PC1P's 1998 Jeep TJ Build - "Ophelia"

[pc1p]

I come from OLD school Jeep builds and the round taillight was always a go to for many a CJ or Flatty back in the day. But keeping that Jeep look is also nice. I cut the tub on my YJ and sunk the stock taillights flush with the tub once.
And yes I've been eyeing those new round lights with the built in reverse lights. That is one of the BIG things I missed when I did the round taillights on my last set of corners.

I got to see @JnJ_Adventures taillights up close yesterday and I will say that they look sharp compared to the ones that I've seen in person. The ones on his Jeep are rubber gasketed and very clean looking whereas the ones I've seen in the past have had a thin metal flange and mounted to the tub via 4+ sheetmetal screws. Those look gawd awful - the gasketed ones look much, much cleaner. I don't know if I'm ready to convert but they are way nicer than what I had seen in the past...

 

[starkey480]

I got to see @JnJ_Adventures taillights up close yesterday and I will say that they look sharp compared to the ones that I've seen in person. The ones on his Jeep are rubber gasketed and very clean looking whereas the ones I've seen in the past have had a thin metal flange and mounted to the tub via 4+ sheetmetal screws. Those look gawd awful - the gasketed ones look much, much cleaner. I don't know if I'm ready to convert but they are way nicer than what I had seen in the past...

Any pics?

 

[Lou]

A friend of mine had some Savvy tail lights that he changed his mind about, so he shipped them to be to see if I'd like them...

View attachment 211327

He had used some weatherpak connectors and I thought I'd be able to solder on and use the cut-off factory plug. Unfortunately - and honestly quite surprisingly - the factory plug did NOT fit through the cutout of the Savvy housing. I ordered some DT-4P connectors, as well as some generic metrapak connectors (for the side marker lights), adding some nylon sheathing, and heat-shrinked the ends.
View attachment 211328

Overall I'm impressed with the light output on these. The brake/turns are retina burning and have a nice color! The reverse lights are 10x better than the OEM incandescent bulbs.
View attachment 211329

From an engineering standpoint, I must say that these lights are finicky and don't leave much room for error. I would have designed them slightly differently - like making sure that they hole for the wires would allow use of the factory plug - but they're definitely clean and still retain the "Jeep look" (unlike the common 4" round trailer lights).

Im confused, why do you think you cant use the factory plug?

 

[pc1p]

Im confused, why do you think you cant use the factory plug?

The plug wouldn't fit through the opening in the aluminum housing...

I could have opened up the hole some to fit the plug but I'm still "trying" these out from my buddy so I didn't want to modify them in case I don't like them or have issues for any reason. I could have soldered the end on with it hanging through the housing, but also didn't want to deal with having to hold the lens + housing while attaching to the rear quarter panel. There was also some weird trailer harness connector on the taillights as well, so I simply used this as an excuse to clean all that up with modern (and simple) DT connectors.

 

[Wildman]

That's interesting that you like the rubber gourmets and not the flanged style. I had the gourmet style on my TJ and was looking at going with flanged style this time. But as I said I've also been looking at the Savvy taillights also. I'm not at that point yet so I have time to decide still.

 

[pc1p]

That's interesting that you like the rubber gourmets and not the flanged style. I had the gourmet style on my TJ and was looking at going with flanged style this time. But as I said I've also been looking at the Savvy taillights also. I'm not at that point yet so I have time to decide still.

Just looks cleaner IMO - it's bad enough these rigs came with tractor motors to begin with, so the thought of adding another part that looks like it belongs on something in a bean field just makes me cringe

 

[RINC]

Kinda kicking myself that I didnt get a pic of the tail lights. I liked them also.

 

[Wildman]

I don't have a picture without the lights on.

 

[pc1p]

I'm a couple more blocks down the road to Hemi Town...

I was selling a Dana 44 e-locker and a local shop offered to buy it from me. They asked me if I needed any Jeep parts while I was there and said I actually needed some 05-06 parts for a Hemi swap and as luck would have it, they were tearing apart an 05 LJR for an LS swap. We made a cash+trade deal on the parts and I picked them up yesterday:

05 Tank w/EVAP and NVLD:

05 Gauge Cluster:

Chrysler P/N 56010678AE

Why an 05 dash, tank + related emissions?

Simple - I need to keep this swap 100% Emissions Legal. I also want it to "feel" exactly like Jeep made it this way from the factory. This includes factory looking gauges that work with the CANBUS ECM of the 2012 Hemi.

