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94 YJ build thread

18K views 114 replies 16 participants last post by  AZdEvilYJ 
#1 ·
I started this thread over a yr ago but didnt really keep it coming. Things were moving very slow. It's been a yr n a half now since i've had the jeep and i've had the time to do a lot more. Now is probably a good time to edit/revive this thread. I hope some of this can help someone out there.
i started out as a complete novice. I'm quite a bit more confident nowadays wrench/fabricating but i'm still a noob compared to many members on this forum. Anyways, here goes nothing...

Here's the jeep 2 days after I bought it...



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#31 ·
Those are the Chromoly 1 piece shafts i got for my HPD30. I got them (both inner and outter) and 2 dana spicer 760 u joints for a total of $280 shipped. It's about half what people pay for when they get the kit. If you wanna know where i got the deals, let me know...



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Anyways, I'll do the 1 piece shaft conversion with those when i install my OX locker in the front. Figure might as well do it all at once.
 
#32 ·
stratostix said:
Those are the Chromoly 1 piece shafts i got for my HPD30. I got them (both inner and outter) and 2 dana spicer 760 u joints for a total of $280 shipped. It's about half what people pay for when they get the kit. If you wanna know where i got the deals, let me know...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/94/20121113211544812.jpg/

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Anyways, I'll do the 1 piece shaft conversion with those when i install my OX locker in the front. Figure might as well do it all at once.
Ur gonna gave to balance your front DS. The one piece makes ur ds always spin vs the 2pc completely disengages the TC til its put in 4wd. I've heard there is an mpg loss, but not 100%
 
#33 ·
yea i realize that. There's a chance i mite get away without having to balance, but if i do have to, its no big deal.
 
#36 ·
Thanks! I actually have 3 or 4 projects going on at once right now... im building a rear carrier rack (where spare tires would normally mount) to mount either a cooler, tool box or air tank. Im also going over the frame to make sure its gonna last another 20 yrs. Im saving up to get my front ox locker. Should be purchasing at the end of the month and do the 1 piece chromoly axle shaft conversion at the same time n im working on installing an engine driven OBA system. Once i get all this set up, ill be focusing on upgrading/modding the interior a little. So many projects, so little $$ :)
 
#37 ·
Thanks altho i couldve saved a lot of money if i knew what i wanted from thhe start... but then again thats every other jeeper's story...
 
#38 ·
Here's how I routed my rear Ox Locker cable in case some of you are looking into getting one as well. I got the electric actuator for it. Basically, the cable comes out of the diff cover and gets routed to the electric motor. From there, all it is is wiring. You turn it on or off with the flip of a switch.



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Here you can see the cable coming out of the diff on the passenger side. I bent it to route it to the driver side. It's held on loosely by a zip line at the hard brake line but at the top of the pumpkin is where i have the cable really secured.



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Then the cable starts heading up towards the driver seat area.



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Here u can see where i mounted the electric motor. The cable gets threaded into the motor.



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And the harness goes from there.



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Those 4 little bolts sticking thru the tub behind the driver oughta give you a good indication of where the motor really is mounted. I've had zero issues with this setup. The cable is not kinked. Its away from the muffler (heat) and the drivershafts (or anything else that moves). Operation is flawless.

I'll be doing the front Ox soon and will post pics of the setup as well. Hope that helps!
 
#39 ·
So I saw a pic of your Jeep in that round headlight thread and I like the round light look. I was hoping you would provide some more details on that swap. It appears you did grille and hood only from the TJ correct? Also how is the hood fitment? Do you have any pictures of it close up? I know the hinges dont line up so I'm wondering how you solved that problem.

Nice looking rig!
 
#40 ·
So I saw a pic of your Jeep in that round headlight thread and I like the round light look. I was hoping you would provide some more details on that swap. It appears you did grille and hood only from the TJ correct? Also how is the hood fitment? Do you have any pictures of it close up? I know the hinges dont line up so I'm wondering how you solved that problem.

Nice looking rig!
Yes the hood n grille are from a TJ. The grille was raked a bit because i wanted it to have a bit of a buggy look to it. As for the hinges, i bought tj hinges and combined them with my yj hinges. Basically cut n weld to make offset hinges. The tj hood doesnt perfectly line up with the yj cowl. I ended up cutting up the tj hood to re-arch it a little bit. That is 1 part of the project that is not quite finished yet as my harbor freight welder isnt subtle enuf to weld sheet metal. So for now i bolted some plates to the hood. I dont have close up pics but ill take some for u when i get a chance. Its already very much acceptable but im a bit of a perfectionist so im eventually gonna do it right and weld the hood with the right arch. I made the fenders myself as well. Ill post more on this for u in the next couple days. Got a lot of projects im workin on right now so its just a matter of remembering.
 
