Topic: fordh8r's 84 Xtra-bad Daily Driver

[fordh8r]

And now for the other fun stuff. 

1)   The stock backing plate

2)   Since im not a fan of the brake line support bracket being removed, I did this to my backing plates.  8)

3)   Also, the I cut a slot in the bracket so the brake line will fit through it without having to break open the brake line
      whenever a repair is needed which eliminates the need to bleed the brakes especially if this turned into a field repair. Less
      mess and less time wasted on the trail wrenching.

[jimbo74]

looking good as always......

[KDXSR5]

That is the exact same way I cut mine when I did it. Works really well.

[TimberlineBryce]

Good info on the wheel studs thanks fordh8r!!

[fordh8r [OP]]

Good info on the wheel studs thanks fordh8r!!

Thanks! And you're welcome.   I have another Stupid-Cheap and simple upgrade for the rubber hood adjusters too. I have to post the pictures later. 8)

[fordh8r [OP]]

Ok, time for an update!     I sourced a sway bar from a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a local wrecking yard. I used the stock mounting brackets and bushings since the bushings were in really good shape.  8)


Here's the sway bar mounted to the frame using 1.5" square tubing. The bar is also flipped from its stock mounting in the Jeep. I welded nuts on the inside of the tubing to reuse the stock bracket mounting hardware. I welded the tubing to the frame and then moved on to making the end links.


I made a spacer to attach the heim to the sway bar end and reused the stock bolt from the stock link ends. You can also see here where I welded the clevis to the spring plate for attaching the other heim of the link end.


Here's the clevis and pin I used for attaching the lower end of the link end and this is where the quick disconnect takes place. The clevis I used was a leftover part from a brake clevis off a heavy duty truck. The pin is 1/2" and needed some polishing to slip through the heim end. 


I also had to do some slight rerouting of the exhaust since the tubing and brackets interfered with the previous location of the exhaust. Granted, this set up is temporary until I get my V6 swap done later. 


Here's the bar all the way up and it clears the exhaust comfortably without issue. 


Here's the finished link end. You can see more clearly the clevis welded to the spring plate. There's 1/2" All-Thread connecting the heims with nuts to jam the assembly together.


Here's the assembly and how it all ties together with the exhaust and other surrounding components. 



I mentioned doing some exhaust work to clear the square tubing on the frame on the left side. I also had to reconfigure the shock mounting for the square tubing on the right side.  That's a mod I wanted to do anyway. I will post that upgrade next.

[fordh8r [OP]]

Here's my shock mounting upgrade I did just before heading to MCR last September. 

I used 2" square tubing for the main crossover tube and welded 2" square tubing to the ends which are set and welded to the top side of the frame centered over the bumpstop brackets on the frame.  8)


I used the plasma cutter to cut out the opening on the bottom side of the tube and then drilled multiple mounting holes for the shocks in the drill press. 


I cleaned up the edges and removed the seam on the inside of the tubing for the shocks to fit inside for mounting. 


Here's the shocks in the tubing and you can see where the tubing is welded to the frame. 


Here's what the overall install looks like. You can see that the shocks have adjustable mounting points.  8)


NOTE:  I have since changed the lower shock mounts since they didn't allow enough up travel. I will add photos of that later. 

[*** YELLER ***]

Ok now I want both of those upgrades you just did let me rephrase that I NEED THEM especially the sway bar mod that I need more than anything, oh and the shocks toooo no really we need to ol' buddy

[fordh8r [OP]]

Anytime, Bro! You know that!

[*** YELLER ***]

yea Im gonna need to bring my rig to you one day so it can be expertly massaged by the master

[fordh8r [OP]]

yea Im gonna need to bring my rig to you one day so it can be expertly massaged by the master

Yer not saying you want me to massage your junk, are you? 

[*** YELLER ***]

you did last time I asked so i figured it was ok to ask again

[fordh8r [OP]]

you did last time I asked so i figured it was ok to ask again

I swear I had no idea, it wasn't me, i mean...I mean...AHHHHH     Yeah, ok....   

[*** YELLER ***]

I swear I had no idea, it wasn't me, i mean...I mean...AHHHHH     Yeah, ok....   

my brotha from anotha motha :\

[fordh8r [OP]]

Well, if there was any question as to what also led me to use the bar from the Jeep. Here's the answer. While the Sway bar from a ford Exploder is a (dare I say it?) fine choice for a sourced part, the sway bar from the Jeep clearly has a larger diameter to it. That was something I liked about it. Plus, the offset in the middle of the bar makes it more rigid than the straight middle section of the ford sway bar. 

[fordh8r [OP]]

I got more mods I've done that you may like, Yeller. But you would have seen these in person had you gone to MCR.   

[brockbuilt85]

dave i know a guy with a trailer sitting in his front yard you can use to get ur junk down there......

[brockbuilt85]

oh and as usual, nice work man, looks good!

[fordh8r [OP]]

Thanks, Cody.

[Jaysen]

Nice sway bar setup!

[fordh8r [OP]]

Thanks, Jaysen.

[THK Matt]

Hows that sway bar setup working out?

[fordh8r [OP]]

It .   I love having it and makes daily driving a real pleasure.

[*** YELLER ***]

why cant I see the pictures of the sway bar anymore

[fordh8r [OP]]

It's top secret.  mmmmm actually.....     

[Tallchevy]

The last time the forum got updated the pictures went away, even the ones on my build 

[fordh8r [OP]]

A bunch of mine were gone too but they eventually came back. I think I posted these after that updateupdate. I almost think it's the photobucket links that are messed ip. I'll have to look at it when I get a chance. 

[Tallchevy]

I went to my redo thread and the first pic isn't there but the link under is. I clicked on it and my phone down loaded the pic. Not sure what's going on 

[brockbuilt85]

Its a conspiracy i tell ya!

[fordh8r [OP]]

why cant I see the pictures of the sway bar anymore

Fixed it for ya, buddy!