Building an E-Ticket ride - 06 LJ

Cut and new lug crimped with a double layer of glue backed heat shrink for strain relief.

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I put the new fuse block on top of the air box. Final product:

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Not as clean looking as I would like but with the winch, flat tow battery charger and aux switch panel I’ve got a lot of leads going to the battery. However, everything is large gage wire and hopefully worth the trouble to install.
 
Ran her for 15 minutes after filling up the coolant.

Left the cap off figuring I could "burp" the system and add more coolant once the thermostat opened up like I've done on other vehicles. After maybe 5 minutes the coolant started rising and puked all over the front of my rig! Damn, could not get it shut off fast enough. Cleaned up all that fresh coolant the best I could, replaced the cap and let her go another 10 minutes or so. I don't think I have any leaks but sure hate seeing coolant drops here and there and can't be 100% sure where they came from after the mess I made. Cooling off the engine now then will open the cap and top off again and consider that done.

Topped off the ATF after losing quite a bit disconnecting the cooler hoses. No leaks on my new hose connections, win.

Damn transmission temp gage still not working and now I am really stumped. I had it working last week or so without running the rig, just powered up and tested it when I found that I had a bad connection at the temp sender. I fixed that, was working and now no joy.

I will take this for now and get some street miles on today.
 
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Thanks for the reply with pics @FarFire70. I think my positive cables are way longer than yours based on the pictures, at least the alternator to fuse cable. Mine is attached to the alternator in this picture and routes past the battery then all the way to the floor! The other one in this picture is already attached to my starter and again, has an extra 4 feet of length given that it should connect to the battery. I got my box of cable lugs with same day delivery from Amazon so will cut them to a good length this morning.

I also cannot find a battery to fender ground wire so that one will go into my tub of heavy cables for future use.

View attachment 558316

Anthony Anderson Abc GIF by HULU


Those are some long cables! Definitely nothing like was in my kit. I'd have recommended to reach out to Jeep Cables but looks like you got it tightened up by modifying them.

Ran her for 15 minutes after filling up the coolant.

Left the cap off figuring I could "burp" the system and add more coolant once the thermostat opened up like I've done on other vehicles. After maybe 5 minutes the coolant started rising and puked all over the front of my rig! Damn, could not get it shut off fast enough. Cleaned up all that fresh coolant the best I could, replaced the cap and let her go another 10 minutes or so. I don't think I have any leaks but sure hate seeing coolant drops here and there and can't be 100% sure where they came from after the mess I made. Cooling off the engine now then will open the cap and top off again and consider that done.

Topped off the ATF after losing quite a bit disconnecting the cooler hoses. No leaks on my new hose connections, win.

Damn transmission temp gage still not working and now I am really stumped. I had it working last week or so without running the rig, just powered up and tested it when I found that I had a bad connection at the temp sender. I fixed that, was working and now no joy.

I will take this for now and get some street miles on today.

Gotta get yourself one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spill-Coolant-Funnel-Kit/dp/B089YHW5HR/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
Thanks @FarFire70, that coolant fill kit would have been great to use. Will pick one up for next time. After a topping off the coolant and nice Sunday drive around the neighborhood, seems I can call the coolant system work complete.

Digging into the bottom of the barrel for anything left to get installed, came across these. My “side steps” are 31” off the ground and that’s a tad high for me and an absolute no go for my wife. These might be a bit gimmicky but hopefully will make it tolerable for her to get into the LJ and avoid carrying a stepladder in the back after I get the height set right.

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Got my Curt tow hooks with retainers to use for safety cables when flat towing. They fit without interfering with the bull bar.

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On the driver side I was able to modify the 6 pin harness bracket to sit on the frame behind the bumper and clear the anti-rock as well as just clearing the tow hook bolt.

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Now I can flat tow when that makes sense, but likely going to get a trailer for long haul trips.
 
Getting my trail gear together, mounted this quick release fire extinguisher here. Not sure I like this spot 100% but can’t get comfortable with anything up front and should be able to get to this quickly in the case of an engine fire. I need to leave the spot in front of my seat for my Brake Buddy. This is also out of the way of anything I will load in the tub.

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I hadn’t used this in a few years since I had my last trailer. No way it was going in my new truck looking like this.

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I hit it with all manner of abrasive wheels, degreaser, brake cleaner, then some lube.

It is not good as new, but good enough.

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Love it. Do you know how much it weighs?
It weighs 1990 lb and payload is placarded for 7910 lbs. it was the stoutest looking aluminum framed trailer they had and has rub rails over the stake pockets which the lighter Alumas did not have. I will need to haul my 5k lb tractor occasionally, so this was a good fit for me.

I just sealed the deck, looks much better now too!

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It weighs 1990 lb and payload is placarded for 7910 lbs. it was the stoutest looking aluminum framed trailer they had and has rub rails over the stake pockets which the lighter Alumas did not have. I will need to haul my 5k lb tractor occasionally, so this was a good fit for me.

