The Pickle / Jurassic Pickle, Nostalgia Build With My Kids

[techjeeper]

Finally some progress! 2 forward and 1 back. New Track bar, check! New front shocks, check! New steering linkage…I messed up and ordered RHD parts…so another round of parts and hopefully I can send those back. 14YO did good work today but he’s going to need to hit the gym if he’s going to work on rusty old jeeps hahahaha.

Stock tie road definitely has a bow in it and the steering stabilizer was basically a place holder. The rod was jangling around in the body, hahahaha.

Found a bent front lower CA so deciding what to do there. Thinking about picking up a could adjustable lower CAs just in case the future holds a lift all though for now there won’t be one. However any good lift will come with them so considering some stock replacements instead.

 

[techjeeper]

The new correct steering kit I found is essentially a heavy TJ drag link with a ZJ tie rod all as a kit. I can’t return the RHD steering because it’s been too long. Hoping to find a local that needs an RHD steering linkage setup for cheap so I don’t have to eat the whole thing.

 

[techjeeper]

We got the steering mostly on, about 95% done. Still need to tighten the stabilizer bolts.

1 new lower control arm is in, the one that needed replaced(driver front). I ordered 2 because of one side needs replaced the other does too. Well they sent me 2 different stock style arms so I have to get that sorted out.

Winch is essentially just mocked up. It can ride there a while but the washers under the plate aren’t ideal. Feeling like it’s a just a little jeep now with that up front.

Sway bar disconnects will go on soon. All new sway bar bushings will be in Monday.

 

[techjeeper]

Recent stuff finished:
New Tie Rod, Done
New Drag link, done
New steering stabilizer, done
New front sway bar bushings, done
New sway bar disconnects, done
New front shocks, done
Radio and new mount, done
4 new speakers, done
New front LCAs. 1 done, other was wrong part, correct part is in now.

Still to go:
Rear shocks
H&R 1” Adventure Springs
Extended bump stops
Sort out the winch mounting
Front LP bracket after winch installed
Extended tailgate/tire bump stops
New ebrake lever(randomly broke)
Pull all the interior back out and get carpet full seated and secured a little better

School is almost done for the year, hoping that frees up some more time with the kids to work on it. Having to resist the urge to just go do this stuff myself. It’s way harder than I thought it would, I guess I didn’t realize how much I really like working on jeeps.

 

[Rickyd]

Do you need extended bumpstops? Compare new and old shock compressed lengths

 

[techjeeper]

Do you need extended bumpstops? Compare new and old shock compressed lengths

They are cut to length bump stops, currently there are none at all just the metal cup, we will cycle the suspension and see how much to keep.

 

[techjeeper]

We got the passenger door pulled apart, inner door handle replaced and striker adjusted. Door opens and closes better now but you we have to pull the inside door lever too far for it to work really well, lever flexes and looks like it’s going break off. I think the latch needs additional cleaning and lube or maybe just replaced. It’s way better but not 100%. I once again forgot pictures, but enjoyed working on with my son so it doesn’t really matter pics or not.

 

[techjeeper]

Another big milestone in the build. The H&R Adventure Springs and extended bump stops are in! My son and I did it over the course of a few days 20-30 minutes at a time as we could. Took about 2-1/2 hours and all done.

 

[techjeeper]

Another minor box checked was extending the tailgate tire bumps for the aftermarket spare mount. It moved the tire out and up for bigger tires. We used the part we cut of the extended bump stops from the lift to space the stock pieces out 1-1/2” or so. It only cost us $5 in hardware that I got free with a tractor supply reward coupon, hahahaha.

Will add a picture soon.

 

[Rubiconned]

The Jurassic Park jeep was a YJ which was apparently a superior vehicle as it was able to run on 20-year-old gasoline in Jurassic World.

 

[techjeeper]

The Jurassic Park jeep was a YJ which was apparently a superior vehicle as it was able to run on 20-year-old gasoline in Jurassic World.

Pre-Ethanol gasoline??? hahahah.

Yeah all we could find was a crummy ol TJ, not the same caliber machine as a YJ.

I definitely didn't understand the JP stickers on this particular Jeep, its green, not a YJ, not stock, etc. Nothing remotely like the movie car. That's why all of that came off before we did anything else.

 

[techjeeper]

As promised, here are the tailgate tire bump extensions made out of the left over pieces from the suspension extended bump stops. Longer 1/4” bolts and bump stop off cuts.

 

[techjeeper]

New roller fairlead LP bracket is on and we have a plan to get the winch plate fully fitted with the winch. Definitely a big part of this little jeep appearing and being ready to get some real dirt under the tires. My son is a real Jeep guy now and definitely wants a little trail cred so to speak. He’s driven around 200 miles of Colorado Jeep trail now and really wants his Jeep be seen as a “real jeepers jeep”.

We did our big CO trip in my JKUR and he is fired up ready for next summer and taking the TJ instead. Definitely have to get real picky on gear for next year if we aren’t taking the big wallowing marmot(JKUR got a new name, haha)

 

[techjeeper]

Winch is finally on! Instead of the original plan of building a winch plate to work with the aftermarket bumper, we modified the bumper to work with a basic quadratec winch plate. Drill a couple 1” holes in the bumper for the bolt heads to fall into and that fixed all the problems and it bolted right up. Fished the hole slugs out with a magnet. At some point we will blow apart the whole front bumper/winch/fog light setup and paint everything nice…that day was not today. This little jeep is really coming into its own and we are going to have to get some dirt under its tires soon.

 

[techjeeper]

Got it back out today and front end shimmy is there above 60, feels like out of balance tire but it still needs a real alignment too.

 

[techjeeper]

I believe the front end shimmy was a flat spot on the tires. It sat for a month or little longer after the wheels getting tore up from the theft attempt in the heat of summer. Today I finally got it out and drove it quite a way at highway speed and in the heat and it smoothed out as I drove. Tire balance all checked out at the tire store and it seems to be back to good.

Relieved for sure!

 

[techjeeper]

Almost a year in at this point. All the major changes are done. Still items on the punch list but it’s a great little jeep now.