OverlandZJ
Expedition Leader
Right now I'm on Long Island - untill Friday...
Where we going?! :smiley_drive:
I dont remember seeing installed pics of the new hinge on AJ's site, just the pieces in the DIY section that he posted. I'll check again.
Get your tickets to THE BIG THING 2026!
Right now I'm on Long Island - untill Friday...
sorry for the dumb question: AJ = AJ's Offroad armor?
Great lookin' rig!
Yeah Mike, i followed the design thread at NAXJA as well. Too bad the price ended up being twice projected retail... but those things happen. I also want a double shear design, but i'm not quite sold.. a bit leary of the two through bolts and spacers behind the machined "pivot" bolt.
Been waiting for someone to report their experience.
where do you get that latch? ive seen several of them on other swingouts but have yet to actually find where i can get them.
Hi AJ - does your swingout rattle?
Rich-good to see the final product installed on an XJ! Looks good, send me some more pics of different angles when you get a chance.
I was kinda bummed about the end cost on it but I really wanted a product I could trust in 100%. The shoulder bolt alone is 25% of the cost but it's also a critical component. A standard bolt doesn't have the precision fit or near the strength.
In all honesty, I was leary about those two support bolts myself when designing it. The first prototype I built we wanted to see how much stress was on those. So initially we used 1/4" bolts figuring they would shear off with a 10 foot long swingarm and nearly 400 lbs bouncing up and down on the end of it. They did. Upsized to a 3/8" and they worked fine so for the final I went with 1/2-20 x 1" long bolts. The round tube they thread into is 1" x 5/16" wall DOM. We incorporate those braces into the taillight filler panels of our bumpers.
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So far I've heard a lot of positive feedback about it. I know compared to the spindle/bearing setups you see on the market, there is no comparison. I hope that doesn't come off arrogant but I've used those spindles for years and they flex, this setup doesn't. Not to mention the complete random failures of those spindles....that's a sickening feeling to see.
Sorry to hijack your thread Rich!
You can get them from McMaster Carr, pn#5135A25, they're also available in stainless. I could sell you one since I buy in quantities but with shipping it'd be cheaper to get it from them.
Rich-good to see the final product installed on an XJ! Looks good, send me some more pics of different angles when you get a chance.
I was kinda bummed about the end cost on it but I really wanted a product I could trust in 100%. The shoulder bolt alone is 25% of the cost but it's also a critical component. A standard bolt doesn't have the precision fit or near the strength.
In all honesty, I was leary about those two support bolts myself when designing it. The first prototype I built we wanted to see how much stress was on those. So initially we used 1/4" bolts figuring they would shear off with a 10 foot long swingarm and nearly 400 lbs bouncing up and down on the end of it. They did. Upsized to a 3/8" and they worked fine so for the final I went with 1/2-20 x 1" long bolts. The round tube they thread into is 1" x 5/16" wall DOM. We incorporate those braces into the taillight filler panels of our bumpers.
[/IMG]![]()
So far I've heard a lot of positive feedback about it. I know compared to the spindle/bearing setups you see on the market, there is no comparison. I hope that doesn't come off arrogant but I've used those spindles for years and they flex, this setup doesn't. Not to mention the complete random failures of those spindles....that's a sickening feeling to see.
Sorry to hijack your thread Rich!