LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW

PO had installed a tow hook. I would or removed it, but it's welded to an underframe support and it looks like more trouble to remove it than to just leave it...

Why are you running 2 antenna's? They are not placed far enough apart to even work good. The antenna's need to be at least 7' apart and then they won't have interference with each other. To be quite honest with you, the way you have it setup will probably be worse than if you ran just 1... Just trying to save you a headache before you get on the trails and nobody can hear you.

I got the bed pretty much done. Spray on bedliner is finished and I'm pretty happy with the results. Not to bad for $30 worth of stuff to do it... I also ripped the front bumper off, new bumper should be here anyday. Here are some updated pics.

Any auto parts store should carry them (autozone, napa, advanced, etc.). They are easier to put on out of the vehical, as you can use a hammer to make them "tight".

Got some more parts in over the weekend. My RE trac bar bracket showed up. So now I can get the trac bar in their. I also decided that I am going to go larger in the front since the rear spring over netted so much lift. So I found some 6.5" front coils and upper and lower control arms for a good price. So I will be putting those in to match the rear lift height. Plan on working on it some tomorrow, so pics and updates to follow. Todays Pic - RE brace.

I have a set of 6.5" coils coming with new upper and lower control arms etc.... Will post updates when I can find some more time to work on it...

Got my decals and magnets today. Thanks again Pete! :cheers: The magnets work well to hold up a photo of my daughter's dance pic on the fridge. :brows:

You should see about 10 XJ's and a few MJ's from the GreatLakesXJ.com group that weekend as well. Depending on the turnout we might be willing to meet up with you guys to hit a few trails... If anything else, it would be cool to get a few pics of 20-30 XJ/MJ's together...

Got the rear lifted over the past 2 days. I need to get shocks for the rear yet, as I was not sure how much lift the SOA would give me. It sits a bit higher in the rear that I had hoped for. I think I'm going to swap out the factory MJ shackle with something else. I have line on a set of TF revolvers I believe should lower it down a bit more (plus give added flex). I'll probably just get those and swap those in. I need to trim the front yet, so once I do that I should know exactly where I need to be. Overall the rear SOA went pretty easy once I got everything undone. I should have plenty of room for the 35's. Left to do on the lift: - Front Trac Bar w/Brace (been waiting on the HD brace to show up from RE). - Rear Shocks - Install Front Over the Knuckle Tierod (need tracbar in first so I can take it to have the flip insert welded in). Here are some updated pics:

Thanks! Any idea of the length? I'm going to assume that the 4x4 version is a tad longer?

I tried to search, but when I do I get every post in a chronological order from today's date... I'll be sitting at aprox 6" in the rear. What rear brake line are you guys using for that height? I've done a few more things for added articulation in the rear and need something that is plenty long. Prefer to find something off of another vehical instead of dropping the $$ on stainless from RE (or similar). Thats what I did on my other MJ and I'm determined to find an alternative solution for this one... Thanks in advance!

Got the SOA parts today. The rest of the stuff should be here tomorrow. Plan on tearing into the rear tomorrow.

Might want to redesign your site so it dosn't look so much like RockHard 4x4's.. :roll:

Call up RC and they should have them available. Mention NAXJA and I believe you'll save 10%...

Every time I've done them I don't even jack the vehicle. I leave the lowers attached, leave the wheels on and simply do 1 side at a time. Attach it to the body first than attach it to the axle. If you have problems lining them them I've used a ratchet strap and hooked it to the rear hitch to "tug" it into place. Last set I swapped out I had both sides done in 30 mins. Would of taken me twice as long if I jacked the vehicle up, took of wheels, etc etc.

Good eye. Yes I have them (as seen in pic above). I had trouble getting the upper bolt out of the LCA (3 broken wrenches). So I put the stock one's back on untill I can get to the shop to use the air tools to get those suckers out.

