The teardown is finished and the real work is underway. The 44" Super Swampers need some room to run so one of the first things on the list is installing the suspension with these Ballistic 18" travel coil overs.
This monster will be getting a full cage and tubular chassis combo to tie everything together. Lots of brain work is required to get everything to work in harmony.
We recieved a custom suspension seat for the jeep this week for the install, which leads me to let everyone know we are a dealer for 5 different manufacturers including Mastercraft, and Corbeau. Let us know what you need!
Let us start at the front end with this one. We have added an axle truss, along with adding some protection for the steering ram.
Next we have a Ballistic Flex Joint that we use throughout the suspension. You might be familiar with these as a "Johnny Joint" made by Currie. We have found some advantages inthe Ballistic joint. The primaryadvantage of these is the capability to adjust the pre-load of the bushings and in ease of rebuild.
Next we have the mount for the front upper control arm, tack welded to the frame. The control arms are ready for battle.
We have finished cutting out the axle truss for the rear, and it's ready to be welded up.
Finally we have closed the gap on the Transfer Case mount. If you take a close look you will see 2 grease able poly bushings, followed by 2 more on the opposite side. We have found that the typical transfer case mount is attached to the factory skid. This makes it a real pain to service. We fabricated this mount to allow the skid to be mounted separately from the TC. So, the 4 bushings will allow the chassis to flex, instead of snapping parts and breaking wallets. Forward thinking is what we strive for here. Come visit and see what we are all about, if you haven't yet!
WOW, we have been working like mad on this project! Check out the new frame rails front to rear. The engine mounts came out great, not to mention that they are grease able.
Here is a picture of the PSC Hydro ram steer assist system. Right in front of the ram is a mounting bar that is also set up to come apart when the time comes to service the front differential. The other picture of the Hydro ram system also showcases the custom long arms that are welded to the axle, another Performance exclusive!
Here we have the Currie Antirock stabilizer system. We have installed this system on our Comanche as well as several other projects and expect this to give this monster the control
and flexibility it wants, and needs (when you are this big, you get whatever you need).
We are working with 1.75" x .120 DOM tubing on the bottom of the rail for strength, and to help when taking hits on the trail. The upper rail is built with 1.75" x .095 DOM tubing. Why would I do this you ask? Well, the upper rail will not see any trail carnage, and we save on weight too.
Last we have a shot of the middle of the frame showing how we tied in the front and rear long arms to the frame. This YJ is by definition a true "Monster".
The transfer case is getting a "twin stick" shifter using cables to avoid linkage problems and making things nice and smooth. You can see the cable system bolted to the transfer case above. The advantage is you can engage the 4WD separately in the front and rear, making this one of the ultimate modifications you could ever do to your trail vehicle. Lastly, we also tweaked the automatic transmission to a manual shift. No need for a clutch pedal and you can select any gear you need on the trail with confidence. Most any automatic transmissions can be converted to this system, just give us a call and let's help you make your rig the best it can be (you know you want to).
The custom dash is installed along with the hydraulic steering system, custom fitted to the customer of course! This also gives you a good idea of why I have no hair, just look at all of the wiring!
The Monster got some black paint on a marathon build. Hunter Kaltsas, (the owner) Paul Epstein, and Josh Applegate (his loyal friends) sanded, prepped, and sprayed the color on this beast giving it the evil
look we started designing months ago. We have just about all hands on deck to get this one done so here goes! Wiring is under full swing with wires going every which way, good thing they are labeled or I would pull my hair out...... too late for that! The radiator was mounted, along with the transmission and the power steering cooling systems. Hood latches are installed to keep everything covered from the elements.
Here is a good picture of the rear axle where we have mounted the limiting strap from the axle to the bottom of the chassis. The front will get the same treatment as well. The clear coiled hose coming out of the axle acts as the vent for when this jeep turns into a submarine. Hydraulic bumpstops round out the rear of this jeeps suspension.
The last blog I had mentioned that we fabricated a custom tube mount for the seats and belts, well here it is. Solid foundation for the most important part of any vehicle............you!
The final push this week to get the Monster out to the customer by Friday! We installed the front hydraulic bump stops and got the battery box in. Tube fenders front and rear have been added along with plumbing the brake system. The side exhaust system has been finished and waiting to come to life.
Final picture for this entry shows the fuel cell plumbed up and waiting for the life blood of this Monster! The rear lights are installed and wired up awaiting further orders.
The first thing you notice is the tubing surrounding the windshield. You could probably get more protection, but you would have to hire a team of a dozen spec ops men to do it. We also added grab handles in multiple spots for those "special moments" with the one you wheel with, slapping afterwards is optional. Although we know that everyones instinct is to grab for all these handles in the tense moments, we would like to mention a few safety items here. The driver usually has a good grip on the steering wheel, but did you remember to keep your thumbs on the outside? Hook your thumb inside, hit a rock or some other immobile object and you may quickly find your thumb dislocated. For the passengers, keep your hands in at all times. If you get nervous, grab your seatbelt or the bottom of the seat. Grabbing that oh sh_# handle up above you may result in your fingers being pinched against the ground if the vehicle rolls onto its side. The handle in front of you might be ok, but will probably leave you sore because you tense up a lot and are over extending some muscles and whatever else your body is made of.
