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JeepWJ's 03 WJ Ltd Build Thread - Project Golfball

61K views 331 replies 43 participants last post by  Redneck1996 
#1 · (Edited)
NOTE: many images are expired. I may have some somewhere. If you need to see one, PM me and I'll see if I can find it for you.

Okie-dokey...just because if everyone else was jumping off a bridge, I would too, here's my build thread...nothing too fancy here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
iPod adapter install
Window Regulator
Fire Extinguisher
Altezza Taillights
IRO 3" Lift / Doetsch Shocks
Cobra29 WX ST CB
Removeable seat mod.............................Post 1
Tenneco SS..........................................Post 9
Swaybar Tie-Downs...............................Post 12
Bumper Cut, Take 1...............................Post 13
Power Inverter Install.............................Post 17, Post 22
Bumper Cut, Take 2...............................Post 27
Hood Light...........................................Post 40
KM2 30" Tires.......................................Post 41
Wish List #1........................................Post 51
(Temporary) Heated Seat Fix..................Post 55
Red Map Lights....................................Post 60, Post 61
Rusty's Tow Hooks...............................Post 71
JCR Stage 2 Sliders..............................Post 79, Post 97, Post 105
Wish List #2.......................................Post 91
Busted Front Drive Shaft.......................Post 113
JKS Quicker Disconnects.......................Post 120
F.E. Relocate......................................Post 121
Hail Damage (or Money Tree).................Post 142
SS Relocation / OTK Tie Rod..................Post 152, Post 162
Cab Lights..........................................Post 163
Wheel Spacers....................................Post 171
ProtoFab Rear Bumper..........................Post 186, Post 187
Stereo (Kenwood Excelon KDC-X994)......Post 214
Washer Bottle Relocation......................Post 233
247-231 Swap....................................Post 254
JeepWJ rises from the dead...................Post 325
WHEELING TRIPS:
Northwoods Overland 2010.05.09...........Post 74
Club property 2010.07.04.....................Post 106
Trollhaugen 2010.08.27........................Post 134
Pipeline 2010.10.12.............................Post 168
Club property 2010.12.05.....................Post 180
Northern WI 2011.01.15.......................Post 204
Badlands IN 2011.04.29.......................Post 246
First, a little about how I got my Heep...I wanted a JK Unlimited ever since they came out, but I couldn't afford one new, and there weren't any on the market used. My minivan died, so I started looking for a new car. The dealer was trying to get me to buy a Kia, but I was more interested in the Dub right next to it. It was an '03 Limited, and the only option it didn't have was the Nav radio, otherwise it was fully loaded. Single-owner, no crash history, and really good condition. HO V8.

I got it in summer '08, right when gas prices hit around $4 a gallon, so I got it for dirt cheap, too :)

Here's a picture of my dub, the first day I got it:

The beemer is some other tenant's. I lived there for six months, and that car never, ever moved. It was also about 2 feet deep in junk. I'm talking old books, McDonalds wrappers, tennis rackets, clothes, and the like.

First thing I did, was to install one of those tape-player iPod connector dealies, so that I could listen to my iPod while driving



I had tried an FM transmitter for about two days before I returned it. The tape dealie works ok, but if I were to redo it, I'd just get a whole new iPod-capable system.

I didn't do too much to my Heep for about half a year, until I paid it off. Meanwhile,


That was a two-mile trip, through 8" of fresh snow, with my basically stock WJ dragging its gas tank all the way. With the left driver's side window stuck open. My next project was to replace the window regulator with one that works. No biggie...just tear the door apart, and replace with a new regulator...the new one's not as powerful as stock though. Takes longer to roll up the window now.


Installed a fire extinguisher (I had it lying around and I didn't know what to do with it)



So here's my Heep, 'bearly' modified:


Now the fun begins. I smashed a taillight on a garbage can at -20 F, so I got some custom lights:


Now, the first big mod...a 3" IRO lift!!
before:


After!


I got a CB for my Heep:




I debadged it...

(I didn't take pics of this)

and had an extra power inverter lying around, so I permanently installed that:


I also permanently installed a USB phone charger:



I started getting a little (ok, fine, a lot of) death wobble, so I replaced the steering stablilzer with an IRO / Tenneco dual stabilizer kit (but I never stuck the second one in -- I'll probably just keep it for when the first one goes out.

(see post below---I'm only allowed 20 pix per post.)

I did theksmith's removable rear seat mod



and added in some eye bolts for holding some sway bar disconnects (future mod)



Finally, I did some minor bumper trimming, in preparation for a possible, more radical theksmith-style bumper trim.



