A non-Jeep persons 98 TJ build

I'm also contemplating a super 35 and am torn between going selectable or automatic locker. I'd love to hear your driving impressions of how it handles and sounds on the road, in parking lots, etc.

I have never had anything other than a Detroit in the rear of all my wheelers and a selectable in the front. They all behave a little differently in different axles.

In the Dana 35 with an auto, it has really good street manners. Like surprisingly good. It doesn't have some of the quirks I am used to. I have yet to get it to bang. And you have to really try to get it to lock hard enough when making turns to chirp a rear tire.

There is only one minor quirk with Dana 35 one so far. Its after making a turn from a stop or being slightly on the throttle through a turn. Sometimes after the turn there is a very slight pull in one direction or the other depending on which direction you turn. But it stops when you slightly lift the throttle and it unlocks.
 
I have never had anything other than a Detroit in the rear of all my wheelers and a selectable in the front. They all behave a little differently in different axles.

In the Dana 35 with an auto, it has really good street manners. Like surprisingly good. It doesn't have some of the quirks I am used to. I have yet to get it to bang. And you have to really try to get it to lock hard enough when making turns to chirp a rear tire.

There is only one minor quirk with Dana 35 one so far. Its after making a turn from a stop or being slightly on the throttle through a turn. Sometimes after the turn there is a very slight pull in one direction or the other depending on which direction you turn. But it stops when you slightly lift the throttle and it unlocks.

Thanks for that info, makes it a little less scary contemplating a Detroit locker for my rear axle. So did you leave your gears alone at 3.73? Did you do the install of the axles and locker yourself?
 
Thanks for that info, makes it a little less scary contemplating a Detroit locker for my rear axle. So did you leave your gears alone at 3.73? Did you do the install of the axles and locker yourself?

Stayed with 3.73. Perfect for me with the 33s.

Had all of the parts and was going to do it all myself, but I have some torn tendons in my leg and cant do anything right now 🙃

Had my friend at Extreme Offroad in Clovis do the work. Felt strange to pay to have it done, but Im down til at least August and I wanna play this summer 😁
 
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Have had this bead roller since May of 2021. Made a mount for it, played with a 20ga. galvanized test piece, and never had time for anything else. Definite learning curve to deal with the shrinking and stretching, but I have friends that do it for a living to tell me what I'm doing wrongish.

Plasma cut 20ga. cold finish steel. 3/8" round bead and stamped #10 finish washers. The dimples are 2". Dimples are worth 2-5HP a piece, so I use them where ever I can 😃

Wanted a hard mounted compressor but didnt want to tie down the 440P as I use it all over. So I picked an ARB twin and don't want it under the hood. 10-24 inserts in the tub to attach the cover.

The TJs going back up to Washington without me this weekend so Ill have to finish the install later unfortunately ☹️

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Have had this bead roller since May of 2021. Made a mount for it, played with a 20ga. galvanized test piece, and never had time for anything else. Definite learning curve to deal with the shrinking and stretching, but I have friends that do it for a living to tell me what I'm doing wrongish.

Plasma cut 20ga. cold finish steel. 3/8" round bead and stamped #10 finish washers. The dimples are 2". Dimples are worth 2-5HP a piece, so I use them where ever I can 😃

Wanted a hard mounted compressor but didnt want to tie down the 440P as I use it all over. So I picked an ARB twin and don't want it under the hood. 10-24 inserts in the tub to attach the cover.

The TJs going back up to Washington without me this weekend so Ill have to finish the install later unfortunately ☹️

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There's a lot to like in this post. True fabrication here, I'm impressed. That's a very nice install.

But I NEED pics of that square body, please!🤣
 
Nice work. Love the bead roller. Very finished look and strength to boot.

How bad is the noise inside when it’s running? Will it get enough air flow so as not to overheat?
 
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There's a lot to like in this post. True fabrication here, I'm impressed. That's a very nice install.

But I NEED pics of that square body, please!🤣

Thanks 😁

Thats my wannabe OG Class 4. Its looking pretty sad right now. Ended up on a trailer outside in my friends back 40 for a couple years. But its back here now. I need to get back on it.

For the most part its a 79 4wd C10 "diesel". Stock height with Deaver springs, spring under in the front, and Fox 2.5"x14" bypasses. The back half is done for the most part, just need to finish from the back of the cab forward. I have more pics, just gotta find them.

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Nice work. Love the bead roller. Very finished look and strength to boot.

How bad is the noise inside when it’s running? Will it get enough air flow so as not to overheat?
Thanks 😁 Beads and dimples make the flimsy 20ga. super stiff.

Dont know yet. Its just for airing up so I'm not super concerned with the noise. The cover is fairly open so the heat can get out. Should be significantly cooler compared to under the hood.
 
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No building. Just goofing off and enjoying the last few mods 😃

Hit Bald Mountain and Brewer Lake Saturday with some of my moto peeps. Went in through Tamarack Snow Park. They did big loops and I just went straight(ish) to meeting points so our paths would cross. Used OnX on the tablet to get me where I needed to go. Ran a bunch of super fun big rock sections that are not part of the main loop.

The last 75 yards in to Brewer is gnarly and only one way in and out. Going in is sort of like falling down the stairs. A guy in a 4400 buggy and a built LJ on 40s asked me how I got in there and I was like "the only way" 😃 They looked at the 33s and looked at me like I was full of sh*t. Getting out I was sure I would have to winch but I didn't. I made it a point to stop and wave when I got to the top 🤡

Savvy gas tank skid is awesome. Came down on it hard a couple times with really nothing to show for it.

