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My TJ LCOG build "Uncharted"

60K views 276 replies 49 participants last post by  IceKnight 
#1 ·
I've had my Jeep for awhile and I think it's time to start a build thread about it. I'll start out from when I purchased it, working my way through the pics I have and the changes I have made to it since…and then show what I'm doing currently, which is starting with a frame I purchased.

My overall goal is to have a capable and street-able Jeep (its going to be my DD), something that works properly all the time and I don't have to give the "explanation" on its quirks every time I hand the keys to someone new driving it.
So let's get into it.

The day I purchased my Jeep.
It's a 1998 TJ Sport
4" No name lift
33x12.50r15 Futura Dakota RVT

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Over time I did the normal stuff we all do, front and rear bumpers, rocker guards, suspension, exhaust, tires etc... and it looked like this.

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Keep scrolling to see what its looking like now.

Frame
2000
Completely stripped
Coated inside and out with Rust Bullet
New motor mounts
New front track bar mount
New steering linkage mount
Newly fabed rear control arm mounts
Reinforced rust prone areas of frame
New transfer case nutserts
New Classic Tube SS brake lines

Motor
4.6L I-6
4.2 Crank
Brown Dog MML
Icon IC944 .30 pistons
Comp Cams 68-232-4
Mopar performance valve springs / Retainers - 5249464 / 4452032
Mopar performance head gasket - 4529242
Arp head studs
Melling oil pump
62mm TB
Fuel Pump, lines, Ford 24lb Injectors
FAL Fan
Aluminum Radiator
Header
Banks Exhaust
Hi Flow cat
New Gaskets
New Bearings
Custom mounted Amsoil cone filter w/pre-filter

Transmission/Transfer Case
Advanced Adapters SYE
Advanced Adapters Braided Stainless Clutch Line
Novak Transfer Case Shifter
Tom Woods Rear Drive Shaft

Suspension
OME 2.5 HD springs
OME L series shocks
JKS Control arms upper and Lower
JKS Quicker Discos
TNT Front track bar (with replacement frame bracket)
Rokmen .5 body lift
Rokmen bump stops extensions
Rokmen rear spring relocator kit
New bumper jounces

Axles
Front
2000 HP Dana 30
4.10
Solid differential cover
Lube locker
New upper control arm bushings
Gusseted lower control arm mounts and upper control arm mount
New Rotors and Pads
SS Brake Lines
- locker, RCV's, Artec truss, Currie steering

Rear
1999 Ford 8.8
Ford Racing LSD Clutch Packs
4.10
Solid differential cover
Lube locker
New Rotors and Pads
Currie 8.8 brake line kit
Artec Truss
Yukon 8.8 Axles
- Locker

Armor
Rokmen HiLine Tube Fender
Rokmen Stryker Steel Corners
Rokmen Transfer Case Skid
Rokmen Gas Tank Skid
Rokmen Rocker Guards
Rokmen Power Steering Skid
Poison Spyder BFH II Rear Bumper
Mopar Front Rock Bumper

Recovery
Warn M8000-s
Front & Rear Shackles
Misc straps and pulleys

Rims and Tires
Black Rock 15x8
Goodyear MT/R Kevlar 35x12.50R15
Dyna beads

Page Jumps
Frame repair, trans case nutserts - Page 2
Frame and parts painting - Page 3
Front and rear axle, rolling chassis, SYE Install Write up - Page 4
Light head port smoothing, grille mounted indicator lights, motor build - Page 6
Body mount replacement, fuel pump install, 7 staples in my head :), brake line work, 4'' tail light install - Page 7
Grille painting, Artec truss (8.8) install, Rokmen rear spring perches install, Yukon Ultimate 88 install - Page 9
Front side markers, hidden reverse lights, EVAP mount adjustments for Rokmen tube fenders, Rokmen rocker guards lined up and cut for fitment fender match - Page 10
Part 1 of sound bar build (8'' sub in bar) - Page 11
Dual switch panel fab and install - Page 12
Relay install, intake install - Page 14
Parking brake routing, LED lights, Transfer case shifter, custom knob, Ford 8.8 LSD clutch install - Page 15
 

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#4 ·
After I purchased it I had time to crawl around and check out what had been done to it. It had a 4 inch lift on it from some no name company. It was one heck of a bumpy ride. But we'll get to that. It came with some Futura Dakota RVT tires in the form of 33x12.50r15’s. They where alright on the road but once I took it off-road the first time a few weeks later I changed my mind.

This was the first day I took it out. A buddy of mine took me down to his local gun range, they have a little room for mess'n around with atv's and trucks.
 

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#7 ·
Don't really have many pictures from the next few things that I replaced. Over the course of the year I set to changing things, like most of the suspension. The first thing that went was the old busted shocks. Replaced them with a new set of Old Man Emu shocks for a 4” lift and steering stabilizer. While doing those I retightened everything back to correct toque spec. That helped but a lot but there was more to be done. The bushings on the no name replacement control arms where poly and had seen better days. They spent most of their time make noise and not helping the Jeep driving properly. So I started with the worst of them, the rear lowers and replaced those with a set of JKS control arms. Over the next few months I replaced all of them. The best part, the last set my wife got for me. They just showed up one day it was an awesome surprise. After the shocks and control arms where done things where riding smoother. I moved on and got a set of Goodyear MTR’s in the same flavor of 33’s as before. Along with those I picked up a Nates 4x4 Rear bumper and tire carrier. A great bumper for a great price, very heavy duty and worked very well.
 

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#8 ·
I ended up getting a Bikini Top, Windjammer and Tonneau cover from Bestop and I think around this time I had done a few other things like u-joints up front.