I'm hedging on this. Here's a photoshop of what it'd look like if I ended up doing it:


Well, that's where my rig is at for now...here's what's on my wish list:
  • 31's. I'd probably go for some BFG MTs but I'm not sure. I've got about 1/16" of tread before I need to make that decision. ----- EDIT - Got 'em. KM2s.
  • Quick disconnects. I'd probably get the JKS'es from IRO, but I might get the other (cheaper) ones whose name escapes me right now. ----- EDIT - Got 'em. JKS'es.
  • Some way to mount a 31" spare. I really don't want to deal with this, but it might have to be a rear-mount, instead of a roof rack, because I've got a really low garage. As it is, I have to remove my CB antenna to get in. a roof rack plus a tire would mean forfeiting my garage space. ----- EDIT - Don't need this; it still fits in the tire well!
  • a carputer would be really cool, but WAAAAAAY out of my price range.
  • some real front tow hooks.I wouldn't trust mine. ----- EDIT - purchased.
And one more pic, just for good measure:


Well, that about covers it! Hope ya like it!
 
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#48 ·
thats sick with the new tires. ive never seen those rims on a wj. are they stock? looking at your jeep reminds me of mine lifted so much. i hd to lower it for dd purposes. but im not commuting soon so im gunna lift it again :) do you wheel it?
 
#50 ·
ive never seen those rims on a wj. are they stock? [...] do you wheel it?
from wjjeeps.com:


It's the Avila 17" wheel. They made variations of it from 2002-2004. I was thinking of getting different wheels, but I couldn't find any I liked, and I HATED mine, but now that I've got mud tires on there, I don't think they're so bad. They kind of offset the bad-arse-ness of the tires, for a slightly less noticeable look...

...and yes I do wheel it, but only lightly. I'm in WI (not many places to wheel), and I usually wheel alone, so I don't do anything all that crazy with it. The other thing I do a bunch of is going to radio transmitter sites, which can be real PITAs to get to if you don't have some sort of 4x4...

Lookin snazzy man, You need a rayban glasses window sun deflector to match, and maybe some wheel spacers while your at it.
HAHAHAHA! My dad had one of those in his 1983 Buick Century! You're thinking the cardboard ones with the glasses, stache and ciggy, right? And yes, I have thought about (and am still thinking about) spacers. I think I'll probably get some other, more functional stuff first, like tow hooks that work, ksmith's red LED reading lite mod, maybe some sliders, etc...oh yeah, and the ham radio. Still debating on that one...
 
#51 · (Edited)
CAUTION: Post contains Jeep insanity.

Just to further fuel my depression about how little my job pays me for the amount of work I do for them, I thought I'd make a quick list of mods I still want to do:

EDIT: Mods, I'm posting a bunch of links to products that are on my to-get list, for my own reference. If that's not ok, lemme know and I'll remove the links.
  • ksmith's red LED map lites (except I wanna try to get ALL lights to be able to shine red) ($30 + HUGE time investment) (LEDs) (Lites) (current draw) (Switches) -- DONE
  • ksmith's on-all-the-time / switched 12v power mod up front ($15 + an hour or two) -- DONE
  • New CB. Busted the mount when I smashed in my taillight. (Radio) (antenna mount) -- DONE
  • Glass-mounted AM/FM antenna -- DONE
  • driving lights. This will be complicated because I can't put them on the roof; I have 1.5" between my roof rack and the garage door as it is. (what, $100-ish?) -- EDIT: someday, I'll go with an LED light bar. Rock lights are probably a higher priority right now.
  • iPod connector. I already ditched the CD changer for tool storage. ($130) -- DONE (New HU that supports iPod)
  • real front tow hooks. I think I want Rusty's. ($80) -- DONE
  • discos ($160) -- DONE
  • sliders ($300) -- DONE
  • onboard air (I WISH I could figure out how to do the CJ/York mod with the dub, without getting rid of A/C, but I'll probably either do an air tank or a compressor that sits in the back) EDIT: or ksmith's electrical OBA mod
  • those nice rubber floor mats that Rusty's sells ($200 for a complete set)
  • some decent way to keep all of my tools without them rattling all over the place (planning time + fab time + materials) -- EDIT: bought toolbox that sits nicely in back seat.
  • Some way of not dropping springs -- DONE
  • ham radio ($500 easy) -- DONE. Gift from friend
  • Wheel spacers? ($200) -- DONE
  • new gears ($300?) - Don't need.
  • I have this lovely plan about a steel bumper that would look FRIGGIN' awesome, but I don't have the time to design it, I don't have a welder, and I don't have the money for the materials. -- EDIT: Link
  • do something with the rear bumper. -- Will be Kennesaw Mtn, when I get the money. -- DONE (ProtoFab, not KMA)
  • take 'er to the body shop to get a decent-size ding filled in. I bought the heep with it, and never had a chance to do anything about it. ($200) -- DONE (DIY)
  • carputer. HA. Keep dreaming. :rolleyes: -- EDIT: Working on tablet build a la ksmith.
  • 8" lift, d44 swap, 37" boggers, exo cage, hemi (priceless) :rofl:
Total: 2k. Which is 2k more than I have. HA.