#41 ·
Ok so since we're on the subject of round headlight conversions (on this thread and others), today i took off my tj hood and put my yj hood back on (still with the tj grille) to see how i like it. I actually like it very much as well so i mite tighten everything down this way for now. I can always switch back if i change my mind. If i was to do it all over again, id probably save myself the xtra work (and $$) and stick with the yj hood.
 

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#44 ·
I havent done much work on the jeep the past few days but I did have time to get a few things done today. Mainly, i cut the hole and installed the other round LED tail light. Still havent wired them. I'm also trying to find the right size/shape metal toolbox to mount on the rear rack/carrier. The carrier itself is not finished but its getting there. Hoping to get a lot of work done this week. I also placed my order for my front OX locker yesterday. Hoping to have it installed along with the 1 piece chromoly shafts and some nice outer seals 2 weekends from now.



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#45 ·
stratostix said:
I havent done much work on the jeep the past few days but I did have time to get a few things done today. Mainly, i cut the hole and installed the other round LED tail light. Still havent wired them. I'm also trying to find the right size/shape metal toolbox to mount on the rear rack/carrier. The carrier itself is not finished but its getting there. Hoping to get a lot of work done this week. I also placed my order for my front OX locker yesterday. Hoping to have it installed along with the 1 piece chromoly shafts and some nice outer seals 2 weekends from now.

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You should make a basket which would be a bit more versatile overall. You could carry a tool box, beer cooler, or some small furniture if the situation arised. Plus you could mount the extingishers horizontally along the sides or back?? Just a thought
 
#46 ·
Yea i'm still trying to figure out where i wanna go with this. The initial purpose of it was for a cooler. Then i though it'd be nice to have my tools back there. Either way, i do want it to be versatile so i can put either back there. It's low priority right now so i'll take it slow to make sure i get it right
 
#53 ·
Thanks. Its all personal taste. I like it. Others dont. Just dont blame me if ppl start hating if u do this. I will not be responsible!! :)
 
#51 ·
Nice! Will you recess them in the bumper or just surface mount? Only asking all these questions because I have to do a repair in my right rear and have the lights out now.

I really like the LED flush mount tail light idea.
They'll be flush. Here's a pic of the rear. U can see the holes already there in the bumper plate.
 

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#54 ·
I figured id reply in here in regards to your stretch q's. ive been researching the rear stretch as well and what ive seen a couple guys do is get the ruff stuff "way-back" spring hangers and mount them on the rear crossmember. In conjuntion to this, you can keep the original spring hangers on the front (frame-mounted) and use XJ springs, or else you can cut off the original frame side spring mounts and move them towards the rear and reweld them. The latter seems to be the cheaper route. The downside is it puts your WB around 105-106" which i think is a bit long for 35s.

On pirate there is a writeup on how to dimple your gastank if you dont want to run a fuel cell. Ive heard the fuel cells let off fumes that can gas out you and your jeep. Also ive heard word of using a Camaro gas tank, but im not sure if anyone actually did.

Personally im kinda diggin the idea of a 4link. Fully adjustable, more stability, flex, and ride comfort. Takes alot more research and elbow grease but oh man would the fruits of that labor be dope!
 
#55 ·
I figured id reply in here in regards to your stretch q's. ive been researching the rear stretch as well and what ive seen a couple guys do is get the ruff stuff "way-back" spring hangers and mount them on the rear crossmember. In conjuntion to this, you can keep the original spring hangers on the front (frame-mounted) and use XJ springs, or else you can cut off the original frame side spring mounts and move them towards the rear and reweld them. The latter seems to be the cheaper route. The downside is it puts your WB around 105-106" which i think is a bit long for 35s.

On pirate there is a writeup on how to dimple your gastank if you dont want to run a fuel cell. Ive heard the fuel cells let off fumes that can gas out you and your jeep. Also ive heard word of using a Camaro gas tank, but im not sure if anyone actually did.

