Jeep YJ mods
First post on this forum. Thought I would contribute a few things I've done to my YJ.
First, a secure "instatrunk" that gives me lockable storage, but can be reversed in about 10 seconds to fold back the rear seat for passengers. Just a simple plywood shelf, supported by oak runners, fitted between the two wheel-well storage boxes, and secured with a simple pin. The shelf cannot be removed unless I open a storage box and remove the locking pin. The foam pipe insulation on the end of the shelf fits snug to the tailgate and keeps rain from dripping in (mostly... hey, it's a jeep, cargo's gunna get some exposure).
Next, for camping trips where the rear seat will not be needed... a removable cargo rack that allows me to use a large storage bin and two coolers below, and still have lots of cargo above. Simple angle iron and plywood construction, bolted together, and secured to the roll bar with pipe clamps. Holes drilled around the edge of the rack let me secure cargo with tie-downs. After a few trips, I found the simplest way to secure items on the rack was to use a roof-top travel bag from Thule. Tent, clothes, sleeping bags (large, bulky items) get shoved into the bag and the bag's zipper eliminates the need to tie each item down individually. The bag's footprint fits the rack perfectly, so only carabineer clips are need to secure it to the rack.
Secured to the roll bar:
Driveway test fit:
In use on the road. The piece of plywood you see is resting on the up-turned trailer stinger. Just some scrap plywood with a 2" hole cut out to clear the ball-mount bolt in its upside-down setting. It serves as a simple shelf to support the large storage bin, which can be quite heavy. Beats removing the bin completely out of the jeep to access heavier items. Done using the shelf? Toss it in the back of the jeep and flip the ball-mount back to right-side-up orientation. 15 seconds to switch places... not bad.
A couple pieces of flat stock keep the cargo from moving forward into the passenger compartment in the event of an accident. Just some 3/8" x 2" scrap left over from another project. Here is the lower bar, the upper bar protects me from stuff on the rack itself.
Couple other things for making the jeep more adaptable.... the solid lower half-door's soft uppers are secured above the roll bar, and under the safari top, with a couple pieces of 1/2" electrical metal tubing that is zip-tied to the windshield side bars of the roll bar. They stay put, are not in the way, but are there if I need them for rain. Sorry, no pics right now. Also, a hand throttle makes working the clutch and brakes at the same time easier on hills, rocks, etc. Military ammo cans make great storage containers, and come in a variety of sizes, are water-proof, and make a great place to contain spare fluids and parts (oil, coolant, u-joints... )
That's all for now, hope to contribute to this forum as I learn more from you folks. Building an off-road trailer is in the plans for the future, and I'm combing your forum for ideas.
Cheers!
