Project: Sema Ready

[SEMA_READY]

Project Sema Ready

 

Info:

Stock Format

1987 Jeep Comanche

4cyl

5spd

2wd

Long bed 

Current build

94 4.0 swap

Ax-15 with np231

Dana 30 front

8.25 rear

6"s of lift up front and 7"ish in the rear

CORE upper and lower control arms

Rough country shocks

Tom woods custom driveshaft

Rugged ridge heavy duty steering kit

Barnes 4wd Antiwrap bar kit

 

 

 

 

This has been a project between my brother and I over the last 2 and half years.Its been quiet the learning experience and while we've tinkered on our fair share of jeeps before, a total swap was way out of our comfort zone. We picked it up for 400$, money well spent as it was destined for the junkyard the very next day.Our original plan was to replace the busted transmission and drive it around while we collected parts but the extra trans mission the owner gave us wasn't the right one. Instead of spending money on parts we'd end up swapping out anyways, we got out the engine hoist and yanked the drivetrain. Since the bed was swiss cheese we scrapped that as well.

The crappy dana 35 rear axle was next to go, as well as the gas tank and misc stuff from the engine bay. Interior was stripped to prepare for paint.

Floorboards were replaced due to the fact that 70% was no longer steel but a mixture of fiberglass, wood sheets and what appeared to be tin roof flashing, all covered over with gallons of bondo. I believe we had less money in reproduction floor pans and welding supplies than the P/O had in his hack job...

Granted these are nowhere near professional quality patches, I feel we did pretty decent for our first time on a crappy 110 harbor freight welder.

We picked up a 94 2dr XJ with a 5spd & 4.0 for 100$ from a guy our father worked with, then proceeded to transfer everything over to the Comanche.

With the new drivetrain and 4wd front axle in, it was time to get the 8.25 ready for the SOA swap.

Because we were on a budget, we picked up a set of 4" springs and used a 2" spacer to get our front height almost level. Eventually we will get around to getting some bigger springs and toss the spacer out. Also picked up a used set of 35's for just a little more than we paid for both the XJ and MJ. Currently the most expensive item on the jeep as well Since clean beds are hard to find in the rust belt for the money we wanted to spend, I grabbed an skid from work and modified it a bit to get it to fit. Also found a shipping crate which we eventually hid the gas tank in since there wasn't much room underneath to fit the XJ tank.

Rockers were shot so we cut them out and were going to replace them with rectangular tubing, but our deadline for the local jeep get together was closing in and the jeep wasn't running so we focused our efforts on getting it to move under its own power. The replacement tubing will come summer 2018 or sooner if we get some free time.

Flexing out the back to measure for shocks

Aftermarket hood latches since we didnt want to mess with the stretched out stock stuff

Bumper for the rear getting welded up

With the fuel lines ran, several new sensors and one "hey were does this ground go? Do you think that's why its not starting?" later, the jeep is up and running. Our test drive in the backyard went well except for a missing copper crush washer that caused us to lose all pressure in the brakes.

With the new washer in, we felt confident enough to drive it a short distance down to the local walking trail. Overall it went pretty well. With a week to spare, the truck was completed before the deadline.

 

[SEMA_READY]

Jeep Jam 2017

 

here's a few pictures from the get together. I wish I would have taken more pictures but this will have to do.

 

We really didnt beat on it much, at the time the what little gauges we had weren't working at all, the weather was very hot that day and the alternator was making some pretty funky noises. All and all it was mission accomplished, we made our goal even though it was a year late and everything wasn't perfect.

[SEMA_READY]

Currently this is how it sets.

 

The name Sema Ready came from the videos that have been popping up lately of the craptastic builds that have managed to find their way into the trade show, half done and all shined up. We are in no way professionals but we're pretty proud of our work.

[Swampy]

I like the flatbed look, so reason the mj's look great with the beds and with out the beds. Also that harbor freight welder worth it for some simple projects like leaf spring perches?

[SEMA_READY]

Yeah, both ways look great if done right. Ive got a set of trailer fenders we're gonna modify to fit over the wheels to give the bed the bed just that little extra touch. The leaf spring perches were welded by a friend of our with many years of welding experience and a nice miller welder. We didnt want to take the risk of having all our hard work ruined by some bad welds on something critical like that. Everything else we welded worked pretty good once you figured out how to get the right speed and heat.

[Swampy]

Also those hood latches were a good idea, I may have to order me a set