Doogie's Build Thread - Page 2

**doogie** · 11-06-2009, 01:31 PM

Shocks came in today. All other parts should come in by early week and this time next weekend I'll be starting to put lift parts on.

97DCZJ · 11-06-2009, 01:37 PM

lookin good so far. i got the same shocks.

**squashman702** · 11-06-2009, 02:39 PM

You do know you shouldn't have much trouble fitting the Moabs on without any lift, right?

**doogie** · 11-06-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96DCZJ

lookin good so far. i got the same shocks.

You like them? How they ride? I had the SJ Hydros on my TJ with a BB which it rode stiffer than stock but I couldn’t ever really decide how much of that was due to the shocks and how much of it was due to the lift.

Quote:

Originally Posted by squashman702

You do know you shouldn't have much trouble fitting the Moabs on without any lift, right?

Yeah I suppose I do….but what about flexing them diso’d….won’t I be chewing my fender without a lift? I can’t say that I see many ZJ’s on this forum running around with 31’s (yes I know they are like 30.5’s) and no lift. Or am I off and they will stuff just fine? It’s my first ZJ so a little schooling couldn’t hurt.

**doogie** · 11-07-2009, 08:39 AM

Well I guess I should have waited until is was warmer outside to try and do this. As is the common problem my rear hatch took about 2 minutes worth of jiggling to get to open each time. So this moring I get up and start messing with it. The rear panel is pretty brittle from just regular sun fade but I pry it out enough to get my hand down in there and release the latch. Just as I start pull my hand back out....pop....and I look down and see this. Oh well hatch is adjusted and working properly now. Might keep and eye out for a new panel or see if I can epoxy this from the back side. It's not exactly a big conern at the moment.

**doogie** · 11-15-2009, 08:54 AM

Well the lift is on. I didn't take any pics of the install since everyone has seen a BB installed before. I have to say (I'm sure everyone thinks this) it looks taller in person. I was actually pleasantly suprised, it sits taller than I thought it would. I didn't take any stock measurements and wasn't really worried about it but there are 5.5" between top of tire to fender lip in the front and 6.5" in the rear. Rides about the same with hard hits like pot holes being a little more jarring. These worn out MTR's need to be replaced though, man they are loud. The last time I ran MTR's on another Cherokee I went from Swampers to MTR's so the MTR's sounded way better and that's how I remebered them. But since I've been riding around on street tread for the past 2 months and stepping to an almost worn out MTR.....dang!

I did weld in the KOR post extensions but other than that it was a pretty straight forward install. I did a BB on my TJ and that install took about 2 hours. But I was working with a basically new vehicle so parts came off easily and there was no spring compressor needed. I have read a couple instructions where guys say they aren't needed for the GC install they just make the job easier......I don't see anyway to do it without one, especially with the extended bump stops.

Next on the list is order and EBay manifold and have my exhasut redone then get the rear main leak fixed so I can actually park it on my driveway without having to clean up after it.

**biggoofy** · 11-15-2009, 10:34 AM

looks good how hard was it to remove the cadding

JFox21 · 11-15-2009, 10:43 AM

Looking really good!

zippome · 11-15-2009, 11:35 AM

220 for a steel rear bumper and you passed it up?! your crazy! looks good though, keep it up

**doogie** · 11-15-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biggoofy

looks good how hard was it to remove the cadding

Super easy. Essentially the cladding on the doors just pulls off, walk up to it and give it a jerk. The little spots before and after the doors has screws that screw into the fender lip. Then after the gray cladding comes off there are some white plastic strips underneath it that just pop to one side and lift off. It’s super straight forward. Maybe take it a little slower if you plan on putting it back on but I ripped my off and only broke like 2 tabs about of probably 20.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdwarriors

Looking really good!

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippome

220 for a steel rear bumper and you passed it up?! your crazy! looks good though, keep it up

Trust me it was a battle saying no. If it didn’t need so many little mechanical things right now that bumper would already be bought and bolted on. But since I just got this zj and I’ve already blown a ton of money on it in the last month and a half…..I just had to let it go no matter how much it pained me.

**doogie** · 11-22-2009, 06:19 PM

Well this weeks progress includes:

Triming the bumper.....I sort of wish I had trimmed it a little differently but I waited a little late to have that thought. The edge is actually very clean and straight....those water drops on the edge make it look sort of jagged but that's not the case.

Also got in the Ebay manifold which for $70 delivered seems to be pretty dang nice.

Mike97ZJ · 11-22-2009, 06:26 PM

Looking good so far! I really like the Moabs, and it looks great w/out the cladding. Aren'te there a bunch of steel nubs under the cladding the the clips attach with? What did you do about those?

And this has probably been said already, but your rocker covers and front bumper would look great painted in either matte black or charcoal grey.

**doogie** · 11-22-2009, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike97ZJ

Looking good so far! I really like the Moabs, and it looks great w/out the cladding. Aren'te there a bunch of steel nubs under the cladding the the clips attach with? What did you do about those?

And this has probably been said already, but your rocker covers and front bumper would look great painted in either matte black or charcoal grey.

Thanks, yeah I'm a sucker for Moabs I've stuck them on my last 3 Jeeps. There are little nubs and I haven't done anything with them. I'll probably just leave them the way they are. You could grind them off but then you would have to repaint the lower body.

Yeah some Krylon Fusion is on my to do list although I'm pretty sure the rocker cladding is comming off to but probably not until I get sliders.

Mike97ZJ · 11-22-2009, 07:16 PM

I'd love a set of Moabs for mine.

I ditched my rocker cladding when I got sliders. I'd have had to trim the cladding to get it to fit with the sliders on, so I just left it off. I have a black ZJ with matte black cladding, so it really wasn't noticeable anyway.

As far as the nubs, I think that's where the bedliner that so many people use becomes a good idea. With the texture of the liner to cover it up, you really don't have to do much body work to remove the nubs like you'd have to do if you were using paint.

**doogie** · 11-22-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike97ZJ

As far as the nubs, I think that's where the bedliner that so many people use becomes a good idea. With the texture of the liner to cover it up, you really don't have to do much body work to remove the nubs like you'd have to do if you were using paint.

Honestly I like the bedliner stuff but for some reason I don't like the 2-tone look of it with red paint. If I had a darker coler where the change wasn't so extreme I'd have it in a second. I actually thought about getting the raptor liner in red and spraying it. But my fear is the reds would be off to much and it would look worse than if I'd have just gone with black.