Got a lucky score today. Replied to an ad regarding a roof rack for an xj for $150. Offered him $100 for it, wound up getting the rack which included 2 KC lights (probably resell them to recoup a little money), which he also threw in a rear receiver hitch (will have to modify for my wj) and the sliders off his jeep for the hundred bucks. The rack is home made, but has a Gobi ladder welded on it. Only half of it has a floor, expanded metal, but it's a good base to start with for me to add to. The ladder I'll connect to my rear bumper when I build it, until then I'll probably cut it off so it's not hanging off the side. The sliders also appear home made, and they're well broken in, but I'll do some cutting and repairs then get them on my jeep. He hasn't pulled the sliders off yet, basically said he was just going to throw them away unless i wanted them.

Hard to see the sliders in the picture, but you get the idea.

 

Ill be doing the Rubicon sometime in September. I want to avoid the EJS if at all possible haha.

 

Nice man, yeah my group and I finally settled on August 20th - 23rd for the Rubicon. Dierks Bentley is playing in Stateline, Nevada on the 23rd, thus the reason we picked that weekend. We're heading down on a Thursday, starting the trail Friday, then Sunday we'll hit up the concert before heading back to Idaho on Monday. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but I think 7 months is plenty of time to get my Jeep setup.

On a side note, I called the junkyard back to pull the vin off the WJ they have the axle out of. Better news than before, it came out of an 02 with Quadra-Drive, so I'll have a front limited slip. Also does have the matching 3.55 gears, so it'll bolt right in without any modifications needed.

 

One of the main ideas for my Jeep is expedition travels. When I had my old 1998 Suburban, my wife and I would spend days out in the mountains traveling and camping out in it. We wanted to go a little more extreme, with items such as a sink and shower, traveling over state lines, but I parted ways with the Suburban when we found out we were pregnant due to the fact it was not really child friendly (lifted, no air conditioning, horrible gas mileage with the 454 in it). So, I'm going to make it a goal that this Jeep be capable of week long trips with no pavement or civilization around.

First starting point to this is the roof rack. It'll probably be a few months before I get around to building the rack I picked up, but I'll update here with my plan. I'm going to start by cutting out the expanded metal and rebuild the floor with cross bars. Also going to build another section so it has walls rather than just a flat rack, then build some brackets to hold a couple jerry cans and the spare tire. On the outside of it, I'm going to build some brackets on one side for the hi-lift jack, then on the other side an axe and shovel. I planned on going with the ARB canopy, however, I came up with a different idea. I'm planning on building a "roof" basically to the rack on hinges, from there it'll flip over the top and I'll build some adjustable arms to stand it up with. I'll screw in some snaps on sides and build a canvas cover that'll snap onto the frame of it, provide some protection from the rain and sun. From there, I'll build some canvas walls with zippers and windows to actually make a room out of it. I plan on making the frame adjustable, due to the fact that 50” isn't really wide enough for a canopy. So I'll have it slide out, then fit the canvas on it, then if needed mount the walls for camping.

Some imagery from my awesome paint skills.

All folded up on the Jeep. The red indicates the frame for the canopy. Hinged on the passenger side.



Folded out



Extended Out



Adjustable arms mounted in



Canvas on top



Walls with windows and zipper

 

Getting frustrated at this point with my coil springs. I recently swapped to the 4" kit from the BDS 2" kit due to the fact that the front springs had sagged down and I had lost almost a half inch of lift. One first installed with the 4" fronts and 3.5" rears, it sat perfectly level and I was more than pleased. But....after about a month now, I'm nose down.....again. I hate to throw a spacer in due to the fact that I'll get the California rake out of it, but to be honest, I absolutely hate being nose down. I started doing some research, and think I've come up with a solution.

