Project Everyday Jeep: My 2001 TJ Build Thread

365Jeep

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Location
Siloam Springs, AR
I am rebuilding my build thread from another forum. I thought this might be a way to introduce myself and begin my journey here.

Although this is my first post here at wranglertjforum.com, I have been around Jeeps and other 4x4s for years. This thread will serve as a build thread for Project Everyday Jeep. My 2001 Jeep Wrangler will serve as the base for this project. My intent is to share my experience, my successes, my failures, and to seek guidance from the jeepforum community. So how did I get here?

It’s been a long journey filled with lots of trial and error. My first Jeep was a 1984 CJ-7. On a college student’s budget, I traded my Ford Ranger for the CJ and immediately bought the cheapest 2 ½ inch lift and 31x10.5s I could find. On my first ever trail ride, I remember thinking lockers were “cheating” and “no one should ever need a 35 inch tire”. I kept the Jeep for about 7 years and went on numerous progressively difficult trails while swapping transmissions, building axles, swapping axles, rear locker, building engines, swapping engines, body lift, 33’s, Dana 44s, more lift, 35’s… well, you get the picture. It was a great Jeep and a great project, but I was driving it daily, and even on my short commute it was becoming less and less comfortable. By now I was married with one child and another on the way. I hadn’t wheeled in a while, so I decided to sell. I bought a Cherokee.

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At Superlift ORV in Hot Springs, AR

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The 2000 Cherokee Sport was a nice change of pace. It had air-conditioning (and heat), and I quickly installed an OME 2 inch lift and 30x9.5 MT/Rs, and I was done. The Cherokee wheeled pretty good, and it was nice to get back to a more basic and highway friendly Jeep. It served me very well on Northwest Arkansas back roads and during the occasional ice or snow storm. As with the CJ, it carried me to and from work every day. By the time our third child was born in 2009, the Cherokee had moved to smaller, cheaper, all-terrains, and TJs started catching my eyes again. For more than two years, I looked and watched, all the while, telling myself, “The Cherokee is more family friendly.” By late summer 2012, I realized I could count on one hand the times my family of 5 had been in the Cherokee. It was time for a change…

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After my dad passed away in October 2012, I realized I could engage my family and especially, my two young sons by getting out more, exploring, and building. I began seriously looking for my next project. I knew what I needed. I knew what I wanted. I looked at the local lots and scoured Craigslist and eBay. In January 2013, I finally found a 2001 Wrangler Sahara with a rear Dana 44 with no reserve. After a Carfax check, I started bidding. I bid low, and who cares if it’s 1,400 miles away in New Haven, CT! The Jeep had low miles, it was clean, and it wasn’t like I would win the auction… Until I did. So I flew to New Haven, bought a Jeep sight unseen, and drove home to Arkansas. I’m still on a budget, but from my previous experience, I know it’s much cheaper to do it right the first time. Despite my hasty and not so well thought out purchase, I’m going to have to be patient and deliberate with each step.
 
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My 1,400 mile road trip was mostly uneventful. I saw a number of places I’d never seen before, and became quite intimate with my new Jeep. A few things I noticed very early on became my highest priorities, flapping canvas and cold New England air proved that I needed a new soft top. I was about 30 miles outside of New York city when, in a parking lot, I tried 4 wheel drive for the first time. Four High? Check! Four Low? Check! Neutral? Check! Two High?... Two High? I’d been driving in 2H all day! After closer inspection, in the rain I might add, I found the transfer case linkage had disconnected. “That’s easy, I’ll just pop it into 2H with the rod and move along.” Three days later, I got home and on schedule. Would I recommend doing what I did? Absolutely not! It’s not wise to buy a Jeep sight unseen from the Northeast and drive it half way across the country! Did I have fun? Yup!

Me in NYC!

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On the weekend I brought it home, I began a more thorough inspection of my new project. The previous owner had installed a nice stereo system and gutted and modified the center console for a 10” subwoofer. Twenty years ago, the JL Audio sub and 5 channel Alpine amp would have been a gem of a find, but honestly, I wanted a usable console, and having had experience with a Tuffy console in my CJ, it was an easy choice. The Tuffy products are always more than I want to pay, but you won’t find a better product.

