Got a problem ...

[Mudrat]

After all the work into this YJ, I started putting on a brush guard. What I found is the body is 1.5 inches to the Drivers side? Measuring the middle of the bumper and placing the Manik guard on it hit hte P fender and cleared the drivers side. The p-side tire also sticks out way more than the drivers side??

Looking closer, I found the drivers shock tower to be .75 inches and the passenger tower just over 2.75 inches???? All the welds on the frame look original and I can't see any bends or crooks.

Any ideas on what's going on here??

Pat

[Mudrat]

I've still got a problem - and nobody has any comments?

This shows the grill is off center to the drivers side about 1.5"

http://members.cox.net/mudrat/87-YJ/Grill-1.jpg (http://members.cox.net/mudrat/87-YJ/Grill.jpg)

This shows the fender alignment with the frame

http://members.cox.net/mudrat/87-YJ/front.jpg


And this is from the back looking front showing the drivers tire under the flair, but the passenger is way right? (it's confusing with such a narrow Jeep I know :t: )

http://members.cox.net/mudrat/87-YJ/rear.jpg :t:

[rollbar]

Broken mounts for the tub.
Axle springs bent.
Just came from the factory like that, I know some of the older Jeeps had the rears set off to the passenger side just a bit, my CJ & my friends yJ are set to the passenger side just a bit but not that much.

Hummmm,
RollBar

[rollbar]

P.S. It's a yJ. :shock: :mrgreen: it's supose to be off/square.

[Bendaman]

Have you had the jeep since new? Did you look under the grill has it been changed or modified in any way? :-| Please keep us posted on what you find out???

[Mudrat]

P.S. It's a yJ. :shock: :mrgreen: it's supose to be off/square.

Ha ha Jim :wink: - It's square in the head-lights department anyway. :t:

The body mounts are straight, crushed and cracked, but not crooked (I have a new set of Poly's to put in). It's a new RE 4" lift and went together quite easily. Maybe THAT should have been my first clue for a problem - something EASY on a Jeep :!:
I also noticed the front spring mounts are tweaked toward the passenger side today??? But tweaked that direction SHOULD move the axle left towards the driver - right?

The Warn rock sliders fit on with no problem also. They'r flush with the body panels and cover the rockers up to the front wheel well - over the fender seam.

Bedaman - I bought this one (cheap) from some friends of ours after their boy got caught by the local Gendarms, doing donuts in the elementary school sand box :shock: After that 'incident' he went on to total his Mustang (the Jeep replacement??), that only had about 2500 miles on it. A 16 year old has no business behind the wheel of a sports car with an SVT motor!!! :shock: :shock:

I haven't looked under the grill mount yet to see if it's sheard off, but he hood fits square with the tub and the fender latches ???

This is the same YJ that had the blown fuze block. None of the back lights or turn signals were working and I found a hole the size of a quarter where the brake light fuze should have been.

[Lifted79CJ7]

That sucks Pat. I would say start measuring from the back of the YJ to the front. Look for differences between the outside of the frame rail to the side of the body (outside sheetmetal wall). You should notice one of two things - the bend is gradual through the Jeep or there is one bend where maybe that kid bent the frame somehow. Wonder if it was ever hit in the front - driverside front fender...... :(:

My frame is a little crooked where I did some repairs and didn't brace it before hand. I need to go back and clean it up. Keep us updated...

[JeepsAndGuns]

My guess is that the frame has gotten tweeked from being wrecked. Looking at those pics, then looking at my YJ I dont see how the body would line up with the mounts on the frome with it being that far off, unless the body bent with the frame. Do any of the doors or the hood have more of a gap on one end and not the other? Should be pretty even all the way around. My suggestion would be to go to a frame shop and have them check it out. They might be able to straighten it for you.

[Mudrat]

OK, just took some measurements ... (8PM and still, 92 out there w/a heat index of 108 :shock: )

The body to frame measurements at the front and rear body mounts are equal both sides.
Spring perch & front hangers is 30 5/8" - rear mount is 30 13/16? (what's 3/16ths worth in an alignment?)
From the body to the shock towers 3/4 on the driver and 2-3/4 on the passenger!
Now the interesting part ... I looked and reached up under the grill at the mount - and the grill mount is off center?!?!? :shock:
The mount is located center frame, but off set to the passenger side by ~1.5 (where the white line is) :(:

http://members.cox.net/mudrat/87-YJ/Grill-1.jpg

Now the questions are:
1) why - is the mount off center?
2) how'd they get the hood to line up with the fenders and the cowl?
3) why are the front of the springs pointing right?

I'm going to drop some plumb lines and check the square just to be sure before spending $$ on a frame shop.

Thanks for the input y'all. Now I have to figure out how to unscrew this.

Pat

[Lifted79CJ7]

Another measurement that might help - is the front bumper 90 degrees to the frame rail? Man, sorry about this...al that work just to find this at the last minute...

[Mudrat]

Another measurement that might help - is the front bumper 90 degrees to the frame rail? Man, sorry about this...al that work just to find this at the last minute...
Didn't put a square on it, but looks like it. I'll know for sure when I drop the plumb lines.

Good thought though :t:

[pyagid]

did you try taking some measurements from the spec sheet?

http://www.yagid.com/pic/Tech/yjframe.jpg

found in this post
http://www.bulltear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1318

I know it will be tough with everythign bolted on, but it should allow you to figure out where something is off

Also is the trac bar still in there? Is it long enough for the lift or is it pushing the front axle over. ALthough from the pics it looks like the body is off, not the axles



-Paul

[Mudrat]

Thanks Paul, saves me a trip to the TSM for measurements. I haven't dropped the plumb lines yet. The day from hell continues ... it was 105 when I left Chesapeake at 1500 and now (at 1945) it's still 100* with heat index of 113*.

No trac bars are installed - 'cause they wouldn't fit :shock:

The problem that I think I found is the grill mount is not in the middle of the grill. 111!!! If you look at the pic above, the frame center is marked by a white line, the grill center by the red one. The grill-to-frame mount is where the white line is, NOT the center of the grill???

To freak'n hot and tired to go work on it now. I'll wait until it rains (maybe) and cools things down. Don't mind seating in the humidity, but not basting myself in the sauna :!:

Pat :mrgreen:

[youdidwhat]

looks to me like it was hit on the front drivers side and someone at a frame shop was in a hurry, or not very good at his job.

runa VIN check to see if it has been in a shop to do any body work .

though by the looks of it some one did it on there own time and would not have reported it.

another possibility is a hard hit on the trail. but you would have rembered that.

just my opnion.

[Mudrat]

Thanks guys ... here's what I found ...
If you look at the pic you can see the white line in the center of the frame. What "Somebody" did was - for some reason - was remove the bolt from the mount, to pull the grill or what ever. It looks like they bolted the fenders on and back to the grill before they bolted the grill to the chassis.
They must have given up trying to bolt the grill in when they couldn't find the nut inside the grill (and yes it's still there). They DID have the mount aligned with the right side alignment hole. Problem is the bolt goes in the middle hole where the nut is 111!!!
They had 1/2 the body mount in there with no bolt :shock: So as we have been driving it, it all shifted left until it contacted the drivers shock tower since that is the only thing keeping the fenders/grill from moving :idea:
So far I've unbolted the grill, jacked it up and replaced the upper body bushing but got stopped by rain and dinner. Tomorrow I'll put the come-along on a tree strap thru the grill and pull the whole mess over and replace the bottom bushing and install a bolt :t:
I'm just glad it wasn't something serious!!

Thanks again for the ideas, and it's good to know the frame is really square - well within 3/16 inch anyway =D>

Pat

[Mudrat]

Well CRAP!!!

Back to square (headlight) one :smile:

Got the grill centered (and bowed the P-fender) skewed the body lines and the freak'n hood wouldn't line up or latch.

http://members.cox.net/smallville2/grill-hood-sm.JPG

So I re-offcentered the grill, pulled the body back straight and I'm looking for a frame shop. Got too much invested to just trash this project because of a bent frame :(: If it's not salvageable - gunna be a bunch of new and/or reconditioned YJ stuff hitting the market.

[Lifted79CJ7]

#-o

[Mudrat]

Well got this beotch back from the frame shop after exchanging $360.

BUT it drives MUCH better and the steering wheel is a bit straighter :t: So it's now down at the inspection station =D>

Pat

[JeepsAndGuns]

Glad to hear you got it fixed. How bad was it bent?

$360 doesnt sound too bad to straighten a frame. But I have never had to have any frame work done. So I dont know if thats a good price or not. But I would have thought it would have been more than that.

[Mudrat]

Glad to hear you got it fixed. How bad was it bent?
It was out 1.3 inches to the P-side. After correcting the frame, front end was out less than an RCH for castor/camber but I took it to another shop for an alignment and inspection.
Then I get a call from them that they can't find the lug-nut locks. OH CRAP Where IS the key to the locking lug-nuts ?? After 15 min of panick I find it in my truck :oops: When I get there with the key, the Tech tels me the machine they have (is antique) is not big enough to handle 33's ? 111!!! So hopefully they will take pity on me and that they have to turn me away from the alignment (and the no-smog hook ups) and pass this thing for state :oops:

Pat

[Lifted79CJ7]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that they pass you! [-o< I bet Erin is getting stoked!!

[Mudrat]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that they pass you! [-o< I bet Erin is getting stoked!!
You shoulda had something else crossed - failed because the turn indicator lights INSIDE didn't work all the outside markers are good??? Got to find the open wire (probably a ground since both lights are out) and take it back over :(:

She is fired up, but thinks Gigi's 'Burbon is her chariott and Gigi her chauffer 111!!!

[Lifted79CJ7]

a) God, I hate Virginia!! :(:

b) Man are guys and girls different, I couldn't wait for my own wheels - let alone a fully built Jeep!!! 111!!!

[Mudrat]

a) God, I hate Virginia!! :(:

b) Man are guys and girls different, I couldn't wait for my own wheels - let alone a fully built Jeep!!! 111!!!
Wellll .... it's 100 acording to the thermometer here, heat index over 110 so I ain't working on crap outside :!:

But I do have the A/C unit fired up in the shop where it's a 'balmy' 85 111!!!
But because today it today - I still ain't work'n out there :mrgreen:

Besides, Today I'm now on the backside of the century mark and us old farts have a mind of our own 8)

Mudrat (aka: the old fart #-o )