Started another Project vehicle

[BozoWise]

Well the rain here in TX will not give up. They closed the lake to boats so I can home late last night. I figured I could put a good half day into the Jeep.

I got the Brown Dog 1" up Motor mounts and the JKS 1.25" BL and read through the directions for the BL. Looked simple and turned out a-ok with no hassles. I am not going to do a write-up on the BL or the Motor Mounts since there are some good ones floating around already.

I am going to put in a few pointers for everyone.

(1) If you are going to put in the time to install a 1" BL then do the motor mounts. It was such a clean install not having to move the radiator shroud and depending on your application you might not even have to modify the trans linkage bracket. I'd put my name on the Brown Dog motor mounts anytime they are a fine product and customer service was excellent.
(2) The JKS directions were pretty good out of the box. The one change I would make is that they said to loosen all the body mounts and then jack up one side, add the spacers, lower and then loosely install the hardware. From past experience you need to lower the body enough to catch a few threads on the new hardware but not enough to limit you from moving the body mounts by hand. For fun I lowered the body all the way down and sure enough one bolt would not line up.
(3) Here is what I did with the radiator stubbers that everyone seems to have so much trouble with. I didn’t have time to freeze them as I have seen suggested here on JF. I lubed them with silicone spray as suggested and placed them in the hole. I then used a ball joint fork to apply upwards pressure and twisted the stubber with a pair of channel locks. Each one popped right in with a few complete revolutions.
(4) Motor Mounts: There were no directions included with these; just same warnings about fitment with different models. I had already read a few reviews for the mounts so I had a good idea of what was involved. With my 4.0 and AC I found it much easier to remove the entire drv side motor mount vs removing the AC compressor. With the 4 bolts removed from the transmount I put slight pressure on the bottom of the bell housing. Removed the four motor mount bolts and then the 2 cross bolts. The cross bolts still had pressure on them so they would not come out. The more pressure I put on the bell housing the more it raised the rear of the trans. I lowered the bell housing back down till it only had slight upwards pressure and placed my atv jack with 2x4’s under the oil pan and it worked like butter taking the pressure of the cross bolts. The pas side motor mount dropped right in from the top. I loosely installed the cross bolt and 2 motor mount bolts. One the drivers side there were 3 bolts holding the motor mount to the side of the block and I was able to twist the mount enough to get the cross bolt loose. Next just wrestle the new mount in to the driver’s side, reinstall the mount to the block and loosely install the hardware on the new raised mount. Make sure you do not tighten down the cross bolts enough to where they will no still turn under slight pressure. They have lock nuts and if you tighten them too much you will get addition vibes. I actually have less now then with the factory mounts.
(5) It isn’t in the pictures but I was able to remove about half the trans drop height and have no vibs whatsoever. It will be a few weeks till I install the SYE and 8.8 so it will just have to work for now.

I cleaned up the 8.8 disks and got the turned today. I also made a switch panel for the in cab winch controls. Too bad I do not have a functioning winch. I also made sure to run them off switched power so no one can activate the winch with the top off sitting in a parking lot. I simply removed the pass airbag switch from the cover panel and ziptied it under the console.

[Smoke6]

Looks like you are doing a lot of the same stuff I have done to mine. Good idea with the rear LED's. That red piece you used was an awesome idea. As for my blinker, I used the stock relay and fixed the fast blink by severing one of the paths with a razor blade. Worked like a charm.

[BozoWise]

Now for the Reverse-A-Bars! I got the BL and MML installed and the bars looked like total arse. I was only somewhat pleased with the factory mounting of these bars. They clamp onto the frame rails and seem to be pretty sturdy. I would even think they would hold a minor high center without to much trouble. The problem I had with them is that the mounts end up setting off the frame too much and would be great hang-ups. Plus with the BL it wasn’t working at all. I sit and stared at them with a bottle of motivation and tried to decide if I was going to scrap them already or change them up.

Well the welder and cut off wheels came out. I took a flapper wheel to the frame and cut the tops off the mounts to allow me to raise them up higher on the frame. In the end the factory bottom edge of the mount is just above the bottom roll edge of the frame. I beveled the edges of the mounts and clamped them in place; plug welded the bottom holes to the frame and then welded the perimeters. A few hits with the flapper wheel and some Rustoleum finished it off. I really like how they turned out, no of it sits below frame level and they are no great jack points.

Overall the tubes are now almost level with the top of the frame so everything is supported very well. I also took out the cross bolt and welded around the tubes together so no more reversing the bars

When I go belly up; I am going to weld some bungs into the bars and plate the bottom (boatsiding the outside portion of the frame for smooth transitions and protection of the body mounts. I might add one more outrigger to the frame during that install for the heck of it also.

Long story but, I now have another set of Reverse-A-Bars brand new in the box still factory taped up if anyone wants a set. I’ll toss them on EBay if none of the members want them.

[BozoWise]

Well last night I got some projects completed. I installed the Bestop tire oversize tire carrier. I can say overall construction of this is top notch. The only problem I have is with the tire mount itself and I totally understand why they do it this way, but I had to mod that for piece of mind and the pure sake of not ever leaving any part untouched.

