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71 Wheeling Rig

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by Fireball, Jan 18, 2021.

  1. Aug 24, 2021
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

    Southern...
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2019
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    1,765
    x2
     
  2. Sep 5, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
    Messages:
    5,625
    Fixed some Bubba stuff on the '71. I noticed the steering shaft was rubbing on the lovely torched out holes in the motor mount:

    [​IMG]

    I pulled the shaft out, cleaned up the holes with a die grinder, and painted the shaft so I can tell if it's still rubbing:
    [​IMG]

    I noticed I should have ground more in this spot. If it still rubs, I'll pull the shaft again and take care of it:
    [​IMG]
     
    Rodney, tomasinator, Ol Fogie and 4 others like this.
  3. Sep 5, 2021
    Steve's 70-5

    Steve's 70-5 Active Member

    Louisville, Ky
    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2009
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    1,381
    You can cut a U notch in the motor mount. Get a piece of metal to match the U and weld it in. Will stiffen the mount
     
    Rodney, dozerjim and Fireball like this.
  4. Sep 30, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    Here's a silly project I've been working on for several days now.

    The list of things that have lead up to this particular overkill solution:
    • I'm not happy with the LED bulbs in my Hella H4 housings. The low beam cutoff is so hard by the time you adjust them high enough to see on low bean, the high beams are lighting the trees.
    • As a result, I want to try Halogen bulbs in the H4 housings.
    • Those draw so much power, relays are required.
    • I'm might switch to something else LED based down the road that doesn't required relays so I don't want to hack up the current wiring harness.
    • I don't like drilling new holes if I don't have to.
    • I still need to practice welding and fabbing.
    Given all the above and this space above the headlight connections (created when I turned the horn around to clear my heater duct), this is the plan (3D CAD modeled):
    [​IMG]

    The plasma cutter made quick work cutting the shape out some 16g:
    [​IMG]

    Looks good so far:
    [​IMG]

    Next was welding some feet on it. These are not perpendicular. Some thing like 84° for the fit I want:
    [​IMG]

    And drilling some mounting holes:
    [​IMG]

    It fits when bolted in place!
    [​IMG]
     
  5. Sep 30, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    5,625
    Just to make work, I stiffened the whole thing by welding and bending a piece of strap around the back side:
    [​IMG]

    The final piece with the welds ground smooth:
    [​IMG]

    And it's time for a new toy! A cheap-ish Riv-Nut tool from the Amazons:
    [​IMG]

    Worked good. I like it:
    [​IMG]

    Reading the reviews, a lot of folks don't set the stroke and snap the arbors off or worse. I started with a short stroke on a test piece and worked up to the proper amount. i also made sure to lube the tool well before first use:
    [​IMG]

    I put two more in the base since my design makes it impossible to get bolts or nuts on the top side of the mounting area.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2021
  6. Sep 30, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    5,625
    Last night I got around to the wiring.

    Here's the relays wired up to the terminal strip:
    [​IMG]

    As test fit in the Jeep to see if I need to do more welding/grinding before painting. I need to grind a slight curve on the back side and add a rubber bumper where it rests against the headlight bucket:
    [​IMG]

    The new bulbs:
    [​IMG]

    Apparently the conductive heat from the hot bulbs can melt OE plastic headlight sockets. I installed pigtails with ceramic headlight connectors:
    [​IMG]

    Huzzah!
    [​IMG]

    Now I need to protect and better route the main power wire, do the small modes to the bracket, give it a nice coat of paint, and adjust the headlights to see if I like them.
     
    melvinm, Rodney, Ol Fogie and 12 others like this.
  7. Sep 30, 2021
    homersdog

    homersdog Tulsa, Ok 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2012
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    2,352
    Do you have a cover for the terminal block? That's a lot of positive energy waiting to be bumped by a screw driver or a wrist watch, etc.
     
    Rodney likes this.
  8. Sep 30, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Feb 9, 2018
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    I don't have one, but yes it should be covered. Working on a plastic cover.
     
  9. Oct 1, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    Details, details.....

    Chopped a guard from an old fan shroud:
    [​IMG]

    Added some more Riv-Nuts and cut some tubing for spacers:
    [​IMG]

    That oughta do it:
    [​IMG]

    I might find a nicer piece of plastic some day ...or I might not.

    Next was the tab for the bumper on the back. Drill, shaped, cut to length, and ready to weld:
    [​IMG]

    Welded and ground:
    [​IMG]

    Sanded, degreased and ready for paint:
    [​IMG]

    Painted and will be dry tomorrow:
    [​IMG]

    Then I put the power wire in some loom and attached it securely:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Should be able to button it up and aim the headlights tomorrow or Saturday.
     
