Got around to installing a set of newer Caddy horns, so I finally have a decent working horn again. Also replaced the driver side door jamb thing, you know, the thing that wallows out and starts clicking when you ope the door. I've never seen an XJ that didn't have the noise on at least one door.

Also replaced the upper frame side heim. The creaking noise I had went away, but I still feel something under there. Almost like the upper arm is flexing.


I should be getting my axle side sway bar links welded so I can attache the customs discos I made from the RC discos.

 

Do you have a write up or something up followed for the door jam? my driver side door is really bad

 

I only replaced the piece that's bolted to the jeep. Come to find out that the arm that goes to the door has a wallowed hole as well so I need to fix that too.

But the piece I have pictured is easy, no write up required! Just take something solid (I used my socket ratchet as that's what I had in my hand), tap the pin up. Grab it pliers and wiggle it out completely. Then just take off the two (2) 10mm bolts holding that piece on. That's it. Installation is the opposite.

 

awesome. much appreciated.

 

No problem!

 

Yesterday I got my axle sway mounts welded. I originally bought Poly Performance weld on links before doing the steering thinking they would be high enough, but they wouldn't work with the WJ swap and OTK steering. So I bought JCR's weld on links thinking I could get them to work. They worked ok, I cut them up a bit to suit my needs, and used the pieces supplied to gusset it. I hope it's going to be strong enough.










Since I had it welded to the C to clear the steering, it put the mount a little further outboard, and I couldn't get the link to go far enough on the bolt to slide the supplied cotter in. So I spaced the bolt out as far as I could while still being able to have the nut grab it, and used a better, smaller cotter, that got it to bolt all up. Also, without the TRE that rough country uses I don't think I would have had enough misalignment to get any of it to work.

I haven't taken it for a drive yet, so I can't comment on that side of it yet, but I think they'll hold up nice. They will mostly be used for my highway drives anyway, around town on <55mph roads my 240lb coils can handle easy enough.

 

Also the past couple days I've been helping a friend rewire all accessories on his TJ to a relay/fuse box I with 12 circuits I made. Oh man you should have seen some of his wiring, I don't know how his jeep hasn't caught fire yet; he is one of those, add-fuses-and-relays-wherever-they-fit kind of guys, you know the guys with wire and s**t hanging all over, grounds all over the place. Any way I helped him in installing the box I made and hooked up his front bumper LED to it. I'll be helping him another day to wire the rest of his accessories to the box; a-pillar lights, rock lights, E-locker:




While I was already sitting down with wire cutters in hand, I decided to make my brother a smaller box using mini OEM ISO relays. I made him a bigger box like the one I made my friend, but it only has 6 circuits in it, and really didn't need to be that big. I am quite happy with how this smaller one came out; very compact:

 

just wondering how you wired this up cause I'm interested in making one.

 

Such a great build Marc. I just read through it all.

And a plug for you, if you ever need any XJ bits and pieces, he has them. Waiting on my 3rd shipment from him to come in.

 

I can post it up if you want, it's super easy, anyone can make it; I completed the big one in an hour. If you Google "Fitch Box" on the interwebs you'll get a ton of info on it, most of it on NAXJA. I used a small RadioShack Project Box, but depending on your needs you can use anything! I wouldn't rate these boxes for anything over 60a, so figure what you need for accessories first.

 

Thank you! Been reading yours as well, very clean Jeep!

 

Hey! Whereabouts in Maine are ya from?

 

Brunswick area. I go back a few times a year.

 

Just a quick overview would be great

 

If you know how to wire a relay then that's all you need to know!

Using the picture below:



So basically you jump all the grounds (pin 86) together on however many relays you want. This can be 18awg, as its just a ground for a relay.

Next you run wires from each pin 87 to your accessories; red wires on the small box. I make these leads with 12awg; most accessories won't need that gauge, but better to wire the box that way in case you do have an accessory that requires a thick gauge, like a roof bar.

Next run wires from each pin 85 to your switches; white wires on the small box. I make these 18awg, and can even be CAT5 cable if you have a bunch of switches in one place, like an overhead switch panel. These just trigger the relays, which has less than an amp of current draw.

Then all that's left is to run short wires from pin 30 on each relay to the fused power source; in my case I use ATC fuse panels that can be found at Advance Auto on the shelf. These are the short (3-4") red wires in the pic I posted originally. I make them 16awg, with how short they are, they won't be a problem.

After that attach a thick (8awg) cable from battery to fuses; also a good idea to fuse the thick cable close to the battery with a fuse.

Hope this helps!