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The Tan Turd of a XJ


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Yeah Jeff its all fun and games till you have to start getting rid of parts :cry: The home owners association has cracked the whip and got the county involved. Needless to say I have a limited amount of time to get my yard straight :oops: So now I can store "spare" parts out side no more. All this means is I get to build a bigger garage :eek:

 

 

 

Anyway back on topic.

 

Eddie at Ground Pounder Fab has been plugging along on my cage work. I got some more pics this morning so I will post them up.

 

 

 

Here you can see the roof bracing as well as how it all ties in together

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here you can see the nicely fit joints

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Here is the a pillar bracing go back to the center

 

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Here you can see the all important dash bar

 

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Might seem like overkill But Eddie has wheeled with me/ or I like wheeling with Edddie :cheers: and he knows this thing will be tested more then likely :nuts:

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sounds like yall are having fun wish i was closer to help.

 

Basically I have to pull any parts I need/ might need that I can fit in my garage and get rid of anything else that I was storing out side :oops: Not really a big deal except that I am trying to build a deck at the same time. Here is as far as the deck has gotten

 

2322867150057109497BmzIVq_th.jpg

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Store the extra parts you were going to get rid of under the deck and put the lattis up to cover up the mess. That way if you end up needing any of the crap you were going to junk it'll be right under the grill. :D

 

Really not enough space. The deck is only like 23" off the gound. It all ready sucks to have to carry an axle.. I can only imagine dragging one :eek:

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Got some more pics to show

 

here you can see how the "A" and "B" pillar are tied together as well as the seat mounts

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The specially clearanced trans tunnel. This bar also connects the "B" pillar at the base

 

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Seat mount tabs

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all the seat bars were a PITA according to Eddie. Just real close to the floor

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The floor had some high clearance done on the drivers side too

 

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These seats I acquired in a trade yrs ago... needed a project to put them in. They are high back reclining with sliders.. so they will do

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With both seats in I will still be able to put a center console in

 

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Well picked it up from the fab shop today. Eddie at Groundpounder Fab did a great job.

 

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Now that I have it home it is time to finish it up. Still need to

Paint the cage

Install harnesses

Install "new" front and rear axles/disc brake swap on rear

Install new front suspension kit

Fix and neaten up the interior wiring

Swap transmisions

Build belly skid

 

I want to be done by the first week of July.. I might make it

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  • 2 months later...

Well Never made my goal of finishing by July. :oops:

 

I have started working on it again. So far I have mounted the RK brackets. I didnt take any pics while doing this though. A few observations. It is a royal PITA to drill the inside hole. If I had to do it all over again I would have just welded the brackets to the frame :brows: or bought a 90* drill Right now mine are bolted and tacked welded. I will final weld them when I finish figuring out the x-memeber.

 

Here is a pic of the mount in place. You can kinda see how far off the x-member will be.

 

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The Puke goat and ax 15 x memebrs are different. So I decided I would cut up the puke goat one and see how things looked.

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Here you can see how much they are off. First plan in the garbage

 

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Second plan... notch out a spare x-member and then weld them together. Basically I cut 2.25" off the front of the x-member. I will see how this turns out and looks, then decide if I should go total custom, or flange the stock one with 4 bolts and go with that.

2455042980057109497SVlRBw_th.jpg

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I have a spare crossmember if you need it. You can get it when you come pick up the engine :D

 

Hopefully I have it figured out... Bad things is.. won't be able to work on it again till Saturday :cry: I have 12 hours the next 2 days, and it will be dark by the time I get home. Did I mention I am suppose to go Jet Skiing all day Saturday :nuts: don't look like I am going to make that.

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Thanks Adam.

 

I should get back to working on it tommorow. I am hoping to get the x-member welded up, and make a decision on making a new one, or keeping my hodge podge stock one. I am also hoping to pull the stock front axle, and get the one I am going to use mocked into place.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I made some progress.. at least somewhat. The front axle is in, and together. Found out the hard way that 94 unit bearings are larger then 87 ones... and my rotors wouldnt fit over top of them :cry: so I had to assemble my front axle twice.

 

Also learned that my front axle is now higher then the rear by a good inch :nuts: :mad: and I am trying to figure that out. Had one slight issue with my RK kit.. and Adam was great and called me, and we came up with a plan. I will post up some pics when i take a few.

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I wish I would have known you were working on it. I was across the creek all weekend and I was dying to have something to do to get away from the kids for a few hours. I will let you know when I am going to be down there next time I go.

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Thanks TJ. Well Pogress has been made. Front axle is all but bolted in and centered. LOnger brake lines are installed. For right now my shocks are my limit straps :eek: I am sure WIth no shocks I would be stretching my brake lines :nuts:

 

Rear axle is in place. :D Disc brake brackets are on.. Going to press new bearings and redrilled retainer plates on tonight. I hope to get the axle shafts in On monday and vehicle back on all 4 tires then too. Hopefully the front has settled out by then.. cause if not.. an extended shackle will get bolted on.

 

Things learned..

 

Non C clip bolt patterns for the axle retainer plate are the same as D44 parts.

 

It cost 100 bucks (not 50 like quoted) to have the center hole bored out.. and caliper brackets and retainers redrilled.

 

Waiting on the machine shop a week longer then quoted sucks.

 

I suck at taking pics so I will post them when I get back tonight.

 

Lastly waiting to the last minute to finish a project is never a good idea.. especially when a tropical storm/ hurricane is coming, and you have 1 week to finish your junk :nuts:

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They are on my camera I swear :D Just havent had much of a chance to get on the site.

 

Update :

 

Got the parts back from the machine shop. They ended up charging me double what they quoted me. I kinda expected that.. I didnt expect them to drill 16 holes and bore the center hole out as well for 50 bucks :nuts: Over all the install was a PITA. Ended up having to remove the E-brake hardware to get the flange onto the studs. Even with that the studs are barely long enough to get a full nut on them. If I had to do this again I would change the studs out for longer ones. Also it is very hard to reassemble the e-brakes with the axle shafts in position.

 

Instead of building my own front bumper.. I cheated and clearanced a stock one to be used.

 

In the process of building rock rails...

 

I still have to pull the shackles off of Casper and Install them on the turd so I can level the ride out.

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OK here are some pics for you all

 

Here is the d44 hanging.. I was waiting on the machine shop. They took a week longer then they said and charged me double what they said.

 

2423265040057109497S500x500Q85.jpg

 

 

Here are the axle retainers. on the right is the D44 one. On the left is a tj rubicon d44. they use the same pattern as the newer d35. The reason for using the Rubicon one is.. the spacer is all ready built in. Saves having to have a spacer machined.

 

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Here is a pic of the retainer plate and calipers on the axle

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here is a pic of a few of the left over parts

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Back on all 4 and off the trailer

 

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Pic of the spare

 

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Still left to do. I need a ZJ prop valve, brakes are weak at the moment. Make a hi lift mount. If time allows finish rock rails, if not... God Help the sheetmetal :nuts:

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Well the saga continues. After locating a prop valve and removing the spring.

 

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Bleed the brakes and have the same symptoms. Switched master cylinders, and this one appears to be bad. Ordered another one. It will be here tommorow. I am hoping it is that and not a siezed caliper... if it is the later.. I guess I will order one and install at the campsite :nuts:

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Ended up being a bad master cylinder. Drove the Turd down the road today to get gas. The 4.10's made a huge difference in acceleration and overall driving, I actually can use 5th now jamminz.gif No weird vibes or handling. I can tell it is going to take a lil getting use to the lockright in the rear. :oops: It is kinda loud and when you stomped the go pedal it chirps tires :D

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