El Viejo, a slow 2006 LJ build

[Neal]

Although I bought my Jeep two years ago and started building it right away, I just joined the forum, so I have a bit of catching up to do. I'll try to hit the high points and throw in a few DIY projects that came up along the way. I'm not a mechanic and have almost no welding/fab skills, so most of what I have done has been just bolting on parts that I have purchased. Mostly, I'm building for moderate to occasionally heavy wheeling in the New Mexico/Colorado area (more rocky and sandy than muddy), as well as being a DD. It's a kinda-sorta LCG build, but I'm not going to be a fanatic about it. So, to begin:

In the first week I ordered MetalCloak's Overline fenders, 6" flares, mod cut rear flares, and rock rails. I also ordered 35" Goodyear MT/R/K's on 15x8 MB Razor wheels from Discount Tires. As it happened, the tires showed up first (by 3 days) and, well, I just HAD to put them on, right?

Yeah, I know. Dumb idea. I couldn't drive over a cigarette butt without the tires rubbing, so the fender flares came off right away. When the stuff from MetalCloak showed up I had to do some body modifications. The mod cut rear flares required some trimming around the rear wheelwell, so I started there.

Cut lines for the rear flares

Measure twice, cut once, pray continuously...

After removing the front fenders and bolting up the new fenders and flares I needed to cut some holes for the JK turn signals I planned to mount in the grille. I had thought of using CJ turn signals but decided that the JK units were easier to install due to their being 3-wire units that plugged right into the existing connections, rather than modifying the CJ's 2-wire lights.

More prayer... I probably should have removed the fog lights but it worked out all right.

First stage finished.

While I had the angle grinder out I trimmed the front bumper. Still early days, but so far, so good.

 

[Chris]

Looks awesome! I always love a nice looking LJ. Keep it up, I like where you're going with it.

 

[dylansalrin]

Looks killer!! Spray those upper shock bolts WEEKS in advance with kroil or ZEP to loosen them up. They will be corroded as all hell and break off with a nudge. Crappy untreated grade 5 bolts and a nightmare to get out if broken. Also spray the body mount bolts while your at it if you ever want a body lift. You'll thank yourself later [emoji1360]


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[Stinger]

Very nice. Like the narrative with the pictures!

 

[Neal]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. Let's continue with the mods...

While I was saving up for an Anti-Rock swaybar I decided to make up a set of quick discos. Not much point in having all that extra room in the wheelwells if I wasn't going to use it. I picked up a couple of M12 grade 8.8 bolts with a 3" shank, cut the threads off and drilled holes for a locking pin. Real simple, real easy, REAL cheap, maybe 10 bucks for the whole package.

Throw on a couple of washers to eliminate lateral movement and it was a done deal. I later added a lanyard to keep from losing the locking pin (don't ask. Just...don't.). I think this is a good approach if you are looking for a temporary fix, but if you are not planning to replace the stock swaybar I would recommend spending the money on a purpose-built set of quick discos, you'll be better off in the long run.

Gratuitous flex shot. Crossed up and at full stuff I did get a little bit of rubbing, just enough to polish the paint on my new front fenders but not enough to cut the tread up. Not too shabby for no lift and 35's.

To be continued...

 

[Rob5589]

Nice. Hard to believe those fenders accommodate 35's and no lift.

 

[Neal]

After mounting the 35's I obviously needed to regear. Although having a manual transmission helped a bit, the 3.73 gears just weren't going to get it. Since a regear was a bit beyond my skills (Okay, WAY beyond...) I had the folks at Desert Rat in Albuquerque swap in a set of 4.56 gears in both axles and an ARB locker in the rear. Then of course, I had to go find some terrain to test it out in. Silverton, CO seemed like a good place to wring it out.

California Gulch

Climbing up towards Black Bear Pass

Note: For anyone who asks, yes, I am aired down in these photos (12 psi). The sidewalls on those MT/R-K's are tough! Everything worked and handled great, but I found that having a 35" spare in the back seat area really ate into my storage capacity for camping gear. After looking around I decided on a rear bumper/tire carrier from Dirtworx.

