doing double rais?

was it commom to bend or tweak the single rail design?
 
Alright so thurs night shop night is going strong. Heres what I got done today. Got the d-train hoisted and in its properish place, got the axles squared up, got the rear wheel wells rolled and bent the upper portion of the cab....

Heres the rolled wheel well and the upper cab

download.jpg


and another angle

Sideview1.jpg


and from the front.

frontview.jpg


I am not sure if I am thinking too big but the cab outside to outside right now is 63in wide. which is 4inches wider than my wrangler body but it just barely covers the tires which is important to keep it street legal. The qustion is this going to be uber wide on the trails. its still 23inches narrower than the track width?
 
I think 63" is wide, especially trying to use any willy's metal.
Like I said today on a buggy being wider at teh shoulder isn't bad as long as you pull the rocker in, but on a jeep based rig the sides are straight up and down to remain proportionally correct.
I'd like to see John Galbreath in here to see how wide the 38 special is.
I'd try to make it wrangler width just in case you have to skin it with something else. There are tons and tons of jeep parts out there, keep your options open.
All I can say is position your engine/trans/tcase/driveshafts/mockup links/EXHAUST before you bend your tube. You will more than likely put a tube in the way of a tire turning, a link cycling or an exhaust tube running somewhere if you just start bending. Then you're just trying to make stuff fit where it will not where it should have. Most run a crossover to the non-front driveshaft side, but on a big wide girl you can fit duals beside the front driveshaft.
Also, don't be afraid to cheat the engine a couple inches to one side or the other. Sometimes an engine accessory is in the way of a link cycling and giving you that last 2" of uptravel that is nice to have, and a simple side shift can remedy it.
Keep the engine low and pushed back
If you do cheat it to the side, try to go away from you. Passengers need a foot pocket, you need room for a large driver and 2 pedals at a minimum.
 
what do you mean a large driver?


Very good advice ... always helps to have someone who has been there done that... My wrangler is 59in wide in the body, but with the sliders its 67in wide. I rarely hit them but it is a pretty short rig. Ive had my links out for mock up but I need to rebuild my front lowers for some extra length.

Bring on the critique, id rather know Im doing it wrong before its too late..
 
Ok so im gearing up for a big day in the shop on thursday most of my gear to get fabing will be in early this week. Got to start off today with a gift from ruff stuff. I knew what I was ordering but had no idea the magnitude of these things till i pulled them out of the box today...

I know none of you guys know me but I have some pretty big hands, these things are impressive.

heimjoint.jpg


ruffstuffparts.jpg



Got excited about the new parts so with the wife out of town I took a torch and grinder and got the axles cleaned of old brackets and paint and ready for the new suspension to go on.

bracketcuttnday.jpg


also built this table for my cousins gym... will be painted black and have a glass top on it.

Sweatboxtable.jpg


and a friend got me these lights for millitary hummers their pretty awesome

Newtaillights.jpg


and got the new tranny all mounted up, got the atlas mounted and clocked level which really improved my rear driveline angles allowing me to angle down the whole d-train...

newdtrainangles.jpg




Thanks Kelly for helping me get all my crap coming!
 
are you the guy that rolled the jeep at bartons for the first time, then right after it you said it was your wifes. if so, i remember that. you were worried as ****
 
cash talks said:
are you the guy that rolled the jeep at bartons for the first time, then right after it you said it was your wifes. if so, i remember that. you were worried as ****
Shaken up anyway. Yes Luke, that's him. Now if your Artec order will get there, you will have all kinds of cool **** to glue on.
Yes, the first time you hold 1.25" heims, you are in awe. laughing1 :woody:
 
cash talks said:
are you the guy that rolled the jeep at bartons for the first time, then right after it you said it was your wife's. if so, i remember that. you were worried as ****

LOL yep that was me.

Like Kelly said not so much worried as shook up, that was my first dump in a rig......

Yep cant wait on the Artec stuff, axles are prepped.... Just got my fingers crossed it will make it here by Thursday...
 
With all the excitement of new parts I took my son to the shop and taught him how to mark and bend tube, he did half of this. I also taught him how to put in 5min of hard work and then spend 15min staring and admiring what you have done...

framerails.jpg


rails2.jpg
 
Well I almost didnt use my shop night, i was bummed out about something that happened at work and didnt feel like doing anything. Then i ended up on you tube watching tim cameron videos and ended up in the shop, but only for about an hour. I was glad I got out I got the two lower frame rails bent up and the outter pieces of the floor/body. I hesitate to show pics cause I dont want you to be jelouse of my high end equipment I have for holding things in place but here we go anyways.

The precision chair

frametop.jpg



And the level

frameside.jpg


The block of wood

framechair.jpg


Anyways everything is all bent going to get it notched and tacked together so I can put some seats in and start planning the cage.
 
Sure did, just a seal kit and some oil. Nice guy, told me what to look for to make sure I didn't need anything else! Hopefully have lil red up and running again this week...
 
A pic with the lights my friend leeland donated to my project! Some very cool H1 lights.

rearlights.jpg


Got the frame marked cleaned and tacked the floor piece to it.

frameonfloor.jpg


Checked turning clearance (2.25inches) at full stuff full turn which in theory will let me jump to a 44 in tire without clearance issues.

fronttireclearance.jpg



and with the frame set back on there got to mock the rear wheel well back in too see what it will look like at full stuff.

Rearwheelwell.jpg


My frame clearances are about 4inches at full stuff but I dont have enough suspension to articulate it and see if there will be issues with flex. But I may move the floor piece forward in front of the tire so if I decide to go rear sear some time I only have to put a steering axle in and not redoe some of the body...

I ended up with a 54in body width, thats 4inches narrower than my jeep body and without sliders like my wrangler its 12in narrower
 
blacksheep10 said:
I'd like to see John Galbreath in here to see how wide the 38 special is.

Sorry, I just saw this. The 38 is small. The A piller at the bottom of the windshield is 44" wide outside.
 

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