LJ truck conversion suggestions?

basic

basic

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Been a while since posting - bought a house and been really busy with that. As such - I've been looking for a decent pickup truck now that I find myself needing to haul stuff that won't fit in the LJ with the hardtop on (like 2x4 and plywood and stuff).

This past weekend, I was at a local Jeep dealer looking at the Gladiator (had to see one in person) - and I started talking to the sales guy about an LJ they had there and how I had one but was looking for a truck. The sales guy (old timer who had been there forever) proceeds to tells me they have a couple of half cab truck conversions for the LJ - (really just the shortened hardtop and bulkhead to fit it up - i think they are from GR8Tops) - and told me I should call and talk to the parts department. While I've yet to call them about the kit - he did mention they had been there for several years and are likely wanting to get rid of them.

Before I give them a call I thought I'd try to get some feedback here.

I understand I have to modify the roll hoop to remove the rear half, and I will loose my rear speaker pods as well as stock dome lights - not too worried about this and already thinking about ways around it. The problem is that I'm a big guy (6'4, 265lb) and am afraid of the reduction in space. I usually set with the seat all the way back and leaned back a bit to keep my head from hitting the roll bar. Also, no one ever sits in my rear seat so loosing that is not a big deal.

So - questions to anyone who has done this or seen one - would you do it again? I'm liking the idea of a truck bed big enough to actually haul stuff. How big does the bed end up being? I'm guessing it'll be about 45" from the bulkhead to the tailgate - curious if anyone knows for sure?

Also - it's my understanding that even with this - you can still remove the half hardtop if you like and reinstall the hardtop if you wanted (for like camping or whatever) It's doubtful I would do this and instead would likely just sell my current hardtop.

Furthering this a little further - I'm thinking if I do this, I'd like to also switch to a flip down tailgate conversion. I'd have to get a new rear bumper with a tire carrier (or maybe a ORFAB rear carrier?) but then I could actually fit long stuff in there with the gate down - would basically turn it into a 6' bed truck. I know there's some disadvantages to the fold down, but I feel with a truck conversion it only makes sense.

So followup question - anyone done a flip-down tailgate conversion and what one did you pick and what are your thoughts? I'm liking the SWAG jeep kit that converts your stock tailgate to fold-down - but open to other options.

Thanks everyone for your help. And here's a pic of the LJ in question, just because.

IMG_20190604_182049_2.jpg
 
basic said:
haul stuff that won't fit in the LJ with the hardtop on (like 2x4 and plywood and stuff).
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Not plywood, but you can stick 2x4s out the back with the glass up. Trailer for plywood?

Just a thought to consider.
 
toximus said:
Not plywood, but you can stick 2x4s out the back with the glass up. Trailer for plywood?

Just a thought to consider.
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+1 - When I need to pick up stone dust or mulch I just haul it with a trailer since our LJ has a towing capacity of 3.5k lbs.

Much easier than converting. But if this is a project you want to tackle, then by all means go for it.

Personally I think it would be a waste knowing I could get a cheap used pick-up truck, buy a trailer or just rent a trailer.

Or you could put a reservation down on a Bollinger B1 and wait about 18 months for one.

https://bollingermotors.com/bollinger-b1/
STORAGE
113 Cubic Feet Total Cargo Capacity
(w/rear seats removed, including frunk)
Rear Cargo Area 49″W x 37″H x 30″L (61″L w rear seats removed)
13’ Internal Length Front to Rear (liftgates closed)
16’4” Internal Length Front to Rear (liftgates open)
14 Cubic Feet Frunk Storage Capacity
16” W x 14”H Patented Pass Through
40 2x4s Fit Through Patented Passthrough
 
I’ve seen Gr8tops do a passthrough for the roll bar too. I wouldn’t want to lose the roll bars if you off-road it.
 
I've driven three or four half-cab LJ's, I own a custom half-cab TJ, and I've played with both a RubiTrux and an AEV Brute...and based on what you said about "looking for a truck" I can tell you that you're going to be disappointed if you go this route. A half-cab TJ is a trail toy, and a half-cab LJ is a trail toy with 10" more wheelbase...and those facts don't change, regardless of who builds it: me, you, Gr8Tops, RubiTrux or the Blessed Fucking Virgin. You have no increase in towing capacity, and your overall hauling capacity often goes down because of the partitioned bed. You will lose rigidity in the tub/frame if you chop the C-pillars, so be ready for those issues (it's why I haven't cut mine out, yet). Save your LJ; buy a truck.

p.s. the SWAG kit is fine.
 
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Well, I think Sundowner just finished the discussion. And I had hoped for one down the line. Unfortunately everything he said makes sense. 1 more thing off my bucket list.
 
Goatman said:
Well, I think Sundowner just finished the discussion.
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He does that, even when he's not trying. He also overuses the third person. Everybody's gotta have a talent, right?

Goatman said:
And I had hoped for one down the line. Unfortunately everything he said makes sense. 1 more thing off my bucket list.
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Don't mistake my objections and points for me talking you out of it. I love mine and I wouldn't trade her for a Brute with a Hemi and a supermodel to polish the paint...so if you want one, get one; just don't expect it to be what is isn't, and what it cannot be.

Fun Story: I actually bought my LJ with the express intention of truckifying it, but when I really sat down and started to think about what was involved, I realized that there was no solid way to do it without going Full Hendrix, and I didn't see the investment in time and fabrication to be worth the end result. So...my LJ stayed as-is, and that was a good decision, because I later bought two trucks for less than the cost of the LJ-truckification; one is my daily F-150, and the other is a '51 Willys. Now, I've got exactly what I was looking for, and I didn't have to hack an LJ to get it; proof that even I can make a smart decision...from time to time.
 
