[PurpleTJ]

The Jeep's story: '98 Sport (no d44) deep amethyst pearl coat, I6, currently 64k. My uncle bought her from the dealer brand spankin new. My brothers and I, when we visited him in Illinois, would get to drive around on hot summer nights with the top down. I absolutely loved it. My uncle passed away from pancreatic cancer Thanksgiving '07. I turned 16 January '08. My dad inherited the Jeep, and I got her for my birthday. She had just under 60k, no body damage, minimal surface rust underneath, and virtually nothing wrong with her (reverse bulbs were out, thats about it). My dad and I drove down to where he lived in Illinois during winter break that year and tower her back up to Michigan on a trailer behind my dad's '06 F150.

Shortly after, we put on some 30" BFG ATs. I wanted to put a brush guard or bumper on it, and after researching for a long time, being careful about the cost, I found what I wanted. I decided against a whole new bumper due to the cost, and the fact that I didnt see the need for one. When I put this thing on, I had to remove the stock fogs, and while removing them, we busted the bolts that held them on. So I headed to autozone and picked up a pair of those Baja fogs for $25.

Here she is with the tires, brush guard, flares and fogs:

Some pics of the painting process for the flares:

Eventually, I will repaint both bumpers, and take the jugs off. I have already tried with the jugs, but the bolts just keep spinning If anyone has advice on that one, i'd love to hear it.

Edit: sawzall'd the jugs off, and painted the bumper. Page 3 for pics.

I have also replaced the factory speakers in the sound bar. I followed a guy's write up from here somewhere. I dont have pics, but i can get some if you want. (Edit: page 2 for a pic)

PLANS (eventually)
-Re-coat the frame -done
-Upgrade the d35/30
-BL, MML, skids
-Swing out tire carrier / bumper
-Possibly Raptor liner

Oh, and I also ordered a tuffy security console. The 3rd day I drove it to school, someone slashed the window and broke the console open (it wasnt even locked. there sure are some smart people out there). This was all during the school day, in the school parking lot. Sweet, right? :thumbdown: So i ordered new windows about 4 months ago, and just ordered the console.
Edit: Pics are a few posts down

Edit: also repainted the chipping passenger side mirror. Pics are a few posts down

Thanks for reading!

Daniel

 

[Martinsc]

I had the same problem with the jugs on mine. I got them off with a hammer and jumping up and down on them. They just ripped off.

 

[PurpleTJ]

i thought about using some force :club: but being me, i'd probalby miss and hit the fender or something. im going to see what i can do with my dad's grinder

 

[Imped]

Just give them a good hard couple kicks. They'll come off. You WANT them off. Nice jeep, BTW.

 

[PurpleTJ]

Just give them a good hard couple kicks. They'll come off. You WANT them off. Nice jeep, BTW.

thanks and yes, i do want them off. i think i'll try that actually.

 

[weems]

good looking jeep. GL with the build, i know how hard it is being a student as well.

 

[PurpleTJ]

good looking jeep. GL with the build, i know how hard it is being a student as well.

thanks! im actually surprised how many people have bothered posting in here already :laugh:

i just remembered, i also repainted my chipping passenger side mirror (the driver side is fine, since i replaced it after a ****ing semi took it off while i was parked on the street. he left the scraps in the road, no note, yet his destination was 2 doors down from my house. my dad and i walked over and saw the mark on the side of his truck. but of course we had no 'proof') anyway, i can take an after pic, but no before. im sure you all know what the before looks like anyway, thanks to your own mirrors.

i'll take the pic and post it once i get new batteries for my camera. i just used leftover krylon fusion from my flares

 

[tatooweeny]

thanks! im actually surprised how many people have bothered posting in here already :laugh:

i just remembered, i also repainted my chipping passenger side mirror (the driver side is fine, since i replaced it after a ****ing semi took it off while i was parked on the street. he left the scraps in the road, no note, yet his destination was 2 doors down from my house. my dad and i walked over and saw the mark on the side of his truck. but of course we had no 'proof') anyway, i can take an after pic, but no before. im sure you all know what the before looks like anyway, thanks to your own mirrors.

i'll take the pic and post it once i get new batteries for my camera. i just used leftover krylon fusion from my flares

Good luck with your build. It's hard to believe that my Jeep basically started out looking like exactly like yours. I have a sport as well. I got lucky with the D44 out back, but the color was the same.

