Some actual Tech in the Tech session

[jps4jeep]

Horray, no "hey how much" questions..

JK guys, you all need to start somewhere.

Well.. I am in the last stages of stretching teh wheel base in my 94 YJ to 106", that's moving the front axle forward about 5.5" and pulling the rear back about 5.5"

On the last trail ride I went on a couple weeks ago, I ran out of gas. The gauge said I had about 1/4 tank, but the bottom of my tank was so beat up, that the 15 gal tank really only held about 8 gal. so... this was in order.

Got me a RCI 2161A fuel cell of ebay for a screaming $150 shipped.

I got the -8 fitting from Summit. not the cheapest way to do it, the cell uses the same 37* taper that Hydraulic lines use and could have just got some at the local hose shop, but these are super bling.

Gonna be stretching to 106” wheel base with a Big ol’ 14 bolt rear, so this had to go, plus last trail ride I ran out of gas and it would only seem like a smart time to do it while it was empty.
What a way to waste a Friday.. Drinking beer and spending 2 hours to take out a out a gas tank that should have only been 30 minutes, but it is out!

Putting in a 2162A RCI tank
Mocked up

Re-use the factory pump and sending unit, mark for the cut

Thanks to a friend in the Jeep business for hooking my up with a junk Fuel plate flange, allowed me to make my retainer flange for the fuel cell with out actually having to pull mine out. Really made the installation move along quicker.

Tig welded up the original float assembally. I want to keep using the stock fuel gauge, so I would re-use the stock sender, but the float hit the side of the cell and needed to be shortened by about 1.5”

Tossed it in, fit like a glove

I will eventually sink the cell down through the body and in between the frame rails, but dues to lack of time, and desire to wheel it, this will have to do for now. So I found these poly swap bar end link bushings at auto zone.

Here is what I did with them, real nice vibration isolators if I do say so myself.

While I was at a local marine store buying these for my hood (pics to come on this)

I bought heat shrink water proof connectors and re-wired the fuel pump, replumbed the pump, while at west I also found a 3/8-1/4 plastic barbed hose bushing (you can kind see it in the third pic, it is white), I was going to run the vent up to the under hood area, I made a little splash guard for it and stuff, but now I will simply reuse the stock charcoal canister.

Finished her up just right

 

[SteelHeadz]

That's so cool. Funny sticker, Brake for moose. lol.

 

[Collin the Hen]

I thought about doing something like this, but I just made a skid plate instead.

Very cool setup.

 

[TerryMason]

does that fit behind the rear seat, or did you just ditch the seat?

 

[DIY4X4]

awesome job + super score from ebay.

 

[Jeeper99]

Sweet!!! Heck of an upgrade! I'm diggin it.

 

[jps4jeep]

does that fit behind the rear seat, or did you just ditch the seat?

Yes and Yes. The seat is out, and has been for a while to carry parts and tools and coolers. But now that my little one is old enough to be on the trail, I still have the rear seat, and it still fits with a couple inces to spare.

 

[jps4jeep]

Might as well add to this. The mounting tabs for the cell are not designed to hold the tank while bouncing up and down the trail. I made some straps that you can sort of see in some of the pictures, but here is a how I attached them.
in teh front of the cell, I just drilled throught the floor and I just took some 1/4 bar stock and made a flange for under the jeep to keep the bolts from ripping through the floor. for the rear of the cell, I didn't want to just drill down through the floor since there is no access under niether. plus I plan on cutting that part out then I stretch the rear so I made this

Just some 1.5x1.5 3/16 wall tube that I had laying around. I wanted to secure it through the sides of the wheel well.

Just welded some 2x2x3/16 angle I had hanging around on the ends

welded in some nuts, I know I could have just drilled and tapped, but for some reason or another, the tap was missing from my tap and die set, I already had the bolt, flat and lock washer, so I found a couple spare nuts and made this work.

Best part is it offers some support from to the cell as well as holds it firmply inplace. I just bent up the straps from some 1/8"x1.5" aluminum flat stock I had. to isolate it from the cell, I used some garage door sealing strips, they fit perfectly. I ned to get some photo's of that, my camera battery died.


BUT tested it out last weekend, Love not having the fuel tank under the jeep!
didn't budge a bit.

 

[Jeeper99]

Awsome! That is a great upgrade and I love the fact of having the spare space where the OEM tank was. Great Job!

 

[SteelHeadz]

Good writeup! Great job.

 

[jps4jeep]

Well, I just bought another chevy D60 front axle, price was right at $150 The pinion is about 8" off center so.. I am abandoning the XJ rears plan and going with a double triangulated 4 link instead and rear steer.

Been searching and I see 2.5" 16" air shocks on egay for about $400 on average, so I think i will go this route and back half the rear of the frame.

Here's the one I have been holding onto for a while

Here is the one I just got, it is better shape than the one I have, even came with rims and tires.

I was initially going to machine the dually hubs down to get it closer to the wideth of the 14 bolt rear I have, but since both axles are dually, I am just gonna find some 17" rims with a lot of back spacing.

Anybody want to buy a 14 bolt?
http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/pts/1147824887.html

 

[SteelHeadz]

Is that like the GM Denali rear steering setup? BTW, Egay? LMAO.

 

[jps4jeep]

Ya..

I will use an orbital valve for the front so it will utilize the steering wheel, for the rear I will just use a cylinder and a return to center valve and a Joy stick to control it. I am not super knowledgable about if, My friend just put 2 steering rockwells in his YJ so he is gonna help me out with a parts list and other what nots.

 

[SteelHeadz]

I think your setup will be better than the GM rear steering. It only gets a maximum of 12 degrees turning radius.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

How are you going to run a front steering axle in the rear? Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't it want to turn the wheels in reverse when you're in a forward gear?

 

[jps4jeep]

no. it will work. Using made up directions.. If in the front the drive shaft is spinning clock wise looking at the pinion to spin tires counter clock wise, while in the same direction, the rear shaft is spinning counter clockwise when looking at the pinion to spin the tires clockwise. Now move the axle 180* to the rear, the drive shaft is now spinning counter clock wise at the pinion to spin the tires clock wise..

If it doesn't work, first time I start it up, I will floor it and prove you right with an epic fail!

It will work, I have put 9" rear axle int eh front of a vehicle, and helping a friend right now build a 14/60 hybrid (which I have also been thinking of doing. oh boy)

 

[Carleysjeep]

That is one cool tank! Can't wait to see the rear installed!

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

I hope it works, I want to put a HP44 center chunk in the rear.

 

[jfrabat]

Horray, no "hey how much" questions..
While I was at a local marine store buying these for my hood (pics to come on this)

I also added some hood louvers to mine; mine came of a Pontiac Grand Prix and I spray painted them with Duplicolor textured black. I think they look rather nice, and they do work...

Felipe

 

[jps4jeep]

I hope it works, I want to put a HP44 center chunk in the rear.

If your keeping the 4 cyl, do it! if your ever planning on upgrading your motor to something more powerful, I'd skip the HP rear, you will be driving on teh coast side of the gears, I have seen a couple people smoke the gears with a mild horse power engine (stock V8 350 for example)

another Idea, I toyed with when I built my current axles, the 6 bolt D44 front spndile will have 4 holes match perfectly with the axle plange on the rear D44, just drill out two holes, assemble like the front but with a custom double splined shaft.. Full Float rear 44 with off the shelf parts (minus the shafts)