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"Dirthead 509" TJ Project

178K views 1K replies 102 participants last post by  Mr. Beefy 
#1 · (Edited)
Build plan:
98TJ
3-link front, double triangulated 4 link rear
Hydro assist
79 Ford D60 front, 5.38's, undecided locker
14 B rear, 5.38's, undecided locker
Flipped D300, possibly 231-D300 doubler....if I can find the right parts:sonicjay:
4 cyl to 4.0L conversion since it was missing the 4 cyl :sonicjay:
Full cage
Highline tube fenders
Non comp cut cut
Fuel cell
I'm sure there's more.......


The story:
I picked this up on the coldest day last year....remember when it was 0 deg for a high with a -20 windchill in Jan 08, yea that day:teehee:

We bolted a front axle under it with wheel bearings and put tires on to roll it onto the trailer. Was a 4 cylinder.....minus the 4 cylinder, front axle, rear ring and pinion, airbags deployed.
Put the hood and stood the grill in place to access the damage once I got it home.

Picked up half doors and uppers this summer, color is fugly but they'll serve the purpose.
Bought a take out 4.0L and AX-15 with computer, wiring ect this summer. S.Hembree, Pwilson22000 and I set that in a couple weeks ago and started it. Tucking that up as far as I can. Folded the pinch seam up and out of the way on the firewall when I pulled the engine back out. Gained about an inch of clearance for wiring and such :thumb:


Then it came back out and S.Hembree and I cut the frame to straighten it back out. This heep was in a front collision, the frame was 1.5" taller on the drivers side, had to cut the frame to twist it back to about where it's supposed to be.

Frame gave right under the 4 cylinder motor mount. Had to cut 3 sides and 1/2 way up the fourth before it would move.

Frame tacked in place, onto front crossmember/bumper. I will be transfering my 8274 from my XJ to this one when done so I've been building the front so that it will accept that winch. Bumpmember mocked up:

Still need to put another 4" section of 1/4 across the front and brace it back. Will have to drill holes after that but I want to have the winch sitting in the bumper before putting holes in.
Relocated steering box up and hopefully out of harms way. 2/3rds done :teehee::


Still need to tap the steering box for hydro assist.
Went to LKQ last weekend and pulled a 99+ intake for $18, put that on saturday and replaced the powersteering fluid tank with one that didn't have the tab broke off the back.

Got my 14 bolt SOLID diff cover that I won at the Sundowners Rodeo this week. Also ordered disc brake brackets and D300 flip/clocking ring early this week but didn't get anything in time for this weekend. Pic of 79 D60 front and 14B rear:

Started on my flat belly kit this afternoon. Doing this one cheap for now. We'll see how it turns out. Ends cut off and sledge hammered flat :teehee:




Comments/criticism welcome, that's where the good idea's come from. Sorry for crappy pics, keep forgetting the camera.
 
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#344 ·
So I finished my twin stick shifters, they'll come up through the stock location. I'll buy them next time. The whole D300 thing has been a huge waste of time up to this point. I have to pull it one more time and put more seals on the shifter rails, finish the rear shifter bracket up, put a sight tube in, put the speedo sensor in, and vent it. Then hopefully it works from now on :fish:
I have been working on the jeep a ton in the last 2 weeks, pretty much every night til 10pm. Pwilson22000 and S.Hembree were over 2 weekends ago and we assembled the front axle. XJ4life came over thursday night and helped me put the rear axle back under and check for clearances. I need to lengthen the front driveshaft 7" and take 7" out of the rear driveshaft. Little wierd how that worked out.

This weekend I finished putting the fuel cell in and hooking the lines up. I also reassembled the engine and hooked it all up, installed bump stops, put the clutch in, swapped master cylinders for a 99 dodge 1500 master. I need to change the oil and filter and that should be ready to go...for now anyway. I have to finish the trans crossmember up when I have the t-case out. I have to swap all the nuts to nylocks for the suspension still too. Brake lines, coolant lines, radiator mounting, power steering stuff and other misc stuff I'm forgetting and I should be able to take it for a ride through the field. Once I test suspension ect, I'll start on tube work. Hoping to have it ready before July 31st :rock:
 
#363 ·
Hopefully. Weather keeps this up and it'll be longer yet. Hard to leave a boat floating when it's this hot out! :beer:

I said from the beginning I'm over my head, it's an in depth project and I'm learning a ton but that slows things down quite a bit too. Once the weather cools down and life slows down a little, I'll get back to it. It's not a priority right now. :thumb:
 
#364 ·
mine sat for 7 months when i did my second build.it gets hard to work on them when you know there is a ton too do.once you get in the groove and just do it, it all pays off seeing it finished.
 
#366 ·
Stupid as it sounds, the major hang up right now is the stripped out bolt holes for the x member mount for the AX-15. I don't have a heli-coil set and a nut won't go in without grinding on the casting. It's not a big thing but it slows me down, little stuff like that has been killing me. I haven't spent more than 5 min looking at it, that's first on my list when I get back to it. The T-case is ready to go, crossmember needs to be finish welded, make driveshafts, run brake lines, coolant hoses, put battery in and it's ready for a trip through the field. There's a ton more to do after that but I need to drive it through the field to feel like I accomplished anything so that's my new goal. One day at a time, it'll get done eventually. :beer:
 
#372 ·
Took a couple pictures tonight. Crossmember is finished. Tapped AX-15 out to 1/2-13, we'll see how that holds up. Put shifters in, hooked up cable shifters, shifts good so I'm happy about all the work I put in for now. Stuff for Erin:





Last 2 are taken from the top of the front pinion at ride height. Have to stay with 1.5" dom for the driveshaft to clear. Where the exhaust is going to go............um yeah.

Putting rocker guards in place from Ricky at the moment. Little bit here and there. Get 2.5 hours to work on it this week :rolleyes:
Freehand is where it's at!



That's all for this week :(
 
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