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Nice looking jeep! Just FYI those are fake beadlock rims.
Thanks. I realized about the beadlocks after I posted the first thread. Most of the wheeling I am used to is in wide open desert. The crawling is relatively new to me, so I didn't fully understand beadlocks when I bought it. They do a good job, though; I've run 'em down to about 8psi without a problem. I'm sure some day it'll come back to bit me in the @ss. I'll think about swapping them out when it's time to replace the tires.
Finally had to add some shackle relocators to the rear end. Between adding the swing-away tailgate + the 35" spare + a gas tank skid + a built in storage box + a roll cage, the damn thing was starting to sag. When I bought it, it was trimmed out perfectly, slightly raked down at the front end.
With everything loaded on, I was at 11.5" from axle tube top to frame rail just inside the bumpstop. With the bumper and skid removed, as well as the drawers from the built in, I was at 12.5" I already have a bastard pack, as well as a one inch shim, plus 6" boomerang JKS shackles. I wasn't going to find any other easy way to get more height out of it, until I discovered IronMan Andy's Long Travel Relocators. The rear end rides alright, what I was really looking for was height, and these puppies promise an extra 1.5".
So I ordered up a set -
Here are what my shackles looked like before.
All shiny and new IronMan4x4Fabrication shackle relocators.
First step was removing the rear bumper and gas tank skid.
Then loosening the front spring bolt
Then cracking both shackle bolts.
Then time for jacking it up.
Everything came apart pretty easily, and the relocator slid right into place (with a few friendly taps from what started with a rubber mallet but quickly escalated to a 4lbs sledge and piece of 2x4!).
Once it was in place, rebolted with the top shackle bolt, attached the shackle to the spring (DON'T DO IT THIS WAY!!!) and FOUGHT LIKE HELL to get it in place!
Of course I ended up reversing the shackle, which required taking the whole thing apart again, which is how I figured out to install the SHACKLE onto the RELOCATOR, then use a quick-strap to pull the LEAF-SPRING into line, then it all goes together quite nicely!
A little playing around with location (note the worn paint) to get the shackle set up to around 50ish degrees, then repeat process on the other side!
I also replaced the blown Pro-Comp 3000 shocks on the rear (you had to manually pull them out when compressed!) and then took the whole thing to Moab for a week. Ran GREAT! Nicely balanced, got the rake back that I was looking for and the ride was MUCH improved all the way around!
Had the whole rear end torn apart with the bumper and gas tank skid removed to install shackle relocators so figured I would replace the fuel pump while I had easy access to the gas tank in order to replace a blown check valve that was making me have to do the double start.
Had the whole rear end torn apart with the bumper and gas tank skid removed to install shackle relocators so figured I would replace the fuel pump while I had easy access to the gas tank in order to replace a blown check valve that was making me have to do the double start.
. Dropped right in with no problems, and Amazon Prime got it to me in 2 days so I get it done in the time frame I needed.
The only PITA was trying get the collar on top to mate. The video warns it is tricky, but then it makes it look easy. Probably took me a good 20 minutes to get correctly lined up and I'm not 100% sure how I got it to do it. You definitely feel it though when it isn't versus when it is correct.
Pulled the blown Pro-Comp ES3000 shocks off the rear (I had to manually extend them once they compressed!) with Bilstein 5100's. (Already had them on the front, so figured I would match them.)
Bit of a PITA as the PO had installed Bar Pin Eliminators, so ended up having to remove the whole BPE in order to get the shock off. Made even more difficult as I had already had to through bolt the BPE on the passenger side a couple months earlier in Mexico when the nutzert stripped out leaving the shock dangling and banging around on the underside.
2nd PITA was that the 5100's in the size I needed ONLY come with Bar Pins pre-installed and vulcanized into the bushing on the can end. After much searching on the forms and talking with 4WheelDrive, came to the conclusion the only solution was to remove the can end bushing, throw away the whole bar pin/bushing combo, and push in a new set of bushings. (4WheelDrive sent me out a new set of bushing, but they ended up being the wrong size. Measured up the eye, and picked up a set of Energy Bushings from O'Reilly's. Ended up drilling out a number of holes in the old bushing, then using pliers and a sledge to pull/push the old one out. The new ones popped right in with fingers, though.
After that, install was pretty easy and the ride is SO much better!
One of the problems I have encountered continuously was that the bolts on the rear bumper would vibrate loose. The first sign of impending trouble was that you would begin to hear a distinct "thump" from the rear end when you hit a bump.
I tried lock washers, thread-lock, through bolting with undersized bolts and lock-nuts and nothing seemed to work. I even tried rethreading the nutzerts, thinking they were toast, because every time I pulled a bolt out, the bolt threads were mangled, but nut threads were all fine.
The problem really came to light when we took the heap down to Mexico over Christmas, running on marginally maintained dirt roads for hours on end. I had to stop about every hour to tighten everything back down again out of fear the rear bumper would fall off.
(If you want to see some interesting evidence of what REALLY happens to bolts, watch THIS)
So, I did some more research and came up with Nord-Lock Washers (you can get them at Fastenal). It's a two piece washer with little ramps on each side, and as the bolt vibrates, the two pieces twist against each other, actually increasing the pressure on the bolt head and stopping the loosening process.
So, I replaced all bolts with Grade 8 bolts and all the washers with Nord-Lock washers, all into the stock nutzerts. 1000 miles later, not a single loose bolt.
The real test will come when we head to Mexico next time!
Nice build man, like the yellow. how did you mount the winch to your Nates Bumper like in is pic? I actually got my Nates bumper form the JY for $50! Some guys wreck Cherokee left it on there. Here's mine.
Nice build man, like the yellow. how did you mount the winch to your Nates Bumper like in is pic? I actually got my Nates bumper form the JY for $50! Some guys wreck Cherokee left it on there. Here's mine.
Sorry, haven't been on this thread in a while.
I've got a shop in town that does all my welding, I just don't have the time. The winch plate is actually just the Badlands Winch Plate from Harbor Freight. He welded that to the top and front of the bumper, then I mounted the winch to that.
It works well; I've abused it quite bit, pulled myself up a couple obstacles, pulled a couple other guys up, had to move a MASSIVE boulder to get a buddy off a trail with a broken pitman arm. The thing is solid and for $50 WAY cheaper than the cost to fab up a plate.
01-15-2015, 11:01 PM
