Lumpskie's "More Questions than Answers" build

[Lumpskie]

Waggy rust repair complete. I think Carl did a commendable job of matching the new wood grain to the faded stuff. He tinted a bit beneath the patch and got the colors a lot closer. I'm really happy that the rust won't be spreading from here. Now, when it snows, I can just enjoy the Jeep rather than worry about what the mag chloride is doing to the gaping rust spot!

Pictures:

[Tatsadasayago]

I'd put that repair job in the WIN column!

[Lumpskie]

I'd put that repair job in the WIN column!

Thanks Tats! I think the grain will match even better after it has been out in the sun and faded a bit.

[Lumpskie]

So, looking at this picture is giving me a wild hair... it makes me want to lift the rear .5" or so. I'm wondering if I should take the overload leaf off my stock spring pack, cut it down, and turn it into a mini spacer or similar for the rear springs. What do you guys think?

[Tatsadasayago]

If that was how mine sat with the usual amount of 'support' equipment inside, I would add 1-1.5" lift in the rear.
My rationale is: Better to sit a bit high in the rear than to load up, go camping and have the headlights in everyone's eyes.

Just say NO to Wag-Sag!©

[Lumpskie]

If that was how mine sat with the usual amount of 'support' equipment inside, I would add 1-1.5" lift in the rear.
My rationale is: Better to sit a bit high in the rear than to load up, go camping and have the headlights in everyone's eyes.

Just say NO to Wag-Sag!©

Yeah, the wag-sag is what I was trying to avoid. But, I'm also trying to do everything on the cheap... Maybe I should just buy the Rusty's 1" spacer instead...

[Tatsadasayago]

I was going to suggest a 1" spacer block for simplicity and cost.
I run 2" blocks and have never had a problem with axle wrap. I think it's due to the semi-elliptical and offset spring design.

[Nikkormat]

1 inch zero rate add a leaf from off road designs. $50 bucks and if you get another wild hair you can move the axle front or back to center it in the wheel well. I know some lifted FSJ's have a rear axle that migrated forward.

[Lumpskie]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I took some quick measurements this morning and it looks like the rear is ~.75" higher than the front already. So, I think adding a full inch to the rear might give it more rake than I'd like. The overload leaf is .5". So, adding it would give me 1.25" of rake. Even that might be too much for my taste. I'm going to go flex it on a rock and see how the rear packs compress. If they flatten out and I can't get them to negative arch, I might just switch the overload leaf over without cutting. Or, I might just leave well enough alone. Also, I'm going to use the bumper jack to try and lift the rear ~.5" to see what it looks like. I'll let you know what I find out!

[Lumpskie]

Here's what the Jeep would look like with .5" more lift in the rear.

[SemperFIGuy]

Mmhmmm, that gets my vote, but I went to school in the 80's and rake was in big time, bigger than that by far. I keep threatening my wife that some day I'm going to do a red, white, blue Javelin with an obnoxious amount rake and only play Billy Idol/Squire on the radio. I like it. I think I'll do mine that way as well.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

[Tatsadasayago]

If you could get that stance for daily driving, it would likely squat a bit and sit level with camping gear, dog and food in the back.

[Nikkormat]

IMHO go just a little higher, a quarter inch maybe.

[Lumpskie]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. If I didn't have "free" spacers with my overloads, I'd probably explore a little more lift. But given the ease and cost of using what I already have, I'm leaning that way. But, I can be persuaded!

I was curious if I could just use the overload springs without cutting them. So, I flexed out the rear suspension to see if the springs go into negative arch... turns out that they do. So, I'd need to cut the overloads to prevent a loss of flex.

Pics:

Compressed side:


Negative Arch:


Here's a better level picture. It's not bad the way it sits now. I think another .5" would be about perfect though.


I tried to take the spring pack apart but I couldn't get anything to grip the centering pin... it would just spin in bench vise. I'm trying to avoid cutting it but I might have to, given all the rust... Do you know if anyone would be interested in old Waggy springs anyway? Maybe I'll just take them to the metal recycler when I'm done...

[Lumpskie]

My buddy rented a cabin up in Idaho Springs for his Colorado visit. The Waggy seemed to really "fit" in that setting. Now, I want to buy a cabin!

[Lumpskie]

So the Waggy is acting like the fuel pump is going bad. It performs normally for short stints but, if I floor it from 0 to 60 or 70 mph, it will start starving for fuel. I had Wifey crank it while I held the end of the fuel line in a clear bottle... I wasn't impressed with the trickle I was seeing. I'm using an Airtex electric fuel pump that has only been on there for about a year. Can it be that the pump is going bad so quickly? (Has anyone heard of a pump going bad so quickly?) I'll try to hook up a fuel pressure gauge today to confirm. I've also ordered the Holley Red Top, just in case.

But, I'd love to hear if you guys think there might be a culprit besides the pump.

[jsinajeep]

I would to see if a clamp is loose or maybe a small hole in a line somewhere also.

[Lumpskie]

Hey Jerry,

Is there any easy way to check for a leak in the line using a pressure gauge? When I turn off the jeep, I'm pretty sure I loose all pressure at the carb but maybe there's somewhere upstream that is supposed to remain pressurized?

(Sorry for noob question)

[Lumpskie]

Here's what I discovered yesterday. I put a fuel pressure gauge upstream of the under-hood fuel filter and cranked away. I got 0 psi. So, I removed the fuel filter and cranked. I got 4-5psi and the Waggy fired right up. So, I took it out for a test drive with the gauge still attached and here's the interesting part. At idle and low throttle, I get around 4 psi. When I get heavy into the throttle, it drops to 0 psi but runs fine. I think that my Airtex pump is BARELY keeping up with demand under optimal conditions and, if any little blockage gets in there, it doesn't have enough juice to keep the engine running. I think it might be time to install a Holley Red Top. What do you guys think?

[jsinajeep]

I would change out the Airtex pump for sure. On most gauges you will have pressure drop on heavy throttle but not zero.