Completed Project 98 Mountaineer SAS...

Project Merc...

New here. Big time Ford guy but I have been building Jeeps last few years. Having two growing boys I need something bigger then my Wrangler. And my XJ is kinda rough to wheel when you sit in it for 8 hours of off road action. So was looking for something a little more plush. Grand Cherokee are nice but Uni body and there V8 options suck since there is no aftermarket for them. Having a couple Fox Body Mustangs I am already familiar with the 5.0. I worked out a deal on 98 Mountaineer 5.0 V8 should be picking it up Tues. I can't wait!!

I will post pics after I pick it up. I did SAS swap in a Diesel Jeep Liberty for a friend so already have practice. Plan on using XJ Dana 30 to start and upgrade to 44 at a later date. I welcome any advice and things I should avoid. I have Miller Plasma Cutter, Miller 212 Mig, JD2 tube bender, and garage full of tools so this will be a fun challenge.

Pictures of my Mustangs...

 

[Stang5lgt]

hmm, im taking a welding course right now, pretty much doing stuff i already know right now. Ill ask if its true about the rust making a better weld, it makes sense but i feel like most people would laugh if they heard that. Besides that looks great so far. Are you going to run chromo shafts or stick with the stock ones til they break.

Yeah I thought it sounded stupid when I heard it. But who knows. Maybe he just meant it helps protect the weld better during welding. I only half listened.
As far shafts I will probably upgrade axle soon so I don't know if I will upgrade the shafts or not. 50s next few days so I hope to kick some butt on this thing.

 

[gmanpaint]

Are you moonlighting in your shop, or is wrenching your full time gig? I noticed a tube bender in an earlier pic. Wish you or I lived a little closer to each other...lol

 

[Stang5lgt]

Are you moonlighting in your shop, or is wrenching your full time gig? I noticed a tube bender in an earlier pic. Wish you or I lived a little closer to each other...lol

It was moonlighting a few months ago. I am carpenter. And was doing this as a side jig. End of Nov. I started doing full time. I was keeping busy remodeling. But when axle gearing and fab work took off for the Jeeps I figured I better put the throttle to the floor and keep it there. I geared 9 Jeep axles last week. Made enough I can take this week off. My big claim to fame for the local Jeep crowd here is 8.8 Explorer swaps. I goto the junk yards pull the Explorer disc axles and set them up to fit TJ, YJ, ZJ, and XJ. I probably build 6 Explorer axles a month average. I also build bumpers, sliders, and roof racks. Yeah if you lived closer you would be welcome to use my stuff(your still welcome if wanna come over). I have 1", 1.25", 1.5", and 1.75" die for my bender. There are probably 20-30 gear sets on my selves right now. I work on Mustangs for guys too.

Tomorrow I am going to load up all the old scrap gear sets I have piling up. The pile is getting pretty big. I bet there are at least 30 sets of used gears in the scrap pile.
My wife likes me working at home cause she doesn't have to find a sitter for the boys when they are out of school. I like it too. Don't have to pack a lunch, no gas money to goto work, I can sleep in, if I wanna take a nap at work no big deal, I can flip off the boss whenever I want just look in the mirror, and I can take time off whenever.

 

[gmanpaint]

Sweet. If you have any 4.10 & up gears for the 8.8-D35, don't pitch them, they will find a new life here on the forum.


Thanks for the offer! Highly doubt I could make a road trip like that for fab work, but hey never say never!


Oh, and hats off to you for finding something you enjoy for employment. Thats the American dream right there.

 

[yellowford]

Nice fab work, I agree with Gman wish you were closer.

Stalking this thread, this is starting to make some gears in my head turn.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Sweet. If you have any 4.10 & up gears for the 8.8-D35, don't pitch them, they will find a new life here on the forum.


Thanks for the offer! Highly doubt I could make a road trip like that for fab work, but hey never say never!


Oh, and hats off to you for finding something you enjoy for employment. Thats the American dream right there.

Thanks and yeah the gears that are good I keep. I sell the 3.55 and 3.73 ones to Mustang guys. I have a bunch load of 8.8 4.10 gears used and one new. Spring is coming so I am hanging onto them for Mustang guys.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Got one bracket up. Looking like they will work great. I will probably use the shock mount on this bracket. And do shock hoops later.

If you look at bottom right of bracket there is rivet hole. Lining that hole up with hole in the frame works great for centering the wheel. The brackets are mirror images of each other and so is frame so hole trick works for both sides.

 

[Stang5lgt]

I am getting pretty excited now...

Just wish I could get rid of this damn cold.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Well now it can sit on the axle instead of the frame...

 

[Stang5lgt]

Working on the steering box today...

Ordered a oil filter relocation kit with double filters. Figured I may as well upgrade since I have to move it anyway.
Had cut some more bracket out of the way. Spent another 20 mins grinding it clean. Also had to move the starter and ground cable to make room. Should fit fine. I guess I don't understand why everyone thought this was hard. I guess if this is all the worse it is then I should be happy.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Here are some pics of the steering box location and of the filter housing I removed...

 

[crazyflights]

Nice progress!! And all the grinding does suck but you will love it in the end!! Should be a blast.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Started the steering. Holding off on the steering box until Friday when the filter relocation kit shows make sure I am not going to get screwed with the lines rubbing on the box.

 

[Stang5lgt]

And here we go boys and girls ride height revealed....

Front to pinch seam...

Rear to pinch seam...

Mmmm... tasty

I am either really good or just really lucky... My dad always said better to be lucky then good. LOL

 

[Stang5lgt]

Nice progress!! And all the grinding does suck but you will love it in the end!! Should be a blast.

Thanks man. I can't wait to wheel it. Planning on Moab trip this Spring.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Diff covers on there way...

 

[Stang5lgt]

Couple more pics had to pull it out for couple days...

 

[bats]

Compliments on those coil bucket/mounts. You're really blazing along with this so you'll have all the bugs worked out by the spring!

 

[Stang5lgt]

Compliments on those coil bucket/mounts. You're really blazing along with this so you'll have all the bugs worked out by the spring!

Thanks I wanna wheel it so bad I can taste it keeping me motivated. I have bad habit of putting stuff off if it starts taking too long so I am forcing myself to go as fast as I can.

 

[tgreene92]

looks incredible, you work fast as hell im very impressed. so what little odds and ends are left. and are you going to keep those coils the way they are they look pretty bowed in the pics.