So after selling off my old XJ, my first car and first jeep I ever had. Was my dream car I had built for over 5 years. 98 xj with 5.5" lift, Hp44 front, 44 rear, ARB's, 4.56's, 35's maxxis treps, caged and armored to hell. Went everywhere I wanted it and still DD'ed it.

The day I picked her up



What she had become



What she did to me after I hydrolocker her 2 months before





This all happened on halloween. She sat like this Till the 1st of December



One of my regular guests that comes into my bar got to talked and wanted to come look at it. Asked if I would sell it whole, as I was thinking of parting her out. I said sure for the right price. Well after some bull****ting we settled on 6 grand for her. Then next night she was off to her new home



He has since put a brand new motor in her and is running great. So I was back to start a new project. Wanted a TJ but just couldent leave the XJ world. After a few weeks I found this little guy. $3300 later its a 2000 with 73k on her





Build plans -

Frame plate front to back
T&T long arms
HP 44 front
9" rear
ARB's
5.13
5.5" RE coils
3" OME leafs
1" UBE
1" shackle
relocation box
231 & SYE
rock hard cage
stretched to 107
37's

Parts have been stored and wating on a few last things







Donner axle





All tore down for what parts I need



Front HP 44




Tore down









Rear 9"





Test fit 37's? Alot of cutting to do!



Planning out truss work



Lots o parts!



Jeep smelled a little after driving her around lot. So I started tearing out inside to see what was up. Found out mice had been living in it! So I had to do some major detailing. Tore out everything inside, clean it all and painted the floor. Smells so much better, and looks amazing inside now





New drums



As of right now, The 9" is at rock rash engineering getting geared and locked up, the front 44 is at crawlertech getting set up with all its brackets and mini truss. Once he's done Ill finish off the truss work and send it off to rock rash engineering as well to be set up. Need to order the long arms, and rear set up.

Thats all for now guys, hope you will stay tuned in with me.

 

bummer that jeep went out like that I really liked the build. you still got a great price though. question about the 9" truss though why didn't you stretch it across the length of the entire axle? and how will you be accomplishing that 5" stretch

definitely watching this one

 

Ya im bummed to, but it was having unibody problems anyways so I needed to let it go and start over. It already had that truss on it when I picked it up Got it from a guy who was building it for a camaro so it is what it is. I may stretch it later on. But the top truss will provide plenty of strength. Im hoping to get 3" front and 2" rear. or 2.5 front 2.5 rear. Will see once everything is all together.

 

becuase the center is so reinforced now wont it leave the section of tube from the truss to the brakes is now more prone to bending? instead of bending at the center wont it bend where your truss ends? I'm no engineer I'm just wondering. personally I'd probably cut off that old truss and get the ruffstuff truss instead of adding to the top

and for the stretch I wanted to know how you were going to actually stretch it. like for the rear are you moving the leaf mounts further back on the frame? flipped leaf springs? I'm trying to stretch mine too

 

Im not worried about it bending. I dont think it will. No even going to worry after the top truss.

No, the leafs are longer, so the center pins are located father back, IE moving the axle back

 

Look whats sitting in my garage after yesterday

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Started work on the truss today.
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Axle bridge tied into the upper mount, tied into the trac bar bracket, all boxed in on the front and back, not yet finished

 

Alot for me to update! Both front and rear ends are done. Middle frame stiffeners have been welded on. Rear end of the jeep has been lifted and is almost finished. Ran into alot of snage with swapping the t-case and installing the T&T belly skid. Could not for the love of god get the last nut off the t-case to drop the old 242! Wrench would hit the exaust and or the tranny. Finaly was about to get it free. Then ran into alot of problems swapping the cases. The speedo dident mat up So I had to source one off anoither 231 since mine dident come with one. The sensor that says your in 4wd dosent mat up eather, so Looks like Ill be cutting and re-wiring on it to make it work. Also the yoke off the 242 dident work on the 231, so I had to source a yoke. That took about a day alone lol. Then when we were drilling the holes for the crossmember, we found out that they filled the frame after the jeep got hit and totaled. My buddy works for a body shop and said they do it once a car has been wrecked. They fill the frame with this foam like stuff that expands and then hardens and makes the frame stiffer. Well that was a PITA to drill 3/4" holes all the way threw. Finaly got all 6 holes drilled but or the price of my buddy almost loosing a wrist! Rear is all set under its own weight and we are wating on the driveshaft to get finishe, which should be today. We start the front end tomorrow!

Onto the pics!!















On the rear nothing hangs below the tubes, between the 1" T&T UBE kit, 1.5" shackle and HD offroad relocating boxes I came out to roughly 5.5" lift in the rear, and she has a really nice shackle angle and flat springs. She comes out to be 81" wide, and 74.5" to top of the roof! Sounds like a good LCG to me! Not going to get the 107 wheel base like I wanted. shooting or 103-105 now with front.