Timber Cruiser 5 yr. Service

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

The New Winch arrived a few days ago.
But it wasn't the one I had ordered
I ordered the Steel Wire Cable model as I am NOT really Sold on the Synthetic Winch Line.
Well guess what was shipped !!
The winch with Synthetic Winch Line.
Now I guess I shouldn't Bitch, This unit was a more expensive model, so either the order picker grabbed the wrong one, OR they UPGRADED It as they were out of the model I ordered.

Ah Winch! I thought you wrote wench. Took 2 read throughs to see I had misread the first sentence.

[Captain]

Yesterday, my body said it didn't feel like crawling around under the Timber Cruiser to route the 8 ga. Motor Cables for the rear Power Plug.

So now that the carpeting is back in, started with switching to the 4 point Harness seat belt mounts. Then the seats went in.

Next was the rear inner panels, so I could put the Roll Bar back in.




Getting the Roll Bar back in was a bit of a Challenge !! There are 8 bolts per side, and you have to wiggle, push, pull, pound, and Compound Cuss things in the Proper Order... And it's in.....

[Captain]

Next was running the Tether control wiring.
Again Yooper Engineering comes into play,
from my NOS parts Saved Boxes, I ran a trailer 4 pin connector wiring and purposely used the trailer ends so some Chuckle Head (Me) won't try to use it for the wrong thing.

[Captain]

The Owners Manual is a Classic Chinese to Mongolian to English translation issue, and covers 4 different models and their different Options.
So after reading several times, started in on the wiring.




This is where I put the Motor Control Module. And deciphered that you have to run both Positive and Negative Cables directly to the Battery and the Motor Cables like wise. You are NOT to use the vehicle's Frame Ground ! Something in the translation about the control module cuts the Battery Power when not in use ? I could understand the Motor Cables as this is a reversing motor for cable in and out.
And on the No Power while Not In Use...
you will notice My "Insecure Farmer" Modifications on the Positive Cable.
A Knife Switch, and a Circuit Breaker.

[Captain]

The New Winch arrived a few days ago.
But it wasn't the one I had ordered
I ordered the Steel Wire Cable model as I am NOT really Sold on the Synthetic Winch Line.
Well guess what was shipped !!
The winch with Synthetic Winch Line.
Now I guess I shouldn't Bitch, This unit was a more expensive model, so either the order picker grabbed the wrong one, OR they UPGRADED It as they were out of the model I ordered.

[Captain]

Relocated the rear speakers to the Openings where the seat belt retractors were now that we are going to 4 Point Harnesses.



Painted Flat Gray, Masked off the Grill lettering, and painted the Grill flat black again.



Then on the install, the New Front Clip was set up for a Newer Model, and some of the mounting holes were gone.....
a couple of brackets, drilled some new holes, and looks fine.



And you can see the previous photo the CB Radio and AM/FM antennas are mounted again.

Added a 2" receiver to the front Brush Bar as I ordered a New Winch. Now can pull from the Front or Rear. Will weld up a 2" receiver plate to put the winch on once it gets here.

[Captain]

BIG THINGS are Happening in the Shop !!

Working on the Timber Cruiser is coming along nicely, but slowly, as I have been improving some things that previous owner(s) and myself have done in the past.
Reinstalled the front wiring harness into the New Front Clip and installed the head and side lights.


Replaced the AM/FM/CD player, with just a New AM/FM Radio only. Off Roading Dust, Dirt, and Jarring Around, destroys the CD player, and the CD door was jammed.
And replaced the speakers too.
While having the stereo system panel out, changed the routing of the Master Disconnect Switch battery cables.

[Captain]

Well, I will have to find out what's going on with my phone again !!!
Won't upload pix.

[Captain]

BIG THINGS are Happening in the shop !!

[Captain]

Thursday, shot the 3 color camo.
The New Flat Black paint
worked perfectly.
Here's a pix moving it out of the Yooper Paint Booth to the other stall to cure up for a couple of days.



