WH (WK) Preparation for the Pyrenees

[crossed-up]

Another update from this weekend.

I have now pretty much finished of the chuck box/drawer now that the table is fitted and I have remade the bracing system bracket so that it doubles as a stowage hook for the brace.

Brace locates on the second hook when stowed.

Brace locked in place.

As other WH(WK) owners will know there is not really may places on or around the dash to mount any additional gadgetry such as CB's, sat nav, tablets, phones and GPS, and I hate having trailing wires, suction mounts and other mess all over the dash. You also need to be careful not to stick things in front of the airbags.

For the trip I will be using an 8" tablet as a rally trip computer to follow the roadbook tulips, and possibly for other mapping software. I will also probably use my Garmin sat nav instead of the Jeep's built in system which is 11 years out of date and not really as good as my Garmin anyway. Then there are phones, CB mic, and possibly a 'go pro'.

I solved the problem of where to put the CB before the Wales trip by mounting it in the cubby box.

For everything else I have come up with an idea for a mounting system based on a frame that follows the contours of the dash and will allow various things to be mounted and moved about as required. So far I've only got as far as bending up the vertical sections and making up some lower mount ting brackets. The frame will all be 10mm dia steel which I find easier to weld and work.

To get started I used a bit of aluminium strip to get the contour of the dash, then transferred this to some scraps MDF to make some rudimentary tooling.

Then used a couple of G clamps to form the bends.

The two vertical frame section that follow the curves of the centre dash, and the two lower mounting brackets that will be welded to the tube ends.

To be continued....

 

[crossed-up]

The weather was pretty grim today but I managed to make some progress on my tablet/accessory mount. Aft sketching a few ideas up in the week I have opted for a removable flip-forward mount that leaves the tablet flat on top of the dash providing a flat 'table' and leaving the factory nav screen visible. When required the table can be flipped down and forward to a vertical position.

Checking width of the tablet.

Bending up the cradle for the tablet. I decided to keep the tablet in its flip case to avoid faffing around with it when removing it from the car.

Checking the fit and contours of the cradle in the main frame.

Cross brace tacked in place.

Next job is to fab up the hinges to mount tablet cradle.

 

[jeepgc]

Great idea, I like the look of that.

 

[SSF556]

Very nicely done...I need to change out my diff bushings in the future...not looking forward to that..may end up at the local mechanic.

 

[crossed-up]

Great idea, I like the look of that.

Thanks, its still evolving and it remains to be seen if it proves as useful as I intended. I am currently working out if I can thread the various power, USB and audio cables through the frame to the appropriate points to cut down on the clutter.

Very nicely done...I need to change out my diff bushings in the future...not looking forward to that..may end up at the local mechanic.

Thanks, the diff bush job is not too bad if you have the necessary press tool. It would be much easier if you have access to a lift, at the very least you need it on some tall stands. You definitely don't need to dismantle as much of the suspension as the factory manual suggests either - just the top ball joints, track rod ends (possibly get away with just one side) and the ARB drop links. That gives you enough movement to pop the driveshafts out to lower the diff, although I believe some people have managed it with the driveshafts in place and just swivelled the diff through 180 degs. to get to the top mount. The bushes take some shifting though (drill, airsaw, drift/hammer), so the better the access the easier it is. You also need a long socket extension bar with a wobble end or uni-joint to reach the top mount. Well worth doing (or getting someone to do), it seems to have cured all sorts of little knocks and clunks as well as the thunk between R-N-D.

 

[Zeep]

Excellent workmanship on the chuck box. I wish I could work with wood.

 

[crossed-up]

Thanks zeep, I've been more used to working with metal recently, so it made a nice change working with a different material and techniques.

 

[crossed-up]

Spent a bit more time on the dash mount today....

Making up the brackets/hinges for the main frame.

Tacking the other mating half of the hinge to the tablet frame. I tapped an M4 hole for the hinge pin.

I decided on slotted brackets so that the tablet mounting frame can be lifted off easily.

I added an end stop to the hinge to hold the tablet frame vertically when flipped forward, and prevent the frame from gouging the dash surround.

Checking the hinges after tidying up the welds and quick coat of primer. The finished job will be in satin black.

Yet another test fit back in the Jeep.

Tablet temporarily attached with rubber bands.

Tablet deployed! I'm not sure yet whether I need to add a spring to keep the bracket flipped forward.

Next thing is deciding on any permanent brackets or features to add before final painting. I'm currently thinking of a CB mic mount on the bottom left hand frame and a dash camera mount on top. I'm also still thinking about running some cables through tubes to various points. I will make up some sort clamp mounts that can be positioned at convenient points on the frame as and when required.

 

[Globatrol]

Nicely done! nothing like getting a setup the way you like it..

Enjoy the Pyrenees...

 

[SSF556]

Is that going to vibrate?

 

[crossed-up]

Nicely done! nothing like getting a setup the way you like it..

Enjoy the Pyrenees...

Thanks Glogaltrol, I'm really looking forward to the trip.

Is that going to vibrate?

I actually did some testing and tweaking today to check how stable it would be. I was either going to use some springs or some sort of stay rod to keep the tablet vertical. So I tried some temporary springs to hold the tablet frame forward and with the hinges tightened up to give some friction there was very little vibration, especially with the tablet set lower down than in the pictures. I was encouraged enough to start making up some lower mounts for the springs for a permanent job, but decided it was starting to look a bit messy as I couldn't hide the springs behind the frame rails easily. So I opted to make up a single sliding stay bar on the LH side. This also serves to lock the tablet in place.

I experimented with a single spring and one on both sides. The frame sprung nicely forward and stayed firmly in place, but it would need a catch to hold it flat as the weight of the table was not quite enough to prevent it flipping forwards.

Making up the slider rail from ali strip.

The slider has a 4mm wide track with a not at the end so that the stay bar locks into place. This is now tacked to the top of the LH side of the main frame.

I now need to make up the stay rod and I have also decided to try and get the tablet to mount a bit lower as it is a tad high for legality/visibility. I'm out marshalling on a road rally Tuesday night and was hoping I'd have this buttoned up in time for then.

I'll post up some more later in the week...

 

[crossed-up]

Nearly there now!

I spent last weekend trying to finish off the mount which involved making quite a few changes to the tablet frame to get it to mount lower. In the end I cut down the frame and made a 3mm ali plate for the tablet to mount to, and mounted this with some welded tabs to the remaining sides of the frame.

Making up the mounting plate.

After prepping I opted for a matt ’plasti-dip’ type finish to match in with the textures on the dash.

It was freezing cold out in the garage tonight so brought all the bits inside and loosely assembled them in the warmth of my office and take some pictures...

In the 'stowed' position.

Sliding stay bar.

Moving into 'deployed' position.

Stay locks into notch (under gravity when in situ) to brace tablet mount. You then have to release it with a finger to allow it to fold flat again.

I will probably use some sort of velcro to mount the tablet to the frame and still have the option to mount it in its flip case.

I waiting for some nicer stainless steel dome notes and other nits to arrive but hopefully I will get it all mounted up in the Jeep later in the week.

 

[crossed-up]

Got the mount installed today...

 

[k9lestat]

Very nice.

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[screwball48]

Very nice indeed!!


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