PC1P's 2006 Jeep LJ Build - Brünhilde

[Ephry73]

Well I'm slowly getting my yard and garage back...

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Spent 12 hours on Saturday helping my landscaper install a set of axles under his XJ. This was a Dana 30/8.8 that I built for him a while back that I'm just now able to help him with. The front went easy, basically bolt-in but we did end up replacing some control arms while we were there (which is good since his were totally destroyed!!). The rear took some work - we had to make sure the pinion angle was correct, which required a SYE install as well as the removal of the crossmember spacers. Overall, he should be quite happy with the gearing (5.13's on 33"s with an AW4) and addition of a rear locker (Detroit full case).

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Also sold what was left of the TJ and my spare TJ parts - my wife is ecstatic that she doesn't need to see a junkyard out the side window anymore #rednecksgonnadoredneckshit

On Sunday, I tried my best to get done early to that I could lend Starkey480 a hand, but fate intervened. I had to run a bunch of errands around lunch time, then had a bunch of people schedule pick-up times for other stuff I am getting rid of (spare welding tank, some Dodge stuff, etc.). I did manage to get some work done in the AM though:

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I started pulling the flares and wheelwell liners in preparation for my undercoating (and also so I could give it a thorough cleaning before pulling the axles later this week). After dropping the one liner, I realized I probably should have done this outside. Once everything was off and I cleaned up my mess, I headed over to the local coin-car-wash...

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"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard..." started playing in my head for some reason once I took the pressure washer to the frame rails. I'll say it once more - mud if f&$#!@* gross... This is by far the part of the move back east that I'm dreading more than anything.

After almost 12 minutes of power washing, the water coming out of all the frame holes was clear. I figure I need to do this about 3-4 more times before I can confidently assume the frame is squeaky clean enough to use the Eastwood Frame Coating inside it. Luckily, the dry climate of AZ and the fact that Hawaii didn't let the previous owners drive on the beaches means that this is nothing more than an inconvenience.

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After a few extra days worth of shipping, my headlights arrived just before dinner time (on a Sunday noless). I couldn't wait to install them, so I ran to the garage with my Torx driver in hand and swapped them out, then quickly took a test drive...

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I need to aim these properly but the light output is impressive and the color isn't bad (for my eyes at least). My first attempt to aim them didn't work well since the adjusters inside the buckets appear to be cracked. This was the same issue I ran into with my TJ - luckily I saved the replacement headlight buckets from the TJ and will swap those over.

I can see what people say by the pattern having some distinct lines in them. There are 2 very distinct squares" when next to a flat surface (like my garage door) but on the road, they aren't nearly as visible.

With my landscaper's parts out of the garage and his Jeep done, I'll be bringing the LJ into the garage this week and will start tearing down the axles and suspension. I noticed a fairly large puddle of oil under the engine for the first time yesterday. I double checked and it doesn't appear to be the valve cover, so I'm guessing a RMS replacement is in order. I've never done one on a 4.0L but apparently it's fairly easy. While I was down there inspecting the leak, the throwout bearing is making more noise than it probably should, so I may end up doing a clutch kit too. I'll already have the t-case, driveshafts, and t-case shifter out anyways - what's a few more bolts

Those look great! Some people complaint about the spots just ahead of the Jeep, but in all honesty these things are so much brighter its not like you're going to miss something on the road, plus, with fogs on, or wide-40s you'll fill that gap pretty well.

 

[pc1p]

You love mud !
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Whatcha gonna do with the rear axle from the LJ ? I need more hand me downs from forum peeps

I can't help but imagine what the world would be like if we all lived our lives like that dog

The rear Dana 44 was called dibs on before I even brought the LJ home unfortunately, so you'll need to battle it out American Ninja Warrior style

 

[RINC]

 

[pc1p]

I figured while I'm still waiting on my UCF aluminum skid and my BDO MML, I might as well wait for some more parts.

I got the clutch set from Amazon and the Currie bumps from @Morris 4x4 . While I was spending money, I sent some more to @Quadratec and are having them ship me a Centerforce High Inertia flywheel, a new PSC Big Bore XD box, and their QT-exclusive Magnaflow stainless exhaust.

I already decided to replace the clutch (since I think what I'm hearing is the throwout bearing making some noise) and since I didn't know the state of the flywheel, it just made good sense to plan on replacing it. With standard replacements from LuK being made of Unobtanium, I figured I'd give the high-inertia flywheel a try. I know a few folk who run them (mostly on 4-cyl Jeeps) and love the feel on the trails.

