I finally got a chance to read everything. Looks good Bill. Can't wait to see it up close.

NEVER give up. Finally got all the stock hardware out...Damn torx head bolts.


Cage is finally out


Finally a pic of my receiver mount tube bender stand. I'll be welding one on the trailer as well.


Bender fully assembled. Yes it is mounted into the concrete on the wifes side of the garage.


tube bender fully assembled and first piece of tube bent.


I was able to bend the main hoop today as well, pics to come later.

got some more tube bent

OK the notcher works fantastic. I could kick myself for not buying one earlier. I bought the pro tools HSN 500 hole saw notcher. they now brag about being the only manufacturer of the notchers that actually builds them before the customer orders them so they always have some in stock and ready to ship. It is very easy to use and cutting the angles was quite simple. took very little time to notch. This weekend I will get a lot done. I did tack the main hoop to the door hoops I bent already and notched today learning how to use the tool. It wouldn't fit in my little craftsman drill press so I just clamped the notcher to the tube and clamped the tube in the vice and it worked just fine. :yj:

So how much would you want to rent your fantacy tools so I can setup a exo on the Toyota.

set a date for a party, provide the beer and meats/eats and I'll bring the tools, manual help and some knowledge from the experience of it all. Or if you just want to borrrow them thats fine too.

Got some more work done on the cage.

Spent the day working on the cage. back half is done. I plan on more main hoop support, harness bar, new seat mounts and door bars.

Looks good. Where have you been? Haven't seen ya on AIM in a long time. Also, can you use a set of amber turn signal lenses for your CJ? I ordered the wrong ones awhile ago.

Thanks, I've been on but switched my user name. I thought everyone had it. I'll send you an IM so you have it. Nah, don't need any lights but thanks.

SO today I took the day off and worked on a harness bar. then took out the seats and center console. ran DOM from the main hoop to the front legs of the cage. Then the cross bars that will form the seat mounts. Ran out of time, took Aaron to guitar lessons and then went to the gym. Hope to have the cage done this weekend and have it TIG welded next thursday. then next weekend I can work on the fram mounts and put some seats in this thang.

Seat mounts and harness bar is tacked into place.


Cage is ready for welding



I need to tie the cage into the frame in 6 places. the front 4 seem easy but the rear will take some work to get the angles right.


Picture through the rear LED tail light at the mount under the body.


On the frame side the DOM tubing will rest on top of the frame.


Took a break to go fishing with the boys.

Cage is now welded together. this weekend I'll finish the frame mounts, get the seats in, weld in the harness mounts and will be just about ready to roll.
Updated list:

1. 9" currie rear axle tube leaking.
FIXED

2. Thump in drivetrain
FIXED

3. clutch not working properly.
FIXED

4. going to install the MORE motor lift, tuck the drivetrain up into the body a little better. There is a lot more room there since installing the 2" body lift. Also going to replace the belly pan with a piece of ballistic steel courtesy of Dave Leasure. I'll trace the old pan onto the steel and cut it out. the atlas may need a relief cut out and then I'll build a skid for that.
DONE

5. rear locker ARB line needs a new O ring at the axle. simple fix.
DONE

6. soft top is half destroyed at mounting locations. gonna have to fix that so I can wheel in all weather.
DISREGARD. May not fit over new cage anyway. Will use safari top and regular doors and call it good.

7. ARB switches are going to be rewired so that I can engage and disengage the front and rear lockers independently.
DONE
8. Rear suspension winch. Inherited a winch from family member. Low priority though..

9. Need to install a 5 point racing harness.
This weekend.

10. Cage work!
Almost done

11. Front shocks bottom out and they are at risk for breakage, also the crank pully can contact the steering hardware at full compression. going to install bump stops in the front to solve that. Also going to install limit straps while I'm at it.

Cage is done, racing seats are installed, 5-point racing harnesses are installed.

Spent another day working out some bugs that revealed themselves during the big dogs event. first the front end would clunk when the suspension was compressed suddenly but not all the time. turns out the front axle was rotating out of alignment and the track bar mount was contacting the hydraulic assist mount because of the axle rotating backwards. I thought a bolt was starting to egg out a hole but turns out a johnny joint is going bad. I tried to replace it with a spare but it is seized up in the control arm, BF wrench didn't do it and neither did a torch. Ended up taking apart the johnny joint in place and replaced the internals with the ones from a spare I had.
Also rerouted the exhaust down away from the gas tank. replaced the master cyllendar due to poor braking and a leak between the master cyl and the brake booster. after replacing the master cyl the brake light went out and brakes work well again.
Also noticed a squeek in the rear of the jeep from somewhere. I tracked that down to a u joint going bad in the rear driveshaft. turns out the CV joint( yeah the damn inner u joint) was about to fail. I replaced that shaft with the spare I had which was actually the original.
Since building the new cage I didn't have a place for the front axle winch controller. I made a mount on the roll cage beside the steering wheel. Also took the time to remove the windshield so that during the competition next weekend if it does roll I wont break the windshield. I had my son help me carry it over and we leaned it against the workbench. Then while working on the driveshaft a piece of metal flew off the table and broke the windshield. well that just sucks.