89 Pioneer. basically done

[JeepcoMJ]

thx :D

[JeepcoMJ]

working on it from noon on tomorrow...planning on an oil change, pulling the rear bumper and hitch, and making a template of the hitch brackets so that I can construct more in the future (I KNOW you guys want them).

 

gonna tackle the underbody after that...fix the rust holes in the back of the rockers, wire-wheel the underside, and undercoat it. then all I have to do rust-wise is the rocker panels, and do the minimal work inside it before I por-15 the floor and put the carpet back in.

 

also gonna finish gettin the goo off of the sides from the bumper guards, and gonna pull the pioneer stripes.

 

and puttin street tires on it since one of these ones doesn't hold air.

 

new spark plugs are in order.

 

needs new valve gasket installed too (sorta, it's actually clean).

 

and needs stereo installed, along with the CB and the antenna I have.

 

 

I ordered a 17.5"x32" pop-out sunroof for it, cost of $15 plus $30 shipping. gonna install that.

 

 

then remove rear flares, trim, clean rust up, put on TJ rear flares. still need another set of rear TJ flares to put on the front.

 

anyways, them are my plans for before the lift kit gets purchased

 

then I also need to install an xj prop. valve since the comanche one is completely bypassed and there isn't one now...

[JeepcoMJ]

proof that 33s do fit stock....but you can't turn far.

 

 

 

The rims are a set that I got for $10 they're 15x7 with 4.75" backspacing....

 

and I will need 1" spacers to accomodate, plus 4.5" to 6.5" of lift too.

 

the longarms are gonna be overkill...having second thoughts of going with a 4.5" rear spring system, and a 5.5" or 6" front system...

[JeepcoMJ]

after getting under it and looking at it CLOSELY (yea, forgot to do that), we found that this sucker has NEW ball joints, brakes, front ujoints, ALL driveshaft ujoints, and rear brake pads :brows: . also, clutch slave cylinder appears new recently (as far as we can see) but the master cylinder and the line need replaced we think. clutch feels very new, but the master is DEFINITELY leaking.

 

man, this thing is CLEAN! :bowdown: :D :eek: :cheers: 8)

 

 

:chillin:

 

thought it was gonna be :redX:

[JeepcoMJ]

oh, and I'm getting some 2" lca's from Brent on here, and have a length vs. height chart for both upper and lower control arms...so I'm making my own non-adjustable ones.

 

trackbar will be stock for now with a drop bracket.

 

I have a nice pitman arm from an xj that's for a 6.5" lift...so that will probably go on.

 

it needs a steering stabilizer for the larger tires, and an alignment.

 

will be running 5.5" RC coils, YJ front brake lines, dodge dakota rear brake line, and doing a shackle lift on the rear for the moment...it's already got 1 ton rear leafs or a lift pack in the rear. not too sure, but w/e it's all good :D

 

 

anyways, 33's will be my driving tires I guess, and when I go to the badlands on the 10th, I'll most likely run my 31's for articulation.

 

longarm...well, at $899 right now, I may as well just make my own control arms and just spend a total of $3 to 4 hundred on the lift at most with the shocks that I want and my own ideas. heck, I even get to make my own arc in the LCA's to allow for better articulation :D

[MF Steve!]

Not that it's much of a pricing difference, but there is a guy over on Pirate that is selling Clayton Off Road XJ front upgrade long arm kits for $800 shipped. Personally, I prefer the square tube over round for arms, it seems to hold up better.

 

Could you possibly post a link or picture of the long arm chart you have?

[zjrog]

Nice truck. I really do like the Waggy nose. To me, it really sets the truck apart from the crowd. I know, there aren't enough MJs for a crowd anywhere... Nice. :cheers:

[JeepcoMJ]

Not that it's much of a pricing difference, but there is a guy over on Pirate that is selling Clayton Off Road XJ front upgrade long arm kits for $800 shipped. Personally, I prefer the square tube over round for arms, it seems to hold up better.

 

Could you possibly post a link or picture of the long arm chart you have?

 

check my building a longarm in tech for the link...I will post it here later tonight

Nice truck. I really do like the Waggy nose. To me, it really sets the truck apart from the crowd. I know, there aren't enough MJs for a crowd anywhere... Nice. :cheers:

 

thanks, I love it. and no, we don't have the biggest crowd...just the way I like it

[JeepcoMJ]

more pics...removed rear bumper and hitch, primed (and painted but no pics of that yet), and sandblasted the rear frame so I can paint it before the bumper goes back on...

 

also, put on a chrome bumper with black corner pieces and bumper-guards, then installed my push bar and a set of "blazer" lights that I had for it. gotta wire the lights, other than that it's set to go on the front end.

 

factory lsd and 3.07's :D :(

yay pot-blaster!

think I need new shackles?

engine pics

wasnt so sure about the chrome bumper...but I like it.

sportin my cc.com stickers!

[JeepcoMJ]

here's the frame after blasting it.

 

the paint I use...

painted black :D

rear bumper after paint

hitch after paint

all re-installed

 

so far it's looking good.

 

I need to re-gear it to 4.10's from 3.07's, so when I do that, the LSD will be available. the next things that I'm doing to it are gonna be plating over the bad rust for now with a spare rocker I have....just gonna cut out the rust on the rockers, then prime it, and put the rockers over the rest of it so that I can drive it for now, and redo it later.

 

still need to finish the floors and get the carpet back in, and I gotta get a CB set up. fog lights are wired too. replacing passenger side window crank today, and fixing the driver's side vent wing window.

 

then on to lifting it.

