High travel, high clearance & high octane, a streetable adventure LJ story

UCA plate to diff cover tie-in:

20190720_diff-cover-tie-in2.jpg


I made the outboard side extend out further so the brake line T block can connect up there.

My axle didn't come with a breather vent tapped into the housing so I added one to the cover:

20190721_diff-cover-tie-in.jpg
 
The gussets that come with the Genright hoop kit don't fit front to back like I wanted so I made my own gussets from 1/4". At the same time I made sure they clear the steering.

20190810_gussets-welded.jpg


I fully welded the hoops and gussets and cut out the temporary spreader I had used.
 
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I did another alignment and cycled the axle to be sure everything is still perfect and I welded the axle side trackbar mount in place. While welding I wrapped the ball joint in a wet paper towel.

20190811_axle-side-trackbar-mount.jpg


Because of the leverage on the track bar mount I need to add more strength to this mount, I will be integrating an antisway bar tab into it as a gusset. Here's a mock up of what I have planned (more on this later):

20190718_swaybar-gusset-idea.jpg


20190718_sway-bar-tab.jpg
 
In preparation for welding up where I had notched the motor mount horn for the UCA to fit, and mounting an engine skid, I decided to deal with my leaky trans pan and transfer case (again...) for hopefully the last time.

For anyone joining in just now, years ago I had placed a drain plug in my transmission's pan. It's proven to be quite helpful in making draining the pan easy for attempting to fix the leak but not much else. I think the leak was coming through the course threads of the bung — if I were to try again I'd suggest going with fine threads. At the same time I removed the LubeLocker gasket, I didn't have issues with that leaking but I also don't trust it enough. I used official Mopar RTV. The new pan is the slightly larger 2006 42rle pan (52852912AC) which also requires a different style magnet (68207789AA) aside from that it bolts right up.

20190730_2006-transmission-pan-04.jpg


For the transfer case I am trying brand new plugs (68001627AA) to try and stop the weep out of the bottom:

20190730_new-plugs.jpg
 
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It's been discussed a few times on my build threads (I'm looking at you Pirate.) why a stock JK Dana 44 can fit a 2.5" coilover but not on my Ford style Dana 60 (Currie RockJock 60 VXR). I took rough measurements to help compare the two.

Dana 60 wheel mounting surface to tube:

20190720_ford-dana-60-wms-to-tube.jpg


Jeep TJ 44 (same as Dana 30) WMS to tube:

20190720_jeep-tj-44-wms-to-tube.jpg
 
The gussets that come with the Genright hoop kit don't fit front to back like I wanted so I made my own gussets from 1/4". At the same time I made sure they clear the steering.

View attachment 110577

I fully welded the hoops and gussets and cut out the temporary spreader I had used.
You pulled steering arm to allow more welding access?
 
Another little surprise Genright now ships straight cross support bar which will need me to bore a hole through my 4.0 to work.

Screenshot_20190819-172700.png
 
Another little surprise Genright now ships straight cross support bar which will need me to bore a hole through my 4.0 to work.

View attachment 110648

Your hoops must be lower than mine. Without the SC I could use that.

The kit to buy is the one with flanges and not the flush couplers so you get that prebent part. Do you have a local metal worker who can bend it for you? Or else GR sells just that part iirc.

FYI A lot of stuff like this is all stuff I've had to deal with, I just don't post about it all. It definitely adds time to the overall project. So you're not alone!
 
The 12" COs sit a lot lower and I'm only at 6" UP travel. The lower CO height has me angling the hoops out quite a bit more than you. I used your 87 deg as a good starting place and it looks like it will work based on one side pre check. Now how'd you get that internet magic to mirror over to the pass side? 🤔 Without this write-up and Blaine's explanations I would be royally f-in this job up! Thanks again!

IMG_20190819_185300~2.jpg
 
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The 12" COs sit a lot lower and I'm only at 6" UP travel. The lower CO height has me angling the hoops out quite a bit more than you. I used your 87 deg as a good starting place and it looks like it will work based on one side pre check. Now how'd you get that internet magic to mirror over to the pass side? 🤔 Without this write-up and Blaine's explanations I would be royally f-in this job up! Thanks again!

