When the girls were younger and we lived in Michigan, we landed on multi-purpose sport racks to haul bikes up to Mackinac Island in the summer and skis in the winter.  The first rack (c. 1990) was a real inexpensive Bic (Yes, the same Bic that got famous with ballpoint pens!) that was OK for skis but a bit flimsy for bikes.  With the Bic rack it always seemed like we were one curve or one stop away from dumping everything.  Version 2.0 (c. 1993) was a slick Yakima cross-bar and track system that tied into the luggage rack on the ZJ we had at the time. 

The ZJ is long gone, but the rack endured.  Even though the Yakima rack was very stable and relatively easy to load/unload, getting the bikes on/off the roof of an SUV without scratching paint or getting “painted” with grease, mud, and on the return trips from Mackinac Island, horseshit was a challenge.  Having spent all of the time/effort to convert the coil spring suspension to the Airock system suggested that the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J was already too tall and the last thing it needed was an additional 3-4 feet of height.

I played around with Visio and came up with a plan for using the tracks from the Yakima rack to work as a receiver hitch style rack.

The heavy gauge steel frame was overkill, but it used leftover material from the trailer build.  In this picture you can see the raw steel from the first “test fitting.”  Plan “A” was to have the bikes facing opposite directions to balance the load and minimize the rear overhang, but it turned out that the handlebars actually fit tighter when the bikes were facing the same direction.  Plan “B” had the bikes facing the other direction, but having a rear “facing” kickstand is a real advantage during the loading/unloading process.

More overkill with the gussets on the cross as they are 1/4” steel, but it was the only flat strip scrap I had left in the pile.

  As this was a custom part, I could “nest” the bikes tightly and trim the length of the tail piece to minimize the rear overhang.  During the test fitting process the rear projection was cut by ~6” from the paper plan. 

In the base of the receiver you can see the locking pin.  That hole was a critical dimension as the goal is to have a tight fit to minimize slop in the connection and the corresponding noise.

Once the dimensions were set and the frame was welded, time for paint.  In this picture you can see the critical alignment of the holes for the two tracks.  Yakima slides the heads of carriage bolts through the T-slots in the bottom of their extruded aluminum tracks to secure them to the rack frame.  A lot of the techniques for precision drilling learned (the hard way) in fabbing the trailer came in handy here!

In this picture you can see the rack completely assembled.   You also get a preview of the polished out tub.  A couple of days with a buffing wheel and some compound really made a difference on the body.  (More to come!)

To test the rack, we loaded the bikes and headed off to Milford (~20 min drive) and biked over to Loveland for lunch. (~18 mi round trip.)   Other than the suspension’s active compensation seeming a bit busier than normal, you’d hardly know they were back there. 

Considering that the Yakima parts are ~15 yrs old, it looks pretty good.  (The only parts purchased in this project were 10 stainless carriage bolts, as even the paint was a leftover.)

Here’s the view back into Ohio

These pictures taken from the trip inspired me to get a cheap buffer from HF to do something about the mill finish on the body of the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J.  

Lessons learned on this trip included:

• Steering improvements are making a big difference in the feel of the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J.  Since making the steering box adjustment you can comfortably go ~10mph faster on narrow two lanes and passing is nowhere the same adventure.
• During the winter I’ll look at changing to a longer pitman. While 1-ton D60’s are required by nature to steer like a truck, it feels like the steering radius is suffering from a too short arm due to interference with the tie-rod.  It’s working great, but…
• The bikini top is a great invention, but in its natural state it literally flops in the breeze as you hit 35 mph and creates kind of a sub-woofer that increases in amplitude (intensity) and frequency as you accelerate.   Took a page from the longer safari-style tops and created a center strap out of ballistic webbing between the windshield header and the roll bar that tightens the top and damps the oscillation to ~60 mph.    At anything sub-Interstate speeds, it’s 1000% better!
• The power to weight ratio of the cammed 6.0L is such that a r-e-a-l light touch on the throttle is all that’s needed to hit max-legal speeds.  It’s actually hard to keep such a light touch on a high CG vehicle that while lots better than a typical CJ/TJ has a fair degree of bucking and tossing. This puts a real priority on fixing the cruise control this winter!

The first “real” road trip for the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J was to the Brown County Fair also known as “The  Little State Fair” about 30 mi southeast of Cincinnati.  (“Real” means – Destination >= Journey)  It was a perfect evening and our friends from the neighborhood invited us to join the ~80K attendees who view the exhibits and attend the demolition derby that is included in the $7 price of admission.  The only downer was that Significant Other chose to ride with our friends as the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J  was deemed a bit too primitive.

