Have fun

Looking forwards to the pics.

 

I'll be waiting and watching as I am about to start on a coil suspension myself. Your posting pictures and naratives is much appreciated.

 

On a major project like this, do you design all of the pieces and make dimensioned scale drawings, or do you cut and fit as you go. And if it's all designed, do you work the design out in advance, or is the design one step ahead of the fabrication? Do you use a CAD system?

 

Leave it to Jeff. Most people would just buy another bolt.

 

Jim,
We are using a very well established design, that is used in many comp rigs. Still, Bill does build a scale mock up. He has many small heim joints and and links that he attaches to a jig, that repersents the rig he is building.
The desing we will use is not a freaky flexable design. It is stable, flexes well, and has almost no rear steer. We have not mocked up the front yet, and Im not even sure excactly how it will be designed, but it will probably be a modified wishbone 3 link.

 

Hahaha, Craig,..I wish it would have been as easy as just buying another bolt. But when the axle walked forward, it snapped my leafsprings, broke the yoke on the 14 bolt, bent a shock (arggh, $175 remote reservoir 7100 Bilstien). I believe Part of the cause of the breakage was worn out bushings, which were slated to be replaced this week for next weekend competition. So I was looking at nearly $300 for new springs, bushings and U bolts, $175 for a new shock, and many hours of fabrication and repairs, only to put a bandaid on a suspension that was slated to be replaced anyway. I love SOA suspensions but for a comp rig they are heavy, hinder angle of approach and departure, take up a lot of room under the rig, and are more maintenance intensive.
I can save many of my parts to build an SOA trail Jeep for Kathy this summer.

 

Yep, throughbred stuff. This ain't no mule he's got now!

I am still amazed at the changes. So Jeff, what do you drive daily now? Certainly not the Jeep...or do you?

Fritz

 

Good to hear the report, Jeff.
Jacque asked me why you weren't in Cabo this last weekend and I couldn't say ...
Next year maybe?
My TJ frame is going on the'Jig' this week ...
Stock wheel base, 4.3, auto, Atlas, etc.
Shooting for a competitive Stock-Mod rig by mid summer.
Considering pulling off the Princess' tub for a junker and running the chassis in that class till the TJ is done ...
The pretty blue tub can go on a pristine, powdercoated frame I have here ... that my sweetie can drive around.

See ya ...

 

saw your roll over pics in the mag nice carnage wow

 

Jeff

Are you going to move the rear axle back to get more wheelbase and a better departure angle? How about the front, are you going to push that way out as well? It seems that you would have room to move the axles almost to the end of the frame with coils rather than leaves.

Ken Linzmeyer

 

John,
I would have loved to have gone to Cabo to compete or even just watch the event, and relax in cabo,(Cabo is my favorite place in the world to rest,..if you can call the night life in cabo resting) but work and family made it impossible. I knew that the rig was not ready to compete. I was hoping to keep it held together long enough to compete at the 1st CalROCS event, to rack up some season points, but its had a really rough season last year and it finaly let me know that it needed some real work.
I hope to be ther next year.
Did you happen to talk with Lance and Kelly while you were down there? Lance offered me a spot in the back seat, for the drive down there and it was pretty hard to turn it down.
Good luck on your build ups.

 

Ken,
Im already at 106" so not too much wb will be added.
I will leave the rear where its at, but all of the frame has been removed and a new tube frame will replace where the body used to be, it will dove tail at the rear like jason bunches rig, and will be shorter so it will not encroach past the rear tires, for a better than 90* departure angle. the front axle will probably be moved about 2" forward to adjust for the huge amount of weight being removed at the rear, and to reatain the excellent ballance the rig already has. The front bumper and most of the frame will be removed up front also for a better than 90* approach angle.
Wheelbase should be around 107" to 109"

 

It's about time,,,,,,,,,,

 

Jeff-
I didn't go down there for the same reasons ... plus saving scheckles for hardware.
Saw Lance and Kelly here in Farmington this last spring, then at Cedar City and Lance again at the SuperCrawl ... it's really too bad you missed that one.
You'll show up for sure here in Farmington sooner or later, I just know.
And that goes for the rest of ya ... I wish someone would come to play.
I did get a good tow rig & trailer setup so I expect to see you guys in CA at least once this fall.
And don't forget to keep us posted on the re-build.
It's really amazing to watch the continuing transformations.

 

Heck, i just think Jeff is doing this as an excuss to keep from coming east to play.

Seriously though, sounds like a cool setup and i want to see some pics.