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559K views 4K replies 176 participants last post by  G Beasley 
#1 ·
Retro Rubicon LJ build

I havent had a 4wd that could be driven on the highway in a long time and I was getting tired of trailering everywhere so I started looking for a LJ Rubicon last Thanksgiving . Within a week I found this with 60k miles for a great deal and it was semi local .

This is the first picture I took of it once I unloaded it from the trailer . The next day I took it out back to have a little fun .

I immediatley liked the softer ride than I had in my samurai , but it was lacking some in capability . I knew with some time and research it would be much more capable , but for the time being I contented myself with cleaning it , getting a new top and some Line X .


I removed everything from the LJ and added a custom milk crate seat . I trailered it over to Line X and then when I got it home I put it all back together just in time to drive up to Lake Erie for work . (Seeing a trailer habit yet )


This was the 1st time in 7 years I hadnt driven a dually CTD Dodge on a trip and I really enjoyed the TJ . So I went full bore into researching here on JF and ROF and I ordered up an Old Man Emu super ultimate setup from DPG offroad .

I came home from six weeks on the road and this is what I had waiting for the Rubicon .


The thread has gotten a little long heres a spoiler pic of what the LJ looks like as of August 2013 .
 
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#1,630 ·
#1,633 ·
And I wanted to be first :D

I am so stoked to get "real" paint and liner on the trailer , I need to get my butt home and in the garage to finish up the last details before I head West to Nashville .... Yee HaaaW !
 
#1,636 ·

Heres the trim piece welded up and ready to cover the rough edge of the old wheel well .

Trim piece in place .

Hard to see , but both trim pieces are in place .

This is where it gets tricky , this is a picture of the hinge mount . In this position I think its going to catch water and hold it .
I think that I am going to reverse it and have it face forward . This way with a little seam sealer it should seal up well and allow for a solid mounting point for the tonneau hinge .

Basically I will mount the angle opposite of this . More work tomorrow afternoon , its going to be close getting it ready for the trip .
 
#1,641 ·
The tailgate latches are complete , all thats left is the aforementioned hinge mount for the tonneau . After some thinking and measuring I came up with what I think is a pretty simple solution for the latches .

A piece of barstock happened to be laying on the counter and it was the perfect size for the latch to close onto .

Heres the barstock in place .

A few bends in the vice made for a good stop / catch for the latch .

And nice out of focus picture of the tailgate latched .

The trailer is hitched up and ready to go West tomorrow morning .
 
#1,647 ·
The tires are old , but were ok behind my LJ up to 50 mph .

So it isn't going to Hendrix now? Or right now?
Next trip West , thankfully I have to come back out here again in two weeks .

Its not trailer DW its just skipping for joy since its going to get detailed up :laugh:
Do you blame it ? The paint job I put on it looks like it has mange .
That sucks, probably just a tire.

Sent from my iPod touch from Top of the World!
After a long ride to Franklin TN I have four things I think it may be .

1: Tire or tires ... They are old and have been sitting a long time . The odd thing is that the vibes start at 55 and dont go away until you come to a full stop . If you keep it at 50 mph there are no vibes .

2: Soft springs . I think I may have the leaves set up too soft and a body in motion tends to stay in motion . The problem seems to get worse when I hit a bump at speed , so maybe a pair of shocks would help dampen the movement ?

3: Toe In . Or maybe the lack there of ? My axle is set up with toe in , and theres a weld spot that shows which side is the front . When I went from a spring over to a spring under theres a chance I got the toe in backwards which would lead to odd tracking .

4: Porpoising . Ie; low tongue weight . The trailer is setup to have weight on the tongue in the form of a cooler or a tongue box and that currently isnt there . Theres maybe 20 lbs of tongue weight , and with a weight of 700lbs or so that could lead to the trailer jumping around ?

Thats all I could come up with as I thought things through on the drive out . I am open to all ideas , and will chase them down when I get back home in ten days or so .
 
#1,652 ·
It wont be too bad in the back of the Grand . Kimbo wanted to put me in the trailer ... that would have made for some video:eek:

Todays Jeeping

Tire buying is teh debil ! Or at least the cost of tires is teh debil . Four Thirty five BFG MT's are $1050 mounted and balanced . Four Cooper STT's are $800 , and I am waiting to see what a set of Pitbull radials are going to be but they are a dark horse .

In addition to that the Dana 60 rear axle monster has reared its ugly head again . When I figure in a new locker and upgraded shafts for my rear 44 the 60 isnt "that" much more money . I dont need it , but I hate to spend a similar amount of money and end up with an axle that isnt as strong as it could be .
Those STTs could be a good choice. They're a good all around tire at a reasonable price.

Just curious, if you're only going to run 35s, why spend the money on a 60?
 
#1,654 ·
Those STTs could be a good choice. They're a good all around tire at a reasonable price.

