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NarnWV's super slow build thread

138K views 763 replies 51 participants last post by  Rod Kimble 
#1 ·
I moved everything from this post down, so I could start making an organized index for the build thread. Please check this post often for ongoing projects.
HOLY CRAP THIS LIST NEEDS UPDATED
Mods: (I still need to make hyper links to the pages)
Logan's Metal Fabrication Front Bumper
Custom4x4offroad Rear Bumper w/Tire carrier
IRO Tcase skid
Rough Country X-Series 4" lift
JK Moab wheels
32"BFG M/Ts
1.5" wheel spacers
Flowmaster 44
El Cheapo intake
JVC Head Unit
Taurus Electric fan--replaced both factory electric and mechanical

Repairs: (still need to make links)
HOLY CRAP, there's a lot. I'll get back to this.

Here's what she looks like as of May 2015:

 
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#579 ·
I do plan to make it more into a tank, finally. It's going to be nice not having to drive it (with 32" M/Ts) ~1500-2000 miles a month. :D Still gotta drive it a few more weeks while I work on purchasing a welder and fixing the rocker panels on the Tracker--so it can be safety inspected.

Not really sure I have an end goal. One goal would be to see it go up "the waterfall" on a trail we call "Mexico". I've seen rigs go up it like it's nothing, and rigs rip gears out and bust lockers+axle shafts trying to go up.

Really, I'd like to just finish armoring it up (finally), stay in it on the weekends this summer, and work on building JK Rubi axles. Davey's Jeeps (3 hours from me) usually has a set for ~$2k. After I get my hands on some axles, custom long arms can be built. I need to replace my unit bearings, and my driver's side front half shaft right now. My tcase is also going to need some work, and I was thinking about just picking up another one to run while I rebuild the existing one.

Right now, I'm considering IRO t-case skid, JCR Stage 2 or 3 sliders, and a RC winch mount+winch instead of a front bumper. That would allow me to possibly build one around the RC mount, since I'll have a welder and a little experience (from needing it to legalize my Tracker).
 
#581 ·
narn, you still got your hitch carrier for sale.....would ya ship it to 37221?
 
#582 ·
I still need to grab some bolts for the front of the large side pieces, so I can straighten those up. I'm also going to have to pick up longer bolts for the brackets before anyone tugs on it. We used the existing hitch bolts, which didn't engage enough threads into the frame-welded nuts for my liking.

I really like how the side pieces are separate from the bumper itself, that way if I land on one, the whole setup doesn't get damaged. :bigthumb:







 
#590 ·
Looks good!
i have the same one too and its awesome but heavy :rolleyes:

anyways, how'd you get the tire to tilt up? mine is just a vertical hookup to the swing arm.

and do you have any sag on that swing arm? my tends to sag when i open it up and i have to lift it up to look the swing arm.
Which causes the locking mechanism to get Really tough to close.

im wondering if mine was just F'd up by the PO lol
 
#583 ·
narnwv said:
I really like how the side pieces are separate from the bumper itself, that way if I land on one, the whole setup doesn't get damaged. :bigthumb:
If that happens just holler, I'll weld ya up some new ones.
 
#585 ·
Looking good man.
I did the axle upper bushing not to long ago and it sure took a beating but it came out.
 
#587 ·
billzcat1 said:
They all use the same actual bearings. "National" brand from China. Get whatever's cheapest and be prepared for warranty claims.
Exactly, I buy mine from advance auto and they have a 1 year no questions asked warranty. With 3.75 backspaced wheels I have to replace them every year or so. It works out good. I get two years worth of bearings for the price of one
 
#591 ·
the tilt= the bottom part of the tire bracket is bent slightly, but that would make it tilt down. Maybe the original owner changed it. This weekend, I have to take it off and put different lug nuts on it (current ones don't fit in the factory wheel wrench). I'll snap a picture of it so you can see how it's made/angled.
 
#592 ·
also--no sag in the arm whatsoever. How tight is your bottom bolt? (the one that goes up through the inside of the bumper)

My lock is tough, but that only happened after I tightened it.

It's possible our locking mechanisms and swing arm-mounts are slightly different. (since the bumpers are made to order)

I've had the cash in my Jeep Fund account to pickup their front bumper for a while now. I need to go ahead and pull the trigger, but I've been spending cash on needed parts. I'm replacing all the worn parts on the outside of my front axle. (bushings, hubs, u-joints on the front DS) I should go ahead and order the bumper, so in a couple weeks I can get my sliders and tcase skid.
 
#593 ·
narnwv said:
also--no sag in the arm whatsoever. How tight is your bottom bolt? (the one that goes up through the inside of the bumper)

My lock is tough, but that only happened after I tightened it.

It's possible our locking mechanisms and swing arm-mounts are slightly different. (since the bumpers are made to order)
.
Ill get pics tomorrow of my setup,
My tire actually leans out instead of back like yours!
And I'm gonna try and tighten the crap out of the bottom one this weekend, although I do remember having it pretty tight already

Also is it just me or are your fenders really low and not tight to the body? Mine is pretty well aligned with the body lines
 
#594 ·
SKI_VT--if your tire leans out, either the arm is way off, or the upper part of the tire mount needs shortened/re-bent. I meant to get pictures of mine for you this weekend, but worked on the Tracker all day (60 degrees), and it snowed all day today (34 degrees). And, yes, my fenders are really low. I think my Jeep was rear-ended at some point in it's life. It was <40 degrees when we put it on (after the last meet n greet), so we didn't tweak at all. When it gets warmer, I'm going to pull them off, bedliner underneath them (on the gold), and realign them. I also need to wire up the licence plate light, but have been putting that off by not driving the Jeep at night.

