Parts Jeep Trail Build

The jeep has always had kind of a low brake pedal and now I think I know why. The rear brakes on the jeep were taken from a Scout front axle with their larger wheel cylinders. There is only so much fluid in the stock 2a MC to go around, and with both the front and rear wheel cylinders larger than stock, this solves a mystery. Replaced these with smaller bore rear wheel cylinders from a CJ5 . Kind of embarrassed that it took me this long to figure it out. 

One of the most important updates is the seats, as I’m going to have to survive a week driving it. When they were improved a few years ago, I used what the craft stores were selling. It was referred to as “high density” so I tried it. It really didn’t live up to its name- it feels OK initially but fails to hold my scrawny behind up off the seat pan. By the end of a day of jeep driving I am ready to get out and just walk home.  So I’m thinking this calls for the right tool for the job, and that is factory seat foam. 

I went junkyarding looking for some modern OE materials in the back seats of hatchbacks and other cars with folding seats. Most of these are oddly shaped and have wires molded into them, so those wouldn’t easily work. I did find some 2nd and 3rd row seats in a Dodge van having foam that was thick and flat and seemed denser than anything I found elsewhere. It cost me $15. 

Using my table saw, bandsaw and a razor sharp machete’, I was able to get the foam to the size and shape needed.

This is the last exhaust post, I promise. If you ever get the desire to try exhaust wrap, buy 3 times the amount you estimate you’ll need. Even using the guides for determining this, I was short and had to order a longer length. I’ve never used this stuff before so it’s an experiment; much like a lot of the things on this jeep have been experiments. Curious if it lives up to the hype.