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Jeep XJ Preparing for a Big Trip.


MCQBushcraft

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  • Platinum Member

Hi guys,

Been some time since I posted on here. Hope all is well.

Still busy working on the XJ. Myself and my wife are due to leave at the start of April this year for several months through northern Scandinavia using the Jeep as our transport and home. We have spent a lot of time over there and wanted to go back but be more mobile.

Thought I would share some of the prep work for those who are interested in this sort of thing. I will be posting the videos on the YouTube Channel, again if people are interested. The channel is mostly about Bushcraft skills but i'm branching it out into some more expedition based overland stuff. 

 

I have don a huge amount on the vehicle already but one thing I have always wanted to do is build some rear frame tie ins along with better protection from the stock rear bumper which I have baffled and added end caps. Its not totally finished as they will run back to the inner frame on bolt into the tie in. Will do that next week. 

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Great work! Looks really good. What wheel/tyre sizes are you running there?

I'm hoping to get to Nordkapp in the next twelve months or so, but on a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle...  I've been to Norway a few times and have spent about seven months there altogether, I love the place.

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Looking very good.  :great:

Good luck with the tour of Scandinavia and please do keep us posted on your XJ's build and your trip

 

Thanks Jim, will keep you posted and will put some links in when the videos go up.

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Great work! Looks really good. What wheel/tyre sizes are you running there?

I'm hoping to get to Nordkapp in the next twelve months or so, but on a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle...  I've been to Norway a few times and have spent about seven months there altogether, I love the place.

 

Many thanks, it didn't turn out to bad for the stock bumper. I'm running 32x11.50R15 on 15x8's. I like them but I wish I had gone for a 33x10.50R15.

Scandinavia is certainly a lovely part of the world!

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Thanks Jim, will keep you posted and will put some links in when the videos go up.

 

Fantastic Michael look forward to seeing your videos!  :great:

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Did a little more work on the rear of the Jeep today.

I made up some 6mm plates that tie into the frame insert for the bumper and rear tire carrier. They also extend my bump-stops. I have some frame stiffeners coming in the post from Ruff Stuff for the front and center so this will work in tandem with them once they are installed. The rear tier carrier connects to the frame inserts in the above post crates a rear cross-member.

 

I rebuild these arches and removed the flanges replacing them with continuous weld about a year ago. Was happy to see that no rust had returned once the undercoat ad been removed for welding. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Platinum Member

 

I have uploaded Episode 2 to the channel. Its a little bit of a filler video just covering some tools and gear before the build starts.

 

 

Episode 3 is out Sunday hopefully, this is a bumper build and tie in kid fabrication for the rear frame.

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Just finished uploading episode 4, bumper fabrication and tie ins.

 

 

Also started installing the RuffStuff frame stiffeners and rock sliders below, this will be another video however. The image below is the frame stiffener installed and welded to the frame, sills cut out and replaced with 2x6 box section that runs back to the stiffener. There will be an aluminum plate covering the legs that run back to the frame, as a skid plus mud guard.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Platinum Member
MCQBushcraft

Episode 05 of the build is up.

 

Just installed Ruffstuff frame stiffeners to the mid section and tied them into 2x6 box section sills.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Platinum Member
MCQBushcraft

The monumental job of welding in the Frame Stiffeners and tying them into the 2x6 box section Sill is over. The frame is roughly a 1/4" thick from rear bumper to front bumper and in total the job had added an additional 55kg of weight to the truck. It wasn't really a necessary job for the trip but its something I have always wanted to do.

The flex from the unibody has gone now and the jeep rides far quieter just feels a lot more solid while on and off road. One additional job will be to add some tubing to the rock slider sill so it protrudes out past the doors more. Also some tubing arches, but not before the trip.

 

I also made up two aluminium 'splash' plates that cover the four pillars that connect the slider sill to the chassis. I made the splash plates from some spare 2mm aluminium just as a temporary mock up for future skids that may be there. The splash plates are just  to stop a lot of the mud and grit from getting up into the supports, plus they tie into the front mudflap and rear wheel well.

 

I have a video on this all coming up this Sunday on the channel.

Anyway just an update on the build. New rear leafs, shocks and arch extensions next....   

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A lot work going into that - well done.

 

I would say the splash plates will just collect mud and fill up - rather than keeping it away though

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MCQBushcraft

A lot work going into that - well done.

 

I would say the splash plates will just collect mud and fill up - rather than keeping it away though

 

 

Its all about how you mount them. If you mount them flat to a surface then yes they will fill up and trap water and grit close to the above surface which is not what you want. In my case I have mounted the plate using four high impact rubber 1/2" spacers toward the outer of the four legs, and an additional four 1" high impact rubber spacers nearer the chassis with a 1" gab between the end of the plate and the chassis. This means the plate mounts at a slanted angle aiding in runoff and water and grit are separated from the mounting surface. 

You can also see a gap between the slider and the plate from the side, as this allows me to jet wash it out the back.

 

I've made these things in other areas, if you mount them right then they do the world of good.

Thanks again!       

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:great:

 

I suppose it also depends or the type of mud you are dealing with - I know with clays that you end up having  to knock it off/out of any nooks and crannies

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Just see how it goes. If it ends up being a mud trap you can always change it. With any custom mod it's probably a good idea to think about what's the worse that could happen on a trail and to be prepared for it. If the panel gets crunched or ripped from the front backwards on an obstacle, can you deal with it as a trail side fix? Nice work.

 

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MCQBushcraft

Just see how it goes. If it ends up being a mud trap you can always change it. With any custom mod it's probably a good idea to think about what's the worse that could happen on a trail and to be prepared for it. If the panel gets crunched or ripped from the front backwards on an obstacle, can you deal with it as a trail side fix? Nice work.

 

 

I'm sure it will be trail and error. I shall see how it goes and if they become an issue I will have to deal with it. Thanks again.

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MCQBushcraft

:great:

 

I suppose it also depends or the type of mud you are dealing with - I know with clays that you end up having  to knock it off/out of any nooks and crannies

 

 

Clay is certainly a pain. I will see how they hold up. Will be snow I expect as we head north so it may get compacted between the gap. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
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MCQBushcraft

Excellent videos and build!

 

Appreciate that! Thank you for checking them out.

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  • 5 weeks later...
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MCQBushcraft

The Jeep is finally finished. Got on of the final episodes of the build out here -

 

Taken me five months to do the full restoration working on it almost every day sometimes all day when I could. I've been pretty meticulous with the details and replaced or restored almost everything. Lets hope she holds up for the duration. Amazing how much of a difference the frame stiffeners make, its a rigid ride. Had it weighed today fully loaded for the trip, 2160KG. 

Also got some pics below of the setup. Almost finished, just wiring in the leisure battery.

 

 

 

 

 

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