Are we there yet?

Done! Well... almost. The rigs are driveable and, from what we can tell without actually taking them on a test run, wheel-able. The plan was to get these done with time to test. But a month of rain, Joe's travel schedule, and a host of minor set-backs didn't allow such luxury. That being said... we've been to Moab with much worse worries.

Joe's had a last minute issue this weekend. Lowering the front suspension created some issues on the steering. In taking apart the trac-bar, we also found a developing crack. The TJ mount for the trac-bar is cast and notorious for either ripping off the frame or in our case, cracking. Some last minute fabrication fixed the issue. It was dark by the time we got Joe's rig out of the garage last night. The digital camera didn't like trying to take pictures of a black painted object at night... so we don't have good images yet. Joe's latest photos.

Clint's rig got some final issues nailed down... mainly wiring. We ran out of time to fabricate a dash. The OEM gauges and switches are functionally in place via a few pieces of aluminum strap. The new seats and harnesses were put in. A radiator reservoir was fashioned out of a gatorade bottle. Hey, it's as funtional as the cheesy aftermarket offerings at Autozone and O'Reilly's and is less noticeable and space consuming. The winch is wired up and ready for new rope which is supposed to arrive today courtesy of RockStomper. Btw, Clint's RCI harnesses were ordered from Jegs last Thursday and showed up Saturday morning. That's some quick standard shipping! The main issue resolved was alignment of the new PSC pump pulley. We went with a shorter belt due to clearance issues with the new shock hoops. The new pump wasn't setup for use with the old adapter bracket. After numerous fine adjustments to the bracket, we got the pulley to line up. Dennis can probably uninstall/install one of these blind folded now. Interestingly... the new belt is the same as one for a 5.0L Mustang motor. We're claiming a bump in horespower on Thump just because. Clint's latest photos.

Look out Moab... here we come!