American Expedition Vehicles Preparation of the Jeep body tub - Manual (Page 3)

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OVERVIEW
Preparing the Jeep is one of the most important aspects of the Brute Conversion. Time spent at
this stage will make the rest of the conversion process go smoothly and assure your Brute
comes out perfect. Take your time and work in a clean efficient manner. If you take the time to
clean and organize everything as it comes apart, reassembly will be much easier in the end.
We recommend using zip lock bags and labeling everything so that you don’t end up short on
bolts or worse yet, have extra bolts in the end.
The basic preparation steps are:
• Clean the Jeep underneath, inside and outside. The cleaner it is, the easier the entire
conversion will be. You may even think about having the Jeep fully detailed before you
start.
• Check the alignment of the door gaps and windshield frame. This is the time to adjust
anything. What you start with is what you’ll end up with.
• Remove the interior and any associated parts.
• Remove the rear of the Jeep body
• Prepare the front half of the Jeep body to accept the Brute closeout.
• Remove the front half of the Jeep body from the frame and set aside.
You’ll need to decide now if you’re planning on removing the tub (once you cut it in half) to make
the frame work more accessible, its not necessary, but it will make the project a little easier
overall. The only reason the body wouldn’t be removed is on Jeeps that have extensive
modifications that make it difficult at best to remove the tub. Examples are where owners have
performed an engine conversion improperly without an easy way to disconnect the powertrain
from the body, incorrect installation of on-board air systems, etc. Basically you’ll need to weigh
the alternatives of your particular application to see which way is better. If you choose to
remove the body (the way AEV does it) you’ll need to have the AC system evacuated and
recovered before you start.