As deliverered. Stone ax simple, and tougher than an old boot.

Painted with Rustoleum bed paint (they can call it bedliner if they want to, but it ain't) and mounted.

Now I can put that really big cooler in the back...

More to follow.

 

[Chris]

A TJ on 35" is really the best looking thing I've ever seen

 

[Kyle_W]

Damn i'm jealous....that's a really clean Jeep.

 

[Neal]

Moving right along...
Although the MetalCloak fenders had opened up the wheelwells so I could run 35's I was, as I mentioned in an earlier post, getting a slight amount of rubbing when I had the suspension fully flexed. I'm kinda OCD about that kind of thing so even though I wasn't getting any damage, either to the body or the tires, I went ahead and ordered a 2.5" basic OME lift kit from DPG Offroad, and when I say basic, I mean it. Springs (930's in front and 942's in back), shocks (N66 front/N67 rear), and bumpstop extensions front and rear. That's it. No control arms, no trackbars or relocation brackets. I figured that a 2.5" lift wasn't going to mess with the geometry too much, and if I really didn't like the results I could order more parts quickly enough. I also ordered a Currie Anti-Rock front swaybar so I could ditch the homebrew quick discos. My wheeling buddy Dave and I spent an afternoon swapping out the new for the old and called it a day. We did have one of the rear shock mount bolts shear (kind of a TJ/LJ tradition), but I was able to drill it out without damaging the captive nut (whew!), and we replaced all of the bolts with new Grade 8 hardware and about a gallon of anti-seize. Easy peasy.

Out with the old... while Dave was pulling the shocks I dropped the springs and installed the bumpstop extensions. Teamwork, yay!

In with the new - front...

...and rear.

Because I didn't bother with adjustable trackbars I did find the the axles had shifted off center about 1/4" in front and 3/8" in back. Not enough of a difference to matter to me, and it doesn't affect the driving at all. Also, because it is an LJ, I didn't think I would have to worry about driveline angles and vibes, so no SYE or skid spacers. After installing the Anti-Rock and making a quick toe-in adjustment I drove around for a while and verified that I had no vibes (yay!). I gotta tell you, those OME springs and shocks are fantastic! Stable but supple on pavement and super comfortable off road - the Jeep just floats over washboard and rocky trails at any speed from super slo-mo to stupid fast. The Anti-Rock does allow a bit more body roll in turns, but it's not uncomfortable, and it really helps keep the tires on the ground when I'm off road while keeping everything from leaning downhill on side slopes. Color me happy.

Comparison shots - before...

...and after.

The sharp-eyed reader will notice a few oddities in the last shot. First, the front tow hooks are installed backwards. It was getting late in the day when I finished installing the Anti-Rock and I let myself get in a hurry to put the bumper back on. I drove around for almost a week before I noticed that something just didn't look quite right (dummy!). Also, the Anti-Rock arm is angled too far up for the axle sitting level. The adjustable links that came with the swaybar were too long, even when I had used up all of the threads on both sides. Fortunately, Currie sells shorter links, so a week and about 20 bucks later I was good to go.

This takes care of the major upgrades so far. I'll throw in a couple of DIY projects later, but big-ticket items such as a tummy tuck, full cage and front locker/chromoly shafts are still only in the planning stages. Thanks for watching, kids!

 

[Neal]

OK, this one isn't really a "build" thing, more of a DIY repair, but what the heck, I'll toss it in here...

I was out bouncing off rocks one day when, after stopping to check my line on the next obstacle, I noticed that one of my OEM Hella fog lights was hanging loose on the front bumper. The plastic mounting bracket had fractured. After several unsuccessful attempts to glue/epoxy it back together I decided to make new brackets out of some aluminum strap I had laying around the shop (my wife calls it a "garage" - strange word, that).

This ain't gonna work no more...

"The Plan"

Redneck bending jig. Basically, I clamped the workpiece between two steel straps, squared it up, and whaled on it with a BFH.

