78 Chief WT Driver Build

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az chip
Posts: 1433
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2015 8:59 pm
Location: Mesa, AZ

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by az chip »

I bought the Bull Tear oil adapter. I am seeing better oil pressure. I did not use the midplate. I got one of those as well. No tapping the wheel. The cap is threaded.
'81 Cherokee Chief 81 WT Chief/MSD 6/Holley Sniper/ Rusty 4" Spring lift/ Bulltear oil adapter/K&P Engineering Oil Filter/ NP 208/ Serehill Light Harness/KC LED Headlights/ Evil Twin Fab Roof Rack and sliders/ Ross mirror mounts.

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1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Gotcha. Was looking to use the thinner flange style. Being that I will have to drill the wheels regardless, I figured the thinner flange style of cap would be easier to locate my holes for drilling, even if they are not the correct caps.

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1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Haven't updated in a while but have some other individual threads out there for different things (center caps, a/c). Figured I would post this one here. Lazy Sunday project.

Did not have a hold down for the battery tray when I got the jeep, so I got around to making one....for $2.

Used some aluminum to make a band. Drilled the battery tray out on the engine side and bolted the band there. Bolted the other side down where the old threaded nut is. Used some old vacuum line zip tied on to serve as protection as well as vibration dampening. Works pretty well all around and is plenty snug. Easy to remove as well.

Not a big project, but easy, cheap and functional.

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Last edited by 1979bettywhite on Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Haven't updated in a while but have some other individual threads out there for different things (center caps, a/c). Figured I would post this one here. Lazy Sunday project.

Did not have a hold down for the battery tray when I got the jeep, so u got around to making one....for $2.

Used some aluminum to make a band. Drilled the battery tray out on the engine side and bolted the band there. Bolted the other side down where the old threaded nut is. Used some old vacuum line zip tied on to serve as protection as well as vibration dampening. Works pretty well all around and is plenty snug. Easy to remove as well.

Not a big project, but easy, cheap and functional.

Image
Image
Image


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Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Well, I have had some more dreams/ideas for the Chief. Would like to get her ready to bring out to CO and UT sometime next spring/summer to venture and explore around a bit more out there. The idea will be to take 3-4 days to get out there, then spend a week or so (maybe two) exploring and camping out in the chief. I think a roof top tent will be my residency as I will probably have the girlfriend and dog with me. Maybe we won't break down on our adventure Image .

So I will be trying to prep her for the trip from here till the spring. So in doing so, I decided to once again pull all the interior out and add some extra sound dampening and potentially an extra layer of a thermal barrier. As well as take care of some more problem areas with some POR 15.

Cleaned up the doors some more. Had a couple spots of rust in the corners. So I wire wheeled those, cleaned them up then added some POR 15. Then added some fiberglass where it was the worst. Came out pretty good. Wound up going ahead and trading the whole bottom of the door. Matched up with the stock lines. I think it actually will look good once everything is back installed.

Using some 36 mil sound deadner material for the cab. May do the rear, but plan to have a few more items installed there that may help to dampen some sound as well (platform and storage etc.). Somewhat of a bare bones overland setup for us. Plan to also leave the back seat at home to give us some more space as well.

Almost got done with the cab tonight, but still have a few more spots to go. For those that have done this, have you noticed a difference? I plan on taking down the headliner and doing the roof as well. I think that will really make a difference. Although I am scared to remove the headliner as I am fearful it will come all apart on me when I do, lol. But I think it needs to come out so that I can sound dampen and insulate it fairly well.

ImageImageImageImage

superdave
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:18 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by superdave »

Looks good, that's what I need to do!
Dave Knoerzer
1977 Wagoneer 360/400/QT stock as far as I can tell

Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Got the cabin floor completed. Also, took off both door panels. The driver side "vapor barrier" was falling apart. So I got some 3.5 mil plastic and made my own. A little spray adhesive along the edges and it holds nicely. Also added some reflectix to the back of the door panels hopefully for a little more sound and temperature control.

ImageImage

Also I found that the ameriseal 19600 seal is almost identical to the stock style door seal. Can actually get it through walmart but not necessarily in their stores:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ameriseal-Si ... 3=&veh=sem

I installed it on both doors. Drivers door shuts great. Nice and tight. But the passenger door, not so much. It will shut and latch but not flush with the body. Shuts as if you did not close it hard enough but yet it still latched. Just not the full closing latch. Is there a way to adjust the latch? Or will I have to find some smaller weatherstripping, or remove the reflectix from the door panel to get it to close fully? Really like the fit of this weatherstripping. Think it will really seal the doors well.



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SJTD
Posts: 1923
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 12:02 pm
Location: Lompoc, Sunland or somewhere between

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by SJTD »

The strike on the pillar is adjustable.
Sic friatur crustulum

'84 GW with Nissan SD33T, early Chev NV4500, 300, narrowed Ford reverse 44, narrowed Ford 60, SOA/reversed shackle in fornt, lowered mount/flipped shackle in rear.

Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Well after a lot of messing with the passenger door, I finally had to succumb to its demands of being stubborn. I can use the new weather stripping all around the door except for the part of the door nearest the lock button. So in that 5" section I just cut the bubble section off that piece of weatherstripping and just have the party that covers the metal. Seems to still seal OK.

Got the roof soundproofed today:Image
Image

Headliner came out fine, but it had been flaking off for a while. Finally figured it out. I think a previous owner painted it to cover a couple pretty good stains on it.
Image

So I guess tomorrow's job will be to find a suitable paint to respray it with. Any suggestions there?

Also I put the new roof rack on so that I can now use the roof for things:

Image

I am keeping the old one. The best thing I could come up with to fill the old well but holes were these guys:

Image
Image

I plan to run a bead of silicone around the hole, then insert these guys. Hopefully that will seal it pretty well. Any other suggestions on how to best seal the old roof rack holes up?


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Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Well after a lot of messing with the passenger door, I finally had to succumb to its demands of being stubborn. I can use the new weather stripping all around the door except for the part of the door nearest the lock button. So in that 5" section I just cut the bubble section off that piece of weatherstripping and just have the part that covers the metal. Seems to still seal OK.

Got the roof soundproofed today:Image
Image

Headliner came out fine, but it had been flaking off for a while. Finally figured it out. I think a previous owner painted it to cover a couple pretty good stains on it.
Image

So I guess tomorrow's job will be to find a suitable paint to respray it with. Any suggestions there?

Also I put the new roof rack on so that I can now use the roof for carrying heavier things:

Image

I am keeping the old one. The best thing I could come up with to fill the old well nut holes were these guys:

Image
Image

I plan to run a bead of silicone around the hole, then insert these guys. Hopefully that will seal it pretty well. Any other suggestions on how to best seal the old roof rack holes up?


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SJTD
Posts: 1923
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 12:02 pm
Location: Lompoc, Sunland or somewhere between

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by SJTD »

Maybe could've bent the flange in that area?
Sic friatur crustulum

'84 GW with Nissan SD33T, early Chev NV4500, 300, narrowed Ford reverse 44, narrowed Ford 60, SOA/reversed shackle in fornt, lowered mount/flipped shackle in rear.

Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

Got the headliner painted today, although I think the color is a little light. But oh well. I can always pull it back out. The picture is with only one coat. Put a second on it. Used a matte finish exterior paint with a foam brush. Seemed to work well. Will get more pics up.

Put up some reflectix on top of the sound deadning.

Planned on using a flat piece of aluminum as a bow between the two halves. But the piece I have was a little too thin and flimsy to hold up the front half. So plan on getting another one a little heavier. Should work great to hold things up as well as cover the gap.

Almost ready to put the interior back in finally.

Image
Image


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dissinnick
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 12:53 pm

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by dissinnick »

What kind of rack was that?
How did the caps end up working?

Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

The rack I finally settled on was rhino rack.

Part numbers are as follows:
Gutter mounts: RL150S2 (sold in pairs)
Vortex cross bars: RRVA150B-2 (59" long, sold as a pair)

Rhino rack customer service was top notch in helping me get what I needed since it wasn't a standard application. Did not order from them either.

Gutter mounts are 5 9/10" tall which is a perfect mid height between a standard gutter mount (Thule, Yakima) and a high version of both.

ImageImage

Caps turned out great. Although there is some pitting still, they shined up nice, and after painting they really look pretty good. Used some standard metal polish, then enamel paint from hobby lobby in the model car isle. Colors matched amazingly.

Image
Image


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dissinnick
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 12:53 pm

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by dissinnick »

Awesome, I think as far as aftermarket racks go that looos clean and sharp.

What about the caps you used to fill the roof rack holes?

Topic author
1979bettywhite
Posts: 547
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:14 am

Re: 78 Chief WT Driver Build

Post by 1979bettywhite »

I agree on the rack. And I tried three of them and looked at countless pictures online. I think Rhino Rack does an excellent job with their products. And they have been proven over the years on many rigs. If you are looking to go a little more extreme, their Pioneer rack is a great fit. It was used on the ROAMR Wagoneer Project a few years ago:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/170 ... or-roamin/

But it is a little pricey for what I wanted.

As far as the OEM roof rack holes go, take a look up a couple posts.

Found some stainless hole plugs with the spider teeth on the backside at my local ACE hardware. Ran a bead of silicone around the base of each and pushed into the openings on the outside. Of course underneath they are hidden by the headliner.

This way if I ever want to put the stock roof rack back on, it's an easy job (minus dropping the headliner out of course).
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