CJ-3B

[jpet]

So when you are finished with the roll cage, I assume you are going to test it?   

[Oilleaker1]

The reason he put the bows near the trees is so they are bonded and used to them. The Jeep will feel at home that way when lying on it's side next to them.  8-)

[Bob W]

Around here the bows/cage will rub a lot of trees, the trails are tight here.

[Bob W]

Here is the fenderwell cage support angle, still needs to have the mounting bolt holes drilled, a rear vertical support added, and everything welded together.




Got the front hoop bent.




Purchased another tool to help fabricate the roll cage connector components...

[Bob W]

Started making the tubes that go between the bows today. One end was easy, just used a tubing notcher. The other end required the Pipe Master to transfer the shape over to the tube and then hand cut the complicated curves.

[Bob W]

Slowly making headway...

[jpet]

Looks good!

[Bob W]

Finally got all the pieces made up and tack welded together, then pulled the cage/top bow assembly out of the Jeep to complete the welding.

[Bob W]

The top bow/roll cage is bolted in.

Next up, install parking brake hardware at the wheels. I removed the transfer case parking brake for more ground clearance. Got the left side done tonight...




Also installing right thread wheel studs. I don't have anything against left threads on the left side but the front are already right thread and I like to standardize things.

[JeepFever]

My '3A also has RH threads on front.� �The only LH are on driver rear.� � I will be replacing those at some point.

Standardizing is good . .� if all are RH, then no need to think about which way to loosen/tighten.�

Oh . . rollbar looks great.    Hopefully you never need to use it.   

[aboyandhisdog]

The only LH are on driver rear.

Same with mine.  Which begs the question...why did Willys use left threads at all on the wheels and shackles?  Were all manufacturers of the day doing this?  Wouldn't they have first actually tested the premise that LHT's are even needed at all?  What were they thinking?

[oldtime]

What were they thinking?

I believe the practice of LH threads on the LH side goes back to the days of horse and buggys.
All buckboards and wagons used LH treaded spindle nuts on the LH side of the carriage.
Otherwise the spindle would loosen while traveling foreward. Horse carriages were never backed up any great distances.

It's rather strange because the actual front Willys spindle nut is RH threaded and secured with a lockwasher and jam nut.

[athawk11]

Next up, install parking brake hardware at the wheels. I removed the transfer case parking brake for more ground clearance. Got the left side done tonight...

This is interesting, but I'm confused.  When the cable is pulled, what happens in there?

The bars look great. 

[Bob W]

why did Willys use left threads at all on the wheels and shackles?

As mentioned above the left threaded lug nuts on the left side was very common in the good old days. In theory they would not unintentionally loosen while driving down the road.

The two left threaded shackle bushings were for a different reason. They were only in the spring eye end of the shackle on opposite corners because when the bushing is tightened it tends to open the spring eye making it easy to tighten (and difficult to loosen). Thus two right thread and two left thread bushings at the spring ends. At the frame side they were all right thread because the hole is solid so it didn't matter.

[Bob W]

When the cable is pulled, what happens in there?

When the cable is pulled the bottom of the arm moves toward the front (left). This pushes the upper connecting strut toward the front applying the front brake shoe. Since the arm pivots at the top in the rear brake shoe this motion also pushes the rear brake shoe toward the rear applying it.