They are 31's. I'll be putting 35's under it once I get the rear lifted.

www.motionoffroad.com

Let see, use metal on the flares, so when (yes I say when cause it will) you hit them on a tree wheeling you don't just rip the flare off, you damage the bed even more. That sounds like a brilliant idea... Front flares are going to be trimmed to that height as well. So why let it go down further in the front when they will all eventually match? You do as you please to your rig... Maybe in the future bite your tounge before you say something like that when you have yet to see the finished results. Heck I don't even have the drivers side flare mounted, nor the front flare even painted yet as I have yet to see how much clearance I'm going to need to clear the tires... that was not a personal attack, but an opinion. I should say that, the flare WOULD crack off of the small 1" chunk of angle iron. I have seen 5 of these swaps done on xj's and that's what they do. that and I can see worrying ALOT about that with a rig that's not dented up already...but if you dent it by hitting a tree, you dent it. *shrug* no biggy. as for biting my tongue, I don't do that....I say things the way I see them, and respect when others do the same. it makes life simpler when you remove politics. unless when you're pregnant wife asks if she's fat....;) I DO like the truck, I just would have done things differently...if you look @ my projects you'll see that I'm anal about fit and finish :nuts: , and I also have a biased opinion as that's a swap I'm doing and I already researched it and visualized it a different way... nice lift btw No hard feelings. The point of this project was to build a rig that I could wheel hard core, not really worry about damage, and do it quick and within a set budget. That being said I'm not being as anal as I am with the build as I have been with my other XJ's and MJ's. Bed's only temp for this wheeling season. I plan on taking it off over the winter and 4-linking the rear. So I'm not really worried about looks of it to be honest with you. The TJ flares purpose is to simply try to keep the tires covered to help stop some of the mud that we see in the Midwest while wheeling. Sometimes function over looks is better... If you talk to anyone who knows me, and who's wheeled with me I'm probably one of the most anal people you'd meet. I think my XJ shows just that. A well built rig that I wheel extreamly hard, but still worry about looks. Heck I have over $8g in my motor, and still am worried about how it looks under the hood.

Started on the lift for the front today. I do not have all the parts yet, but I decided to get a bit done while I'm waiting on them. Here is what I had to start with; What you see is; Rubicon Express 4.5" Front Coils (new) Rubicon Express HD Trac Bar (new) Rubicon Express Bumpstops (new) Motion Offroad Tierod (new) Motion Offroad Tierod Flip Kit (new) Lower Control Arms (used) Front Shocks (used) I utilized what I had with the front control arms and front shocks. No need to buy new when you have it laying around.. And the end results of todays work; I have to install the trac bar yet, but I'm waiting on the HD mount to show up. I havn't installed the tie rod yet either as I need to get some new TRE's first. Parts should be in Tuesday (according to online tracking), so I'll be able to finish up the front and tear into the rear.

Let see, use metal on the flares, so when (yes I say when cause it will) you hit them on a tree wheeling you don't just rip the flare off, you damage the bed even more. That sounds like a brilliant idea... Front flares are going to be trimmed to that height as well. So why let it go down further in the front when they will all eventually match? You do as you please to your rig... Maybe in the future bite your tounge before you say something like that when you have yet to see the finished results. Heck I don't even have the drivers side flare mounted, nor the front flare even painted yet as I have yet to see how much clearance I'm going to need to clear the tires...

Picked up my rear TJ flares today. I ended up getting 1 of them mounted. I can't say I'm impressed with the fitment of the TJ flares on the MJ's rear bodylines. It took a lot of work getting them to fit somewhat decent. End result looks ok, but I wish it wasn't as much of an ordeal to get them on. Not looking forward to doing the other side.... Thats all I really got done today. I plan on starting on the front lift tomorrow. Sorry left camera at home, here are cell phone shots;

The Great Lakes XJ group is going to be their this weekend as well. http://greatlakesxj.activeboard.com/ind ... D=12525174

Call up Adam @ Clayton's and talk to him. Last time I talked to him (about 8 months ago) they were still in the search of an MJ to do a mock up and make sure it fits 100%. If you bribe me good enough, I may pass along a 20% off coupon I have to ya for them if you end up buying... :cheers:

Run them on 2 other of my XJ's and havn't had a problem to date yet... Thanks. I have all weekend off, so I hopefully should be getting quite a bit done over the weekend...