2003 Tj Rubicon

[87Warrior]

Here I am sharing a quick rundown of my TJ Rubicon build.

 

December 16, 2003:

-Picked up the Rubicon from Kalamazoo Michigan. It was at an IAA insurance auction place. I won the online bid :)

-2003 Rubicon; 12,900 miles; 2 rods through the oil pan; 4 rods with perfect arcs in them; new car smell included

 

Besides from a few crappy pictures online, this was the first I had ever seen my "new" Rubi

Image Not Found

 

Late December 2003/January-February 2004:

- Pictures are self explanatory, I hope... Also purchased a hardtop.

- Simple rebuild. Everything was checked for cracks and came up good. Even the crank was still true. Bored over .02 and had the head decked.

Image Not Found

 

Winter/Spring 2005:

- JKS discos and Uniden CB Installed

Image Not Found

 

Spring/Summer 2005:

- RE 4.5 superflex with 3.5 springs lift; OME Shocks; TeraFelx rear shock locators; Tom Woods CV; 275/75/R16 MTRs; Bestop cloth lowers; Olympic Front/rear receiver bumpers

- ROF adventure in Ouray CO

Image Not Found

Black Bear Pass for the first time in a Jeep!!

 

Spring 2006:

-RB1 and iPod Kit

 

Summer 2006:

- A to Z Rocker Guards; Kilby Steering Box Skid

Image Not Found

- A little fun before Armor install

Image Not Found

 

Spring/Summer 2007:

- 8 JKS control arms; JKS Rear trackbar [to replace failing RE SF components]; 1" PA BL; JKS BMML; Besttop Tire Carrier

 

Fall 2007:

- Jeep Medic TT and Engine Skid

- Yakima Ski Rack

 

Spring 2008:

- Installed a Viking Fast Back top (the original frame less top) while living in Vail, CO

 

 

June 3, 2008:

- Finished Installing Rockhard 4x4 Cage. Painted with duplicolor truck bed coating. Texture almost matches the factory dash!

 

June 7, 2008:

- Living in Colorado put me very close to Utah. So I made a one day adventure to Moab!!!!

 

 

August 11, 2008

- 80K Service: New Shoes!!!!!

- 315/75R16 Cooper Discoverer STT

 

First Impression: The Jeep rode a lot smoother home than it did to the tire shop :)

[87Warrior]

June 2009

I had 5.13 gears installed by 4x4 Land in Topeka, KS. Also had my parking brakes rebuilt and installed EBC yellowstuff pads up front. At his time I also installed the Moog V8 ZJ tierod. Drove the Jeep for 200 miles then decided to finish breaking in the gears out in Ouray, Colorado.

 

5.13's = My second favorite mod, behind the RB1  

 

2011/2012 

After a few years of "nothing exciting" happening to my Rubi, I decided to start giving it some love..... 

 

 

The list of stuff to be done:

1. Remove stock steering, brakes, knuckles and axle shafts 

2. Remove ball joints and install new ball joints 

3. Install axle tube seals 

4. Install new Axle Shafts 

5. Install 16" Vanco Brake kit and knuckles

6. Install U turn steering system I picked up from Phillip

7. Replace heim joint on RE ATB

 

It came apart slowly, yet easily, even pressing out the ball joints. Installing the new ball joints was uneventful just a slow and tedious job. I clean the axle tubes out and push on the seals. I notice one of the zerks look cracked and sure enough it was. Luckily the axle going into the MJ has the same seals so I stole a good zerk and installed it. While I was dealing with Zerks I figure I should install them in the new ball joints. Straight forward and simple, right? 1, 2,3 go in... The the passenger side lower, #4, decides to play hard ball...and SNAP. The head of the zerk breaks off leaving the threads in the joint. 6 hours later the threads come out. It looks like the wrong zerk was sent with that ball joint and was too long allowing it to bottom out.

 

Tired of looking at the passenger side I decide to start on the driver side brakes. Knuckle goes on, shaft goes in, unit bearing is ground down, rotor/caliper bracket/ caliper goes on, then I go to attach the brake line. Won't fit, the end of the Jeep line is a bit different than the Ford caliper. Massage the end and get it to fit. Torque the U-turn driver side bracket and attach the rod end at the Pitman arm. 

 

 

Griffin Radiator. Just by holding the unit and looking it over, it is clearly a very well constructed piece of art work. Almost a shame it will go in my Jeep....almost

 

Vanco Brakes installed:

 

And the U-turn:

 

Then I installed the 2 row Griffin Radiator. This was surprisingly easy. The fan shroud required a hole to be drilled on the top driver side, about 1" up. Luckily, I already had this hole drilled.

