88 YJ-CJ Rear of Jeep + Front Bumper

Knocking some more miscellaneous tasks off the list.  The 100 degree weather definitely slows me down!  

Rear Frame Shackle Bushing Removal

Almost every rubber part will be replaced because of wear/aging - including the rear shackle bushings in the frame.  The rear shackle bolts can be very difficult to remove because Jeep decided to install the bolts from inside the frame.  When you try to remove the bolt, it hits the gas tank.  So, you have to dig out the bushings and the metal sleeve to manipulate the bolt clear of the gas tank.  It's just way harder than it needs to be.  That being said, it wasn't too bad.  

Everything actually came apart pretty easily:

Old parts removed - these will be replaced with the freshly painted parts...after the frame tie-ins are installed.

Frame Tie Ins

The rear crossmember is very thin sheet metal, and it is not well-secured to the frame.  

The common solution is to add an extra bracket between the frame and rear crossmember - "frame tie ins".  Here's an example on a Jeep TJ.  Jeep YJ frame tie in brackets are very similar, but they have to be welded into place.  I installed a set of frame tie ins on my 95 YJ many years ago when I installed the rear bumper tire carrier.  

I am doing the frame tie in brackets now, since I will be welding right next to the new shackle bushings.

Jeep YJ frame tie in brackets can be found at stores, but they are not common parts.  They are about $85 with shipping.  

I didn't want to pay that much for a couple of steel angles, so I am making the frame tie ins.  I started with a simple cardboard template and 3/16" steel:

A Swag Brake was used for the bends: 

The rest of the cuts will be made on the Swag Vertical Bandsaw:

Cut to shape.  Still need to be marked and drilled

Passenger Side marked and ready to drill:

Passenger Side:

Driver's side - marked and ready to drill.  The extra length will also be removed.  

Driver's Side:

Holes drilled.  After this, I slotted the bumper holes to match the crossmember on the mill.  

Slotted holes match the crossmember:

Test fit:

Passenger side welded, cleaned, primed and painted.  (the paint is still wet)

Driver's side welded, cleaned, primed and painted.  (the paint is still wet)

The crossmember paint was in poor shape, so I took the opportunity to repaint the crossmember too:

Rear Frame Shackle Bushing Installation

Now that the frame tie-in brackets are done, all these shackle bushing parts will be re-installed after the paint dries for a day or two.

Front Bumper

The existing front bumper is a stock YJ bumper that has been shortened.  I want to keep it classic, so I am going back to a full-length stock YJ bumper, which looks very close to a CJ stock bumper.  

Existing stock YJ short bumper:

CJ stock bumper - simple, classic look:

YJ Stock bumper - it basically looks identical to the one above except for the two extra holes.  I'll probably weld the extra holes closed.  

I picked up a free stock YJ bumper from a nice guy nearby.  It's has bedliner on it, which isn't ideal.  But it looks straight.  I'll remove the bedliner, fill any extra holes and repaint it black. 

Next step...remove the bedliner.  I can't seem to get away from this stuff.

Coated and wrapped up in Saran Wrap to let the Citrus Strip do its thing.  I'll leave it 24 hours or so.  

It only took 12 hours for it to completely bubble the bedliner:

It scraped off off easily and cleanly with a putty knife.

The bumper is in great shape. No dents, and it is laser straight. It has a 1993 date stamp on it, so it's evidently a factory original.

The factory finish gets softened in the stripping process and can't be saved. I'm doing another session of Citrus Strip to remove the rest of the original factory paint.

The factory paint came off pretty easily after about 8 hours of Citrus Strip and Saran Wrap.  The bumper is really pretty awesome - no rust...no dents...very straight.  

I applied another layer of Citrus Strip to the inside of the bumper.  It'll set overnight.  

Fully cleaned and ready for new paint:

Looks like this was from a 1993 YJ:

Inside primed and painted:

Outside primed.  It was painted too, but I didn't take a picture.  I'll show it installed in a future post.  

TJ Front Bumper Comparison

I've got a stock Jeep TJ bumper in my parts stash.  I was comparing it to my old shortened stock YJ bumper, and the difference in thickness was pretty amazing.  The TJ is about half the thickness of the YJ bumper.