Yeah, yeah, yeah jeep parts and stuff.......More deets on the bike bruh!!!
4-cylinder cross country crawler build
- Thread starter The4bangertj
- Start date
I’ve been mtn biking very loosely since a kid. Did a week long 60miles a day on the Chesapeake and Ohio canal in scouts. Though that’s not technical just riding on a dirt path. College I got a used Marlin 5 which I took down to the bare frame and powder coated it myself on my college campus, changed it to a one by, and did a ton of light days in eastern Idaho. Now I live in New Hampshire with highland mtn bike park only 45 min away and a lot of trails locally with wooden features and jumps less than 2 min from my house. So the Marlin 5 was out of its range. I did enjoy the hard tail but the lack of good brakes and my tailbone being bruised on the root covered climbs really made me want a full sus. Thankfully my friend in Idaho who I used to ride with was willing to sell his 2024 fire pivot fire bird for a good price. It’s a frame up build with a crane creek rear coil with a 450-500 ph progressive spring, one up v3 210 dropper, fox 38 , carbon bars, shimano xtr brakes, and a wireless sram gearset. It’s absolutely more bike than I need but for the price, knowing where I was and how it was maintained, and he actually wanted the money more made it a good deal imo.
I can do some jumps but nothing crazy. Took it out yesterday just to the local trails and was trying to dial in the suspension more. Definitely need more set up time.
First pic is my old marlin. All my pics of building it are off my phone but I might have put them else where. Last pics are the last time I was at high last year on my uncle In-laws stumpy.
New soft top showed up yesterday.
My old soft top I got off marketplace for 50bucks and was well used and needed some re stitching when I got it in 2020. I only used it for the summers since college was across the country I would take the hard top. Last winter I stored the soft top behind the shed instead of in my parent’s garage. This lead to a family of mice making it their home and having a puddle of shit and piss in it. On top of chewing more stitching. So it was very leaky and after a lot of scrubbing it would still smell like piss when it would get warm. I’ve always preferred the soft top and half doors since the half door uppers are off any time it’s not raining and will often have the soft top windows out as well. So I figured I’d try a nice top for once.
My dad found me a best top but uses a different frame. At the point of finding out it won’t work I was already topless, had all the soft top hardware ready for the new top, and the hardtop was stored away. So I just ordered a besttop off Amazon hoping it would come before the rain.
Installed after work yesterday and 30 min later had our first thunderstorm of the year. Great timing.
Best top twill oem replacement. Used my stock frame but got new screws and new bow knuckles. First impressions are amazing. Definitely quieter than a traditional top, did I care that much how loud they were? Not really since my jeep is just always loud but I’ve always wanted to see what a good top was like. It definitely looks better than what I had. Only complaint is the half door uppers don’t match. In some light you can’t tell, in other light it looks pretty bad lol. I just ordered master top twill uppers and will see how well they match.
Has already been an exciting summer for the jeep and I still have more planned.
Need to do the body lift next. Flux sliders will be soon.
My old soft top I got off marketplace for 50bucks and was well used and needed some re stitching when I got it in 2020. I only used it for the summers since college was across the country I would take the hard top. Last winter I stored the soft top behind the shed instead of in my parent’s garage. This lead to a family of mice making it their home and having a puddle of shit and piss in it. On top of chewing more stitching. So it was very leaky and after a lot of scrubbing it would still smell like piss when it would get warm. I’ve always preferred the soft top and half doors since the half door uppers are off any time it’s not raining and will often have the soft top windows out as well. So I figured I’d try a nice top for once.
My dad found me a best top but uses a different frame. At the point of finding out it won’t work I was already topless, had all the soft top hardware ready for the new top, and the hardtop was stored away. So I just ordered a besttop off Amazon hoping it would come before the rain.
Installed after work yesterday and 30 min later had our first thunderstorm of the year. Great timing.
Best top twill oem replacement. Used my stock frame but got new screws and new bow knuckles. First impressions are amazing. Definitely quieter than a traditional top, did I care that much how loud they were? Not really since my jeep is just always loud but I’ve always wanted to see what a good top was like. It definitely looks better than what I had. Only complaint is the half door uppers don’t match. In some light you can’t tell, in other light it looks pretty bad lol. I just ordered master top twill uppers and will see how well they match.
