Project stretch yj build

[stevesc1]

I thought it was time to start a build thread to contribute a little to the board. I have sold a few parts here so I didn’t want to just always use the board for that without contributing. This will be a slow build as I only get to work on it here and there maybe a few hours a week on average.

I started this build many years ago with a 2x5 x 3/16 custom frame and the rest of the chassis was tube. I finally realized that what I was building didn’t suit my needs anymore so decided to change directions and just reuse the base frame without all the tubing. The build plan now is a stretched yj tub running Alcan leaves, vortec 5.7,turbo 350, and atlas transfer case with one ton Chevy axles and 37 inch Maxxis trepadors bias tires on allied beadlocks. I already had accumulated most of the parts but sold off a 5.3 and 42 inch Pitbulls to help pay for some of the new parts I needed.

I bought a 95 Yj for the tub and parted the rest out. Still have rolling chassis up for sale. Found a back half of another Yj for $50 from an estate sale. It took me about 6 months to strip the Yj I bought for a donor and I sold off the drivetrain from it.

I had a little extra time over Christmas so I got all the tubing cut off my old project and got the tub off the donor YJ and moved over to the 2x5 frame. I got some motobilt 15 inch stretch rockers and corners and hacked off the back of the tub I’m using. Next step is to cut off the back section of the $50 tub piece and get it the right length.

Progress pictures attached

 

[baggednissan]

Looks to be a pretty sweet build so far.

 

[stevesc1]

Looks to be a pretty sweet build so far.

Thanks! The last picture was when I was starting to cut the tubing off. It was painful to take a sawzall and grinder and hack up 10 years of work in a couple of days! But now I feel better about it since I can see progress

 

[baggednissan]

I could only imagine kinda getting a Scrambler vide with that stretched tub.

 

[stevesc1]

Didn’t get anything done this week. Spent all week pulling the axles from the leftover yj frame because I had a buyer lined up for them. I did however find an engine. It is a GM crate 350 HO rated 330 hp and 380 torque. Hopefully it will still have decent low end power but if it doesn’t like to idle around I can always do a cam swap later. It has Vortec heads, edelbrock spread bore intake, and the guy I bought it from swapped out the Holley on it for a Quadrajet and swapped out the long tube headers for a set of ram horn manifolds.

 

[stevesc1]

Made a little more progress. I got the engine positioned in place and ordered some universal Chevy engine mounts from trans Dapt. Due to my engine off set and frame rail width I had to fabricate the frame part of the mounts but it looks like it will all work out

 

[stevesc1]

I also ordered a set of 2 1/2 ceramic coated ram horn manifolds from Summit and bolted one on loosely to see how it looked and to start thinking about how I want to run my exhaust. I’m thinking about running a 21/2 inch crossover from the passenger side under the oil pan and then joining with the exhaust from the drivers side using a merge collector going to a 3 inch single exhaust down the drivers side

 

[stevesc1]

I also cut the back section of the extra tub piece I had and got it sitting on the frame. Did a lot of grinding and fitting working on getting the two pieces to fit together good, and got it fairly close. I’m tired of grinding and checking and grinding more and checking so figure it’s close enough for now and I can fine tune it a little more before it’s welded together

 

[Monkeynono]

I ran my exhaust under the oil pan and down the driverside as well. I had big issues burning plug wires with the ramhorns till I went with ceramic boots. They have been good since.

 

[stevesc1]

I ran my exhaust under the oil pan and down the driverside as well. I had big issues burning plug wires with the ramhorns till I went with ceramic boots. They have been good since.

Did you route the wires over the manifolds or down around the back of the engine and then along the top of the oil pan and up to the plugs like the factory routing for corvettes that had ran horns?

 

[Monkeynono]

Did you route the wires over the manifolds or down around the back of the engine and then along the top of the oil pan and up to the plugs like the factory routing for corvettes that had ran horns?

Over the manifolds. The 4 middle one where the one I cooked, at the collector it gets really hot.

 

[Shreddinlettuce]

You need something mechanical to provide separation like these, bolt em to valve cover bolts

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

 

[stevesc1]

 

[stevesc1]

This is a photo off the web showing the typical routing for ram horns and factory style heat shields. I plan to route my wires similar to this

 

[stevesc1]

Working on body mounts now to weld on my frame. I got some 3.5 inch square tubing and cut it diagonally and then used a 1 1/2 inch hole saw to cut the hole for the body mount bushing. I got two finished and another two done except for cutting the hole. I decided to use use the factory style body mount bushings instead of Urethane so I bought a crown master kit from Summit that has the full set plus new bolts

 

[stevesc1]

The 14 bolt housing I have sitting under mine has a couple of issues. It has a cover bolt broken off in it and an EZ out broke off in the broken bolt. Plus I had cleaned it up good but it has been sitting so long it has heavy surface rust on the inside. I should have wiped down the inside with oil after I washed it out real good. So I stumbled accross a 14 bolt a guy up in Virginia had for sale so I put down a deposit on it and will drive up in a few weeks and get it. It had the correct 5.13 ratio I needed to match the front and had a grizzly locker. It is freshly built so all I will need to do is have my spring perches and shock mounts welded on and then I can swap over my disc brake kit from the one I have under it now. This will be a time saver.