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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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#714 ·
'92 vegas YJ said:
So Ive been having some death wobble lately. Not really sure when it started as I never really drive the jeep but I noticed it about 3 weeks ago. I thought it was because my springs are so messed up, thought maybe with the all twisted up it was affecting my caster and causing the DW. Well today i switched out the bent up bastard pack for some new junkyard waggy springs. I was hoping this would cure it but it didn't. I need to investigate whats causing it. All of my ubolts and springs mounting bolts are tight and torqued. My heims look and feel good. My balljoints are only 9 months old with BARELY any street time and only 2 off road trips on them. Hmmmm.... I think I might put the old springs back on for a while seeing that it didnt fix my DW. The new springs gave me a lot of lift and Ive been trying to get my rig lower. I dont mind the bent up springs. They flex like a boneless hooker on muscle relaxers. once I swap springs back out again I think the jeep is mostly ready for Gulches. I dont plan on going over 45MPh there so the DW isn't going to stop me from going.
Check ur wheel bearings/hub, see if they have ne play in them. There shouldn't b ne, mine gave me some death wobble when they went bad. Check n make sure u didn't loose ne weights off ur wheels too, they fall off pretty easy when wheeling hard. DW is such a pain in the d*ck when u no everything should b good up there since it's all been replaced at some point in time. On another note, those frame tie ins turned out nice, I bet u cant wait flip her over now n see them in action.
 
#715 ·
Yea I'll check my wheel bearing tomorrow after work probably. As for checking to see if any weights fell off.... Im not sure how many were on there to begin with :laugh:. Maybe I'll try switching tires front to back and see if it cures the DW and I just get bad vibration in the rear.

I hope I dont have to test my frame tie ins, but if I do Im ready.
 
#718 ·
Hmm. How I was taught to diagnose this is Jack up front axle and start using a pry bar to find the wobble. It's taken about two minutes each time. Some times it is ball joint, some times steering linkages, etc. I'll be curious to hear what you find as we're not supposed to get death wobble.
 
#721 ·
With the "wobble of death" I've found a few things that usually caused it for me were worn balljoints, bearings and egged out shackle holes/jacked up spring bushings. The ways I usually found it was by having someone saw my wheel back and forth while I watched the front end or jacking up the frontend and trying to shake the tires up/down, back/forth. I've killed balljoints/bearings in no time before gotta love lifetime warranties when running 30 outers:shhh:
 
#730 ·
Nothing to update on the YJ , but I did go pick up a ZJ yesterday.

The ZJ belonged to my GFs mom, last week she swerved to avoid a deer and layed it on its side in a ditch. She said we can have it after that happened. So we will be doing a mild build on it so Jessica can have a Jeep to wheel. So far the only damage is a broken passenger mirror, torn rear bumper cover, 2 flat tires and a dead battery. plus tons of mud and debris in ever crevis on the passenger side of the vehicle. So far we changed the tires out and threw in the Diehard platinum from my YJ to get it off the trailer and moved around.

Pics of it on the trailer.




Jessica washing some of the mud off and changing the tires to some spare 30s I had laying around.



clean(er) jeep with new tires



And finally her posing with her new wheeler

 
#731 ·
I just read this build Sub'd it, Bad@$$ rig, great job.
I made 90% of the stuff more mine as well, bumpers etc etc.
I am looking for ideas for mine, been awhile since I had her on the road, need to get another 5 spd mine is going out..
I have a set of axles out of a '00 F250 D60 HP Front and 70 Rear on the trailer pd $300, probably go v8 next yr if the budget allows.
Thank you for Your Service, our family is Army/ Navy/ Marine

Carry on
Ron
 
#737 ·
YJ got a new goodie for Christmas. I got a new JPcooler. Its a 56qt, dual compartment cooler that fits behind where the rear seat should be. For me it fits perfect behind my toolbox and right under my cage. Ive been wanting one of these for a while and my GF took the hint and ordered one up without telling me.




 
#739 ·
YJ got a new goodie for Christmas. I got a new JPcooler. Its a 56qt, dual compartment cooler that fits behind where the rear seat should be. For me it fits perfect behind my toolbox and right under my cage. Ive been wanting one of these for a while and my GF took the hint and ordered one up without telling me.

http://s37.photobucket.com/user/cj87uq/media/20131225_195718_zps9a116227.jpg.html
http://s37.photobucket.com/user/cj87uq/media/DSCN0757_zps520943b5.jpg.html
http://s37.photobucket.com/user/cj87uq/media/DSCN0753_zps0e4b1db5.jpg.html
http://s37.photobucket.com/user/cj87uq/media/DSCN0752_zpse6d4a70b.jpg.html
She's a keeper! !
 
