lookin2wheel

Well, fresh back from the 'Stan, I've been foolin around on here now for well over a year. I got my '91 Cherokee Laredo free from my sister. She attempted to trade it in on a PT Cruiser and they told her they would giver her nothing for "that deathtrap". So she called me and asked if I wanted it. "Oh hell yes!!" I've owned 2 4x4 Dodge Durangos so Im not exactly new to 4WDs. I have always wanted a Jeep since I can remember. So with this, the infection has set in and Im hooked! Since I got it, I have replaced the tires with factory replacement 235/75/15s. Kumho A/Ts. I also replaced the front shocks, steering stabilizer, the headlights have been replaced by H4 housings, added a BVG roof rack, had to replace the bent front sway bar, oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket, rear hatch lift struts, parking brake handle and passenger front door power switches (which I got from a member here). I also had to fix the floppy steering column and the A/C drain was clogged filling the passenger floor with water everytime I ran the AC. Now to the pics. This starts my build officially. At this point, other than whats listed above, the only other thing I have done was pull the cladding off the lower doors....

lookin2wheel

My first order of buisness after getting home from Afghanistan was getting to work on the Detours TailBone install. What a great piece of kit. Very well thought out. Getting the rear bumper off was a bit of a challenge and required removing my hitch reciever. It came off very easily, cant say the same for the bumper.......



Heres the TailBone uninstalled....



The rear bumper off....



The rear support bracket installed...



I had 5 bumper bracket bolts break so I just knocked out the "nutserts". The kit is designed to use them but it works all the same without them.

lookin2wheel

Unfortunately my camera died during the install but I painted the whole thing black except for the 2 brackets that are bolted to the exterior of the bumper. Heres the finished install. I sanded the bumper ends and the skin and repainted silver for now. All I need are 3/4" D rings and its a done install.









Even comes with a bracket to relocate your license plate......keeps the popo out of your review...

lookin2wheel

Next will be sandblasting my reciever, painting and reinstalling it. Already got the OK from the war department to start ordering my rims and tires as well. Then Ill start getting the $$ needed for my lift. It will be going door less too! I can wait to get started on that BUT, my air compressor basically threw the pistion through the side of the compressor housing so....... to be continued.

northern

That backbone is really good lookin, well smart.

lookin2wheel

Thanks. Other future plans include 4 tube doors, the 6.5 " long arm lift, SYE, new stronger clutch, Island Blue paint, Detours BackBone winch plate, a 9K winch. Plus whatever other little things I come across.

lookin2wheel

well, got most of the parts ordered for my compressor. It was worse than I thought. Its gonna be about $200 to rerpair it. The compressor piston came apart in the cylinder. The piston top, the compression ring, and the valve plate were destroyed. The con rod went through the cylinder sleeve and broke a chunk out of the houshing.....


Damaged cylinder sleeve
and destroyed compression ring

Bent conn rod


destroyed top of the conn rod


upper and whats left of the lower piston head


damaged valve plate

lookin2wheel

Damaged housing. Its still usable but its got a chunk knocked out of it....... Thanks Craftsman.

Also, repainted my front bumper too. Looks a bit better. Will get the tape off the lower doors tomorrow and get the flares and lower parts repainted.

lookin2wheel

Dropped off my hitch reciever. $75 to sandblast, weld in the dodad that holds the ball, and powdercoat it all. All the old coating peeled off and it was a rusty mess. Smiths Sandblasting/ Powdercoating in Moultrie Georgia just north of Spence Field. Also added D rings to the recovery points on the TailBone.

lookin2wheel

Went to the local salvage yard, *** Truck And Van U Pick A Part in Moultrie Ga. Picked up a set of visors from a '98 and a good steel wheel for a spare. Also picked up a factory roof rack for my Durango. All for $35. Nothing worth taking pics of.

lookin2wheel

Parts came in for my air compressor. So now its up and running again. Now I can start sanding and priming and get the Jeep ready for new paint!

farmerjohnson

Fellow Afg vet has subscribed! I like how its going!

lookin2wheel

Well, the project has come to a screeching halt. Was on my way to NC in my Durango over the weekend and the rearend came apart. Looking at a $1500 repair, plus the $250 hotel room and $400 rental car I didnt plan for. So until I get my finances back together the Jeeps on hold for a while. I did get my hitch sand blasted and powder coated and got it installed last night. Ill try to get pics of that.

lookin2wheel

Spent the weekend in St Augustine Fl. "Got Grog?" Pirate gathering over the weekend, PLUS Halloween weekend, AND me and my wifes 19th wedding anniversary. Had a hell of a good time!







The previous 3 pics are of my freshly coated hitch (he did the ball too but thats OK) and the TailBone setup and the d rings installed.

lookin2wheel

Somewhat better shot of the coated and installed hitch reciever.