What did you do to your TJ today?

[GEEP4ME]

Lost track of days, but, tightened up all the stuff on the 3" suspension portion of my Zone Combo lift the other day. Drove it back to work and the vibration was bad. Horribly bad. Like rumble strip from 1 to any MPH. Like, not drivable bad. Figured I throw u-joints at the rear driveshaft. 177K, and they looked original. Replaced them last night. Fought me the entire time. Marginally better afterwards. Like 20% improved. Improved enough to drive around the block.

But what did I do today? Bought longer bolts and stacks of washers at lunch. Before dinner, I shade-tree dropped the transfer case/skid 7/8". Vibrations are 80-85% gone. May stack a couple more washers on the bolts to see if I can get most of the remaining issues smoothed out. Piggy bank set aside to start saving for a slip yoke eliminator and driveshaft. Lowered the pressure in the new tires from 35 to 30. Feels good. Might drop it to 28 or so and try it. Quick toe check and holy cow, there's an inch difference instead of normal 1/8" spec. No wonder it's felt a bit squirrelly since I bought it in January. Just need to get the tie rod ends loose and twist it back to spec.

No pictures of the washers, because, well.....washers.

 

[psrivats]

Took me a month and half of Sundays, but I'm very happy with the way this turned out. Totally bomber, fastened to the tub and hopefully weatherproof. Also tight and secure - good fitment with no rattles or noise. Now the fun part - organizing and loading it up. Current plan is for recovery, tools and parts on the right, and general camp box, kitchen, etc. on the left. Also thinking about some sort of cargo net hanging from the top for soft goods, jackets and such. Who says you can't overland in a TJ?!

Really well done! This is awesome. @Chris you need to see this.

 

[astjp2]

I bent my $26 metalcloak control arm jam nuts crows foot trying to torque them. Another waste of money for a tool that didn't work. Definitely not good quality steel in them.

 

[Chris]

Took me a month and half of Sundays, but I'm very happy with the way this turned out. Totally bomber, fastened to the tub and hopefully weatherproof. Also tight and secure - good fitment with no rattles or noise. Now the fun part - organizing and loading it up. Current plan is for recovery, tools and parts on the right, and general camp box, kitchen, etc. on the left. Also thinking about some sort of cargo net hanging from the top for soft goods, jackets and such. Who says you can't overland in a TJ?!
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As a guy who is very into expensive guitars made from exotic woods, I have to admit, that's pretty darn cool!

 

[Fouledplugs]

I bent my $26 metalcloak control arm jam nuts crows foot trying to torque them. Another waste of money for a tool that didn't work. Definitely not good quality steel in them.

Beleive it or not, MetalCloak isn't known for their tools.

Neither is JKS (They make a few as well)

 

[Millie2K]

PO installed some Bilsteins that were too long on rear and the front had what I think were the original shocks, so my Jeep had a jarring ride. I picked up some Rancho RS5000x shocks on sale at O'Reilly's (plus a $50 rebate from Rancho) and had the auto shop on base install them for $172. (I just didn't have the time to do it myself right now.) All I can say is wow, what a difference in how the Jeep drives! I'm no longer bouncing out of my seat when I hit a pothole!

 

[astjp2]

PO installed some Bilsteins that were too long on rear and the front had what I think were the original shocks, so my Jeep had a jarring ride. I picked up some Rancho RS5000x shocks on sale at O'Reilly's (plus a $50 rebate from Rancho) and had the auto shop on base install them for $172. (I just didn't have the time to do it myself right now.) All I can say is wow, what a difference in how the Jeep drives! I'm no longer bouncing out of my seat when I hit a pothole!

I am using the Rancho's until I get other things done on my jeep, then I have a set of Fox reservoirs. I am excited to use those.

 

[astjp2]

Called it bad names while talking to the tow truck driver about his cj-7 and the offroad route from Wickenburg to Payson.

I am presuming alternator.

Hopefully you were kept safe and was able to get back on your trip safely.

 

[Locky]

As a guy who is very into expensive guitars made from exotic woods, I have to admit, that's pretty darn cool!

So if you were going to build one I take it you would not use spruce for the top and Indian rosewood for the sides and back? lol

 

[tworley]

I bent my $26 metalcloak control arm jam nuts crows foot trying to torque them. Another waste of money for a tool that didn't work. Definitely not good quality steel in them.

I have always used oversized channel locks.

 

[astjp2]

I have always used oversized channel locks.

Big cresent wrench and a short pipe.

 

[MallCrawlOnTons]

I will dig into it. Thanks for the heads up.

Yea they will rust in the Allen fitting. My uncle bought similar ones. He said the zinc coating on the inside is very light.

 

[RustyCage]

As a guy who is very into expensive guitars made from exotic woods, I have to admit, that's pretty darn cool!

Thanks @Chris. Nothing exotic here though. Just 3/4" plywood. You got a couple of bad, er . . . expensive habits! Can't play a lick, but I love guitars too.

 

[RustyCage]

Really well done! This is awesome. @Chris you need to see this.

Thanks @psrivats. There's really nothing aftermarket for TJs in this category. All that Goose Gear and FrontRunner stuff is for JKs and other makes, and it's expensive af. I definitely have a few hundred bucks into this. Drawer and cooler slides - $230, plywood - $80, poly/stain - $25, slider $50, 87 trips to the hardware store for nuts, bolts, screws, misc. shop supplies, etc., plus mock-up materials, mistakes and do-overs!

 

[Chris]

Thanks @Chris. Nothing exotic here though. Just 3/4" plywood. You got a couple of bad, er . . . expensive habits! Can't play a lick, but I love guitars too.

Must be the way you stained it then, it looks really good!

 

[Chris]

So if you were going to build one I take it you would not use spruce for the top and Indian rosewood for the sides and back? lol

Never seen one like that. I've seen solid rosewood ones, and they look great (i.e. George Harrison style).

 

[RustyCage]

Must be the way you stained it then, it looks really good!

Actually, to clarify, it is radiata pine plywood - $40/sheet Home Depot. It comes sanded a bit. I used a hand-held 5" palm sander to sand it with 220 and 320 grit. It's three coats of Varathane with a 320 grit sanding between each coat. I kind of lucked out by accident that the drawer fronts ended up having the best grain on them of the whole sheet!

 

[Chris]

Actually, to clarify, it is radiata pine plywood - $40/sheet Home Depot. It comes sanded a bit. I used a hand-held 5" palm sander to sand it with 220 and 320 grit. It's three coats of Varathane with a 320 grit sanding between each coat. I kind of lucked out by accident that the drawer fronts ended up having the best grain on them of the whole sheet!

That would explain it. When you say "plywood" I think of the typical stuff I'd use in doing something around the house. I hadn't seen that type before, which explains why I thought it was something exotic. Still, for being plywood, it looks really good! I'm one of those guys where I always pay attention to the grain of the wood.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I picked up some Rancho RS5000x shocks on sale at O'Reilly's (plus a $50 rebate from Rancho) and had the auto shop on base install them for $172.

Did not know there was a rebate on Rancho's. I checked and purchase price has to be at least $200 to qualify for the $50 rebate. I paid $199.21 at amazon for my Rancho's.

 

[astjp2]

Well good quarter sawn, vertical grain, clear sitka spruce is uper expensive, I had to substitute doug fir because the sitka spruce was $200 for two 1x4's 9' long for a pair of aileron spars.