#742 ·
Little update. I received a $100 gift card for Amazon from my brother for Christmas. I couldn't really think of anything I needed so I used the money on the jeep. I ended up buying some new rear shocks. The shocks that ive been running in the rear are HORRIBLE. If i ran over a penny I'd feel it in the rear. Decided to get the same shocks as I run in the front, Bilstein 5125.

I got them installed today. Much better ride



 
#744 ·
Ive gone through your thread before but I don't remember seeing anything about your steering setup, care to enlighten me on what you've got? planning on a SOA with wagoner springs up front and have read about some steering issues if you try and stretch anymore than 2".

Thanks! You jeeps looking great!
 
#745 ·
Thank you very much man.

My steering is a M.O.R.E. bracket, 1.5x.250" DOM with 5/8" hiems. It is true that you can get some steering issues with a 3" stretch. My drag link kisses my diff cover at full stuff but its right about where i have my limit of travel. I could easily bumpstop it a 1/4-1/2" in sooner and avoid it all together. It doesn't really bother me though, this is all a temporary setup anyway.

Hope that helps. If not let me know if you have any more questions.
 
#756 ·
Thanks man. hope the WFO hoops work well for you.

Plan to use the same joints, they ran a pretty penny, hope it's worth it
Everything I've been reading on them says they should be worth it.

How's the GC build Chris?
ummmm slow:laugh:. Its been sitting on the side of the housee for a while. We got it back to road worthy and fixed all the cosmetics on it then we parked it and havent really touched it. Jessica doesnt know if she wants to build it anymore. She said she may just wait and buy a wrangler down the road to play with/ build up.
 
#760 ·
Honestly Taylor I dont care about your opinion on this subject. You're too much of a Currie fanboy to even admit if there was a better product on the market. I know the JJ is tried and true and taken abuse, but theres also a lot about the JJ that people dont like, and hopefully the new DF joints will shine in those areas. I'm not saying that the DF joint is the best in the world. It would be stupid of me to say that, I havent even ran them yet. But what I am going to do is try out a new joint that is on the market and see if I like it. I've done research on these and so far everyone seems to like them, only time will tell how they hold up. Just to make this even more confusing. I honestly dont like MC. I think their products are hideous and would never put them on my rig. But so far they seem like they're done at least one thing right and that's build a good joint. WE SHALL SEE.
I am only a fan of currie products because so far, out of all the crap I have done to my jeep (and others) their products, JJs included, are the only things that have held up and done exactly what they advertised. I get nothing from them, no special treatment. in fact all I (and many others) get is berated for supporting their products and labeled a "fanboy". why would I put up with that for no good reason? it would be easy for me to sling some other product that doesn't carry the same stigma. but I wouldn't BS you for no reason chris, I consider us friends. I am simply trying save you a headache down the road.

I'm really curious what you don't like about the JJ, and what you think the MC joint does better.
 
#761 ·
I am only a fan of currie products because so far, out of all the crap I have done to my jeep (and others) their products, JJs included, are the only things that have held up and done exactly what they advertised. I get nothing from them, no special treatment. in fact all I (and many others) get is berated for supporting their products and labeled a "fanboy". why would I put up with that for no good reason? it would be easy for me to sling some other product that doesn't carry the same stigma. but I wouldn't BS you for no reason chris, I consider us friends. I am simply trying save you a headache down the road.

I'm really curious what you don't like about the JJ, and what you think the MC joint does better.
Sorry for sounding like a jerk earlier Taylor. I consider us friends as well. I just get tired of people saying one way is the only way. I like to try new things and be different. Hence why i'll be running an EATON HO72 rear instead of the standard 14B. Its people like me who are willing to test new products and give a company a chance to make it in this industry. Again I am not saying that the MC joint is better. What I am saying is that i'm going to try them out. I have zero PERSONAL experience with JJs. Just some things that i read on the internet. If the MC is just as good in every department as the JJ + is a quieter joint then I think I'll be happy with it. I have nothing against loud clanking noises either way :laugh:. You gotta remember, this all started with a gift card from MC. They support the YJOTM contest EVERY month and I figure i'll try to support them. After I purchase all the joints I'll have spent just as much as i would've on JJs. This is not me cheaping out and buying an inferior product, its me trying a product that's new to the market.

:cheers2:
 
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