Eagle_SX4 Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 or even better https://www.ebay.com/itm/176249722620?fits=Make%3AJeep&itmmeta=01HRAQD5PDZE9ZKP8935VWDDH3&hash=item29094d56fc:g:eWoAAOSwP2dl1Xb4&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4Io0I416t%2BcuV0AqsOfvf5NfCEyymUDHI%2BnxsSGvKJpIm8zLn08Ley%2Fphh1aBH77sNObkkVeBEFNbFF%2FIcxR9odv8%2B7Xrt5DP0f%2BtYrIyLTUv0pdwjmUMuwqMzQr6YeJw0AKOh2A50QXkTwsw9HQ6mAKVIhhWB3u9soiZ00illWyZHIdL9l4rBXwKO1hJbo2QMv%2BxviRmzQ5J5HD5NYI0%2FvF19LfyX%2FAXTofifi3xXyR8J7CSxsjM0DLt5I5yGqf9zsA583jeqSC6x8aNAvSotUtYlgZeSRaaq0yAtwLIvwq|tkp%3ABFBM1tu018Jj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Thanks guys for the links- I do have one from my non-tilt black column like the one GrandBoost98 linked. I really like the faux cap screw style from whatever years that is/ are on the gray column I picked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 One fender splash shield mocked up for fitment, fairly decent. Deciding where to draw the line on the frame for the supplemental undercoat. I think I know how I want that... Engine mount brackets and track bar brace are in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 Undercoating done in the fender wells. I left the bottoms of the frame rails uncoated. I figure it's easier to deal with scuffs/ scratches/ scrapes in paint rather than a rubberized coating. If I change my mind about that, it's easily done. Frame horns painted up to the front plate, inside and outside. All that remains of paint on the front third of the rig is DE1635 on the front crossmember. (And the lower cowl...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 And it's official... going 6 - 6.5" lift. OME 2934, ACOS, SOA with new leafs, 15x8 -19mm offset black wheels wearing 33s. RRO CA drop brackets are on the way. Everything else is in hand and ready except tires and wheels. I saw a member on here who used a wooden jig and engine hoist to lift off the bed- don't remember who you are but thank you for the idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 Steering box install- it's always a victory when something I fixed or rebuilt vacates the spot in the house it's taken up for over a year lol. I decided to wrap the undercoat up to cover the area where these boxes tend to soil things. This one shouldn't leak for a long time. I had to work the shape of the step in this piece to properly fit the seam it sits on top of in the front of the steering box. Then covered it in undercoat as well. New Pitman arm boot (was not nearly as cheap as I'd have liked it to be). Old brace/ new brace. The yellow zinc bolt is M14x2.00x90mm, with a lock nut. The shanks of the bolts that came with the IronMan brace were too long, not enough thread with the washer supplied. So I reused the pristine factory bolts and just added the extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 Pulling apart the boneyard Dana 30. Came from a good looking 99 XJ. The U-joints were no good and no way I was going to trust the ball joints or hubs. Everything on the outside is fighting me. Hub bolts had red loc-tite on them. I had to savagely beat the hubs out of the knuckles lol. Ball joints were a PITA but came out without an impact. Inside, everything is really really good. Ring gear backlash is between .007" - .008". Pinion bearing preload is right at 14 in. lbs. Carrier bearings are silky smooth and cherry. It's almost like this axle was never off-roaded, which is pretty much what I was looking to start with. Inner axle seals were so good I could re-use them (but I won't). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 The leftover nubs from the sway bar link studs were a b@$tard to get out. One pressed out, had to drill some of the other one to get it press out. Now at the point where I can clean up the housing and put it back together, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 A little progress over the weekend. Some time with a flap disc, Duplicolor DE1634, 1635 and POR-15 TopCoat DTM lol. I have one more knuckle to clean and re-finish and then onto the housing. Then reassembly. And then (holy crap) I can have a rolling chassis again. As a first time Jeep owner, I was disappointed to learn this is non-serviceable. New Moog stuff, for now. Surprised that they don't come painted. Oh well. DE1635 to the rescue. Factory diff cover on this 99 XJ axle is thicker and stronger than I'd have expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvagedcircuit Posted May 17 Share Posted May 17 On 5/7/2024 at 9:43 AM, Gojira94 said: Curious, is this part still available? I think mine may have rotted out by now. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 17 Author Share Posted May 17 6 hours ago, Salvagedcircuit said: Curious, is this part still available? I think mine may have rotted out by now. Thanks! Just looked it up. No longer produced/ available - this support block for the Saginaw 800 was in MJ and XJ. Until you asked, I'd have just assumed it was on both from 84-01. It's aluminum, so I'd guess the bolt that holds it would be the only thing to rot away over time. 52000881 BLOCK 34201193 SCREW I see it for XJ up through 1996 on models with and without power steering, 4cyl and 6cyl. whether it was in the 97-01 XJ only a trip to the boneyard could tell, as it's not shown or listed for those years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvagedcircuit Posted May 17 Share Posted May 17 Thanks for the info. I just checked mine, its not rotted away it was just needed to be tightened up. no worries. thanks though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 25 Author Share Posted May 25 Dana 30 is 100% done. New ball joints, bushings, 760-X u-joints, new unitized bearings, inner axle seals, pinion seal. The dust plates were trashed after dragging it onto a wheelbarrow in the boneyard back when but they cleaned up and straightened out. NOS RE1383 3" lower bump stops, If they're too much with the ACOS on a 6" lift I'll back down to 2". Next task is the Rocky Road control arm drop kit and then front suspension assembly. I'll ask this in the tech forum, but if anyone is running OME 2934 springs, is one different/ shorter? I've seen mention that a 10mm spacer is needed " for the pasenger side." IDK... And yes, those Dorman hub bolts have to be shortened about 4-5mm for acceptable clearance from the wheel studs. 