While inspecting the frame, I found some evidence of rust near the front control arm mounts. I began scraping the flaking paint and ultimately stabbed a screwdriver completely through the frame. The eBay ad said “No Rust” or was that “No BODY RUST”? I was angry to say the least! How do you fix something like that?

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Would you weld a patch over this? Would you do a frame swap? Or would you take a loss and sell the darn thing? I considered all of the above until I found the perfect solution, the Safe-T-Cap by Auto Rust Technicians. This product is a life saver! I am no welder, and due to the nature and location of the rust, I took the Jeep to Siloam Springs Collision who did the paint and body work on my CJ twelve years ago. After telling me the Jeep was unsafe to drive, I explained that I had just driven 1,400 miles! They agreed to put the Safe-T-Caps on. The fit was great with only very minor grinding being needed for a perfect fit. I could not find the Safe-T-Caps deeply discounted, but I did find them with free shipping from Morris 4x4 Center in Florida. My experience with them was first rate. They have great customer service, fast shipping, and personally, I found the Gospel message unique and encouraging. Regardless of faith, I’d recommend them. I’ll be shopping there again.
 
So where am I going with Project Everyday Jeep? First, it’s my daily driver, so it must handle well on and off road. Second, I need a rig that can handle the terrain I prefer to drive over, around and through and get me back to work on Monday without breaking my Jeep or my bank! While big, built Jeeps and dedicated rock crawlers are super cool, my CJ-7 was really more Jeep than I needed. I’m looking to split the difference between my CJ and my Cherokee. I want to have a Jeep that will tackle many of the great trails found in the Ozarks and Ouachitas and go places my family will enjoy. Please feel free to weigh in, but for now, here’s what I’m thinking;

· The Vortec 350 and T-18 from my CJ were a lot of fun, but I think I’ll stick with the 4.0 and NV3550.
· I plan to keep my Dana 44 rear and swap a reverse cut/high pinion Dana 30 from a Cherokee and for a slight improvement in strength with 4.88s.
· I’m looking for tires in the 33”-35” range with special interest in the 305/70R17 that weighs in at 34”.
· I’m looking at Savvy/Currie/Fox for lift.
· I’m considering ARBs or Eaton E-Lockers, but I’m also very interested in the Detroit Truetrac and may go that direction for cost, ease of installation, and simplicity (and yes, I know the Truetrac is a LSD).
· I’m also looking into products from Poison Spyder Customs, other Savvy products, Under Cover Fabworks, ATX wheels
· Maybe a TeraLow, but it’s way down the list.
 
Okay, so as an "Everyday Jeep", regular maintenance gets in the way of the "Project" aspect.

I've been slowly losing coolant to the tune of about a quart per week for a couple of months now, and as the Arkansas temps keep rising, I quickly realized this was an issue I wasn't going to be able to ignore for long. I wanted to ignore it, because there was no evidence of leaking in the driveway, causing paranoia of a head gasket leak. Not having the energy to make the diagnosis myself, I took her to my favorite local mechanic for diagnosis.

As it turns out, and $60 later, I don't have a head gasket leak. My mechanic suggested I look into the water pump as they tend to drain and follow the oil pan to the back or even pool into the skid plate. Indeed it was the water pump! After replacing it and inspecting it, it sounded like it was full of gravel.
 
Grayson (my 8 year old) and I changed the oil, filter, and plugs last weekend. It was nice spending time with him and teaching him a few things. I've been researching extended oil drain intervals, so I'm sending a sample to Blackstone Labs for a full analysis. I also think it will be nice to get a better understanding on the life my engine has had so far.

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I've got something else in the works, so the next post will be more interesting...
 
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I mentioned last time that I had something in the works. Well, I went to the local auto salvage and bought a Dana 30R from a Cherokee.

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So I brought it home and immediately...

