[Skooter_Built]

This is my 04 Jeep TJ Unlimited (LJ)

Its basically a stock 04 LJ that I bought with a salvage title from Daveys Jeeps in Ohio about 4 years back. Has under 90k on the clock, zero rust. Was in a light flop, so I rebuilt it and drive it in nice weather. I even drove it to my wedding.

I have been building this LJ as cheaply as I can; Facebook, ebay and craigslist parts. Most everything on it is nicely used or scratch and dent parts.

So next steps...1 tons; why because bent front dana 30. I already have a Superduty 60 front (4.10 gears) and a 14 bolt with 4.10s and a Detroit locker (I think). The front will get sn Artec swap truss and the rear will be a barnes 4x4 swap truss. I'm keeping the stock suspension geometry, so no funny 3/4 links.

I did just score a hell of a deal on most of a Rubicon Express front long arm kit so I will be making the front a long arm set up. The transfer case will get an sye and new driveshafts. The 14 bolt will get disk brakes and a shave kit.

My goal moving forward is to have the axles all welded up over this winter and install the sye kit into the transfer case. Some spring time I'll install a RE long arm crossmember and install the axles. The only major fabrication will be building steering and a possible front trac bar. Everything on this Jeep is a bolt on (ish).

For the time being I'll use my high line front fenders and walker evan beadlocks (or a set of H2 wheels) from Pale Horse as I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing with its transmission and efi setup. I also need to find a cheap set of 37's.

 

[Porter]

......here we go!!!

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[Skooter_Built]

......here we go!!!

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

Indeed! Hahah! I'm not going to rip the suspension and axles out of it until I have the axles and everything else ready to go. Baby #2 (girl) is due in late April and by then my son will be 15 months so having a lot of free time might be zero. It will remain driveable until the last minute.

 

[greygoose]

Hey, Porter is still around!

 

[SHARPMACHINE]

Looks like a decent project. Sounds like you are trying to avoid it becoming "project hell", smart. lol

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Skooter_Built]

Looks like a decent project. Sounds like you are trying to avoid it becoming "project hell", smart. lol

Thanks for sharing.

Ya I'm trying to learn from all of my mistakes. No hackery or fuckery until i have everything else done and ready to go. I only want this to be non moving for 2 weekends at the most.

 

[Skooter_Built]

LJ daily driver

Bought a salvage LJ yesterday from Daveys Jeeps. Going to fix it up to be my nice weather daily driver. Yes I'm stupid :blah::blah::blah: but I'm happy. It's an 04 LJ, 83k miles, 0 rust! Has a 4" pro comp lift, rolling on TJ rubicon wheels and 285's. Was in a light roll over, so it needs a...

www.greatlakes4x4.com

haha I forgot I had a rebuild thread on this.

This is my LJ as it currently sits. When I bought it, it already had a shit ass 4" lift (god it rides rough!). It now has Poison Spyder Rocker Guards & gas tank skid plate, a Genright Stubby front bumper (new) with a Warn 9.5 Powerplant winch with Viking synthetic winch rope and a Currie Antirock front sway bar. The front and rear all terrains are 2 different brands about 33" tall. The windshield frame is off my 99 TJ and the front fenders I got from a friend.

Additional Parts collected: a Rubicon express SYE kit, Upper & Lower adjustable Rubicon Express control arms, Genright rear aluminum bolt on high clearance fender flares, the Artec front conversion truss (new), the front dana 60, 14 bolt, JKS 1" body and engine mount lift. I have some 4" lift Fox shocks and a JKS front trac bar and some unknown rear trac bar.

My latest score is a built dana 30 that comes with RE long arms, trac bar, brake lines, Poison Spyder HD drag link...is also has 4.56 gears, a Detroit Trutrac, and a Warn lockout hub conversion and 30 spline shafts. I'm going to be using the long arms and will resell the rest. I will need to get the RE long arm crossmember/skid setup but I wanted to do a tummy tuck anyway so its a win. The rear suspension will remain factory short arm.

Besides needing wheels and tires and the Barnes 14 bolt swap truss Im ready to start getting down after I finish a interior wall project im my house. Ill be doing that over Xmas break.

 

[xj4life]

Build sounds like a lot of fun and going to be pretty sweet when you're done. Keep the updates coming!

 

[Skooter_Built]

Back for some updates!

I spent most of 2021 gathering parts and cleaning up my "abandoned shop" and making it functional again. I cleaned, organized, repaired shit, cleaned some more, reorganized...it's still on going but now it's useable and on top of that I installed a 2 post hoist, air compressor and air plumbing, new led lights and a bunch of tools off Marketplace.

First project to knock out before I focus on my Jeep is my dad's 05 LJ. We're swapping in a Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle, a full set of Currie control arms, a JCR Offroad gas tank skid and possibly a whole new exhaust system (time permitting). As of today, we're about 1/2 way done on the front swap. We're moving a little slow and had to wait on some parts. We should be done by the 1st week of January.

As for my Jeep, I trimmed all the factory brackets off my Superduty 60 and I mocked up the Artec conversion truss on it. It fits really nicely except for the passenger side coil bucket. I need to speak to artec about this.

