1989 LWB 4.0 4x4 Overland Build

[TuckerTJ]

After the first trip, I painted the bottom of the Jeep to kind of hide the cut flares and front fender. I kinda like it too. Added a tool box in the bed. The box is rose up off the bed rail about 4" to clear the 15 gallon water tank that will sit underneath.

 

 

Since the stock shifter knob would slip off the shifter and I had the TJ transmission in, I used the stock MJ shifter for the garage fridge handle, small tribute .

 

 

After some side tracking I got at the TJ rear axle , a lot of cutting was coming up. A lot of work for zero upgrade other than its 15 years newer, but i was doing the SOA and I could work on this axle and still drive the jeep.

 

 

Got side tracked/ took a break from cutting and grinding and went camping for the night.

 

 

More grinding

 

 

Maybe I should have opened this up before I started cleaning up the axle, luckily everything looks fine inside.

 

 

One thing I hadn't read about spring overs , I'm sure the information is there and me being a complete newbie when it comes to leaf springs, I'm sure I missed it but centering pins. Other than the normal issue of the spring perch having to line up in them I didn't even think they had to be inverted to actually work, duh. So I had to hunt down some new ones, which turned out to be an easier task than I thought, again, leaf spring newbie.

 

 

Old brackets all ground off and new ones tacked back on

 

 

[DirtyComanche]

The truck looks really good. :cheers:   I think it's unfortunate you're spending the time and effort to swap in that TJ D35, for your sake I wish you had tracked down a later 8.25 or Ford 8.8 or something.  Oh well, be easy on it and hopefully it will last. :dunno:

[TuckerTJ]

Brackets welded on and starting on the paint

 

 

Waiting on paint to dry... I get side tracked easily it seems

 

 

 

 

Painting up the bare metal and plasti dipping the emblems

 

 

 

Let's see if I can't finish what I stared ha

 

 

Tandem axle MJ ?

 

 

Guess I'll keep it simple and keep it in its original configuration ha. Axle bolted in and back on all fours again, it definitely came up some! Opposite rake from before

 

 

Even with the the RTT in the back it doesn't sag like it did with the the spring spacers that I made (which are now gone). It's sitting much better, IMO.

 

 

My buddy Nolan was in town, so a test drive , visit, poser picture seemed like the logical thing to do

 

[TuckerTJ]

The truck looks really good. :cheers: I think it's unfortunate you're spending the time and effort to swap in that TJ D35, for your sake I wish you had tracked down a later 8.25 or Ford 8.8 or something. Oh well, be easy on it and hopefully it will last. :dunno:

Thanks. I feel the same way about the axle. Where I live there isn't anything around unfortunatly. I've been trying to track down a Ford Explorer for the 8.8, easier to find the whole vehicle and scrap it for the axle. I'm hoping the summer I will find one that's relatively close and for the right price. The jeep has been parked most of the fall and will be the majority of the winter. At least the Jeep will be available to go pick up an axle if/when I find one.

[TuckerTJ]

Went to the local "car dump" , kind of like a scrap yard but no one runs it, just an old pit where old cars are dumped/stored before they are shipped off to the crushers. You can go there and pick what you want , if there is anything there, usually not. I'm only in a town of 1200 people, next town being 200km away. But I did find a 2000 or 2002 Cherokee with the 4.0, I pulled the valve cover and brake setup. Is there anything else worth grabbing from this thing while it's still there?

 

 

 

 

The valve cover was a simple swap, it took care of the broken elbow mainly, newer style cap and it gives the engine bay a little bit of an updated look. Apparently it helps with oil blow by too. I haven't noticed much oil in my new filter but the previous owners filter was really oily (and rat nesty).

 

Before:

 

After: crappy pic

 

Old oil filter:

 

Changed the oil and Also changed the "new" transmission, fluid

 

 

Old fluid vs New fluid , Transmision

 

 

Then it was time for another test run camping trip.

[TuckerTJ]

Went for a couple nights about an hour from my house. Met up with Nolan in his Rubi JKU, he lives about 200kms from me, so we decided on a place in the middle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this trip I could smell gas fumes, spent some time underneath, couldn't see any leaks. After I got it home and parked for a day or so, I noticed a spot under the rear driver side, right under the tank. The tank doesn't have a skid but it has a thick coating of some sort, don't know if it was the previous owner or if the stock tank came like that.

Either way I noticed it had a wet spot and a very slow drip. I chipped a piece off and the drip got pretty steady. I scrapped off a fair amount of the stuff, coming off in chunks , almost like a plaster. Could see where the tank was seeping in several spots. The more I scrapped off, the more leaks appeared.

