Family's First TJ - 2004 X Build

So the wife and kids are out of town for a few days which is giving me some free time to work on the TJ. It also works out well since boxes of parts seem to be arriving daily.

Yesterday I got home from work to a few deliveries including a set of new OEM Rubicon flares.
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Later in the evening I got a chance to work in the garage some and went ahead and mounted them up. I have a set of new OEM style flares from Rugged Ridge in the garage but wasn't happy with the fitment of the rear flares. These of course are more expensive but I like the additional inch of width they provide and any reservations I had about price went out the window when I put them on the body and they fit like a glove!
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I'm really happy with the fit, finish and look of the Rubicon flares and am anxious to get back home this evening and work on mounting my rock sliders as well as cutting out some replacement decals for the tub. Once I'm finished with repainting the bumpers, plastidipping the grille black, installing decals etc I'll move over to the interior where I'm redoing the audio system as well as interior lighting. After that it will be time to tackle the suspension upgrades and pile of parts accumulating in the garage.

Does it ever end? (no, no it does not)
 
So the wife and kids are out of town for a few days which is giving me some free time to work on the TJ. It also works out well since boxes of parts seem to be arriving daily.

Yesterday I got home from work to a few deliveries including a set of new OEM Rubicon flares.
View attachment 37236

Later in the evening I got a chance to work in the garage some and went ahead and mounted them up. I have a set of new OEM style flares from Rugged Ridge in the garage but wasn't happy with the fitment of the rear flares. These of course are more expensive but I like the additional inch of width they provide and any reservations I had about price went out the window when I put them on the body and they fit like a glove!
View attachment 37237
View attachment 37238

I'm really happy with the fit, finish and look of the Rubicon flares and am anxious to get back home this evening and work on mounting my rock sliders as well as cutting out some replacement decals for the tub. Once I'm finished with repainting the bumpers, plastidipping the grille black, installing decals etc I'll move over to the interior where I'm redoing the audio system as well as interior lighting. After that it will be time to tackle the suspension upgrades and pile of parts accumulating in the garage.

Does it ever end? (no, no it does not)
This work and plan is looking awesome! Great taste
 
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Rubi flares are the shitzizzle brah! What's your plan for the audio?
Currently I’ve got Polk speakers in the dash, Kicker in the sound bar and a Kenwood single din receiver. I’ll be keeping the four speakers as is but replacing the Kenwood with a Pioneer MVH-1400NEX (dual din Apple CarPlay receiver) and replacing the factory console subwoofer with the same setup that Chris used on his TJ. (Kicker subwoofer and PXA200.1 amp).
 
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More parts showed up today! If I can get to a stopping point on the exterior work I'll spend some time getting these audio upgrades installed this weekend.

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The 8.8 I picked up is a 4.10 LSD model.

I know doing it this way I'll end up paying for some labor twice so I'll need to figure out what the best option for me is at this time. For the 8.8 swap I plan to use the Artec truss kit and have a local shop that specializes in Jeeps do the work. I welcome any input from folks that have already been down this road!

So it's funny, I have that exact swap with the artec 8.8 but I needed to regear mine to 4.88s because at the time I still had 4 cylinders, now that I have the v8 I wish I would have stuck with 4.10s. Believe it or not, the factory LSD that comes in the 8.8 is very impressive in my opinion.

The biggest problem I had is that I didn't know/think to rebuild the parking drum brake so it is essentially worthless at holding my Jeep back on a hill if the trans is in neutral.

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Also make sure they weld the tubes to the diff and that they weld slow to prevent the tubes from pulling up with the truss.

By the way, nice build! Very cool jeep!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Also make sure they weld the tubes to the diff and that they weld slow to prevent the tubes from pulling up with the truss.