The 05 tank and pump will not only give me the correct fuel pressure for the Hemi, but it also has the NVLD, or the "Natural Vacuum Leak Detection" that the newer Hemi engines still utilize for emissions/vapor management. I won't likely be able to put it in the factory spot behind the rear passenger-side tire, but it will retain 100% functionality. I believe my Savvy skid will work just fine with the 05 tank, so my plan is to swap it in and get everything 100% functional, then eventually swap in a GenRight stretch-compatible tank.

Since my 98 doesn't have the appropriate wiring for the dash or EVAP/NVLD, I found another guy with a bunch of parted out Jeeps (I've bought things from him before) and he happened to have a handful of 05-06 harnesses in his junk pile. I picked through it and was able to score two sets of harnesses (just in case!) for a reasonable price ($100).

For those who may be interested, I'm fairly extensive with note taking and the build process. I know there's a few "Hemi threads" here, but they seem to just be links. I will document later, in a separate thread, what it took for me, costs, roadblocks, considerations, etc. in a more streamlined write-up.

 

[RINC]

I. Can't. Help. Myself.

Sorry.

 

[MattyD603]

Wicked thread, thanks for sharing!

 

[pc1p]

I thoroughly enjoyed my 1-1/2 weeks away from the office and with family! Something about not checking email at 7 AM each day that really brightens my week

I didn't have a lot of time but did get a few moments here and there to get some work done. I spent about an hour reworking the dent in the driver-side quarter panel. After getting it closed to less than 1/4", I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to completely close the gap when I start the full bodywork prep before paint.

GenRight takes a long vacation during the holiday season, so the fenders I ordered weeks ago still haven't shipped out (but hopefully this week they will!). Once they arrive, I can get to work on the Savvy sliders. Those are the two main things I need to install and fit before I really buckle down and start the body work and paint. It has been cool in the mornings, in the mid 40's, then warms up nicely during the lunch time hours. This is a good time to do a DIY paint job, esp with the very low relative humidity.

 

[Chris]

Are you painting it yourself in your garage or is someone else panting it?

I know your TJ had some previous body issues on one side, but on the side without previous body damage, did the Savvy armor fit pretty well without too much massaging?

 

[pc1p]

I had to remove the tire carrier from the Rock Hard bumper to get the holes drilled for the corner armor. After looking at it all stripped down, I decided to just pull the entire bumper and go with a high clearance option instead. I've been toying with that idea anyways, so since the work of removing it was half done, I just went all the way

I originally went with this bumper for a few reasons - this TJ was originally for my daughter so I wanted something reliable without rattles or issues. It also was cheap (I bought it used!) and is one of the few with a rated tow hitch. Now that it's become my toy and the build plan has modified some, it's time to make this as "trail skinny" as I can get it.

The +200 lbs of weight saved off the very back of the Jeep is already noticeable! This of course leaves me with "what to do?" for a spare tire mount (it's currently just thrown in the back of the tub), but I want to think and ponder on that some before making a decision...

Speaking of wheels and tires, I've been eyeing up a set of beadlocks on Marketplace for sometime now. I made an offer, figuring that the holidays were a good time for most people to get an influx of cash in their pockets, and the seller accepted. They're 17x9" Battleborn Bootleggers and came with a brand new set of Discoverer SST Pros. Unfortunately, these SST's are 315/70 E-load rated - so not appropriate for the Jeep. That said, they will work nicely on my RamCharger so that's where they will get once I get some time to pull the rings and press these off...

I did a test fit of the wheels and it was apparent that the lugs were way too short - only about 3-4 threads of engagement. I did some digging around and it looks like many folk just run the later-year XJ/TJ front studs in the rear axles. The knurl diameter is a bit bigger (0.627" vs 0.618") but they pressed in without any issue. I should have about 11-12 threads of engagement now. SAE says you need a minimum thread engagement equal to the diameter of the stud, so on a 1/2" stud I need 1/2" threads engaged. At 20 tpi, I should be slightly over that. I may still order a set of "ET" lug nuts but this should get be around for now.

I know it goes against wisdom and convention - and may get some slack for this (even from myself!) - but I ordered a new set of 37" x 12.5" MTR's. I don't intend to run these axles for too long - but with the Hemi swap, paint job, and move up north coming up in the next 5 months, I don't have time to shorten and build the D60KP/14B. My ultimate goal is 37"s on 65" WMS wide axles with both a TJ6 stretch as well as conventional 4-5" rear stretch (conventional stretch first, followed by TJ6 as I can source the parts I need).

