My 1950 Willys Trail Rig

[OWEN]

Heres an update with some not-so-current upgrades and downgrades.

Before my lest trip to RC, I wanted to try to improve my crappy hydro-assist steering. I installed large bar and plate style style cooler in the rear of the jeep with a 10" 700cfm electric fan that runs whenever the key is on. I also bought a oil temp guage and sending unit, to keep an eye on it but I ran short on time and didn't get a change to put the guage in.



Start. I picked a spot that it would fit, and be safe from damage and built some brackets. It mounts to the inside of the driver side rear fenderwell.


The fan pushes air from the rear cargo area through the cooler. I cut the shroud out of some 16-or-so guage stainless


I swiss-cheesed the opposite side so the hot air flows outside of the jeep.

I bent up all the lines from 3/8" steel tubing. I ran them through the cab, attached to the roll cage. Pain in the ass



I still have a couple problems though, one of them is the stock pump is shot probably from years of abuse. I have to replace it, no getting around it. Also, the stock pump has a built in reservoir, which is lower than the cooler. When it engine is running all of the oil enters the system and then the res is low. With it still running, I can remove the cap and ad oil, but when I shut the engine off the excess pukes out of the breather, so I wind up not having enough oil, I think. In other words gravity causes the oil from the cooler to drain into the res. When I change the pump I am going to add an external reservior and mount it nice and high. Also, I am going to switch back to regular PS fluid. Right now I am running ATF and after a few beers one night had a brainstorm and realized the friction modifiers in the ATF probably aren't great for the power steering.

I also added this high tech boot to keep the rain out of my trans. It also keeps it all from running out everywhere when the jeep is on its side.




but when you do this, it doesn't really help

[OWEN]

Ouch, how'd that happen?

Not sure, I was beating on it all weekend, the day before I broke a rear 32 spline output yoke in half. I rolled about a half hour before. Then I was going up this rock and I heard a very loud bang and when I went to move, it made some terrible sounds regarless of what range I was in. Then I saw this



It was an rough day, definately one to remember. At least I got a new yoke under warranty, too bad it wont do me any good right now!

[#DEZERTDAD]

Ouch, how'd that happen?

[OWEN]

Gonna be down and out for a while, broke my transfer case in half on Jotters yesterday. Going to rebuild my drivetrain and sell it, and hopefully recover enough money to buy a StaK, which I want to mate to this SM420 I have kicking around.

[Riot]

Thats crazy looking!

[OWEN]

Well the transmission was really noisey last time I bombed around in this turd. I am heading to PA to wheel for 4 days in a little less than 2 weeks so I figured I would drain the gear oil out and freshen it up with some Lucas... here is what I found




It never occured to me that the transmission is very suseptable to filling up with water as the rain can go right down the shift tower on top of the trans (no shifter boot). The goo was silvery and has the consistancy of a milk shake... not good, but no big chunks of metal. Hopefully some fresh gear oil will help quiet it down and get me through the rest of the season. I just don't have time to swap it and fit up my Chevy bellhousing.

I also ordered up some improvements for my hydro-assist steering including a new bigger and badder cooler, and oil temp guage which I am going to setup as a remote cooler with a 10" electric fan I have kicking around.

[OWEN]

Been a while since I have updated. I have just been beating this thing unmercifully, only problems have been locking hubs and I put a crack in my fuel cell. Still runs like shit and the transmission is getting noisier...hopefully it can make it til winter without needing an overhaul. I was able to fix the fuel cell with some aluminum welding rod I found at the hardware store. Yea I didn't think it would work, but it did! Not pretty but it works...


I was running drive flanges for a while but they are annoying to install/remove the slug for street driving. I am running some misc 30 spline hubs right now ($20 at the junk yard) but it picked up some 35 spline warns for an incredible price to throw on the shelf for the day I break a 30 spline outer


Also ordered Ballistic Fab's 14 bolt shave kit since they have 15% off
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...it_p_1728.html

I also want to put in CNC cutting brakes and maybe some suckdown winches... although I have been enjoying spending more time wheeling this then wrenching on it right now, although that will change I am sure.

[OWEN]

Owen if you need a hood, assuming that ding doesn't buff out, I believe I have 3 or 4 m38/cj2a hoods.

RM

Cool man, I hammered it out, looks terrible. Shoot me a PM let me know what your askin for one.

[TheDude]

Owen if you need a hood, assuming that ding doesn't buff out, I believe I have 3 or 4 m38/cj2a hoods.

RM

[clean4drxj]

time for new u-bolts

[OWEN]

Before the Comp.

New Fuel cell:
I bought this cell used, it had already been modded to run a YJ sending unit, but I wanted to change it a little
Old: The previous owner made this ring which worked well, but the bolts went through to nuts, so if you wanted to change the fuel pump, you were stuck removing the filler and having to stick your hand in there.


I made my own ring which I tapped for 10-24 fasteners and then attached to the fuel cell with countersunk allen head screws at each corner of the ring (you can kindof see them in one pic, my digital camera "lost" some of the pictures I took when I built it )





I wound up using the sending unit out of my 89 parts wrangler with a stock 4cylinder tbi pump (89 yj) and it works great. I pulled the sock off of the strainer and pressed in a 5/16" hose barb to 1/4" NPT male and then ran a T to a Walbro snowmobile pickup at each side. The end result is it runs great on angles, I just need a new gasket to keep the fuel from seeping out when the jeep is on its side


Shocks
I mounted them to the cage and outside of the axle, they seem to work well except they just brush the coil buckets a little. I could move them a little or just switch to an air shock or something silly.


Tail lights
I got these cool optronics strip LEDs on sale when I ordered the lights for my trailer. They look a lot nicer, a great tail light solution for a dovetailed rig.

I made some side protection, so the light no longer functions as a side marker, but I am thinking about drilling some holes in it so it will (not that I care)


Damage

Nothing a hammer cant fix


I added a couple leafs and I had threads just shy of the top of the nut, guess it wasn't enough threads

[OWEN]

This...I can understand the appeal to locking hubs, but you can disengage your front axle completely...why have them? One less thing to break, no?

2 reasons
1)Basically it would be making the front a semi-floater.
2) I have a spool in the front, it is definately noticable when driving on the street with the hubs locked, even with the front drive disengaged. When going around turns one side is not able to spin faster or slower so you get the jerky, pushing feeling.


Poly performance has drive flanges for 35 spline outers, that you can remove the slugs from but still have the caps on. http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/...ears-p-61.html

A lof of other ones the cap bolts to the slug, so without the slug, you can't run a cap. Not a big deal but I gotta keep the gunk out of my 30 year old timkin bearings!

[Customjob]

i have the slugs in my bronco, not too hard to take out and probably stronger than hell

[clean4drxj]

owen swap outter knuckles with your dodge and put the locking hubs on that... just an Idea

[Mike]

Evan or owen, let me know about those removable drive slugs, id be very interested in getting those. Dont wanna spend 100 dollars on warn hubs that ill just destroy in rocks again.