Hi all! I'm going to start making my build thread for my father son build from four years ago. Meant to make a thread as I was going, but was too busy working! Haha. In 2015-2016 my Dad and I rebuilt a 1998 TJ 4.0 5speed with a rotted frame, tired motor and burnt up Dana 35. Below is what she looks like today followed by the first picture the day I brought it home. Initial thoughts were to fix the rust, mild 2" lift and some 33s. Through issues & research it became the 4.6 stroker, dana 44, dana 30-elocker, 35" beast it is today. (scuffed off the angry eye paint within the first few days don't worry)
Bought it from a kid who beat the s**t out of it. Frame was rotted so bad the two upper control arm mounts ripped off the frame. This left two control arms holding the rear in... He must've had his buddy put a junkyard driveshaft in it when it ripped out the stock one. Only problem, his buddy didn't put fluid in the rear when he was done. This kid drove it 40 minutes to meet me with no oil in the rear... could've cooked an egg on the poor dana 35. Got the Jeep home somehow and started looking it over closer. Started researching frames in the NJ tri-state with minimal luck. Reached out to my uncle who lives in the Southwest to start looking for us too. He found one by him in perfect shape with no rust. Reached out the guy wanted $1000 for it. Didn't waste much time and paypal'd him and got a quote to get it shipped to NJ on U-ship for ~$800. (more on this later) While we were waiting for the new frame we pulled the tub off and started on that. Here's the first pics after the tub got pulled off the rotting chassis and the frame got stripped down.
Pulled the motor and put in on a stand. Tore out the toast dana 35 and still solid dana 30. Tore out all the suspension leaving just the crusty frame.
Got the frame out and pulled the trailer into the shop. Put the tub on some jackstands so we could take it outside.
Thouroughly cleaned and scurbbed the tub to get a few years of mudding and abuse off it and the underside. Next, we started doing some rustproofing underneath.
Couldn't find the pictures with the undercoating, bear with me I'm digging 4-5 years into my camera roll. After the underside of the tub got undercoated we brought the tub back into the shop to began to fix rust spots and prep the tub for paint. Main issue was the typical rust on the top of the fenders.
After that pesky spot had a new plate cut and welded in some body work was done to fill in the edges and smooth it over. Next came sanding and prepping the tub for its new color! My Uncle came over to use some of his expertise to help us out.
Got the tub dragged outside to do some final sanding and tape off the tub. This was a day in late fall that turned out to be real warm and with no wind.
Wish I had more pictures close up, but the previous owner decided to partially bed line the jeep. He must've not guessed well on how much he'd need. Only the hood, fenders and windshield frame got the bedliner treatment. Took near a whole roll of low grit sandpaper to break through to the base. Just glad he didn't go through and bedline the whole tub lol. Tape and prep is done, time for paint. Went on pretty well, a bit heavy in some places because we painted until near dark lol. The heavy spots were wet sanded and buffed to a nice thickness & finish.
Tub got its hardtop back on and put outside for the winter(covered with a tarp after this lol) while we started on the motor.
Bought it from a kid who beat the s**t out of it. Frame was rotted so bad the two upper control arm mounts ripped off the frame. This left two control arms holding the rear in... He must've had his buddy put a junkyard driveshaft in it when it ripped out the stock one. Only problem, his buddy didn't put fluid in the rear when he was done. This kid drove it 40 minutes to meet me with no oil in the rear... could've cooked an egg on the poor dana 35. Got the Jeep home somehow and started looking it over closer. Started researching frames in the NJ tri-state with minimal luck. Reached out to my uncle who lives in the Southwest to start looking for us too. He found one by him in perfect shape with no rust. Reached out the guy wanted $1000 for it. Didn't waste much time and paypal'd him and got a quote to get it shipped to NJ on U-ship for ~$800. (more on this later) While we were waiting for the new frame we pulled the tub off and started on that. Here's the first pics after the tub got pulled off the rotting chassis and the frame got stripped down.
Pulled the motor and put in on a stand. Tore out the toast dana 35 and still solid dana 30. Tore out all the suspension leaving just the crusty frame.
Got the frame out and pulled the trailer into the shop. Put the tub on some jackstands so we could take it outside.
Thouroughly cleaned and scurbbed the tub to get a few years of mudding and abuse off it and the underside. Next, we started doing some rustproofing underneath.
Couldn't find the pictures with the undercoating, bear with me I'm digging 4-5 years into my camera roll. After the underside of the tub got undercoated we brought the tub back into the shop to began to fix rust spots and prep the tub for paint. Main issue was the typical rust on the top of the fenders.
After that pesky spot had a new plate cut and welded in some body work was done to fill in the edges and smooth it over. Next came sanding and prepping the tub for its new color! My Uncle came over to use some of his expertise to help us out.
Got the tub dragged outside to do some final sanding and tape off the tub. This was a day in late fall that turned out to be real warm and with no wind.
Wish I had more pictures close up, but the previous owner decided to partially bed line the jeep. He must've not guessed well on how much he'd need. Only the hood, fenders and windshield frame got the bedliner treatment. Took near a whole roll of low grit sandpaper to break through to the base. Just glad he didn't go through and bedline the whole tub lol. Tape and prep is done, time for paint. Went on pretty well, a bit heavy in some places because we painted until near dark lol. The heavy spots were wet sanded and buffed to a nice thickness & finish.
Tub got its hardtop back on and put outside for the winter(covered with a tarp after this lol) while we started on the motor.
Last edited: