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GTX's low rider TJ build

122K views 687 replies 82 participants last post by  offroader80 
#1 ·
GTX's low rider TJ build - now 4500 Ultra4 wannabe

***updated Dec 2015 - This has turned into a nearly full blown 4500 Ultra4 wannabe build!

The 1/2 ton version of the build is complete (I broke my D30 in half at the dunes) and moving onto one tons, see page 39 for 1 ton Eaton hybrid
***


For the fastest updates, follow me on Instagram: @jeeps4Trevin

I'm nearly finished with the first "phase" of things. I know a few of my buddies on here have wanted to see it so I'm posting up.

First up, background-

'97 TJ Sport
4.0/AX-15/NP231
LP D30 with 3.55s
D35 with 4.10s
Smittybuilt bumper
chrome EVERYWHERE
sagging 4" Skyjackoff lift
3" bodylift...yeah, wow

The good stuff:

Full banks stainless exhaust, the good kind of header and flowmaster
came with a HP30 with 4.10s
got a great deal on it
swapped in 4.0 with less miles and all is good
Alpine deck and 6.5s, Kicker 5 1/4s
Came with 35 MTRs in good shape on black steelies
Sold some of the crap for cash
hard top
hard doors too

The plan (old, see last pages)
long arms - done, with stretch
0-1" suspension lift, 1" body lift done
cage
8.8 swap done
HP30 swap done
4.10s done
locked on both ends done
RCV shafts done
SYE + CV done
35" Krawlers on alum rims done
warn upright winch done
high line fenders done
sliders
rear corner armor done
front and rear bumpers

I'll add more to the list and update as time and build goes on.

This belonged to a guy's wife. She just liked having a lifted Jeep to ride around in, didn't care about 4wd or anything like that. Can't blame her, it's a cool Jeep. The sound of the full exhaust is awesome!

Pics when I got her


Euro tails :laughing:


Pics now, page 45-



 
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5
#2 ·
HP30 needed some help, I'll let the pics speak for themselves. It's a XJ CAD model, first used a stock plate that I modified then ordered the kit from Randy's. Also used a SealsIt D30 seal for the passenger's side since the ones in the kit were of NO use to me at all :shaking: This looks like a '87 or '88 model so be warned, skip the kit and just buy a SealsIt and never look back.









 
#4 ·
Found a lincoln 225 online. I learned on one of these, so I picked it up


Randy's kit, if you want it, this is what it looks like


stock fenders were beat up a little, so they had to come off






Cardan joint in the front shaft was fubar, bought a new shaft from a guy in PDX, he ran a sweet land cruiser shop
 
#5 ·
stock airbox was held on by one bolt and I knew I didn't want it after the highline, so I tossed it and bought this cone filter for around $20







Still need to make a good mount for it

These gayass tails had to go


LEDs, gonna black them out soon





Did the front too
 
#7 ·
East Coast Gear Supply has great deals on 8.8s ready to go for TJs so I jumped on it. I basically got an 8.8 for the same cost of parts but it was already welded up and had 4.10s in it.




35 has to come out




Also swapped out the saggy 4" springs for stock Rubi stuff
 
#8 ·
In


Only snag was the T adapter stud didn't quite line up. I'll weld it on in the original spot later. The E-brake cables were kind of a pain in the *** but no big deal.



Old next to the new before going in


slip yoke isn't going to be up to par



I'm not sure if all TJs come with the risers on the tcase to drop it about an inch, but my last TJ had them as well. Took those out, made the stock skid as flat as I could. You can see the angles in the above pics.

Snagged the Rubi takeoffs with shocks for $100



Just a couple pics underneath

 
#9 ·
Needs more trianglation:rtft:


:laugh:



Welcome to JF buddy... why only 4:10s? You really need 4.88s or 5.13s for it to be great.

I'm guessing you got the 8.8 already geared to 4:10 so geared the front to match?
 
#12 ·
Needs more trianglation:rtft:

:laugh:

Welcome to JF buddy... why only 4:10s? You really need 4.88s or 5.13s for it to be great.

I'm guessing you got the 8.8 already geared to 4:10 so geared the front to match?
:D

Been lurking, figured I'd post up for more peeps. 4.10s with 4.0 and 5 speed ain't bad. I'll be doing a sm420 or np435 swap down the road so it will all make sense. Plus 4.10s are available in 8.8s and HP30s from the factory, makes it easy and cheap.
 
