The 92 Green Hornet
 

Well this is my first forum that i have ever written....

I bought a 1992 jeep laredo for 600 bucks about 1 month ago.

It had a 2 inch lift when i got it. It was on stock control arms, which had bushings that were completly shot. I had to drive home about 30 miles doing no more then 35 or else the front axle would atchlly start teter-totering back and forth. The tire on each side would atchlly come off the ground, was rather scary.

I bought a set of upper and lower x-flex control arms from rough country. Since i was Shoping for upgrades, i went ahead and picked up 3 inch add a leafs, and 6 inch front coils. I went ahead and got an adj. Trak bar, and quick disconects.

The new control arms fixed the extreme death wobble.

I bought a used set of 33x12.5 tires.

For a little more power i went ahead and put in a flowmaster 40 serise muffler. I built my own air intake system, so i could run a 8inch cone filter. I was given a throttle body spacer.... I would never have bought it but i figured i would run it since it was free.

Since this is my first jeep i would love any input on good tips and tricks of making these awesome xj's even better wheelers.

This is what it looked like after i did the lift and trimmed off those stupid lower front parts of the fenders



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cool looking jeep!

Thx man. Its a work an progress.

So i figured i would add some more about what i have done to the green beast. I went ahead and built a front bumper to hold my 9000k winch.

I used a 1/4" plate for the backing that has 4 3/4" bolts that bolt into a 1/4" piece of C channel that i welded inbetween the frame rails behind the front header panel below the grill. I ran gusset braces 8 inches back along the frame rail on the passanger side. And a flat plate brace on the drivers side.

After i had those mounting points in i decided to use both the side orginal bumper bolts that are in the frame and the steering box bolts.

I then carred that 1/4" plate into a flat piece to bolt the winch to. Then a front piece for the fairline mount. Then the rest is all tube work.

I used 1 1/2 inch tubing that was 3/16" wall and sleaved it with another 3/16" tube to strengthin it up.

When i was waiting for the rino line to dry on the front bumper i went ahead and added alittle bit of tube work to the back bumper, to just jazz it up some.

My next step is frame braces.


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My jeep parked next to my pryer wheeler, my 1986 yota. Built those bumper too.


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Ha i've got a forest green 1992 laredo also. Nice work on the bumper

Thx jarett, and cool man whats urs looking like? U should post a pic.

Sure. she's been on jackstands a lot lately but this is the last pic i took out of the garage. Would be twins if i had a stinger and black wheels haha

Jerett, did u change out the front clip to be the newer style? The brake lights look like the older style but u got the newer style marker lights... What size tire u running?

But nice jeep man!

Thanks bud. As for the front clip, the previous owner put a newer style front clip but it doesn't fit at all lol. I've had it for about 2 months and almost done with my checklist, replacing the front clip is next on the list. And that's a 33x12.5 15 pro comp mt.

Ya idk what it is with PO sometimes they just do the stupidest things. As for the tires they just look alot bigger then 33's i was thinking 35's. What lift u running? What you have on ur checklist?

Mines my daily driver so im doing my list on the weekends or late nights after work and school. Shes getting close to being reliable as my old yota.

So due to no work last night, i took the chance to replace my new rear drum shoes. Button up a few little things here and there. Put on a spot light on my bumper. And change out my thermostat to a 195.

I ordered a set of 703's a couple days ago and should be in hopefuly soon...

Im debating on a set of H4 conversion headlights.

Does anyone have any advice on those? I've read a couple of fourms on them, and im just wondering if anyone can give me there opion on wheather they are worth it or not?

So im now out looking for a 99+ 4.0 intake. Im thinking ebay is my best bet due to the lack of xj's in my local jy's. Anyone have tips? Ive heard the 99+ intakes make a big diffrence on the earlyer models, has anyone had problems with this swap?

Any info would be really cool thx.

Well i decided to make up a flash light and fire extinguisher mounts under the rear seat. Worked out pretty well used velcro strips to hold them with self tappers holding the velcro to the metal under the seat.



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Both are reachable from the drivers seat too. Great for emergancys or a simple need of a light.

Well im sitting here in class and i have read a bunch of fourms about welding up the spiders in the rear axle. Im thinking ill probly do that tomorrow or this coming weekend. Should make wheelin in the snow up in mt. Vernon at walker vallley much easyer! Looking forward to being able to hit the same trails with ease as my buddies with there lunch box lockers. Hahaha were all equal pretty much in flex an ground clearence but they got tons of traction in comparison to me. Sucks having an open dif. Hahaha

Well toda my new 703's came in. And i juped right into installing them. Well they went in just as the old ones came out. And i took that chance to clean up the ports as well. So after i got them in i took the jeep out for a test drive, and in all honestly they improved my throttle responce and low end torque. We will have to wait to see if it effects my gas millage at all.

My I phone app wont let me up load my one and only picture i took of the new ones, so heres a pic of the old ones



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Well everyone i bit the bullet and jacked the jeep up, drained the dif fluid and welded up the gears. I welded all 4 gears to each other and the housing. I tacked everything up strong with some large tacks. Then pulled out the axles to prevent any possable de-tempering by heatin them up. Then i worked my way through 14 sticks of 6011. Welding the gears to the carrier and filling in the teath. Then i rotated and repeated the same process on the other side. I even filled in the little notch in the carrie where u could see two of the gears meshing. Then let the whole thing cool. Cleaned out all the slag, and bits of metal. And put the axles back and took her out to a parking lot to she how she handled. Granted it was raining, and was wet out, it really doesnt effect the handling all that much once u find how to drive it right. Always a little gas in a corner slow turn at first then turn thr rest of the way once ur in it. To be honest i would feel free saying to anyone with putting the whole braking an axle aside, i wouldnt disadvice against welding up their gears.

hey, jeeps lookin good, I see it parked in front of the highschool all the time, My jeeps a 93 and its green too, maybe u seen it around, we should do a walker valley trip, I seen there is some guys goin up jan 7th or something. I gotta come check out ur bumper too.