up for this weekend: a much simpler mod. Change the oil in the heep and in my brother's car.
 
#52 ·
This build up is looking nice. I've spent the morning surfing the build threads and I've definately pulled some ideas from yours!!

Keep dreamin about the big bucks .... they'll come sooner or later. ... At least that's what my mom keeps tells me. But then again, she also tells me "that's nice" with everything I do ... hey! ... wait a minute!!! HAHAH!!!!
 
#53 · (Edited)
This build up is looking nice. I've spent the morning surfing the build threads and I've definately pulled some ideas from yours!!
thanks man....

Just for my own info (and anyone else who cares) the HO V8 takes a different air filter than the regular V8. The Wix part number is 42190. Thanks to Ridin' Around for that tip.
 
#54 ·
just some quick stuff,

1) I got my new tire sensor programmed so it doesn't scream at me every time I 'fire up the mule' as my dad calls it!

2) If the weather's at all decent this weekend (which I think it won't be) I need to tear apart my seats and fix the heaters. There's a post somewhere on here which shows you how to do that. I'll post a link at some later date.
 
#55 · (Edited)
EDIT: there's a recall out on this. I'm going to get the stealership to fix this properly. But this was a nice temporary fix.

EDIT 2: apparently only certain Jeeps are covered, and mine isn't one of them...I guess my ghetto-fab solution stays!

EDIT 3: talked to a guy while waiting for some work to be done on my heep. He recommended getting the tungsten wire out of a hair dryer and using that instead of my 12v primary wire. He thought it'd solder up better than mine did. I think I'll wait for mine to break again before doing that...

EDIT 4: and it fried again. This was a temporary fix.

OK, fixed my seat heater (which I call a heat seater all too often). Here's how:

Firs you pull the seat covering off. It only comes off about as much as I've got here.


You can see the burn mark where the wire was doing its thing. I pulled the (charred) wire away from the little heater wire in the white pad and snipped it


and then replaced it with 12v primary wire.


Note: soldering the heater wire and the thicker connector wire was NOT easy. I'm not sure if this was because it had been so discolored/charred, or if it had to do with the makeup of the wire. What I ended up doing is pinching both wires in the stranded 12v primary wire, and then soldering the heck out of it. Seems to have worked quite nicely. the seat also heats evenly now. Nice for those of us with bad backs :)

While I was at it, I also built a little cell phone/iPod holder out of sheet aluminum that my dad had lying around.
 
#57 · (Edited)
My TomTom GPS broke while I was turning it on, so I got a Garmin nuvi 255w the other day. Looks like you can make it show USGS topo maps, if you're a little tricky about it!

In other news, I can't think what I should name my rig....any ideas?

EDIT: Garmin died long ago. Google maps works pretty well with a tablet.
 
#58 ·
working on the red night-vision lites like ksmith. I dunno if he's got this, but my red lites will be both for front and rear passengers. Got all the wiring done today. Now I'll just have to buy the LEDs.

Everyone (but especially ksmith if you're reading this), how many high-intensity, water-clear red LEDs do you think should go per light to get a decent brightness? I know things are kinda tight on the front map lights, so space-wise, things might be tough, but I've got some ideas about that. I'm mainly concerned with enough light output. Wajja think? TIA...
 
#59 · (Edited)
Ok pardon the mobile phone post, but I totally just blew out a CV joint. We'll see what that costs to fix!

EDIT: If you're ever in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, I HIGHLY recommend the Jeep dealer on the west side of Rapids (Johnson and Sons). They squeezed me in at the end of the day, and ran to CarQuest and got me a remanufactured CV and installed it, all within about an hour. And they charged me for less than quoted.

I think next Jeep I buy's coming from there...

In other news, at some point I'm'a have some pictures up of my nite-vision-preserving LED lights...I got the parts and have started working on them...
 
#60 ·
OK. Red courtesy lites:
basically all I'm doing is drilling holes in the recesses for the lights, and wiring in LED arrays (a bunch of LEDs in parallel)Then I'll have a day/night mode switch right by the EVIC, that will choose between day (white) and night (red) lights.

