forgot to get any pics when i first got it, before i gutted it and took the flares off.

drivers side


passenger side


first trail damage


the rust under back seat on passenger side


rust in back passenger floorboard


has the "junk" v6



this will be a fairly slow build. i plan to have it lifted in the next month, and hopefully an explorer axle in the next month or two.

 

no love?

 

I want to see some pics of the yota in the background. JK Find a 4.3 out of an S-10 I've heard it's a direct bolt in and a huge power increase.

 

4.3 is not a direct bolt in, but a 3.4 from a camaro is. in all honesty, the 2.8 has suprised me, in 2wd (i'm missing the t-case linkage, cant shift it), it feels almost like the toyota in 4lo..granted they have the same axle gears and the yota has 35's, but it's wierd how it feels...

if you want to see pics of the yota i can post them, it's my little brother in laws.

 

I swapped a 4.3 into my old S-10 Blazer so I figured it would be the same. I have a soft spot for yotas since it was the first thing I ever rolled (almost killed me) but this being a jeep forum they might lynch ya. JK

 

well, i bought some used 31x10.5's today so it has all the stock wheels back on it. i have been working on trimming the fenders and trying to track down wiring problems. i guess i'm just going to rewire it with only the needed circuits because i cannot find any problems but yet it keeps blowing fuses.

the 31's are more like 29.5 or 30" tall because they arent much taller than the 235/75's that were on it, but they will work till i get an 8.8 and some better wheels so i can put my 33's on.

also took off the swaybars and discovered that i have no front axleshafts....going to the u-pull sometime soon to try to nab a 4.10 geared non-cad front end and an 8.8, be $150 for the pair if they have them

 

does it look like i might have some sort of lift? it doesnt have any kind of spacers or anything on it, but it seems like i have more clearance than most people with 31's.....



front with flares removed


rear after trimming. i trimmed the rear before i got the tires, so no before pictures other than what's in this thread.

 

well, i started parting it out. i have the transmission and axles sold, have it all pulled out and was like "what the hell, i'm scrapping it anyways". so i fired up the sawzall and cut the roof off...

instant love danget, instant love....so, now i'm keeping it, i am going to use the money from the parts to fix my daily driver...

i have a toyota 22r engine, l52 trans, and matching t-case. i'm going to either attempt to put the yota axles i have or get some 1/2 ton chevy axles and use the 35x12.5's i have on it...

it's currently sitting on a boat trailer to make it mobile

 

so ur putting the yota drive-train in the jeep? interesting, idk if its ever been done before....

as for the axles, the rear should be easy to fab up because it only needs spring perches and shock mounts, for the front you can either leaf spring it or use the control arm/coil spring set-up......check out balistic fab for pre-made coil/shock mounts for the front if you dont wanna make your own

 

i'll probably end up cutting the stock "frame" out from under it and building a 2x3 .125 wall frame, doesnt seem like much more work to me than building stiffeners and front reinforcment plates.

i know where i can pick up some 1/2 ton chevy axles dirt cheap. i know they are not optimal, but in the future 1 tons would bolt right in place of the 1/2 tons.

i have a set of 63" chevy springs i'll run out back and run the rear toyota springs up front.....

THEN AGAIN, i could go all chevy drivetrain, i know a guy thats got an extra np208 i could get cheap, i have a th350 that needs a rebuild, and can get 4.3's dirt cheap all day long....

 

well, i did some measureing today and it looks like i MIGHT be able to do it with what i have now, i'm going to do some more measureing tomorrow when i have some more light i was running out of daylight when i was doing it tomorrow.

i think i have decided to just plate the unibody rails front-back, and on the inside, outside, and bottom. i will have to inboard the rear springs about 3" per side to line them up with the perches on the axle.

in the front i think i can get away with mounting the leaf springs to the INSIDE of the control arm mounts, it will move the front axle forward a couple of inches, but i need to move it forward anyways to clear the tires at the height i'm planning to shoot for (about 3" lift with 35's). i'll be reinforcing the mounts and tieing them into the new transmission crossmember


i'm either going to do it that way, or build a chassis like i was planning to build for a buggy, 29.5" wide front-back with the rear spring perches moved in to match the front perch width. then cut the unibody rails out from under it, set the body down on the chassis, and build brackets to bolt it on...or just weld it straight on to make it the new unibody frame......