November 27, 201312 yr Author Engine crossmember fitted in permanent location and 90% finished. Weirdo piece of the old trooper body mounts that made a nice temporary holder for the steering column so it can be moved around for the time being.
November 28, 201312 yr Author Well, after being able to roll it around some I found the steering rack was not in the right place. Toe was correct straight ahead but as you turned the wheel, the toe would go WAAAAY inward. Not good. A look up under my buddy's stock 86 Trooper Diesel revealed that the stock draglink/centerlink moved in a location further up, and back from where I mounted the rack. This centerlink location is where I really need to place the steering rack to keep the stock Geometry. The post above pic shows how the steering was, in relation to the diff mount/mustache bar. And here is how it is now. Had to notch the channel the rack is mounted in. And relocate the mustache bar above the rack. Here was the other issue that's fixed now. The frame rail curve was forcing me to mount the rack lower than I wanted whilst in the first position. Moving it back placed it JUST inside the curve so I could get it higher up, perhaps a 1/2" or less forward of the stock location. .I think it will be good enough seeing as this thing will never see pavement......I dunno.....gotta hook it up behind a cart and pull it around the lot to test the steering a bit more maybe. Also, here is the rear diff mount plate. Recyled piece of Rubicon transfercase plate, and the outer end of the stock trooper crossmember. A bit ugly but tough as heck. Tried heating this jeep plate to bend and it would not budge, cherry red hot.....it's strong steel for the thickness. I like how it sticks out to the sides some and gaurds the Inner axle cups a bit.
December 4, 201312 yr Author Hmmmmm.......Just found this and it got me thinking. http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z146/1992Roo/MadeupHatchVersionoftheXTTurbo.jpg
December 9, 201312 yr Author Progress has been slowed by the unussually fridgid temps here lately. I did manange to get the trans crossmember mounting finished up. so the whole drivetrain mounts are in place. Once the body goes on, the engine and trans can go in. Progress was slowed somewhat by this. It's very unusual for this area. And it's all still here 4 days later. It's been welllllllll below freezing for a week straight. My boys standing on the pond. Wonder if I could drive the Subie on it??
December 10, 201312 yr LoL, Great work. My progress has hit the same snag as yours (I'm just down the 5 in Medford, we got up to 22° today). Can't wait to see more, this should be one heck of a wheeler!
January 5, 201412 yr Author Alright......Back to work on this Be-atch Nothing too exciting. Finally got the frame on the trailer, and towed it over to my buddy's house to use the big D/C Generator welder to do this: He's also got the nice air "needle" power slag remval tool....so I took the chance to clean up alot of the slag before painting. Finally ready to mount the body!!!
January 28, 201412 yr Author WELL THEN< MOUNT THE BEATCH!!!! LOL can't wait to see this..... Request Granted. Front view.......narrow offset Nissan rims used for rolling it under the body between the logs. lol.. The wheels for it will be wider offset and not look so stupid. Camber should settle out once the weight of the engine is in and it's on 33's It fit perfect on the mounts I made. Still needs alot of work Engine, Trans, Drivelines, Brakes.....and that's after I actually fully finish attaching the body. But this thing WILL be moshin' the pit by April. Game back on.
January 29, 201412 yr Author is the frame gonna get moved backwards a bit?It looks all sorts of wrong. It needs to be shoved about 1 inch back from where it sits to meet the mounts I've made, but mostly that's the way it will sit. The front wheels are intentionally waaay forward of stock. Front fenders will get trimmed out and flared for clearance Baja style. The rear wheel wells will get trimmed out for the wheel clearance. But not much....remember the rear wheels travel backwards in their arc when compressed. The body behind the rear wheel will get chopped out for departure angle.
March 4, 201412 yr So uh. . . Any progress? poke poke Something to look forward to. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/uploads/gallery/album_137/gallery_142_137_1360569757_3680.jpg
March 4, 201412 yr Author I got a set of 33" BFGs for it mounted up on wheels. they're ATs though But they will work for set up of the final body mounts and wheel well treatment Thanks for the inspiring pic
March 9, 201412 yr Bravo sir! I admire your ability to think up something so custom, but still ACTUALLY build it! I wish I had saved a pic I mocked up to the frame in Paint when you first unveiled the body. it was fairly accurate! Keep up the good work, Good luck! Just commenting to follow Isn't there a follow button up top?
