Bo’s Build-A labor of love

[Trident72]

It all started with an ad on FB. 100k mile 2004 TJ asking $8000. Got me thinking, it’s almost Christmas, my wife has wanted a Jeep since o made her get rid of her 2003(cuz making payments on a vehicle that’s falling apart isn’t my idea of smart) Could I pull it off? The greatest Christmas present ever!?
So I took a ride into MA, she looked nothing like the pic, flat tire, covered in tree slime, leaking power steering pump, dead battery, bad shocks and springs and two snapped front sway bar links! But it started with a jump, the tire held air and the frame was solid so it had potential. A quick test drive told me the rest, $5800 later I was white knuckling the entire 60+ mile ride home.

Immediately upon arriving home, I first kissed the ground(have you driven a Jeep on the highway with two snapped sway bar links and bad shocks) then me and a friend headed to Napa. New battery, links and power steering pump purchased and installed by that night made a world of difference! A quick stop ,on the way to its hideout, at a car wash further improved the situation!
So at this point we’re about 3 weeks from Christmas. I worked on cleaning the interior, pulling the center console, carpet and power washing the hell out of everything getting it ready for gifting. I also knew it needed shocks and springs so I looked at Rough Country’s 2.5in lift kit which conveniently is Shocks and Springs! Price was right and their durability will never be tested fully so I ordered it along with a new stabilizer. These would be wrapped and put under the tree.

Christmas day Bo(as my wife would come to name him) arrived. She was totally surprised and as you can see she was pretty happy.
Two days after Christmas a friend helped install the 2.5 inch lift. Everything went as smooth as a NE Jeep will allow except for the one snapped rear shock bolt which added about 3hours of labor[emoji35]

Before and After shot
Next up was New Candles up front. Ordered a set of LEDs recommended here

These were simple to install and the improvement is worth the 80$
By this time I am fully involved. YouTube videos, reading this forum soaking in all the knowledge I can. The Jeep has Lit a fire in me and I have a desire to wrench like I haven’t since my 20s. So when we looked at the Jeep we knew that at least one side had a bad ball joint, and the other side had a bad u joint. So in I dove determined to rebuild the front end, making it safe for the wife and kids. Ordered new Spicer upper and lowers, and Spicer U Joints.

Pulling a 14 yr old rusty NE Jeep part is nothing like the videos on YouTube but all in all it wasn’t bad. Heat is a must tho, along with PB Blaster, beer and patience.

One UJoint cap had no needle bearings at all, just rust and dirt!

More rusty stuff

These will need to be replaced. As well as the hub bearings. Found the pie plates on Morris 4x4 and Timken hubs and new 12ptbolts on Amazon

New balls

Very handy tool rented from Napa

New bearings arrived as well as pie plates

These should be an improvement!

coming along nicely

Finally took it for a test ride today. This is where Bo stands as of 1/21/18

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[jchadscud]

Nice! It’s not fun when things don’t come apart or go together as you’d expect, but it is fun to drive around in something you’ve wrenched on! Go Bo!

 

[Trident72]

Nice! It’s not fun when things don’t come apart or go together as you’d expect, but it is fun to drive around in something you’ve wrenched on! Go Bo!

For me a snapped bolt is fatal. Drilling and tapping is not a skill I ever acquired. It something like welding that I should probably learn tho lol!


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[Mike_H]

nice story! Looks like the jeep is coming along nicely. What other plans do you have for it?

 

[Trident72]

nice story! Looks like the jeep is coming along nicely. What other plans do you have for it?

Thanks! As I write this I just came in from wiring the daytime running lights(a small detail I skipped after installing the LEDs) My to do list includes:
Making some paracord grab handles
Replacing the door seals
Mounting the rear tabs that hold the soft top rear window(someone removed them) I ordered them from Morris 4x4 along with the disk shields
32x11.5 BFGs
Change all fluids
Stereo upgrade including replacing the missing sub that was also removed for some reason
Blow out/clean out full length of frame rails
Shorten front factory bumper and move fog lights in
Remove hitch set up and find a rear bumper with hitch
I think that’s about it...at least that’s all I can think of right now


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[Chris]

Well done so far, I like where you're headed! Love the color too (my Rubicon is the same color).

Have you had it long enough to drive it in the Summer topless and doorless?

 

[Blank]

Damn good looking rig! How do you like that rc lift. I want to do a small lift that won’t break the bank


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[Trident72]

Well done so far, I like where you're headed! Love the color too (my Rubicon is the same color).

Have you had it long enough to drive it in the Summer topless and doorless?

Nope! Bought it in November. One of the details I’ve left out of the story was that it came with no soft top hardware. I’ve since acquired the hoops and door frames and an almost never used factory tan soft top! Can’t wait for summer! Honestly I hope my wife never has to put the top on it


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[Chris]

Nope! Bought it in November. One of the details I’ve left out of the story was that it came with no soft top hardware. I’ve since acquired the hoops and door frames and an almost never used factory tan soft top! Can’t wait for summer! Honestly I hope my wife never has to put the top on it


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At least you got a hard top! That right there is a huge selling point. I refused to buy a TJ unless it came with a hard top.

 

[Trident72]

Damn good looking rig! How do you like that rc lift. I want to do a small lift that won’t break the bank


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It works. It’s cheap. But I get the criticism. Not including new nuts and bolts is just stupid. And the shocks aren’t the greatest for sure, but infinitely better than the stock 100,000 mile shocks that were on it. I see a set of Ranchos in Bo’s distant future


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[Blank]

It works. It’s cheap. But I get the criticism. Not including new nuts and bolts is just stupid. And the shocks aren’t the greatest for sure, but infinitely better than the stock 100,000 mile shocks that were on it. I see a set of Ranchos in Bo’s distant future


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Awesome man thanks they may be a possibility for me. Just with different shocks


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[Trident72]

It works. It’s cheap. But I get the criticism. Not including new nuts and bolts is just stupid. And the shocks aren’t the greatest for sure, but infinitely better than the stock 100,000 mile shocks that were on it. I see a set of Ranchos in Bo’s distant future


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Yeah, price it out. It may just make more sense to get a slightly more expensive kit with better shocks right off the bat. I can live with it. But in hindsight I might have spent an extra 100$ on a better kit


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[Mike_H]

I think you can get the 2" RC springs on amazon. Seems when I found them, they really were not appreciably less expensive than OME, so I went OME. Kinda tells you something about where the different companies spend their money, eh?

 

[Trident72]

Update-1/23/18
Tonight I checked some stuff off Bo’s list.

I started off by draining the front diff.

Nice the tag is still intact

All cleaned up ready for gasket and cover replacement

Handtightened the bolts. While I waited the prescribed hour before torquing I moved on....

New Plugs went in

Drained the oil and replaced with fresh 10w30 and a new WIX filter. Once this was done I went back underneath, torqued the differential bolts and tomorrow night I will fill with fluid and do the rear diff. I just want to say to everyone in this forum, that your knowledge and insight as well as the many who have made and posted how to videos on YouTube have given me the confidence to achieve way above my experience level. Thank you. Bo thanks you[emoji41]



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[Trident72]

Update-1/23/18
Tonight I checked some stuff off Bo’s list. View attachment 29881 I started off by draining the front diff.
View attachment 29882
View attachment 29883Nice the tag is still intact
View attachment 29884View attachment 29885View attachment 29886All cleaned up ready for gasket and cover replacement
View attachment 29887View attachment 29888Handtightened the bolts. While I waited the prescribed hour before torquing I moved on....
View attachment 29889 New Plugs went in
View attachment 29890Drained the oil and replaced with fresh 10w30 and a new WIX filter. Once this was done I went back underneath, torqued the differential bolts and tomorrow night I will fill with fluid and do the rear diff. I just want to say to everyone in this forum, that your knowledge and insight as well as the many who have made and posted how to videos on YouTube have given me the confidence to achieve way above my experience level. Thank you. Bo thanks you[emoji41]



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Final shot



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[JMT]

Nice work! You’re putting this TJ back into business!

 

[AtlWrangler99]

Nice

 

[Chris]

Good job so far! I like it!

 

[TrooperJosh]

Beautiful Rig! Love what you're doing to it!

 

[Trident72]

So question for you guys in preparation for tonight.....when I do the rear diff, which is a Dana 44, should I just drain it using the plug or should I remove the whole cover and douche it out real good? Also if you look at my pic with the gasket sealer, in your opinion, too much? Too little? Thinner bead? All help is always appreciated!


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