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JeepWJ's 03 WJ Ltd Build Thread - Project Golfball

61K views 331 replies 43 participants last post by  Redneck1996 
#1 · (Edited)
NOTE: many images are expired. I may have some somewhere. If you need to see one, PM me and I'll see if I can find it for you.

Okie-dokey...just because if everyone else was jumping off a bridge, I would too, here's my build thread...nothing too fancy here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
iPod adapter install
Window Regulator
Fire Extinguisher
Altezza Taillights
IRO 3" Lift / Doetsch Shocks
Cobra29 WX ST CB
Removeable seat mod.............................Post 1
Tenneco SS..........................................Post 9
Swaybar Tie-Downs...............................Post 12
Bumper Cut, Take 1...............................Post 13
Power Inverter Install.............................Post 17, Post 22
Bumper Cut, Take 2...............................Post 27
Hood Light...........................................Post 40
KM2 30" Tires.......................................Post 41
Wish List #1........................................Post 51
(Temporary) Heated Seat Fix..................Post 55
Red Map Lights....................................Post 60, Post 61
Rusty's Tow Hooks...............................Post 71
JCR Stage 2 Sliders..............................Post 79, Post 97, Post 105
Wish List #2.......................................Post 91
Busted Front Drive Shaft.......................Post 113
JKS Quicker Disconnects.......................Post 120
F.E. Relocate......................................Post 121
Hail Damage (or Money Tree).................Post 142
SS Relocation / OTK Tie Rod..................Post 152, Post 162
Cab Lights..........................................Post 163
Wheel Spacers....................................Post 171
ProtoFab Rear Bumper..........................Post 186, Post 187
Stereo (Kenwood Excelon KDC-X994)......Post 214
Washer Bottle Relocation......................Post 233
247-231 Swap....................................Post 254
JeepWJ rises from the dead...................Post 325
WHEELING TRIPS:
Northwoods Overland 2010.05.09...........Post 74
Club property 2010.07.04.....................Post 106
Trollhaugen 2010.08.27........................Post 134
Pipeline 2010.10.12.............................Post 168
Club property 2010.12.05.....................Post 180
Northern WI 2011.01.15.......................Post 204
Badlands IN 2011.04.29.......................Post 246
First, a little about how I got my Heep...I wanted a JK Unlimited ever since they came out, but I couldn't afford one new, and there weren't any on the market used. My minivan died, so I started looking for a new car. The dealer was trying to get me to buy a Kia, but I was more interested in the Dub right next to it. It was an '03 Limited, and the only option it didn't have was the Nav radio, otherwise it was fully loaded. Single-owner, no crash history, and really good condition. HO V8.

I got it in summer '08, right when gas prices hit around $4 a gallon, so I got it for dirt cheap, too :)

Here's a picture of my dub, the first day I got it:

The beemer is some other tenant's. I lived there for six months, and that car never, ever moved. It was also about 2 feet deep in junk. I'm talking old books, McDonalds wrappers, tennis rackets, clothes, and the like.

First thing I did, was to install one of those tape-player iPod connector dealies, so that I could listen to my iPod while driving



I had tried an FM transmitter for about two days before I returned it. The tape dealie works ok, but if I were to redo it, I'd just get a whole new iPod-capable system.

I didn't do too much to my Heep for about half a year, until I paid it off. Meanwhile,


That was a two-mile trip, through 8" of fresh snow, with my basically stock WJ dragging its gas tank all the way. With the left driver's side window stuck open. My next project was to replace the window regulator with one that works. No biggie...just tear the door apart, and replace with a new regulator...the new one's not as powerful as stock though. Takes longer to roll up the window now.


Installed a fire extinguisher (I had it lying around and I didn't know what to do with it)



So here's my Heep, 'bearly' modified:


Now the fun begins. I smashed a taillight on a garbage can at -20 F, so I got some custom lights:


Now, the first big mod...a 3" IRO lift!!
before:


After!


I got a CB for my Heep:




I debadged it...

(I didn't take pics of this)

and had an extra power inverter lying around, so I permanently installed that:


I also permanently installed a USB phone charger:



I started getting a little (ok, fine, a lot of) death wobble, so I replaced the steering stablilzer with an IRO / Tenneco dual stabilizer kit (but I never stuck the second one in -- I'll probably just keep it for when the first one goes out.

(see post below---I'm only allowed 20 pix per post.)

I did theksmith's removable rear seat mod



and added in some eye bolts for holding some sway bar disconnects (future mod)



Finally, I did some minor bumper trimming, in preparation for a possible, more radical theksmith-style bumper trim.



I'm hedging on this. Here's a photoshop of what it'd look like if I ended up doing it:


Well, that's where my rig is at for now...here's what's on my wish list:
  • 31's. I'd probably go for some BFG MTs but I'm not sure. I've got about 1/16" of tread before I need to make that decision. ----- EDIT - Got 'em. KM2s.
  • Quick disconnects. I'd probably get the JKS'es from IRO, but I might get the other (cheaper) ones whose name escapes me right now. ----- EDIT - Got 'em. JKS'es.
  • Some way to mount a 31" spare. I really don't want to deal with this, but it might have to be a rear-mount, instead of a roof rack, because I've got a really low garage. As it is, I have to remove my CB antenna to get in. a roof rack plus a tire would mean forfeiting my garage space. ----- EDIT - Don't need this; it still fits in the tire well!
  • a carputer would be really cool, but WAAAAAAY out of my price range.
  • some real front tow hooks.I wouldn't trust mine. ----- EDIT - purchased.
And one more pic, just for good measure:


Well, that about covers it! Hope ya like it!
 