I had decided on this route because I get inside the back of my Jeep often and I hated my last tire carrier / bumper because I am lazy and that was one more thing to open and close. And make sure you close both because I drove off with the tire unlatched once and that was not a funny experience.

The directions included with the tire carrier were very detailed and they had great pictures to go along with the text. After installation I jumped a bit on the carrier and it held my 200lbs with no squeaks at all. I ended up getting mine from Summit after I found out that 4wheelparts price 110% price match really isn’t a full price match. They were going to match the cost of the item but not freight. Summit charged $270.90. 4wheel parts was going to be about $350.00 or they would match the price and I could drive 6 hours one way to pick it up, ha ha sure!

While I was in there I soldered, loomed and ran the wiring for the relays and switches on the backup lights. I am still waiting on the new switch to finish that up. I decided there was no real reason to have the lights “not” ever function with the Jeep in reverse so I ran 2 wires to the front, one for light power and one for factory backup lights to use as one of the activations on the relay. I will simply setup the relay for positive switch activation and place a diode inline on the factory reverse wire. I will have the aftermarket switch also feeding the same pole on the relay with a positive circuit so I can manually turn on the backup lights. I decided to run the wires inside the tub so I cut a factory grommet in the rear passenger side and taped the wires along the wheel well. After the wheel well I loomed them again down the floor board and under the dash. The two wire exited through the firewall were the relay pack will be installed. I didn’t loom along the wheel well because it caused a visible bulge in the carpet and there should not be any chaffing in that area with the wires taped to the tube.

On the tire carrier the directions state to mount the removable tube section to your tire and then mount this as an assembly to the carrier itself. Both sections slide inside each other and a 7” bolt goes through the rear and squeezes the mount and tire against the rack. This would work well under normal conditions but since I am anal and hate the fact that the original tire carrier had put 3 large dimples in my spare, I opted for a different route. I also do not like the fact that it appeared there would be one contact point on the tire’s sidewall that butted up against a 90 degree edge on the rack. There are almost no sharp edges on the carrier itself but one of the only ones would be contacting the tire. Who knows…..I also had to take the die grinder to a small section of the mount to clearance for the 3rd brake light led wires. I did this instead of opening up the center mount hole because it was much easier to install the tire and hook up the wires with it outside the main tubes.

So to alleviate the contact points and the pain in the arse mounting methods; I installed a cross bolt to lock the two tubes together in a position that spaced the tire’s sidewall just off the rack itself. I thought this would be adequate until I decided on my final tire and wheel combo. The two tubes themselves have quite a bit of slop between mating surfaces and this allows a bit of play upwards and downwards on the cross bolt no matter how tight you clamp them. As a temporary fix until I get the 35” tires and wheels I made one weld between the two tubes. After I get the new tire combo I will remove the cross bolt, turn the mount 90 degrees, plug weld the holes and weld around the tube for a permanent mount. I am also going to cut the plate off the mount at that time and move it about 1.5” up on the tube. As it sits now I have room to install the receiver hook upwards and still clear the 31” tire, but with a 35” I would be back to having to install the hook upside down. I like to always keep some type of receiver installed in the bumper because I was rear ended once and that saved everything on my vehicle from damage. Granted it was in a Z71 truck in a drive through, but the old lady hit me hard enough to pick up the rear end off the truck. The hitch took out here radiator and peeled the hood of her Cadillac open like a can opener. Not a scratch on my vehicle except the bottom of the ball hitch.

I had about had it by then so I called it a night.

[BozoWise]

I got up this AM and skipped PT so I could get some more wrench time in on the Jeep. I was at it by 5AM and got the new serpentine belt installed. The old belt had a bit of a whine to it so like and idiot I put some Prestone belt dressing on it which cured the problem for about 24hrs and after that it become embarrassingly horrible. ½” breaker bar on the tentioner and a few minutes had that problem all fixed and after getting the old belt off and in my hands it was definitely past time to be replaced. I had put it off because it appeared it was going to be a pain in the butt to replace but overall I think it was one of the easiest belt swaps I’ve done. As a side note if you are doing this install the belt on all the pulleys except the idler (right above the tentioner) Since the idler is a smooth pulley with no lip it the belt will pop right on. I tried to put it on everything put the alternator and that was going to work without some major pry bar work and possible colatoral damage. But with the above mentioned way I was able to hold the slack on the tentioner with one hand and easily push the belt in place with my other hand.

I also broke out the cut off wheels and removed all the factory brackets and two abs “ears” off the 8.8 off to work after that. I ended up not even going through one complete disk on the removal.

I’ll get the grinder and some primer after the axel tonight. I am sad to say that I have still not been able to contact MAD 4wd for a set of brackets. I am not sure if they have taken a super long holiday but I can’t get anything but voicemail since last Friday and they have not returned any calls.

