'99 Sport Build Thread: Grocery Haulin' With Panache - Page 6

Matt L · 08-22-2011, 09:33 PM

your thought on back spacing is wrong. 4" less strain on ball joints, 3 3/4 pushes tire out more= more strain.

**PhilipJ** · 08-22-2011, 09:50 PM

Oh, I know that, I guess I just worded it wrong. It could be taken either way I suppose. I know a lot of guys that have gone with less than 4" and developed balance and handling issues, not to mention destroyed ball joints. Plus I don't really like the ultra-wide stance look anyway. I think 33x12.50's on 4" BS will look perfect, especially with those flares.

Cleaning the XJ up tonight to get it ready for an interior project tomorrow. Then *lots and lots* of parts showing up throughout the rest of the week.

**rulppa** · 08-22-2011, 11:12 PM

Wow, those flares really made XJ look good! 33" with different offset to make it look less cadillac and its perfect!

How about rear bumper?

**biggn235** · 08-23-2011, 05:36 PM

I cannot wait to see this Jeep with 33s, this is the exact setup I've been considering.

**PhilipJ** · 08-24-2011, 06:42 PM

What can brown santa do for you? My UPS guy isn't even into Jeeps, but now he's curious as to what the hell it looks like and what I'm doing to it from all of the heavy packages he's dropped off over the course of the past few months (he can't see it since I park in the back).

Oh hi there

So much steel, mmmm. Notice the new 2-piece TnT bellypan design (also the new 10" Alpine sub I put in the other day)

...and its amp buddy

I really like the finish on the arms

I didn't measure, but I think the skids are 1/4" plate

IRO tie rod

...and drag link

**Brookhart63** · 08-24-2011, 08:15 PM

That looks great! i would love to see that in the back of my jeep.

b16gsr · 08-28-2011, 08:02 AM

great build, well done the first time. i may have missed it somewhere, but what flares are those? i HATE flares on the XJ but those are awesome.

alexrule123 · 08-28-2011, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilipJ

...and drag link

Once you get this installed I would like to know what you think about it. I am torn between the IRO kit and the JCR kit.

robd2003 · 08-28-2011, 08:59 AM

Ive been thinking bout doing the v8 gc steering upgrade since i work in a jeep junkyard i could get it pretty cheap. id also like to know how the iro kit does.

jeep is looking awesome

alexrule123 · 08-28-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robd2003

Ive been thinking bout doing the v8 gc steering upgrade since i work in a jeep junkyard i could get it pretty cheap. id also like to know how the iro kit does.

jeep is looking awesome

The WJ steering and brake swap would be awesome.

robd2003 · 08-28-2011, 10:10 AM

it would be a zj setup. From what I've read

**PhilipJ** · 08-28-2011, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b16gsr

great build, well done the first time. i may have missed it somewhere, but what flares are those? i HATE flares on the XJ but those are awesome.

Thanks. They're the Bushwacker flat flares; fairly new product. I hated the stock ones too, I'd barely flex a little and *POP* they'd come off and I'd have to bend the stupid retainer back into place just right so it would go on again. These have a two-piece 'frame' underneath that bolt to the fender, and then the flare slides over them, retained with friction (the slide on very tight) and screws.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexrule123

Once you get this installed I would like to know what you think about it. I am torn between the IRO kit and the JCR kit.

I'd like to know, too! I took all of the stock parts off, reamed the knuckles and pitman to 5/8" but have run into a bit of a problem. See the drag link adjuster to the right of the rod ends? It won't thread into the drag link (at upper right). I've tried heating the drag link and even tossed the adjuster into the freezer overnight but I cannot get the damn thing to thread in there. I sent IRO an email on Friday (after they'd closed, I'm on the west coast) so I'm hoping to hear something on Monday. I'm not going to be very happy if my XJ is still undriveable come Labor Day weekend.

5/8 hardware

Pitman reamed

Since I can't go anywhere until I get the steering sorted, I started on the Y-link kit. About 80% of the labor with this kit is the drilling for the skid supports; the rest is fairly easy but I'm doing the arms last. I also have TnT's unibody stiffeners which add 3/16" to each of the six outer holes, so the drilling has been somewhat slow and tiring.

4 down, 2 to go

**PhilipJ** · 08-28-2011, 06:12 PM

Drilling went a lot faster today for some reason. I've got all of the holes ready, but I need to get a drill attachment for my 3/4" hole saw. I guess on some XJ's there are supports within the uni-rail and those need to be knocked out so I can run the crush sleeves through. Then bolts will be run through those to mount 90° supports on the inside of the rail which help suspend the skid from above (the oval holes behind the long-arm mounts).

One of the reasons I chose the TnT...the skids offer more protection than any other kit

You can kind of see the internal support here

Driver's side holes...I got a bolt through one! So the internal supports don't run the entire length of the rail apparently. Also, drilling the two on the left was a bit of a pain because of the t-case. I jacked it all the way up into the body, dropped the shaft and had just enough room for my right-angle drill and unibit. Oh yeah, watch out for the fuel rail!

Only need two holes on the passenger side thankfully (t-case skid required the other two on driver's side). Another tight fit with the drill because of the exhaust, as you can see from the walking mark. I had to start at a little bit of an angle but thanks to the unibit, it straightened right out after a few steps and cleared the exhaust no problem.

alexrule123 · 08-28-2011, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilipJ

I'd like to know, too! I took all of the stock parts off, reamed the knuckles and pitman to 5/8" but have run into a bit of a problem. See the drag link adjuster to the right of the rod ends? It won't thread into the drag link (at upper right). I've tried heating the drag link and even tossed the adjuster into the freezer overnight but I cannot get the damn thing to thread in there. I sent IRO an email on Friday (after they'd closed, I'm on the west coast) so I'm hoping to hear something on Monday. I'm not going to be very happy if my XJ is still undriveable come Labor Day weekend.

Wow, that sucks! I know if that happened to me I would be pissed off to no end. Iron Rock has been good to me when I had the one issue with missing hardware, so hopefully they will get you rolling soon.

**PhilipJ** · 08-28-2011, 07:22 PM

Disregard, I'm an idiot. I forgot that the adjuster is reverse-threaded on the rod end. I wish they'd have put a reminder in the instructions. It was still a bear to get threaded though!

I guess I'll finish that up first thing in the morning, then I can drive to the hardware store and get an arbor for the hole saw. And maybe an alignment on the way back...