  10. Oct 1, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    Ducked out to the shop at lunch.

    Pretty:
    [​IMG]

    Rubber bumper installed:
    [​IMG]

    Done!
    [​IMG]

    I have to say I love the Riv-Nut tool.

    Hopefully I'll have time to aim the headlights after dark tonight.
     
  11. Oct 1, 2021
    Rodney

    Rodney Member

    Sierra Foothills
    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2021
    Messages:
    366
    Nice job. It looks great.
     
    Fireball likes this.
  12. Oct 1, 2021
    Rodney

    Rodney Member

    Sierra Foothills
    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2021
    Messages:
    366
    Did you put the Buick 350 in it.? Great choice with the front distributor, and they bolt up inplace of the Dauntlass.
     
  13. Oct 2, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    It was there when I got the Jeep but it wasn't running great and the cooling system was a mess . I've got a 225 core motor on a stand I was going to build to swap back into it, but I fell in love with the V8 once I got it all tuned up. It has so much torque off idle.

    So the V8 stays and I redesigned the cooling system. You can see that at the start of the thread.
     
    Rubicloak, Ol Fogie and Rodney like this.
  14. Oct 2, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    I'm happy to say the new bulbs are fantastic once adjusted. They might be the best headlights of anything I own. This silly amount of work to add relays was worth it.
     
    Rubicloak, Ol Fogie, blalp! and 3 others like this.
  15. Oct 2, 2021
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    Preach on, brother. Now go throw those LEDs in the trash where they belong. :D
     
  16. Oct 2, 2021
    Rodney

    Rodney Member

    Sierra Foothills
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    Jan 9, 2021
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    366
    I need to go back and read your thread from the beginning, not just skim through it.
     
    Fireball likes this.
  17. Oct 20, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    Between company visiting, going to visit the inlaws, more company visiting, I haven't had time to do much Jeep stuff in the last month.

    I'm procrastinating on pulling the Ross box out of the '69 so I'm tiptoeing back into the T18 project for the '71.

    I have a Warn overdrive to add to the mix and need to make a shifter bracket/linkage. I have the handle, but the bracket from the T98 won't work with my T18 top cover and the linkage that came with the overdrive was a hokey home-made piece of junk.

    First things first. The OD shifter handle wasn't threaded on top. A previous owner had just jammed a knob on it. This is what it looked like:
    [​IMG]

    It measured .415 at the bottom of the taper and I wanted a 3/8-24 thread. Since I don't have any way to turn it, I went at it with the hand file until it was about .379 in diameter and relatively straight:
    [​IMG]

    Cutting some threads:
    [​IMG]

    This looks better:
    [​IMG]

    Victory:
    [​IMG]

    I want to mount the shifter somewhere around here inline with the transmission shifter. The linkage will have to pass over the casting for the transfercase shifters. I'll have to bend the 2wd/4wd shifter to the right a little bit to make room for everything:
    [​IMG]

    It's time for some CAD. Not quite as cool as ITLKSEZ's MDF Aided Design (MAD):
    [​IMG]

    Marked out on a piece of scrap 2x3 tubing. Too tired to cut it out tonight, hopefully tomorrow:
    [​IMG]
     
    blalp!, ITLKSEZ, Twin2 and 9 others like this.
  18. Oct 20, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
    Messages:
    5,593
    Are you using the OD from your 46 project or did you decide to add one to your collection?
     
    Rodney likes this.
  19. Oct 20, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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    5,625
    It's a vintge Warn unit I got with a complete drivetrain from Rubicloak. A V6, T98 with adapters, large hole D18, driveshafts and Warn OD:
    [​IMG]

    I was going to put the V6 in the '71, but decided I like the v8 after I got it running well. I also decided to used a T18 instead of the T98. I am using the bellhousing, transfercase, and OD in the '71 though. I'll probably freshen up the V6 and swap it into the '69 someday to make it more original. It has a 231 but is very original otherwise.

    The OD seems to be in good shape except for a rusty bowl gear and a broken detent spring. I have a replacement bowl gear sitting on the bench.

    The OD on the 46 is a Husky unit.
     
    blalp!, ITLKSEZ, Twin2 and 6 others like this.
  20. Oct 21, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
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    Made progress on the mount.

    Roughly cut out with the plasma cutter:
    [​IMG]

    Cleaned up with the angle grinder:
    [​IMG]

    Holes drilled and bolted in place. You can see the interference with the 2wd/4wd shifter. The transmission is in late T18 with Reverse to the right and it's in the reverse gate in the picture:
    [​IMG]

    This is one of the reasons I have a comically large Crescent wrench:
    [​IMG]

    ...and some tubing for leverage on the 2wd/4wd shifter:
    [​IMG]

    This will work with all shifters in all positions:
    [​IMG]

    Linkage is next.
     
    Danefraz, 47v6, blalp! and 8 others like this.
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