Okay, so for those of you that need a brief history and timeline, I'll start of by explaining things.
I started out with a 2005 TJ Rubicon (you can see the build thread for that one here: My 2005 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon TJ). I got tired of that mostly because it was black (I'll never again own a black vehicle) and because I thought I might like an LJ better, due to the extra room. So, I bought an LJ and had that for a while, but I found myself constantly lusting after the shorter wheel base TJ. I think it looks better (to me at least), I like the small and compact size, and I think it just looks more "Wrangler" to me.
So, I ended up selling the LJ and purchasing a locally owned, one owner, 2005 TJ Rubicon with 57k original miles on it and 100% rust free. It's Khaki in color with a Khaki interior to match. I was dead set on anything but black. White, red, silver, and khaki were, my primary choices.
The plan with this build is to keep it looking somewhat stock (i.e. stock fenders), but have a capable rig that will let me explore anywhere from forest service roads to Moab. I don't believe that there is a specific build plan one should follow for the type of terrain they wheel in. I think that's bullshit personally. I believe that if you have a good enough setup, you should be able to wheel anywhere and have it perform well. The exception being perhaps that some serious mud paddle tires would be better in the deep mud than a traditional M/T tire... but you get what I'm saying.
This build is focused around 35" tires as the maximum tire size, with stock width TJ Dana 44 axles front and rear. Those are the two constants of this build that will not change, and my goal is to build everything around them.
Here's a list of the mods I've done so far. I've added prices next to them in order to give people an idea of how much I have into my Jeep, but also to paint a good picture of how much it costs to build a rig like this:
Engine
Total Parts: $29,670
Total Labor: $7000~
GRAND TOTAL: $36,670
Yep... there's an honest to goodness $7000+ in labor. Outboarding the shocks front and rear and installing that Savvy mid-arm wasn't cheap, not to mention the RubiCrawler install and the re-gear.
Things I have planned for the future:
You'll find a number of progress photos scattered throughout this thread, But the most current photos of my TJ can be seen below:
I started out with a 2005 TJ Rubicon (you can see the build thread for that one here: My 2005 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon TJ). I got tired of that mostly because it was black (I'll never again own a black vehicle) and because I thought I might like an LJ better, due to the extra room. So, I bought an LJ and had that for a while, but I found myself constantly lusting after the shorter wheel base TJ. I think it looks better (to me at least), I like the small and compact size, and I think it just looks more "Wrangler" to me.
So, I ended up selling the LJ and purchasing a locally owned, one owner, 2005 TJ Rubicon with 57k original miles on it and 100% rust free. It's Khaki in color with a Khaki interior to match. I was dead set on anything but black. White, red, silver, and khaki were, my primary choices.
The plan with this build is to keep it looking somewhat stock (i.e. stock fenders), but have a capable rig that will let me explore anywhere from forest service roads to Moab. I don't believe that there is a specific build plan one should follow for the type of terrain they wheel in. I think that's bullshit personally. I believe that if you have a good enough setup, you should be able to wheel anywhere and have it perform well. The exception being perhaps that some serious mud paddle tires would be better in the deep mud than a traditional M/T tire... but you get what I'm saying.
This build is focused around 35" tires as the maximum tire size, with stock width TJ Dana 44 axles front and rear. Those are the two constants of this build that will not change, and my goal is to build everything around them.
Here's a list of the mods I've done so far. I've added prices next to them in order to give people an idea of how much I have into my Jeep, but also to paint a good picture of how much it costs to build a rig like this:
Engine
- Magnum Powers Supercharger - $5000
- ARH Long Tube Headers - $1600
- Griffin Performance Aluminum Radiator - $500
- Spal 16" 1604 CFM Electric Fan - $150
- DeRale 20561 Transmission Cooler - $303
- Savvy Mid-Arm Lift (3-link front, 4-link triangulated rear) - $2345
- Poly Performance Outboard Shock Mounts - $400
- Currie 4" Springs - $350
- Savvy 1.25" Body Lift - $130
- M.O.R.E. 1" Motor Mount Lift - $146
- Fox 2.0 Factory Series Smooth Body Reservoir Shocks - $1100
Custom Tuned by @pcoplin of FullStack Motorsports - GenRight Rear Spring Relocation Brackets - $120
- Currie Front Antirock - $360
- Currie Rear Antirock - $410
- Currie Front Control Arm Mini Skids - $35
- Savvy Front Bumper - $550
- GenRight Rear Bumper Plate - $350
- Vison X Vortex LED Headlights - $596
- Body Armor 4x4 Side Steps - $259
- Savvy LED Taillights - $200
- MORryde / Exogate Spare Tire Carrier - $330
- Advanced Adapters RubiCrawler - $2077
- Savvy Transfer Case Skid Plate - $629
- Currie Currectlync Steering - $462
- RCV Front Axle Shafts - $1149
- Revolution USA Made Rear Axle Shafts - $564
- Revolution 5.38 Gears - $574
- Vanco 17" Big Brake Kit - $1485
- Johnny Joint Washers - $41
- Tom Wood Rear Driveshaft - $300
- Smittybilt X20 Winch - $550
- Factor 55 Shackle Mount - $142
- Factor 55 Hawse Fairlead - $80
- Rugged Ridge Floor Mats - $100
- BedRug Front Carpet - $179
- BedRug Rear Carpet - $168
- Complete LED Interior Lighting - $100
- Spiderweb Shade - $100
- Noico 80 mil Sound Deadening - $120
- Noico 170 mil Insulation - $120
- EAG A-Pillar Gauge Mount - $24
- AEM Wideband AFR Controller Gauge - $200
- AEM Digital Boost Gauge - $180
- Kenwood KMM-BT322 Digital Media Receiver - $70
- Kicker CompRT 6.75" Subwoofer - $90
- Kicker PXA200 Amp - $150
- Polk Audio DB522 Speakers (for front and rear speakers) - $160
- Dash Speaker Pods - $80
- AEV Pintler Wheels - $1175
- 35X12.50R17 BF Goodrich KM2 Tires - $1550
- 1.25" Wheel Adapters - $78
- GenRight Crawler EXT Fuel Tank - $1599
- HealTech SpeedoHealer - $140
Total Parts: $29,670
Total Labor: $7000~
GRAND TOTAL: $36,670
Yep... there's an honest to goodness $7000+ in labor. Outboarding the shocks front and rear and installing that Savvy mid-arm wasn't cheap, not to mention the RubiCrawler install and the re-gear.
Things I have planned for the future:
You'll find a number of progress photos scattered throughout this thread, But the most current photos of my TJ can be seen below:
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