Soooo, first I drilled holes. Crappy job, I know. 1) they won't show, and 2) I'll make sure to make them nicer on the other lights

Next, I force-fit the LEDs into the holes.


Then, using a wire-wrapping tool and thin wire (radio shack FTW), I wired up everything in parallel.

Stuck a DPDT switch in there instead of the factory SPDT one, and soldered it up. I still have to wire in a resistor to make sure I'm not going to fry the LEDs, and connect it all to the wiring I did a few weeks ago.


More later, when I get it all running......
 
#61 · (Edited)
The array works! Now I've just got to wire up the mode switch on the EVIC, and then wire them together.....
EDIT: Everything works!!! Holy cow, I'm pumped!

Here's a little vid of it working:


Here's a couple shots of the EVIC getting wired up:



I still have to make the array for and wire up the right rear map light, and the dome light in back of the Jeep. Then I'll replace the courtesy lights on the doors with reds and we'll be good to go!

for those interested, you need a 470-ohm resistor in series with the LEDs to make them not blow out from 12v...

EDIT: 7 years later, still working......
 
This post has been deleted
#63 ·
thx....it wasn't too bad once I figured out a) the logic (how to wire everything so it does what it's supposed to) and b) how to mount the switches. If you're real good, you'll notice I messed it up a bit. When you turn to night mode, the left rear light automatically comes on. Quick solder job will fix that...
 
#66 · (Edited)
thanks man! I'm pretty pumped about it....is there something wrong with me if I get so much satisfaction out of turning a lamp on and off?

Uhhhh... what? you basically have no bumper left!? :dunno:
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! No, I left some of the black rubber cladding on the back and that still rubs a bit. You can't see it in the pic, but it's there.

Anyway, there's no such thing as too much bumper trimming. :duhrock:
 
#71 ·
(finally) ordered some Rusty's tow hooks! Looking at actually going out wheeling with a group, so I thought I'd splurge and buy some mandatory safety equipment. HA.

EDIT: I bent them later, pulling a TJ off a log.
 
#72 ·
really nice build. I kinda wished I had limited or overland edition instead of my stock 2003 Laredo 4.0L, then maybe I would rival your work.

the only significant thing I did was give it a meagre 2 inch lift (which is how all WJs should sit stock) since it looked like a station wagon.

Anyways I'll definately check up on your build occasionally when I get the chance.
 
#73 ·
really nice build. I kinda wished I had limited or overland edition instead of my stock 2003 Laredo 4.0L, then maybe I would rival your work.

the only significant thing I did was give it a meagre 2 inch lift (which is how all WJs should sit stock) since it looked like a station wagon.
Thanks! Yeah, I sometimes kinda wish I had an Overland too. They're just so pretty....

as for meagre...I'm starting to feel that way about my 3" lift, and ten bucks people like ksmith are starting to feel that way about their 6", so don't worry about it!
 
#76 ·
kewl, you got it dirty! ;)

i did the front driver seat heater fix like you a few months ago, the burnt up wire was in the exact same spot...
What did you use for the wire? Copper like I did, or did you find tungsten somewhere?
 
#79 ·
JCR vs IRO sliders

Yes, I know this thread's been done before, but a friend and I were weighing the options, and I thought I'd do a little side-by-side. Keep in mind that I'm kinda leaning toward the JCR sliders as is. Also keep in mind I'm basically thinking out loud here:

IRO
  • beefy
  • more frame/pinch weld attachment points
  • powder-coated
  • high ground clearance
  • less lateral protection
  • fits well
  • $$$$$

JCR
  • beefy
  • less frame/pinch weld attachment points
  • unpainted
  • possible ground-clearance issues
  • more lateral protection
  • possible fit issues, JCR appears happy to send spacers to fix.
  • $$$

So to me it looks like a decision between paint-it-yourself and powder-coat and a tradeoff between lateral protection and ground clearance.

Add to that a couple things.
  • Someone on JF felt it necessary to mod the IRO sliders, for better lateral proteciton. So at least some people feel that there's not enough on the IRO skids.
  • Powdercoating looks nice, but is almost impossible to repair. Sliders are meant to take abuse, and therefore should be easy to repair.

I think I just talked myself out of getting IRO's sliders. Anyone wanna talk me back into it?

Now, the real question. Should I paint the JCRs black, or rattle-can-matching-body-color?

EDIT: Now IRO offers their sliders without powder coating, and JCR offers Stage 3 (angled-up) sliders.
 
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