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Pulled her out of the garage today for the first time in about a month. Started right up!
I removed the front bumper a couple of weeks ago as well as the sway bar. The old bumper had a tie-in to the steering box, so I went ahead and swapped in the JCR steering box spacer I bought a while ago.
I also bought a used ARB bull bar! I spent months searching for one on Craigslist and finally found one close enough that I didn't mind driving. Paid $560 for it.
I unfortunately didn't get the ARB hardware. I did get some Grade 8 nuts and bolts that match their instructions, but I'm stil working out how I'm going to compensate for the captive nut plate. I emailed ARB and they said I could order them from a 4WP store. Might give one in PA a call on Monday.
Jeep drove great for the brief airing out. Little noisey (bad bushings and bearings and old fluid kind of noisey), but the drivetrain and front suspension is mint!
I also have some Icons ready for some 265/75/16 MTZs (most likely).
OH! And I'm moving again, but this time to Chapel Hill North Carolina. Uh, Uwharrie anyone!? I cannot wait!
Eh did you just lose approach angle? A lot of money for a used bumper with no hardware. It'll make the whole jeep look nicer though!
Very true on the approach angle. With the BleepinJeep bumper, my angle was pretty aggressive. But, I also have damaged my header panel a few times because of it and even had to replace the original one from tree damage. I'm okay with the trade offs. This is turning more into an overland/touring rig anyways.
Originally Posted by T1XJ
Sell me your two door before you leave.. Ill be stateside in april
Ha! I would if it already didn't have a "buyer". It's basically my GF's car now. I plan on signing the title over to her after we move to NC.
Well, my house is (knock on wood) very close to being sold. Close date is coming up quick, which is good because getting it ready to be sold, dealing with the concessions and moving has DRAINED my funds. Plus, my daily driver Subaru has finally become an old car with old car problems - a transmission cooler line blew and spewed trans fluid EVERYWHERE leaving me with two bum cars and no money. I don't really need a car (work from home) but this is all just getting me amped to bring Ruby back as my daily/weekend wheeler and deal with my Subaru later (did someone say six-speed swap!?!)
Anyways, Ruby definitely isn't road worthy though. Here's what I'm thinking will need to happen before I can for sure use this thing on a daily basis if needed.
New tires - I did swap over the Icons, because they're amazing looking of course. I also wanted the money from the 33s and AR23s. As much as it pains me to step down in tire size, I'm sticking with running 265/75r16s vs 285/75s or 255/85s so I know I won't need to trim or deal with blowing stock u-joints and unit bearings all the time. I want a mud terrain but I don't want an E load tire, so it looks like I'll be buying a set of Pirelli Scorpion MTRs, which are load range C. I do like that they're very Australian because I'm going for an Australian theme with this rig now.
Wheel studs and wheel spacers - the current wheel studs are way too short for the Icons and stock backspacing is no bueno.
Brakes - I have none. Well, they're there but the master cylinder is bad (losing pressure with no leaks). Figure a new master cylinder and pads/shoes/drum hardware will do me just fine.
Rear axle - not only is it leaking from the diff cover, but the seals are also blown (last time I pulled the drums, the brakes were coated in burnt gear oil). My buddy gave me a set of very low mileage stock 29-spline axle shafts and I found both a 29-spline Track Lok and a Powertrax LS on FB Marketplace for less than $300. My thought is too have the rear axle "rebuilt" (hopefully able to keep the current ring and pinion) so to speak and converted to a 29-spline axle with a limited-slip (trying to keep spend in mind and road-friendliness).
Bumper - I just need to get off my lazy butt and install the ARB. I'd rather do the winch at the same time, so this really is being held up by the fact I don't want to spend the money on a WARN M8000 just yet.
With those things done, I would deem Ruby road-worthy. However, here are the OTHER things that really should be done:
Rear main seal - this really shouldn't be ancillary, but...
Transfer case seal - see above bullet point...
Heater core - if I remember correctly, southern winters aren't that bad, so maybe I can get away without heat for one more season...
Front sway bar - I really don't like driving around without one, but the high front spring rates actually do a pretty good job of keeping things under control. I'd want to get an Anti-rock anyways, so spending nearly $600 on something kind of ancillary has made this optional.
New steering - my stock/V8ZJ set up is in-need of maintenance. The tie-rod ends are blown. I'd really like to give the new RE Y-link steering setup a try, but that's another 400-some dollars.
Front bumpstops - I have them, just need to install them.
Front axle/control arm bushings - these are just old and really should be replaced.
Rear suspension - I want to pull a leaf from the RE leaf pack, install no-lift shackle relocation brackets and slightly extended shackles. Keep the height generally the same, but improve ride and flexibility.
