View Single Post
  #10  
Old 10-06-2014, 06:00 PM
Gojeep's Avatar
Gojeep Gojeep is offline
MetalShaper of the Month March 2015, March 2020,, June 2022,Aug 2023
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Eastern Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 2,986
Default


Just to show things are still moving along. Second frame has had everything removed that unbolts.
Only rust so far is in one of the stiffening plates that I wont be needing anyway, so that is good.


Next step is to remove all suspension brackets, cross members and stiffening plates.


Been sitting like this for a couple of months but there is a little progress again. Been working on my other Jeep and went on holidays and then into hospital due to back injury. Just getting well enough now to do a bit of work on this once more, but nothing worth showing for a week or so yet.


I have decided to run the 58 grille on the right instead of the 48 grille that matches the chassis year on the left. The reason is the I will be widening it and adding an extra grille slot to each side in the process. The 58 will end up with 10 slots just like the original 48 one.


You can see why they call the later style 'pointy nose'. It also looks narrower due to the extra depth in the grille, but by the time I add two extra grille slots, will look similar to the flatter 48 on the left.


The de-construction has finally finished!!!
Chassis now just a couple of rails.


and some cross members and a box full of brackets.

Now a lot of time needed to clean the rails and to inspect them. Done a couple of faces already and showing none of the frame cracking or large areas of rust pitting the 58 rails had so think I will be going with these instead. Who would have thought that the 10 year older 48 rails would be so much better. I have found 4 layers of paint on them though, so must have gotten better care over the years. The 58 rails had the original factory paint only.

Got a start on the rails.


With the front of the frame where it needs to be over the chalk line, you can see how much the rear needs to come over.


Leaving the first frame bend as is but adding a second bend a bit further along. This will allow me to run the rails parallel under the cab so I can fit the Grand Cherokee's fuel tank next to the driveshaft as it was installed on that vehicle.


Quickly made up a primitive break to make the bend in the frame rail. Was originally a piece of I beam I got out of a scrap bin over 20 years ago! The slot will go over the one of the flanges as didn't want to cut the whole thing shorter in case I need the extra length later on.


Centred the bend to be square to the middle part of the rail so I wouldn't get a twist in the rail like I already have from the factory bends! Also made sure the rail was exactly square to the press bed.


As expected there was some buckling due to the compression on the flanges. I over bent the rail a bit on purpose as expect the bend to straighten some when I remove these buckles.


Some sledge and dolly work removed the buckles and ended up with just the angle I required. Had to use a short handled sledge due to these frame rails being 3/16" thick rather than 1/8" that you find on cars of the same era.


Can see now the frame follows the chalk line from the front to the end of the cab section. Camera angle makes it look slightly off, but that is due to the front being off the ground.


Next up will be the rear end. Needs the stock bend taken out to start with.


Worked it out to match the needed suspension pickup points as well.


Both rails coming along. Next will be raising the rear above the axle 4" and the front 1.5" to get full upward suspension travel and not sit up high in the air.


One of the rails had 2.5 degrees of twist in the end of the rail. So removed it by holding the rail in the press, bolting an old piece of channel to one of the existing holes in the frame where the twist was, then bouncing my whole body weight on the end of the channel. Came straight out.
Simple but effective.


This is the point where the front of the Grands engine and suspension cradle will bolt on underneath. It needed to be 226mm, so need to raise the frame to match.


Used a triangle calculator, http://www.smex.net.au/Reference/TriangleCalc.htm to quickly workout how many degrees the bend, where it comes up from under the cab, needed to increase. Only needed just over 2 degrees which turned out to be a cutoff saw blade width.


Line was scribed halfway in the curve and a right angle to it, then cut stopping an inch short of the flange. The reason I do it this way is that the bend in the lower flange will remain smoother and no obvious change will be seen. If you don't have a press, then can stop just before the flange and just pull the cut closed by hand.


The cut was fully bevelled so full penetration will take place when it is welded back up. Then placed in the press to close the gap. Needed very little pressure and didn't distort the web of the channel.


I tacked it while still in the press to stop it moving when the pressure was released.


Got it right where I wanted.


I have some rust repairs to do where the rail kicks up before the rear axle. Doesn't look too bad but there is a pin hole all the way through at one point.


Both rails have it in the exact same spot as dirt gathered behind the cross member and stiffening plate that was riveted in here. Only the stiffening plate itself suffered rust as well, but going to be replaced with a full length boxing plate anyway. I will cut this away, then do the kick up in the same spot before welding in a replacement section of frame.

OK, getting on with it a bit more.


Finally feel I'm in the construction phase now as got my first bottle of gas for my mig I bought three years ago. First weld out of the gun welding up the rail where it was bent upwards. Gave good penetration all the way through so not bad first up. Have put the old arc welder I have been using up until now in the corner.


Cleaned up the weld a bit. Will do a better job later on. Just need to make fish plates for the back of the joins.


Cutting out the rusted section in the rear kick up now.


This is my starting height where the rail sits over the rear axle centreline. Looking at gaining 100mm or 4" to match the height it was stock on the Grand Cherokee.


The first bend will be where the rust was cut away. So the flat section on the floor is what goes under the cab before kicking up over the axle.


Decided to just press the first bend seeing I already had so much cut away. Calculated I needed a 7.5* increase. Can already see the change in height. Now have to bend the rear section so it is parallel once again with the ground.


So cut out a 7.5* wedge out of the frame.


Worked out rather well


Showing penetration on the back side of the weld. The round bit off the the side was the old hole in the rail.


Left welding the flange as had rusted out above where the bump stop was.


Cut the section out and made it a little longer to remove some of the holes at the same time.


Cut a piece to fit and hammered in a matching curve. Brought back memories of my Blacksmith/Farriering days of my youth.


Getting used to the welder. First pass on the right was too hot so turned it down a touch for the other two passes.


This gives a good representation of the changes I just made to the first rail placed behind the stock one.


Both done.
__________________
Marcus
aka. Gojeep
Victoria, Australia
http://willyshotrod.com

Invention is a combination of brains and materials.
The more brains you use, the less materials you need.

Last edited by Gojeep; 03-07-2020 at 07:17 AM.
Reply With Quote