I was going to convert my Mercedes steering gear to a Saginaw, but after thinking about it some, I'm leaning more towards removing the hydro-assist and just running the Big Bore box + my PSC pump (with cooler of course). It's unlikely I will ever need the hydro-assist on PA trails, at which point it simply becomes another failure point. I did get the tapped-box, so if I ever need it, it would be a quick install. I will probably sell the standard PSC Saginaw box and keep the ram just in case. unless someone locally was itching for a drop-in setup and I will just sell both.

I'm not what you'd call a "patient waiter", so I'm finding things to keep me busy. @rasband gave me the idea yesterday on how to modify my tire carrier to work best with the Exogate. I'm halfway through the modification and will finish it up today.

While I'm back here, I'm doing the Blaine-trick of utilizing the ground-pin on the door contacts to work as my parking light feed to the license plate light. I will run the JKS license bracket w/light (since the Savvy lights don't have a license plate light and I want the plate off the tub) as well as the OEM third-brake light (to keep the PA inspectors happy). I simply tapped into the new Hopkin's trailer harness and ran a lead to the light plug... an easy mod that keeps things simple and "factory-like" for functionality.

I did have to run a ground strap to the Exogate though since I didn't want to remove any of the factory powder coat. I used a large eyelet ring terminal under the rollbar bolt, then ran a 14AWG wire to the interior-side of the Exogate frame bolt. On the opposite side of that, I ran another ring terminal through the hinge all the way to the lights. A good solid ground that stays out of the way!

I don't understand people sometimes - as easy as it is to remove these, why in the world would someone put bedliner over them and lose brake-light functionality??? Thankfully, these cleaned up well with a wire wheel...

I will be doing the axle swap this weekend with some help from my buddy, I hopefully can get the trans pulled while we're down there. The axle swap shouldn't take much more than 2-3 hours and I'm expecting the t-case to take half of that. I'll then work on the clutch and flywheel swap, as well as the RMS swap next week. I might as well do the OPDA assembly while I'm in there and swap the plugs out too...

 

[NashvilleTJ]

The energizer bunny has nothing on you, PC.

 

[Wildman]

I had the inertia ring from Tri-County 4x4 on my 4 cylinder and LOVED it. I could lug the engine down to 400-500 RPM's and romp on it from there. Shifting on the street wasn't a HUGE deal you just have to get use to it.
My girl friend at the time had a hell of time driving my Jeep and not scratching the gears when she'd shift. But she'd done it before the inertia plate and the only thing I could figure was it was the lockers.

 

[pc1p]

Shifting on the street wasn't a HUGE deal you just have to get use to it.

What was different about it? My experience with heavier-than-factory flywheels is limited to older Ford trucks and there wasn't any real difference in street-shifting that I remembered. The only thing that stood out was that you wanted to brake a little before pushing in the clutch and downshifting...

 

[Wildman]

What was different about it? My experience with heavier-than-factory flywheels is limited to older Ford trucks and there wasn't any real difference in street-shifting that I remembered. The only thing that stood out was that you wanted to brake a little before pushing in the clutch and downshifting...

Well for what ever reason with the lockers in both front & rear you had to shift slower I think. And the gf was use to driving a Toyota truck that was stock.
Yes down shifting was almost a double clutch type affair but I did it no problem since I was a truck driver before I'd gotten wounded.
You just don't do any speed shifting I guess is the way to explain it. Off-Road I loved having it as I said you could really lug the engine.

 

[pc1p]

I got the modified carrier all welded up...

Added a few gussets along the bottom side while I was at it. Not sure if these were needed but they didn't seem to hurt anything,..

Threw on some satin VHT epoxy paint and will let it dry overnight...

So far the Lincoln 255 I picked up a few weeks back to replace my tiny Lincoln 180HD is working very nicely. From this project, I definitely need to get better gloves. The ones I have now are stick-welding gloves and are very thick - which makes it really hard to "feel" the trigger. My XXL hands means the welding supply shops don't typically have anything that fits me well in the store, so I may need to just order a few pair online and call it good.

Second thing I learned - I need to build my damn welding table already! Nothing massive, just a decent sized table I can use for stuff like this (I'll build a bigger one after the move). I'm hunched over on a set of sawhorses with a scrap piece of 3/8" thick aluminum as my base. My welding position is terrible and I struggle to get my head low enough to see where I'm welding sometimes. I have some 2"x2" that I got for my TJ project - maybe I need to pick up a few more pieces and get something together...

Anyways, back to the tire carrier... once the paint is dry and cured for a day or so, I'll see how the snubbers fit and what kind of extensions I may need.

