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Just another YJ build... My version

166K views 889 replies 63 participants last post by  bgredjeep 
#1 ·
Heres my shot at a build thread. i never took a lot of pics through the yrs but i will try to get everyone up to date. most of this build thread is from my build over on Wranglerboard.com

I bought my YJ when i was 16 yrs old. almost 9 yrs ago. she already had a 4" procomp lift and some 33" bfg mud terrains. that and the sweet 2" round bumpers were the only mods on it.

i ran that setup all through high school and thought i was on top of the world. my jeep could do anything. i added some lights and some bushwackers flares

when i was 19 i joined the military and moved to Virginia. with multiple deployments to Iraq and non-stop training my 3 yrs there i only wheeled ONCE on the east coast.

right before my only run out there i went out and bought a smittybilt tire carrier so i can have a spare for the trail ride. a couple months afterwards i bought a matching pro comp front bumper and got rid of my tube bumpers.

here i am in Gore, Va


and the new front bumper i bought


rear tire carrier


after 3 yrs on the east coast i begged and pleaded and got stationed in San Diego. once getting out here everthing pretty much went down hill.

within my first month here i bought a welder and started fabbing some stuff up.

my first project was my rock sliders




i wheeled a little around SD and back home in vegas some more then came another deployment. while on deployment i ordered a couple parts and went right to work installing them when i returned Dec 2010.

installed a Warn m8000 winch
 
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#281 ·
Spent a couple hrs yesterday and today working on my front shock hoops. I got them all welded up, when i get back from Vegas for the holidays I will finish it up. The only thing I have left to do is cut my inner fenders, paint and install the shocks.

Heres my litle build up.

First thing I did was remove my fenders


Then I cut off the old mounts. I used a sawzall to get the main piece then a 4 1/2 grinder to get the rest


After that it was ground smooth


Now it was time to start working on the mounts. I wanted to plate the frame because I've seen pictures of hoops tearing holes in the frame.

I started with some cardboard to make a template



then I traced it onto some steel. 4 pieces


cut out and smoothed


then i used some clamps to mock everything up


I then tacked the hoops to the plates and pulled it to make sure i got a good weld. I traced the plates to make sure when i went to weld them in they were in the same spot as when i mocked them up.

Hoop to plate weld


tacked in


and some final weld pics. I started to run out of gas so some of the welds show it





And a profile shot


Well thats it for now. I hop on a plane in a couple hrs. I will update when I get back from Christmas vacation

:cheers2:
 
#283 ·
Climbit said:
looks good!

it might have been easier to just cut one piece to plate the whole section of frame you are working on.

any plans to tie in some braces from the top of the frame? I think that would be a good idea...
X2. I like the cross brace from the top of the frame idea. Did this on the hoops I welded to a yoda.
 
#288 ·
Ok guys, time for an update. I just recently got back to NC from my Christmas vacation in Las Vegas. First thing i did when I got home was play a round of golf :D, but after that I decided to finish up my hoops.

The only thing left I needed to do was cutout my fenders, paint then install the shocks. I know, I know. I said I was going to add some supports, and I will, just not at this time.

to start off I marked on the fender where I needed to cut.


I used a 4 1/2" grinder to make the cut, then afterwards I put some door edge trim on it to avoid the sharp edges.

Passenger fender cut and installed. I already painted the hoops by now as well.


Comes up through the top of the fender into the engine compartment


and some finished pictures with the shocks installed. I think it came out pretty sweet.




Well that's all for now. :cheers2:
 
#291 ·
Looks great Chris. My wife and I will be moving into a house in a couple months. The best part is it has a garage which will be for the jeep. I have a welder waiting on me as well. So hopefully things will get interesting.
 
#293 ·
Did some poser flex shots today to see how much better the travel is with the new shocks and hoops. I LIKE IT!! I still had more travel i couldve used as well, just thought that was a good enough spot to stop and check it out





Only a couple more things to do and she's ready to be wheeled. Too bad Uwharrie doesnt open back up until April. :thumbdown:
 
#307 ·
I've been trying to keep at it. I know its hard to lose motivation. Just dont give up. You're build gave me lots of motivation and inspiration.

I've been going through this about everyday start to finish, you're killing me haha.

I've decided to get rid of the disconnect housing as well like joe dillard did. Looks easy enough.
:laugh: Thanks man. Let me know if you try the vacuum delete. I'd love to see how it turns out.

Let me know how this goes and if you have any tube leftover that I could buy off you I may do the same.
Same thing. I'd love to see how it turns out.

