Due to a homework assignment for one of my Master’s classes, I wasn’t able to get much done this weekend. That being said, I did get a bit done with starting the final clean up process before painting. The axle tubes are clean, and I was able to at least get the spicer-jointed axle shafts partially disassembled. The short axle shaft side came loose as expected, but the other half, not quite so much. I’m giving it a bit of time to sit while I think of how else to approach it. The good news is my frame is done,…
2 CommentsAuthor: Kurtis
My goal this weekend was to get both of the knuckles disassembled and all the parts inspected. All I can say is GREASE SUCKS. As with other little thing I learned because I over-research all of this stuff, both knuckles were assembled incorrectly. Aside from straight grease being used in both instead of “knuckle pudding” shims and snap rings were missing or installed on the wrong sides. Luckily, it doesn’t appear that it caused any lasting damage. I began with the passenger side knuckle, and was somewhat disappointed that I had a Bendix style joint that uses ball bearings to…
2 CommentsIt seems like only yesterday I pulled Ike into the garage under his own power for the last time before the rebuild. Yesterday morning, I reached a major milestone in taking the frame to the sand blasters for cleaning. While my months of working on the rear axle and finishing that was incredibly fulfilling, sending the frame off to get sand blasted is the first major piece that requires something more than what I can do at home. To prepare the frame for sandblasting, I had to get a few things taken off to prepare. Last week I removed the…
2 CommentsIf I were to ask you how many titanium drill bits and 3″ grinding wheels it would take to remove a front bumper and a single out rigger, how many would you guess?
If you guessed I’d go through 7 bits and 2 grinding wheels, you’d be right.
1 CommentI hadn’t realized it the other day, but I recently hit the one year mark on my restoration. It’s been a pretty crazy year. Over the last 12 months, I have completely dismantled Ike down to a bare frame, broke an awful lot of old parts, and completely restored my first big piece. Over the next 12 months, I hope that I will have something that will actually start resembling a Jeep again. I’d love to be putting the finishing touches on a complete rolling chassis this time next year. To that end, I finally put the finishing touch on…
Comments closedIf you are seeing this post, then you are being served from my new web host. After 4 years on GoDaddy, I finally got tired of the poor performance, awful control panel, and the constant attempt to up-sale me. Along with other things, it was just time to move. We’ll see how this host works out, but so far I’m fairly happy. Still a few things that need to be fixed, but for the most part, a very smooth transfer. On another note, I was able to do some work on the rear axle over the last few days and…
2 CommentsThe only thing greater than a 3 day weekend, is a 4 day weekend. And the only thing better than a 4 day weekend is a 4 day weekend I get to work hours on end on Ike. After getting the backing plates blasted last weekend, I was all set to paint those and the grease retainers. Unlike the rest of the axle, I went with engine enamel for the plates and grease retainers. I don’t think there would be enough heat generated by the drums to cause a problem with the standard POR 15, but since the backing plate…
2 CommentsSince I don’t have all my parts yet (should be here tomorrow), I had to just do some last minute prep work to get ready to finish the rear axle. After talking with a few people online, I decided to just use some spray on engine enamel for the backing plates. Cheaper (since I already have the paint) than powder coating, and I don’t have to take it somewhere and wait for it to get completed. To get the backing plates, and the grease retainer, ready for paint I had to fire up the sandblaster. I was hoping that there…
1 CommentWith the rear axle differential finally buttoned up, it’s time to turn my attention to getting it completed. I’ve decided to keep my 9″ brakes rather than upgrading to 11″ drums. While the white parts Jeep already has the 11’s on there, it looks to require a bit more re-engineering than what I’d like to go through at this point. I can always go back later and do a swap if it hits me as something I want to do. With how infrequently this vehicle will be driven, and at the speeds it is capable of, I don’t think upgrading…
2 CommentsAfter spending the last few weeks hemming and hawing about the brakes, I had finally decided to just stick with the original style 9 inchers. All the reasons I had decided to stick with the original brakes are still there, but after the suggestion of a coworker, I decided to check the parts Jeep and see what it had on it. The previous owners of the parts Jeep had done various upgrades and changes to it for wheeling out in the desert. Everything from the engine, to the tires and wheels, to the locking hubs had been changed. Come to…
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