2002 Jeep TJ “Ocho”

Got to drive my Jeep late yesterday and today. Only about 20 miles total because it’s an open pipe exhaust still.

All I can say is I’m simply amazed at how well it drives. Just really unbelievable. Now mind you I was still running stock 18 year old control arms minus a rear upper double adjustable set. But my goodness does this thing run down the road nice and true.

Also I want to give kudos to @mrblaine and @savvyoffroad for designing such a dialed in kit. I used there baseline measurements for the control arms and they were all but spot on for a 4” spring.

I have zero front or rear driveshaft vibration and my return to center (caster) is terrific!
I ended up right at 6° caster and 6° Pinion angle.

On a side note, Running with no 3rd cat and no muffler isn’t that bad. Loud on start but quiet while driving. No drone and no fumes. I am going to run a Flowmaster HushPower 2 with a turn down to see how it is. If it’s not to my liking I will have to hunt up a muffler shop. There isn’t one within 45 minutes of wear I live.
 
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Spit shine today. It was covered in grinding dust and metal shavings from the install.

Anybody else use Lemon Pledge to clean their interior, hard plastic and top?

It’s amazing how well it works and protects. Much cheaper than Armor-all

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Installed this tonight. Flowmaster HushPower 2 18” version.

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I Put a turndown after the skid.

I went the easy way out expecting to have to redo it. I gotta say, this HushPower 2 is really quiet. If I didn’t know better I’d say it was stock.

I have no exhaust fumes in the cab with the hard top on; At speed or sitting at idle. I’ll report back when I pull the hardtop and see if fumes become an issue.

I went ahead and used clamps rather than welding. Just in case I didn’t like the sound or had fumes issues.

I may take it to a shop and have it welded and a pipe routed to the rear. But then again I may not.
 
18 ft of Noico sounding deadening mat. I’m going to do the front floor pans and trans tunnel. Then decide if I wanna do the rear of the tub.

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Well I laid down the Noico last night. This is an amazing product. But I am an amazingly shitty installer! So be kind it’s kinda piece meal.

18 sq ft just barely Covers the front floor pans and tunnel

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Picked this up for $150 yesterday.

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Eventually it’ll find it’s way under the front end with Chevy flattops, Chevy small spindles, and Ford Hubs. Along with 4.56 gears and some sort of locker.
 
Well.... fallen tree sticking in trail going about 25 mph. Thought I had it cleared. NOPE!

Here’s the tire.

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Here’s the drag link

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Here’s a video of me trying to limp it home because I had taken my 4 way out of the rig.
Luckily, an fellow jeeper passed me and stopped to help. Rescued by a JKU. 🤦🏻‍♂️

 
35x12.50x15 Falken WildPeak MT

Love everything about them.

I knew they look great. But I had no idea how much better my Jeep was going to ride. And they are still at the tire shops 35 psi. When I drop them to 26psi or so they will be amazing.

I guess my old Toyo’s were just old and stiff. Because this is the biggest increase in ride quality I’ve had.

Here’s pics

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On the tail end of my recovery from Covid-19 and I was able to get into the garage today and do some things I’d been putting off. Things went very smooth, which is good because I am still very low energy and tire easily from battling the Rona.

I’ve been having an intermittent P0138 code. O2 sensor. B1S2. So I was able to replace it with a new NGK

And Finally got around to extending my tailgate snubbers so my spare didn’t wiggle around. I cut up $3 rubber mallets to make spacers. No in progress pics. Just some final shots.

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I’ve been looking for a front bumper I liked for awhile. I didn’t want to spend big money so I search the web pretty hard.

I found a small company called Hardcore Offroad , LLC. They had a front stubby bumper with a prerunner bar option.

Best of all it came as a DIY weld together kit for only $233 shipped! I thought “What the heck! I’ll take a chance!”

Suffice it to say I was very impressed with the product. Ship time took a bit but I wasn’t in a hurry so no big deal.

I’ll let the pics speak for themselves. I just have it tack together
as I only have flux core at home. I’m going to pull it off and take it to work and have one of my guys who is a much more competent welder finished it up!