By the way, nice build! Very cool jeep!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Thanks for the comments and kind words. I've got the Artec truss sitting in pieces right now as I'm hoping to tackle the 8.8 swap soon. From a budget standpoint I'm looking at keeping the 8.8 geared with the factory 4.10 and LSD and either regearing my Dana 30 to 4.10 or picking up a used Dana 30 from a 4cyl/5spd that is already 4.10 to match. Then once budget allows I'd like to regear the 8.8 to 4.88 and install an ARB while at the same time building out the HP30 with 4.88s/ARB to match.
 
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Looking good so far. I'd pass on the PlastiDip grill. One, looks better body color; two, the PD will not hold up. It's a pita to clean, especially ground in dirt.
 
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Love your Jeep!! Just ordered a set of the now discontinued OR-Fab Rock Sliders! Love the way they look and your jeep is the same color as mine so i can really get a sense of how it will look! Im going with the stock canyons and a 32in tire tho! Nice job on yours
 
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The first thing I had to get rid of was the wheel/tire combo that was on the Jeep. Although they were almost brand new tires and wheels, I hate chrome and wanted something bigger than the petite looking 31s. (No offense to folks who have 31" tires, I just didn't like them with this lift etc)

I've been running BFG KO2s on my daily driver F150 for a little while and really like the tires. They wear like iron and do well in most driving conditions while having an aggressive looking sidewall. A friend that owned a TJ previously kept telling me up and down that I needed 35s. I also really wanted 35s because lets face it, they're bigger than 31s or 33s. While the 33" tires would have been the best choice I ended up ordering a set of 35x12.50r15 KO2s along with a set of 5 Mammoth Boulder Black 15x8 wheels. I made a decision pretty quick as I absolutely hated the current setup.

View attachment 35353

While they fit and didn't rub when turning, they were stuffed in there pretty good with the oversize pocket flares and I did get rubbing on the backs of the rear flares when the rearend compressed going over bumps or curbs. All in all they rode well and we put a few miles on them with evening drives.

Not long after I purchased this setup a pretty nice wheel/tire combo for a TJ popped up on Craigslist. It was a set of five BFG KM2 Mud Terrains (305/70R17 with low miles, zero miles on the spare) mounted on Black Rhino Matte Black Ocotillo 17x9 wheels. This size works out to be roughly a 34" tire which I knew would run fine with my current lift and give me a little more room versus the 35s. The price was good enough that I went to check them out and ended up purchasing them as well.

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After throwing them on the jeep I really liked the fit but was still torn between the two. I mentioned to the wife that I may just keep both sets but that didn't go over so well (she claimed we didn't need to store a set in our "already getting full with other jeep parts" garage). I liked the 35" setup but kind of felt that a 15" rim made the tires look too balloon like. Had I gone with a 16" setup originally I probably would have just kept them. While the 17" rim might be a little big for my taste, I decided to keep the KM2s as they were a little better sized and as little as we drive the jeep I like the idea of having a dedicated mud-terrain tire.

Because I don't want any silver/chrome on this jeep I'm researching the best way to black out the silver plastic bolt heads that are on the Black Rhino rims. I was hoping I could remove them, paint/plastidip them and then reinstall for a completely black rim. Unfortunately they're plastic and pressed or glued to the rim so I don't think removing them is an option, thus I'm going to have to figure out an easy way to mask and paint them on the rim.
Looks awesome!
 
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Sorry for the delay in updates, work and life have been taking all of my time away from the Jeep until this past week. We finally got a couple of days of spring weather in the 70's so the wife was anxious for me to get the TJ put together to a point where we could try to enjoy it some before it gets cold again.

I was able to get the OR-Fab Sliders reinstalled with all new hardware and they look like new. (I also used black coated bolts for the hardware that shows to go along with the look I want) I also got out the vinyl machine and cut new "Jeep" decals for the sides of the tub along with a couple of other ones.

Before taking the hardtop and doors off for the season, I decided to repaint the factory handles on the outside of my full doors. They still function fine but the finish was pretty worn from exposure over the years. It was a quick and easy job as I masked off the handle area, lightly sanded some areas that had flaked or surface rusted and then hit the handles with a couple of coats of a satin black enamel spray paint. The end result came out great, they look new and cost almost nothing.

