My LJ Build. L is for Long time.

FF_Jeep

FF_Jeep

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
Messages
484
Location
Nashville, TN, United States
(Disclaimer, L is also for Long winded)
Welcome to the build thread for my 2006 LJ. This will be a slow build since "Jeep" isn't on the family budget. I introduced myself as a new member but didn't say much about my Jeep or myself so here we go.

My Jeep search began years ago when I started looking for a YJ to just play around with. After driving a few I realized that I wanted a YJ but needed a TJ. A good condition TJ wasn't in the budget as a second car unless it was a 4 banger. Not that there's anything wrong with our wonderful SE crowd... it's just not for me. I like speed... and I'm pretty sure the S in SE doesn't stand for speed. So I put my truck on the market in early 2016 and said F it... if I get a buyer... I'll find a damn Jeep to drive every day. In December last year I got a solid bite on my truck (2006 Silverado SS) and 5 days later the guy drove to Tennessee from North Carolina to buy it.
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I loved that truck. Not as much as I love my Jeep.

Must haves...
05-06 TJ
Manual transmission
Low miles(110k and under)
Wants...
Lift/Tire upgrade
Hardtop
Rubicon
Not yellow(@VirtualRussel @Jay )

Around the time that I start freaking out because we currently only own 1 vehicle for a family of 4, I found my LJ on eBay... and it was less than 2 hours from home. Funny thing is that I didn't look at a single LJ up until this point. They were rare and over priced. This one checked every box except the Rubicon box. Oh well... lockers are cheaper than the Ruby surcharge on an LJ.

2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
67,700 miles
4" Trailmaster lift
15" Procomp wheels/tires
Smittybilt Bumpers w/tire carrier and matching sliders/steps
Badlands 9k winch
Hardtop and Bestop Trektop NX

Pics from auction
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As with any sane Jeep owner I have plenty of plans. I'm afraid to put them on paper considering all the choices. Let's see where this ride takes us!

Short list
OPDA replacement
Replace shocks(TM budget shocks are brutal)
Replace fender flares
Window tint
 
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Thank goodness that chrome grill is gone! I'd get rid of the Bushcracker flares too personally, I just can't stand the way they look on our vehicles. Looks like a damn clean LJ you've got there though.
 
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Chris said:
Thank goodness that chrome grill is gone! I'd get rid of the Bushcracker flares too personally, I just can't stand the way they look on our vehicles. Looks like a damn clean LJ you've got there though.
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Even a set of OE flares would look better than these. Might put the chrome grille back on ...

... after I paint it black
 
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First repair was a water leak. Water into passenger floor while parked. Didn't leak while driving. After some scientific testing(syringe and IV catheter) I narrowed it down to where the heater core inserts into the firewall.
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Decided a drip rail over it would be the best option considering the water isn't really hurting anything under the hood. Made a drip rail with a piece of 1.25" vinyl tubing and some RTV silicone. Repair worked great even if it looks a little ghetto. A friend of mine is cutting me a piece of white aluminum that I can replace the tubing with if the ghetto fix fails.
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glwood said:
Am I seeing that the paint was a bit messed up under the chrome grille, or is that just leftover adhesive strip remains that you hadn't removed yet?
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It's the leftover adhesive. On the top of the grill just above the headlights were the two main mounting points each with adhesive and a screw going into the top of the grille. There is minor paint damage there and one other spot nearby that rubbed thin. Nothing a touch up pen can't fix.
 
Not necessarily part of the LJ build but a need in my Jeep life thanks to my lack of storage space. I've pretty much wrapped up my hardtop hoist and shelf install in my garage. I may do a full write up on this install later when I have some time. My gararge ceilings are less than 11' and I needed to get the top as high as possible to make sure my 6 foot tall ass can walk underneath it to access the beer fridge :beer-toast1:. I have attic space above my garage and my garage is finished with drywall. I had put the lift cable above the ceiling to make this work. After getting it in the air I wanted to be able to set it on a shelf so the load was spread a little more. Plus with the shelf I will have added storage no matter what the season.
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I like that hoist setup! I made something similar for mine as well. I think my ceilings are a little taller than yours, but not by much!
 
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VirtualRussel said:
Is the beer fridge on a dolly w/casters??? OMS! That's brilliant. I've got a new winter project for my garage.
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Our winters are most definitely not the worst... but it can get cold as piss. No heat or air in the garage so I needed to get it off of the cold concrete. Plus I can just roll it out when something falls off the workbench behind it!
 
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FF_Jeep said:
Our winters are most definitely not the worst... but it can get cold as piss. No heat or air in the garage so I needed to get it off of the cold concrete. Plus I can just roll it out when something falls off the workbench behind it!
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I have a Malamute that lives in the garage/outside year round and I'm just working on figuring a better way of getting rid of the last few years worth of dog hair that has to have collected on the condenser coils. There's nothing like a Malamute that's shedding the winter coat after a 3-4 month stretch of mostly under 32deg weather.
 
VirtualRussel said:
I have a Malamute that lives in the garage/outside year round and I'm just working on figuring a better way of getting rid of the last few years worth of dog hair that has to have collected on the condenser coils. There's nothing like a Malamute that's shedding the winter coat after a 3-4 month stretch of mostly under 32deg weather.
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I had to bring my shop vac to my mothers house to clean her indoor fridge. She just has a small yappy dog but he sheds well and spends his days in the kitchen when she's gone. I couldn't imagine the amount of hair a malamute would leave behind.
 
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I don't blame her. If I had a dog like that it wouldn't be allowed in the house either. There would be so much hair everywhere it would be insane.
 
Nice non-yellow LJ! Your garage is awesome.

If you want my stock fender flares, send me a message. I live in Lexington KY and am usually in Nashville on Monday nights.
 
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