Crush LJR

gotgneissschist

gotgneissschist

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Joined
Jul 17, 2019
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9
Location
San Antonio, TX
Update: Hey guys! Here is "Crush" (short for rock crusher, I'm a geologist by trade). About to do a full build, getting closer (mid-September) so I'm updating my plans as I start (and learn more)... and any advice is welcome.

I bought her mid June 2019. She came with 124k miles, never having been off-road with the interior finished with blue parachord and seats. Only upgrades they had on her was a 3.5" Rubicon Express lift and aftermarket rear bumper/tire carrier. She's on 33s. I mounted a Smittybilt front stubby bumper with winch and installed a CB to do some basic off-roading with my group before a proper build. Short, abbreviated list of "next up":
- Tummy Tuck (with 1" body lift)
- Regear (5.13 or 5.38s)
- Chrome molly axle shafts
- Switch to 4" lift coils
- Upgrade front & rear shocks
- Upgrade steering components
- 37" tires/17" rims (undecided on going straight to beadlocks...)
- Poison Spyder 3" DeFender flares, Rock Knockers w/ sliders
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Nice looking LJ!

Skip the long arm lift though. Do your research here and you'll quickly discover that a bolt-on long arm kit is not something you want.

If you really want to put a good lift on there, it doesn't get any better than the Savvy mid-arm.

Don't fall into the myth that a long arm lift is a good thing.
 
If going to 37's, you'll want a good brake upgrade (Black Magic Brakes for example), and you'll want to strengthen the axles front and rear.
 
gotgneissschist said:
Hey guys! Still debating on names, but for now, she's referred to as "Crush"
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Hopefully the naming committee doesn't get wind of this. :ROFLMAO:

Great looking jeep. Can't wait to see the progress. Like Chris mentioned you may want to reconsider long arms. If it was my jeep I would go with 4 inch currie springs, 1.25 BL, tube fenders, Metal cloak (or savvy) control arms, anti rock up front, and currie currectlync steering.

Oh wait.... That is what I did :p

With 37s your defiantly going to want to add upgraded axle shafts to the list
 
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Chris said:
Nice looking LJ!

Skip the long arm lift though. Do your research here and you'll quickly discover that a bolt-on long arm kit is not something you want.

If you really want to put a good lift on there, it doesn't get any better than the Savvy mid-arm.

Don't fall into the myth that a long arm lift is a good thing.
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Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely be doing quite a bit more research before committing on the build. :)
 
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Alex01 said:
Hopefully the naming committee doesn't get wind of this. :ROFLMAO:

Great looking jeep. Can't wait to see the progress. Like Chris mentioned you may want to reconsider long arms. If it was my jeep I would go with 4 inch currie springs, 1.25 BL, tube fenders, Metal cloak (or savvy) control arms, anti rock up front, and currie currectlync steering.

Oh wait.... That is what I did :p

With 37s your defiantly going to want to add upgraded axle shafts to the list
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:ROFLMAO: oh, man. And thanks. Good to know about other builds, too, for inspiration as I get started. I'll look into the axles - someone else just recommended the same thing above.
 
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gotgneissschist said:
I knew about the breaks, but what do you mean 'strengthen' the axles? I'm running Dana44s on both; are you recommending Dana60s?
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Upgraded axle shafts. Though I believe you'll be pushing the limits of the 44's when going above a 35" tire. There are others here more knowledgeable about that stuff that could tell you for sure.
 
RCV warranties up to 40's on their 44 shafts. I believe revolution doesn't even care about tire size if you buy the us made version. That said I would max out at 37s. Where there is a will there's a way.

@Daryl runs 37s on his jeep. I would talk to him a bit. He has an awesome well built jeep. I've had the pleasure to meet him before and he is a great guy.
 
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Your axles won’t last with 37’s. Even if you upgrade the shafts, the factory lockers (especially the rear), unit bearings, ball joints, and brakes will all hate you.
 
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Alex01 said:
RCV warranties up to 40's on their 44 shafts. I believe revolution doesn't even care about tire size if you buy the us made version. That said I would max out at 37s. Where there is a will there's a way.

@Daryl runs 37s on his jeep. I would talk to him a bit. He has an awesome well built jeep. I've had the pleasure to meet him before and he is a great guy.
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The only thing I’ve noticed from running 37’s is the upper ball joints won’t last as long. I’m running Alloy USA brand shafts with CTM joints. If you like the skinny pedal, your mileage may vary. I know several people that run 37’s and have no issues also. Some people can break an anvil and loose half the pieces before getting back home.
 
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Bababooey said:
Your axles won’t last with 37’s. Even if you upgrade the shafts, the factory lockers (especially the rear), unit bearings, ball joints, and brakes will all hate you.
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The rear Rubicon Locker is weak. Once it’s replaced, it’s a non issue in my experience. Upper ball joints will last about 40k miles instead of ?. Never had an issue with the unit bearings. Larger tires take more braking.
 
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Update. New 5.13 gears and chrome molly axle shafts are installed; new 4.5" coils and shocks, Poison Spyder rocker knockers, and crusher corners are in and waiting for my next work day to go on; and RuffStuff 1-ton steering kit and Poison Spyder XC Defenders are waiting to be installed by a fabricator here in town. Borrowing my buddies 35s temporarily (effective height: 34"), got new 37s (Maxxis Trebadors; effective height: 36.9") waiting for me to decide on wheels. They are quite a bit bigger...
Tummy tuck will be next in line after getting the 37s on. I'm going to run the factory lockers as long as I can...
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Why stop at 5.13? Why Ruff Stuff steering? Why Poison Spyder sliders?
 
jjvw said:
Why stop at 5.13? Why Ruff Stuff steering? Why Poison Spyder sliders?
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She's not trailered, so I thought 5.38 might be excessive. Turns out, she already had 5.13 gears that I was running without knowing. She runs about 2250 RPM at 65/70 and had stock dif tags still on her, so I really didn't know - and the shop didn't think to look or realize until after they had the new gears installed. That was a bit of a fiasco, but now the new gears are warranteed.

My buddy has Ruff Stuff steering on his TJ and it's been amazing for him, especially with the abuse he puts his TJ through. So, I decided on going with the same.

I like the look and functionality of the sliders, as they stay close to the body and provide the protection i'm looking for. Went with the same brand for fenders and corner guards to prevent any fitment issues between brands, and so that everything has a cohesive look.
 
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Backdraft said:
Did you get your fenders on yet?
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Got 37" Maxxis Trepadors on Fuel Crush 17" wheels mounted, front fenders, inner fenders, RuffStuff 1-ton steering, 4.5" coils and front shocks on. I decided to go with Aerostar hood pins, which have been fantastic! Just gotta get the rocker knockers with sliders and crusher corners on now. Needed to cut into the rear body just a bit to accommodate the 37s.

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