My order for https://deutschconnectorstore.com/ arrived, so I took some time to get the fog lights wired in. With the solid pins and the proper crimper, assembling DT connectors is the fastest electrical connector I've ever made!

A couple snips, crimps and a heat-shrink and I'm in business...

I will probably make some brackets (or order something like the Savvy's) to raise these up a tad, but I really just wanted to get them installed and operational. I'll figure out placement once I decide what I'm going to do with this bumper (keep or replace - I prefer to keep, but am not sure how the PA inspection code interprets the "factory width or style" verbage).

 

[Wildman]

I got one of these tables from Harbor Freight and so far it has worked good for what I've needed/wanted to do with it. Eastwood sells one like this also just is a little more expensive. And then they also sell a welding table that doesn't collapse for storage.

https://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-steel-welding-table-61369.html
As always great attention to detail.

 

[pc1p]

I got one of these tables from Harbor Freight and so far it has worked good for what I've needed/wanted to do with it. Eastwood sells one like this also just is a little more expensive. And then they also sell a welding table that doesn't collapse for storage.

https://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-steel-welding-table-61369.html
As always great attention to detail.

You the (Wild)Man!!! This will be perfect for what I need...

 

[Wildman]

You the (Wild)Man!!! This will be perfect for what I need...

Check because you can find it for $59.95 on sale. Or use the coupon for 20% off.

I also got this clamp kit from Eastwood to help when building stuff.

https://www.eastwood.com/6pc-clamp-kit-for-welding-table.html

 

[pc1p]

Got the axles pulled and the TJ axles bolted in place. I'm getting fairly quick at these - got the rear one pulled by myself in less than 40 minutes (including a quick pee break!)...

I found the source of my slight clunking - the rear sway bar bushings are shot! These were brand-new Moog bushings when I built these for the TJ and only have 3 trail rides on them. I thought the noise was from the RE control arms honestly since anyone you ask will tell you that the RE arms will fall apart after 7 minutes on a dirt road, but they are just as tight and smooth as they were when I rebuilt them last summer.

While the springs were out, I took the opportunity to clean the frame some. On the front towers, I drilled out the small drain holes at the bottom of the bumpstop post. These seem to always get clogged up, so I made the holes a tad bigger (used a 1/4" drill bit) and smoothed them over with a rat-tail file. I added some fresh black Rustoleum HD paint to help protect the frame as much as possible...

I'm having some issues with my RK springs and the Currie bumpstops. The RK springs are very narrow in diameter and are hitting the lower front bump stop cushions. Even just bouncing the front end by hand is "peeling" the cushion off of the bolt and I'm afraid any road driving will seriously damage them.

Seems like my two choices at the moment are to either remove the Curries or run the ProComp 4" springs that were on the rig to begin with. The ProComp springs have a much larger diameter than the RKs as you can see above. I'm leaning toward the ProComp springs since they're generally decent performers and are in good shape (just a little dirty). The RK springs have some good free length but are only 3.5" of lift and with the 35"s, I think I can use all the space I can get.

 

[Wildman]

I ran Pro Comp 4" springs on my TJ for years before I did the AiRock kit. From everything I've read and been told their springs are suppose to be the one GOOD part of their suspension kit.

 

[pc1p]

Got some good news - our house search may finally be over! We found a really nice house across the street from a private lake (with lake rights!) with an unfinished basement, a usable and heated 2 car garage, enclosed massive sunroom, single-story, 3426 sq ft on 0.55 acres (with 2 open and possibly for sale lots next to us) - for 1/2 of the price of what we were looking at in Flagstaff.

You can play catch in the sunroom! Our cats and dog are going to freak out over this space and it will be nice for entertaining/holiday parties...

The house was remodeled in 1997, where they added the sunroom and enclosed the garage. They also did some exterior updates. The inside is in nice shape and is completely livable, but certainly needs some remodeling. The cabinets are warm-toned wood with white appliances. The doors and window frames, while painted white outside, are wood stained on the inside. The floors are hardwood throughout but are also warm-toned wood stain.

It's a hodgepodge of styles and schemes, but again - nothing unlivable for the next year or so while we get settled in. We will likely match the contemporary look of white trim with neutral paint tones and greys, but I feel like we are getting ahead of ourselves worrying about that stuff now. We still have much to do to prepare for the move... oh, and I have to make this LJ cross-country driveable

I pulled the springs in preparation to reinstall the ProComp 4" springs and while I was at it, I went ahead and checked clearances with the 35"s installed...

