Mid-Mount Madness: "Katy's Bogie Bash" Sleds...

[sledhead16]

My brain would forget things after 2 years lol

[JoeRainville]

Allan, I don't recommend dragging out a restoration for 2 years...but I have projects that have taken longer too...

For the first time since buying them about a dozen years or more ago, I finally got to put an NOS chrome front bumper to use. After unboxing it, I polished up both the bumper and the NOS handle bars I picked up at St. Germain and found they both cleaned up well and will be used as is. I was considering rechroming the bars, they they do look better shined up.

I wanted to show a pic of the bumper with painters masking tape on the contact points, as it protected the powder coat from scratches during the test fit.

[JoeRainville]

As noted by Allan, after a few years its easy to forget how things go back together exactly. I prefer to 'cheat' and have a fully assembled identical sled next to the one I am restoring, but it wasn't possible in this case. So I did the next best thing. "Hey Lindner, what way do the bolts point on the front bumper of the 73 JDX-8?" was a typical conversation or text messages over last weekend. I had to check some of the old rusty parts left over from Wade's chassis to check for bolt head imprints also, and try to verify where carriage head bolts were used vs. regular one, etc.

Luckily I had a stash of NOS and replated bolts to select from, and a trip to Fastenall filled in for the rest. The new bumper really brought some life to the X-8, having some chrome contrast with the sea of flat back was kind of pretty...

[JoeRainville]

Next up was getting the chaincase ready for installation. It was NOS, but due to shelf wear it was painted last fall. I dug out a few of the NOS cork gaskets I had left. The larger adhesive backed one with the round holes sticks to the bottom of the case to seal it to the chassis, while the slightly smaller one with the square holes and no adhesive backing is used behind the top bearing flange.

The top of the case was assembly started with a new bearing and flanges from Deere, but I did find an NOS upper shaft on the shelf. The partially finished assembly was then bolted into the chassis. I do have to tear down one of the used cases for a brake drum, spacers and rear support yet. But, this will allow me to install the track drive axle from here...

[JoeRainville]

Before flipping the chassis over to install the track and suspension, I wanted to make sure all the bolts and rivets that needed to be installed from the topside were installed first. So the seat clips, motor cover brackets were riveted in place, and the rechromed trailer hitch plate was installed before flipping the chassis over.

[JoeRainville]

For some strange reason, still find it satisfying to unbox 40 year old NOS parts and put them to good use. Even on a common bogie sled like this X-8, its kind of fun installing an NOS track, knowing that everything that touches it will also be NOS. I am glad to finally be putting some of these parts to use.

One thing to note on the Gates bogie track is that they have an arrow showing rotation direction. Just something to note when installing them.

[JoeRainville]

A small 3 step ladder fit inside the track nicely to hold the track up so the driveshaft could be bolted in place. Since I doubt this sled will see many hard miles, I decided to remove the extra center idler I had previously installed on the drive axle to keep it more original.

I did update the sled to the 1 1/8" drive shaft used on the later build 73 X-8' from the original 1" drive shaft. This also allowed the update to the better black PPD track drivers from the crack prone white gates units. Luckily I had an NOS shaft and sprockets on the shelf, but used parts would have done the trick also. I was glad to see that new bearing flanges were available from Deere, as were the bearings and O-rings used around the chaincase side bearings to prevent oil leaks.

Brock reproduced the cork gaskets to seal the chaincase case and flange to the tunnel, but I has a few NOS ones left for this build.

[SS440-80]

You are doing magic with that sled
Keep up the good work Joe

[nick80lf]

Looking good Joe

Sent from my HTC One A9 using Tapatalk

[jep_800]

To me, that is probably the most difficult part of the build... getting that drive shaft bolted in the tunnel. The idlers can be a bit tricky too, but I've always enjoyed getting the drive shaft done. Everything else seemed fairly easy to me after that step. Great job Joe!! Can't wait to see it done.

Jason

[JoeRainville]

Thanks for the posts guys! But, the next step in the process got delayed a little bit...

The bogie wheels are assembled and ready to install, but for one small detail. I had the 1 NOS and 5 used center mounting shafts re-plated, and much to my disappointment, they had already started to corrode. This was supposed to be the 'better' cadmium plating instead of the less durable zinc, or so the platers told me. So the center shafts and some of the NOS rear axle parts I had done need to be re-re-plated.

The other small hold up was that I can only find a partial set of bogie hold down clips NOS. I though I put a side a full set last year, but can't seem to locate more than 11 of the upper "U" brackets and 1 of the flatter clips. So I pulled out a bunch of used ones to blast and paint just in case the NOS ones stay lost.

To keep progress moving, I tore down the chaincases out of both the parts sled from Wade and the original JDX-8 to retrieve the brake hubs, pin, levers and such. I dropped the pair of hubs off at a machine shop to have the brake surfaces trued up. Once they come back, all the bogie inner shafts plus the brake hubs, pins and some misc hardware will get dropped off to a new plater for regular zinc plating...

[JoeRainville]

To be prepared to when the parts come back from plating, I blasted and painted a bunch of clips and the chaincase support this past weekend.

[JoeRainville]

Progress has been slow, but steady this summer. After returning from two weeks in Germany, I swung by the local JD dealer to pick up a few new parts including a brake brand, pin and keys that are still available from Deere. Kind of funny, but the old 100/JDX series band brake is now used on Gators and such. Lucky for us

Then I hit the plater's to grab my order. Unfortunately, the first place I used didn't so a great job, as many of the parts I had re-plated, including several NOS pieces, had began to corrode after sitting in the barn for a year. So I dropped a batch of parts off to another place to be re-re-plated with zinc. Hopefully this coating holds up better...

[JoeRainville]

So "finally" having all the suspension parts ready to go, I laid out all the repainted bogie clips, replated, NOS and new hardware, and bogie assemblies. I am using original "JD" stamped carriage head bolts, (both NOS thanks to Brock and replated ones) to keep the factory appearance.

[sledhead16]

So was the second replater much better?