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After painting the handles I came home early on Thursday to give the Jeep a hand washing and shine. I hadn't really washed it since last summer and while not bad it did have dust and dirt from being in the garage as well as sanding residue etc from painting and installing new parts. I forgot how much faster it was to wash than my F150 due to the smaller footprint! I should also mention that after washing it I decided to take off the front bumper as I'm going to repaint it with a matte/satin black enamel to freshen it up before installing the winch and lighting. I also decided to go ahead and paint the grill black using some Duplicolor Custom Wrap paint that was on sale at Advanced Auto (Essentially PlastiDip). A few of the bolts were a pain to get loose but with the help of some pentrating oil and a cheater bar I won the fight.

IMG_4121.jpg


I'm really happy with the way the grill turned out and touching it up and/or removing it will be easy due to the nature of the product. For the bumper I tried out a Matte Black spray paint from Rustoleum that is marketed for automotive use. After application it ended up being too matte with more of a grey color than I wanted. The picture above has it mounted back on the Jeep to compare against other parts. My wife doesn't mind it but my OCD has me planning to recoat it with a satin black that should match the grill and other blacks better.

Friday I was able to pull the doors and hard top off so I could surprise the kids by picking them up from preschool in "their" jeep.

IMG_4113.jpg


Heading out to pick them up made me realize how much I missed driving the Jeep over the winter and how somehow when you take the top and doors off a lot of stress seems to go with them.

I was also reminded after picking them up and getting them in their carseats how they continue to grow. This lead to my little girl (almost three) asking me to move up my seat as she pushed against it with her feet, defiantly. This is where things take a little turn.........

I'm looking at Rubicon LJs. Now in my defense I actually favored an LJ before getting the TJ but my wife didn't. That perception has started to change as we've realized that 90% of the time we're in the TJ, both of our young children are too. As much as I love the Jeep (and am still on the fence about moving on from it) going to an LJ starts to make more sense.

If I keep the TJ I'm going to spend a good chunk of change on axle and suspension swaps. And although I love my manual I've noticed that having an Automatic for joyriding or light trail riding is just easier and more convenient.

So with that said, help me out in this dilemma. I've got a pile of new parts sitting in my garage and dining room that will go right on to an LJ platform and long term I'm really thinking thats the way to go.
 
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DO IT! Of course, in my opinion, LJ's have to be on 35's before they start looking right. That is what has kept me from going with an LJ. I don't know if my hobby pocketbook is deep enough to do an LJ and make it look "right" to me.
 
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Sweet Jeep sir. What I love is that you have an awesome plan for your build and the skills to pull it off yourself from bolt-ons, to repairs to body/paint, to decal manufacture. I have dreams for my build, but lacking many of the skills except for bolt-ons and mechanical repairs...as well as the green to make it happen. Which scales down my plans and takes them much longer and much more money to realize. Props to you and to your TJ...
 
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We finally got a couple of days of spring weather in the 70's so the wife was anxious for me to get the TJ put together to a point where we could try to enjoy it some before it gets cold again.

So with that said, help me out in this dilemma. I've got a pile of new parts sitting in my garage and dining room that will go right on to an LJ platform and long term I'm really thinking thats the way to go.

Good projects, looking real sharp!
I think our situation is more likely going the same path, no worse or no better than you are. can't help you but might dig you further deep with all our twisted advise :(
 
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DO IT! Of course, in my opinion, LJ's have to be on 35's before they start looking right. That is what has kept me from going with an LJ. I don't know if my hobby pocketbook is deep enough to do an LJ and make it look "right" to me.

I completely agree! A stock LJ looks completely out of proportion but a 4” lift and 35s has them looking pretty perfect. Fortunately I’ve got almost all the parts for a Currie based 4” lift sitting in my garage so that has me ready to go with an LJ. I would just need wheels and tires since I’d most likely sell my TJ with the current 34”/17” combo.

