Build Project Liberty - Trail/Overland Jeep Build

[Function > Form]

Did a couple things recently.

Removed the front sway as mentioned, but now I get a wobble on tighter right turns like I'm scrubbing a front wheel and it's just barely keeping steady. This is after the steering rack and rods were replaced (shop) and UBJ (me) - put in a new moog greasable joint (from they are from a 90's chev 1/2 ton; astro; express etc). UBJ looks good, no wear, installed nicely etc. Not sure what's up. No biggie, just can't hoon it around right turns. Coasting (no gas, or maintaining gas) is fine, light accel is even fine. Other than this, everything else is golden though. *knocks on wood*

Also modding the trailer. You'll probably recognize the parts as being from a hang-off-the-hitch PA steel platform thinger. I just removed the tow bar portion and a cross brace, did a little cutting and a little welding. My welds suck ass and I'm trying to find the right speed, voltage, haven't double checked polarity etc, but structurally I can jump on it, so for now it's just a perfect example of my ugly welding lol



*gag*

 

[junkpile]

Ooooooohhh gaawwd! Lol! Practice makes perfect!
As far as a wobble Turing right goes, I'd be looking at a bad CV joint or maybe a shifted belt in a tire, or a bent rim. But seeing as you're running aluminum rims, I doubt ones bent. I've also experienced that with a seizing caliper dragging on a warped rotor... Good luck Sir!


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[Function > Form]

Ooooooohhh gaawwd! Lol! Practice makes perfect!
As far as a wobble Turing right goes, I'd be looking at a bad CV joint or maybe a shifted belt in a tire, or a bent rim. But seeing as you're running aluminum rims, I doubt ones bent. I've also experienced that with a seizing caliper dragging on a warped rotor... Good luck Sir!


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Ouch! lol that stings - yeah I don't practice too much, but pretty welds also make strong welds so....I really should. I just bought some new wire so I can practice a ton this weekend (whether my wife likes it is another issue).

Thanks for the tip on the wibbly wobbly issue! Maybe it's the cv. Doubt it's the rim, it's smooth as glass all the time otherwise, even up to 130ish in a straight line and a lil slower going left There is a little more up and down play than I'd like on the psgr axle where it comes out of the tube. Could be that or maybe the joint between the axle and the intermediate shaft.

But not totally ruling out a bent rim... the previous owner had scrubbed a rim against a curb at some point and it was just rotated in from the spare (I do 5 tire rotations). Can't recall if that's the one that I put on front right though.

 

[Function > Form]

 

[junkpile]

Rack is looking good, perfect size. I love that vintage tent trailer you've got, sweet score. I imagine there can't be tooooo many of those kicking around anymore.


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[Function > Form]

Rack is looking good, perfect size. I love that vintage tent trailer you've got, sweet score. I imagine there can't be tooooo many of those kicking around anymore.


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Thanks man, I'm pretty happy with the rack, worked perfectly this weekend carrying 2 sceptres, tool box, 20 lbs tank, and AGM battery. I'm actually unsure if the trailer was even made by a 'major' ( = recognizable/googlable) manufacturer. Can't find any ID tags, etc, but the canvas is very solidly made. The plywood needs some new polyurethane, but it is reasonably water resistant with an automotive style gasket between the folding panels. It is also pretty bug proof, but the electric tennis rackets make it a little easier to kill the stray skeeters when you are going in and out. I've got the 'power centre' working pretty well now, and the charge controller seems to float the AGM at around 13.5 to 13.6 which seems right and cuts the amperage from over charging the battery, so I am holding about 12.79 volts multiple days at a time when off charge, which is plenty for us to charge phones, LED lights, 'house lights' around the camp, water pump for showering, music, tools, and anything else. I've even used a 5 amp angle grinder! Solid.

Also, I am starting to build a rack for the jeep and got some lights wired up this weekend. Just cheapie $22 jobbies from amazon, but they are fine for what I paid. It's a long rack at 79", but it hugs the roof pretty low. Will be adding maybe 8" high sides out of 1" square tubing, perhaps some short support gussets on the inside of the legs, but will depend on how the canoe sits. I don't want it to be perched on top of 8" front and back sides. Haha getting better at welding. I wasn't using enough voltage, so the wire was just balling up on the surface. Got some good beads on the rack.

 

[Function > Form]

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[Function > Form]

Not sure what happened to my pics...... ^^
[MENTION=641]junkpile[/MENTION] - good call on the cv making those right turns wonky. I can hear the axle clacking when I hit bumps, and in 4lo there is a slight clink every once in a while.

I'll have to get a remanned one, tried a PartsSource axle and it was too short.

Also, tried something...I think I like it (white wheels are hard to photograph!!!). I still have to do the others, this was a test.

 

[Minion]

Looks like the rim cleaned up pretty nice, looking forward to seeing the complete set on the Libby.

 

[Function > Form]

Looks like the rim cleaned up pretty nice, looking forward to seeing the complete set on the Libby.

Nice from afar but far from nice...

 

[Minion]

Haha. Anything is better than my rusty steelies. Someday I will have time to wire wheel and paint them.

 

[Function > Form]

Sure is quiet in here these days........

Did a little bit of work on the roof rack yesterday. Front and rear cross bars are 1", the rest are 3/4". I used some 3/4" angle for the rails. I won't be boxing in the front and rear since we use a canoe quite a few times a year. I ensured that it fits in between...might need a step stool now..........

