[wanderernomad]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Amazing what you have achieved here. This is truly awesome way to travel and enjoy nature. I was reading about another pricey build in australia and here it is. May be helps inspire you further.

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/check-...ntu-1795989303

Thanks,
Maddy

Thank you for the kind words. we took it out for a trail run and you can read about it here

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...trailer-2.html

And yes I plan on making something like that one day to spend the rest of my life roaming the world.

[visky]

Phew. What a journey. Just completed reading the entire thread & enjoyed every bit of it. The vehicle looks stunning. Hope you enjoy this vehicle for many more miles to come.

[wanderernomad]

Though the Jeep is being used very less now a days but still it is giving a lot of weekend offroad pleasure. Has become the favorite of the gang to roll topless and performs extremely well in most of the conditions. Has needed a tow just once, in all these years, after it failed to clear the lip of the incline during the last outing. That was due to sandy conditions, cross axle situations near to the top, a sharp incline with a very short run up. Some pictures and a video.

http://youtu.be/mitLKa9JV_E

[wanderernomad]

Guys planning to bring the length back to the original cj3b length. Pros and cons of doing it now. Please advise. The extended chassis has clear cut points where it was extended by Mahindra after welding section to the original one. Plan is to remove these add ons and then weld back the original frame.

[captainkevin]

Wow! Your journey with the jeep seems like quite an interesting one! Ronin looks robust and ever ready to drive off the roads. To an old school Mahindra jeep lover like me, reading this thread and viewing photographs of your stunning jeep was nothing less than a feast for my eyes. Thanks a lot for linking this thread in my CJ 500D thread. Keep the updates coming!

What is the current wheelbase and wheel track?
What is your light setup like?
Which tyres are you running?

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys planning to bring the length back to the original cj3b length.

Why you want shorten it? Other than looks I dont see any other benefit (I am sure you are not worried about parking space ).
Length of CJ500 is more useful and better for offroad. You better invest in a good engine, you will enjoy it more.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys planning to bring the length back to the original cj3b length. Pros and cons of doing it now. Please advise. The extended chassis has clear cut points where it was extended by Mahindra after welding section to the original one. Plan is to remove these add ons and then weld back the original frame.

Buy a good condition CL500 frame and mount a proper body on it. The frame will cost you around 5-7k. Better than doing all the welding.

[wanderernomad]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Buy a good condition CL500 frame and mount a proper body on it. The frame will cost you around 5-7k. Better than doing all the welding.

Wont that be more work than simple welding and cut job?

And there is no reason other than the looks for the chop job. All jeeps here are the short wheel base ones and the girls want to shorten it now. Space is not that much of a requirement as we use the trailer during camping and weekend off roading also has just 2 of us in the jeep most of the tme.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys planning to bring the length back to the original cj3b length. ...

Just realized that you need it in the CJ3B length, if so, a better option would be to cut it and weld it - ONLY BECAUSE you wont get good condition SWB chassis nowadays.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Wont that be more work than simple welding and cut job?

Cutting a chassis and welding it back is not that simple, its not cutting pieces off, its chopping it in half and shortening it by welding it back. The alignment needs to be taken care of in a proper late. Dont do it in a workshop, do it from a machine shop with proper jigs and fixtures.

[wanderernomad]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

J

Cutting a chassis and welding it back is not that simple, its not cutting pieces off, its chopping it in half and shortening it by welding it back. The alignment needs to be taken care of in a proper late. Dont do it in a workshop, do it from a machine shop with proper jigs and fixtures.

I am getting it done from a guy who mods jeeps for off roading events. I think he should be able to get it right. Not being able to get the welds right and straight is the only thing keeping me from biting the bullet.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

... Not being able to get the welds right and straight is the only thing keeping me from biting the bullet.

Someone who doesn't know how to weld shouldn't even think of touching a chassis. I think welding isn't least of your concerns. It should be aligning the chassis. Any half baked welder can join two pieces of metal together forever.

[wanderernomad]

Yeah, thats exactly what I meant by not being able to keep it straight and aligned while welding. If he can hold it true, even I can weld it together.

[captainkevin]

If holding the two parts of the chassis exactly horizontal is the only issue, I suggest using mobile phone applications that use the accelerometer to detect the phones orientation and display the inclination (like a bubble level/spirit level). Then go ahead and use jacks and make the necessary adjustments before welding. Ensure that you take readings on multiple points before welding though.

[wanderernomad]

Some update. The chassis has been shortened and the Jeep is presently with the Painter for a fresh coat. The large rear seat has been taken out and smaller jump seats have been mounted sideways at the rear.
Still debating if I want to put in a bull bar roll cage like the classic or keep it simple like the orignal willys with a removeable scissor rack for the top support.

[wanderernomad]

It has been 2 years since the shortening job and the jeep drives prefect. Since then it has done a couple of serious off road trips and two long highway trips of about 350 kms each on highways. I am liking the shortened look even more, and with trailer, the overall length has now become more manageable. Also recently had to open the steering box as the bushes inside broke due to my lethargy and the mechanic's stupidity. The two bushes had to be made as new ones could not be found here.