They do not offer it for my WJ, but JKS makes a adjustable coil spacer for the XJ, ZJ, TJ, and JK. The inside diameter of my coil springs at the top are 3.85" and the closest to that is the JK at an even 4" diameter. Less than a quarter inch difference, so I'm going to probably wind up doing some modification but I'm planning on installing them on my Jeep. It's a minimum 1.5" and a maximum of 3.75" of lift, so I may end up swapping my 2" springs back into the front and adjust as needed. I'm going to start with my 4" springs and see if I get the rake or if my shocks bottom out (these fox shocks are my 3rd and last set I'm buying for a long time), if I have either problem then I'll throw my 2" springs back in the front.

Hopefully I'll get them ordered in the next couple days.

 

Man I like those spacers, also like your drawing for the camp tent off the to of your rig. I am planning a small camping trailer and will be starting it as soon as we are finished restoring my sons' XJ. We are going to make it out of the back half of his 94 XJ designing it to be just like a teardrop camper. I like the idea of a canopy going off the side like a patio. I will start the camper build thread when I get going on it.

 

Even better news. I was talking to my co-worker in my shop about the ACOS from JKS and what modifications he can think of I can do to get them on my Jeep. Of course, as soon as I brought up "JKS Adjustable Coil Spacers" he replied with "The ACOS?" Needless to say, he has a set of 4 that he had on his ZJ, but has since upgraded to the BDS 6.5" coils and took them off because he didn't need his any taller. They've been sitting for a couple years, but he pulled them out of the bottom of his tool box in a plastic bag and wants to barter with me for them. He's looking at a set of 33x12.50x15 MTZ's we've had on my store floor for about 8 months for his XJ, already got a price for them from my other co-worker who runs the counter, but he said if I can do better than what he was quoted for he'll give me two of his ACOS in exchange for the deal on the tires. I came up $50 cheaper than what was quoted on the tires, so he set them aside for me at the shop, plus I'm pitching in another $50 myself to cover the tires. I'll probably mock them up and see about install this weekend, working right next to him while he installs his new tires haha.

As for the canopy/tent off my roof rack, I'm excited to actually see the outcome. I've contemplated building a small off road trailer, but I don't want to end up in a situation 200 miles from the nearest paved road and not be able to make a trail due to a trailer being behind me. With the canopy off the tent, it won't take up any more room aside from being about an inch taller off the top of the rack (my tire will still stick up farther than that), and the space taken up to store the canvas for the cover and the tent part of it. I'm planning on making the canopy part of the canvas snap to the outside of the frame, and the tent section attach to the inside of the frame. I'm wasn't sure how I'll attach the walls yet, aside from welding nuts to the frame for some star *****. The only problem I see with doing that is wind will cause it to flap and move, so I came up with a solution. Taking some flat metal channels that will run the length of the frame, having the nuts welded in flush to the frame, the star *****, and basically tightening down the flat stock over the canvas to secure it full length wise. Something like pictured below. At the top of the walls I'll sew it with a slot in it, then run some plastic round tube into the channel so that the walls don't slip through the flat stock tightened down to the frame.

Star *****



Black dots in the frame indicate the flush welded nuts.



Red indicates the star *****

 

I've done some more thinking about this roof rack. It's kind of come to the point where since I'm going this extensive with it, might as well go all out.

I'm probably going to end up either scrapping or selling the GOBI ladder and building my own. I'm thinking of making it hinged at the rack, then held with clevis pins at the bottom where it'll attach to my bumper. Being hinged, I'll have two features with it. One, the obvious, removable for any narrow trails. Two, capable of standing for a cover (similar to the canopy). I'm planning, again, to make some arms to stand the ladder horizontal, then two long bars that will attach to the top and bottom to extend it width wise, then building (or hell, even buying) a wrap around shower curtain. I figure I can build some brackets that will mount on the cross bars of the ladder to hold a plastic 5 gallon water jug, then when out on the trails or camping we'll have a shower. Who knows, maybe I'll go crazy and build a bracket off the backside of the ladder to hold shampoo haha.

