Some Atlas II with Belly-up Installation Notes

[Daless2]

Well folks, I finally got healthy enough to complete my Atlas II install over at my friend Rusty's shop( www.kyoffroad.com ).

My install was in a 97 TJ with 4.0 and AX-15. My jeep is set up with a 1 in Body Lift, 1-inch MM lift and a Tera Belly-up skid plate and one very large Atlas II T/case.

Here are some highlights and what I needed to do to clearance this unit to fit.

I had no choice but to clock the Atlas at the minimum angle, which is 7 degrees.

This meant I had to cut and re-fabricate the floorboards some and come up with a way to handle the trans mount.



"Clearancing" the floorboards:

I used a pneumatic body saw to cut the floorboards out. If you have never used one of these little units you owe it to yourself to try one some day. While I can't say it is like a hot knife through butter, I can say it is very close!

To determine where the floorboards need to be cut you have to lower the trans down and bolt on the Atlas. Then jack it up till the Atlas hits the floorboards and use a ?Sharpie? marking pen to mark the floorboards. This will get you close.

Here are a few pictures.

The first is from inside the Jeep.

Please note, there is a cross member built into the floorboards. It runs right under the front bolts of the front seats. The cut from the top leaves the cross member intact. You will see from the bottom that it must come partially out.

Top view of floorboards.




Here is a picture of the underside of my TJ after the cuts. Please notice the rectangular section that is cut but not yet off. This section has to come out.

On the rear of the atlas there is a bolted on housing. The Atlas shifter rods slide in and out of this housing, and it sits up very tall.

I don't see any way to get the Atlas in with a belly up without at least "providing clearance" in the floor board cross member for this part of the unit., regardless of degree of clocking.




If you have an AX-15 (5 speed) you need to address the trans mount by cutting it and also relocating where it bolts to the skid plate.

This requires (AA?s recommended way of doing it.) some fabrication, cutting and welding to both the trans mount and the skid plate.

I have another way to do this that is quite easy and allows you to bolt the trans mount to the stock location on the skid plate with no skid plate modifications at all.

The reason you have to cut the mount and relocate where it bolts to the skid plate is to provide clearance between the mount and the atlas.

You can provide this same clearance by adding four simple spacers and grinding off the two upper lips from the trans mount.

Here is a pic of the trans mount after the lips have been ground off. (See the whitish area? I cut it off with a torch and then ground the edge smooth. Sorry don?t have a before and after picture on this one.)




You need to cut four spacers out of 3/4 inch tubing. Each spacer is 1.125 inches long.

The spacers go between the trans mount and the transmission.




Installation looks like this and the other end of the trans mount will bolt to the stock location on the skid plate.




Once everything had the needed clearances, the floorboards where re-fabed using sheet metal welded in place. (Then painted top and bottom. Hammerite and bed liner put on the bottom side.)




Here is a photo of the semi-finished project. Notice how nicely the shifter arms come through the stock console. That required a lot of work.

While my shifter kit was for the TJ with AX-15 trans, it does not take into consideration the belly-up skid plate. The arms had to be heated with a torch and bent to fit into the console neatly.




I did not like the angle (left to right) of the front axle Atlas shifter arm.

I also heated both with a torch then bent them over to the right side about 2 inches to "clearance" my right leg! (This is not shown in this picture.)


One additional peace of info.

There is a small possibility that the front Atlas Yoke (1310) will interfere with the front drive shaft CV joint. (don?t you know it would happen to mine!)

Why?

Well the front drive shaft is now shorter and when you clock it at 7 degrees you are raising it and increasing the output angle.

This is a known issue.

AA will tell you about it. (but only if you ask.)

It is represented by a "clicking or ticking" sound when you drive.

To fix it you take a very very small amount of material off the outer edges of the front yoke with a grinder. (The 1310 AA Yoke hits the cast part of the CV ever so slightly.)


If anyone has any question I will attempt to answer then while this is still fresh in my mind.

I have tons of pictures on this install, so if you need it I probably have it.

How does it work?



Well I can?t say definitively just yet as my Jeep is currently only front wheel drive.

The shop I sent my drive shafts out to shortened and lengthened appropriately did a good job, but they forgot to replace the rear CV as I requested. (Paid for it, but didn?t do the work.)

So after road testing and a gravel parking lot test I pulled the rear shaft so it can go back tomorrow for the new CV.

I?ll keep you posted. Next weekend is scheduled for Natural Bridge or Livingston and a good workout.

Frank

[Daless2]

I almost forgot a picture of my New High Clearance "Vanity" Gas Tank Skid Plate that I put on at the same time as the Atlas.





Yes Brad it's yours, and yes I covered your "Kilby Insignia" , but I had a good reason!! ......Family Harmony!

My daughter made this for me!

She etched the letters in the aluminum plate, then taped it, cut out the engraved letters, then painted it, then took the tape off, then shot it with clear coat.

So I had a choice here.


Leave the Kilby Brand on my new high clearance skid plate purchased from a really nice guy, (normally not problem.)

or,

Stick it on my new high clearance skid plate and smile at my daughter!

No Brainer!!!!

Thanks Brad. Great product. For the record, there is plenty of clearance between your skid plate and the Ox Locker cover!

Frank