I cut off the brackets on my 14 bolt and placed the barnes 4wd main truss section on it and I wasn't happy. I was going to try to make a conversion truss for a 10.5 AAM axle work on an old style 14 bolt and I didn't want to hack & wack on the axle and truss to make them fit. So I found a 4.10 G80 axle this weekend and I'm going to do things the right way. Plus it saves me spending $400 to convert to disk brakes. I'll clean it up and cut off the brackets tomorrow night.

I did splurge during Thanksgiving and bought motobilt highline 2" flare front fenders, rear corner guards and Rubicon Express lower control arms and the long arm belly pan skid plate. I also sold off some other parts and will be buying Motobilt 2" bolt on rear flares, front a piller guards and maybe more...who knows.

 

[Skooter_Built]

Updates!

Been cranking along on my LJ build. I finished up welding the trusses on both axles and got the rear 14 bolt bolted in. The rear suspension is a mix of short arm Rubicon Express lower arms and I think Tera flex uppers with a Teraflex track bar. I also welded on a set of Artec coil correction brackets.

Moving onto the middle of the Jeep, I got the Atlas 4 speed transfer case installed, along with the Rubicon Express long arm belly pan, Teraflex oil pan and transmission pan skid plates.

I'm now working on the front end. I've got the front 60 underneath right now and I'm finishing up clean up on it. I originally was going to try and run the Rubicon Express conventional long arm setup but I figured its better to change over to a 3 link instead. I'm currently waiting on brackets and such to finish that all up.

Once the front is buttoned up, I'll start taking apart both axles and replacing brakes, redrilling the front wheel hub bolt pattern, replace ball joints and steering u-joints. The last "big" fab work I need to complete is building steering drag link and tie rod.

 

[Skooter_Built]

 

[SHARPMACHINE]

Nice!!!

 

[greygoose]

Great work!

 

[Skooter_Built]

Forgot where I left off here with updates, so here is where I'm at. The front 3 link is all done, and I ripped the front 60 apart for ball joints and axle shaft u-joint replacement. They were toasted! I need to install the new axle shaft u-joints tonight. Moving onto the rear, I started fitting up the rear corner armor and flares. I trimmed out the flares for more clearance, now I just need to do the same to the armor and the tub.

Next big things to do are finish mounting up all the armor, install the rear antirock (ebay super score) re-drill the front Ford unit bearing and rotors to 8x6.5. I also need to install a new trans pan and gasket.

I'm also gonna change up my rear suspension plans. A real great friend gave me some old link arms he didn't need anymore so I'm going to long arm the rear now. That's it for now.

 

[Skooter_Built]

Slowly making somewhat forward progress. I started reassembling the front axle last night. New u-joints in the shafts, ball joints, redrilled the unit bearings and rotors for 8x6.5 bp...I got everything bolted onto the axle last night and discovered a Ford fuckup.

I never checked the thread pitch on the wheel studs before I bought lug nuts (M14x1.5). That's the rear axle thread pitch and that's the same on my 02 Superduty. Well these studs are M14x2.0 so I gotta take everything apart to swap studs and align the studs better within the unit bearing.

For fun, I threw on one of my pre Obama 40" Creepy Crawlers and Walkers wheels. New springs or these springs cut down will be in the future.

 

[Plato2k5]

Very nice!!

How do you like the MaxJax lift?

 

[Skooter_Built]

Very nice!!

How do you like the MaxJax lift?

I love it for what it is and for what I paid for it last year. The prices have almost doubled from when I bought it so if I was going to do it again I'd probably just get a standard mid rise permanent 2 post lift.

 

[Skooter_Built]

Back to roller condition; this girl is thicc! I have a little more work to do on the front end (brakes and what not) but its about 90% there. Big thing left to do is finish up all the body armor, and make long arms for the rear. I might be back to driving condition by my birthday (this year)

 

[EERNGER98]

Man do I like the stance on that thing! Nice work!

 

[Skooter_Built]

The rear suspension work is basically done now. Just a few little touch ups to get done.

The front end is coming back around. Installed the front brakes last night and a set of Milemarker Stainless hubs I had laying around. The calipers were froze so I had to put them in the press to get the pistons to break free and and bleeders were froze, so out came the torch to get them out.

For the track bar mount I'm in a slight holding pattern. The stock mount sucks, we all know that. I hit the top of the diff if I try using it. I had a Teraflex laying around so I bolted it up and it works better but I thing I'm gonna go through the fight and chop the factory mount off and weld on track bar mount from Barnes 4wd.

I'm also thinking about mounting my hydraulic bump stop can mounts to the frame and building landing pads on the front lower control arms; not ideal but I don't really have room for them on the front axle like I would like unless I try to fit the can mounts within the front springs.

Whats left to do: Build the front steering, finish up the rear brakes, weld on the rear antirock mounts and shock mounts, finish up the rear armor, fluids in the trans, tcase and axles, rear driveshaft, under hood wiring mounting, tcase shifters, and more rattlecan primer/paint. I'm getting close to being "done"