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"The UTE" Build Thread

75K views 964 replies 33 participants last post by  BLACK04WJ 
#1 ·
So I decided to start a build thread just for fun. It's not much of a "build" but at least I can track my progress and get some pointers along the way. This is the first vehicle ive ever worked on so please be easy on the harsh comments as I'm NOT a mechanic in any way.


First off I have a 2004 Limited that I bought with 82,000 miles. It had a 3" IRO lift. The only other thing that wasn't stock was the 17" rims that were black with a machined lip.. I didn't care for them very much so I changed them. since then I have changed several things and I did have pictures of everything but no longer have all of them(decided to upgrade my iPhone and lost all of my pictures) As of today I now have just under 89,000 miles with an IRO 6.5" lift. I will take more pictures of everything and post them when I can.

Also I just bought another WJ recently for my wife and hers will be mostly stock.. but I am going to track her progress on here too.

My Wife's is a 2004 Laredo that we bought with 83,000 miles and was 100% stock. We have only had it a couple weeks and the only mod is tinted tail lights.
 

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#3 ·
haha I don't think a tan grill would look too good on your WJ!! plus her and I both hate chrome. That's why my grille is no longer chrome.

How much did the ball joints and TRE's cost you? I need to do mine soon I think.

ps glad you are enjoying the lift! can I have it back? my wife needs a lift!
 
#5 ·
Timbo24 said:
Are those black rims you were talking about for sale?
nope I sold them about 5 months ago sorry. they are pretty cheap online though! I actually sold them and bought the exact same ones just in matte black with no machined lip. they are called "Dirty Harry" by REV I think?
 
#7 ·
kodiakwj said:
I'm willing to spray it black to match my bumpers. And I'll send you one blacked out grill. TRE and ball joints was about $600 with alignment and I did brakes also.
haha no thanks man. you do know that the '04 grill won't fit on your WJ without modification.. it's totally different but I guess it could be done. I'll trade your lift for her grill and that's my final offer.
 
#10 ·
Here are the oldest pics of the jeep that I still have.. yes the jeep is covered with crap but this is how it looked when I bought it.

The only modifications I had done at this point was the blacked out the chrome up front and installed a cd deck
 

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#12 ·
Found a roof rack on the local classifieds and picked it up for a decent price.. It's a mopar roof rack that was on an '08 WK. Bought it for 200 with 4 Hello slim style spot lights already wired in! I looked up the rack and lights online and the whole set up was around 12000 new!

Also used it to pick up a couple Christmas trees last year!

I sanded down the front bumper and Herculined it and love the look! and I tinted the tail lights and gave the headlights an "angry" look with the tint.

Also picked up a hi-lift jack on the local classifieds as well.
 

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#14 ·
On my way to some military training I parked next to a smaller WJ and decided that I needed to take some pictures. Also I now have a shovel and axe mounted to the roof rack with "quick fists"
 

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#15 ·
Sanded and Herculined the rear bumper.. left some of it body color and I really like how it turned out!
 

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#16 ·
first time i see someone do that to the rear bumper........


looks good!!
and i bet those tires hum huh? haha. nice WJ bro
 
#17 ·
alwaysHI said:
first time i see someone do that to the rear bumper........

looks good!!
and i bet those tires hum huh? haha. nice WJ bro
I had never seen the rear bumper like that either.. but I like it too! and yes those tires hum like no other! but for the moment I actually have the terra grapplers back on instead of the mud grapplers.. just until I get extended bump stops so I don't ruin a fender
 
#18 ·
first trails the jeep has ever seen(as far as I know) with the UTAH Jeep Crew and like 100 other jeeps! Didn't take many pictures but it was a good time. This was the February social up 5 mile. I made it to Wayne's world with no problem but it was to wet to even get up the bypass so I called it a day.
 

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#20 ·
Had a photo shoot with both jeeps to see the size difference. I think mine is a little bigger.. an hers is on higher ground!
 

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#21 ·
Installed a CB radio and a PA speaker just for fun! Still haven't tuned the antenna though. I've never even touched a CB radio before this and was pretty easy to install.. I'll have to take some of the pics of how I cut everything to make it fit. It's like the cubby hole was designed for a CB..

The last picture of what the cubby hole used to look like.... well sort of its my wife's version ha.

yes... I know I have leather/heated seats/pedal adjust/wood trim.. and my wife doesn't ha
 

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#25 ·
yesterday I installed new yokes and a Tom woods front drive shaft.. today I adjusted my caster/pinion angles to get rid of a slight vibration. and pulled out my coil spring retainer from the passenger side front spring because it was just sitting inside the spring because the bolt won't hold it in. solutions?
 
#26 ·
HVACNY said:
That 100 jeep ride looks like alot of fun..

Your jeep is OD nice.I would like to do NYG in my taillights,were they decals.
I just bought stickers and placed them where I wanted them... then applied several coats of VHT nite shades(used a hair dryer between each coat to ensure it was dry before the next coat) then when I got the tint that I wanted.. I used a razor to slowly pry the stickers off.

I didnt clear coat them due to it being illegal to tint tail lights here in Utah... that way if I get a "fix it" ticket I can just clean the tint off
 
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