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basic said:
I understand I have to modify the roll hoop to remove the rear half, and I will loose my rear speaker pods as well as stock dome lights - not too worried about this and already thinking about ways around it. The problem is that I'm a big guy (6'4, 265lb) and am afraid of the reduction in space. I usually set with the seat all the way back and leaned back a bit to keep my head from hitting the roll bar. Also, no one ever sits in my rear seat so loosing that is not a big deal.

So - questions to anyone who has done this or seen one - would you do it again? I'm liking the idea of a truck bed big enough to actually haul stuff. How big does the bed end up being? I'm guessing it'll be about 45" from the bulkhead to the tailgate - curious if anyone knows for sure?

Also - it's my understanding that even with this - you can still remove the half hardtop if you like and reinstall the hardtop if you wanted (for like camping or whatever) It's doubtful I would do this and instead would likely just sell my current hardtop.
Click to expand...

Here is a photo to give an idea of where the roll bar is cut and capped for the half-hardtop. I would agree with Sundowner in terms of utility, the half-cab might not provide what you are after compared to a pickup. Unless you typically have smaller payloads that will fit the back area and you want segregated from the passenger side.

On the other hand the half hardtop is unique and interesting. I removed mine because my kids were wanting to have more passengers. It was hell removing the divider because a PO had used bed liner. (I resorted to a fish fillet knife - took hours.) So if you go this route, consider installing the divider - in a way that will later allow easy removal.

Also I didn't have issues with space, but then I'm only 5'10" and a skinny marathon runner. :)

TJcutRollbar.jpg
 
I sure wish my TJ was an LJ and even though they look cool I would never do a truck conversion to haul building supplies. I recently lost my storage spot for my utility trailer and bought a folding 4 x 8 trailer from Harbor Freight for such tasks. It fits in the garage in about the same space my daughters bike used to occupy. She's going to college in the fall and had not ridden her bike in years.
 
indio said:
On the other hand the half hardtop is unique and interesting.
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My current TJ has a soft half-cab...which is both exponentially cooler, unique-er, and more expensive than the hard half-cab...and yeah, it looks dope as fuck*. I get a lot of compliments on it; often, women swoon at the mere sight of it, men keel over in fits of jealousy, and children tell me that they want to be me when they grow up. That said: I still wouldn't do it all over again, and that's not just because I continue to get cold chills thinking about how much fabrication, sewing and money was involved in creating it, and thereby rendering my Jeep almost entirely useless in the process. It's easily the single stupidest modification I've ever done, but also one of the best-looking...which makes it the Paris Hilton of mods. Fuck, I feel like I need a shower, now.

* - Scientific term.
 
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Sundowner said:
My current TJ has a soft half-cab...which is both exponentially cooler, unique-er, and more expensive than the hard half-cab...and yeah, it looks dope as fuck*. I get a lot of compliments on it; often, women swoon at the mere sight of it, men keel over in fits of jealousy, and children tell me that they want to be me when they grow up. That said: I still wouldn't do it all over again, and that's not just because I continue to get cold chills thinking about how much fabrication, sewing and money was involved in creating it, and thereby rendering my Jeep almost entirely useless in the process. It's easily the single stupidest modification I've ever done, but also one of the best-looking...which makes it the Paris Hilton of mods. Fuck, I feel like I need a shower, now.

* - Scientific term.
Click to expand...
Pictures?
 
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06TJ35's said:
Pictures?
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I don't post any of my rigs online anymore, but I'll PM you one from a recent shop session.

06TJ35's said:
I want a LJ truck in the future so bad but want to offroad it as well and from what I read that’s no good. Dream crushers 😞
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Spend some time actually driving one; unless you don't mind a lack of any significant storage space, it's not for you.

Now, that said: you can off-road a truck conversion just as well as you can off-road anything else...but you're either going to do a Brute/Hendrix/buggy kind of thing, or you're going to deal with tub flex that comes from chopping the C's, or you're going to spend some money getting creative.
 
Sundowner said:
I don't post any of my rigs online anymore, but I'll PM you one from a recent shop session.



Spend some time actually driving one; unless you don't mind a lack of any significant storage space, it's not for you.

Now, that said: you can off-road a truck conversion just as well as you can off-road anything else...but you're either going to do a Brute/Hendrix/buggy kind of thing, or you're going to deal with tub flex that comes from chopping the C's, or you're going to spend some money getting creative.
Click to expand...

Cool I’ll like to see how your rig looks👌
I don’t want to deal with a weak tub. Screwing with the factory roll cage doesn’t make sense. I want to have a safe rig. Having a LJ is cool enough for me.
 
Well, that's it - case closed - Sundowner talked me out of it (Thanks!) - exactly the kind of feedback and real world experience I wanted. I was on the fence before - that pushed me back to the "keep it as it is" road.

It's funny you guy mention a ranger - I've been searching (unsuccessfully) for a decent price one without too much rust...and I've come to the conclusion they do not exist in eastern Iowa/south western Wisconsin/ north western IL.

I've been getting by with borrowing a trailer from a buddy, but would like something of my own. The search continues!
 
basic said:
Well, that's it - case closed - Sundowner talked me out of it (Thanks!) - exactly the kind of feedback and real world experience I wanted. I was on the fence before - that pushed me back to the "keep it as it is" road.

It's funny you guy mention a ranger - I've been searching (unsuccessfully) for a decent price one without too much rust...and I've come to the conclusion they do not exist in eastern Iowa/south western Wisconsin/ north western IL.

I've been getting by with borrowing a trailer from a buddy, but would like something of my own. The search continues!
Click to expand...

Rangers are hard to find and expensive, around here. I waited until a good deal on a half-ton came up and then snagged it; more truck for less money, in the end.
 
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