Oh wait, the phone's ringing... It was Blackstone Labs to tell me I had "issues" in my oil sample. What kind of issues you may ask? 12% of the sample was coolant or water! 3.8% was fuel! There was abnormally high levels of Aluminum (pistons?), Lead (bearings?), and Iron (rods?, crank?). So, I was diverted from my build, yet again...

My immediate thoughts went to a worst case scenario involving a full rebuild, but then... What if I build a stroker?

What's that?
Don't use casting number 0331?
What's wrong with 0331?
They crack, huh?
Hmmm, maybe that explains my previously unexplained coolant loss...

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Maybe
next time I'll get to the axle!
 
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I do not intend to announce every routine maintenance event, but one of my original objectives with this thread was to share experiences. I know there has been some debate on the use of anything other than Mopar Synchromesh in the NV3550. Again, not knowing the service history of my TJ, I decided to change out the fluid in my transmission. I bought three quarts of Amsoil Synchromesh and changed my fluid last night. I can't speak to the longevity of the Amsoil, but the shifting was SIGNIFICANTLY smoother on my commute to work this morning! Would it have been the same with the Mopar fluid? Maybe...

I started tracking maintenance and fuel mileage using an app called “auto care”, but it drove me nuts knowing that my odometer was off due to a slightly smaller than stock tire. That’s right, smaller than stock. When I bought the Jeep, the tires I had on my Cherokee were better, so I swapped them over. Of course, I considered changing the mechanical speedometer gear, but why not see how accurate I could get? Knowing that I would eventually go to a much larger tire, I chose the SpeedoHealer from Blue Monkey. This unit was really simple to install. In fact, my 8 year old son installed it by himself in a campground one weekend. It took him all of 15 minutes to install. Calibration was a breeze using the GPS on my phone. In fact, I took a 230 mile trip the following week, and my odometer differed from my GPS by 0.6 miles! I was okay with that discrepancy, and any further adjustment only showed a greater deviation. Good product. It’s been installed for over a year now, and I’ve had zero issues to date.
 
So while my front axle build was delayed by a cracked cylinder head, wife’s cancer, and a general lack of funds, I have finally completed it! So, my newly revived Reverse Cut Dana 30 consists of 4.88 gears, an Eaton E-Locker, Spicer 5-760x U-Joints (with full circle snap rings), Currie Front Housing Johnny Joint Kit, Currie Lower Control Arm Mini Skids, and the Vanco 16” Big Brake Kit with Black Magic Pads! The rotors from the Vanco kit are huge! Too bad my current wheels are only 15”. So I’ll wait…

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I periodically check my rusty frame to contemplate my safety and possible countermeasures. It became pretty obvious that my entire mid-section and skid plate were in need of some attention, so I ordered more Safe-T-Cap frame sections from Morris 4x4, an exhaust from Rusty’s Offroad, and a No Body Lift Semi-Belly Up Skid Plate from Undercover fabworks. I spent the better part of two days cutting away far more metal from my frame than I was comfortable with, and that still didn’t get all the areas of rust taken care of. I went ahead and burned the band-aids on and installed the Skid Plate from UCF, but I got a terrible driveline vibration, so I put the stock skid back on. The Safe-T-Cap is an excellent product, but I knew I needed better. New frame? I think so...

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My wife helped out by threading the bolts into my exhaust band clamp.

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So a buddy of mine just happened to have a late model TJ frame behind his shop. With the exception of a tweaked track bar bracket, it was perfect, and NO RUST! With a clean frame in the Garage, it was time to knock out a few ideas I'd originally saved for later, but when you don't have a body or suspension or axles to work around, it's a good time to take action. The first things to come off were the stock upper spring mounts, and in their place I welded up a pair of Ballistic Fabrication Coil Spring Frame Mounts to stand the springs up straight. The second project included cutting into the frame to weld in some TNT Customs Rear Shock Mounts for later outboarded shocks. Next, I welded in a Trail-Gear Adjustable Panhard Bracket from Poly Performance. The fourth and final modification to the frame included cutting and repositioning the upper steering box mount to install a new steering gear from a Durango.