40 grit flap disc made short work of that lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvagedcircuit Posted May 25 Share Posted May 25 OOooo So clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 LCA pockets cleanup - 1st pass. Metal looks good. Passenger side: Driver's side: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 Front axle mock-up to get control arm lengths underway. The Rocky Road drop kit seems to want a stock lower arm length. Starting with passenger side wheelbase. I'm at 113.75-113.875." I'll need to lose .75" to get it right. The lower arms (Core 4x4) can lose about another .125" and the lower arm bracket is adjustable. I started with those perfectly centered so I could have adjustment either way I needed. That'll give me another .5" or so shorter. Front ride height is set at 12.75" which should be exactly 6" over stock. No springs, shocks or drivetrain, so that was easy lol. That toe isn't off as it looks in 2 dimensions... I haven't measured ACOS to lower bumpstop distance but it's closer than I expected. I may drop back to 2" on the lower. Please chime in if you have any thoughts/ experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 Ok, wait a sec... 6.75" +/- .5" stock height for 2WD, 7.75" +/- .5" for 4WD? Taller coil and leaf springs on a 4WD? Parts catalog shows a staggering 38 different springs. Headed to tech section to ask... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 19 hours ago, Gojira94 said: Ok, wait a sec... 6.75" +/- .5" stock height for 2WD, 7.75" +/- .5" for 4WD? Taller coil and leaf springs on a 4WD? Parts catalog shows a staggering 38 different springs. Headed to tech section to ask... So, yeah, I need to reset the shims under the tires and shoot for 13.75" ride height and then set the wheelbase on the lowers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 Moved the ride height to 13.75", got the wheelbase to 113.25" and set the track bar length with the axle centered. Debated whether or not to continue in the heat/ humidity. Central NC humidity is difficult to relate in words. Any higher and it'd be raining. Upper and lower bumpstop gap at this height is 5.75". Front shocks have 12.2" travel, so it'll be close to ideal and prevent bottoming them out with .45" to spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 The temptation to get some more parts out of the den won out. Got the ACOS set, springs and shocks in. OME 2934 do have a height difference L/R. So to set the ACOS to fill out the desired 6" lift paired with 2934s, ACOS height is as follows: Passenger side: 94.7mm (3.728346") Driver's side: 82mm (3.22835") (12.7mm / .499996" difference) Measurement is from the top of the upper half to the lower edge of the lower cushion on the ACOS. I opted to use my new factory style upper spring cushions, so the measurement to compensate for removing them in a standard ACOS installation didn't need to be added 'back' to the ACOS height. I just didn't like the idea of slapping aluminum against steel at a heavy load point on the unibody. Passenger side: Driver side: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 This is where I stopped for the day. As expected, without the weight of the engine with track bar length set, it's shifted to the passenger side. At least if I have to make adjustments with the engine in, it'll be already very close. It now stands on its own and I can pull the cribbing out from under it. Next is steering gear, and temporarily install the column, so I can roll it in/ out for more cleanup underneath the cab and prep for floor pan patches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 Steering gear in and pretty darn close on the alignment. I'll need to center the steering wheel when I get the column in but it's within about 20* as it is. I bought a version of the RC 6610 drop Pitman arm for dirt cheap to answer some questions. It mocked up too low so I reinstalled the OE Pitman arm. This is the STOCK Pitman arm: I threw the old steering stabilizer back on it to see how it the fitment is. It's cinched snug but not tightened and drawn all the way through (was a pain to get off the old drag link). I don't like the angle at all. I'd like suggestions on a replacement that might have a ball joint type attachment at the drag link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 Steering box brace installed, with relocation brackets. Ran out of time today before I could get the sway bar and disconnects in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 Column and steering shaft in temporarily, so I can move it around for cleaning and sealing the underside of the cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gojira94 Posted July 14 Author Share Posted July 14 Sway bar and disconnects in. I'll have to wait until the engine weight is in it for final adjustment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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