[JeepcoMJ]

so I cut out the rockers on both sides today, and found mouse-nests :( ...started by just poking rust until i figured it was all crappy, so I just grabbed the rockers/cab corners that I chopped off my parts 91 last fall, and cut these ones out.

 

 

I still have to sandblast what's left in there, and the new rockers, then paint with zinc weld-through primer, and weld the stuff up. but here's the mockups on the passenger side...I'm only replacing the bad section on the cab corners fyi, but the piece fit all the way over the corner, so I just shoved it on.

 

 

The plasma cutter was easy to use to cut the rockers and corner off in the first place...the cutting wheel worked nicely to cut the junk ones out too.

I am leaving a bit of a lip for the rockers to sit on, and spot welding them to the old rocker pieces that I left in place. It will fit nicely, and I'm sealing them off as I weld them in. that will keep it from rusting down there...already have the spray plugs removed from inside the cab so that when these are permanently installed, I can undercoat the inside. I'll also be putting some spray-in insulation in there.

[Twisty]

Nice work Pat!

[mfpdm]

more pics...removed rear bumper and hitch, primed (and painted but no pics of that yet), and sandblasted the rear frame so I can paint it before the bumper goes back on...

 

yay pot-blaster!

 

I picked up one of those for cheap (free) . The nozzle is busted but I think I can get a replacement at HF. What media are you using and are you doing it outside or in the shop?

 

Oh yeah, the manche is looking good. I wish I had the time and energy to work on mine. It's kinda in a holding pattern right now.

 

:cheers:

[JeepcoMJ]

always blast outside..the sand gets everywhere. I used black sand from menards.

 

and thanks.

 

I can't wait to get the rockers finished. it will be great to have it finished in general :D

 

oh, and I got my trackbar drop bracket today...looks like it's for a 4" lift kit, so I'll be extending it a bit.

[Kenosha Warrior]

Pat, nice work. shoot me a PM or sump-tin. Steph and I are looking at a '86 Cee-Jay that needs a rear floor, new rockers and some general TLC in the body dept. I may need some advice

[offroader461]

that looks purdy....awesome job so far on the rockers...thats the only reason i like AZ...don't have to worry about rust...but its way to hot to work outside... :nuts:

[JeepcoMJ]

Pat, nice work. shoot me a PM or sump-tin. Steph and I are looking at a '86 Cee-Jay that needs a rear floor, new rockers and some general TLC in the body dept. I may need some advice

 

haha, msn me...one day we'll get lucky and catch each other at the same time.

 

cutting wheel works well, a big one on an angle grinder. and a small one for finishing. a sandblaster is almost a must. also, body seam sealer will be needed, and a spot weld bit to drill through the welds, and create new holes to weld to.

 

masking tape to cover off what you don't want blasted or painted.

 

that looks purdy....awesome job so far on the rockers...thats the only reason i like AZ...don't have to worry about rust...but its way to hot to work outside... :nuts:

 

hehe, thanks. rockers aren't installed yet, but they ARE ready to be on the passenger side. cab corners are another story. won't be long now...

 

I will be out of town this weekend til late on monday, i work all day tuesday, but wednesday I hope to sandblast it all, and prime it with zinc weld-through primer. then weld/spot weld and put the body sealer in the panels, and remove the fender flares and paint the bottom edge black. at the same time I will be probably fixing the rust over the fender flares...maybe not. not too sure if i'm gonna fix them, or just clean them up and paint them for now. I don't want to repaint the whole truck, and black up there would be cheesy.

[JeepcoMJ]

got my CB antennas for $44. duals gonna mount them tomorrow as I don't have time to do serious work on it before I go to work.

 

then I'll get the sandblasting on the rockers done on thursday, and also prime with weld-able primer, then weld everything in. then prime again, and remove fender flares...paint bottom edge black after scuffing.

 

goal is to have the cb mounted and tuned, and the floors and rockers done by friday afternoon, then go get the front right fender flare from the jy on saturday.

 

oh, and my lift components have arrived. everything BUT the control arms that I still have to send $$$ for. I build the uppers in the morning with new bushings. :D

[JeepcoMJ]

cb and antennae installed

 

 

 

tomorrow I blast the rockers and such and will be priming them, then screwing them down after I drill for spot welds.

 

then to finish the cab corners, and the floor.

 

gonna finish the body work on everything but the rear fenders by friday, and get the front suspension done by end of next week. that will leave just finishing touches, and she's ready for the badlands.

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

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.

[JeepcoMJ]

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.

 

:hmm:

 

cause they look purty....

[feerocknok]

C-Dub has twin antennas but with only one hooked up for, I think, just that reason.

[JeepcoMJ]

So I got to work on it today. the passenger side rocker is completely installed, just needs a couple more spot welds and also the replacement part of the cab corner needs installed/smoothed then repainted.

 

painted bottom edge of truck black, cause I got sick of body work. it looks good. the flares will be black as well.

 

driver's side not ready yet...

 

and my lift coils and trackbar arrived as well.

 

the control arms arrive on monday, then I can re-make them and get the front lift in. I'm making my own swaybar discos, and simply relocating the stock brake lines lower for now at least.

 

think I'm gonna have to SOA the rear...but I may just fab some shackles to work for now, I don't have much time before the badlands trip and it just needs to function for that, not be perfect. especially since it will be on 31's there...

[DirtyComanche]

That 4-eyes grille actually looks really good with the brush guard... And I doubted it.

[JeepcoMJ]

That 4-eyes grille actually looks really good with the brush guard... And I doubted it.

 

that's right, everyone LOOK! I PUT DIRTY IN HIS PLACE!!!!

 

:P j/k.

 

I think it looks good, but it's not a show truck by far....it has the potential to be a show truck though, if I do a better job with paint than I have been so far...:P