Then I ended up replacing the header because it cracked…weird right, who would have thought a crack in a TJ header so strange ;) . I replaced it with a Crown unit, at the same time I picked up a high flow cat.
 

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#10 ·
I forgot to mention before, as this time past, I had been welding plate onto my frame that was slowly disappearing and causing rear control arms to randomly fall off. Which I'm sure many people on here have had the great privilege of experiencing this at one time or another. Which is where all this is kind of leading to, the current project I have on my hands now...here a hint. :D
 

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#13 ·
Then less then a month later I was driving to work and had some really strange noises and vibes coming from the front end when I was getting off the highway. So when I got home checked the front end and found this...

Which should look a little more like this.
 

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#15 ·
So a few months passed it was the 3rd week in Nov. 2010, a few of my friends and I went camping up north for a couple of nights. During that time we spend most of it drinking and talking cars and trucks. We came up with the idea of looking for a Hummer H1 for my 6' 5" tall buddy that never really came wheeling with us because he always felt too "cramped" in our Jeeps. He wasn't totally convinced of this but on the way home him and I were talking about it, when one just happened to drive past us, that's when he looked at me and said..."Find me one of those, that might be fun". So I did...and one month later this craziness happened.

He started slow...he didn't fully understand what I found for him to drive.



That changed quick though







The person laughing like a goof in the background is my buddy Jim...it was his Hummer.

Check out more of the videos on youtube.
 
#16 ·
Back to my Jeep. The last thing that was done to it before going under the knife was a new soft-top. I had been eyeing a Rampage top for quite a while now. I like the ability of going to a safari top in just a few moment works out great.
Best part, once again my awesome wife had ordered it through my own business contacts right under my nose and had it shipped to the house very sneaky sneaky.
 

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#21 ·
This it the HP Dana 30, I pulled it and my 8.8 from a local junk yard. $125 for the D30 and $150 for the 8.8. The D30 came out of a 1999 Cherokee and the 8.8 came out of a 2001 Ford Explorer. I ended up getting a set of 4:10’s for the D30 and 8.8 from a local club member that just swapped out his gearing for a great price.

I added a little strength in a few spots on the D30 and replaced the upper control arm bushings while I was at it. I sprayed on a little cover up paint for the time being, planning on doing Rust Bullet on it.

I shaved everything off the 8.8 after I got my mounting kit in from Iron Rock Offroad. Really nice kit, more pics of it to come. Also picked up the Currie brake hardware mounting kit. Here is a few quick pic’s of the spring perches.
 

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#22 ·
The 8.8 came through with the factory LSD. I swapped the gears over on both of the axles. Ended up getting a new carrier for the D30, the axle I got had 3.55's in it. And I also got Yukon master rebuild kits for both. And a quick pic of my Rust Bullet stuff...gotta love living in the rust belt.
 

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#23 ·
Currie brake parts kit.

Here are the rebuild kits and the brakes for the D30. As you can tell by now, I have been buying parts for just a little while now. And there's more to come. :D
 

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#24 ·
On to the frame.

So here is the frame I am currently working on. Rear part of it near the control arms was already having problems so I solved that by cutting it out and replacing on both sides and then fish plateing over it. I only have a few pics of this, frame is still at a friend’s house, hopping to get it home this weekend.
 

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#175 ·
On to the frame.

So here is the frame I am currently working on. Rear part of it near the control arms was already having problems so I solved that by cutting it out and replacing on both sides and then fish plateing over it. I only have a few pics of this, frame is still at a friend's house, hopping to get it home this weekend.
Nice work, looks familiar. Shouldn't have any problem getting that inspected, even if you don't know a guy.
 
#25 ·
Also on the frame, the kid I bought it from partially cut the track bar mount off. So I finished cutting it off and picked up a TNT front track bar kit. Great product very beefy and keyed up right in place.
 

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#26 ·
The last thing I wanted to do was replace all the nutserts for the transfer case skid a few of them where already broken so I ordered up 6 of them and got to work.

I cut the spot welds off of each one, and used and air chisel to get them off. The inside part falls into the frame but I will be getting those out when I move the frame to my house. Installing them is very easy, was most likely easier for me also because the frame was upside down. I used the install "tool" and I started each one with an impact so as to not kill myself making the metal initially start to flex and then finished each off with a torque wrench to 80ft lbs. Tacked them in and it was done. I think it was the easiest fix on the frame so far.
 

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#176 ·
I was just looking at this to do on my frame today. Thinking it over. I was going to try a rethread. Did not know there was such a product out there, as the nutserts that you used.
 
#27 ·
So this is what's left of my Jeep now, still in the process of pulling everything off my old frame and tub. Driveline is out and awaiting tear down which should be happening soon. I want to get my frame and tub out of the garage first, which shouldn't take to much more.
 

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#28 ·
So that's basically where I am now. I have a pile of stuff waiting to be used like a Rokmen tansfer case skid and gas tank skid, F.A.L. electric fan, Old Man Emu 2.5 lift springs, JKS Rear adjustable track bar, all fluids for my Jeep will be from AMSOIL, Solid front and rear differential covers with LubeLocker gaskets.

Still have my ARB Rocker Guards and Mopar Rock Bumper, along with my JKS quicker discos, Rusty's Braided SS brake lines and my NRG / Momo removable steering wheel, will be transferring all stereo equipment with the additions of a newly redesigned sound bar that holds an 8 inch sub along with the normal 6.5 speakers and dome light.

And the big brown truck should be dropping more stuff off today.
 

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#29 ·
So here is the removable steering wheel. I have a write up for this but never got around to posting it. Its a great system components are made by NRG a company more well known to car then Jeeps and trucks, super conformable steering wheel and the last picture has the steering wheel lock on it.
 

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