I just sealed the deck, looks much better now too!

View attachment 563389

Wow, 20ft under 2k. That’s sweet. Looks like a great package.
 
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I spent a couple hours running the sales guy all over the yard looking at everything. I’ve been over analyzing this purchase for weeks, and now feeling good about where I landed. No one trailer does it all, so compromises had to be made yet I feel like the “must have” stuff is there.
 
Back on it after being out of town last weekend.

Spent some time getting the Jeep positioned on the trailer to yield 10-15% tongue weight. Used a crane scale as seen here on the forum.

I have not yet weighed the Jeep so estimating 4500-5000 lbs with the wheels, axles and armor added. Add 2000 for the trailer and that’s maybe 6500 to 7000 lbs. I am sitting just below 750 on the tongue.

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The trailer is very close to level in that set up.

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Then I wanted to mock up my strap configuration to locate my D rings. There is very little real estate on the rear axle to get straps over. The spots are not symmetrical as on the driver side the track bar mount is wider than the passenger side control arm mount . I am not thrilled with an asymmetrical set up, even is only a few inches off centered. But that’s the only way to get a straight strap and that’s what I want.

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In the front there is no where flat and wide enough to wrap an axle strap over my axle tubes. The only spaces are both going to pinch the strap and I think chafe them over time.

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However, I can get straps through the lower C’s which are super beefy on the Currie Super 44.

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So, I located the D rings lined up to those spots and with one bolt in the trailer cross member. It rained today so I lost a couple hours of work time and out of time for the day, tomorrow I will cut and fit some angle pieces on the backside of the cross member at each bolt location so those bolts also grab metal structure, of course with the brackets bolted to the cross members.

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I also got some of the trailer deck screws and will zip them into the cross members through the boards that have the D rings fit on them. Like this:

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Edit: these are just for reference, a configuration that I tried but ultimately bailed on. Too many connections and I could not convince myself that the straps would stay put on the tires.


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Back on it after being out of town last weekend.

Spent some time getting the Jeep positioned on the trailer to yield 10-15% tongue weight. Used a crane scale as seen here on the forum.

I have not yet weighed the Jeep so estimating 4500-5000 lbs with the wheels, axles and armor added. Add 2000 for the trailer and that’s maybe 6500 to 7000 lbs. I am sitting just below 750 on the tongue.

View attachment 565060

The trailer is very close to level in that set up.

View attachment 565061

Then I wanted to mock up my strap configuration to locate my D rings. There is very little real estate on the rear axle to get straps over. The spots are not symmetrical as on the driver side the track bar mount is wider than the passenger side control arm mount . I am not thrilled with an asymmetrical set up, even is only a few inches off centered. But that’s the only way to get a straight strap and that’s what I want.

View attachment 565080

In the front there is no where flat and wide enough to wrap an axle strap over my axle tubes. The only spaces are both going to pinch the strap and I think chafe them over time.

View attachment 565077
View attachment 565076

However, I can get straps through the lower C’s which are super beefy on the Currie Super 44.

View attachment 565079

So, I located the D rings lined up to those spots and with one bolt in the trailer cross member. It rained today so I lost a couple hours of work time and out of time for the day, tomorrow I will cut and fit some angle pieces on the backside of the cross member at each bolt location so those bolts also grab metal structure, of course with the brackets bolted to the cross members.

View attachment 565064

I also got some of the trailer deck screws and will zip them into the cross members through the boards that have the D rings fit on them. Like this:

View attachment 565066

Edit: these are just for reference, a configuration that I tried but ultimately bailed on. Too many connections and I could not convince myself that the straps would stay put on the tires.


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So, you used a scale to measure tongue weight, but didn't actually weigh your Jeep? I gotta ask...if you're just estimating, why bother with the scale?
 
So, you used a scale to measure tongue weight, but didn't actually weigh your Jeep? I gotta ask...if you're just estimating, why bother with the scale?

To be in the safe range of tongue weight, estimated of course. I need to weigh the Jeep / trailer combo once I get road worthy. I checked with a crane scale because I have no other way to do it. I will redo it once I run everything through a vehicle scale. Being the first time using a new trailer I need to dial in the fore/aft placement.
 
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I got these tie-down brackets from TMR so I didn't have to run straps over my axles anymore.
Had let the ex-wife put the straps on the rear axle once and she'd gone over a brake line. Wasn't prepared for almost no brakes as I was unloading the Jeep.

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I got these tie-down brackets from TMR so I didn't have to run straps over my axles anymore.
Had let the ex-wife put the straps on the rear axle once and she'd gone over a brake line. Wasn't prepared for almost no brakes as I was unloading the Jeep.

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Those TMR brackets look like a great solution. I will give the straps a try for a while but will likely get some tie down brackets on the shelf for the next time I am messing with the axles.

I’ve got a good gap under my brake lines so I should be able to avoid disaster if I am paying attention!