Oh and since it seems funny now, when I pulled the Jeep out of the shop to start working on the axle I heard a loud bang from the rear and thought oh crap what the heck is going on with this new tire rack. Come to find out I had the rear seat folded forward and when I hit the breaks it slammed back down on the floor. Whooo almost peed on myself

[dspgajeep]

Originally Posted by MitchellBryce

Dude you are amazing with these mods. You fly through them like it's nobody's business. Awesome job and I love that third brake light in the center of the spare!

Ditto on the light in the spare. That is just cool.

[BozoWise]

Thanks all I wish I could claim the main idea of the led in the spare but I stole it from another member. I did come up with the trailer harness for it on my own

My back is killing me so I am calling it a night. That 7" grinder put a woop on me. I cleaneup all the bracket locations with a grinding wheel, hit the both tubes with a flapper disk, then did the center section with a wire bruch. Shot the whole thing with a coat of primer and will have to hit it again in parts with the flapper when I locate some brackets.

I did a bit of smoothing on the center section where the "extra metal" was un-needed.

[BozoWise]

Happy 4th of July everyone


Well today I put the extra parts I had from the carrier and the reverse a bars to good use. The YJ roll bar bracket was used for the lower mount and one of the backing plates from the reverse a bars turned into the top mount.

I was planning on making a square base for the jack but could not locate angle large angle iron on the 4th of July. It really didn’t matter in the end since the jack base covers the entire mount and there was plenty of bottom metal to support it. I also forgot the weld in the two existing holes on the upper mount before I tacked it in place and decided oh well there also and claim them to be intentional lightning holes

For now I the touched up paint works for me, but when I get the final wheel and tire combo I am going to use my undercoating gun and spray the entire rack with herculiner. I really like the herculiner when it is sprayed on because the finish is more like a hard version of a bedliner. When I have used the roller application it comes out WAY to sharp and has torn open more then one set of knees.

As you can see in the mockup I was able to clear the expected 35” tires and the entire taillight assembly, but had my head up my butt because the foot on the jack would have contacted the side of the tub when the gate was full open. I had to flip the jack around to allow the gate to fully open and clear the expected tires but this did cover some of the taillight. I still think it is plenty visible and should have no problems with the law. I also did not like how the jack sit above the roof line of the Jeep so I cut a few inches off the top of the jack to make the upright the same height as the handle and clear the roof.

Since my jack foot is bolted onto the upright; I cross drilled one of the mounting bolts to allow a lock to be installed and will be replacing the nuts with wing nuts as soon as I can get to the hardware store. The last TJ I had I simply drilled holes in the rear roll bar down tubes and bolted the jack width wise across the two tubes. It was ok and inside the vehicle with the top on but really got in the way of tossing things in and out of the back. I figure at this location is really is not taking up any current useable space. I have used the 7/16” bolts and wing nuts for mounting on 6 different vehicles now and as long as you double nut the bolt or weld the head stationary it makes it super secure and removable with a pair of pliers, leatherman, 11/16” wrench, I even beat a wing nut loose with a rock once. So overall cheap and easy to come by. On these mounts I welded the heads of the bolts to keep them from turning.

Everything seems solid, I popped some wheelies and smoked some tires around the neighborhood and didn't notice any new noises. My handle is tack welded in because I have lost them in the past. I could still pretty easily break the weld if I needed to use the handle to patch a tie rod or such.

[BozoWise]

I got in my new switches for both the backup lights and the KC lights. Both switches are identical in function they just have a different cover plate and indicator. Both of the switches have a lower dash light indicator and a large on indicator light. Below is how I wired them where as the lower indicator light is on when the dash lights are on and the upper indictor is on when the lights are on. Both switches only activate the lights when the ignition is on and both sets of lights are powered by a separate 30 amp relay. The functions of the backup lights remain totally factory but allow you to turn them on without the vehicle in reverse.

KC light and backup switch part number V1DAJ66B-000
Backup light cover VVAYC77-18B
Driving light cover VVAYC77-18B

[BozoWise]

Picked up a set of Off Your Rocker Rocker guards today from a fellow Jeeper. I drilled out all the nutserts with a unibit to allow them to sit flush against the vehicle. A bit of work with a body hammer after I drilled out the nutserts made them perfectly flush. I've got both sides mounted and hacked on the drivers side fender flares. I will have to round and clean the edges with a hot chisel later.

***I will do a complete writeup when I finish, I have to pack for work at Fort Campbell****

[teamoney]

nice work. i like the rear.

[20004x4TJ]

So how many hours in a day do you work??? 30???? HA HA!!!

[BozoWise]

Originally Posted by 20004x4TJ

So how many hours in a day do you work??? 30???? HA HA!!!

Yes it got a bit late the night of the rockers project.

[EJ1272]

Pack for work. Unsat ! Man you do awesome work I need more details on the Bestop tire & Jack carrier that's awesome. Anything would be much appreciated.

[BozoWise]

Originally Posted by EJ1272

Pack for work. Unsat ! Man you do awesome work I need more details on the Bestop tire & Jack carrier that's awesome. Anything would be much appreciated.

What details do you need. Shoot me an email addy I think I have more pictures available. Overall great product.