#10 ·
Nutserts are $15 each, good thing I just needed one and bought a spare.



Oh, and these bolts are hard to cutoff without some kind of torch or plasma. Grade 8 bolts eat sawzall blades :shaking:


Aussie before going in


Goodies from Rokmen arrived


231s getting swapped out


stock 231 vs SYE 231


Picked it up cheap, so I just swapped them. It was from a YJ so I had to swap some random plugs but that was it.

This big ***** tried to ****ing smother me. I didn't realize they were so damn thick and heavy. It's comparable to my RE skid but doesn't look like it. I thought maybe 30-40lbs but it must have been close to 60 or 70 and I didn't have a clue or a trans jack, haha.
 
#15 ·
Got this lockright from my ex-SEAL buddy...he's an awesome guy


slap it together, use grease to make it easier


Put the springs in


done, torque ring gear bolts to 80 ft lbs


Took these cone washers out too


old school torque wrench


Remember to properly mark everything


 
#16 ·
you can see the old shifter that I threw together for my first trip :D


Bent and cut it and got this:




Welded it up where I had cut it and it came out great. Painted it up, and it's ready to go. It's just a simple push/pull shifter, not much. I have a new boot to go over the shifter opening and it just slips over the lever on the case. I'll crimp the end once it's on the case.



Picture of the nutsert. My camera makes everything look 10 times worse than it really is!!!


Another shot of the rear corner, came out great!
 
#17 ·
After this I wanted to wheel it a little bit, so I did that :D


Entrance to BusyWild. I won't be doing this trail until I get a winch and more armor. I also want it to be a little less wet, haha. It swallowed a CJ on 38s, a stretched YJ on 36s, and even tore up a Toyota front axle to the point where the 4 studs holding on the steering arm sheared off.





This had RCV axles in front....nice Rubi



 
#25 ·
Current stuff:

Got some new goodies for the TJ...starting with some new shoes.




Thanks to Larry at...


I've also been wondering what I wanted to do with my front end. I could go with a custom HP44 I found for about the same price as RCV shafts. It had been narrowed, new 4.10s and Auburn LSD, new BJs, brakes, etc. However, it had been sitting so it needed work, plus TJ brackets. I would have had a one-off stock 3/4 ton axle and would need to get some new shafts in the 8.8 to match the 5 on 5.5 pattern. After thinking about it and actually looking at the axle, I decided it would be a much better investment to buy the RCV Ultimate shafts for the HP30 since they can be sold for close to what I paid for them, are "unbreakable" with lifetime warranty, and are smoother and stronger than alloys and CTMs. Plus, with a HP30, it's a throw-away housing if I ever bend it or strip a gear set. I run 4.10s, so the gears are stronger than 4.88s and are found in factory housings easily for anywhere from free to $200. Decision made.

I do need to change my overall crawl and drive ratio, meaning if I'm not regearing I'll have to go a 4speed transmission with the granny low or a NV4500. Still deciding on that one. I don't use 5th gear as it is so I think a np435, sm420, or T18 is in order. Reading builds like Alxj64's 7/8 ton TJ has given me a lot of info and guidance so I'm thinking I'll go with a np435 later down the road. If I find a nv4500 for a good price I may go that route but I'll have to give the TJ a stretch. All this will happen mid-next year around May when I finally get done with training. Until then, I'm just gonna wheel :D
 
#26 ·
On one of my many trips out wheelin this year, I bent one of the body mounts. I tried to bend it back best I can but it needs to be cut off and a new one welded on.


Body lift removal....1" vs the 3" that came off. Yes, I just cut the pucks


Jack up the body with a block of wood, cut each mount individually and put the long bolts back in. Like this-






Don't forget the front puck, it matters!

Then let it down slowly, one side at a time. Remember to check the gas tank extension, steering shaft, both shifters, and other parts that come down the body but are connected to the chassis. I had no problems and everything works better than it did before.

All down-


Replace with the new, 2 inch shorter bolts. It will sit real low, like this-
 
#27 ·
One reason to replace the bolts, even if you're just bolting them back up, if they look like this-


That was my worst one, looks like that body lift has been on there a long time.

RCV shafts showed up while I was working-




most blingin parts on the jeep!


Almost forgot, 8.8 got some armor too-
 
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