View attachment 110682

No worries. That's exactly why I started this build thread.

I'd see if Blaine chimes in, but if you can I'd see what it'd take to get 7" of up travel out of those 12" shocks since you're running 37s. That bias might be beneficial, but also depends on your ride height and tire to fender clearance.

As long as you're not angling the tops of the shocks out you should be fine — that tends to look dorky imo. However, you might also want to play with moving the lower mounts out to the inner-Cs, even on top of is okay.
 
I used your 87 deg as a good starting place and it looks like it will work based on one side pre check.

Also, that was just a number I started with. Don't treat it like a law or even a suggestion. Do what works for your build.
 
For the front engine and transmission skid I went with Savvy. I had one previously on this Jeep dating back to when I used it with the stock engine skid but I recently swapped it over to the Khaki TJ. So I bought a new one.

For reasons unknown to me, Savvy ships two different models of this skid and has for years with no rhyme or reason to which you get. This time I got the skid with the drain hole. It's also significantly narrower which makes fitting it around the 42RLE transmission a pain compared to the wider one.

20190806_savvy-engine-skids-compare1.jpg


20190806_savvy-engine-skids-compare2.jpg


One thing to note here, if you are using the Savvy engine skid with their mid-arm, the left (driver's) side skid mount does not work on the engine horn anymore. You can ask for the new corrected bracket when you order the skid (or mid-arm) or else they'll ship you the old version. If your UCA doesn't go through the engine horn like mine does, you can modify the Savvy bracket by cutting it in half and welding an extension on to position the tab as far over as possible (while keeping some clearance to the engine). Here's what I did for the khaki TJ:

20190423_mid-arm-skid1.jpg


20190423_mid-arm-skid2.jpg


For my red LJ this isn't an option since the UCA bump into this area.

To reinforce the notch I had made to the motor mount horn, I cut a length of 2.5" DOM tubing, ripped it down the length, and bent it open with a pry bar. I then carefully cleaned up the notch to accept this new piece exactly. After raising the axle to full bump to check my plating clearances to the UCA, I went ahead and welded it.

I then positioned the engine/transmission skid where I wanted it and made a tab for the skid brace to extend up and connect to. Unfortunately due to the skid being tight on the 42rle as I previously mentioned, I had to position the skid a little more forward than I would have liked. I made this out of 1/4" steel and extended it further down the motor mount horn to help spread the load so that the horn won't bend.

20190820_drivers-side-engine-skid-mount.jpg


The large diff housing gets very close to the skid brace at full bump:

20190820_skid-brace-diff-housing.jpg


20190820_savvy-engine-skid-installed.jpg
 
For the front engine and transmission skid I went with Savvy. I had one previously on this Jeep dating back to when I used it with the stock engine skid but I recently swapped it over to the Khaki TJ. So I bought a new one.

For reasons unknown to me, Savvy ships two different models of this skid and has for years with no rhyme or reason to which you get. This time I got the skid with the drain hole. It's also significantly narrower which makes fitting it around the 42RLE transmission a pain compared to the wider one.

View attachment 110799

View attachment 110800

One thing to note here, if you are using the Savvy engine skid with their mid-arm, the left (driver's) side skid mount does not work on the engine horn anymore. You can ask for the new corrected bracket when you order the skid (or mid-arm) or else they'll ship you the old version. If your UCA doesn't go through the engine horn like mine does, you can modify the Savvy bracket by cutting it in half and welding an extension on to position the tab as far over as possible (while keeping some clearance to the engine). Here's what I did for the khaki TJ:

View attachment 110801

View attachment 110802

For my red LJ this isn't an option since the UCA bump into this area.

To reinforce the notch I had made to the motor mount horn, I cut a length of 2.5" DOM tubing, ripped it down the length, and bent it open with a pry bar. I then carefully cleaned up the notch to accept this new piece exactly. After raising the axle to full bump to check my plating clearances to the UCA, I went ahead and welded it.