What are you two talking about? Retubing? (i have a plate on mine)
This is what they're talking about http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/...leeve-fix-ubolt-eliminator-56k-beware-793813/

When I got rid of my TJ and got my YJ, I really started to hate it. But I'm slowly loving YJ's more than I ever could love a TJ. And your YJ is definitely the perfect rig. Trade you my soul for that YJ. haha.
:rofl: Thank you very much. I could use the soul, I put mine into my Jeep and now im soul-less :D
 
#310 ·
Sleeving the axle looks sweet. I suspected that's what they were talking about but not sure.
You gonna do the u-bolt eliminator plates? Please do pictures. I'll enjoy watching.
See Chris' link above. It was a sweet write-up Mr. Dillard did a few years back. I would like to do that with mine once I get moved into the house and pick up my welder this weekend. Of course I need to address body mounts and a frame patch where I had to cut the steering box bolt out.

i'll probably order from here since no one local will probably sell me a small cut.

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/dom-steel-tube-drawn-over-mandrel/
Looks like a good site. Let me know how it goes if you buy from them. I was asking because I figured you would have to buy a minimum length from where ever you got it. I know I was not able to get small cuts from the distributors in Georgia. I was probably asking the wrong folks though.
 
#304 ·
I've been going through this about everyday start to finish, you're killing me haha.

I've decided to get rid of the disconnect housing as well like joe dillard did. Looks easy enough.
Let me know how this goes and if you have any tube leftover that I could buy off you I may do the same.
 
#311 ·
No new progress on the Jeep lately but I did pick up a new toy.

Ive been wanting to upgrade to a 220V welder recently and so ive been casually looking around. I ended up finding a MM175 on CL today for what I thought was a good deal. I went and looked at it and it ended up following me home. Im going to try it out and see how I like it. If I like how it feels and it lays down some nice beads I'll put my Hobart 140 up for sale on CL to recoup some money for the upgrade.

Heres some pics.




My 2 migs happy in the garage
 
#313 ·
No new progress on the Jeep lately but I did pick up a new toy.

Ive been wanting to upgrade to a 220V welder recently and so ive been casually looking around. I ended up finding a MM175 on CL today for what I thought was a good deal. I went and looked at it and it ended up following me home. Im going to try it out and see how I like it. If I like how it feels and it lays down some nice beads I'll put my Hobart 140 up for sale on CL to recoup some money for the upgrade.

Heres some pics.

My 2 migs happy in the garage
It's kind of needy -- but could you describe the improvement? I have a Hobart like yours and might upgrade to 220. I'm not sure it is worth it...
 
#312 ·
Nice.

I just my donor Lincoln this weekend. It has flux core wire which I've never welded with. Either way it will be nice having a way to repair my jeep. First thing are the body mounts and a frame patch at the steering box.
 
#315 ·
Im excited for you. HAving a welder is the best tool you can have.

It's kind of needy -- but could you describe the improvement? I have a Hobart like yours and might upgrade to 220. I'm not sure it is worth it...
Well to start off it can weld 1/4" single pass. A major improvement that i see is that while welding most things that i weld on my HH140 I'm maxing out my welder. My heat setting is maxed out and i have to do a lot of prep to get good penetration. I will have to still do prep with the MM175 but less prep and get way more penetration. I also shouldn't hit my duty cycle that often anymore either.

Well shoot me a price!!
sent you a text
 
#316 ·
Finally started the job of dimpling my gas tank.

First thing I did was drop the tank


Then i drew some lines where i plan on cutting the skid


cut it out and flipped it



after that i started cobbling together some filler pieces :D


Then i welded it up. I smoothed it out so when i press the tank in the skid it doenst catch on anything.


one of my welds with my new MM175


and finsh welded. I painted it right after this pic.


That's all i got done for now. I will clean the tank and start dimpling later when i get the time.
 
#317 ·
Lookin good! :thumbsup: just take your time heating the tank and you should be good.
 
#324 ·
If you plan on streching the rear it might be something to look into. My rear is stretched 1" and it contacts my tank big time so this was necessary.

Just wondering why not a fuel cell? I'm lookin into some xj springs for a stretch in the rear and first thing is a cell in the back.
Kind like what Skyj said. I dont have a back seat but i have a big pelican case in the rear for tools as well as my air tank. I wouldnt mind doing a fuel cell when the time comes that i need one. But for now i can just get away with dimpling the stock tank. You cant beat having room for a stretch and still having the tank underneath.

A hammer wouldn't cut it in my situation. Hope Vegas doesn't mind me pimping my thread in his build check it out. http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/skyj-eccentric-build-1467426/
Of course i dont mind. I pimped my tank in your build thread.
 
#321 ·
I speak for myself but I carry my kids in the back seat and my tools behind that so no room for a cell. Besides this is a free mod.
 
#322 ·
skyj said:
I speak for myself but I carry my kids in the back seat and my tools behind that so no room for a cell. Besides this is a free mod.
Makes sense. :). I took a hammer to my skid so the way Vegas did it is legit! Lol. Just like everything else he's done to his jeep.
 
#323 ·
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