Also, the canopy will be plenty to hide from the sun, but what about when I'm camping and I have the tent up? Say it's 100 degrees outside and I want to sit in the shade. The tent is probably 110 degrees, so now what? Well, the obvious answer, another canopy extending off the original canopy. I'm thinking I'll make some more extendable arms come off the frame, then have probably 3 different sections of canopy wrap around the tent. Also thinking I might go as far as making some mosquito net walls to keep bugs out when we're parked by a creek or near the swampy crap.


Also, frustrated with some parts. 3 weeks ago I swapped out all 4 tie rod ends on the Jeep. I replaced them all with Moog parts, but I've noticed a lot of wandering and I've gained some play back in my steering again. I figured it was unrelated to the tie rod ends, seeing as I just replaced them, and figured it was either ball joints or track bar (all of which are being replaced when I do my axle swap). Last night I got curious and crawled underneath it, come to find out the tie rod at pitman is already loose. The boot is torn, there's no grease left in it, and it has about a 1/4 inch of movement up and down. Called the parts store on my way home, they're sending me a replacement today and I'll drop the old one off after I swap it out.

But I'm thinking, since I'll be underneath it tearing it apart and doing another alignment, why the hell shouldn't I do the ACOS spacers while I'm at it? Save myself an alignment later on. Also, talked to my same technician who gave me the ACOS about a track bar. My work doesn't stock the WJ track (not a common enough application for us) but we have one off an ZJ that was a warranty from BDS for the bushings (only has a couple hundred miles on it). I can pick it up for $50, and it fits dimension wise, but I wasn't sure as to what would change by installing it. We went out and held it up underneath, he said his only concern would have been the track bar hitting the differential, but it looks as though it'll clear perfectly fine with the amount of lift I have. So, I'll be throwing the track bar in as well with new bushings tonight.

 

Didn't make it in last night, so here in the next half hour after I'm off I'm heading over to my shop to start some work. Putting in the ACOS, adjustable track bar, and new tie rod ends (again). Tomorrow morning I'll do an alignment, and I should be good to go.

 

Alright, so good news:

Replacement tie rod ends are in. Adjustable track bar is installed, wheels are perfectly centered, no rubbing either side. Alignment is done. Drives straight as an arrow, no play in the steering, no bump steer, I have full crank left and right without rubbing unless articulated. It rubs in the inner fender liner at full crank, wheel spacers will probably fix that. But I'm happy.

Bad news:

Did not get around to installing the ACOS. By the time I finished installing both tie rod ends and the track bar, I was done for the night. Track bar wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to install. Although holding it up, it fit perfectly in the holes, but it had one bend towards the adjustable end of the track bar that hit the coil bucket on the axle end. I wound up putting in the pipe bender and slowly bending it until it cleared at full articulation, spent about 3 hours bending, adjusting the axle center, pulling it off the rack and lifting it with a forklift, putting it back on the rack, pulling it, bending it, and repeat for a total of 3 times. I thought about just cutting the section of the coil bucket out, but due to safety concerns, I opted not to. Plus, I have another Dana 30 to throw in, which would require twice the work again, so I decided bending the track bar to fit was the better option. Also, after aligning the Jeep, I now have to replace the adjusting sleeve from the pitman to inner tie rod. The sleeve is so rusted and destroyed that I wound up almost destroying the new tie rod end trying to screw the adjusting sleeve on it. The pitman arm side threads in easily, but the other side with about a can of penetrating oil still won't thread in. My steering wheel is now turned almost 45 degrees, and I have no adjustment left on the pitman side and I cannot get it to thread on any farther on the axle side, so I went ahead and ordered a Moog replacement sleeve and having it delivered to my store today at work. Of course, it's valentines day, so I will probably not get around to installing it and centering the steering wheel until probably next weekend. I'll also at that time get the ACOS on it, and claim my Jeep complete until I get the long arm kit, Spartan, and dana 30. I'm probably going to order the axle here in the next few days before they sell it, I'll order the long arm kit and locker when I get my taxes back, but to be honest probably won't be installing any of it for a few weeks after that. I'll have to take a Saturday off from work, and convince the wife to allow me to be busy for an entire weekend. While doing this, I'm going to go through and do all new seals on both axles, along with a full service on everything else (motor tune up, transmission flush and filter, transfer case flush, etc)