Has already been an exciting summer for the jeep and I still have more planned.
Need to do the body lift next. Flux sliders will be soon.
Looks Good....
I bought a cheap Smittybilt top and honestly wished I'd bought a BestTop instead.
I bought a cheap Smittybilt top and honestly wished I'd bought a BestTop instead.
Ya the 50 dollar one I had was a rampage. Not bad for the cost but it’s hot summer fit was still worst that this bestop straight out of the box. Hard to tell how it vs a best top will last too since I purchased that one used.
I got an award at work so this top was also only 400 bucks out of pocket.
Drive home in the best top and noticed it’s not flapping and only heard the spot right above my head make a noise once.
I'd lucked out and picked up a Sunrider top that was brand new for cheap.... Stupid me I sold it with my daughters old TJ...
Got some master craft half door uppers to match the twill. They look a lot better. A slight difference bestop vs master top twill up close if you’re looking for it but for anyone else they wouldn’t know it’s a different brand.
Flux sliders came so now it’s taking my old ones off, cleaning up the torque box, and putting on a body lift since it’s a lot more open with the sliders off. Thanks to Blaine he got me a mixed set of pucks so I wouldn’t feel bad after removing the middle 6 immediately since I also got some kxt fab raised body mounts. Sliders only had 3 spinning nut serts. Drilled them out. Wire wheeled the torque boxes. Had a good bit of surface rust. Nothing too bad and only a spot of rust that’s started to pit the metal. So for 6 years post me welding these in, I think they’re holding up well since it took 4 idaho and 2 New England winters to get this bad. No more winter driving so I suspect them to last forever now.
Then it was body lift time. Using brand new rubber body mounts to replace the old rusty and filled with dirt mounts, kxt fab raised metal brackets which will replace my bent ones and gain a lot of clearance, 6 currie 1 inch pucks for the middle (removed once the kxt brackets were put on) and savvy 1.25inch pucks for the grill and 4 rear locations.
Started installing all the pucks as a base line. Went much smoother than I was expecting. Once the pucks were installed I cut of one mount at a time and re welded the new mount on. Had to raise the body just a bit since the pucks Blaine gave me were 1inch and not the 1.25 like the rest and the raised kxt body mounts are (I fully knew the height difference and was expecting it) . Used a hackzall to cut the mounts then an angle grinder to wire wheel and grind down the left over mounts.
That was all day. Will paint the torque box and mounts tomorrow before it rains but will save the flux sliders for after work days when it’s not raining.
Flux sliders came so now it’s taking my old ones off, cleaning up the torque box, and putting on a body lift since it’s a lot more open with the sliders off. Thanks to Blaine he got me a mixed set of pucks so I wouldn’t feel bad after removing the middle 6 immediately since I also got some kxt fab raised body mounts. Sliders only had 3 spinning nut serts. Drilled them out. Wire wheeled the torque boxes. Had a good bit of surface rust. Nothing too bad and only a spot of rust that’s started to pit the metal. So for 6 years post me welding these in, I think they’re holding up well since it took 4 idaho and 2 New England winters to get this bad. No more winter driving so I suspect them to last forever now.
Then it was body lift time. Using brand new rubber body mounts to replace the old rusty and filled with dirt mounts, kxt fab raised metal brackets which will replace my bent ones and gain a lot of clearance, 6 currie 1 inch pucks for the middle (removed once the kxt brackets were put on) and savvy 1.25inch pucks for the grill and 4 rear locations.
Started installing all the pucks as a base line. Went much smoother than I was expecting. Once the pucks were installed I cut of one mount at a time and re welded the new mount on. Had to raise the body just a bit since the pucks Blaine gave me were 1inch and not the 1.25 like the rest and the raised kxt body mounts are (I fully knew the height difference and was expecting it) . Used a hackzall to cut the mounts then an angle grinder to wire wheel and grind down the left over mounts.
That was all day. Will paint the torque box and mounts tomorrow before it rains but will save the flux sliders for after work days when it’s not raining.