Let me know what you think!

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That looks pretty good! I am looking for something similar but a bit longer on the sides since I do park in the city.
 
As some of you may have seen on my previous posts, I am a High School Principal. A small 7-12 High School that graduates about 30 kids a year in The River Valley of Arkansas. We are an A rated school and our test scores will stack up with anyone in the nation!

Anyway, I have 2 students, both sophomores, a boy and a girl. Both are good kids. The boy is a lil rough around the edges. Loves cars, 4x4’s and gets in trouble every now and then. The girl is a popular kid, pretty, athletic and just loves to restore cars with her dad and races at the local 1/4 mile strip on Saturdays. This is a very rural, farming community I live in. Some would say “redneck” but we take that as a compliment around here!

These two students are always discussing my jeep with me, talking about their cars/trucks, both very active in our FFA program. Just good ole country kids.

So when I was telling them about my bumper I had ordered they were excited. I thought, “heck, both of y’all are in beginning welding class. Why don’t y’all weld it up for me?”

They were so excited. Excited I would ask, excited I would trust, excited to be accountable.

I got the finished product back today. Now before you look at the pictures, let me say the welds aren’t perfect. In fact, far from it. Most have been ground down and have pin holes throughout. Some are not ground and they are a little cold in places, a little hot in others.

BUT I think they will hold. And the look of pride in these kids faces when they turned it over...... Well, I’m not gonna touch the thing; other than to spray it with $1 rattle can! I will display their work as is. And I’ll remember these students every time I see the imperfections!

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My wonderful bride surprised me with this for Father's Day. Should be here later in the week. No more wheeling than I actually do, this should meets my needs perfectly.

Happy Fathers Day to all the dad's out there!

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Installed this tonight. Flowmaster HushPower 2 18” version.

View attachment 177605

I Put a turndown after the skid.

I went the easy way out expecting to have to redo it. I gotta say, this HushPower 2 is really quiet. If I didn’t know better I’d say it was stock.

I have no exhaust fumes in the cab with the hard top on; At speed or sitting at idle. I’ll report back when I pull the hardtop and see if fumes become an issue.

I went ahead and used clamps rather than welding. Just in case I didn’t like the sound or had fumes issues.

I may take it to a shop and have it welded and a pipe routed to the rear. But then again I may not.
This is what I have in mine. Super quiet unless you punch it. Then it growls. Overall I enjoy it
 
As some of you may have seen on my previous posts, I am a High School Principal. A small 7-12 High School that graduates about 30 kids a year in The River Valley of Arkansas. We are an A rated school and our test scores will stack up with anyone in the nation!

Anyway, I have 2 students, both sophomores, a boy and a girl. Both are good kids. The boy is a lil rough around the edges. Loves cars, 4x4’s and gets in trouble every now and then. The girl is a popular kid, pretty, athletic and just loves to restore cars with her dad and races at the local 1/4 mile strip on Saturdays. This is a very rural, farming community I live in. Some would say “redneck” but we take that as a compliment around here!

These two students are always discussing my jeep with me, talking about their cars/trucks, both very active in our FFA program. Just good ole country kids.

So when I was telling them about my bumper I had ordered they were excited. I thought, “heck, both of y’all are in beginning welding class. Why don’t y’all weld it up for me?”

They were so excited. Excited I would ask, excited I would trust, excited to be accountable.

I got the finished product back today. Now before you look at the pictures, let me say the welds aren’t perfect. In fact, far from it. Most have been ground down and have pin holes throughout. Some are not ground and they are a little cold in places, a little hot in others.

BUT I think they will hold. And the look of pride in these kids faces when they turned it over...... Well, I’m not gonna touch the thing; other than to spray it with $1 rattle can! I will display their work as is. And I’ll remember these students every time I see the imperfections!

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Sounds like an awesome place to live!!
 
Just posting this for my own remembrance. No pics or anything.

Replaced both rear wheel cylinders (right was leaking) and put on new shoes today. 144k miles
 
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