There’s a pretty clean 2006 LJ Rubicon near me that we may go look at today or tomorrow. It’s got 90k miles and is pretty stock other than a small body lift and aftermarket 33” tires and wheels. I also spent most of yesterday evening scouring the US for any 05-06 LJ Rubicons that are currently available.
 
Sorry for the delay in updates, work and life have been taking all of my time away from the Jeep until this past week. We finally got a couple of days of spring weather in the 70's so the wife was anxious for me to get the TJ put together to a point where we could try to enjoy it some before it gets cold again.

I was able to get the OR-Fab Sliders reinstalled with all new hardware and they look like new. (I also used black coated bolts for the hardware that shows to go along with the look I want) I also got out the vinyl machine and cut new "Jeep" decals for the sides of the tub along with a couple of other ones.

Before taking the hardtop and doors off for the season, I decided to repaint the factory handles on the outside of my full doors. They still function fine but the finish was pretty worn from exposure over the years. It was a quick and easy job as I masked off the handle area, lightly sanded some areas that had flaked or surface rusted and then hit the handles with a couple of coats of a satin black enamel spray paint. The end result came out great, they look new and cost almost nothing.

View attachment 38749 View attachment 38750

After painting the handles I came home early on Thursday to give the Jeep a hand washing and shine. I hadn't really washed it since last summer and while not bad it did have dust and dirt from being in the garage as well as sanding residue etc from painting and installing new parts. I forgot how much faster it was to wash than my F150 due to the smaller footprint! I should also mention that after washing it I decided to take off the front bumper as I'm going to repaint it with a matte/satin black enamel to freshen it up before installing the winch and lighting. I also decided to go ahead and paint the grill black using some Duplicolor Custom Wrap paint that was on sale at Advanced Auto (Essentially PlastiDip). A few of the bolts were a pain to get loose but with the help of some pentrating oil and a cheater bar I won the fight.

View attachment 38751

I'm really happy with the way the grill turned out and touching it up and/or removing it will be easy due to the nature of the product. For the bumper I tried out a Matte Black spray paint from Rustoleum that is marketed for automotive use. After application it ended up being too matte with more of a grey color than I wanted. The picture above has it mounted back on the Jeep to compare against other parts. My wife doesn't mind it but my OCD has me planning to recoat it with a satin black that should match the grill and other blacks better.

Friday I was able to pull the doors and hard top off so I could surprise the kids by picking them up from preschool in "their" jeep.

View attachment 38752

Heading out to pick them up made me realize how much I missed driving the Jeep over the winter and how somehow when you take the top and doors off a lot of stress seems to go with them.

I was also reminded after picking them up and getting them in their carseats how they continue to grow. This lead to my little girl (almost three) asking me to move up my seat as she pushed against it with her feet, defiantly. This is where things take a little turn.........

I'm looking at Rubicon LJs. Now in my defense I actually favored an LJ before getting the TJ but my wife didn't. That perception has started to change as we've realized that 90% of the time we're in the TJ, both of our young children are too. As much as I love the Jeep (and am still on the fence about moving on from it) going to an LJ starts to make more sense.

If I keep the TJ I'm going to spend a good chunk of change on axle and suspension swaps. And although I love my manual I've noticed that having an Automatic for joyriding or light trail riding is just easier and more convenient.

So with that said, help me out in this dilemma. I've got a pile of new parts sitting in my garage and dining room that will go right on to an LJ platform and long term I'm really thinking thats the way to go.
Im wondering....did you put anything underneath the ORFAB sliders or is that a bead of sealer put on after to keep moisture out??
 
move all the parts to the LJ, aftermarket parts will not increase the value of the TJ much.
This! They will help some but hardly anyone is going to give a crap about whether it is a cheap fixed length 4 arm kit or a currie 2500 dollar JJ kit, they just want lifted which yours already is. It's a great looking TJ and gives the appearance of what a Jeep is to most people, that is what will help you sell it. Don't waste good quality parts on a sale, you won't get your money out of them and certainly won't get the labor back either