Just curious, if you're only going to run 35s, why spend the money on a 60?
At some point I may go larger , but it comes down to the money .
Jana gears with a selectable locker and upgraded alloy shafts along with other small things will be somewhere around $2000 give or take . I can get an ECGS Dana 60 with an OX or ARB for about $3500 and my rear axle will bring around $1000 .
So if you add the $1000 44 sale price to the $2000 parts list I wont be that far from a 60 cost wise . The tricky part is sticking with a budget 60 as once I make the decision it will be a slippery slope towards a Rock Jock .

Just get the 60. You convinced me the other day. Otherwise you'll always double guess it.
As much as I dislike double guessing , I really detest building something twice . Still some thinking to do and a lot of dead horse left to beat on :D
 
#1,658 ·
I think the if it ain't broke don't fix it mentality comes to mind for me here.. Why a Jana kit? How many R&P's do you plan on breaking? Anything wrong with your Rubicon locker yet? If/when mine goes kaput again, I'm just going to throw an ARB in and keep my gears/30 spline shafts.

IMO a RJ60 is overkill for 35s. Personally I'm not sure I would even bother with 37's. Sure 2" makes a difference, but enough to justify the cost of RJ60s? At that point just jump to 40s and tons and get a real advantage.

It's a slippery slope :) Time for a tow rig and trailer for those road trips.
 
#1,659 ·
You seem like a pretty conservative driver...I would be surprised if you ever have any problems with the rear 44.

I have a buyer lined up to buy my tires and wheels this winter (he's building an XJ and wants to run 35'' kevs). I plan on running some 37x12.50/17 MTR Kevs and a bead lock of some sort (mainly whatever I can find used that is aluminum...preferably Walker Evans, Slabs, Racelines). My Dana 44's will be as beefed up as you can get minus some trusses.

I wheel with a guy who has 37'' KM2's (I know...not real 37's) with 4.88's and stock rear shafts...not once has he broke. He went to RCV's in the front just cuz...still didn't break anything.

If the rear locker or gears become a problem then I would sell it for a RJ60. Just my 2 cents.

Carry on with an awesome build thread
 
#1,660 ·
Overbuild for 35's.... that's what your rig is all about. It makes perfect sense to me for you to run a D60. You like to drive it 1000's of miles from home, wheel it on some of the most famous/difficult trails in the country.... with your wife and 2 kids in it and then drive it home. You don't want to deal with any failures no matter how uncommon they might be. And if the money is similar to almost completely eliminate ANY possible rear axle problems..... it's very logical. I don't know of anyone else who really falls into this category besides you, but I think it's cool!
 
#1,672 ·
Yea.. I understand now. Breaking thousands of miles from home would suck.

For trips away from home I just need to figure out how to get it back to the trailer. So it's no biggie for me.
I may end up back on a trailer once the kids get older and need more room , but for now its cross country in the LJ .
You know my opinion on this subject as we have beat it to death already.

If you had seen how hard I've been beating on my rubi 44s since putting the Detroit in the rear you wouldn't even consider upgrading the gear set. I see absolutely no reason to put a stronger rear axle in the rear if you are not going bigger.

Also, I wouldn't want a rear axle that is significantly stronger than the front. That's just a false sense of security you are creating for yourself.

If you just want peace of mind do the Jana kit. With a JK gear set, ARB locker, and 35 spline shafts, you will never break that rear axle on 35s, trust me.

Oh, and fab 9 > RJ60
I know the Jana setup is stout , and its one of the options I still consider. And compared to most of y'all I wheel very conservatively . The one difference is driving it out West and back . Finances may dictate that I build the 44 , but I recently sold the blue truck ....

Definitely a tough one if your going to throw all that coin into the D44 tho. Can make more $$ off the rubi axle in good shape that if its busted to offset the 60.

But I'd agree with Jankoid, even with just the stock Rubi D44 that I'm running. In the yea and a half that I've owned the rig, I've been out easily 25 times and each time I tend to puch my limits to what I try even more. I also follow a lot of juggy's around so that usually makes me try some stuff I wouldn't think of trying normally. I also drive to and from the trail, not 1000+ miles but still between 1-4 hrs or so. And the rear is holding up more than fine even without me totally babying it.

So while I think the rubi axle will hold up to you on 35's, I understand your logic as well.
I have had the same conversations with myself ( I get really bored on the road) and others over the last six months . A 60 is way more than I need , unless I break and get stuck somewhere waiting on parts and trying to find a good shop .
But if it is over built and wouldn't have failed anyway, it's wasted money. If probability of failure is so low no one thinks it will happen, is the extra insurance needed? Plus don't 35s not provide enough clearance for a 60?
The 60 will most likely drag a little more , I am going to try and find the clearance differences of the 44 and a Rock Jock . As to the probability of the 44 dieing ? Only if its in the worst location on a Sunday night at the top of a Mountain Pass during one of the hippy gatherings . :D
So many good points on here! Maybe i can ard another? While I think a RJ60 is awesome I think it's a good idea to consider the disadvantages of having one especially with your anticipated lift height. How much uptravel are you willing to work in there with a RJ60? Will you stay 5-linked or move to a 4-link? Will you be willing to switch beadlocks in the rear? Are you comfortable with wider rear end?
5 linked for now and the foreseeable future . I hadnt considered losing uptravel and thats a valid point . A little more bumpstop would be ok , but I dont want to end up in a downtravel only situation . Some of the 60s offer a dual pattern , but if need be I would swap out the front hubs and go to a larger pattern . I think the Champions would sell pretty easily , so that would partially offset the cost of the new wheels .

