TheSamba.com :: View topic - DesertBob's "Last" Baja (Trail Ready at last!)

Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:39 am

WOW.....looks good!..where did you get the thing parts?

Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:47 am

bizmarkie wrote: WOW.....looks good!..where did you get the thing parts?

Thanks, Both the Front and Rear Thing parts came by way of Samba Members. The front end was found by "1967 BAJA" who sent me the Craigslist link. The rear end was purchased from "MATTT" who sent me a PM.

Thu Sep 25, 2008 3:14 pm

Nice work Bob! :D

Did you paint the inside of the transaxle? :?

Look forward to another trip with ya. This time you'll have a baja!
(again ;) )

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:30 pm

I have been busy boy the last month. Rebuilt my brakes - new everything. Put studs in my drums which was a much harder job than I imagined. Skid - thanks for all of the help! There will be a frozen bottle of Gentlemen's Jack in the freezer on our next outing with your name on it. Bought new tires and rims. The fronts are Nanco 700R15LT from MooreParts and the rears are Khumo Road Venture AT 9.50x30x15 from a local dealer who only charged me 11.00 to mount and balance the fronts. Finally starting to look like a Baja. I really like the stance with the Thing Front and Rear Arms with 1 tooth of preload. Hopefully my 7100 Bilsteins will get in this week.

Front Drums with Studs

Front Tires

Rear Tires

Baja From the Rear

Finally looking like a Baja!

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:31 pm

NICE!!!

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:38 pm

Very nice!! What's the trick with the press in studs? I currently have thread-in studs (with red loctite), but a couple of them come out. Did you drill/press them in?

BTW, love the big ol' EMPI on the exhaust!! Now I don't feel so bad about mine!!

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:42 pm

To install the studs we had to drill out the drums. Then a special tool was used to create a flat counter sink. I am a Software Engineer so I don't remember the tool that was used to do this. However it looked really cool. Then we had to "press" them in with a BFH. Talk about arm pump and black finger nails. We should have used a press. Oh well. Do that 19 more times and then you have it.

I couldn't believe how hard it was to find an exhaust with heat risers. I was told that Tri-Mill made an exhaust with them but both MooreParts and So Cal Imports said that theirs did not. That is why I went with the EMPI Exhaust. It fit well and it will most likely rust out in a year but at least I didn't pay much for it. :lol:

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:56 pm

I think I'm gonna find a machine shop with a press, or buy one of them HF presses. As for the exhaust, I have searched high and low to find a Tri-Mil style exhaust with heat risers, no luck. So I am going to fab my own. Mine's getting bead blasted, and then I'm gonna fab my heat riser connections.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:42 pm

Looks good Bob, glad the Thing parts worked out! I'm putting on my Thing front and rear stuff soon, your bug is inspiring me to hurry the bleep up!! :D

Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:20 pm

After you get that exhaust hot a couple of times take a green scrubby pad to it to clean the cheap black paint off. After that get some POR20 and coat it. Get it hot again then coat it again. You should be good for years.

Eric.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:24 pm

DesertBob wrote: To install the studs we had to drill out the drums. Then a special tool was used to create a flat counter sink. I am a Software Engineer so I don't remember the tool that was used to do this. However it looked really cool. Then we had to "press" them in with a BFH. Talk about arm pump and black finger nails. We should have used a press. Oh well. Do that 19 more times and then you have it.

I believe the correct term for that tool is "Spot face". It is like a drill, sort of, but has a straight section of shank at the tip which fits in the hole you have drilled (should be 9/16" for Sway-A-Way studs). This is about 1/2" long. Then there is a cutting section which is the desired diameter a little larger than the stud head. The specific diameter isn't real particular, as long as it allows the head of the stud to set down flat. Make sure you get one with a bit of a rdius so the drum doesn't get a sharp edge cut where it would be likely to crack. The shank of the tool is typically 1/2" to fit in a drill chuck or mill collet. A press is definitely better for pressing the studs in. 12 ton works fine. I have a fixture I made for installing the studs with a pair of sockets to set previously installed studs in and a piece of 1-1/2" bar with a 5/8" hole in it for the stud being pressed. The top of all of these are at the same level. They are welded to the face of a 3/4" plate.

Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:40 am

Very nice work Bob... glad to see the rebuilt carb on it and that it's running well.

Makes me wish I had time and money for a "fun" project like yours.

Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:09 am

You have been a busy kid Bob. Looks Good! 8)

Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:31 pm

Looking sharp Bob! Your Baja has come together very nicely, well built. I'm glad to see those Thing parts cleaned up and worked well for you. Can't wait to make it out on another run with you and everyone else. I just have to find the time and money to fix all my junk. Buggy...no fire in the hole. Thing.....clunk, clunk, clunk coming the bell housing area.

Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:19 pm

UncleDirty wrote: You have been a busy kid Bob. Looks Good! 8)

Kid....He called me a kid...I like that. My wife calls me a child from time to time and my girls tell me to grow up (eyes rolling) all of the time. But never a kid. :D

Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:05 am

Here is my latest update. Looks like I won't be ready by Thanksgiving but I will be in the desert before next year if it kills me. I need to install the bumpers, get the external lights (turn and flasher) mounted and get a roll cage so I can put in some seat belts and I should be good to go for at least a trail ride.

Here is some of the stuff I have done since my last post.

Finished cleaning and debugging my wiring harness. Everything works now.

Wiring Before

Wiring After

Bought a new Steering Wheel from Summit Racing and found a very nice Speedo at Pomona Swapmeet.

Painted my pans so they won't rust. Will be putting Pickup Bed liner on after the roll cage gets installed.

Finally got my new Class 11 Bilstein 7100s from eShock. Don't they looka nice!

Front Shocks

Front Shocks Installed

Rear Shocks

Rear Shocks Installed

Installed my new Race Trim Seats

Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:40 am

You've been a busy "Kid" to use Uncle Dirty's term.

There was a time when I hated being called that, because people used it to show their lack of respect for me. Now I like hearing it...Funny what 30 little short years will do for how you see things...

LOL

Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:15 am

Looks great! What model shocks did you end up with? Also, what's the diameter on that steering wheel? I put one of those little 13" ones on mine. I'm fine with it off road, but it does block my speedo.

Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:29 am

How do you like the Race Trims? Can you give us a close up of the mount? And you're running reservoir shocks all the way around? Where did you mount the reservoirs?

Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:34 am

dustymojave wrote: You've been a busy "Kid" to use Uncle Dirty's term.

There was a time when I hated being called that, because people used it to show their lack of respect for me. Now I like hearing it...Funny what 30 little short years will do for how you see things...

LOL

Oh I don't mind being called a kid at 50. I have been called a lot worse. :lol: