Speedycat's 97 ZJ Build.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 01:40 AM

Well, I have this ZJ for over three and a half years, and never thought it was really worthy of a build thread since there are really not major mods done to it.
Time has passed, and as I look back into all my pictures I realized that an evolution has taken place.
Today I had plenty of time to gather some pictures to show this stream of changes.
These are the first pictures I took, about a week after I got them and after installing new tires on the shiny chrome rims it came with.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 01:50 AM

Time passed by and I started acquiring parts, bits and pieces to change the looks a bit.
The nerf bars stayed on until my little one was tall enough to jump in without them.
I did get a lot of crap from Rrubio for my chrome rims and nerf bars and my white walls, lol.
The Jeep came with like 2 to 3 inch lift coils that I guess were a bit tired already.
I used a 2 inch budget boost to give me a bit of extra clearance for the new 32's, and installed front and rear adjustable track bars.
I painted the wheels black to tone them down a bit (I left a chrome lip to go with the nerf bars)
I also shaped up two metal mounts for my two antennas in the back, (UHF/VHF combo in drivers side and HF antenna on passenger side.
I bought a roof basket from Costco, and also got the middle extension from rack outfitters.
Jeep was looking a bit better and less chromed.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 02:03 AM

Looking on ebay I found a set of new Baja Claws mounted on brand new 6x5.5 rims. Tires only mounted and tried on, everything brand spanking new.
I bought them for less than half the value of the rims, so it was a great buy.
I also bought a set of Mustang Bullit rims from a 2008 bullit and installed them in the Heep.
I started to get thumbs up mainly for the new tires.
I also built a simple light bar and installed it in front of the roof basket.
With the 33's the tires rubbed a bit on my front bumper, and I was already savings towards a set of prerunners.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 02:07 AM

A few months later I got a PM from Kevin from Kevin's Offroad himself...
He needed some help to pick up and ship back some parts that he had not received payment for yet...
Came to know that the parts included the coveted and pricey Kevin's roof rack for ZJ, and also an XJ Space saver Roof Tire mount. There should have been a set of sliders, but those we never found.
Time passed and I was able to locate the parts; some money from overtime became available and instead of shipping them back I kept everything for a great price and no shipping. Thanks Kevin, great guy to deal with...

Right around that time, we bought another ZJ, a 94 for my son. Our family now had 2 ZJ's and 2 XJ's (my parent's)

AustinTexasXJ · 07-09-2010, 02:14 AM

ohhh I love those tires. nice *** ZJ

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 02:22 AM

As you could see, I was sporting the missing bumper cover look...
I went to Home depot one day and somebody bumped on it and left it half hanging.
I took it off, and renewed my savings effort for my christmas present that came early in December od 2008.
Front and rear protofab bumpers with tire carrier came truck freight and I picked them up in the ZJ's rack. Sturdy bumpers and sturdy rack, and maatching looks.
I painted them with several coats of primer and black paint and then got them installed in the Heep.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 02:32 AM

I kept in savings mode from my per diem, and kept my eyes open for other goodies that would pop up.
By that time I had decided that I wanted to take the ZJ to 35's or 36 inch tires, and that I wanted to swap axles.
The decision was in between an HPD30 and a Ford 8.8 combo (of which I had an HPD30 front already on my parts XJ) or a full width HPD44 and Ford 9 inch, (of which I had already the 9 inch newly rebuilt at home also.
More on that later.

I came around a used Mile Marker winch on craiglist for about 300 bucks, and also installed some more lights in the bumper and completed the set of four in the roof rack.
By now I knew that I would need at leats 7 inches of lift to fit 35's, so I started budgeting for that.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 02:43 AM

The small driving lights eventually got relocated to over the bumper so they would not get damaged.
I took a picture with upper and lower small lights installed, but the lower ones went to the rear of the roof rack as back up lights.
My alternator started to give up the ghost, so I decided to upgrade the hole system with a new 200 amp alternator, and the big three cable upgrade.
Great improvement in charging.
I still need to install the second battery, but that will come a bit later as everything is working fine for now.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 02:56 AM

I kept reading and reading about how much of a pain in the butt it was the NP249J TC when they go bad... Now that I had two ZJ's at home with them, I thought it would be prudent to look and see if I could find 242's to replace them.
My luck turned up two of them in one week, both on ebay, one for about $100 and the other one for $125, which I picked up myself.
One of them came off a 97 XJ and had been rebuilt to go on a TJ, but the guy decided to finally go with an Atlas. the other one came off a 2004 Liberty, and is a newer model without speed sensor.
I installed the first one on my 97 ZJ, and the other one is awaiting an SYE conversion. It will then go on the 97 when I lift it to 7 inches.
Both ZJ's covered with 242j's now.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 03:04 AM

The Iron Rock group buy came along, and as my luck would have it, I worked a total of 15 days of overtime in two months, so just about as the dead line to put the orders in, I was sure I would have funds to order the 7 inch long arm upgrade with coils, belly skid and premium rock sliders.
They have not arrived home yet as I requested them to delay the shipping in order for me to be home to receive them.
Don't want my precious boxes at my door and nobody to bring them in, lol
You have all seen the website pics of those items, so I will post pictures of my stuff whenever I receive them and install them.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 03:09 AM

A few months ago I decided to install the 5.9 look alike hood vents from a pontiac GT.
Summer was coming up, and I wanted to alleviate a bit of the heat off the engine compartment.

Shortly after that I had a catastrofic belt malfunction caused by a water pump going bad.
End result was brand new cooling pump, gator back belt and 2 core alluminum radiator.
Heep is happy in 100 degree South Florida summer.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-09-2010, 03:28 AM

This is the ZJ's current look...

It is waiting for it's most serious make up yet, involving long arms, 7 inch lift, 35 inch boggers, and full width D44 front and 9 inch rear.
Yes, I finally found the specific front axle I wanted, an HPD44HD that came off a Ford F150 super cab (3 inch diameter tubes and 1/2 inch wall, same as the 8 lug dana 44 found on F250's and post 79 F350's.
Here it is the day I picked it up from the freight dock.

In clean up process, taking the now not needed brackets off, and painting it to protect the clean metal from the rain.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...00702-1902.jpg
The flat top knuckle.... Yes, the only F150 (5 lug) flat top knuckle that came stock... Here is the passenger side that will need milled and drilled...

And here is the drivers side that is already drilled and set up.

Axle will be trussed with a TNT customs piece.

and the 9 inch rear wwill get a disc brake conversion with a stock set up from a Lincoln Versailles that I was wise enough to get at a junkyard about 15 years ago, and still kept in my garage.
I was even wiser to buy then brand new calipers, pads, bearings etc, so my out of pocket for this conversion right now will be very little.

I guess that is about it for now.
I know I have missed some pictures here and there, and I have more details for my HF radio and antenna install, which is one of my other hobbies, and a great part of why this rig has been built and set up this way.
I will keep updating this thread as I install the new stuff, and I hope that you guys enjoy it.

My infinite thanks to many people here on JF and MC.. Even though I do not ask too many questions, I have been able to read and learn enough to perform all the installations, maintenace and mods to this heep with the help received from these two great forums.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-15-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinTexasXJ

ohhh I love those tires. nice *** ZJ

Thanks.
The baja Claws look pretty good, and I guess for just offroad they wear out OK.
I have used them all aroundn and I am getting over three years of use out of them, so not bad.

I am looking at Goodrich TA/KO's or something of that sort for the street, and keeping the boggers for offroad only this time.

**SpeedyCat3** · 07-15-2010, 04:12 PM

Front Dana 44 is all clean now, the brake rotors and calipers have been ordered, and the left spindle has been sent out to be machined.
Should have everything back by the time I am back home for days off.

flopp00 · 07-15-2010, 04:59 PM

i love the wheel and tire combo makes me drool plus the v8 makes it all the better