• Remove old body
• Remove old fuel system
  • Tank
  • Lines
• Remove brake lines
• Remove engine
• Clean frame
• Wash frame
• Replace front U joints
• Repair frame
  • Body Mounts
  • Left & Right Rear Frame Members
  • Gas Tank Cross Member
  • Secondary Cross Member
  • Driver Side frame by transmission
  • Rider Side front by front end
• Sandblast frame
• Rustproof frame
• Reinstall front end axel and hardware
• Reinstall rear axel
• Reinstall front and rear bumpers
• New brake lines
• New gas tank
• New fuel lines
• Reinstall engine
• Body
  • Fix body dents
  • Paint body
  • Install body
  • Install Fenders
  • Install Grill
  • Install Windshield
  • Install Tailgate
• Interior
  • Break/clutch pedals
  • Dashboard
  • Steering wheel
  • Seats
  • Center console
  • Rollbar
  • Canvas Top
• Electrical system
• Repair Wreck Damage
  • Straighten Frame
  • Replace Leaf Springs
  • Replace front shocks
  • Straighten tie rod
  • Straighten & Paint Front Fender
  • Replace side marker light
  • Get Comprehensive Insurance Coverage
• Winter 2004 Upgrade
  • Two Barrel Carb
  • Herculiner on floor
  • Paint Roll Bar
  • Replace starter
  • Replace front u-joints
  • Reorient air compressor
• Winter 2005 Upgrade
  • Two new axels w/ 3.4 gears
• Spring 2006 Upgrade
  • New (old) engine!
• Spring 2008 Upgrade
  • Roll Cage!

I just got word that my frame repair parts have been all cut and are only waiting to be bent and welded. If all goes well I hope to pick them up next weekend. Then it's welding time!
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Friday, March 23, 2001

This is the pile of mud/rust/dirt that I blew out of the inside of the frame! Can you believe it? Boy am I glad I did this. Otherwise it would have lain in there and rusted the frame out from the inside. Thanks again to Rod and his pressure washer! I gotta get one of those things... (Wait a second, remember my older brother's saying, "Access is better than ownership." That's right...)
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Ok, imagine this frame has a front axel, tires, engine, body, and driver. Then imagine it taking air off a dune in Silver Lake, MI and that's what it would look like!

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Tuesday, March 20, 2001

Just when you make a statement like "I've taken it apart as far as I'm going to. It's all up from here." you go and take it further apart. Now it looks like a post apocalyptic Indian litter. Rod should be over tonight with his power sprayer and we'll blow the mud out from inside this bad boy. Then it's the waiting game again till I get the frame repair parts.

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$25 later I have a 2 3/32" deep well socket to tighten the spindle nuts on the front bearings. I've got the front axels put back together and it turns without making any evil noises like it used to. (When the universal joints go bad and lose all their needle bearings they start making an evil grinding noise.) Now, on to cleaning the inside of the frame!
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Friday, March 16, 2001

Pulled both front axles last night and tried to get the u-joints out with the old c-clamp and socket trick but no go. Also tried gently persuading it with a ball-peen hammer, still no go. So, off to the local NAPA store to have them pressed out. Hopefully will have them back in tonight. Then I'd like to get the pressure washer and give it a good spraying out tomorrow.
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Wednesday, March 14, 2001

I've changed the way I'm going to repair the body mounts too. Instead of cutting off the old ones, I'm going to just weld on caps on top of them. The old ones are still quite strong. The only problem was that the holes on the tops have rusted out. So, caps are going to be made and then place on top of them. Keeps the alignment the same and makes the welding a bit easier.
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The drawings are in the mail! I just sent the mechanical drawings down to the metal fabricating guy and hope to have the parts back in a couple of weeks. Now, what to do till then... Probably get the frame cleaned out with the pressure washer. Then I think I'll go ahead and replace the front universal joints while I have some spare time.
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Monday, March 12, 2001

I just stopped by the Sears Hardware (Love that store!) and got a wire wheel attachment for my 4" hand grinder and have started cleaning off the parts of the frame that will be welded. Also, with the weather getting a little nicer I just may be able to wash out the insides of the frame soon. Just gotta get the pressure washer here and figure out how to lift up the front end a few feet. I will probably get a block and tackle of some sort and attach it to the roof of the garage. Also, removing the front wheels will reduce the weight quite a bit too.
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Things are going a bit slower than before. I'm working on the design of the replacement parts I'm getting fabricated. I finally have the mechanical drawings complete and will be sending them down to my parts fabricator in the next day or two. After that, I'm hoping that I can have them in a week or two and get them welded on soon after that.

[1 comment]

Sunday, March 04, 2001

I noticed some more mud in one part of the frame and decided that I have to get it all out or else the stuff will hold moisture inside the frame and rust it from the inside out no matter what I do to the outside. So, I think I'm going to wheel it outside the garage, tip it up on end somehow and take Rodney's power sprayer (BTW, Rod, can I borrow it again?) and blast out as much as I can and hope I can wash it down to the end.
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After 4 hours out in the garage this afternoon I can check 3 things off the previous list. Got the power steering box off, removed the last of the break lines and cleared the last of the other stuff (engine mounts, anti-sway bar and front bumper) off the frame. Then took a putty knife and wire brush to what's left.
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Saturday, March 03, 2001

The next steps are a)to clean the front of the frame, 2)remove the power steering box, III)take off the last of the break lines and 4)finally start fixing things. I've made contact with a fellow Jeep rebuilder down in Columbus, OH who is going to fabricate the new body mounts for me. Once I get those on their way and a couple of 1/8" plates cut to size I should be almost ready for the welder.
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One more bit to reapir. A crack on the inner part of the frame. (The frame is made of two C shaped channels welded together.) This crack goes from top to bottom of the inner channel. I think it should be easy fix though. A flat plate welded on top should do the trick. Any opinions?

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There's the hole. Kinda like looking at an empty skull. The good news is that the engine mounts look good and the frame under the engine looks great. Except for the front of the rider's side...

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Rod and I then sat it on a box and a number of 2x6's where it will stay until the frame is all fixed, cleaned and painted. It really looks weird just sitting there, engines are supposed to be in cars, not sitting on the floor.

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With Rod looking on and Jen (my wife) manning the hydraulic pump on the hoist we lifted it out of the frame. (That's me on the left by the way.)

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$37 gets you a engine hoist for 24 hours. Two 7/16 fine thread nuts and a couple of washers connect the chain yoke to the engine block and then to the hoist. Notice Zeus (my dog) down in the left corner checking out something.

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Yep, it's official. Today I turned what's left of my Jeep into a "rolling frame."
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Thursday, March 01, 2001

After conferring with Keith, I think I'll replace the valve cover and oil pan gasket's while I can get to the engine easily. Replacing those two gaskets won't require a degree in engine mechanics and it would be a good idea to replace them anyway.
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The game plan at the moment is to pull the engine this Saturday. $20 will get me a engine hoist for 4 hours and that should be enough to get it out an park in on the floor of the garage.
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