This is why I posted the question , before I spent the money . Still a lot of reading to do ...
 
#1,668 ·
You know my opinion on this subject as we have beat it to death already.

If you had seen how hard I've been beating on my rubi 44s since putting the Detroit in the rear you wouldn't even consider upgrading the gear set. I see absolutely no reason to put a stronger rear axle in the rear if you are not going bigger.

Also, I wouldn't want a rear axle that is significantly stronger than the front. That's just a false sense of security you are creating for yourself.

If you just want peace of mind do the Jana kit. With a JK gear set, ARB locker, and 35 spline shafts, you will never break that rear axle on 35s, trust me.

Oh, and fab 9 > RJ60
 
#1,680 ·
Also, I wouldn't want a rear axle that is significantly stronger than the front. That's just a false sense of security you are creating for yourself.
Did anyone catch this comment I made? It doesn't matter if he runs a Jana44, RJ60 or a rockwell in the rear, if he doesn't swap out that front axle he has done nothing to alleviate his weak point. He'll be breaking u joints and stub shafts long before he blows up a jana44. I have yet to see an exact price for a bolt in RJ60, but i'm sure it does cost more and it is an unnecessary upgrade.
 
#1,669 ·
Definitely a tough one if your going to throw all that coin into the D44 tho. Can make more $$ off the rubi axle in good shape that if its busted to offset the 60.

But I'd agree with Jankoid, even with just the stock Rubi D44 that I'm running. In the yea and a half that I've owned the rig, I've been out easily 25 times and each time I tend to puch my limits to what I try even more. I also follow a lot of juggy's around so that usually makes me try some stuff I wouldn't think of trying normally. I also drive to and from the trail, not 1000+ miles but still between 1-4 hrs or so. And the rear is holding up more than fine even without me totally babying it.

So while I think the rubi axle will hold up to you on 35's, I understand your logic as well.
 
#1,671 ·
So many good points on here! Maybe i can ard another? While I think a RJ60 is awesome I think it's a good idea to consider the disadvantages of having one especially with your anticipated lift height. How much uptravel are you willing to work in there with a RJ60? Will you stay 5-linked or move to a 4-link? Will you be willing to switch beadlocks in the rear? Are you comfortable with wider rear end?
 
#1,673 ·
I think you are way overthinking it. You WILL NOT break a d44 with JK gears, ARB locker, and 35 spline chromos with mild wheeling on 35s. Simple as that. Even with hard wheeling on 37s that would be a very hard combo to break. With the Jana kit and upgraded shafts you are stronger than a Ford 8.8, and I know several people that beat the piss out of their 8.8s on 35s-37s, and they are still running stock 31 spline shafts. You do not need a d60. It's like those commercials where they show a guy ****ing up his tile floor with a sharpie so they can sell you some fancy highlighter to brighten your grout lines. Don't invent a problem just so you can waste money on the solution. I don't support the d60 idea at all, no matter how many times you try to convince yourself you need it. ;)

I'm pretty sure a RJ60 actually has better clearance than a 44, similar to a d35.
 
#1,676 ·
gst95dsm said:
What if you add it all up and the money is the same or within a couple hundred? Why NOT do it?
Within a couple hundred...? We all know what that means.

I say no 60 either. I have close personal friends that run extreme trails on rubi 44's w/ cromos and 37's with no breakage in back. not needed. **** Nate runs a D35 on 35's. End of discussion. :)
 
#1,677 ·
Haha, I don't know whether or not to feel proud... or embarrassed that my D35 lives for some reason. I'm not the ONLY m-fer running a D35 with 35's!

Beasley IS the only m-fer I know running two car seats, the wifey and the ambition to wheel 1000's of miles from home. I support the D44 build up also... my only thing is if the money is the same, why not?
 
#1,681 ·
For discussion sake although I am not forming any conclusions on price, a RJ60 rear when I got quotes is roughly $5000 without brackets so looking at $6k at the most for brackets, shipping etc. The front was about $6,200 with ARB and making your own steering.

I'm more concern about packaging and him going up in spring height however we would need some measurements to validate that concern. I know Blaine can put 6" up in the rear with 4" springs. However that's not using the stock mounts and its probably not a bolt on solution. I estimate maybe 5" with a 3" and lots of work. I am just guessing though.

Please don't take any offense. I think a RJ60 would be awesome given you are up for the challenge. :)
 
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