Power Steering Mount

Power steering mount. Nothing special here. I wanted to bolt it on so I built a bracket for it that matched existing holes. Otherwise I would have welded it on. I may go back and do that.



The main purpose of this was to get the cooler off the radiator. No air can flow more freely.

Rear panel mounted

Finally we have begun to mount the body panels. We used 1" stock to make the stands and 5/16" stainless cap head bolts(shop bolts used for mock up).



Yes, I know I still have to trim the top edge. It's coming down another 1/4".
I thought it would be a good idea to remount the handle. I wonder how many people will actually try to use it.


Side view shows the body lines...well line up. Hehe


Interior view. This will be painted black. I still have some finishing work to do on the edges before paint.

Spider Stick

I guess some of you would look at this and think it's stupid and looks ridiculous. I kinda think so myself. But trail riding at night brings spider webs crossing the trails. Therefore I fabbed up a flag-like base and welded a U-bolt (where the winch hook clips) to the stinger. Then slide a stick in there, tighten in up and away you go. Now no more spiders in the cab. Especially since I'll be running with no windshield during the hot summers.

New shackle angle

Got these installed. Of course I haven't tested them, nor have I welded them. None-the-less they are nice! A side effect is the rear end has been lifted 1". As a result I will lower my Jeep on all four corners to net a better center of gravity. Thanks Brian at HD Offroad Engineering.



Here I had to cut two slots in the subframe to access the nuts. For some reason the driver's side didn't have a nutstrip inside the subframe.

Mood lights

I'm wired up for the mood lights in my Jeep. This is a bad picture but you get the idea.

Shackle relocation mounts

Ordered these off the internet. These 1/4" beauties replace the factory shackle box. It allows for more adjustments and corrects the shackle angle. Provides a smoother ride and more flex. Don't drool too much!

YouTube

I posted some videos to my youtube account.
One of which I thought I lost...forever! Thanks Ben.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChillinCherokee

Copy and paste.

Cats are 4 wheel drive

Cats are 4 wheel drive. Dogs are 2. Well not all dogs. But all cats are 4 wheel drive.

Have you ever seen a cat turn the corner on the kitchen floor? They slide as all four paws paddle forward. A perfect drift nailing the apex of the turn. It's something to see. Slight understeer, but that's to be expected with 4 wheel drive.

Dogs are 2 wheel drive. To be specific rear wheel drive. Take a Scottish Terrier for instance, the same kitchen floor. As he approaches the turn his front legs merely steer his body around the turn as his rear legs struggle to gain traction, massive oversteer. Thus he ends up sliding into the side of the cabinet, butt first. It's something to see.
This may not be true with all dogs. A Greyhound is four wheel drive. The way that animal achieves 45 mph in 1 second on a dirt track proves that. 2nd fastest land animal.

Hyenas are front wheel drive. God made that animal front heavy. It lives on its front legs, shoulder hunched over. The rear legs are simply along for the ride.

Battery Box

Mounted the dual battery box. (6) 5/16" grade 8 bolts with crazy thick washers on the bottom to prevent it from pulling through.

I'm wired!

Yes, it's finally true I'm wired for 220. So I guess the welder is next. I'm learning to wire weld so that's what I'm buying. I need a bottle and a mask too.

Thanks Josh and Craig!!

More cowl progress

I couldn't get the mesh I wanted to use here so I stamped it with a dimple. So now it matches the hood. Regardless, all parts are now ready for paint. So that's next.

More interior paint

I'm painting from the back forward. This is not the final coat. There will be bed liner sprayed down. This is just to get things cleaned up and prevent raw steel part from rusting.



In addition all wires that go back to the brake lights have been concealed in the frame rail and under the backseat plate. That alone took 5 hours. Well worth it but something very easily overlooked.

More backseat plate (aka Future tool box)

Here I installed a 1" square tube to level out the 3/16" plate for the base of the toolbox. Nutserts to boot, until my new gun took the day off. I have one left to do.

Welded on some tabs for further insurance.


Paint it. The other part is the finished air intake support.

JJ and Angie Unite

This Saturday at 7pm JJ and Angie are getting married. They have been together longer than I can remember. There something to be said about that. JJ has always been a really good friend of mine. We climb together and offroad together. I've always said if we only lived closer I get the feeling I'd see him 4 nights a week.
Angie has always been the most cheerful, warm, receptive person I've met in the south. I can remember the cold winter days JJ and I would be out at HP and there was Angie, huddled up in a warm jacket, experiencing it all with him. Plus she gives a great hug! Which I don't seem to get alot of these days.


I wish them the best!

More sheet metal work

These two pieces are for the rear openings.

Backseat Plate

3/16" steel, pretty strong stuff. I intend on using this as the bottom of a toolbox. Build from this upward. Anyway, I haven't even began to mount this yet.

La Sportiva Mantra Adam Henry Edition

See the new Mantras? I scored a pair the other day down at First Ave. Limited edition. 1 of 1. So I guess your out of luck...

I expect to "crank" so much harder now!

Thanks Adam.

Air Intake

Wayne welded me up a new air intake tube instead or using the bent one. It looks so much better. Thanks Wayne!

More sheet metal

I'm making templates for the rear cavities so that I may cover them in sheet metal. I'm going to use the nutserts again to keep it looking clean. 1/4 bolts and washers better than screws. So here are the 2 rear cavities.

Oil Pan Skid Plate

ORC is fabbing me up an oil pan skid plate. It's in the beginning stages.

Cowl

I have nearly finished mounting the cowl. I had to use nutserts and on some I needed to cut and bend the existing sheet metal up to create a flat mounting place.

Orange Beach

Friday night Josh and I cooked chicken and veggies on the grill. It took us 3 hours to get the grill ready. We cleaned it, put fresh charcoal in it, hickory strips to get the right taste. All of this was done as we sat on the dock of the bayou. Amazing night! One of the best I've had in a long time.






Saturday Mary Margaret, me and Josh headed out on their boat to sample some of the local seafood, mixed drinks and entertainment. We ended with an amazing sunset on Robinson Island.