I had a 5 night camping trip planned in the next couple weeks and now I have a really bad leaking tank. I wouldn't get a new tank in time, so I drained the tank and patched it with a couple different types of putty, JB weld for gasoline was the main patch, covered in regular JB. No pics but it worked, I went on the camping trip with no smell of gas. After the trip I parked the jeep back in the garage as I was heading out for work for a couple of months. I'm currently not home yet but I do have a tank, pumps, sending unit and straps ordered from rock auto. I will be home this week and the tank should be there about the same time. Updates to follow and pics from the camping trip.

[TuckerTJ]

Some pictures of the 5 night trip through Gros Morne National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the purpose of this Jeep.

[DirtyComanche]

If that Grand Cherokee is still there it might be worth pulling both axles...  But at the very least I would take the intake manifold, exhaust manifold, head, alternator, P/S pump, brackets, etc...  Ya just never know when you might need that stuff.

[TuckerTJ]

Thanks for the heads up, I'll go check it out. I do like spare parts.

[TuckerTJ]

Small update.

New tank assembly from RockAuto came in, with new pump, straps and other fittings. Haven't installed the tank yet, jeep is parked for other reasons.

 

 

Power steering pressure hose sprang a leak or 2 in the metal hose right at the steering box, waiting on a new hose to come in. Old hose came off without much hassle.

 

 

 

Ordered some 12volt meters to keep an eye on the camping batteries

 

 

 

Also came across someone scrapping a 2003 Dodge Dakota single cab, hauled the seats out of it. Currently have the bench and I need the third seat, so these Dakota seats should work nicely. Cleaned up good but I broke the driver side recline lever taking them out .

 

 

 

Test fit the driver side in, should be a good fit and an improvement. Pictures aren't the best.

 

 

[TuckerTJ]

Since I swapped in the TJ Transmisison I haven't had back up lights. First thing I did was check the fuses, start small ha. Will it seems nothing is ever small, the fuses weren't the issue with the lights but there is another possible problem.

 

This fuse pulled apart taking it out of the fuse block, another fuse the plastic just crumbled as I was taking it out. Looks like I will be pulling the fuses and cleaning this block before the clutch fluid completely destroys it and I have bigger issues. Hopefully not too late.

 

 

Still don't have backup lights , checked the bulbs, all tested good, the back up lights were actually the best bulbs off the bunch. Others were all corroded so I replaced them all.

 

 

Not fuses or bulbs, so I by passed the transmission switch and the bulbs lit up. So looks like the TJ trans has a bad switch, I think I will run a toggle in the cab until I replace the switch.

[Reddout]

Love your overland build, man. 

[TuckerTJ]

Thanks

[dragordie]

Tucker TJ i'm diggin the overland temt camping. Wonder if anyone has made a DIY overland tent set-up ?

But two thumbs up my Comanche Brother

[TuckerTJ]

There have been a few people who've made their own. Here's a link to a build on expedition portal, a site with tons of information on overlanding. On page 4 of this thread there's a guy who made one with a bed frame base and tarp for the tent, turned out really nice.

 

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/96119-Roof-top-tent-DIY-Scratch-build

[xjrev10]

What fluid did you use when you replaced the fluid in your trans?

[TuckerTJ]

I used cheap 5w 30 in the transmission. With the plan to change it soon with Amsoil that I have on hand. Doing a quick change because the trans is new to me and I'm kind of thinking I'll flush it out, whether it makes any difference or not but peace of mind I guess.

[TuckerTJ]

Empty Post

[TuckerTJ]

That is it for the winter, I'm gone for work now until the spring, seems the Jeep is parked more than it is driven. Guess that's how projects go, so the Jeep is tucked away for another winter.

 

 

Leaving for work, about 3hours to the airport, this guy decided to escort me for 5kms

 

 

[87Chief]

Can you send me pics of your roof top tent rack? The photobuxket filter set so I can't see them.. email is littlemlittle@gmail.com

 

I'm want to mount a RTT on a rack in the bed but want it to be removable.

 

Thanks!

[DirtyComanche]

5 hours ago, 87Chief said:

Can you send me pics of your roof top tent rack? The photobuxket filter set so I can't see them.. email is littlemlittle@gmail.com

 

I'm want to mount a RTT on a rack in the bed but want it to be removable.

 

Thanks!

 

There's an extension for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers that will let you see the pictures.

[87Chief]

I see now. Is it drilled into the bed rails?

[87Chief]

Any updates on this build?