Project Born of Boredom

wolf1790

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2019
Messages
64
Location
Florida
Got my jeep about 6 months ago and have been working on it every time I'm home. I work 14/7 so I wanted something to work on while back in Florida and everyone else was at work. What can I say, I get antsy fast.

When purchased:
4L I6
Dana 44 front
Dana 44 rear
35" tires
4 inch suspension lift (cheapo brand)
2 inch body lift
SYE & DC

Had a high and rough idle that ended up being a bad TPS.
A/C wouldn't stay cold, ended up being a bad blend door actuator.

Changes to date:
New 35" pro comp tires with steel wheels
Currie Currectlync
JKS track bar
Replaced ball joints
Durango steering swap
Replaced 2" BL with JKS 1.25"
Upgraded speakers to JBL 5.25"
Bartact seat covers

Next week:
JKS 1" MML
Savvy t case linkage replacement
Rancho rs5000x shocks
Replace inner axle seals
Correct speedo gear
New spark plugs
Start removing the armor on the corners and the rock guards.

Future:
Savvy/Currie Control arms (front caster is off, as is rear pinion angle and thrust angle)
Tuffy center console
MorRyde tire carrier
Eaton E Lockers
Tummy tuck
New coils and bump stops
Currie anti rock
Line X interior tub
New paint job
Metalcloak front fender flares
Ace Rock Sliders
New soft top

Biggest surprise I've run into is that this jeep had the 30/35 axle combo from the factory. Can't complain about the 44/44 now though.

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Nice project to keep you from being bored! Coming along nicely. You’ve got great plans. Love it so far
 
Nice project to keep you from being bored! Coming along nicely. You’ve got great plans. Love it so far

After admiring your jeep I've got to say it's fine praise! Also, my jeep is in Florida but I see you live out in Hill Country, I technically live in Midland. Good wheeling around here? Considering shipping the jeep here towards the end of the year (maybe. I may leave it in Florida)
 
Does the jeep have factory rubicon locker to go with the d44s?

Looks great.
 
After admiring your jeep I've got to say it's fine praise! Also, my jeep is in Florida but I see you live out in Hill Country, I technically live in Midland. Good wheeling around here? Considering shipping the jeep here towards the end of the year (maybe. I may leave it in Florida)
Thank you. It’s been a work in progress, but almost done. Then I can focus on creature comforts.

The closest good wheeling to Midland is Wolf Caves in Mason, TX, as far as I know. Most of the wheeling (not all) is in the Hill Country. If you like driving the beaches in your rig, I’d leave it in FL. You know Midland is very flat, so not much off-road fun that far west
 
Does the jeep have factory rubicon locker to go with the d44s?

Looks great.

I'm replacing the axle seals my next week off, and planning on taking a look. But no, I'm 99.9% certain it doesn't. There's no switch and nothing to actuate it.

Still though, I have no idea the origin of either front or rear axle. I guess I'll just be thankful and leave it at that?
 
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Thank you. It’s been a work in progress, but almost done. Then I can focus on creature comforts.

The closest good wheeling to Midland is Wolf Caves in Mason, TX, as far as I know. Most of the wheeling (not all) is in the Hill Country. If you like driving the beaches in your rig, I’d leave it in FL. You know Midland is very flat, so not much off-road fun that far west

Midland's a lot of things, "fun" of any kind doesn't generally get associated with it. I've heard there are decent spots near San Angelo. Guy I met via work wheels with the guys at West Texas Offroad, but that's all I'm aware of.

But yeah, I've been leaning towards leaving it in Florida. It's where I go on my weeks off, and it's a great vehicle for that.
 
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I'm replacing the axle seals my next week off, and planning on taking a look. But no, I'm 99.9% certain it doesn't. There's no switch and nothing to actuate it.

Still though, I have no idea the origin of either front or rear axle. I guess I'll just be thankful and leave it at that?
Sounds like luck is on your side with this build so far. I'll cross my fingers for you.
 
Sounds like luck is on your side with this build so far. I'll cross my fingers for you.

I'll be honest, I had a bit of ignorance regarding axles and drive train when I bought it. But I got what I feel is a good deal due to a few problems it had and I took a risk. It was after buying it that I figured out the 44s weren't stock and that it had a SYE etc. I was just looking for a I6 and an immaculate frame.

Thanks! I'll be posting picks next week of all the memorial day knick knacks I got.
 
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So you should open up the diffs and see what you’ve got! Sounds like a gold mine. You could get the factory compressor if it doesn’t have one and get it wired up. That would be awesome!
 
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So you should open up the diffs and see what you’ve got! Sounds like a gold mine. You could get the factory compressor if it doesn’t have one and get it wired up. That would be awesome!

So this looks like a locker to my untrained eye. Can you ID it?

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If that is a TruTrac that is a nice score! Dana 44 front and rear is always ideal unless you want to go to tons . . . .
 
Well what a day gentlemen. What a day.

Bedrug installed (front only)
Rancho RS5000X front shocks installed
Axle seals replaced (didnt need it, which I'm pissed about)
Bartac Seat covers Installed (front only)
Axle U Joints Replaced (one Spicer, one Moog...more on that in a second...)

So the shock replacement was super easy.
Bedrug took maybe 5 minutes? (I haven't installed the heat pads or velcro, I put it in really lazily and it still looks great.)
Seat covers were kind of a pain but overall fast and simple.

Axle seals.... so I had replaced my ball joints and thought that i messed up my seals afterwards because I had slight fluid leak for a few weeks. However, I had those stupid outer tube seals that ended up holding fluid in the tubes as it slowly leaked out, the inner seals were fine. I should have followed my gut, because I thought that's what happened and even posted on the forum about it but everyone seemed to think it was bad inner seals. End of the day, better safe than sorry.

U Joints..... yeah I'm just gonna pay to have these done from now on. While I know they're supposed to be simple, I managed to genuinely mess this process up.
I got the old joints out fairly easily (they weren't bad, but I figured since I'm tearing the front end apart again why not do some preventative maintenance? Screw me, right?).
Trouble starts when trying to install the new joints. I managed to break the cap off the first joint I was trying to install. All while (not sure how this happened) BENDING the damn flange that holds the U joint.... so I had to go to advanced and get a Moog u joint to get myself back on the road. After that, I broke caps two more times on the other Spicer joint (luckily had the caps from the other one, and the moog when in without issues.

Moral of this story.... not sure yet.

On the bright side: found a locker in the front end, believe it's a Detroit Tru Trac but that's just from 5 minutes of googling, I could be wrong. And found out my gears are 4.88 so i can finally fix my speedometer.

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