Driver side is done. I finally got the passenger side upper shackle bolt out and am about half done with the passenger box. Hope to finish sometime this week.


I will be installing them with MJ shackles. My rear might end up being an unwanted 1.5-2" taller. I will either remove a leaf or get different springs in the future.

A pic comparing the MJ shackle(left) and XJ shackle(right)



MJ shackle eye to eye: 4 3/8"
XJ shackle eye to eye: 3 1/4"

 

looking good man!

 

Thanks!

I spent a little more time working on them today. Getting closer to having them mounted. Slowly.

 

Ha yeah, slow is good. Taking your time to make it perfect is very important. Hard work pays off, and yours is getting there man!

 

Got everything installed...

DOH!



This is at ride height. I will redrill and try to correct this tomorrow. This project has been a big learning experience.

 

Get those things figured out so we can slap another pair together for mine!

 

I did. We will! Get down here.




FINISHED!!
I flexed it some tonight and found that it flexes much easier now. The ride is greatly improved, although due to it flexing easier there is more body roll. I am a huge fan of this mod! Its a great feeling to know fabbed something that makes the rig more capable and gives a smoother ride on the road! Crappy pics....






Didn't have anything to fully flex it on.



Not at full droop


I did not gain as much lift as I thought I would so I will not have to mess with removing a leaf or getting new springs. Not sure exactly how much was gained. The new stance looks great to me.

 

I stacked the rocks a little higher and got some more flex. Its still not maxed out yet in the pics. Its so much easier to climb now with both rear tires wanting to stay on the ground more. I can't wait to wheel!

 

VIP status!

 

Thanks, Justin!

Only 22days till we test this ****.

 

March 25th was the first time my favorite wheeling buddies and I hit the Badlands. It was a very good weekend. The camping was kinda lousy due to temps in the 20s at night and tents. The food certainly helped raise spirits back at camp. The wheeling was great! All three of us had all recently done modifications that needed to be tested, and test we did. I am extremely pleased with my relocation boxes. Its amazing how much more capable the Jeep is now with a flexy rear. I had a blast in the quarry and jumped it twice near the mudding area there. Wheeling for me had to stop early because I lost/sheared the bolts holding the tranny to the crossmember.

We suck at taking actions shots:



























I am 6'5" for reference.

 

My TC skid:

3/16" thick





1/8" thick 'back strap'





3/16" thick 'wings'









This was a simple fun fab project. I am a beginner welder and have much room for improvement. It will probably be tied it into the unibody frame rail somehow. Not the greatest skid every, but a skid is better than no skid.

 

Bolted it back up this afternoon.







Next up on my list:
-put in 4 new trans mount bolts(3 sheared off, 1 walked away from the Jeep)
-fix rear shock mount on the axle
-replace leaky front axle seal
-replace and upgrade worn out motor mounts

 

Finally got a Hi Lift! Picked up a new 48" up for $55. Its awesome that these things are made only 40 min away from me right here in Indiana. I needed to play with it some:







The jack is very easy to use and is quite sturdy! Way better than a knock off. Keep your head out of the way of the handle whenever you use one of these. It could kill you.

I am very happy with my down travel in the rear! The front seems to be limited by the shocks. I am thinkin about Mr Gasket shock extenders, and longer control arms in the future.

 

I was rummaging through my Jeep pictures on my computer and found these!!





The stockest pics I have. I didn't document much early on in my build. This was right after I finished painting it. It went from purple/blue to what you see. The top is was supposed to be Ford tractor light grey, but turned out white. I wish I would have used a darker grey. Brown sounds good to me if/when it gets repainted.