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#134 · (Edited)
Trollhaugen!! (for the out-of staters, that's not the same as farfrompuken)

Ducksguts and I camped overnight and woke up to this:


Went wheeling, and I got stuck (first time ever!):



very sandy soil, so I just kept spinning the tires, and couldnt' get any traction. Got winched out by theducksguts. I'll be fixing this before Sep. 13 (IRO's got free shipping till then):



And don't trust Rusty's tow hooks to pull a TJ off a log....



It's hard to tell, but the hook is supposed to be perpendicular to the surface of the bumper. It's not.

EDIT: 7 years later, I still have the same tow hooks, but they are bent to hell and back.

Ducksguts had some fun too. For the record, it IS possible to wheelie a TJ with a 2.5L engine. This is about 2 seconds before the wheelie:



He also busted up some stuff, but that's for him to talk about on his thread :D All in all, I'd say it was a lot of fun; the whole park was designed for WAAY bigger rigs than my WJ. I would have had a lot more fun in a mud rig or a tube buggy, but hey! the whole idea of my WJ is to do expeditions, not to climb over 3' boulders and go through 4' deep mud pits. I'm pretty happy though. I promised myself that I wouldn't break anything, and all I damaged was the tow hooks and the tie rod, but I drove the rig home for 4 hours (doorless :D ) and it was perfectly fine, so I can leave things as they are for a little while.



For the record: from the looks I got, most people on the freeway think a doorless WJ is pretty ridiculous. A doorless WJ which is splattered with mud and has a bent tie rod is :duhrock:
 
#135 ·
It was a good time for sure. I talked with some people and they said that the trails this year were more extreme than years past. The bypasses were also in rough condition making some of them almost just as difficult as the obstacles.

Had some good trail riding and fun in the rock garden. Wish I would have came more prepared. Stupid wheel locks.
 
#145 ·
As far as bending your Rusty's hook goes - most people I know have bent at least one of their factory hooks as well. Just part of it when you attach a hook to sheetmetal I guess :(
 
#147 ·
the hail spots won't crack or rust, atleast they shouldn't..... i've seen cars with hail damage for the past 6years with no issues...

but ive heard the dry ice will pull the spots out
 
#148 ·
ive heard the dry ice will pull the spots out
As a hail-damaged car owner, I find this interesting.
As an engineer (ish), I find this interesting.
As a nerd, I find this interesting.

I'm not saying I believe it, but it is plausible....SOMEONE PASS THE DRY ICE :D
 
#150 ·
interesting link, and their explanation is believable. I'd have to actually see it done to believe it, but like I said, it def. sounds plausible! If I can't get the dents fixed, I might go on a dry ice hunt and see if it actually works!
 
#152 · (Edited)
I still have yet to try the dry ice, but the hail damage yielded a small money tree which is kinda nice :) Also:



That's a SS relocation (and doesn't that tie-rod look kinda shiny??) Stepping away a bit:



OTK!!!!! :D

EDIT: This was an IRO over-the-knuckle tie rod. I ended up having a rod end tear out of it in a parking lot. Talked to Josh, apparently it was a problem with 1 batch of their tie rods; ordered another one and never had a problem since.
 
#158 ·
I think probably not - Thu 9a, I was headed up to Poynette, so I would have probably been on 12, P, 160, etc...

That bracket to relocate the SS goes on the track bar mount on the "frame" side. Well, that's where I had mine for like 1.5 years. Now I have it mounted to the sway bar endlink mount on the axle and the other side of the SS is attached to the drag link.
Hm...interesting. I found IRO's SS relocator instructions really confusing (actually, the OTK tie rod instructions weren't that great either, though the product itself is awesome). I may have put the SS in the wrong place, but the tie rod instructions said to put the SS hanger on the tie rod, and I seem to have NO DW, despite some pretty heavy-duty misalignment (which I'll take care of tomorrow)

@MoonyJohn, yeah, it looks like it hangs down pretty far, but you have to remember that the tie rod is at least 2" higher up than it was before, so I think it's still ok. I would also rather it were a little higher up, and I might try to move it 180 degrees, so it doesn't stick out as far, but a) it appears to work, and b) despite the looks, it is higher up than it was before.

I guess the real question is, is there any one RIGHT place to put an SS? I've seen 'em so many different places, I figured whether the SS is 'correctly' installed is mainly an issue of whether you get DW and/or binding with your configuration...at any rate, if someone has pics and/or known good configurations, I'm all ears!
 
#154 ·
That SS "relocation kit" looks like garbage, it hangs down more than a stock one does and the bolts are freakishly long. Also, did you just flip the tie rod? I know you have to do some TRE work and sway bar end link work to make it "work" (said the w word too many times).
 
#155 ·
dont the relocation kits usually place the SS between the trackbar and draglink? ive got one laying around somewhere i never installed from IRO i guess i could look and see
 
#160 ·
You know you drive a built WJ when.........you take it to the shop, and they can't figure out how to do a front end alignment, even after you told them how.
Theducksguts dropped by and we finally got 'er aligned. I played around a little with where to put the SS. It will NOT fit on the drag link; with it there, I can't turn my wheels to the left at all. So I'm thinking it'll have to go on the tie rod, hopefully in a little higher-clearance configuration. For tomorrow, though, I'll be driving without an SS. I just tested it out, and no DW (but a damp driver's seat nonetheless) at 45...fortunately, I won't need to get over 45 to get to work!
 
#161 ·
I still have to attach it (tonight), but I think I figured out where the SS can go. If I put the U-shaped bracket on the same bolt as the stud for my right disco, I should be able to attach the other end of the SS to the drag link. It'll be WAAAY high out of the way there!

Let's just hope it works. We'll find out tonight!
 
#162 ·
Finally got the SS tucked away safely. I REALLY like where it is. If you see any potential problems with it, please let me know, but I've had it out at 65 and it's rock solid. No bumpsteer whatever.



And from the other side:

 
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