buffalob

All the bumpers,side rails fender flares etc etc were removed again for the body work phase of the project. All body issues were dealt with correctly (new sheet metal welded in). I will start posting pics of the body work phase shortly.. The body work spanned most of the summer and fall of this year...check back in on this thread in a couple of days.

On 64th Ave East of Sheridan?

This tailgate I actually pulled off my trailer...yes trailer...more on that later

gosh I hope not.... well look at it this way, If the world don't end tomorrow as planned I should have it back from the painter next week. :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

The obvious next move was to come up with a design and plan for a custom rear bumper for an MJ. I really liked Jarods option of the "wrap around ends" on the bumper we put on Nathan's XJ, but did not want it to stick out as far. also the tail gate needing to open presented him with something he had not yet done ( jeep rear bumper wise anyway) We opted to use the mount plates for the factory one (that went back to Troy...before the question gets asked), and then add more for strength. Again I have other photos of the rear off the truck that better shows the mounting arrangement...will post some later.

Here are a few other gratuitus shots cause, well cause, well just cause....

An obvious problem with full size (oversize) spare tire/wheel is always where to put them. Jarod and I came up with this, using the factory short bed roll bar from the red 87'.

I had seen a build thread here some time back (silver & black?? maybe?) where the dude had a crackerjack idea of steel plate "bed rail top pieces" don't know what else to call em. Jarod and I got together on this and he came up with these....

The side bars are made fron2.0" X 3.0" rectangular tube X 3/16" wall layed on the flat side. Jarod designed and built them to bolt on rather than weld as I knew that I would want the flexibility of getting them back off. I have photos of them off the truck and of the mounting details... but not handy at the moment. I will post em this evening. The front bumper is one of fessybuilt standard items (he has several including a hell for stout winch bumper)

This brings us up to (I think) about Mid April 2012. I went with Bushwacker flat top fender flares.... got em mounted and headed up to Jarods shop (fessybuilt). Wanted the flares on before I had him make the custom side bars/sliders to get the lines right....

Damn it I want a garage..........

Feel your pain Jim, I've had many a critter I missed more than most people.

Noticed while underneath pulling all the details together on the lift,axles brakes etc.....that the exhaust would need tending to pretty soon as well.

cup holders ? fuzzy dice? waiting waiting...

Because people who don't know any better (and even less about guns) see rifles that are shaped like "that" on (insert any action TV show name here) and clearly they are ALL full automatic machine guns if they look like "that". Truth be told, I was actually thinking about selling my AK a month or so ago...and certainly prior to the mad rush at the gun shops...instead I bought a dozen 40 round mags and another 1000 rounds to go into the safe....nuff said.

I had been bothered by the visual width differnce between the front and rear wheels since the lift, so I put in a set of spidetrax 1.50" wheel spacers in the rear." />

Had to have drive shafts built, Then put them in and installed the big brake kit from AEV (Replaced rear wheel cylinders drums shoes) and heavy duty steering set up from currie enterprises. Then figured "in for a penny in for a pound"...the AX-15 went in along with the NP231 and cable shifter. The diffence was to say the least, drastic... to go from 3.08 gears 2 wheel drive with the peugeot 5 speed to 4.56 gears 4X4 AX-15 essentilly 6.0" lift. A couple of days of test driving proved that the factory brake system was not up to the larger front brakes...so the new brake booster and master cylinder (99 grand cherokee stuff) went in next. I can't say thank you enough to the folks here that posted the DIY upgrade info on this brake mod!!!! The truck drives fantastic (after a few hours to get used to how differently it shifts) pulls grreat in all gears, runs strong drives straight and stops on a dime. It did not take long to realize that the factory flares had to go.....the 87 gave up the factory roll bar, and the bed liner was jettisoned.....

When I saw what kind of rake I wound up with using the 4.50" hell creek rear leafs and the 4.50" rubicon front coils, I added a set of 1.75" coil spacers. It still has a bit of a rake but way less radical.

The plan at this point was to lift the red truck and drop in the ax-15 and a stroked HO motor. leaving bucky as she was a 2 wheel drive DD. The more I looked at the fresh paint on the 87 and the growing pile of parts, I got to the point where I was not certain how far I wanted to go with making it a trail rig the body was just really too nice to do that with it. So that's when a killer deal offered itself up on a rear dana 44 (out of a metric ton MJ so the spring perches were there and correct) and a non disco dana 30 for the front. how can you say no? (Thanks Troy!!!!)..........this really complicated where both trucks were going. In the end I decided to convert bucky to 4X4 with the newly acquired axles, and that if one of them was to hit the trails it should be the one not already wearing a fresh coat of paint. I should also say that the 87 had not a hint of rust anywhere, nor any evidence it ever had any. It is a chief model so it has factory buckets. the entire interior is about as nice as I have ever seen (If you can handle red). Ok I am fairly handy with a wrench but know my limitations...in other words not about to try re-gearing the axles myself. I had them stripped down, bead blasted and painted then over to four wheel parts where they were re-geared from stock to 4.56's and a detroit limited slip locker in the rear. a set of G-2 aluminum diff covers were added.

Great truck...I don't think you overspent. I have more than that in my 88' and I still have the original 4.0 liter renix in it (probably 280,000 ish miles on it). Mine is in the paint shop has been almost a month now.... I am dying to get it back to see how close it now is to the same color yours is. pay attention to everyone's comments on "be careful of how addictive they are" don't ask me ....ask my wife.. POST MORE PICS!

In an effort to get more room for parts storage I scored another comanche specific topper to bolt onto the red 87 for winter. Piled inside (moved the parts out of the family room....happy wife , happy life) the truck is now a complete 4.50" rubicon express lift including adjustable upper / lower arms coils, bilstien shocks rubicon braded stainless brake lines, transfer case drop kit 4.50" hell creek rear leafs. About this time I also got from Troy a set of black interior panels.and a spare set of rear tail lights for bucky. Remember bucky...this is a build thread about bucky...... The red 87 had arrived from Atlanta without ANY brakes by which I mean no calipers pads rotors lines master cylinder booster wheel cylinders drums etc... As all this stuff was needed new, it opened up other options... I ordered the "BIG Brake Kit" (for a TJ) from AEV (American Expedition Vehicles) the booster and master cylinder was ordered new also and is for a 99 grand cherokee (after reading about that fantastic upgrade on this site. The AEV front brake set up is awesome, the rotors are so big that 17" wheels are a must (oh darn). Due to the new front brakes and as the truck was to be lifted the 4.50" a decision was made about wheels and tires. I went with AEV pintler wheels they are 9 X 17" in "argent"...and no, I did not put them fairy lookin stickers they send you in the center. The tires are 285/70 R17 Procomp Xtreame Mud Terrains.......

So MY project on the other hand at this point was getting pretty convoluted... The list of items I was at that point pileing up for getting the 87 (maroon short bed) on the road was getting substancial (read $$$$). (what about bucky you may ask.......) So far in a heap (in the family room...no garage, remember) was a fresh re-built AX-15 (truck had a factory auto, but I am a standard trans man all the way) correct fly wheel and bell housing for external slave cylinder. new clutch, new mean green starter. Brand new NP 231 from advanced adapters with their cable shift set up and fixed yoke, new aluminum radiator with triple electric fan set up, new altenator, distributor. power steering pump, pulleys brackets. hesco water pump, Gale banks stainless header.