Finally got to install the flux sliders. Everything went perfectly except for 2 of the torque box holes in the front of the slider didn’t match. Just close enough in the way I can’t get a ribnut in but just far enough I couldn’t get a bolt in. Thankfully it was not the 2 that the stainless ties into, some how those 2 that the stainless use lined up perfectly from my old sliders where I added holes in the torque box. Didn’t have the time or will power to try and get those fixed yet. Will prob just drill 2 holes in a new location rather than try and fix my torque box since I’m not sure the best path for it. I’m sure all the other bolts will be strong enough since It’s still more bolts than both of my old sliders combined.
Ordered a new belly skid system but it’s been 2 weeks and ucf still says it’s processing so I’m guessing it’s being made now. So next up is flux corner armor, fenders, rub rails, and ucf diy 3/8 6061 1inch deep belly skid and a 1/4inchh engine skid with a genright crossmember that I’ll use jk control arms for bushings.
Ordered a new belly skid system but it’s been 2 weeks and ucf still says it’s processing so I’m guessing it’s being made now. So next up is flux corner armor, fenders, rub rails, and ucf diy 3/8 6061 1inch deep belly skid and a 1/4inchh engine skid with a genright crossmember that I’ll use jk control arms for bushings.
One thing I noticed right away after the body lift was my steering had a dead spot caused by the shaft angle. I had one from Amazon ready to install the same day as the lift but got the wrong one. The 1997 2.5l needs a different one than even a 98 2.5l. Mountain off road (M.O.R.E)makes them thankfully so I didn’t have to spend the time getting the welder back out of the shed and set up. The oem diy highlined fenders made for plenty of room to get it on. Heard with real fenders it’s a lot more of a pain. This was in under 20 min. We’ll see if the dead spot is gone.
Last edited:
Received my flux corner armor and corner rub rails.
Used a 40 grit abrasive wheel on an angle grinder and just worked the wheel shape to fit a 35 for future wheels. The cardboard is a 35.5 inch diameter and I tried to add just a little more room on the actual corner armor for some forgiveness. Shape looks better now too. Not sure why the stock wheel well isn’t a true circle and it’s always bothered me. Corner armor will go to powder coat on Monday.
I will also be putting in a whole new clutch set up after work since the in-laws are out of town and I can use another car to get to work as every weekend has gotten so busy I havnt had a full day free in over a month and don’t see that changing.
Used a 40 grit abrasive wheel on an angle grinder and just worked the wheel shape to fit a 35 for future wheels. The cardboard is a 35.5 inch diameter and I tried to add just a little more room on the actual corner armor for some forgiveness. Shape looks better now too. Not sure why the stock wheel well isn’t a true circle and it’s always bothered me. Corner armor will go to powder coat on Monday.
I will also be putting in a whole new clutch set up after work since the in-laws are out of town and I can use another car to get to work as every weekend has gotten so busy I havnt had a full day free in over a month and don’t see that changing.
Forgot. Also did the savvy lower arms. So now all links are done. Currie steering and track bars, savvy control arms.
Great work- ive had flux's corner armor in the garage for a year now 
hope you are faster than me
hope you are faster than me
When I had a 2.5 I thought about adding an inertia ring to it. Have you been in a situation where you think that may help? here is what I googled below:
To maintain better crawl momentum and prevent stalling at low RPMs in a 2.5L Jeep, drivers add an inertia ring (or flywheel weight) to the stock flywheel, or completely swap it out for a high-inertia heavy flywheel. [1, 2, 3]
The Solutions for Better Crawl Momentum
- Inertia Ring (Flywheel Weight): This is a heavy metal ring (typically weighing around 8 to 9 pounds) that bolts directly onto the backside of the factory flywheel. Popularized by off-road shops like Tri County Gear, it increases the total rotational mass of the flywheel assembly. [1, 2, 3]
- High-Inertia Flywheels: Instead of a bolt-on weight, companies like Centerforce manufacture solid billet steel high-inertia flywheels designed specifically for off-roading. These often increase rotational inertia by 35% or more over the stock OE design. [1, 2]
How It Helps the 2.5L Engine
The 2.5L four-cylinder engine naturally lacks low-end torque. Adding mass to the outside edge of the flywheel uses physics to maximize kinetic energy: [1]
- Prevents Stalling: The engine is much harder to stall when creeping over rocks or climbing steep ledges at an idle. [1, 2]
- Tractor-Like Lugging: It allows the Jeep to "lug" along at incredibly low RPMs without requiring the driver to constantly feather the gas pedal or slip the clutch. [, 2]
- Carries Momentum: Once the heavy assembly is spinning, its rotational inertia carries the crankshaft through hard spots between cylinder firing strokes. [1]
I don't know if anyone makes the inertia ring anymore now... It was Tri-Couty 4WD or something like that. I had one on my 4 popper and YES it does help. I do think there is the heavy flywheel still being offered now...
