Mini-Build #2 ~ Peter P

[Damian Grihalva]

This one is pretty much done, but I figured I'd put it up for your viewing pleasure.

Peter's Scout 800 is pretty straight and is in decent condition exept for some rust on the rockers. He had Heep CJ5 lift springs on it, lift shackles and the world's smallest u-bolts lifting this scout before, but it drove like utter crap so he brought it in for some work.

I didn't take many pictures, this SOA happened quick (like they're supposed to). The first picture is of the rear already SOA'd w/ Scout II axles. You can already see we finished the brake line work on the rear axle as well as put the shocks to the spring plates (with this lift spring, this was an ok move).

 

[Damian Grihalva]

By lunch time of day 2 I had already ground the front axle and had it ready to go back together ~

But we ended up having a problem with the springs. First you can see that the shackles are looking like the scout isn't on its weight, but guess what ~ they are. The CJ5 lift springs are so short that they actually don't fit with stock shackles ~ if I were to use stock shackles they would have folded backwards (I installed them first) and would sit against the frame ~ even with the extended shackles they don't settle straight. Here's a picture of the springs and how they sit on the full Scout weight.
Check it out:

When the scout was off it's weight, the shackles were on the virge of flipping backwards ~ we were placing bets on wether or not they would when jacking on them.

NOTE: This is a VERY dangerous shackle angle. IF the customer were to drive this Scout on the road, and hit a bump, the springs could invert and destroy the springs ~ WHICH CAN CAUSE A NASTY ACCIDENT! In fact, the CJ springs already were bent and had a broken center-pin when the customer brought them in. So, now that you see this, I'll add that I will NEVER install jeep CJ lift springs on ANY scout AGAIN ~ even this one (which is the first one) didn't make it out of the shop like this. Its wrong, its dangerous, so don't ask.


After a call to Pete explaining the problem, he agreed to use the stock springs (which he supplied) instead. Here is a picture of the stock springs installed.

Can you see the difference?

 

[Damian Grihalva]

Ok, so that last picture obviously had shocks and the front Scout II D44 back together ~ so here are the pictures of the finished product.

The only thing this scout is missing is the new tires (these are 33's) and the CV drivelines. Like I said, this was going to be a 2-day SOA but the spring fiasco proved to add a day while waiting for new parts.

Just a few changes ~ notice that the rear shocks aren't located on the rear U-bolt plates anymore. This is because the stock springs took about 3" off the lift, which means that the placement wouldn't work.

Other than that, everything else was about the same, even the rear driveline measurements were only 1/2" different between the two lift heights.

 

[Devin Cardon]

Nice work! Your shop does some of the coolest things to scouts. Keep em cruisin! so is this sitting on stock springs? if so, why is it that all the 800 SOA's look so much taller than my sII SOA?

 

[Damian Grihalva]

V8 scout 800s come with a body lift from the factory. They also have the body slid forward a couple inches to make sufficient room for the V8 ~ that's why the rear wheels aren't centered in the wheel well. (you can tell this by looking at a 4banger and a V8 side by side ~ the frame will stick out farther (under the grill) on the 4cyl than the V8. That gives them a higher look than 4-bangers as well as Scout IIs. Further, this particular scout had lift shackles ~ so the combination of the two did give it a higher look ~ because it is. Peter was going to put 35s on it. Not sure if he did, but that was the plan when he picked it up.

 

[Damian Grihalva]

TTT

 

[Bares62IH]

I know it's an age old question ... I know all the details involving a swap ... But I need a decent idea of a final look.

I have Scout 2 springs ready to go over my Scout 2 axles under my 800 .. Cut and turn and all that is all part of the plan what I need to know is if I go SOA with the scout 2 springs using the stock shackle lengths will my 33's look to small underneath or just right ? I've seen so many different heights after a Scout 2 spring swap and notice so many different out comes I'm sure it's not an easy answer but the way this Scout looks with 33's SOA it seems to sit pretty high ?
Any idea on how my 33's will look under mine with the SOA described using scout 2 springs