I dipped into my armor fund Saturday morning and bought a new air compressor. I had to tear down the Tracker that I'm going to DD again. Apparently the reason it's had no power since the second timing set was put on is that all aftermarket companies paint the links backwards from what the manual says on the bottom chain. It runs great now (air compressor made the job way quicker), and a buddy helped me weld new rockers on it (rusted out, lost some pieces on the interstate on the way to his house). Once it has the brake proportioning valve replaced, it will be road-worthy enough for me to DD and save $3-400+ a month in fuel costs. I put a $65-70 per tank fill up in the Jeep every 2 1/2 days, 3 days tops.

Back on topic, I have new unit bearings, axle-side upper control arm bushings, and 4x ball joints waiting to go on. I planned on doing it today, but it snowed. Maybe one evening this week. That's why I'm anxious to get it off the street, so I can wrench on it without being rushed to get it done before I need it to drive to work.
 
#596 ·
narnwv said:
Still haven't put on the mountain of parts I have here for the WJ. :(

On a lighter note-- I'm moving! We're moving into a MUCH larger house, with a 1-door, 2-car garage that the Jeep can fit in! (The garage I use now is ~5 miles away at my parent's house, and the Jeep is too big to fit in it)
Congrats on the house :)

Sent from iPhone
 
#598 ·
narnwv said:
Test fitting the WJ today before we start moving in. Looks like I'll have about 12" of clearance to allow the Jeep to grow, since it didn't knock down my cellular phone booster antenna there on the right rear of the WJs roof.

Sent from the ISS using laser beams.
Double deep?

Sent from iPhone
 
#599 ·
nah. I thought it was a 2 car garage. 2 could squeeze in there, but it'd be tight. I guess it's a 1 1/2 car garage. Still, no complaints. Room for all my tools, tool boxes, some storage, and a place to work on the Heep.

It's longer than it is wide. I could easily fit my 4 wheeler in front of the Jeep, with room to spare.

The plan will be to park the Jeep and my Tracker outside, and let the wife keep her Mazda inside, until something needs worked on.

As soon as we move in, the Jeep takes precedence in the garage, so I can put the mountain of parts on it I've had laying in the back of it for some time now. (hubs, bushings, etc...)
 
#600 ·
Block garage - nice. That will help keep the garage fairly comfortable in the extreme weather!
 
#601 ·
Yeah, it's part of the house, so there's HVAC in there and everything.

Moving sucks. I haven't been on here in a week, other than to repond to PMs via my phone. We're about finished up though. We've got the garage almost cleaned up of our boxes from moving, and hopefully tomorrow the Jeep will be going in there for some overdue repairs, and possibly some modifications if I can dig out the grinder :)

Sent from the ISS using laser beams.
 
#602 ·
well, 15 days later and I'm finally going to be able to pull the Jeep in the garage and dig into some things. I had to go out of town last week for training (and another cert!), so everything's been behind.

I finally got Ethernet cable run throughout the house, so most of the computers are up and running, and mommy is happy, so daddy can start doing daddy things. :)


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One of the first things I plan to do is pull off the rear bumper and put the longer bolts in it that I've had in a box in the spare tire well since a week after putting the bumper on.
 
#603 ·
Been tooling around in the garage for a couple of days. Pulled the front end apart so I can replace (under warranty) my hole-filled condenser. I figured I'd go ahead and warranty-replace the radiator too, but it looks like radiator barn is no more. Their URL redirects to getallparts.com.

Luckily, that forced me to finally look around for an all aluminum one that wasn't $500 like the Griffin one. I found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/JEEP-GRAND-...Accessories&hash=item3cca20c8ad&vxp=mtr#rpdId

2-row, all aluminum for the 99-2000 4.7 Grand Cherokee for $200. Can't beat that!

Gonna order that and sliders (finally) on monday, maybe the IRO tcase skid as well.
 
#604 ·
i hope I dont have to do the radiator again anytime soon, but keep us updated on that aluminum rad. Looks nice, im just hesitant to order stuff like that on ebay without previous feedback. Hopefully it works out cuz thats a nice deal!
 
#605 ·
I think I'm going to order it tomorrow. Thursday night I replaced my condenser, and the accumulator. While the condenser was off, I noticed, then hosed out, tons of mud from the radiator. Hoping that would settle it, but alas it did not. Still gets to 215ish on the highway with the A/C on, and I still have air in there somehow.

One thing to note, after pulling a vacuum on the A/C Thursday night, it held for 4+ hours, but was back at 0psi the next evening after work. I wasn't sure if it was the Jeep, or my Harbor Freight manifold gauges, so I vacc'd again and recharged it. The air is ice cold (except on the passenger side--no air flow), but if it looses the juice again, I'm going to pull the dash and replace the evaporator. I think I may end up doing that anyway, to get the heater core replaced just to completely rule it out of my air-in-system/over temp issues. I need to patch/repair the duct work for the passenger vents anyway.

Pics of the compressor/accumulator in the next post.
 
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