https://www.centerforce.com/n-34-pa...btydSoO5R9Anx9ZGawJm1990IWoFfOefrkziyYK9Vlxft
NEW CENTERFORCE HIGH INERTIA BILLET STEEL FLYWHEEL 700478
New Centerforce ® Billet Steel Flywheel, part number 700478 , available for 1996-2000 Jeep Cherokee, 1997-2002 Jeep TJ and 1991-1995 & 1997-2002 Jeep Wrangler 2.5L 4 Cylinder Engines . Centerforce steel flywheels are CAD/CAM-designed and CNC-machined from billet steel for precise, no-hassle, bolt-in installation. This Centerforce 36.55 pound billet steel flywheel equates to a 35% increase in inertia over the stock flywheel. This extra stored energy helps maintain engine RPM and pulls your Jeep thru rough terrain. Centerforce billet steel flywheels are SFI-certified, so you know that you can count on them, on the street and off-road. This flywheel is ready for installation using the included ARP 5/16” Pressure Plate bolts, replacing the O.E. 8mm x125 pressure plate bolts, and upgraded high capacity needle roller pilot bearing.
Personally I don’t think it would help enough for me to do it. Like saying adding heavier wheels will help it off road. My goal is light in every way and making something worst on road is not an option unless it’s dramatic offroad capability. I have absolutely felt that the crawling speed and torque is not enough. I’ve burned the clutch or just stalled more times than I can remember. I think the only solution to that is an atlas with a 4:1 or 5:1. Doesn’t affect on road but greatly improves offroad. Only down side is to run the atlas id swap to an ax15 and that has a lower 5th gear.
Being able to lug the engine down to lower RPM's can be helpful which is where the inertia ring or heavier flywheel does help and it did seem to help onroad too a little. But I'll agree that one of the better things I did to my 4 popper was doing the TeraLow 4:1....
Another option to think about if you can pickup a D300 for a reasonable price is using it instead of an Atlas and do the doubler at the same time reusing your NP231 so then you wouldn't need a new transmission.
Another exciting thing showed up in the mail. Took almost 2 months to show up. Ucf diy 1inch deep 3/8in thick 6061 belly skid with the 1/4inch 6061 engine skid. I have a genright crossmember that I will use as well as jk control arm bushings instead of the poly bushing that come with the kit. Will try and paint the brackets and shark hide the skids. Been so busy I’ll see when I can do it all.
The throw out bearing was making noise, clutch was getting sticky, and jumpy. It was time to swap. Got to teach two of the in-laws stick on it before I swapped it. Again so busy I had to come home an hour early and knock out the whole clutch from 3-8pm with a work meeting in the middle of it. New luk fly wheel, clutch, pressure plate, timken pilot bearing, and throw out bearing. Soooo much smoother now i cant even make it stutter if i try.
The throw out bearing was making noise, clutch was getting sticky, and jumpy. It was time to swap. Got to teach two of the in-laws stick on it before I swapped it. Again so busy I had to come home an hour early and knock out the whole clutch from 3-8pm with a work meeting in the middle of it. New luk fly wheel, clutch, pressure plate, timken pilot bearing, and throw out bearing. Soooo much smoother now i cant even make it stutter if i try.
2 big things happened.
First off my first kid was born on 4th of July. It was a wild ride to get him here but both mom and him are happy and healthy.
Second I got some time to install flux corners and rub rails. Pretty straight forward install.
First off my first kid was born on 4th of July. It was a wild ride to get him here but both mom and him are happy and healthy.
Second I got some time to install flux corners and rub rails. Pretty straight forward install.
Again congratulations on your new addition to your family... Good to hear that both mom & son are doing well.
And WOW your Jeep has come a long way & is looking great.
And WOW your Jeep has come a long way & is looking great.
Similar threads