The Fair is really a neat affair and in an election year finds over half the visitors were running for some sort of office or supporting their favorite candidate/proposition with a t-shirt.   If the Fair weren’t so authentic, you could easily mistake it for a caricature of rural America.

It was fun seeing the pursuit of perfection in bunnies, lambs, and hogs.  I also learned a lot about the trees and crops in the region and was surprised to see how the State also supported the wine producers.  Next year’s “Must See BCF” includes the beef tenderloin sandwiches at the Brown County Beef Producers tent and the Potato Chip “flower” (i.e. What happens when you spiral slice a raw potato and deep fry it?) booth; both were perfect examples of transforming Fair to Outstanding!

Other than eating and visiting displays, I also validated the wow-factor of the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J as the loud exhaust resonated literally and figuratively with the younger set along with some of the cartoonish dimensions.  It was a hit.  From a tech perspective I learned:

• Headlamp aim is w-a-a-a-a-a-y off.  The lamps seep to point straight down and effectively illuminate the first 30-50.’  Somehow I lost the power to the auxiliary lights, so they were no help. 
• Steering is still a bit vague with ~2-3” of slack in the wheel.  The perception is exacerbated by the steering wheel being off by ~45°   (This also inhibits proper cancellation of the turn signals.)
  • The slop ended up being a simple fix by adjusting a top screw on the steering box and centering the steering wheel was only a bit more complicated
• There is some wander in the rear suspension
  • Turns out it was due to incorrect bolt size in the shock mounts allowing minor disruptions in the rear track.  Changing from 7/16” hardware to the correct metric bolts eliminated the slop and made for a much more solid feel.
• Heater blows cold air.   I’m guessing that there is insufficient vacuum in the connection I chose to drive the flow control valve.  The seat heaters do work and will get us through the Fall.
• Need to rewire Cruise Control circuit.  The installed switch logic is simply wrong.  It should be an easy fix, but my Ver 1.0 dashboard design makes it hard to perform these kinds of mods without taking down the whole dash.  (Arghhhh!)  This too will be added to the Winter “to-do” list.
• While not a luxury vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J needs a cup holder or two.  There is no place that securely holds either full or empty drinks.  Big mistake!
• The torque convertor clutch (“TCC”) was engaging very early and had a tendency to stick (Stay in gear) when rolling into a stop.  This was a new symptom that appeared shortly after replacing the VSS reluctor ring.
  • Based on the trouble codes from the scan tool, it looked like an electrical problem or a faulty TCC solenoid.  While doing the reluctor ring fix, I also addressed a Transfer Case (“TC”) shifter cable routing issue and I had inadvertently pinched the cable loom connecting the transmission controls to the powertrain control module.  Fortunately, it was a simple fix, but it took a day’s worth of teardown and reinstallation to get to it. (Doh!)

 The good great news was that the Jeep formerly known as WTF-J actually performed well and there was no need for the roadside assistance provisions of the insurance coverage. 

Next time it’s Citius, Altius, Fortius!

  and had it powder coated here in Cincy.  The roll cage is about 1" taller than I had planned, but it just fits under the garage door with the AiRock suspension at full drop.  (Thank heaven for air suspensions!)

If you look carefully, you’ll also see the bikini top over the passenger compartment. (More on the top later…)

I lost my phone in Phoenix last week and replaced it with a new HP iPaq 910.  It took the picture in the garage and this video that shows the radio and the push button start.

[QUICKTIME "http://www.hachiya.us/Jeep/Images/video_01.3gp" 176 144]

Phil also fixed the steering and upper control arm issues, so the front end is looking pretty good.

Though fun while it lasted, you can understand the State’s reluctance to being unwittingly conscripted into displaying the autre entendre of WTF-J. 

Surrendering the offending registration materials at the BMV, the clerk asked; "What does WTFJ mean to you?"  A quick feint and the answer "My daughter suggested that someone at the State probably wondered WTF I was thinking when requesting that plate?" got a chuckle from the counter staff.

So, "WTFJ" is dead, long live "Jeepish"  At least as long as the Duke says "It’s Okay!"

Ohio has a nifty Web based process for reserving vanity plates, but requires an existing registration/tag number.  New registrations use a PDF based form, but require an in-person visit.  While you can’t complete the registration, you can check to see whether the personalized plate is available, and "WTF J" came up a winner.