I need the Yooper Paint Booth to paint the front bumper and trim parts.



Today went to get my "Covid Booster Shot" and some more paint for the Trim Parts, and supplies.

[Captain]

Yesterday was a "BAD Hair Day" !!
As this is a Off Road Exploring Rig, I use Rustoleum rattle can Flat paint for two of the 3 colors. The Olive Drab is a "Special Mix" I make to "Darken Up Duck Boat Paint"

This time I used the Rustoleum "Camouflage Colors". Flat Black and Earth Brown.
Started with the Flat Black, then onto the Earth Brown. While painting the Brown, the Flat Black starts SAGGING, or Pooling up, and Then Fish Eyes show up !!! Even on the engine hood level areas.
I stop the Brown, looking for the same to happen.......nothing, the Brown is perfect !!
DAMMIT !!! I'm going to have to let this Black cure up for a Day or two to sand off, and get NEW paint !!!
I tried a different rattle can of NON camouflage Flat Black in a different spot....Just fine.....
must have had a BAD BATCH of this Camouflage Flat Black......

This afternoon, I will paint the Olive Drab, and deal with the Flat Black Wednesday or Thursday........

[DanStokes]

I don't happen to have any right now but they DO come up from time to time.

Dan

[Captain]

Dan,
thank you for the pix and how yours are mounted. I did think about wrapping them
around the cross bar, as I did look up the Manufacturer's installation instructions.
But I drilled the bolt holes to keep "Apples to Apples" look between both sets.
Also as You wrote, they are to be at a 20° downward angle to the Over the seat back.

I will keep your Offer on expired harness sets if I need some on a future projects.

[DanStokes]

Work has been progressing on the Timber Cruiser. Didn't take pix of little improvements, like a better rear door restraining strap, instead of the tiny OEM cable, and covers made where the seat belt retractors were. (Reason following)

I'm like a Absent Minded Professor, or as it's Now Called ADD, OCD, PTSD, and the rest of the alphabet.......
Several years ago at a Swap Meet, I bought NIB 4 Point harnesses for the Timber Cruiser. They were out of the Date Stamp Cert for some classes of Racing.
Forgot all about them, found them when looking for some Jeep parts for my son Shaun.
So, Now is the time to install them !!
Open the boxes like a kid at Christmas...
Find out, Same Mfr. But two different styles!
One is a single bolt mount on the shoulder belts.

An FYI - The belts with a single bolt, you can weld a bolt to the cage centered on the seat back and bolt it down with a nylox of the ol' double nut trick. You can weld the bolt w/threads pointing up or toward the back which will allow the belt to wrap nicely around the shoulder bar and spreads the force around the bar a bit. Here's the best pic I have of the single bolt system from Stanger - hope you can see it. What we did here was machine a block of steel with the curve of the bar then TIG it on and run a bolt thru the block but a bolt head welded to the tube should be fine, too.





The belt w/2 loops doesn't need a bolt at all - just pull the webbing thru the bolt fittings then loop the belts directly around the shoulder bar and thread the belts back thru the adjuster as they currecntly are (from the pic they seem to be threaded correctly). Here's how mine look though my seat-to-cab rear is really tight. These pass LSR inspection, BTW. When I'm belted in the belts do not hit the metal of the seat back and have a slight downward pull on the shoulders which is what you want. Your shoulder bar looks to be positioned well.



If you want newer old belts us LSR guys can fix you right up. We're tossing them every 5 years. Let me know what you need.

Dan

[Captain]

Then between other projects, finished putting up the Yooper Paint Booth.



After giving the Timber Cruiser a serious cleaning for Paint, moved it into the Paint Booth. Hoping to start the 3 color Camo tomorrow as today is filled with life's other things, dump run, supplies run, and it's to warm up in to the High 20's from the subzero temps, so now I will fire up the Tractor and finally plow out the driveway and between the buildings.