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View Full Version : Front QJ tube length with rubber grommets



Valkster
02-01-2025, 07:41 PM
Good evening. My son and I are working through the body fitment, panel gapping, etc. I just received the rubber grommets from Metro for the front end to do the floating, or pass-through, approach for the nose. I have also added the rubber pads under the front of the nose, where the outriggers start downward, and have moved the outriggers to get my body centered left-to-right. I have some solid stainless round bar in my workshop, and a lathe, and I am thinking about simply tapping both ends of 4 bars of a specific length and then polish them. Then I would bolt the bumper to one end of the bars, and bolt the other ends to the outriggers, passing through the rubber grommets along the way.

I have two questions about this. First, does anyone see an issue with this method? Second question is what is the proper length(s) for the tubing/rods? This question would be the same whether I use tapped solid bars or used 3/4" tubing over the existing long bolts that many people have done. I am sorry if this has been asked before, but I cannot find the desired length on past posts. I found an old post from Jeff Kleiner (from 9/15/2012) where he explained to someone the varying lengths of the two-piece tubes offered then. We unfortunately did not keep the two-piece tubes together as matched sets for each of the four mounting spots, so I do not know what the total lengths of each set were when we received then kit. Also, I am confused why they would have made them different lengths (??). If I add the lengths that Jeff had provided back then, the total tube length at each location ranged from 5-3/8" to 5-3/4". I assume I would need to add for the thickness of the fiberglass body, and for the washers used in the original setup to get a length(s) for a pass-through type of setup. Is there a need for the new rods/tubes to be of various length, or would it be alright to make then all the same length of ?? inches?

Thanks for any insight and input,
Mark

Valkster
02-01-2025, 07:42 PM
Oh, I failed to mention that we have the classic style front bumper, if that matters on the length(s).

-Mark

Jeff Kleiner
02-01-2025, 09:37 PM
Way back then there were inner pieces of tubing and outer pieces that sandwiched the body but those days ended long ago. The tubes are now one piece and pass through the body…they are 5.5 inches long.

Jeff

Valkster
02-01-2025, 09:47 PM
Oops, thanks...I got them mixed up with the rear spacers that I converted to the coupling nut setup. Too many leftover parts and not enough reference pictures to keep it straight. Thanks for the length.

-Mark