Two bracket blanks (note hammer marks).

A little work on a band saw, grind out most of the hammer marks, drill a few holes, and I'm ready to rock.

All mounted up.

I had intended to put a small piece in between the uprights to utilize the vertical adjustment screw, but decided that just tightening the cross bolt would be good enough. Not really sure if it was worth the effort with those old lights, but the price was right.

 

[Chris]

Genius! You could probably sell those brackets, honestly. I say that because I had the same thing happen to me on one of mine and I ended up having to buy an entirely new OE foglight.

The should have made them in metal to begin with!

 

[Neal]

Yeah, I've never understood why anyone would think that making stuff like that out of plastic was a good idea. Cheap? You betcha. Smart? Not so much. As for selling the brackets, anyone with a CNC machine and a press would be able to make them better and faster. Not going to get rich off them this week. I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer to retire...

 

[Chris]

Haha, yeah, I hear ya!

Great idea though, I need to make some of these for myself!

 

[Neal]

Next up - storage. I removed the back seat early on, and I wanted a storage box so all my tools and recovery gear wouldn't become missile hazards if I had an unfortunate vehicular episode. What I really wanted was the large Tuffy storage box, but at $600 plus, that wasn't going to happen. I had built a platform for my backyard shed and had a pile of leftover wood pieces, so I designed a plywood and 2x4 box with a pull-out drawer. Despite all my best efforts to screw up the project I managed to put something together that looks pretty good and holds all the stuff I need to carry.

The basic box. Just a 2x4 bottom frame and 3/4" exterior plywood, glued and screwed, with some 1x1" battens to add strength in the corners. Had to notch the 2x4 in the back to fit over the footman loops in the bed, and the top is designed to sit level with the top of the wheelwells.

The box inside the box, made with 1/4" ply, with the front face made of 3/4", standard drawer construction. Heavy duty full length drawer slides and a fully braced bottom, held 400 lbs. when I tested it, will probably never have that much weight in it for real. It's hard to see in this photo, but the top piece of the box slightly overlaps the front face of the drawer, so if it gets wet the water shouldn't get inside.

Sanded, painted and installed, with a locking t-handle latch for security. I did have to cut a notch on the upper left side of the drawer to clear the tailgate striker. The box is secured by bolting it into the rear seat rail bolt holes and the child restraint fitting mounts. It can easily be removed in a few minutes if I need to use the full bed area.

Loaded up, it carries tool kits, recovery gear, compressor, first aid kit, blankets and rain gear with room to spare. I designed it more for keeping loose gear under control than as an anti-theft security vault, so a determined thief with a crowbar would be able to get in, but it would take time and make noise, and with the tailgate closed and locked my stuff is reasonably secure.

Since I already had the wood laying around, the only real cost was for the drawer pulls and the latch, about $30. The whole thing could be cut from a single sheet of 3/4" plywood (with plenty left over), half a sheet of 1/4" ply and a 8' length of 2x4, plus the 1x1 batten. Add in a small can of primer/sealer and some semi-gloss paint which I already had and I figure that, including the original cost of the wood, I put less that $75 into the project.

 

[Chris]

So cool! You're just full of good ideas!

 

[Neal]

So cool! You're just full of good ideas!

Yeah, I get that a lot, although most people use a different word...

 

[Neal]

So after lifting, regearing and mounting larger tires on my LJ, I was looking for my next upgrade. I remember my Dad telling me many years ago that four wheel drive was mostly useful for getting farther from help before getting stuck, and I was now at the point where I could get way out in the boonies where AAA doesn't go, so a winch was definitely in order. I picked up a Warn M8000S and installed it onto the front of the frame with no problems, then spooled up the synthetic line (no pics, the install was nothing special, just followed the instructions). I had read that synthetic tended to lose integrity when exposed to sunshine for long periods, and if there's anything we have in abundance in New Mexico, it's sunshine. Some sort of cover was needed, but I have had winches on other vehicles and the covers have never lasted long due to weathering. I figured I could get away with just covering the line itself, no need to cover the whole winch. I bought a small sheet of light steel (16 ga.?) and cut it to fit over the spool, then notched it to clear the fairlead. I used my wife's rolling pin to contour the piece to fit close to the winch (maybe that's why her pies have tasted a little funny lately...).

