What did you do to your TJ today?

Upgrading lower control arm mounts whole the axles are out.

Iron Rock mounts are a great recommendation from the forum. Didn't realize it until I test fit them that they already are cut to angle slightly into the center of the vehicle/axle, like the stock mounts. A nice little detail.

Before surgery:
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Test fit:
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Welding behins:
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Went about an inch, then cut the other side out, then another inch, and burned the first inch on the other side. Gave time for the tube to cool to avoid warping it.

Not a messy job, nope... ;)
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Ran out of time, still need to finish welding it in tomorrow.

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To keep this Jeep related Arturo's mobile cutting rig is a Wrangler (SE?). Note the top made from a car hood. The engine is a 4 banger and painted bright yellow, Arturo joked that it had a Caterpillar engine.

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Arturo's wife and daughter cleaned all the fish really quick


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The lighthouse


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I climbed up the lighthouse and took some pics out the windows





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This is the view of the tiny village 3 miles in from the highway on a dirt road. We used to drive 48 miles of dirt to get there till the new coastal highway was finished, now there's just 3 miles of dirt road.
 
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I installed my oil pump and cylinder head this evening and all the fixings. Fel-Pro head bolts were strange, had 6 short bolts and 4 long studs but I needed 5 of each so I ended up using one of the old ones for lack of a better immediate solution. I got the lifters and pushrods installed and the rocker arms too. Valve cover and gasket also made it on the long block assembly. I need to find my oil pan gasket next so I can get it put on. The hard stuff is over. Now it’s just locating all the extra parts and bolts for the remaining shit. Should be fun lol

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To keep this Jeep related Arturo's mobile cutting rig is a Wrangler (SE?). Note the top made from a car hood. The engine is a 4 banger and painted bright yellow, Arturo joked that it had a Caterpillar engine.

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Arturo's wife and daughter cleaned all the fish really quick


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The lighthouse


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I climbed up the lighthouse and took some pics out the windows





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This is the view of the tiny village 3 miles in from the highway on a dirt road. We used to drive 48 miles of dirt to get there till the new coastal highway was finished, now there's just 3 miles of dirt road.

Man I love that lil SE Wrangler.... just the right amount of patina..
 
Picked up a pretty clean back seat from a guy on craigslist. Got a bunch of parts delivered too.

Couple days ago I started cleaning the moab rims I got off of craigslist. Not cleaning easy, and a bit more damage was hiding under all the grime. Will give it a round 2 and decide if I'm going to keep them or resell them. Kinda bummed about that.....I could always refinish them I guess. They would look good from 10 feet away!!
 
Got the front axle pulled and partly stripped down.

What's a set of salt-eaten well-used decade-old daily driver Savvy arms go for around these parts?

Also any tips on how to remove these currie bump stop pads would be great. The aluminum pucks are rust-welded to the steel through bolts that snapped off, since the design sees them sitting in a puddle of salt water all winter inside the bump stop cup. Tried a mapp torch and smacking with a sledge. Pry bar was picking up the whole axle. Cold chisel wasn't doing anything. Drilling seems annoying. Maybe I'll just point the plasma cutter down the middle and let it eat.

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Got the front axle pulled and partly stripped down.

What's a set of salt-eaten well used Savvy arms go for around these parts?

Also any tips on how to remove these currie bump stop pads would be great. The aluminum pucks are rust-welded to the steel through bolts that snapped off, since the design sees them sitting in a puddle of salt water all winter inside the bump stop cup. Tried a mapp torch and smacking with a sledge. Pry bar was picking up the whole axle. Cold chisel wasn't doing anything. Drilling seems annoying. Maybe I'll just point the plasma cutter down the middle and let it eat.

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Thanks for the heads up. No solution for you but I have a Currie/Savvy lift going in soon so, even I've painted the Currie parts, I may throw on a thin anti-seize layer as double protection.

Tried an air hammer...? Best thing I got to offer.

Fuck salt for sure!
 
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Thanks for the heads up. No solution for you but I have a Currie/Savvy lift going in soon so, even I've painted the Currie parts, I may throw on a thin anti-seize layer as double protection.

Tried an air hammer...? Best thing I got to offer.

Fuck salt for sure!

Since installing the Savvy SA lift many years ago I discovered anti-seize and liberally apply it to everything now. Wish I'd known that then.

The TJ is finally getting mid arms because it's no longer the daily and will never see salt again. I'm still bathing everything in the stuff.

Didn't think to try the air hammer. I've got one somewhere around here.
 
Picked up a pretty clean back seat from a guy on craigslist. Got a bunch of parts delivered too.

Couple days ago I started cleaning the moab rims I got off of craigslist. Not cleaning easy, and a bit more damage was hiding under all the grime. Will give it a round 2 and decide if I'm going to keep them or resell them. Kinda bummed about that.....I could always refinish them I guess. They would look good from 10 feet away!!