Personally im kinda diggin the idea of a 4link. Fully adjustable, more stability, flex, and ride comfort. Takes alot more research and elbow grease but oh man would the fruits of that labor be dope!
Yea. i've been doing A LOT of research those past couple days about this. Here's the thing... I have what are basically brand new 35s (only put about 500 miles on them. 2 wheeling trips). I probably wont be going bigger for a couple yrs if i can stay disciplined. That means that the wheel base can't go over 100" really (for now). Stock WB is what... like.. 94". i figure 5 inches in the rear and maybe 1 inch in the front if i even feel like it (i'm more interested in rear stability to climb steeper obstacles. at least for now). I really wanna keep this project to a minimum $$wise. i can use my current SUA setup/leafs and just move the hangers AND shackle mounts 5 inches rearward. That would allow me to use my current springs which are barely broken in.
I wouldnt be welding those shackle mounts onto the weak crossmember tho. I'd be cutting that off and replacing it with either some 1x4x3/16 or 2x4x3/16 or even some 3/16" plate..
Anyways, i figure I could do this project this way for very cheap. $200-300 max. I already have long SS brake lines. I can easily relocate the shock mounts. Re-shape/Re-locate the tank. All id have to do is lengthen my rear Driveshaft and buy the metal/mounts
I may be forgetting a thing here or there but essentially its really all that's involved for a mild stretch. I'm trying to put all of this together and gather everything i need before i tackle this. But i feel it can be done relatively quick if all goes well. What do you think about the plan?

As far as 4-link, that's something i could see myself doing in the future but not right now. The 5" stretch in the rear definitely wouldnt hurt.

Edit: I could actually sell my current GenRite bumper plate to recover most of the project's cost. Right brand new.
 
#57 ·
Yep. belly will get tucked in. When i built my 8.8 i ended up pointing the rear yoke above parallel (I have a SYE) by about 3-4 degrees in anticipation of going SOA and belly tuck. I figure when it's all said and done, i should be about 2 degree below parallel which is perfect. I'll be taking care of this after my next wheeling trip. Jeep's been sittin since the last week of september. I need to enjoy it for at least 1 trip before i tackle this project.

Anyways, thx for the advice. I'll post up some pics as soon as i get started on this. I'll be ordering the necessary brackets in the next couple weeks. :2thumbsup::cheers2:
 
#60 ·
Sry I haven't really been keepin up with JF lately. I've been doing a lot of wheeling this past month and I'm going back on a big trip again in 10 days. Jeep has been doing great (except for a front shackle inversion issue. I just flipped my boom shackles. No more issues). I'm going to push her more on my next trip to find its limitations. With the ox lockers and my dick cepek mud countries, the only thing that can possibly hold me back from conquering an obstacle is clearance. The electric actuators really work flawlessly from stand still or rolling. They're awesome.

I've done very minor things to the jeep since my last post. Haven't stretched it yet. I'm probably not gonna do so for a whiiiiile. Just enjoying her for now and adding little things here n there. Here's a few pics of how she stands.

Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Vehicle Car


Tire Wheel Snow Vehicle Automotive tire


Tire Vehicle Wheel Automotive lighting Automotive tire


Wheel Vehicle Tire Motor vehicle Automotive tire


I've got some flood lights on the way that I'm gonna be mounting to my winch plate or stinger. Oh, AZDevil, ill try to take some pics of my front ox so u can see how I routed the cable n mounted the motor. Great placement.

Edit: my recent upgrades since my last have been:

- slight tummy tuck with 1/4" steel skidplate
- oil pan skid
- hand throttle
- Qtech rubber mats
- seat covers
- ammo box mounted to rear rack for tool storage

Probably a few other small things but... Can't think right now.
 
#61 ·
wrestler22115 said:
How did you do the TJ grill swap??
TJ grill swap was done two ways. First with a TJ hood (and grill of course) but then I decided to put the YJ hood back on. I made the tube fenders myself. The YJ hood is a little square compared to the grille corners which I haven't really bothered to fix for now, but the gap is so negligible that I'm not in a hurry to mold it perfectly. It's not hard to do. Just takes a lot of fiddling around.
 
#63 ·
AZdEvilYJ said:
Whats the details on ur TT? Are u running a mml or BL?
I've got a 1" day star BL. The TT only brings my drivetrain in about 1.5". It's mild. But I'm already thinking about making or getting a completely flat skid. I've got some 1" Brown dog MML sitting in my garage too for when I decide to pull the trigger
 
#64 ·
Also today I went out to HF to get a small ax and a hammer to mount to the little tailgate apparatus I got going. Here it is put together.

Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Trunk Bumper Automotive tire


Automotive tail & brake light Automotive parking light Tire Vehicle registration plate Wheel
 
#65 ·
stratostix said:
TJ grill swap was done two ways. First with a TJ hood (and grill of course) but then I decided to put the YJ hood back on. I made the tube fenders myself. The YJ hood is a little square compared to the grille corners which I haven't really bothered to fix for now, but the gap is so negligible that I'm not in a hurry to mold it perfectly. It's not hard to do. Just takes a lot of fiddling around.
Does the grille just line up with the stock bars that allign it & hold it in?
 
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