Build Project - SS Cherokee

mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
Intermixed with doing the arms I put together the truss, very slowly a few inches at a time so as to not warp the tubes from the heat, the welding isn't the prettiest - but it will be solid!

tacking the first couple pieces on



getting the rest in place



welding complete





and with some rust paint

 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
Alittle off topic but while I'm not working on mine I'm helping my buddy Mike with his build - an 80's chevy blazer that he's truggying. He's using all 1 ton gear and should be one mean machine!

Mike working om the floor for the boatsides



This beast was more rust than steel so as much fell off as we cut out! More floor prep





We'll be narrowing the rear end quite a bit this week, the front is done - a total of 14 inches was taken out, enough? hmmmm maybe it needs more!

 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
So back on topic, my next step is to order the gears (5.13's) and install kits and chromo shafts for the 44. I'm also figuring that I will have to bump stop a fair amount because I definatly don't want my front end punching a whole in the oil pan. I'm gunna go by 4" bump stops and go from there. This week I will also be removing my doors - for all the TJ guys out there no big deal but I'll have to modify my hinges in order for this to work so that they can be taken on and off.
I've also got a line on some old cherokee doors that I am thinking of turning into half doors - now whether I get this done this spring is a long shot, i would guess that will be a project for next winter
 
dwcjwerfner

dwcjwerfner

Well-known member
Club Member
Looking good!
Bump stop? Oh right Ford, I cut mine apart and made it fit Waggy shafts and I chose the 70's because the diff was farther to the outside. Are you really going to be that close? IIRC when I did mine I put it in and fully cycled the suspension without the springs in and although it could hit at max stuff on one side (just) there was no way my axle would ever get that far with tires on. You might want to check that.

Dwayne
:beer:
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
yeah, it's something I won't really be able to check until the axle is underneath. I have read a few posts on pirate from dudes that are fully trussed up front and they said they where very close - i think i'll be ok regardless especially with the amount of lift i'm running. I'm guessing those guys that are hitting their pan aren't running too much lift. I'm just planning ahead just in case plus i think that more bump stop than i currently have will come in handy when i go up to 37's (and more sheetmetal trimming!)
 
D

Dirk

Guest
Truss looks good buddy.
And the Blazer seems to be comng along.....
As far as oil pan interference goes, Early broncos and most other Fords, IIRC, have a large indent on the pan to accomodate the diff. Why not just mod your oil pan? Cut a hole, cycle the suspention, modify the hole to suit, then "patch" it. Ofcourse check for clearance to moving parts, ie. crank and rods.
I did this for my Toy oil pan also. If you find that this may decrease oil volume in the pan, extend it elsewhere to hold more oil. Have a look in my build and see how my pan was and then turned out.
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
As far as oil pan interference goes, Early broncos and most other Fords, IIRC, have a large indent on the pan to accomodate the diff. Why not just mod your oil pan? Cut a hole, cycle the suspention, modify the hole to suit, then "patch" it. Ofcourse check for clearance to moving parts, ie. crank and rods.
I did this for my Toy oil pan also. If you find that this may decrease oil volume in the pan, extend it elsewhere to hold more oil. Have a look in my build and see how my pan was and then turned out.[/QUOTE]

good advice Dirk, if i do have some interference i'll definatly keep that in mind!
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
Well I ordered gears and install kits today, slowly but surely those axles are getting closer to get thrown under the jeep! I did some minor work on her today - going doorless.
It was easy to do especially because my 97 had 96 door hinges which are easier to mod.
The first step was to cut out the bottom ear of the door side hinge. i used a dremel tool as nothing else was going to fit.



ended up with this. This is from the passenger side so the pin came with the ear as the pin was pressed in from the bottom as Chrysler and all their infinate wisdom just took the drivers side hinges and installed them on the passanger side upside down (save a few bucks i suppose). I just cut away the ear and reinstalled the pins in the top ear on the door. They are press fit so I figured there was no need to tack weld them in.



And doors are off...







I had to drill out the brass bushings in the frame side hinges for any easy on and off fit - i didn't have to do that on the drivers side though as the bushings where so worn they fell right out. Actually the passenger door closes and fits better than ever!
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
I think so too, great visibility! Half doors are still on the radar though - I don't want to eat too much mud!:D
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
Well I got the itch after working on my buddies Blazer for the last week to get back to mine. Shafts are ordered so now I wait until all the parts come in for assembly. So after staring at the jeep for awhile I figured what the hell, start rippin into it! So now it beggins out with the old...







And figured i'd install the new pitman arm...



getting there slowly but surely!!! It didn't take too long to get everything ready to install the new axles when they're ready.
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
it's getting so close i can taste it, or maybe that's the brake fluid that kept on dripping on me. I did test fit the 9" and although the spring pads measured only a 1/4" wider per side they lined up perfectly, 79 ford bronco to 97 jeep cherokee a perfect fit! After thinking about it for a while I've decided to weld a "skid" to the bottom of the housing, I'll loose that small bit of clearance but I figure the first few times i drag it over the rocks it'll be worth it.
 
Farm Boy

Farm Boy

Bought the Farm
Yes, skids are great to have. The 1/4" or so lost is well worth it.
I'd think about a pinion guard too while you are at it.

I also notice the mandatory lube for working on a Jeep sitting on the front bumper....................:)
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
lol, the lube makes any job easier! I've got the pinion guard, just need to put a coat of paint on it. The guard was a must get when planning this build. :beer:
 
mucovich

mucovich

Till Valhalla!
So I burned in the "skid" on the bottom of the 9" today, nothing serious - had some extra 1/4 inch plate hanging around. I didn't want to go too crazy with this, and kept it simple. I also figured I didn't need to go any further up the housing with it, what do you guys think?













And the "finished" product.



 
D

Dirk

Guest
Skid looks good for underneath. I thing the "cover" needs some protection like the ones they make for Toys.

like this on mine...

not the best pic...but all I got here.
 
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