I'll be adding a polyurethane'd wood fairing on the front angled part (I'll weld some bolts to the front and use some wing nuts or sumpin'), and maybe some metal mesh/welded wire under the front section for holding wet tarps and lifejackets etc. Basically light stuff since that part is not supported by the factory rails. For now I'll keep the rails since they are doing the job just fine, but I'll be watching how they hold up.

 

[junkpile]

.......shhhhh, be vewy, vewy quiet......they're hunting wabbits.......


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[junkpile]

Tee hee, but seriously it's been a ghost forum all summer. Not much note worthy I suppose. I've been thinking about putting together a rack too, nicely done. You just may have given me some motivation. [emoji6][emoji482]


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[Kunker]

Rack looks real close to the roof in some of the pics - how much clearance is there?

 

[Function > Form]

.......shhhhh, be vewy, vewy quiet......they're hunting wabbits.......


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lolol

Tee hee, but seriously it's been a ghost forum all summer. Not much note worthy I suppose. I've been thinking about putting together a rack too, nicely done. You just may have given me some motivation. [emoji6][emoji482]


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Thanks man, I keep 'looking back' after I park the Heep. I guess that's a good sign.

Mebbe the weather got us all demotivated earlier this year?? Glad to give you some motivation! Git'er done!!!

On a side note, my welding is getting almost passable lol. I ran some really nice even beads towards the last half of the rack build. Not that the early welds won't hold...they just look like hell until I get the grinder out. I'll need to get the dremel to clean up the spatter in the tight corners.

I think with the rack built, I actually have less need to get the rear bumper done...I was only going to build it for better departure angle and to hold a gas can anyway. The dep. angle is already pretty good. I'll probably make a gas tank skid though...it's definitely needed back there as it is a lil exposed.

 

[Function > Form]

Rack looks real close to the roof in some of the pics - how much clearance is there?

Good eye. Yup the middle two crossrails are touching the middle two roof ribs right now, there will be some rubber strips added to the roof ribs (not the rack rails) in the near future while it is on the stock rails that the rack is mounted to. If I build some new feet, I'll probably raise it about an inch. I haven't yet decided if I'll do that though.

The front crossrail is about 1.5" above, rear is about the same.

edit: the flex in the middle is so minimal, I doubt it will be a major problem regardless. According to some calculations I did previous to the build: based on 38" length, fixed ends, 50 lb middle load, and .0625" thickness, it might move about .0352" so I think I'm ok. however, I only used a single source for the calculations. Do the numbers sound right, ie. should I be worried about it? I don't carry a lot of heavy crap anyhyow.

 

[Kunker]

Good eye. Yup the middle two crossrails are touching the middle two roof ribs right now, there will be some rubber strips added to the roof ribs (not the rack rails) in the near future while it is on the stock rails that the rack is mounted to. If I build some new feet, I'll probably raise it about an inch. I haven't yet decided if I'll do that though.

The front crossrail is about 1.5" above, rear is about the same.

edit: the flex in the middle is so minimal, I doubt it will be a major problem regardless. According to some calculations I did previous to the build: based on 38" length, fixed ends, 50 lb middle load, and .0625" thickness, it might move about .0352" so I think I'm ok. however, I only used a single source for the calculations. Do the numbers sound right, ie. should I be worried about it? I don't carry a lot of heavy crap anyhyow.

I'm not one to run numbers, more the type to throw twice the weight I expected to carry up on there and see what happens. I'd redo the legs for more room vs the rubber myself, but I'm paranoid. Or add some radius to the cross bars - would help with load carrying flex that way too.

 

[Function > Form]

Haha I think if the liberty was something more crazy, I would have built it higher up (and out of thicker materials) from the start.

The way I look at it is the heaviest single thing I have put up there has been a full NATO can, which weighs about 45? lbs, or a full reliant water container at about 60 lbs. I'm honestly not able to lift anything much heavier than that lol. Especially onto the roof! I'm a small guy so doubt I can heft anything like a 37" mounted tire or anything (which I wouldn't need anyhow).

These single items would sit on at least two, more likely 3 bars each, spreading the load.

NATO - 45 / 3 bars = 15 lbs per bar OR 45 / 2 bars = 22.5
Water - 60 / 3 bars = 20 lbs per bar OR 60 / 2 = 30
Chainsaw - 15 / 2 bars = 7.5 lbs per bar

So for the 2 most loaded bars, they would have about 42.5 lbs each in total, so using the calcs I had done before, it will barely flex, even with a turbulent wind load on the hwy. If all three are all on 2 bars each, the load is still only 60 lbs total per bar.

Makes some sort of sense to me, but I'm no engineer....I'm pretty sure it's overbuilt for what I am planning to do.

If I offroad with stuff up there, should I plan to put less stuff up there, and spread out more? Or do you (or others) think it is ok? My first thought is that I'd try to keep it all as low and light as possible.

 

[Function > Form]

Plus or minus finished the rack after adding some vertical 3/4" square tube to support the rails, smoothing out corners/razor sharp edges, and adding some good ol' rustoleum. I took it out a few times on the hwy, and there is a fair bit of noise starting around 80 kph and up, so I'm hoping that the fairing will help out to reduce that.

I think I will end up getting it up off of the roof after all, [MENTION=63]Kunker[/MENTION]. I can see those contact points slowly starting to wear after only a single trip with a small load on it...ah well. You were totally right.

All in all I'm quite happy with it so far. A few more tweaks til it's done.