I then positioned the engine/transmission skid where I wanted it and made a tab for the skid brace to extend up and connect to. Unfortunately due to the skid being tight on the 42rle as I previously mentioned, I had to position the skid a little more forward than I would have liked. I made this out of 1/4" steel and extended it further down the motor mount horn to help spread the load so that the horn won't bend.

View attachment 110803

The large diff housing gets very close to the skid brace at full bump:

View attachment 110804

View attachment 110805
They don't ship two different versions. They other one is NLA in favor of the modular system since folks can't math.
 
They don't ship two different versions. They other one is NLA in favor of the modular system since folks can't math.

Is that so one engine skid fits all belly skids and positions without having to notch it? In that case, maybe I received old stock the first time because I know both versions existed at the time I purchased the first one.

Either way, the old one is way easier to fit in. I'm going to have to keep an eye on how much the transmission moves since there's not much room to the skid.
 
Where I had notched for the tie rod end nut to clear the frame, I plated in inside of the steering box mount by cutting a slice of 2-1/2" 0.120 wall DOM tubing and plating the top with 3/16". I then welded it to the frame.

20190817_steering-mount-notch-plating.jpg


20190817_test-notch-plating.jpg
 
Having front and rear antisway bars makes a big difference on road and off road with weight transfer and overall stability. I think they are mandatory, not optional.

Because there is so much articulation and the track bar pushes the front axle so far over, the 3/8" TJ style antirock arms will bend, the nut will catch on the frame, and they'll start ripping things part. So the solution is to use the thicker 3/4" antirock arms such as from a rear application.

Front TJ AR arm vs 3/4" AR arm:

20190820_front-vs-rear-antirock-arm.jpg


The issue with the thicker arms is that they don't clear the steering box bolt heads. To remedy this I needed to recess the bolt heads inside the frame.

I bought 2ft of each 1-1/4" OD 0.188 wall, and 7/8" OD 0.188 wall DOM tubing (reusing the stock mount tubing would also work). And 7/16"-14 x 4" alloy socket head bolts (it turns out that grade 8 hex head bolts would work just as well and be cheaper).

I cut the 1-1/4" OD tubing to 1.5" lengths and the 7/8 OD tubing to 2.68" lengths. I then lightly reamed the 1-1/4" OD tubing to an ID of just under 7/8" on one end. I then press fit them to 3.68" in total length to match the factory length and welded them together. These are the new steering gear box mounts.

20190811_new-steering-mount.jpg


I created a jig by taking 1/4" plate and clamping it to the frame, I then center punched the holes, removed the plate, and drilled them out to 1/2". I then replaced one mount at a time and welded 7/16" nuts to the plate centered on the holes as I replaced the mounts.

20190811_steering-mount-jig.jpg


To cut the old ones out of the frame I inserted 1/2" OD 0.120 wall tubing into the old tubing to center a hole saw mandrel around it.

20190811_center-hole-saw.jpg


I dislike that they require a proprietary attachment mandrel, but I did find that the carbide hole saws from Diablo work great.

For the inboard side I used a 1-1/16" hole saw which the ID of the saw matches the OD of the mount. For the outboard side I used a 1-1/4" hole saw to match the OD of the new tubing.

When I was working on the khaki TJ a few months ago, I had to remove the steering linkages and track bar to drill a hole. After that project I bought a Milwaukee 12v right angle drill and small 12v drill to make it easier to drill in tight spaces. The right angle drill fit into the forward most mount. The other option is to just size up your hole saw and cut it at a slight angle. This was my first real project with this little drill, the feed rate is slow but all in all I'm impressed and will be keeping it.

20190812_remove-steering-mounts.jpg


20190811_old-steering-mount.jpg


I bolted the new mount to the plate and welded it to the frame. And repeated for the next 2.

I bolted the steering box back in to double check my work.

20190818_recessed-steering-mount.jpg
 
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Also, that was just a number I started with. Don't treat it like a law or even a suggestion. Do what works for your build.

Roger that wasn't treating it as anything but a number to start with.
 
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