I riveted a spring clip to the top of the piece, to hook over the rear crossbar.

I then added two strong magnets to the lower edge in front, gluing them on with JB Weld. These would grip the heads of the fairlead bolts.

Some primer, paint and clearcoat to (mostly) match the winch color, and it's done.

It fits perfectly, removes and installs easily, and stays attached at highway speeds. I could probably use the winch with the cover installed, but I'm not planning to. The project cost about $25, including paint.

 

[dylansalrin]

So after lifting, regearing and mounting larger tires on my LJ, I was looking for my next upgrade. I remember my Dad telling me many years ago that four wheel drive was mostly useful for getting farther from help before getting stuck, and I was now at the point where I could get way out in the boonies where AAA doesn't go, so a winch was definitely in order. I picked up a Warn M8000S and installed it onto the front of the frame with no problems, then spooled up the synthetic line (no pics, the install was nothing special, just followed the instructions). I had read that synthetic tended to lose integrity when exposed to sunshine for long periods, and if there's anything we have in abundance in New Mexico, it's sunshine. Some sort of cover was needed, but I have had winches on other vehicles and the covers have never lasted long due to weathering. I figured I could get away with just covering the line itself, no need to cover the whole winch. I bought a small sheet of light steel (16 ga.?) and cut it to fit over the spool, then notched it to clear the fairlead. I used my wife's rolling pin to contour the piece to fit close to the winch (maybe that's why her pies have tasted a little funny lately...).

View attachment 7904

I riveted a spring clip to the top of the piece, to hook over the rear crossbar.
View attachment 7905

I then added two strong magnets to the lower edge in front, gluing them on with JB Weld. These would grip the heads of the fairlead bolts.
View attachment 7906

Some primer, paint and clearcoat to (mostly) match the winch color, and it's done.
View attachment 7907

It fits perfectly, removes and installs easily, and stays attached at highway speeds. I could probably use the winch with the cover installed, but I'm not planning to. The project cost about $25, including paint.
View attachment 7908

Would you ever consider making one and shipping to me lol?


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[Chris]

So after lifting, regearing and mounting larger tires on my LJ, I was looking for my next upgrade. I remember my Dad telling me many years ago that four wheel drive was mostly useful for getting farther from help before getting stuck, and I was now at the point where I could get way out in the boonies where AAA doesn't go, so a winch was definitely in order. I picked up a Warn M8000S and installed it onto the front of the frame with no problems, then spooled up the synthetic line (no pics, the install was nothing special, just followed the instructions). I had read that synthetic tended to lose integrity when exposed to sunshine for long periods, and if there's anything we have in abundance in New Mexico, it's sunshine. Some sort of cover was needed, but I have had winches on other vehicles and the covers have never lasted long due to weathering. I figured I could get away with just covering the line itself, no need to cover the whole winch. I bought a small sheet of light steel (16 ga.?) and cut it to fit over the spool, then notched it to clear the fairlead. I used my wife's rolling pin to contour the piece to fit close to the winch (maybe that's why her pies have tasted a little funny lately...).

View attachment 7904

I riveted a spring clip to the top of the piece, to hook over the rear crossbar.
View attachment 7905

I then added two strong magnets to the lower edge in front, gluing them on with JB Weld. These would grip the heads of the fairlead bolts.
View attachment 7906

Some primer, paint and clearcoat to (mostly) match the winch color, and it's done.
View attachment 7907

It fits perfectly, removes and installs easily, and stays attached at highway speeds. I could probably use the winch with the cover installed, but I'm not planning to. The project cost about $25, including paint.
View attachment 7908

So, so cool! Seriously, each time you do something to your LJ I look forward to seeing it. Hate to sound like a suck up, but clearly you have a very creative mind.

This looks fantastic!