Shackle box

Welded these up. Dropped a gusset in and grinded the corners out to prevent the shackle from hitting. Didn't do it enough though. (It still hits during compression) Anyway tried these out and they are the shiv!! Flattens the leaf out and allows for more droop. Plus an amazing ride.

Time to GO PRO

I got this new camera. The Go Pro Hero. After sticking the mounting clips to your car with double sided tape, you just click the camera on and away you go.

I have some videos complete, I'm just trying to figure out how to upload them.

More soft doors

Well on to the soft doors again. The frames are complete. Handles were tacked on. Hinges were fitted. There's even a door stop. So the idea here now is to attach the front door skins to these soft door frames with tabs, just like the back panels. That way the body line will be there and then I'll have the entire frames covered in clear vinyl. Anyway, here's some shots of Wayne completing the driver's door. He made a sort of jig on the welding table to match the bends of the existing door.

Gray Rock ORV Spring Fling 2010

I have to admit, after being at Gray Rock for 10 minutes and having to answer all the questions relating to my Jeep being finished, I felt like leaving. The looks on people's faces after seeing my interior. "What happenned? Is it done? It's not done is it?" No, it's not done. Man it took like COUNTLESS hours to get to this point. I've never done this before. I'm not Adam Woodlee. So it may take me another year. But I didn't turn this in to some fab shop and have them do it. Me and my friends are and that takes time. Plus I like to rock climb. That takes time too.

So enough of that. On to the pics.

Gray Rock ORV Spring Fling 2010. Woohoo! For me it was the opportunity to get the Cherokee out for the first time in a long while.

What worked well..the flat black hood for sure. No reflection. The transfer case linkage worked well. The front end felt light and more responsive. The rear spring shackle allowed the leaf to flatten out. All the electrics work well. Both fans, mood lights, rock lights. The sun visor was killer.

What didn't work..The wind deflector. It did nothing. Leaving it in the rain, uncovered. That doesn't work. The ox locker. Some kind of adjustment needs to go on here. It seems to always be acting up. I keep forgetting to turn the fans on.

Power plate/ Fuse panel

Something I had to make to house the fuse panel,4 relays and power distribution.

It RUNS!

One day last week while the Cherokee was at the ORC I wondered whether or not I would hear this thing run again. I thought about all the hard work Josh and I have put into this. The countless hours thinning down the wire harness, the custom sheet metal work Keith whipped into beautiful tool boxes. I thought all of this was going to be a waste. But then it happenned after Trey (ORC) put 12 volts to the skim. The motor stayed running. Evidentally the computer chip in the key couldn't communicate with the skim (sentry key immobilizer module)in the steering column and the motor wouldn't stay running for longer than 2 seconds. So it's fixed, running and in need of wire organization.

Thought I'd make a list of all things done to it over the past 11-12 months. In no particular order.

-Power steering cooler mount (now off radiator)
-Hood skinned
-Hood drilled and dimple died
-Hood custom paint
-Hood pins (Custom rear mounts)
-Re-routed Air intake through firewall (Custom stand)
-Re-routed breathers through firewall
-Rear mounted dual batteries
-Removed air conditioning compressor (Installed idler pulley)
-New transfer case linkage (New shifter and knob)
-Skinned all four dours
-Mounted rear door skins and tabs
-Removed all dynamat (50+ hours of work, painted interior
-Removed all glass (windshield included)
-Removed windshield wipers, motor
-Installed marguard 10 1/4" speed glass windshield (custom sticker pack)
-Fabricated sun visor, custom paint
-Fabricated wind deflector, custom paint
-Fabricated custom cowl, dimple died, custom paint
-Installed fuel pressure gauge under hood
-Fabricated soft doors (5/16" round bar)
-Painted grill and headlight bezels
-Fabricated spider stick
-Installed rear shackle relocation brackets
-Installed interior mood lights
-Fabricated fuse paned and power station
-Custom tool boxes fabricated by Keith Bailey (ORC)
-Removed dashboard and all components
-Gutted factory wire harness, removed bulky clips
-Mounted MSD box inside on firewall

What's next on the adgenda:
-Plate subframe form bumper to bumper
-Custom ".120 DOM 6pt. cage
-Truss both axles
-Long travel shocks
-Longacre Rear view mirror
-Rigid Industries light bar
-Radesign products baja shifter

The Cherokee is now running. I drove it last night for the first time in 11 months. Pictures and more details to come tomorrow.