March 9, 201412 yr yeah, i see that now sorry. i do have a request for gloyale... if its not too much trouble, do you have any close up pics of the body mounts with the body attached? (contemplating future projects)
March 9, 201412 yr While the idea is intriguing to me, and I want to see it finished.That is a hacked up piece of spoob. lol.
March 10, 201412 yr Author Body mount pics when the body is actually mounted. We got good weather this week.....so should get to it.....then again......gotta pay bills before I fart around with this pile o'spoob madness.......so awesome when it's done though.....
March 14, 201412 yr Author Body moved forward. And the first of the welded mounting points fixed. It's not moving again without a grinder. A few pics of the mounting blocks. These will get more gussets later.
March 14, 201412 yr more betterer! That alignment is gonna help you in the long run. Can't wait to see it rollin. When is that comp you are getting ready for? cheers, me
March 14, 201412 yr SWEET! sorry to clutter here... but the coilovers i see hanging in the rear wheel wells in this picture... what ever happened to them? im interested in buying if the price is right...
March 14, 201412 yr Author SWEET! sorry to clutter here... but the coilovers i see hanging in the rear wheel wells in this picture... what ever happened to them? im interested in buying if the price is right... They are junk. One's bent.....the other has no rebound or dampening Both had the springs cut down about 2" for a ghetto lowride job back when it was a car. more betterer! That alignment is gonna help you in the long run. Can't wait to see it rollin. When is that comp you are getting ready for? cheers, me It's on;y forward from where it had been about 2". Just enough. I thought it was Early may......but they had an early event in Februaury at the same location.......so I don't if there will be another in May. Gonna just keep pluggin along.
March 15, 201412 yr Author A little more today. Hard to get anything done.....every time I get set to weld....the wind picks up.....a 1mph breeze is enough to completely blow away my shielding gasses........aaaaarrrrrrrgggghhhhhh!!! WARNING! THE WELDS YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE ARE CRAP.................and will be blasted over with the 220v machine, in the still air of a nice warm shop.......once I get this thing trailer ready with steering..LOL Her first flex.........isn't it adorable....... Drivers side rear wheel well clearanced......this is almost completely flexed out......the bumpstops will hit before it touches the body now. I cut the outer skin away, and pounded the inner fenderwell until it met up with the new edge, then welded.....ugly.....damn wind.....but it's good enough.
March 16, 201412 yr Author Steering and front sheet metal removal. Front Fender. Took a bit too much maybe? Whatever......She's ready for 35s!!! Notice anything missing? upper radiator support, and hood latch gone.......Radiator will be in the back seat....So no need to have support there......Hood will be a piece of sheetmetal or fiberglass and close with pins.........backpack blower snorkel piece mocked up. It will be outside the fender when installed. Longest steering coupler I've ever made. Turbine shaft from 4EAT trans worked perfect.... And finally.......The lump..... 88 XT N/A w/ Spider intake.....Courtesy of WonderWedgie88 IIRC I know.....I know.......It should get an EJ.....but I like the N/A EA82 MPFI and the huge radiator capacity should keep it under control. Besides......I want to keep it "stock" lol Edited March 16, 201412 yr by Gloyale
March 17, 201412 yr Author More work on the front end. Bolted 2 of the 3 radius rod plate holes down to the frame.......had to make some curved pieces to leave access to the trans cross member bolts. And some work on the rear end.....These sliders will be multipurpose......Slide the rump roast end off of obstacles, form a frame for gas tank protection, gaurd at least part of the axles and inner cups when backing up, and will be anchors for the rear bumper/winch reciever hitch. And it will stiffen the mounting point of the rear diff. Only had enough steel to do one side so far. Much more reinforcement will be added. The gas tank gaurd, middle section part will be bolt in later so I can still drop the tank if needed. Edited March 17, 201412 yr by Gloyale
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