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97 TJ Heep to Zombie Killing Jeep Build

438K views 825 replies 181 participants last post by  cpia84 
#1 ·
So I always wanted a Jeep Wrangler and recently had an opportunity to pickup a 1997 TJ for cheap. Being that it is an SE with 4cyl and auto trans dana 30 and 35 cheap is really all it was worth anyway:laugh: But now i had a platform to start with and with our first child just being born I will be selling my motorcycle which will help fund the build. Along with what I had sold of a collection of 1/5 scale RC cars, one of which paid for the Jeep. But still looking to do this build on a budget and so I won't be buying $900 bumpers. The Jeep is taking place of the motorcycle as a toy and I still have my F-150 daily driver so can afford to have it down(torn apart for days or weeks at a time).

What I purchased in October of 2010


What I sold to buy the Jeep


First thing I did was gut the carpet, it was trashed. Also took out trunk thing to remove rust and repaint.


Parked next to the daily driver.


Took off the fenders to repaint and removing the stock steps. Also cut off front bumper jugs


With the carpet torn out the floors revealed some rust but not as bad as I would have thought with the condition of the top which would be my next purchase.




Brought it by a friends house to put some H2 tow hooks on the rear bumper:rofl:


Home in the garage for the first time. Took off mirrors and wiper blade arms and sanded and repainted. Let the money spending start. Did alot of tune up things like plugs, cap and rotor, new battery, O2 sensor, TPS, valve cover gasket etc...............


Put new black top on with tinted windows and removed rusted spare tire and spare tire holder. Added NRA sticker.


So after putting a black top on I decide I wanted the interior to be black (slate) so I purchased a dash out of a wrecked 06 TJ to install.


Painted the headlight bezels black with Krylon Fusion. And took off the front bumper to expose the rust under it. Ground it down and repainted, then installed smitty bilt stinger.



 
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#446 ·
Always nice to come home to a few boxes of jeep parts at the door. So pretty much all of what I need to rebuild/regear the front Dana 30 is here. Also in that pile is a speedo gear needed with 4.88 gears and 35's.




Wasn't in the mood to climb under the Jeep this evening so finished up some interior things. Mainly installing the airbag cover and grab handle so the complete slate color dash is in the white jeep. Now for some black seats, leaning toward Corbeau Moab seats. Once I man up and drop the trans figure that out and start putting this all back together with exhaust, SYE, axles with 4.88 and lockers this Jeep will be done, sort of.
 
#448 ·
That being said, couldn't you just take a propane torch to it, or acetylene, or MAP, or whatever generates enough heat?
 
#454 ·
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Thank you and she is

This is Definitely an awesome build!
Thank you, hope to get a lot done in this next few weeks. With the wife feeling ok I was able to go to Atlanta for the weekend. Not good for getting jeeps done but a damn good weekend none the less.



Grabbed an iPhone5 before flying out and the new panoramic feature is killer. Can't wait to get some action shots of the jeep with it.







.
 
#461 ·
Just wanted to tell you that you have possibly the best build here. I read the build from the start and am eagerly checking back daily to see if you've posted any more progress. I noticed you said if you were to paint your rims you would PlastiDip them. I just wanted to throw this out there that PlastiDip here in Canada is over $20 an 11oz can! Envious of your $7 a can. Keep up the great build.
 
#463 ·
Thank you, and keep in mind what we save on Plasti Dip we spend on health care :thumbdown:

Nice build(s) makes me want to paint mine white. I'm in Tampa and always looking for new places to go. I'm more into rocks than mud so seein if you had any good spots in mind. Can't wait to see both jeeps done and running. Good luck
The white has turned out to be a good choice. Nothing but water passes and mud down here. The guy I bought the Dana 35 from was in Bradenton and he goes north of Tampa to some trails. Plan on contacting him when I'm ready to travel with the jeep. So I'll be driving up to your neck of the woods once I get the Jeep done for some real "trail" riding. Do have any good spots up that way to do trail rides during the day and then camp?
 
#464 ·
A small amount of time on Friday to work on getting organized with the v8 Jeep.

We lowered it to move it in the shop. We have another lift going in where it has been sitting for almost a year now.:facepalm: I bought some dolly's today to move it around and may just move it on a tow truck and bring it home, once the white Jeep is out of my garage. Still working on getting the Transmission out, but only because I haven't touched it in over a week.


Also started on tearing down the Dana 30 to rebuild and throw in the front of the white Jeep. Will of course put some fresh paint on it before it goes in the Jeep.


The whole carrier, ring/pinion and spider gears will be replaced by larger carrier (for 3.73 gears and up) 4.88 ring and pinion and the Aussie Locker.


Step by step things are moving in the right direction. I need to take a vacation so I can build my Jeep.:thumbsup:
 
#466 ·
Finished tearing the Dana 30 apart


Brought it home


Set up a corner of the garage to rebuild the axles. Cleaned this one up to paint it.


After first coat of paint, looking much better.


Another coat of paint tomorrow and knocking out some seals and u-joints to be ready to install the new ones. also would really like to finish dropping the transmission.
 
#467 ·
Removed my CB and over head mount from the now very sad looking, one of these days v8 Jeep.


As sad as my Jeep looks on the ground begging for attention this poor Jeep is just a waste of one of the best off road vehicles ever made. It shakes the whole building when the stereo is turned up but with 22" wheels and rock rails it just looks ridiculous.


Was also able to finish cleaning the Dana 30 up and finished painting it. So plan is to get it back together tomorrow.
 
