9/04/17

I had some time this morning to do a little work in the garage. I first started by undercoating my new tube flares. There are parts of the metal you just can't paint, particularly the area where the tube and sheet metal (top of fender) meet. I sprayed a heavy coat of undercoating on to the underside of the flares. I kept spraying until the coating bridged the gap between the top of the fender and the tubing.

Then I began mounting the driver's side tube fender to the vehicle. I will need the brother in law to help me tighten down the fasteners (one guy in the hatch, the other dude outside). I am also planning on re-painting the black area that spans between the fenders below the factory trim line. Removal of the factory flares has exposed some areas that are not painted black.

In addition to that stuff, I finished ripping out the rear sway bar. Driver's side disassembly went great. Only could get one of the two bolts out of the frame rail bushing on the passenger side. No worries, I just bent the bushing bracket down, popped out the bushing, removed the bar, then bent the bracket back up in place and secured with the one good fastener. I'll just let that bracket in-place but out of service since I can't get it off, not hurting anything being there.

After this project is wrapped, I hope to acquire a boostwerks t-case linkage. Mine is junk. Also, I have 95 YJ brake lines on the way from rockauto to replace my front brake lines. They were on sale and are a great cheap way to extend the front brake lines for safe articulation.

Also on the docket is cutting and folding my rear lower quarters. Passenger side is demolished at the bottom. No POR15 is going to save it, surgery is the only option. The looks of the mod have grown on me. At first I didn't like the look, but now I think it kind of adds a ruggedness to the Jeep. It also opens up the option for aftermarket bumpers that are made to go with the cut and fold.

So far I have checked out a few such as AJs Offroad Armor and Ares Offroad. Stay tuned.

Undercoating


View 1


View 2

 

oh yes

 

09/26/17

Installing the rear tube flares is finally done. I hadn't driven the Jeep in about 2 months since I had it apart in the garage. It was nice to take it for a spin. Next up on the short list:

• Perform the cut and fold mod to the rear quarters (this is entails some welding and fab work)
  
• Install extended front brake lines I have sitting on the workbench
  
• Re-paint the bottom of body black between the tube flares
  
• POR15 bottom of driver's side door (rust forming)
  
• Install Boostwerks 231 shift linkage when it comes in the mail
  
• Install correct backspaced wheels (3.75"). The wheels on my rig were installed by the PO. They only have 5.0" of backspacing. Probably pick up some Trailmaster TM5s. Once these are one, I want to purchase a CavFab steering setup. The steering requires 4.0" inches or less.

 

I snatched the ares fab cut and fold when it was only 400.00 on a sale, and it was absolutely worth every penny, but the current price of 550.00 i would say go another route. Flares look great, I really wish I could afford a pair. Dirtbound is another option but has a long lead time in my experience.

 

I have the cav fab steering on 4" backspacing alloy rims and it is SNUG I can't fit my finger between it and the rim. I don't think there is even 1/4". If I ever bend that bolt somehow I'm in trouble.

 

I go back and forth on the rear bumper, I really like the AJs off-road rear bumper. The rear bumper is a huge money sink. Not in this years budget. Thanks for the advice
Rodger that, the 3.75" TM5s should be the ticket then.

 

*crosses my arms, shakes my head*. Well that gonna suck

 

LOL

 

10/01/2017

I just decided to stick with the wheels I have. PA can be bungholes when it comes to fenders and tires not meeting PENNDOT code. Since this vehicle is used on the road as a errand machine and kid hauler in addition to its off the road purposes., I want to keep it the way it is. I just don't feeling like dealing with the what-ifs.

Since I'm not buying new wheels, I decided to purchase an IRO HD tie rod and new TREs. I also put in an order to rockauto for 6 quarts of motor-craft 10W-30 synthetic oil, Wix filter, and Raybestos Rotors and Raybestos Element3 brake pads.

The parts pile is building.

 

I understand fender laws, living in VA. BUT why does that lock you down to a specific set of wheels? If you like the size wheels and tires you have, then buy wheels with the same backspacing as the ones you have now.

 

It doesn't, I'm actually a huge fan of simple d-windows. I was going to get another set of d-windows with more backspacing to stance me rig wider (pirate accent). Then I realized I probably should leave well enough alone.

 

Gotcha. Thanks for the reminder on fender laws btw. I am moving to NC next week and had COMPLETELY forgotten I will need to register my vehicles in NC. I knew I had to register them, but forgot they would need to be compliant to NC laws. Fun fact, NC has a maximum lift height of 6" on passenger vehicles (including tire height). Mine is lifted 5" w/ 33s, and my math tells me I'm about 8" over stock. This could be fun.

 

Yikes, I wonder how hard they scrutinize. They must keep a record of stock vehicle heights in a database to reference against?

 

10/02/17

Took the front tires off today to perform the extended brake line mod/install. Until I ripped opened my rockauto 95 YJ lines from their plastic only to find no crush washers with them.

So I had to run to the parts store. This also meant going to Walmart and a craft store with the wife. Ha. So by the time we got back. I had to wrap it up. Will continue efforts tomorrow. I did manage to under coat my front wheel wells.

 

Bend? you should run with the threads sticking up, not down. I had 4" and it's the most backspacing i'd recommend, it'll rub with anything else for sure.