I don't want to buy tires twice and having them on hand will make it handy for other things (like building a mount for the spare in the tub). I got a smoking deal on them from my local Discount Tire, plus with the holiday sales going on, it was just good timing, albeit early

 

[pc1p]

Are you painting it yourself in your garage or is someone else panting it?

I know your TJ had some previous body issues on one side, but on the side without previous body damage, did the Savvy armor fit pretty well without too much massaging?

Yup, this will be a “DIY Garage” spray! I’ve worked at a body shop in HS so I have enough experience to get acceptable results. Keeping in mind that this is hardly a show Jeep, I just want it one uniform color that will add some protection from the elements.

And yes, the armor on the passenger side fit just about perfectly. I haven’t checked on the sliders obviously but my guess is that the driver side will need some work and the passenger side will be smoother. I know Blaine suggests installing the sliders first, but with the amount that my tub is tweaked, I figured I’d keep all the critical dimensions as “square” as I could (like the tailgate holes, light holes, arch, etc) and will fit the sliders as needed.

 

[Chris]

Yup, this will be a “DIY Garage” spray! I’ve worked at a body shop in HS so I have enough experience to get acceptable results. Keeping in mind that this is hardly a show Jeep, I just want it one uniform color that will add some protection from the elements.

And yes, the armor on the passenger side fit just about perfectly. I haven’t checked on the sliders obviously but my guess is that the driver side will need some work and the passenger side will be smoother. I know Blaine suggests installing the sliders first, but with the amount that my tub is tweaked, I figured I’d keep all the critical dimensions as “square” as I could (like the tailgate holes, light holes, arch, etc) and will fit the sliders as needed.

Very cool! I need to get the equipment to do a DIY garage spray. I’m going for the same result as you. A decent looking rig but with the ability to touch it up easily without having to worry about some show quality paint.

Good to know about the armor. I was going to get new armor to paint it and sell my old armor, but now I am thinking it might just be easier to paint my existing armor. The issue is the little holes that were drilled for the rear GenRight fenders. I need to figure out a way to fill them before painting.

 

[pc1p]

Very cool! I need to get the equipment to do a DIY garage spray. I’m going for the same result as you. A decent looking rig but with the ability to touch it up easily without having to worry about some show quality paint.

Good to know about the armor. I was going to get new armor to paint it and sell my old armor, but now I am thinking it might just be easier to paint my existing armor. The issue is the little holes that were drilled for the rear GenRight fenders. I need to figure out a way to fill them before painting.

You're welcomed to borrow anything I have to spray yours. It isn't hard and you have the inside face of the armor to practice on first

Since you have them drilled already, I would just use some stainless steel carriage bolts (or pan head bolts if yours are tapped for 5/16" thread) and paint the tops to match the paint color. I'll be doing the same with the holes for the license plate bracket in the Savvy armor. This way, if you ever wanted to reinstall or you sold the Jeep and someone else wants to run flares, they're already there and ready to go. I actually toyed with this before I sold my rear flares that way I could leave the flares on in the winter months and then pull them off for when I go crawling.

 

[Chris]

You're welcomed to borrow anything I have to spray yours. It isn't hard and you have the inside face of the armor to practice on first

Since you have them drilled already, I would just use some stainless steel carriage bolts (or pan head bolts if yours are tapped for 5/16" thread) and paint the tops to match the paint color. I'll be doing the same with the holes for the license plate bracket in the Savvy armor. This way, if you ever wanted to reinstall or you sold the Jeep and someone else wants to run flares, they're already there and ready to go. I actually toyed with this before I sold my rear flares that way I could leave the flares on in the winter months and then pull them off for when I go crawling.

The carriage bolts are a good idea, I agree. Maybe I’ll do this!

As for borrowing your stuff, how long are you in the valley for before you move to Flagstaff?

 

[kmas0n]

With good clearance above the tire to the fender!
View attachment 205114

Those are 35s? How much bump stop extension do you have over factory?

 

[pc1p]

Those are 35s? How much bump stop extension do you have over factory?

Yup, I’m currently running 35”s and I’m on +2” bump stops in front and rear. My bumps are set for shock travel (11” front/10” rear), not body clearance, since the Hi-Fenders have plenty of room. I don’t expect to have to add any to the front with the move to 37”s. For the rear, I’ll make adjustments as needed after the stretch since a few things will be changing at that point, including shock location and travel.