 

August 2011

I got the Jeep back from a week long Jeepin' trip around Taylor Park, Colorado. It drove 12 hours out there, ran 600 miles of trails, then drove 12 more hours back home! The Vanco brakes worked great, the U-Turn performs much better than the stock inverted y steering, the Currie front track bar was quiet, the Griffin radiator kept it at 210 all day and the Moog Ball joints kept it going straight.

 

 

I did manage to sheer off the rear UCA/Trackbar bracket on Tincup Pass. Limped the Jeep down the mountain at a slower pace than I could have walked it. Loaded it on my buddies trailer and hauled into Gunnison for a local welder to repair.

 

Summer 2012

It has been awhile since my last update. I haven't had to do much to the ol' Jeep since it has been running fine and nothing has broken.

 

Sometime last summer my lockers decided they didn't always want to work. I could usually get them to lock the first time I tried while wheeling, but after that pressing the axle lock button did nothing. After probing the entire locker system with a multimeter I could not locate the problem. I suspect it may be related to a cluster bus code that has been pending for over a year now that I have not been able to isolate either. 

 

Enter, the locker bypass mod. I used the second method mentioned here:

 http://www.wanderingtrail.com/Mods/TJLJmods/Locker_Defeat.htm

 

I located a junk piece of XJ wiring harness that had a matching set of plugs. Ran the wires through the dash leaving a plug terminal near the airbag module. I then wired switches in the console to operate the lockers. I have front and rear locker switches behind the shifter and a system interrupt in front of the t-case lever which is a pull-on switch. Since nobody wants to accidentally lock an axle at 70 mph I wanted the option to 'turn off' the bypass. 

 

Wiring all completed indoors:

 

The piece of harness I used had more wires in it than I needed. I left pigtails for possible future needs in the console.

 

Installed:

 

To splice into the locker harness plug, I simply un-clipped the plug wire retainer from the back of the plug, inserted the proper wire for each locker and re-clipped the retainer. I did not ground the bypass back to the plug, but I did a chassis ground near the shifter.

 

With the interrupt switch pulled on, I can lock either axle whenever I desire. I should have done this long ago :)

[87Warrior]

Basic run down of the mod list

 

Suspension:

- RE 3.5" springs 

- Currie RockJock Front Trackbar

- JKS Control Arms, Rear trackbar, Quicker Disconnects, and Brake lines

- OME Long Travel Shocks with Terraflex shock relocators

- 1" PA BL

 

Drivetrain:

- Cooper STT's (315/75R16) tires on stock Moabs with 1.25" Spidertrax Wheel spacers

- 5.13 gears

- ORO U-Turn Steering Upgrade

- 16" Vanco Big Brake Kit

- Dual Filter Cowl Intake (aka Macs CAI)

- Griffin 2-core all aluminum radiator

- Tom Woods CV DS

 

Armor:

- Jeep Medic Tummy Tuck and Engine Skid

- Rokmen differential covers

- Rockhard 4x4 Sport Cage

- Olympic Rocks Bumpers

- AtoZ Sliders

- Kilby Steering Box skid

 

Electronic:

- Superwinch EPi9.0 Winch on a Rokmen Winchplate

- Uniden Pro CB with a 3' Firestick

- IPF H4 headlights

- 6000K HID long range accessory lights (now on windshield brackets)

- RB1 Factory navigation radio with Ipod Adapter and Bazooka sub in the factory enclosure

- Viar OBA with 2.5gal tank and in-cab relay trigger/ gauge

- Locker bypass mod

 

Other:

- Bestop spare tire carrier with Hi-Lift attachment

- Viking Fastback Soft top

- Rugged Ridge 7" Flares

 

Waiting to be installed:

- Rokmen gas tank skid

[88whitemanche]

Awesome wrangler! That's my next jeep...still indecisive between a yj and a tj

[87Warrior]

I would suggest a TJ, especially if you plan on daily driving it or wheeling it. My TJ Rubicon replaced this YJ:

Image Not Found

[TheDirtyJeep401]

I like your Rubicon man, how much was the winning bid??

[87Warrior]

I like your Rubicon man, how much was the winning bid??

$15k. It was right at 1/2 the price for a used '03 at the time. I think I made out pretty well :) I can hardly believe I will have had this rig for 10 years this December  :banana:  

[TheDirtyJeep401]

Sounds like it was a great deal, espically for how long it has lasted you.