About your "brush" with the truck... Same thing happened to me in my mustang a few years back. I traced the truck's route to the driver, who denied everything of course! So I took photos, & went to the distribution center & showed the pics & damage to the car to the supervisor. I also lied a bit & said that I saw the whole thing. They repaired it, but the driver confronted me a few weeks later & threatened me. I guess he got in trouble? :hahaha:

By the way, thanks for those kind words on my thread. I'd like to know what other Jeeps are in your "legendary list" though...

 

[PurpleTJ]

By the way, thanks for those kind words on my thread. I'd like to know what other Jeeps are in your "legendary list" though...

haha no prob. and to be honest, you 'officially' started my legend list :laugh: i never actually had one till i posted there. now i actually have one written up, with links to the thread :2thumbsup: i havent decided who else to add to it though

edit: i was trying to remember this guy's name when i was writing this post. i just went and searched it up. he's also on my legendary list. that thing is amazing
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/my-new-cherokee-project-590872/

 

[PurpleTJ]

just ordered my lift from Jeffery :2thumbsup: im really excited. he said it should be here tuesday or wednesday. i'll get pics up asap

 

[PurpleTJ]

got a pic of my repainted side mirror. the camera flash makes the uneven surface very visable, where the old paint still existed, to where the paint flaked off. also, the rubber thing between the arm and the mirror isnt grey, its actually black :dunno: i think it looks great though. nobody would notice a thing, unless the got up close and inspected it

 

[PurpleTJ]

its christmas in september! the UPSanta man brought me some presents! lift and tuffy security console, which wasnt even supposed to come till friday!

also, i bought 6 ton jack stands so i could put my lift on, and i thought they were going to be similar to my brother's 3 ton stands. they're not. haha they're HUGE compared to the 3 ton

cant wait to put it on!

 

[Capricorn]

Awesome, cant wait to see it! You got anymore pics of the Jeep as a whole? I'm going to be ordering the same lift for my TJ as well, probably in the next couple of weeks, but no later than the end of the month. Are you getting new tires also?

 

[PurpleTJ]

those are the only pics of the whole jeep. i'll take more tomorrow. as for tires, mine are still about a year old with plenty of tread, and i dont think it will look silly with 2.5" and 30" tires, so im waiting till next winter to get 32" KM2s. plus, they're way expensive

anyway, today i was able to put in my security console, but not the lift. i didnt have enough time to do it today.

heres the console removed

and installed

oh and i lied, i have one more pic of the whole jeep, along with my brother's cherokee

i dont really like how the console 'fit' in some places, as you can see in the last pic. the bottom edge didnt hug the tub very well

 

[Dmcastino]

i thought about using some force :club: but being me, i'd probalby miss and hit the fender or something. im going to see what i can do with my dad's grinder

I did the hammer and jump and method. I never hit the fenders, my friend on the other hand took a running jump and kicked my fender right after I specifically said "Be careful not to hit the fender, just jump and land on the plastic end cap":laugh:

 

[PurpleTJ]

got the lift on. everything is all good, except the rear sway bar is off thanks to the axle shifting with the new springs and shocks. im thinkin im just going to get a trackbar bracket. ill post pics tomorrow. it looks awesome

 

[wmeyer116]

looks good man. props for installing the lift yourself

 

[Matt2001TJ]

its christmas in september! the UPSanta man brought me some presents! lift and tuffy security console, which wasnt even supposed to come till friday!

also, i bought 6 ton jack stands so i could put my lift on, and i thought they were going to be similar to my brother's 3 ton stands. they're not. haha they're HUGE compared to the 3 ton

cant wait to put it on!

Now the real fun starts,...putting it together.

 

[PurpleTJ]

Now the real fun starts,...putting it together.

look 2 posts above. its all on baby :2thumbsup:

heres some pics. i dont have any good after pics because my camera is a POS. it turns off everytime i take a picture, before the pic ever saves onto the camera :dunno:

also, i just ordered the rear trackbar bracket from RC, so i'll get that thrown on to re-center the axle once it arrives

the new parts

the old front parts

i dont know how anybody could POSSIBLY get the new springs on without a spring compressor... unless you're superman.

front done

front after

rear in

its back on the ground now, and im really happy with it. ill post some good 'after' pics once i figure out whats up with the camera

 

[tatooweeny]

Good job with the lift install! With all the work I've done to my Jeep, I'm still not brave enough to mess with a suspension lift -yet. Too many variables to consider.

I'm just curious, is a 2.5" lift the magic number before changing over to a t-case lowering lit, dropped pitman arm, bumpstop extensions, slip yoke eliminator, etc???