Right On BRD HNTR!  Excellent choice of front end mod.    I have been gone for a while and this morning I caught myself up on your build.  I did not add any sort of camber correction when I did the mod and did notice an improvement in driving.  My brother (TheZuke) purchased and installed the Alter Ego lift.  He contacted Zukination and asked why they felt they needed to add the knuckle relocation bracket.  They didn't have a straight answer, but mumbled something about vibration issues.  I never had any vibration issues though...(I drove it up to 60 mph or so in 4x4 with no problem.)  Anyway, the build is coming along well.  I look forward to seeing how you stuff that engine in lower.

P.S. I'm seriously considering Easter in Moab this year.  I've put almost 20,000 kms on since the engine install and I haven't hit slick rock yet...Man!

I was going to stretch the frame, then went back and reread your modification.  So far it is much easier than what I had planned.

I massaged it just another inch deeper, then modified the back outside corner of oil pan.  It appears that I now have as much room as before (which wasn't much).  I have started bolting motor/tranny back in today, trying to catch the things that I didn't like, and am going to do a better job of organizing the wiring jumble under dash.  I trimmed the overlapping instrument pieces  (so dash lights will show through), and glued them together so it looks flat. 

Since I am riding taller I have been told that I need a roll cage before MOAB.
Three of us are heading down with our rigs for the week.  I would really like to see you & your rig, so hope you can make it.  Last year we stayed in Pack Creek Campground, have not made reservations yet but were going to try for there again.

Tracker is finally started back together.  Dash is out so I can install the required Sport Cage.  Here is how I am doing the back section.


And after a day of work.

I am hoping to incorporate the Sport Cage as the support for my rag top.  Trying to get height, width, and length to be same as back soft top support is not an easy task.  I have it close, but still some tweaking to do do, then take it out and finish welding and painting, only to install it and find it has moved more than I thought it would. 

Great build and write up. Where do you get the time? Must be retired! 

Great build and write up. Where do you get the time? Must be retired! 

I thought I was retired, but these modifications seem to take more time than I thought, almost like work.  Could be starting them during Holiday season not a good time for devoting to projects, could be poor weather for working in garage, could be birds flying requiring a hunting trip, COULD BE an old man doesn't work as fast as he thought he could.

Right now trying to get back bar on cage to replace soft top back support is being technical.  May not be quite the same using 1 1/2" DOM instead of the 1/2" tube.

Thanks for the comment.  It seemed to me that I wasn't getting much accomplished.

Will you be welding the cage to the body or the frame ? It is hard to tell from the pictures if it is connected to the frame. If it is connected to the body do you plan to plate it ?

I am going to run supports from the frame with 5/8" rubber (from stall mats) pads for isolation.  For the front support I will also run a brace off the body mount that I had already plated.  The right rear support is going to require an offset support because the Fuel fill is in the way.  I will use heavier material to compensate for the offset, photo's when I get that part done.  Right now I am just bolting it to floor because it will have to come out for welding some areas and painting.  While my Tracker has very little rust, the floors are Very thin, and would require large pads to be effective. 
I am calling this a Sports Cage because I will not have all the cross braces like we put on Project Trouble Race Car.  I will have gussets on most corner joints.

Made progress on Sport Cage today.  The top fits much better after more tweeking of tube placement.
The back half is mostly welded.  I will be working on windshield cross tubes tomorrow, have the upper one ready to install.

This is what the back looks like now, I will be adding some gussets tomorrow.


Another angle.

i very like the idea of "sport Cage" not to much tube.

i very like the idea of "sport Cage" not to much tube.

So far I have used most of 3 19' X 1 1/2 DOM tubing.
The Big difference between my Sport Cage and a Full Roll Cage is that I am not running full diagonal braces across the top & back, also not having side bars across the doors.  I am gusseting all sides of windshield cross tubes and side tubes to roll bar.  Tonight I have all of it out to finish welding gussets & painting and will take photos of the cage by itself.

This is kind of like your frame, it seems the more you do the more you find you need to do.  And it is still not done, maybe tomorrow.

Just throwing paint on Sport Cage.  It looks better with paint on it, still a couple of windows that I will catch with next coat.
Front section


Back section

well i think it all looks great. lookin forward to wheelin soon.need to break breakables before moab 

well i think it all looks great. lookin forward to wheelin soon.need to break breakables before moab 

It is going back together now.  I am looking forward to wheelin also.  I have to bend some of the frame mounts, and then I will not need the bender for a while.  I was hoping to have mine at least running by this weekend, but do not think that is going to happen.  I have at least one day of other obligations to do, which makes this a short week for me. 
Waiting to hear what you are going to do to the Sammy?

Sport cage is in Tracker and welded together.



I have one side of the frame to Sport cage braces done, still need to do the three on other side.
Front frame brace to sport cage mount, tied to body mount to strengthen the long horizontal mount.

Roll bar frame brace

Back hoop frame brace


I have radiator in and electric fan in place.  Notice the aluminum tubing to cool powering steering.
I will see if it does any good.
New mount for power steering reservoir.  I need to find a shorter radiator overflow reservoir.


Lots more to do.

Just set the dash in, and couldn't have been much better fit.  There is room in front of brace across top of dash for defrost to work and to clean whole windshield.
 


Now to hook everything up.

Great job Brd Hntr!