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CheapCherokee's all purpose MJ Build

And that is one of the many reasons I stay out of the mud when I can avoid it... :anon:

(and try not to drive out of drainage pipes anymore)
 
Seriously an epic build here. Your commitment and positive attitude towards every challenge has brought me to believe that anyone can accomplish any task with the help of friends and patience!
 
TheLaredo said:
Seriously an epic build here. Your commitment and positive attitude towards every challenge has brought me to believe that anyone can accomplish any task with the help of friends and patience!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kind words. Its been a crazy battle with this truck but its helped me become a better mechanic as well as realize that sometimes things just suck but you just gotta deal with it and move on. People are still amazed that I took a truck that was completely flooded out and then 2 weeks later drove it to Utah, wheeled for a week, and made it home all with no major problems.


Which reminds me, i never did get to share my Utah Trip experience on here. I've been waiting for someone in our group to do a complete writeup on the trip with lots of pictures and videos but i guess he just hasnt gotten around to it yet. Here are some teaser pictures i have as well as a video someone made.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8z1OIcAQp8WbGxpZVhRTGJZZWc/edit?usp=sharing








more teaser pics from everyone that i went with:
http://fourwheelfriends.boards.net/thread/304/epic-utah-2014



more later.....
 
welp i've made a few changes for the summer. removed the tent and rack so she's back to being a truck




truck still needs some work, but i still drive it every now and then. list includes the following:

new turn signal lever (mine just snapped off lol)
repair or replace AC compressor for OBA (water fried the bearing)
fix the driver side rocker panel (thats only been on my list for what, 2 years now?)
make rock sliders
install ruff stuff DIY deaver spring under u bolt kit
install and rebuild 14" Fox 2.0s through the bed in a way that doesnt limit cargo storage too much
get some sort of matching front progressive spring. PAC? Deaver?
revalve front 7100s for more stiffer
install front prothanes



im pretty convinced that its gonna be forever until i finish this thing. the MJ is on the back burner as im also resto-modding a 63 Falcon, which has been sitting for a year so thats where my attention has been lately
 
ae racer said:
This thread has a lot of good ideas for bed storage. its an f-150 but the concept should still be the same.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/57115-FatCity-F150-Pre-runner-Expo-build
Click to expand...

man thats an awesome build! i think i need to condense the things i take on trips first, as i kinda just throw in what i think i might need on a trip as you can really see on my Utah pictures. However the utah trip is probably the only exception as it has a weeks worth of stuff in it while i usually only need 1-2 nights worth of gear. I think im going to redesign the rack for the RTT, its just way too high aerodynamics wise (you can see my lack of power thread for that) so i will loose a little space under it after i lower it. That combined with having shocks back there will mean i need to create a storage solution that fits just right. not sure if i mentioned it yet but i now have a tool box in the bed where i now keep my tools, spare parts and OBA tank. Its nice but it does take up extra room.

I've also been throwing around the idea of a spare tire carrier back there. im not really a spare tire carrier kinda guy but i might be needing the extra space in the bed, so we'll see.
 
I guess its been awhile since I updated this thing lol

not much has changed
added 2" 200lb progressive PAC racing springs + 1" spacer
also threw in the prothanes coil inserts finally
aaaand I got pictures of none of this. oops




I've done some wheeling lately

Mojave road in December
I let my friend drive, he likes photography and framed out some cool shots











Big Bear for some snow wheeling:








Then I saw JohnnyC giving away an MJ camper shell in the Karma thread so I snatched that up, rattle canned it an threw it on
















And Next weekend I will be going to Anza Borrego for some fun
 
Looks great Matt! I think I found the key for the rear window.
 
Wow, been awhile since i've been on here!

The 'ol MJ hasnt changed much in the way of modifications. Havent wheeled too much in the past year since i last updated this thread. Lately its been mostly general repairs and maintenance, just trying to keep the thing reliable and running well.

one of my freeze plugs decided to go, so this was me last week (yes i did replace that front one thats not removed yet):



the culprit (rusted thru)





Most recently however i just wheeled in Corral canyon where i did the Espinosa trail, Sidewinder and Bronco peak.

IMG_2394_zpsvhpfxqp1.jpg


Espinosa trail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfVAxFYU5u8
Sidewinder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PbytUQLueU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trrkc-ho1n8
Bronco Peak:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzqoP-68i6g

I'm mixed in there with all the other jeeps that went

The jeep performed well, as usual although i incurred some new body damage thanks to Bronco peak









thankfully the tail lights didnt break :yelclap: the rocks slid right over them!


i took the rear bumper off after the trip, didnt go wheeling like that haha. it got all banged up and tweaked
 
So i'd definitely say Bronco peak was the hardest trail i've done. I learned some things from that trail

-an MJ with auto lockers front and rear has a horrible turning radius in 4 low
-my bed sticks out far (relative to an XJ) and catches on stuff (hence the body damage pictures)
-i dont have enough armor/protection (well i kinda already knew that)

im still rocking (hehe) no rock sliders and bashed in rocker panels. thats going to change here in the very near future. i have no choice but to cut out the rockers and weld in some 2x6 box tubing. im also going to "cut and fold" (probably just cut at this point) the rear quarters and make a new, simple bumper out of box tubing that wraps around the cut quarters. im also doing this because im not a huge fan of the JCR DIY bumper.
 
Looking.. good? Haha.
I do not really do much rock crawling, but I would like to do some kind of cut and fold for the rear of the bed, and some armor/built-in tail lamp boxes. Hitch/bumper that wraps around, and maybe a swing-out tire carrier attached to the bumper.

I do not mind the JCR DIY MJ bumper, other than the price.
 
Still have it, still making progress building it, still wheeling it.

Got pissed off with Photobucket dropping free hosting and just haven't got around to doing anything about it haha. Also just don't feel motivated to write posts and update this. I got my dream job last year (elevator constructor) and that consumes so much time and energy.

Anywho, the latest upgrades have been a rockslider on the passenger side, 4.56 gears and air lockers front and rear, artec dana 30 truss, vanco big brake kit. I don't have an air compressor yet so I can't even use the lockers lol.

I will never sell this Jeep. It's the first car I bought with my own money, I've poured so much time and money into it it's not even funny. Plus the thing straight up works! For me anyway

60d12a2ccac7b7636d3def23a7485b54.jpg
dff8ece84f5761935b9d0ff354290766.jpg
57877ccde76d6f7172a9b78a36d616d0.jpg
5c3efd257a1a02c435c2c679577489a4.jpg
7dcad81230bbb5a041baf9ad72204629.jpg


Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
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