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No longer basic, no longer DD TJ build

33K views 256 replies 34 participants last post by  JohnnyJ 
#1 ·
I decided its time for a build thread, since I have actually been building this jeep since I bought it. I've owned 6 XJ's over the years, two with rusty's 4.5" lifts on them. My first two xj's ended up in MiniBeast's hands, cj7on44's now has my other 2 door, and I just sold my lifted 4 door xj because I found a good deal on a lifted TJ.



Thats the only picture I can find at the moment before any modifications. It has a 2" spring lift, and 2" body lift, on 33" BFG's, 4.0, 5spd, 4.10 gears with lock rights front and rear. D30/35 combo.

First up were new bumpers:





Big thanks to JCR for working a great deal on these, those guys are great and are building some awesome products.

Along with the new bumpers came a new smittybilt xrc8 comp winch, I wanted the synthetic line for weight savings and ease of use. I can tell you after dog party, that it performed very well.



Need more ground clearance, hung up on shovel and fuel tank skid here, once out of the ruts she crawled right up this hill. Made that line the next time around without winching.



I also have a pair of GenRight 4" flare tube fenders waiting to be mounted, since the stock ones have the usual rust on them.

Future plans are as follows:

Install the tube fenders

3-4" long arm lift, loose the body lift.

Upgrade axles: currently planning on a pair of waggy 44's unless you guys can talk me out of this for some reason. The cost of mounts, gears and lockers may end up reaching the point where I'm better off finding a set of rubicon 44's ready to go. I plan on running 4.56 or 4.88's and a 37" tire.

Once axles are upgraded, I plan on purchasing a set of of trailworthyfab's recentered h1's with the 37" mtr. Since this is my DD, the tires will hold up to the street well, the double beadlock will let me air down low enough that the tire should have decent traction offroad (especially if we groove them), and replacement tires are dirt cheap.

Those are the plans at this point, I'm open for criticism, ideas, concerns, etc. Especially open to ideas for axles, I'm not really looking to go to 60's though, just don't want the weight and cost involved. I would be open to an 8.8 rear and 44 front, or 9" rear, something along those lines, just don't want to go full width, I'd like to keep it a little narrower for the trails.
 
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#2 ·
why long arm? why lose the body lift, are you sure its a two inch lift? and for 37" tires I would run 4.88. However other than a 8.8 in the rear you dont need to do anything to the front to run 35".

Here is how I built my TJ and it went everwhere I wanted it to. D30 with detroit tru-trac in front, 8.8 with ford posi in rear, homemade 2" budget boost, 1" body lift, homemade belly up skid, SYE kit, adjustable uppers in the rear, removed from sway bar, 35" KM2
 
#4 ·
Hancho - I agree with your philosophy, just wanted to take it a step further to run the 37's. I'd also like the flex and ride quality of the long arms. This thing went almost everywhere I wanted at twisted trails, I just want to take it places i shouldn't with this setup. :)
 
#5 ·
I did forget to mention that I also have a 4.7 stroker motor in the works for this, most of the parts and machine work done on that, but that will probably end up being its own build thread, since stroker builds tend to generate a lot of interest, questions, and misinformation.
 
#8 ·
Just did a price check on basic parts to put waggy 44's under the TJ:

Brackets from Ballistic Fab Front: 145
Rear: 86
Gears and Lockers from Randy's Ring and pinion:
4.88's: 165 each
Spartan Locker: 290 each
Master Install Kit: 150 each

Thats a grand total of about $1441 not including shipping costs. Ouch.
 
#9 ·
I get a kick out of seeing that you guy's buy a project jeep from some one off this site. I would not want to buy a jeep from some one who wheeled it like I wheel the one I own. If I were to get a project jeep I would get one from an old lady who only drove it to church on sunday and used it to get groceries.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Ruicon axles are the easy way out, no work, bolt and go.
They can be found for 1k per axle.

You may not be happy with stock ones they have 4:11's, that will cost more to regear.

Waggy axles, the front is stonger then a rubi.
But need modfied to fit. IIRC width is a tad narrower.

Your axles you take off should be worth something, 4:88 & lockers !

Skid, go to jeep forum look up imped he used flat steel and raised his up flush. Took some trans tunnel massage with a small hammer and a cable t case shifter. It can be done. Either way you will want a SYE.

Or you could use a small spacer and flat steel (1/4") and get the same height as a formed tummy tuck skid, no body hammering. Weld a piece of angle or tube on each end to stiffen. Try to get one in the middle too. Drill and die grinder for slots and holes as needed. Counter sink skid for frame holes or use tube as spacer and put over sized hole in skid and keep bolt heads up in tube.
 
#23 ·
Note on the trailworthy fab wheels, a buddy of mine bought a set of them last year and was unable to balance them enough to have his Jeep as a DD even though they assureed him over and over that he would be able to. the best they ever were he could go about 55 before his teeth would start rattling.
 
#30 ·
So today I pulled my diff cover with the idea of replacing the springs in the lock-right in my dana 30. Apparently the PO didn't check to make sure it was a lock right, and this was the first time I've had the cover off...anybody have any clue what this is? Detroit true trac? It has spider gears in there, one of which is stripped, causing it to stay locked 100% of the time.



 
#35 ·
NOBODY makes new parts for the dana 30 power lok currently, so I have to either find used ones or change differentials...sucky

On a good note, I picked up a set of waggy 44's today, time to start grinding off the old brackets and get ready for tj brackets, etc. Only downer is the fact that the front was the vacuum disconnect axle...so I'm either going to pick up a different 44 front, or see if I can eliminate the vac disconnect parts with a solid shaft somehow.
 
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