[huricane4]

I love rubicons :)

how did they kill the engine?

[87Warrior]

I love rubicons :)

how did they kill the engine?

Water.

 

This is my guess as to what happened: Newbie buys the brand new ultimate off road machine. Newbie plays in sandy river. Newbie floors his new Jeep as the front end falls in a hole filling the intake with water.  Two rods snap in half and push through the oil pan, the other 4 rods bend.  

[Darren]

Where did you get the iPod adapter for that deck? I have the same deck but don't have the nav disks either so I really haven't been impressed with it.

[87Warrior]

The iPod deal came from Mopar.

[87Warrior]

Two of the last three trips to Colorado resulted in the rear trackbar/UCA bracket becoming separated from the axle. I have had a guy in Gunnison weld it, then a fellow in South Fork.

 

I finally decided to pull the axle and get it done right. While I was replacing the upper control arm brackets and the trackbar bracket, I also picked up a set of the Clayton shock relocation brackets.

 

Trackbar bracket is vertical with the pinion @ 19°

 

[87Warrior]

I replaced the RE 3.5" rear coil springs with Nth LJ 3" coils.

 

Getting it all put back together. Someday I would like to re-position the upper coil spring mount so the coils sit plumb.

 

My Currie trackbar finally came in from Savvy. I don't think I'll every buy from Savvy again  :fs2:

 

The Jeep rides great and runs down the road better than it has in years. This picture was taken after I spent 3 hours on the Interstate at 75mph.

 

To follow up the rear suspension work, I would like to replace the front coils with Nth springs and ditch the OME shocks that have 100K miles on them with new Bilsteins.

[87Warrior]

I couldn't leave well enough alone. I had to replace the front RE springs and OME shocks. It's a good deal I did, one OME shock had lost its fluid and did nothing.

 

I find this picture interesting. On the left we have the new 3" Nth spring followed by my old 100k mile RE 3.5" spring. The spring on the end is a Moog V8 ZJ spring.

The new coils only lifted the front 1/4".

 

The new front shocks are Bilstein 5150 with 10" of travel with the Bilstein stem conversion.

 

Everything back under the Jeep. Looks like it is about time for replacement brake lines.

 

And the obligatory glam shot during the test drive.

 

All I can say at this point is, 'WOW'. It drives like a completely different rig. I guess good shocks and springs DO make a big difference in ride quality.

[87Warrior]

I think the Jeep is ready for another week in the San Jauns:

- Changed Fluids: Axles, T-case, Trans, motor

- Topped Fluids: Washer fluid, Power steering, HOAT Coolant

- Greased rear driveshaft, trackbars, control arms, disconnects, steering 

- Verified all nuts and bolts are tight

 

I did order and install a new Tom Woods shaft up front. The slip joint in my 125K mile stocker was just too loose for my liking. This also cured a 60-70mph vibration I had been having. 

 

I also fabbed together a mount for my HTC smartphone. To be used as a GPS routing tool off road AND as a video recording device. While I know the San Juan trails better than the back of my hand, I am trying to prepare my self for a future overland trip. GPS routing is just one of those things I have never used.

 

I used RAM mounts to build this since they appear to be the bees-knees in vehicle accessory mounts and an extra hard shell cover for my HTC phone.

- RAM Rail Base

- RAM Short Double Socket Arm

- Ram Diamond Base

- Ballistic hard/soft phone case (I already own this case, but got another to leave the hard shell mounted in the Jeep)

 

I mounted the diamond base to the backside of the hard case of the phone and checked to make sure it would still clip around the soft case on the phone. Then attached it to the arm and RAM rail mount. I was extremely disappointed with the rail mount. The mount simply uses a large hose clamp with rubber sheathing to hold unit to the rollbar. This didn't bother me but I did expect the hose clamp to be high quality. Nope this is the same cheap hose clamp you find at Autozone for less than a dollar, equipped with poorly engaging worm gear and the clamp fitting that bends once it start to get tight. I had to reshape clamp surface upwards to full engage the worm gear in order to put any torque on this. I hope it is tight enough for trail use.  

(Never mind the fog light relay)

 

Ready to navigate with routes and downloaded topo data to Back Country Pro:

 

And it is even set up to record a day on the trail with 10 hours of storage available:

[87Warrior]

Still loving this TJ. It's now at 145k miles, so I have about 125k on my rebuilt. The rear main has started leaking and the steering gear has also started leaking. 

 

 

I did ditch the cowl intake assembly and went back to stock. It is amazing how much quieter it is driving this thing now.