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So overall, the frame swap was a success. I'm still in the process of getting a few last issues resolved, but this post gets me completely caught up. In being consistent with my true nerdy ways, I planned each step of the frame swap down to the minute, and of course, I added 20% to each step to ensure things went smoothly and on schedule. I planned for about 4 10-hour days, just to be safe. The plan would carry us over two consecutive weekends and wrap up on Sunday evening. Great plan? Check!

The first two days went exceptionally well and significantly better than planned! Our use of a small tractor and bucket proved successful but FAR from ideal. TIP: Use a larger tractor or even better, a gantry crane. The fenders came off easily as did the tub. I did not expect to crack open the A/C, but it proved inevitable. The engine, transmission, and transfer case were removed as a unit, and the axles came out with ease.

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It wasn't 'til the next weekend that the schedule got hosed. Temperatures dropped and rain and snow fell. We successfully got the drivetrain pack set in it's place between a pair of Brown Dog MML's. We also got both front and rear axles set and the Durango steering box mounted. The only significant problem we identified (besides the weather) was the rear track bar no longer fit! The fancy panhard bar mount from Trail-Gear moved the mounting point about 2" toward the outside of the frame. It was a good time to call it a day and go home and order a JKS Adjustable Rear Track Bar.

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The weather was worse for Sunday, so weekend number two came to a close. Weekend number 3, came with good weather and good motivation. My buddy's wife agreed to two weekends of Jeep parts strewn across her yard! The body went back on well. It was a little tricky to set it between the new rear shock mounts, but it slid right into place atop a 1/2" Body Lift from Rokmen. New brake lines were fabricated, installed, and bled. A new Short Throw Shifter from B&M along with a new Savvy 231 Shifter Cable to replace the mangled linkage I discovered outside of NYC nearly two years ago.

The most significant problem we found was with my new JKS track bar. Even though it has the adjustment to accommodate up to a 6" lift, it didn't have the adjustment to reach my new mount. We cut it into two pieces and fabricated an insert out of 1 1/4" rod. It sucked to cut my $200 track bar, but ultimately it worked like a charm. TIP:Surround yourself with people smarter than you, and make friends with engineers!

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One issue we had came from the raised drivetrain from the installation of the MML and high clearance skid plate. Even with the 1/2" body lift, the shifter cutout in the floor pan had to be adjusted as the shifter wanted to come through about a 1/2" forward from where it had been previously. Another issue was where the skid plate lined up. While most of the bolt holes in the skid plate lined up with the newer frame, an entirely new set of six holes had to be drilled in the skid for the transmission mount to line up. I suspect all would have lined up well if I had a replacement frame from an earlier year.

Am I ready to tackle another frame swap anytime soon? Absolutely not! Was it hard work? Sure, but it was very doable and enjoyable.
 
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Man oh man, looks like you're really putting some work into this thing. I'm following this...
 
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It has been a really busy year. We moved in July and began a fun but time and money consuming home remodel project.

After contemplating several rear axle plans, I finally settled. My three most viable plans included;
• Keep my factory Dana 44
• Build the tried and true Ford 8.8
• Build a XJ Dana 44

I chose the XJ 44!

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I installed my ECGS Brackets on my XJ Dana 44. The bracket kit is really beefy, but it did not include installation instructions. I was successfully able to adapt the instructions for a similar bracket kit designed for the Ford 8.8, and the installation was relatively easy. My welds aren't beautiful, but I think they will do the trick. Everything is set up for a pinion angle of 17°. I know it's not ideal, but I went ahead and stuck the shock mounts on. The mounts in the ECGS kit were nice but the mounts from my TNT Customs Rear Shock Mounts were a bit wider, so I can add misalignment spacers if my shocks are narrower. Next steps; sandblast, prime and paint.

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I rattle canned my axle black and I drilled and tapped the axle for the axle vent.

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Now, I think that brings us up to date!
 
So I've had this nagging little piece of land down south that I finally sold for a pocket full of change. I spent every dime to keep the brown truck driver employed.

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