Bright and early on Monday morning, with completed form in hand and a blank check, I headed down to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles ("BMV") office.  The clerk checked on their official computers and sho’ nuff, the WTF-J will be officially known by the State as "WTF J" (No dashes are available on Ohio license plates.)  Five minutes and $93.75 later later I have the magic paper.  Woo Hoo!  (Note: The Ohio BMV continues to impress.  Every single interaction has been pleasant, efficient, and anything but bureaucratic.  Wish I understood why they get it and the US Postal Service counter staff doesn’t) 

One problem is that all of the instructions are to put the temporary tag in the back window.  Ummm, the WTF-J doesn’t have one, but that’s a secondary issue at best.

Made a couple of laps around the sub-division to make sure that everything was working.  (OK, I’ll admit it; the route of the maiden voyage kept me within walking distance of the trailer that was hooked to the pickup in case the WTF-J developed the automotive equivalent of stage fright.)  It was all good, so the time came to venture out to get in on some of that $3.55/gal. gas. 

Safely made it back to the subdivision, but stopping at a friend’s house set off an alarm at the home front when my wife came home and the WTF-J was inexplicably MIA.  The absence prompted her to call my mobile to confirm that I wasn’t broken down on the side of the road. 

Beyond the contribution to global warming, one other byproduct of all the driving around included the GPS and the compass in the mirror finishing their calibration routines, so the WTF-J now knows where it’s at and has a good sense of direction.  (We should all be so fortunate.)  I also realized that big tires, big horsepower and a fairly short wheelbase is r-e-a-l sensitive to tire pressure and wheel alignment!

One of my daughters suggests that the WTF-J is like a new child in our household; if that’s true, then today is similar to that day when your youngest child takes their first steps, but given the paper from the State, let’s call it Graduation Day.

• Year – 1984
• Make) -  AMC
• Body Type – SW
• Model -  SCR

With that on the Title, the WTF-J is an official ’84 Jeep Scrambler.  All set to pick up plates, but the nice young lady at the DMV noticed that my birthday was on Sunday, so she suggested waiting ’til Monday.  (The registration regulations in Ohio charge an additional $27 for the balance of the year after a certain point.)  Normally, the right here, right now genes would kick in, but the surprising courtesy and intelligence of the BMV clerk got through. 

Woohoo!

Our subdivision has a covenant that prohibits parking unregistered cars in driveways.  No license plate means the WTF-J is persona non grata and must seek sanctuary in the garage.  

The first attempt to title the WTF-J happened last year, but the Ohio BMV needed to physically inspect it.  They offered to sell me a 30-Day Temporary tag to drive it to the BMV office, but I passed, as it wasn’t much more than a rolling chassis.    The good news is that having purchased the core parts from an ’85 CJ-8 Scrambler, the WTF-J could be licensed and titled as an ’85.  The model year designation has significant implications vis-à-vis emissions and safety regulations, so this is a good thing, even better, in a couple of years, the WTF-J will be eligible for historical vehicle plates in Ohio, significantly reducing the annual registration effort. 

Last year was a virtual drought, so almost any day would have worked for the outing.  This year has been a different story, with sunny days few and far between. 

In the last installment of the WTF-J Chronicles, you may recall the problems with the transfer case shifting.  That problem was solved and the WTF-J was back in action.  (Note: In the cloud = silver lining category, the adjusted TC linkage forced a change in the heating outlets.  They had been hung under the dash on fabbed aluminum brackets, but the new throw on the TC levers would have required much longer brackets that would have exerted too much leverage on the dashboard.  The solution was to mount the vents on the firewall.  Aside from being a real pain to install, once there, it forces you to wonder why that wasn’t the first choice. 

So the time came to bundle the WTF-J off for its first inspection.  Picking up the trailer at the storage yard uncovered a defect in the trailer build.  When it was shiny and new, there was enough of an electrical ground in the trailer ball coupler to trick me into believing that it would not be necessary wire a dedicated ground.  Fast forward to today and the trip started off with no trailer lights and worse, no trailer brakes.  As none of the trailer electrical functions were working, the diagnosis of a bad ground was easy.  A test light shoved into the truck side of the connection, proved that there were no blown fuses/relays on that side, and a quick jumper between the truck chassis and the trailer frame confirmed the diagnosis.  Fifteen minutes and a couple of connections later, it was lights, (brakes too!) camera, action!

Having the TC shifters operational meant that walking the WTF-J onto the trailer was child’s play.  Between the power of the 6.0L and the jack-stands under the rear of the trailer during the loading process there was no drama and the 18′ length provides enough room to jockey the WTF-J into the center. 

The trip to the BMV would also be the first time towing any substantial weight on the trailer since it was first built.  Happy to say that it worked perfectly.  The torsion axles and the bulldog coupler combine for a real quiet and stable ride.  

