Highlander's Bronco Upgrades

[720Racer]

Meaning adjusting the tension on the inner ball to ensure it's not too tight and not too loose as the plastic "washers" wear. Tearing them all apart to clean and/or replace the plastic "washers". And of course, greasing them too. I just think that they will require a little more attention in the long run.

This all just my theory. I could be talk'n out my arse!

I think they'll need more attention, but less replacement than heims. The plastic washers are acutally bearing grade nylon, so hopefully they don't wear too fast. I'm sure it will depend on how/where they get used/abused, and how often they are greased. I hope the maintence is not too much of a hastle, in a few years, the rebuild kit for $12.99 will look pretty good compaired to new heims. Are the Jonny Joints adjustable as the races wear? I thought they had snap rings on both sides?

[highlander]

I think they'll need more attention, but less replacement than heims. The plastic washers are acutally bearing grade nylon, so hopefully they don't wear too fast. I'm sure it will depend on how/where they get used/abused, and how often they are greased. I hope the maintence is not too much of a hastle, in a few years, the rebuild kit for $12.99 will look pretty good compaired to new heims. Are the Jonny Joints adjustable as the races wear? I thought they had snap rings on both sides?

The JJ have a snap ring on one side, preload is set using shims (actually just one washer of diffrent thickness). But, I know a few people who have them on daily drivers and have not had to reset the preload in over two years.
I would expect there life to be close to the life of a TRE or knuckle ball joint.

[Lars]

Kent Anderson at Currie told me once that the Johnny Joints on their Jeepspeed Cherokee would go a couple of seasons without needing anything other than grease. Sounded pretty good to me. A rebuildable joint for 35 bucks, hard to go wrong. Besides that, for a street-driven rig at least it's nice to have the compliance you get from the urethane bushing. A little less noise and vibration being transferred to the chassis is a good thing.

[crawlin68]

Another issue that I had with my JJ on my anti wrap bar was when my rear axle articulated, it quickly maxed out the flex on the joint.

[Lars]

Another issue that I had with my JJ on my anti wrap bar was when my rear axle articulated, it quickly maxed out the flex on the joint.

Fortunately that's not a problem with a linked suspension where you have a joint at both ends of a link- in that case you get twice the misalignment that you did with your wrap bar.

[crawlin68]

Fortunately that's not a problem with a linked suspension where you have a joint at both ends of a link- in that case you get twice the misalignment that you did with your wrap bar.

If you have a jam nut on both joints and the joints are locked so that they are level with eachother, how do you get any more flex out of joints?

[720Racer]

If you have a jam nut on both joints and the joints are locked so that they are level with eachother, how do you get any more flex out of joints?

I think he means 1 joint = 15*, 2 joints = 30*

[crawlin68]

The more I thought about it, I think I know what he is saying. So as long as you use a JJ at each end of your links (8 joints) you should theoretically get 30 degrees of flex out of each link. The axle will articulate 15 degrees and then max the joint out at the axle end of the link. Then whole link will start to rotate, thus flexing the upper frame end joint another 15 degrees until it maxes out. But if you max both the upper and lower joint, your axle will be at 30 degrees to your frame and you are the man!

[Lars]

I think he means 1 joint = 15*, 2 joints = 30*

Ding! That's it.

[Lars]

The more I thought about it, I think I know what he is saying. So as long as you use a JJ at each end of your links (8 joints) you should theoretically get 30 degrees of flex out of each link. The axle will articulate 15 degrees and then max the joint out at the axle end of the link. Then whole link will start to rotate, thus flexing the upper frame end joint another 15 degrees until it maxes out. But if you max both the upper and lower joint, your axle will be at 30 degrees to your frame and you are the man!

JJ's will work fine- it's done all the time. Besides, they can rotate more than the average heim already, and heims are also common. It's all good... now build it so the rest of us can drool!

[highlander]

Well after smoking the C4 on memerial weekend at Bald Mt. and having to drive all the way out the trail in reverse (no forward gears) it is time to get to work. Now is the time to get the doubler in and eth 4-link going. I got some stuff done, tranny and old exhaust came out. I'm dropping the C4 off tomorrow for a rebuild. I disassembled, cleaned and drilled/tapped the Dana 300/Ford circle pattern in the dodge 203. I will blast it tomorrow and hopefully all the rebuild parts will be here for this weekend to put it back together. My goal is to have it on the trail again by June 22.
On the list to do:
1. Fab TC shifters
2. Rebuild D20 and add HD output
3. Reinstall tranny and TC's
4. Fab cross-member
5. Shave 9" housing and fab top and backbone truss
6. Strip leaf springs and hangers
7. Install 4-link and new spring mounts
8. Install new headers and fab exhaust
9. Install 24 gallon tank
10. Have new driveshafts made.
10. Shave rockers and fab new skis (can wait)
11. Fab rear bumper/tire rack (can wait)

[Bronco Brian]

I got some stuff done, tranny and old exhaust came out. I'm dropping the C4 off tomorrow for a rebuild. I disassembled, cleaned and drilled/tapped the Dana 300/Ford circle pattern in the dodge 203. I will blast it tomorrow and hopefully all the rebuild parts will be here for this weekend to put it back together. My goal is to have it on the trail again by June 22.
On the list to do:
1. Fab TC shifters
2. Rebuild D20 and add HD output
3. Reinstall tranny and TC's
4. Fab cross-member
5. Shave 9" housing and fab top and backbone truss
6. Strip leaf springs and hangers
7. Install 4-link and new spring mounts
8. Install new headers and fab exhaust
9. Install 24 gallon tank
10. Have new driveshafts made.
10. Shave rockers and fab new skis (can wait)
11. Fab rear bumper/tire rack (can wait)

Just had to use it

[highlander]

I know, I figured I didn't get to the good stuff yet! Soon

[FordCore]

june 22 .......what are you building and ARK!

[highlander]

Here's a few pics of some stuff I have done.

Installed WH/JBA shorty headers, Drilled new pattern in 203 for C4/D300 adapter, fabbed a bracket to weld shifter linkage to on new adapter. Drilling this case is sort of a pain to mark all the wholes using the adapter, I set the adapter in place the marked a large spot with a sharpie then I used a drill bit the size of the whole in the adapter by hand to make a mark. Then removed the adapter and punched the marks for drilling. The holes that are partially blocked by the adapter are the toughest. Plus I spent several hours trying to decide how to clock it, and then changed my mind and redrilled it so now I have two clocking options. (I know it looks like swiss cheese now) I also ran a bolt through the case from the inside for the one existing hole that needs to be plugged to seal. I then cut the head flush and use a punch to set the threads to keep it from possibly backing out and falling inside the case.