Probably not done right, 1999 XJ
 

Well I have taken a step off the bridge of no return with my jeep and well into a lift and more mods so I figured I would start my build thread. Might find interesting or not but I'm sure I'll enjoy looking back at it in the future. It first started with my first jeep I purchased at 16. It was a 1998 2WD (I know) but everything worked and wheeled decently well on light trails. Loved that car but 6 months later got in a car accident and it was totaled before I could really do much more than a new radio.


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First time getting stuck.


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And the end of her life.
Fast forward 6 months of browsing craigslist for a good deal and saving up from a 16 year olds minimum wage salary and I find a 1999 4x4 that had been in a collision but only needed a bumper and radiator, grill pieces etc. Not too bad, scored it for $300 + towing and gas for an hour drive.


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How she came home..

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First things were radiator and cooling fan. Replaced those and added a speaker bar with going doorless in mind. Door speakers did not work anyways. Also grabbed a set of upgrade injectors at the junkyard. Remember : New Seals! They leaked a lot first install and did it "right" second time around. Messed with the bumper for a while and got it as straight as possible. Then bed liner. Came out really nice for a couple coats at $10 a can and 2 clear coats.


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Saw this beast and had to snap a pic haha random

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Scored these RE 3.5" lift springs for $50 and only 500 miles on them. Decided I wanted to go a different rout and painted them. Looked nice on the shelf but paint did not hold well during install. oh well.

In preparing to piece together a lift kit I got some JK shocks with around 1,000 miles on them for $25. Staying cheap, so far.
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Trimmed the end caps because I hate the stock look.

For the rear I opted for lift shackles.

And then began the trip to a friends shop who was letting us use the lift and air tools with the hope of finishing putting the lift on in a day (10am to dark).

On the way there we hear a loud clunking, pull over and find this..
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2 hours later with the tools we had it was out and we were back on our way to the shop, guess I should have fixed the leak in it before hand..

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Come to find the shop is not run of the mill and he builds lifted trucks and jeeps for a living. That's his on 10" lift, dual superchargers, 11 second drag time, 35s etc.


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Not that old of a jeep but just about every bolt broke and it was the heat and hammer to get some of them out.


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Old shocks vs new.


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He took one look at our rear shackle bolts and with our luck pretty much guaranteed they would break so bought these chevy add a leafs and did they do wonders on fixing the angle in the stock ones and adding lift.


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Stock U bolts were about 1mm too short so had to get longer U bolts as well.


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Welded the exhaust back in and put a sleeve to fix the original hole where it broke.


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Of course rear shock bolts broke so welded those in. I had planned for this and blasted every bolt on the suspension with pb blaster quite often 2 weeks before I planned to install but didn't work.


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And thats how she sat 2 days later once we got home. Fun stuff happened on the way back, driveline vibes, death wobble etc.


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With research and help from forum members and the facebook group I figured out I needed an extended track bar, longer sway bar links, 2 u joints, and I opted for a transfer case drop and shims for now. And that leads me to how it stands. I bought off hand rough country lift shocks for the front because the stock JK ones needed the tabs pressed in but I did not have access to a press near me and found the shocks cheap so they'll go in as my track bar arrives and I install everything.

I may end up getting a hack n tap brand new for $50 off craigslist and the proper driveshaft but in the process of budgeting and weighing the pros and cons of xcase drop or going all the way to SYE.

sweet hope it all comes together great. What was the reason for the extended track and sway bar links only asking to further my knowledge?

Love your license plate. Wish we could get those here in NC.

The reason for the extended track bar was because with my lift being a bit over 3.5" it moved my axle enough off center, thus causing the death wobble or at least contributing to it. I also need a tie rod end for the pitman arm to fix the wobble. The sway bar links are a recommendation to get the full travel from the lift. Without them, the stock ones will limit the travel, at least that is my understanding, and im learning all of this as I go.

Update #1
 

Well some goodies came in the mail:
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Extended track bar from rough country and shock boots.


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Also got 2 U joints, one for the passenger side of the front axle where its gone bad and the other for the driveshaft. The transfer case drop is a temp fix that will hopefully remove the drivelines vibes.

I am yet to get the new track bar in as the stock bolts are being a pain in the A$$. So hopefully in a couple days that will be in with the U joints and T case drop. Forgot to mention, Hopefully getting some tires Saturday.


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33" Swampers on some new steel rims

Update #2
 

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Ended up getting some 32s, mounted on black steel rims. Not a bad deal and happy with how it looks and they're like new.


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And that's how she its now, awaiting the removal of a broken transfer case stud and track bar installed. Have some other odds and ends to add, my 1.75" coil spacers just shipped so it will be leveled out once I install them.