Savvy tcase shifter is beyond wonderful.

UCF no body lift skid with the SYE is a huge improvement over the stock spaced down skid. I didn't drag it at all on stuff that I had before.

And the Detroit Locker in the rear can make you look like a superhero even with an open front diff 😃

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Have posted scale pics in the "What have you done to your TJ" thread, but figured I would stick them here too😁 Wish I would have weighed it when I started. My title says 3k but 🤷‍♂️

3" lift, tires n wheels, winch plate, 8k Warn with rope, and rocker protection. Empty, no back seat, and 1/2 tank of fuel.

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Added UCF no body lift skid, Savvy tank skid and cable shifter, Spidertrax 1.25 wheel spacers, SYE w/ CV drive shaft, Detroit and 30 spline shafts in the rear, and an ARB twin compressor.

Empty, no back seat, 1/4 tank of fuel. I think if I had a half tank like I did the first time it would be about the same weight.

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I have never really made any effort or given a thought to weight savings on my wheelers. But starting with something bone stock its easier to make a conscious effort from the beginning. My last crawler was 7k empty and I carried everything except the kitchen sink fully loaded 🐷

Im not anal about weight savings, but little things all add up. Like my tool roll now for example. I don't carry a full set of metric and standard sockets or wrenches. Its a mix of both with crossover sizes where possible and no metric/ standard duplicates. It all fits in one Rhino tool roll now. Compared to my old tool box that had every possible thing in it and it couldn't be moved by one person 😃
 
I have never really made any effort or given a thought to weight savings on my wheelers. But starting with something bone stock its easier to make a conscious effort from the beginning. My last crawler was 7k empty and I carried everything except the kitchen sink fully loaded 🐷

Im not anal about weight savings, but little things all add up. Like my tool roll now for example. I don't carry a full set of metric and standard sockets or wrenches. Its a mix of both with crossover sizes where possible and no metric/ standard duplicates. It all fits in one Rhino tool roll now. Compared to my old tool box that had every possible thing in it and it couldn't be moved by one person 😃

Mine was/is a pig compared to many. In it's last configuration it came in just over 5K lbs. Granted I have a V-8/4 speed auto/STaK's t-case & CRD60 rear & HP44 front axles. Then steel armor and wheels plus bias ply tires and yep she's a little porky.

I went with steel armor again but this stuff from MC is lighter than the Poison Spyder stuff. Funny thing is that the tires I have mounted on steel rims are lighter than the ones on aluminum.
I'll have to wait to see where mine comes in at this time on the weight scale.
 
Mine was/is a pig compared to many. In it's last configuration it came in just over 5K lbs. Granted I have a V-8/4 speed auto/STaK's t-case & CRD60 rear & HP44 front axles. Then steel armor and wheels plus bias ply tires and yep she's a little porky.

I went with steel armor again but this stuff from MC is lighter than the Poison Spyder stuff. Funny thing is that the tires I have mounted on steel rims are lighter than the ones on aluminum.
I'll have to wait to see where mine comes in at this time on the weight scale.

I wouldn't mind gaining a few pounds with your drive train choices 😃

But mine is what it is. This is as big as its getting.
 
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Wanted to hit Red Lake for a few days a couple weeks ago. Thought I would be good to go but it was the Thursday before Clovis schools started so 🤷‍♂️ . Lots of empty trailers but it could have been day trip SXS peeps. Talked to a guy coming out in a YJ and he said there were lots of open spots so I continued on. It was super gnarly for 33s. Got hung up bad and had to winch once. All the work to get in to Red and it was packed, no spots, and the Coyote gate was closed :mad:

Ended up at Strawberry. Sooo much water in places I had never seen it. Weather was perfect, no dust, overcast, and got sprinkled on. Im not a bitch when it comes to bugs, but the mosquito numbers were absolutely un barrable. You couldn't do anything that required two hands. Some of my moto peeps found me on the way out and we couldn't even talk they were so thick. Made it 1 night and packed up after breakfast. Less than 24 hours and I went through 8oz of Off and still got ate up 😃

Lots of firewood at the camp site and someone payed it forward with a blunt. I do not partake so I left it for the next peeps 😃

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Since I cut my last trip short, I wanted to redeem myself and try again somewhere not by water 😃 But just incase, I brought two bottles of 98% DEET and mosquito head nets.

Didn't really have a plan going up but decided to play around on the top side of Dusy. Came across two families that were headed in to Ershim Lake and coming out Monday so I felt better that I wasnt alone alone. They had a built Lexus (FJ80) on 37s, and a linked crew cab Tacoma on 40s.

Was about an hour in and got hung up in some big rocks. OnX made it look like I was off trail and missed a turn. So I back down this 50 yard rock section to check and OnX was mistaken. I was on the trail so back up I went to get hung up again 😃 Didn't have enough winch line to reach the closest tree, so I ended up using a big rock as an anchor point with a 20' strap around it. Got unstuck and those people caught up so I let them pass. They both got hung up in the very next big rock section and I thought it would be best that I not continue on.

On the way out I found some epic camp spots on the edge of a cliff overlooking a big valley. But extreme high winds kicked up and brought the suck, so I headed down I the search of a more sheltered spot. Ended up in the lower camp area at West Lake. The wind still sucked but it was late and I had had enough for one day 🙃 Started sprinkling at 3am along with the high winds, turning into heavy rain by 4:30am.

Made coffee and breakfast between downpours, packed up all my wet stuff, and headed home two days early. Again! 😃

Going to head up again this weekend and see if I can break my loosing streak 😁

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