The only disappointment with the trailer came from the recessed tie-down rings that were installed into the deck.  Their location rendered them essentially useless for securing the WTF-J.   (If you look closely at the picture, you’ll see the yellow patches virtually under the tires.)  The trailer has a 1/4" * 3" band that essentially provides unlimited tie-down point around the sides and back of the trailer, but the tie-down straps have oversized hooks that virtually require D-Rings.   After returning from the BMV, a quick trip to Tractor Supply and a quick session with the MIG and there are now weld on D-Rings in the four corners.

Made it to the BMV and the line was long, (Surprised?) but moved along quickly.  When it was my turn, the guy filled out a surprising number of forms (I only had to sign three of them!) and then it came time for the inspection.   Well, it turns out that the inspection is only a verification that the serial number plates match the (out of state) title.  (WTF-J’s core came out of Connecticut.)  WTF-J passed!  It probably didn’t hurt that the BMV rep was also a gear head, so we bonded on horsepower and torque discussions.  (I fired it up on the trailer so he could hear it.  It is reassuring to hear a public servant utter the word: "Sweet!")

The protocol in Ohio is that it takes up to 30-Days to get a Title, and you cannot complete the registration process without a Title, so once again, the offer of a temporary tag.  Since WTF-J doesn’t yet have seat belts of any kind and still needs a bunch of nit stuff to get roadworthy, it still doesn’t make sense.   (OK, so some people think that a muffler is more than a nit, but it really does sound "sweet" running open header according to the Official Representative of the Ohio BMV! )  Title application receipt in hand, it was time to head back to the house and put WTF-J back in the barn.

Enough excitement for one day!

More to come…

Saturday, I was able to take the WTF-J out of the garage for a test "drive."  (Going to the end of the driveway hardly constitutes a drive.)  The main objectives were to:

• Hose off a year’s worth of dust
• Fill the coolant system and check for leaks
• Test
  • Gauge Operations
  • Brakes
  • Transmission and T/C shifting
  • Steering
• Determine preliminary answer to the question: "Is it done yet?"
• Be able to say that I’ve actually driven it!

The good news is that it was about a 90% success!  The not unexpected news is that it ain’t done yet.

The first aw shucks came while filling the radiator.  Sure glad this was an initial fill using plain water outside, as a couple of the under hood hose connections were loose.  Easy fix.  Seems that one of the cool stainless heater hoses had a pin hole leak.  that can probably be fixed with the welder, but that will come later, for the time being  it was easier to get some plain old rubber hose and call it done.  I was also concerned about the heater connections inside the tub, but they appeared to be fine.  So the WTF-J appears to be high and dry

I was also concerned about the temp gauge, as it had always swung to the far right as if there was a defective ground, but as soon as the water hit it, the gauge started working.  The oil pressure gauge also has a weird behavior, as it too does the far right swing, but settles down as soon as the engine actually starts.   The tach and fuel gauges are another story , but it may be something as simple as pilot error on the connections or a missing ground.  I won’t know about the speedo ’til I farther than the end of the driveway.  (more to come…)

The transmission (main) shifter worked perfectly, but the transfer case shift barely worked at all.  The only gear that would engage was LOW on the front axle.  Only having front wheel drive in low made for fun braking as the engine was making mad torque.  In all of the excitement I also confirmed that the neutral safety switch works, as it will not start when the transmission is in Drive.  (It’s a good thing.)

• UPDATE:  The next day with some coaching from the PBB Forum, I was able to adjust the transfer case shift linkage to correct the shifting problem.   The 2nd outing should be a bit easier.  The bad news is that I will have to relocate the under-dash heater vents as they interfere with the (new) travel of the shift levers.  The good news is that it is now a simple matter to move the vents to the firewall and that will actually improve the heater’s ability to keep feet warm.  (Another good thing.)

The power steering continues to have a small leak at the rear of the P/S Pump, but it turns out that I need an O-Ring on that fitting and PSC Motorsports stuck one in the mail.  I also found that the transmission dipstick is the source of a small leak, but a quick search on the LS1Tech Forum found the answer.  (Unlike most dipsticks, this one has a specific installation protocol.  I’ll fix it when I re-do the T/C shift linkage.)

So, I’ve got some work to do before hauling this up to the BMV office to make it officially a Jeep.  In the mean time, here’s evidence of the first drive:

If you look closely, you can see the tire tracks that head toward the street.  That’s the effect from the low range torque multiplication fighting the brakes with brand new tires.  The WTF-J was wondering whether we would all get on the same page.

The good news was that I did not have to drain a fire extinguisher nor did anyone have to call 911, and I was able to pull it into the garage under its own power and stop before going through the wall into the dining room, so it was a good day!

More to come…