Finally got my Jeep back today. Got to drive it with the 4.56 gears. It's definitely a noticeable difference in low-end torque, but it's all in the low end. Can't say I'm really that impressed with the 50MPH+ feeling. Will have to wait and see how it affects my gas mileage.

Anyways, here is another set of center caps, my new hood I'll be chopping for vents, and the old gears:

 

Today I put the new center caps on. I also got my Lebaron hood vents, which I got all painted up.

Will start cutting into my junk yard hood some time this week/weekend:

 

Made progress today. Got the holes cut in the hood for the vents:

 

 

Bolted it up last night:

 

Love the build man! Cant wait to see what other ideas you have for it.

 

Oh man, have you considered leaving it black? That color contrast is kind of cool but then again, it sort of goes against the color-matched factory paint... Got any full rig shots of the new hood?

 

Ended up going back to the factory hood since the vents were not keeping the engine any bit cooler.

 

Does it still get about the same reception?

 

they are supposed to keep the engine BAY cooler, not the engine coolant

 

That's exactly what it did.

Since it didn't do what I was hoping it would do, I went back to the regular hood.

I don't really care about the engine bay temperature, as much as I care about my engine temperature getting to the 227º range.

 

Wow man, haven't been on in a while.... you've made lots o progress

 

No, I had to return it. It was actually very terrible. I got 1-2 stations.

 

Today I replaced my diff fluid with some synthetic 75w 90 as per my owners manual. Break-in process was over with. Gears seem to be wearing nicely in the center of the teeth.

 

That's great to hear...
How is the gas mileage?