#468 ·
As sad as my Jeep looks on the ground begging for attention this poor Jeep is just a waste of one of the best off road vehicles ever made. It shakes the whole building when the stereo is turned up but with 22" wheels and rock rails it just looks ridiculous.
jlasdhfajseuyuut fsdafweaa

Sorry just vomited on the keyboard.

:rofl::rofl:
 
#469 ·
As sad as my Jeep looks on the ground begging for attention this poor Jeep is just a waste of one of the best off road vehicles ever made. It shakes the whole building when the stereo is turned up but with 22" wheels and rock rails it just looks ridiculous.


Was also able to finish cleaning the Dana 30 up and finished painting it. So plan is to get it back together tomorrow.
SOMEONE SLAP THE OWNER OF THAT JEEP! and nice build by the way
 
#473 ·
Worked on the front axle shaft u-joints today. knocked them out using the THOR method (see video for explanation ) Worked well and as the pictures show I had some dry caps so was worth the swap especially while they are out of the axle.


Also started to clean up the rear Dana 35 with super 35 kit shafts, ARB and 4.88's to go in the white Jeep.


After first coat of paint, amazing what a little paint can do. Had to paint the yokes for the front axles since the u-joints were out and everything else looks so good.


And this just because it made my laugh.
 
#476 ·
Glad someone else saw some humor in it :highfive:

Hey man awesome build!!!!!

What color/brand of paint are you using on the axle? What kinda prep are you doing? They look great :2thumbsup:

Hope your wife is doing well.
Sort of an odd choice but had heard good things and so went with this to paint the axles. Prep work consist of a wire wheel on a drill to get all the big stuff off and smooth out the surface, then paint them up. Also notice the nice new u-joints :)


Wife is doing ok, she now has lymphedema in her left arm due to the removal of 4 lymph nodes to check if it had spread. Gladly at that time and still today it is believed to have stay contained in her chest tissue. But now has to wear a compression sleeve to help with swelling in her arm. There are so many crazy things that happen to someone with breast cancer that go way beyond the removal of the tumor and chemo treatments as if that isn't bad enough. This being breast cancer awareness month make sure your loved ones do self exams and mammograms.
 
#475 ·
Hey man awesome build!!!!!

What color/brand of paint are you using on the axle? What kinda prep are you doing? They look great :2thumbsup:

Hope your wife is doing well.

After first coat of paint, looking much better.


Another coat of paint tomorrow and knocking out some seals and u-joints to be ready to install the new ones. also would really like to finish dropping the transmission.[/QUOTE]
 
#479 ·
Thank You, glad I could be of some inspiration.

So this is working out to be the slowest axle rebuild ever, but it is all the time I have to work on it. 10 minutes here 30 minutes there but like the Jeep progress is being made each step of the way. For instance today I rented a ball joint puller kit from Advanced Auto and after work removed the old ball joints and put in the new ones. I've got to say this has been the biggest PITA of the axle rebuild to this point. But done with them none the less.

Here are the new ones installed.


Also while at Advanced Auto I picked up some diff fluid for both axles. I will be running this in both axles due to the Aussie up front and ARB in the rear.


Tightened the rear diff cover to 30ftlbs in a crossing pattern using a lube locker gasket. So the rear axle is ready to go under the Jeep, just need to finish putting the front together.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc/maint.htm
 
#481 ·
#483 ·
I hate when I get to the end of an awesome build thread...I NEED MOAR!! lol Sweet Jeeps! That white one looks so amazing! I've always had a thing for white on Wranglers. And the green one is gonna turn out to be pretty darn sweet! I say go two tone with the Bedliner top, and green bottom...either way bad ***! That manifold is gonna be a *****...I hated doing mine, and I had a lift too!

Also, my prayers go out to your wife.

:cheers2:

EDIT: Where did you get the LEDs in your dash? I've been looking for white LEDs for mine.
 
#484 ·
#485 ·
I did get a small amount of time to tinker with the Jeep this evening so started to tear into the engine bay to replace the exhaust manifold. Really wasn't bad at all.

Removed the intake tube.


Then labeled all connections just to be safe


Next I removed the intake and the mount that secures the cables coming to it. Was easier this way, rather than undoing all the cables. just flopped it to the other side of the engine bay.


Then out came the fuel rail with the injectors, Again I left it attached some what and just laid it to the side.


At this point I noticed like others have said some of the O-rings on the injectors stayed in the intake manifold. This is when I started a list of things to buy while I have the jeep tore apart, new O-rings is first on the list.

The one on the right has the O-ring still on it.


The one on the left stayed in the manifold.


The power steering pump was the first thing to slow me down. But after figuring it out it goes pretty smooth. Just loosen the idler below the pulley for the power steering. Then loosen the tensioner bolt that runs behind the idler on an angle. With the belt tension loose you spin the pulley to line up the three bolts holding the pulley and power steering reservoir to the manifold with the holes in the pulley. Again I just left it resting in place once the bolts were out.


With that behind me it was time to crawl under the jeep and remove the bolts holding the manifolds to the block. Then back up top to take the four bolts out and bingo the intake manifold pops out.


I will be giving this manifold a serious cleaning along with the whole engine bay. I plan on doing the MML & BL along with a new valve cover gasket and painting the valve cover itself while I'm at it.




one more bolt and two nuts and the exhaust manifold is off. Was all the time I had tonight, took about 2 hours, not rushing and hunting for a few tools.


Should have this put back together with the new black painted manifold and other things I want done while I'm this deep already.
 
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