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Varg In Jeep's Clothing

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by ITLKSEZ, Aug 20, 2015.

  1. Apr 29, 2023
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2016
    Messages:
    1,450
    Lol that's hilarious. That is actually a true statement though. I don't know anybody else building guitars with a grease gun.
     
    vtxtasy and Fireball like this.
  2. May 19, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
    Messages:
    6,656
    Time for some maintenance!
    With about 13k estimated miles on this thing (a few thousand more if counting flat-towing), I’ve noticed lately that it’s starting to handle less like it did when “new” and more like a crappy newer jeep. I’m getting a bit of rear-steer under power/brake transitions. I suspected the cow mat spring bushings were to blame, and I was correct. I stayed late at work tonight and replaced them.

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    The old bushings were showing some wear.

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    Old (right) next to new (left)

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    Nothing much else to report! The front wheel bearings could stand to be tightened, one of the TREs has the tiniest bit of play, and the heim in the track bar has about a 32nd of play. I just keep driving it and it just keeps running. Still extremely pleased.
     
    tomasinator, dozerjim, Twin2 and 11 others like this.
  3. May 19, 2023
    fhoehle

    fhoehle Sponsor

    Harford Township, PA
    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2012
    Messages:
    1,427
    I enjoy maintaining the stuff I've built. It's relaxing and fulfilling realizing the miles you have put on something, or the work you have done with it. I can't see the pics for some reason though.
     
    dozerjim, ITLKSEZ and Ol Fogie like this.
  4. May 19, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
    Messages:
    6,656
    Weird. I’m using the same hosting site as always. Can you see the rest of the photos in the thread?
     
  5. May 19, 2023
    fhoehle

    fhoehle Sponsor

    Harford Township, PA
    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2012
    Messages:
    1,427
    It's odd, I can't. I am using my work computer right now, so maybe that's it.
     
    Ol Fogie and ITLKSEZ like this.
  6. May 20, 2023
    fhoehle

    fhoehle Sponsor

    Harford Township, PA
    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2012
    Messages:
    1,427
    I am able to see them on my phone.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  7. May 26, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
    Messages:
    6,656
    Trouble in paradise….
    I’ll elaborate when I get time.

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  8. May 26, 2023
    Rich M.

    Rich M. Shoe salesman 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Maryland
    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2008
    Messages:
    2,169
    :watch: I bet I know this one.
     
    vtxtasy likes this.
  9. May 26, 2023
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2010
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    7,110
  10. May 26, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    I bet you don’t! :D
     
  11. May 26, 2023
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
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    4,716
    Turbo 5cyl swap?
     
  12. May 26, 2023
    Danefraz

    Danefraz Well-Known Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Chico CA
    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2012
    Messages:
    2,263
    It appears shiny thing and the greasy thing failed to mesh during a low speed revolution causing a grinding, necessitating disassembly.
     
    fhoehle and vtxtasy like this.
  13. May 26, 2023
    Danefraz

    Danefraz Well-Known Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Chico CA
    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2012
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    2,263
    wait... the shiny thing, er, um...
     
    fhoehle likes this.
  14. May 26, 2023
    SFaulken

    SFaulken Active Member

    Bellevue, WA
    Joined:
    May 24, 2011
    Messages:
    1,178
    Well the transfer case fell out. I don't see what the big mystery is here.
     
    Muzikp, fhoehle, 47v6 and 6 others like this.
  15. May 30, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
    Messages:
    6,656
    Driving home from work the week before last, I got off the freeway on my exit, went to downshift out of fourth, and the shifter was stuck. Instinct set in, and I knew not to force it, but to just throw it into low range to get me home. My mind was racing trying to figure out what it could be. I assumed it was just something worn or broken in the shifting mechanism. After all, this transmission was a junkyard unit with a good 1/2 million miles on it. I originally bought it from pull-and-save to use as a test bed with no intentions of ever using it.

    While crawling around under it, I noticed some shiny bits that shouldn’t be shiny.

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    The companion flange on the transmission was too far out. So either something in the transmission failed to allow the whole shaft to shift rearward, or the nut inside the flange came loose.

    I pulled the floor panels and the top cover off to see what I could see. Everything in the shifter plates looked good. No broken springs, etc. With the plates out of the way, I could inspect the guts of the trans.

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    Everything looked great, but there was some disconcerting fore/aft play in the mainshaft, which would support the loose nut theory, but still no explanation why it was locked in 4th gear.

    So I pulled the floor pans, driveshafts, and transfer case so I could separate the companion flanges to see the nut. Yup, it was loose. I was able to slide the flange back an inch and expose the nut.

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    I didn’t get any pics, but the adapter that I originally built as a backup that got swapped trailside in Moab had developed a few cracks in the welds. It wasn’t close to failing, but it was never perfect from the start, so it was a good time to make a more permanent piece and keep this one as a spare.

    I started with another Volvo companion flange and milled off the u-joint ears.

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    Then I took a splined section from a dodge auto trans that has the same internal spline size/count as my stub shaft and cut off a usable section.

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    I turned the flange to perfectly accept the hub.

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    Then I tig welded the hub to the flange with the spud shaft inside, and tig welded the shaft to the backside of the flange as a safety measure. I used a high-nickel filler rod made for joining dissimilar metals. I also repaired the old one.

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    I made the new one longer to have more spline engagement, but it meant I needed to make more room for it to fit. The un-splined section of the D300’s input needed to be shortened. Before and after.

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    I needed less than 3” from face to face, and I got 2 7/8”. Perfect.

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    I got it all back together on Sunday, and it shifts better than I ever remember it shifting. I’ll bet that nut was loose for a very long time!
     
    duffer, fhoehle, tymbom and 13 others like this.
  16. May 30, 2023
    tomasinator

    tomasinator Member

    Redmond, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2015
    Messages:
    415
    How did you shorten the D300 shaft in place without taking the whole thing apart?
     
  17. May 30, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    Grinder! :bananatool:

    I tipped it up on end and filled it with water to keep it cool.
     
  18. Jul 31, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    When I take my kids out in the jeep, my youngest gets fried in the back seat because the bikini top only covers the front. I’ve been contemplating how to fix that for a long time. I finally figured out how to execute it.

    I bent a piece of 1” tubing at work and welded it to two halves of 2” tubing that got hose-clamped to the rear bars of the cage.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I got 2 1/2 yards of Arctic Vinyl from Joanne’s and got to work. I sewed in a section of bandsaw blade to fit in the windshield channel after grinding the teeth off. This Stitch Witchery stuff is awesome. It’s like iron-on glue. It bonded the blade to the vinyl to make sewing much easier.

    [​IMG]

    Progress…
    Should be finished tomorrow after work.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Aug 1, 2023
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
    Messages:
    6,656
    Finished!

    So far, I’m 94% pleased with it. It flaps the roll cage quite a bit (but not as much as the old bikini top did before I sewed Velcro straps to tie it into the cage), and it changed the wind pattern, so now I get a bit of exhaust smell.

    I’ve had it up to 70 so far and it didn’t self destruct, so I’ll call that a win. Tomorrow morning’s 80mph commute to work will be the real test.

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  20. Aug 1, 2023
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    5,593
    I feel like hose clamps aren't really your style.....
     
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