I'm not that tall- I've ran 31x10.5x15s on the same leaf springs for a long time - it was okay. Plus, 265/75/16s are taller than a 31x10.5x15, so it should look okay. A 255/85/16 would be rad, but that tire measures taller than the 33x10.5x15s I've run before, so I probably would need to trim and/or aggressively bumpstop it. At that point, I might as well regear to 4.56s and run 33x12.5x15s so I can get some C load MTZs rather than E load MTZs (starting to think running a 16" wheel with larger tires on a lightweight XJ is stupid).
I really just want to get this thing back on the road fast, so I'm trying to work with what I've got. It's been nearly a year since I bought it back and nothing really has happened other than I made it worse...
I hear you, nothing beats driving it regardless. Not saying not to, but i've heard and read too many Mickey Thompson MTZ warranty issues that make it so i'll never run a set, they don't stand by their product unless you can someone prove it's not your fault 100% and ship them out to them on your dime. I was getting aroujnd 14mpg with 33x10.50s on 3.55s. Now on 35s with 4.56s i'm looking between 18-20mpg mixed. Keep us updated.
I'll die before I make a decision on tires. I'm now contemplating 285/75R16s. As much as I know it'll be easier to run 265/75s, Unidentified Bomb got me with the whole "it'll look silly" thing.
285/75r16 Pirelli MTRs are supposedly 32.8 inches tall. When they were brand new, the 33x10.5x15 KO2s I had were 32.5 inches and I still had fender space without flares and no trimming. I think I can make it in the rig's current configuration. If I need to trim more, I'll get Napier Flares.
The Pirellis are also supposedly just a couple of pounds heavier than the KO2s. I'm sure the 4.11s will do fine and will be manageable with a stick... if not, then I can upgrade axles and gears I reckon.
I had been passively looking for a set of "bolt-in" axles with lockers and 4.56s and finally found some! They're an HPDana 30 and 29-spline 8.25 with Yukon gears, ARB air lockers, and Solid diff covers - came with an ARB compressor, switches, wiring, and airlines too. I'm going to want to replace the airlines and likely the wiring though. Plus, the Dana 30 needs axle shafts and unit bearings (I'd want to replace them anyways).
Regardless, I think I saved, in the end, considering I was probably going to spend $1,400 on locking/rebuilding my current front axle and still have 4.11s.
With the extra gearing, I'm staying with 33s! I'll probably try and fit Napier flares in the budget to help with clearance.
Finally started working on this thing. I registered for a wheeling trip in mid-March so I've got a lot to get done in a short amount of time. I made a shopping list so I know what I'll need to buy and I'm going to start at the rear first since everything back there is pretty simple.
I started by cleaning and inspecting the new used axle. I got the brakes removed (the drum hardware was destroyed and the drums were full of mud and dirt) and pulled the SOLID diff cover, which was virtually super glued on with silicone only to find the ARB diff rusty and the ring gear chipped.
So, that's great. I'm hoping the diff can be saved and reused, but I'm assuming the ring and pinion should be replaced. That's over my head, so I'm going to get this rebuilt. Might as well have the HP30 gone through as well (it needs axle shafts and hubs anyways). Fortunately, East Coast Gear Supply is in my area, so I'll probably see if they can take care of it.
In the meantime, I can keep doing what I can actually (hopefully) accomplish - refreshing the rear suspension. Ever since I first lifted this, the shackle angle has been awful and the rear flex has been lame. The rear has also sat higher than the front even after I swapped in 4" coils (this was originally lifted with a full RE 3.5" Super Ride kit). I want to keep the ride height at around 4" but I want a more forgiving ride and better flex. My plan is to remove one leaf from the RE leaf pack, add in non-lift shackle brackets and then use JKS shackles (the ones that are advertised to provide 1" lift). My hope is with a leaf removed and with the angle at 45 degrees, I can stay level with the front. Thoughts?
Got the brakes removed on the old axle and sprayed all the leaf and u-bolt nuts down with PB blaster. Going to work on this off and on during the week.
In other news, I FINALLY decided on a tire. Going with 255/85r16 Maxxis Bighorns (mostly because I can't find the Perrelli's for sale anywhere anymore). Yeah, they're not refined, I'm sure they're going to handle poorly on the pavement and they're load range D, but they're aggressive tall/skinny 33" mud terrains and they're cheap! Plus, I won't have to buy another set of wheels to run a 33x10.5x15s.
The front suspension will stay the same but finally with bump stops! If I need more clearance, I'll pony up for some Napier flares.
I think your plans sound good. I'm currently running some superlift 4" coils with 170lb spring rate, Rusty's 3" leaf springs with JKS shackles on 35s. My front is bumpstopped but still need to address the rear. This is from the first trip after the 35s were put on and I'm happy with the flex overall with the short arms. Comparable to my buddy on SFR 3 link front and ironman's adjustable front leaf brackets and shackle relocators. I had the RE 3.5" coils and they were horrible offroad in comparison. Sucks about the rear axle issues.
02-23-2019, 02:59 PM