Hey man, and ya im trying to get my buddy to go up there with me, but hes been busy, i went up there about 1-2 months ago and it was sick.

But ya man we should meet up and check out each others jeeps. And ya man if u want a bumper im fabing up custom bumpers for people.

U can send me a pm with ur number if u want to meet up sometime. Would be cool to meet someone else with a cherokee that wants to go up to walker. Woild be bad ***.

yeah u called me once, i lost ur number, im martys buddy, let me know if u still have it or not.

Ya i still got it. Ill call u up and meet up with u sometime. Ao u can check out the bumper.

Yeah man. I advidly promote welded rears, good choice.

I have a 29 spline 8.25 and can burn both mudders on dry pavement without any issues, so strength isnt going to be an issue for you, I'd Assume.

Thx black smith. My jeeps is only a 27 splin 8.25, but i am a rater light on the skinny pedel wheeler. So im not too worryed. I want to find a spare axle shaft to carry with me tho. Hahaha u never know what might happen.

yea the 27 splines are a dime a dozen, im sure ill be buying another parts jeep for spare rear parts for mine lol

if u need any parts I got a 93 sport parts jeep, its black and grey interior, its full of jeep junk, ran when I parked it but I have stole some parts off of it. its got all the running gear except the rear driveline, Im thinkin about swappin the axles cause I got ****ty 3.07 gears and its got 3.55s but besides that its fair game, just let me know and we can pull **** off if its still there.

Dude that would be sick! I have a pretty big list of **** i need to get, would be awesome man if u would let me rob some parts! Ill cut ya a pretty good deal on a bumper if ya do.

more details on how you did this?? ive been wanting to add both of those and that looks like a great spot for them.

Well i havr some of this stuff that is about 1 inch wide and is velcro on both sides, and u cut to the length u need. So i tppk and raped the light an fire ex. So i knew how much then cut it. Then i took and for the flashlight i held it where i wanted it, marked. Then put a self taper through the velcro and into the metal brace for the back seat. Same for the fire ex. But u used two self tappers thro the velcro about 1 inch apart (vertical) because it was really flopy with just one. Hope this helps u out. I love it where they are because i can reach both from the seat, and if i give either a good swift yank there in my hand.

Good luck to anyone who plans to try this.

Well my spring spacers for the front came in saturday. And hopfuly i can get them in later today. Should level the jeep back out after adding the front bumper. (front dropped about 1 1/2"). So i ordered a set of 1 3/4". I have never put in spacers, anyone have any tips to make it easyer?

Any tips would be cool, thx.

Whidbey4x4, so for your bumper style u want me to build what ya think of something like this?



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We can talk price in person if ya want, if u supply my materials ill give ya a good break on price.

yeah thats exactly what im lookin for, I wanna try to make it bolt on tho, so I can remove it in case i sell the jeep, Im tryin to find another xj with an automatic that someone wants to trade, so i dunno how long this one is gonna be around

Ok sounds good, and ya i would never build a weld on bumper. Haha would suck if it got ****ed up. Haha and ya i bet i could whip that out for u before our trip to walker the 7th at the longest.

So i got the spacers in today. Jeeps sitting perfectly level now. Was pretty easy. Just unbolted the lower ca, breaks, shocks, and disconnected the sway bar. Droped the axle way down with the frame on jack stands. Poped out the springs removed the spring vib pad, put on spacer then vib pad again. Then spring. Took about 1 hour and 15 min total with clean up.



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Well last night i broke my rear axle. Not exactly sure what in the rear axle, but im pretty sure i fryed the ring gear or pinion gear. The axle wont pull out so i know i didnt break one of those. But thx to whidbey4x4! He hooking me up with another 8.25 rear end with same gearing today. So im hoping to get that one in soon. Atleast for the walker trip on the 7th ill have spare axle shafts. And i can use the my blown rearend to rebuild and do a 29 splin swap, and grand cherokee disks, and an aussie locker. And if i can save up enough ill do a gear down too. So i can just throw that one back under the jeep when its done so i dont have to much down time.

Thx whidbey4x4!



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The jeep JUST fit on that trailer. Not by much.....

So last night i was able to go remove whidbey4x4's spear axle housing from his parts jeep. Went surprisingly fast, since it was dark all by hand with wheels as jack stands. Only took about 20 mins minus the e brake cable. Now to swap my axle shafts into the new housing ( his axle shafts will be spears) change the gear oil, and check seals and bearings. And BACKLASH.

Atleast i now have 2 spear axle shafts from this whole ordeal.



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dammit well extras are always good i like the bumpers too good work

Thx dave. They came out really nice i love them. And ya i found out today that both my spider gears exploded. Which pot chunks of the gears through the ring gear and pinion gear. But i now have a spear housing as well as 2 spear axles. So now i can use the old axle housing as a mock up for any extra protection or renforcments i want to add to the one under the jeep. Gussets or u joint skid or custom built dif guard. That sorta thing.

So i got the old axle out, And i got the new one in. Just need to pick up a new rear brake line (dakota rear longer) and some gear lube and the green bee will be back on the road. Haha

Some carnage shots.



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whats up buddy, So im not gonna be goin on the walker trip, I got my old job in alaska back so Im flying out the 2nd of january, but when I get back im gonna throw some money at my jeep to make her a little more wheelable. Hit me up if u wanna steal more parts off the parts jeep.

Sweet man thx! And good luck with the job. When u getting back? If i need a part bad can i get ahold of u on ur phone? Text.