I'm definitely catching the back of the fender ever so slightly but based on the contact of the bump stops, I obviously need to extend the control arms out a bit to get everything as centered as possible.

I was getting worried about the steel beadlocks in the Rust Belt. Even though I won't be doing any commuting, I will be driving it some so anything I can do to keep this problem and rust free is a worthwhile thing. However, since I had trimmed the inner lip on these tires in order to properly install the inner spacer rings on the beadlocks, I was worried about sealing. After taking a tire down to my local Discount Tire, I was assured that the trim has zero impact on the sealing ability of the tire. I went ahead and ordered five of the ProComp 69 alloy wheels...

Classic look without any fitment issues. There is a ~29 lb. weight savings per wheel as well... should making lifting that spare onto the Exogate much easier

The trans comes apart this weekend and with any luck, the UCF skidplate will ship soon too, as will the BDO MML. I have the RMS, clutch, flywheel and everything on hand, except the damn skidplate. I should be able to get a somewhat accurate measurement of the driveshaft length, so I'll get my old one sent back to Adams...

 

[MaximusLJR06]

Got some good news - our house search may finally be over! We found a really nice house across the street from a private lake (with lake rights!) with an unfinished basement, a usable and heated 2 car garage, enclosed massive sunroom, single-story, 3426 sq ft on 0.55 acres (with 2 open and possibly for sale lots next to us) - for 1/2 of the price of what we were looking at in Flagstaff.

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You can play catch in the sunroom! Our cats and dog are going to freak out over this space and it will be nice for entertaining/holiday parties...
View attachment 247940

The house was remodeled in 1997, where they added the sunroom and enclosed the garage. They also did some exterior updates. The inside is in nice shape and is completely livable, but certainly needs some remodeling. The cabinets are warm-toned wood with white appliances. The doors and window frames, while painted white outside, are wood stained on the inside. The floors are hardwood throughout but are also warm-toned wood stain.

It's a hodgepodge of styles and schemes, but again - nothing unlivable for the next year or so while we get settled in. We will likely match the contemporary look of white trim with neutral paint tones and greys, but I feel like we are getting ahead of ourselves worrying about that stuff now. We still have much to do to prepare for the move... oh, and I have to make this LJ cross-country driveable

Great find on the house! Place looks great, better than anything I can find at that cost around here.

 

[RINC]

House Party !

 

[pc1p]

Thanks to @starkey480 donation of his old rubber tailgate snubbers, I was able to wrap up the Exogate install...

The modified carrier works great - the tire is much closer to the tub and barely makes a wiggle, even without the snubbers.

It bothers me that the tire isn't centered in the rear... actually it bothers me more that I didn't notice that the factory carrier is offset

I took my time getting the gaps around all the tailgate edges perfectly even. I made sure to check striker fitment before and after installing the spare 35" MT/R. I will say that the Exogate isn't as "bolt-on" as I was expecting and getting to an optimize setup took some work, but overall I'm very happy with the performance. The gate doesn't budge or flex one bit - even with that tire on it, and it hits the striker perfectly centered even when unloaded. With the modified carrier, the tire fits nice and close, so in those instances where the LJ has a steep climb, it shouldn't turn into a rubber anchor nearly as easily as I would have with the Exogate brackets.

With the tire secured and snubbers set, I moved to getting the license plate light hooked up. I still need to figure out if I need a brake light to meet PA inspection requirements. I checked the regs and have not found a specific call out of the CHMSL being required, only that if there is one it needs to meet certain requirements. I will still likely use a third brake light somewhere but not having to worry about getting the factory CHMSL working (and fitting!) would make life easier...

@MaximusLJR06 - you still running the OEM third brake light?

 

[pc1p]

Found some interesting info on PA CHMSL requirements (or lack of!)...

From USA vs. Tyrone Jones:
"The District Court denied Johns’s motion to suppress. First, the Court concluded that Pennsylvania law does not require vehicles to have a centrally mounted brake light, but it does require that a center brake light, if installed on a vehicle, function properly. United States v. Johns, No. 08-372-01, 2009 WL 2634119, at *4 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 27, 2009). "

Link: http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/101767np.pdf

This matches the PA inspection requirements in PennDOT PUB 45 that essentially says "if a light is there, unless ornamental, it must function properly". Additionally, both 75 and 67 PAC codes makes no specific mention of the CHMSL being required. I think I'm going to order a 3-pin DT connector from DeutschConnectorStore and call it a day!

 

[RINC]

Them Chicken Trucks with all the lights, can get harassed by DOT if one of those lights are out.

Better to cover your a$$ is my thinking on it.