 

Lazy day at work, been a little slow for Presidents day so I spent some time working on an app on my phone. Kinda pointless, but cool none the less. Like I've said before, it's the little things that count.

 

Alright, in less than 24 hours I'll be driving the Jeep out of the shop....complete with the ACOS and adjustment sleeve. At that point, almost everything on the front end will be new or replaced within the last year. When I bought the Jeep, the balljoints had just been done a few months beforehand, and as of recent I've replaced all the tie rod ends, pitman arm, lower control arms, track bar, bump stops, and soon to be the adjustment sleeve for the tie rod at pitman to inner right. Also, new coils, shocks, etc. So, after tomorrow, the only thing suspension wise in the front that will still remain will be the upper control arms and bushings, which luckily have zero play in them.

Now, depending on how it sits and drives, I may actually hold off on the long arm upgrade and focus elsewhere. Bumpers, winch, and armor. I'm still waiting on the sliders from that guy, but I'm actually thinking if I get them I'll pass them off to a co-worker or resell them. I'm thinking instead of making something full length from the bottom of the fenders to the edge of the wheel well in the back. Something basic, cheap, and strong. Basically welding on some thick plats vertical, then just a basic tube similar style to a nerf bar bent at the ends and welded to the plates. In the center, 3 more plates welded to the underside vertical and some extra bracing welded in. I'm thinking with this I'll be cheaper than trying to fix the XJ ones, and also they'll be full length rather than just under the doors.

I've looked to see what options I could do for a rear bumper and tire carrier, and I've come to the conclusion of building something simple, and removable. I'm going to build something similar to what you could buy from Tire Gate. I'm thinking after installing the hitch from the XJ on my Jeep, I'll fab up some 2" square tubing to come out, then angle up, then straight vertical. From there, a solid crossbar as a frame, then building the swing out on it. On the swing out, I'm going to build a half bowl out of square tube to let the tire rest inside, then a strap over the top to secure it. Off the bowl, I'll build two jerry can holders for each side. Off the bowl, one horizontal tube matched up to a vertical tube off the swing out, with this I'll be able to hold my off road jack, an axe, and a shovel. Off the main frame, I'm going to bring two square tubes vertical, then build a basket on top to hold accessories for easy access (5 gallon water jugs, cooler, etc). Basically a trail rack.

By making this removable, I don't have to always carry everything with me and fear cheapskates in local parking lots walking off with my stuff. With it coming out, then almost straight up, I'll have plenty of clearance in the back for the trails.

 

Also forgot to add I'll be throwing a BDS 9500 series steering stabilizer on as well. Not really important, but it gets the black original one from 1999 off the Jeep.

 

So no go on the acos at this time. Neither my 4" or 2" springs are compatible, and there's no way to get the acos on without heavy modification too the jeep. I'm going to do some more research to see another options, maybe the acos for a jk will be an easier swap.

Aside from that, the new adjustment sleeve and steering stabilizer is installed, along with a quick rotation on the tires. Steering wheel is straight, and feels much firmer with the 9500 on there. I think next is some wheel spacers, i adjusted the track bar some more in hopes of eliminating the rubbing on the drivers side at full crank and articulated. I got it better, it now rubs on both sides about equally. Hopefully the spacers will take care of the rest, and not cause rubbing issues elsewhere.

 

Quickly looked on jks's website, thinking the jeep JK rears are my best bet. I'll have to do some cutting and drilling, but easier than cutting, fabbing, welding, and replacing springs again.