Teraflex BPEs for the rear came in last night. I'm not sure if I'll order them for the front.

(No, I haven't been back out to the garage to work on the Jeep yet.)

 

Pics on Monday when I'm at work and at a computer.
Today I opened up the access hole for the driver side shock. Then I cut the nuts off and punched the bolts out.

The process to remove the nuts was pretty straight forward. You can't really get the angle grinder in there sideways to easily cut the nuts off of the body. So I had to make a bunch of slices straight down into the nut/bolt combo, then go at the slices with a hammer and chisel. Kindof super easy. We're probably talking 5 minutes per. Maybe even three minutes per nut. It took longer to type this out on my Kindle.

I really hope to get the passenger side done tomorrow. I know where to make my access hole, and I have a super simple process for removing the nuts quickly.

Then it's off to Ace hardware for bolts to mount my BPEs. Also, rust conversion paint or whatever it is called.

 

While license plates wouldn't be the best patch, I think it'd work just fine and it'd be a "cool" factor to an extent. Makes your jeep, yours. Looks great love the build!

 

Thanks! And most of the license plates are the more recent kind, just a flat piece of metal with printed letters and logos. But there are a few older style stamped ones - those're the ones I'll use.

 

Saw this li'l beauty at the local Summer Fest in Garfield Heights, OH.

Lookit the Gold Prospector stickers!! Super!

I think it might be like a for-real Jeep that did real exploring.

 

So here we are. I cut two access holes to get to the upper shock mounting nuts (the nut that's welded inside the body). The access hole on the driver's side needs to be opened up, and the access hole for the passenger side is in the completely wrong location. So I need to make a new access hole in the passenger side.



Here's a closer view of the access holes. I was super excited when I popped open the driver side hole and saw the top of the shock looking at me. And I was hella bummed to open up the passenger side access hole and see nothing there. See, I used the driver side shock location to make my measurements. Then I transferred those measurements to the passenger side. But the shocks aren't mounted symmetrically - the driver side shock is mounted rearward of the axle, and the passenger side shock is mounted forward of the axle.


Here's a view from underneath. You can see the passenger side shock going up to meet the body, and my access hole off to the left, completely missing the shock.



So my passenger side access hole needs to be about 8 inches forward of it's current location. Right underneath this little panel. But I've got to remove the seatback to get to the panel.



Passenger Side Seatback Bolt. (15mm)



Driver Side Seat Back Bolt. (15mm)



Success!



Ewww.



Some work with the shop vac, and throw away the carpet. Now I have access to the panel.



And the panel is removed. The doesn't really cover anything. I think it's just to make the rear floor flat when you lay the seatback forward. I'm not sure if I'll put it back on.



New cut location marked with an "X" - but I'm pointing to the shock like a jerk.



Back to the driver's side. I need to grind off these upper mounting nuts to remove the shock. It's hard to see with the rust, but my access hole is a little off, and I can only reach one of the nuts. I need to open up this hole.



Something like this should do.



Now there's plenty of room to get at the nuts.



Sortof...I can't really get the angle grinder in there to easily cut the nuts off.



I'll have to chop down and make a bunch of vertical cuts, then remove the material with a chisel. That was my plan anyways, and it worked.



So you cut a bunch of verticals in the nut.



Chisel it for a moment...



And you've got a pretty smooth surface, with MOST of the nut removed.



BAM! Hit that sucker dead center with a punch and knock the bolt out.



Chop, chisel and punch the other nut and the shock falls to the floor with a satisfying thud.
(Yes, all that rust on the floor is from me hammering when I chiseled and punched out the nut. This XJ is falling apart. It may not survive my "upgrades.")



Teraflex BPEs for the rear.



Teraflex BPEs for the rear - unboxed.


NEXT TIME:
Passenger Side Shock - cut floor, remove shock.
Treat rust? - I bought rust conversion paint, something from Rustoleum. I'll wire brush the surfaces and paint them up.
Mount BPEs - I also bought bolts from Ace Hardware.
Buy Shocks

 

....and there it is again... that unicorn tire carrier.

 

Is this a special tire carrier? The smooth upper hinge arm caught my attention, so I took a photo.

I'm pretty sure I met this guy at the Summerfest. He was promoting a Walnut Festival, and he said that he'd lived in Arizona for the past 30 years. He sure looked like a prospector, and his Black Walnut Marmalade Butter was delicious. I've got a flyer for the Walnut Festival, I'll contact him and interview him about his Jeep. Maybe he's got a good gold mining story.

Though if he was any good at gold mining he'd be driving a WJ...(Boom! Mic Drop!)*










(crickets chirping)
Jeez, tough crowd.

Hey, this rooms' as quiet as my XJ -


- cause it doesn't run. (Boom! Mic Drop!)



(crickets)








*Please, it's a joke. XJs rule, and I don't even know what year range the WJ is.

 

Y'all - I added captions to my photos from two or three posts ago, where I remove the driver side shock. Go read the step by step.

 

There's a Jeep like that the runs around Jacksonville. I'm keeping an eye on it because it blows blue smoke like nothing. Maybe it might end up at one of the yards.

Ah if he was any good at gold or black gold, he'd be driving a WK2 SRT-8 or Eco-Diesel.

 

Here is me cutting into the floor to get to the passenger side upper shock mounting nuts. No big whoop.

 

I would say "special" so much as just hard to find. They were a factory option from about 84-90 (I believe) after that, the factory optioned tire carrier was attached solely to the front face of the bumper (and looks RIDICULOUS IMO) and there was also an option for a roof-mounted spare location... which I like to stay away from.

Has that tire carrier? If it does, I'll pay you to.... uhhh.... nevermind

 

Whew! Rear shocks are removed!

Rust is sanded/wire brushed, then painted with rust converter paint.
Pics later today or tomorrow.

 

Your Jeep is definitely coming together, love seeing Jeeps come back from the dead.

 

Thanks! I'm trying. Though you guys are about to see some rusty, rusty, rust, rust - Titanic style. My plan was to drive this sucker, all the time - but the whole rear cargo floor is rotting away.



Rotten, melted? plastic side panel - driver side.


Just being held on with the seatbelt - I'm not unbolting the seatbelts.


These garden snips cut the plastic like a hot knife through plastic.


Both side panels, plus the hatch/tailgate panel.


Cool. Now I have access to the rust. Let's get in there.
(Those damn wires...)

Purchases:

Wire wheel set from HF.


Goodies from Ace Hardware.
(Bolts to mount BPEs, self tappers, thread locker, rust conversion paint.)


Bolts/washers/nuts for BPEs. The mounting holes in the Teraflex Bar Pin Eliminators are larger than the holes in the XJ. So I need to drill out the opening in the XJ. No biggie.


Self-tappers for covering up these holes with patches made from license plates.


Crescent brand 3/8" drive MM socket set. I keep having to search for a 13, 14, or 15mm - now I have new complete set.