Project Baby Runner/Mini Crawler: R.J.'s Navajo Build

this thread is going to be just a thread posting any mods or work being done on the Navajo. I'll also make a registry which would kinda like a summery of whats in the vehicle and i already have a thread started about the work im doing to the front beams/axle. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206455

well here's whats up with it right now, its in mexico at McNeiloff-road to have a roll cage put in it

here's just some randome shots of the shop.

Chad McNeils shop

Perry and Jason's shop

this is a shot from the front gate around the buildings. on the right it is Chad McNeil's shop (McNeil Off-road) and towards the left is the building where Perry McNeil (McNeil Racing/Perrys fab n fiber) and Jason McNeil (Fiberwerx) shops are.

some sort of buggy

some trucks

a cool bumper

a sport trac

pictures suck, but here's some explorers

king pin, equal length.

a ranger

i forget how massive desert cars are till i see them. all the shocks, springs, tubing, reinforcing etc. is huge.

 

[carlover]

......Is there a link to that run with pics???

No lol. Just a little tooling around with some of the guys over on DR. A guy put his early 90-s toya 4x4 on its lid. Messed it up big time lol, and then drove it home to San Pedro with no windows or windshield.

 

[R.J.]

limit straps too long? not too short?

Sucks! Looks like the welds failed?

welds held up fine. the metal sheered off! see in the pics that the tube is "cut out" at the ends? the rest of the tube is still welded to the mounts on the frame

the shocks never bottumed out, so i thing they got pulled down from droop

 

[R.J.]

gave the baby welder a workout last night and put the shock mount back together. but the flash broke on the camera so the picks suck

 

[Dannyboy]

Robbie, how's the rear of the truck sitting now? I'm happy to report mine is still sitting good however drivers side is easily 2" lower than passenger. I'm thinking I need to swap side to side and it will be at a perfect ride height.

 

[FROADER]

I didn't see this earlier.

Photoshop...not only used to make your friends look like dumb *****, but helps make pictures viewable to the public. You sleeping in the garage now Robbie?

 

[R.J.]

haha thanks froader, and no, not sleeping in the garage. thats an extra bed. i should take some pics of the navajo, the rear springs are off again and a new shock placing is going on. its way hard to fit 12" shocks under the floor though

 

[mounty71]

Time for some big shocks goin through the floor and tied into the cage??

 

[Dannyboy]

Thanks Colin, I know that he has broken that shock setup a few times though.

Are you going to suprise us again and show up linked or are you reworking the rear springs?

 

[R.J.]

Thanks Colin, I know that he has broken that shock setup a few times though.

Are you going to suprise us again and show up linked or are you reworking the rear springs?

HA! i wish. nothing special. still going to use the dual procomp shocks. but im trying to set them higher on the axle for more ground clearance (lord knows i need more rear clearance)

but nothing amazing is planned, no links, no big beautiful shocks through the floor. just want something that deosnt break every trip

but i am planning on goin SOA sometime, not right now cause i don't want to put the work into it hahaha.

navajo work has been slow. been to busy enjoying the summer. and now progress will be even slower cause i have a new car to upgrade

 

[carlover]

Well if and when your ready to link it Brandon will have a killer 4 link setup keeping the stock gas tank, and without cutting into the cargo area.

 

[R.J.]

Well if and when your ready to link it Brandon will have a killer 4 link setup keeping the stock gas tank, and without cutting into the cargo area.

i don't have a problem going into the floor. the way mcneil does still gives enough cargo area. to link an explorer and keep the stock gas tank is pretty cool. i've heard they use a 3-link type designe with one track bar for axle wrap and a track bar to keep the axle from moving side to side (and of course, trailing arms)

 

[Dannyboy]

you got pics of a McNeil linked system?

 

[R.J.]

you got pics of a McNeil linked system?

nope perry just explained it to me on the phone and it made sense to me

 

[Dannyboy]

Well, then explain it to me!

 

[FROADER]

I can't find the pictures I took of it from Truckhaven 2002. I'll check my computer when I get home.

 

[Dannyboy]

I see no issues with linking it underneath the frame rails, it's exactly how our leaf packs are connected. Running 2 links to the rear and then a track bar like a Grand Cherokee could do the trick. You would just need to mount the coilover(or coil I guess) on the axle housing instead of up the link.

 

[spotter guy]

(OMG I'm on line)hey guys, I just saw the posts about the link set-up and to be honest the leafs can work very well if you set it up right. I am a big fan of link suspension I just know the limitations of the X's chassis and to do it right it is a lot of work. The main changes that help a link set-up also improve a leaf like: Good shocks, increasing up travel, and hydraulic bump-stops are all major improvements to both set-ups and help the ride quality. Hope this helps.......

 

[IZwack]

(OMG I'm on line)

 

[Dannyboy]

word to that Wisest Winter. I'm really happy with how my truck is running, it just took the right components. My whole setup is old school with leafs, coils and a 6 pack of white rockets up front, but it works plus I'm only putting about 2,000 miles on this thing a year.

 

[spotter guy]

(OMG).....I always loved the fact that when racing 7S we would pass a 7-open truck all decked out. Our maxxxxxed leafs were working great eventhough we had to replace then twice a season; so bitter sweet............