Dang! In Salida? For 150? If so, I committed to buy it from him and had just made arrangements to leave. Thankfully he at least let me know someone else was coming.
 
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Good day for my Jeep, not as good for me. Picked up my Jeep from the shop. They comped the AC blower repair (given they installed in less than 1k miles ago. While hooking up the tow bar, I laid the hitch end on the ball - it fell off and crunched my foot. 40lbs of steel, @$%#@#$%. Hopefully did not chip any bones - still painful to walk (over 15 hours now).

Decided to pull the radio mount - and because of stupidity on my part (I put the bolts in from the top, not the bottom of the roll cage), I had to pull the top partially off. I did another stupid thing 3 days ago - stabbed myself shucking oysters. Well picking up the top blew out the cut - so more blood. But the radio bar is out, the top back on and fastened (not easy, since the seal tape stuck on both sides).

Anyway, nothing really stopping me from at least mounting the GMRS radio this weekend. Not exactly how I am going to do it - but expect tie straps will be involved to test different places. I suspect I will be ordering a relocation bracket for my switchpro (very likely the one with the radio relocation option). In theory, my GMRS has a removable head - which would make a sweet install - but will probably just mount it with the head on the bar, better speaker location.
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Ok, have had the radio since before thanksgiving. No use to install it because the cab noise was too bad. Have everything to help soundproof it now. So that is planned as well. But might hold off till next week. Lots of the noise is coming from the differential - probably due to the regearing last year. Might take it to the regearing shop and see if they can fix that first.

50/50 I will also order a CB over the weekend. Was planning on a President Bill, but might just go all down and get a Harrison. Temping to just put in a jailbroke HAM radio that could do virtually everyting - but those pesky laws and all. I have a Wouxun KG-1000G, had I gotten the KG-UV980P (virtually identical radio with different software), I could have jail broken it and gotten 70cm, GMRS, 2m, 6m, 10m, 11m, and probably a few others. That said, dedicated units will probably prove to be simpler to use. (I already have an all band Ham radio (abet it not modified to work outside of Ham bands). I can not imagine operating it (other than in the most basic modes) while driving.
 
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The simple 'reskin the steering wheel' project has grown legs.. I need to be less impulsive.

Ordered a leather replacement skin and arm rest cover from RedLineGoods to match the shift boot I did back in January. Right after I ordered them, I found Chris @ LeatherGoods in TX and decided it was easier to have him sew on the skin. Then.. hmm.. maybe easier to send him a donor wheel.

So I am left with a perfectly good RedLineGoods black leather steering wheel skin I am not going to use. Redline wanted a 25% restocking fee, so maybe I'll take a shot at reskinning the current wheel once I have the replacement installed. Should have the wheel back from Chris by this weekend.

Jeep had one of the tire tread arm rest covers installed by the OP. Never was a fan.

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The simple 'reskin the steering wheel' project has grown legs.. I need to be less impulsive.

Ordered a leather replacement skin and arm rest cover from RedLineGoods to match the shift boot I did back in January. Right after I ordered them, I found Chris @ LeatherGoods in TX and decided it was easier to have him sew on the skin. Then.. hmm.. maybe easier to send him a donor wheel.

So I am left with a perfectly good RedLineGoods black leather steering wheel skin I am not going to use. Redline wanted a 25% restocking fee, so maybe I'll take a shot at reskinning the current wheel once I have the replacement installed. Should have the wheel back from Chris by this weekend.

Jeep had one of the tire tread arm rest covers installed by the OP. Never was a fan.

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I am absolutely sure you could sell that Redline wheel cover to someone here on the forum. I have one sitting in the bench ready for install, and it appears to be very good quality. I’m replacing a Wheelskins cover which was also of good quality, but I’ve never liked the fit.
 
I am absolutely sure you could sell that Redline wheel cover to someone here on the forum. I have one sitting in the bench ready for install, and it appears to be very good quality. I’m replacing a Wheelskins cover which was also of good quality, but I’ve never liked the fit.

It's beautiful, custom cut to fit the two spoke wheel.
The wheel I have is in perfect condition. Not sure if I will try to reskin it myself anyway, just see how it comes out, or pass on the wheel and skin separately.
I now have two different unused skins. two shift boots. four shift knobs. and soon an extra steering wheel.
 
Dang! In Salida? For 150? If so, I committed to buy it from him and had just made arrangements to leave. Thankfully he at least let me know someone else was coming.

Yes sir....he never mentioned anyone else coming to me. It is in good shape. He also through in a cargo rack and 2 jerry can holders. I'll have to cut the can holders off the mounts - too heavy. Think the rack and can holders will go on a trailer.
 
Found my oil pan gasket and all the bolts for it too. I got it installed and put an oil filter on it as well. Trying to get it all sealed up. Just a few accessories left to find in my stack of parts and dig through the bolts to make everything work as it’s supposed to lol I didn’t label anything or even separate them. I generally know what bolts go where but after 7 months it’s hard to remember where I put them all lol

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