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jenny craig build

Ironically I was talking to Firezapper last saturday and he mentioned IZwicks build...

interesting that 2 guys are thinking along similar lines...

as some of you know I have/had a topheavy exo caged fullwidth explorer..
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well..

after putting the sterling and the HD44 under it 2 years ago..it became so heavy that my 460 towrig had problems with it (ok..not problems..but wasnt as fast towin it)...

so I chopped the top..n bikini'd the doors..
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that helped alot...wheeled it this way for a year...but wasnt happy...too wide...

so I decided to ditch most of the exo...run the front tubes inside the fenders and just start building the internal cage...
plans
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actual to this point (blue tape is where I need another tube and all the way down to the slider..and the tape on the fenders is the cutline..)
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then I decided it would be a good time (since I dont have the funding for the diesel buggy I want to build) to modd this some more..

swap out the A4LD and doubler/t-case for a C4/D20 thats twinsticked..do some motorwork..push the motor down and back about a foot each..(move the CG of the truck)
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wheres waldo!
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cut the front framehorns to suck the bumper in and reduce overhang..
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finnished location about 6in further inboard.
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skin the bodypanels and do a dirt-track style and hang the skins from the cage to save weight...

cut the floor out so I can doghouse for the motor move and throw expanded grating down for several reasons..
1.makes it easier to clean out (we mudbog with it too)
2.make it even lighter
3.mount the seats to the cage rather than whats left of the body.
4.so I can monitor the driveline and see tire placement thru the holes. (thanks Billavista for the idea from your truck!)

ditch the back bench..throw in 2 spare buckets I've got..and 4point harness all the seats...

oh..and beadlocks..(new tires too..maybe 38's) and then I can ditch the spare tire...(that saves about 80lbs!!)


all in all I am looking to dump about 600lbs over what it was with just the top off..

I've ditched my OBA setup infavor of a powertank (THANKS CHUBBY@ 4wheelparts!!)

just what I've taken off sofar is around 400..gotta lot of floor to cut out..but about half the weight will go back in with the crosstubes for the seats and the grating..

once I get the body gutted into just hanging panels it should be really close to what I want to weigh...
 



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You northern guys get to run the pimp expanded metal floor... down here i can just imagine running Hot Springs in June, 102 degrees 80% humidity, with the tranny and exhaust cooking feet like hot dogs on a Weber. :p:

Either way, sweet re-build. :D

its the same way here...Im just gonna wheel naked if its too hot...:eek::D
 



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not MUCH done...had to rescue a busted subaru (that I had told the wife to TAKE TO THE GD DEALER TO GET THE TIMING BELT CHANGED) that blew a motor...and deal with all that crap...:curse:



mounts made..some of the tunnel made..and back of the front seat hoop bent..and some LOUSY lookin welds...


I know yall loved the gunrack buckets..how bout some wings to match the radius arm mounts!!
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(dont mind the unbolted shock)
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oilpan height..
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trans
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been slackin the last week...

front seat mounts in and tacked...dash bars in and tacked..center console in and tacked...

got cardboard to make templates for engine cover/heat shroud..

and a Powertank setup thanks to CHUBBY at 4Wheelparts-cleveland!!
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Just for my own curiosity, if the drive shaft or u joint fails, or if you come down on a rock very hard, isnt something going to comethrough the xmetal floor and hurt someone?
 






Just for my own curiosity, if the drive shaft or u joint fails, or if you come down on a rock very hard, isnt something going to comethrough the xmetal floor and hurt someone?


no...the driveshafts will glance off of it...and the weak points (the u-joints themselves) are in areas that have a steel tube between them and the passenger..so it will bounce off that and not the mesh..

as far as a rock/object coming thru the floor...the skidplate will cover from the engine to the transfer case and frame rail to frame rail...so if I hit it hard enough to bust thru that...I'll have alot more problems than just the floor failing..the entire truck frame will have failed..:eek:
 






Oh, I see now. Looks good. I think if I tried that, I'd be divorced
 












lol
 






WOW...2 months no updates...Im a SLACKER!!


teaser pix...

have the middle built..and gettin the motor back together with the trans...workin on the tow-van (anybody ever see a TURBO DIESEL ford van??)so the sploder is back-burnered for a bit...

center..and dash (no gauges yet)

18ga stainless...

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...pulled the motor back out to fix busted manifold bolt and some other stuff...figured out I need a diffrent flywheel (pushin the converter to deep)..got the t-case back on..finnished the stock wiring strip...

gotta get the flywheel..mount the fueltank and lines..make a gaspedal..make radiator mount...full-weld the tubes in..put the motor/trans together..put that in...put bumper back on..put skins on...wire..driveshafts..paint..wheel...
 






sorry for the delay...

got some stuff done to her..and ordering the correct flywheel tommorow..the A4LD one is 1/4in too deep causing the converter to bottom out on the pump inside the tranny...

gotta get the oil changed in the van and then pull her outside to wait for the turbo to return from the rebuilders..(need to swap the intake side to a newer design due to the fact they no longer make the oil seals for the old style..)...

then she's goin in the garage to get the finnish welds..motor reinstalled..ps pump bracket made and installed...fuel hooked up..then fire..run...and paint..
 






I do it to STAY married....come home..cook dinner (some nights)...and go hide in garage...


Sounds like a plan to me :thumbsup: Reminds me of a tee shirt my wife had made up for me.

I need my garage time


Keep us informed on your progress
 






dam...long time between updates...been putin turbo on my diesel van..(ran into problems that cost $$$)...hit a deer in my 08 wrangler..and had to fix it before they would release the insurance check (still waitin on the check!)..

so here ya go...

got trans/motor in...driveshafts made...(remade rear cus I cut it to short..shoulda measured TWICE!!)..wireing hooked up..checked flywheel clearance with the starter (made sure its not gonna skip)...got the bumper on for mockin up radiator..oh..and fixed the deer strike damage to the jeep..

pix..

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gotta get a locking dipstick for the tranny..and make the mounts for the tube..all the front end tubing bracing for the rad and light mounts...cross shock brace..tranny lines..fuel lines..batt..seat tabs..and a bunch of other stuff...
 






more work...

tower brace built..front cross-tube built and braced...made sure that all the headlights will still fit..cleaned up some of the wiring.....and got the radiator mounted...

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WOW,....its been since FEB since an update....

I got alot of work to post up!!!!

since moving into the new house in july...and having an ENTIRE house to get up to spec....I got a few weeks worth of garage time in...

the garage is probably a little overkill...but..ya need tunes...a tv..cable..dvd..surround...oh..and CONCRETE!!!...what a diffrence!!

radiator and lines run...powersteering pump bracket built and all lines/coolers installed...tranny cooler (HUMUNGOUS!!)...shifter...and got the skins on it...

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new tires too!!...36 IROKS!!...

still gotta get lights instaleld and winch in..but heres the front...
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engine cover got installed TODAY!!!!!
its 5 pcs of stainless steel...and a ton of screws!!

shifters for the t-case aint right...gonna make some diffrent ones...wrapped the entire exhaust from the manifolds (middle of manifolds) all the way to the muffer under the passenger seat..

gotta get the winch mounted..fix the 2 switches I broke..rear exhaust hanger..wiper motor (got broke somehow)..

some bodywork (flakes scraped off)...paint...harnesses..wheel...

the wifey helpin!
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