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Another Silver Family XJ... Limited

TORC811

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
Davison, MI
Well I finally have the XJ just about to how I want it, so I guess it is time for a build thread. I picked it up in Aug of 2017 with 70,000 original miles, "no" rust, 4.5 Rough Country short arm lift & 33" Duratracs.

IMG_5452.jpg
 
I swapped the bumper/winch from the MJ, installed a receiver hitch for two points & installed HD shackle relocation brackets before we were off to Kentucky for the 2017 Cumberlands JJUSA. We followed that up with a handful of trips to Rocks and Valleys before things needed to change.
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Following Wheeler can be hard on things.
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After having our twins in Aug 2018, I got back in the garage and started a complete make over of the Jeep.

- IRO Rock Link w/ 5.5" Coils
- '79 F150 Leaf Springs w/ Boostwerks Comp. Shackles
- IRO trusses for a HP30 & a 8.8
- Revolution 4.56 gears with an Eaton in the front & rebuilt Ford LSD in the rear
- WK2 Calipers & mounts with SportTrac rotors
- JKS Racing Shock Mounts w/ 12" Fox shocks that my dad gave me when we quit racing short course.
- 35" Maxxis Trepadors off of the MJ

New Lift - Progress.jpg
 
With newborn twins at home things took a lot longer than planned so I went to Winterfest '19 Jeepless and missed Memorial Day at Wheeler's. I finally got things buttoned up for Jeep Jamboree on Drummond Island.

The 3-link and the leafs flexed great down Marblehead.
Marblehead Ledges Flex.jpg

Didn't look bad by the Ledges in Turtle Ridge Offroad Park either.
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Picture of the scenic part of the weekend.
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I ended up snapping both brand new Moog Super Joints on Upper Citadel in Turtle Ridge just before lunch on Saturday. :doh: Managed doing so in front of the Pres/CEO of Jeep Jamboree & the new PR manager for the JEEP brand at FCA which led to me coming home with the Hard Luck award for the weekend.
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Pretty sure I saw your jeep when it was for sale on CL. Nice rig. How does that iro Rock link ride on paved roads?

Picked it up in Flat Rock so you may have. So far the Rock Link runs great on and off the road. I have not had it on the expressway yet. That will be in the next couple weeks when I get things pieced back together.
 
More info Ron the f150 leaves?

I bought OEM replacements, part # 43-559, instead of finding late 70's springs in the the pick n pull. They are +1 in front of the center bolt which actually centers the wheel in the wheelwell. +3" in the back with shackles & relocation brackets for droop.

4 leafs plus and overload with a capacity of 1450#. They are stiff and sat extremely high until I loaded that back with a bunch of weight. Once they settled, I sit level front to back with IRO 5.5" coils.

They flexed decent on the first trip out and I'm sure will only get better.
 
I bought OEM replacements, part # 43-559, instead of finding late 70's springs in the the pick n pull.

Forgot to mention, they are direct bolt in for the front bushing. I had to replace the rear bushing with a RB-120 which bolts right to an XJ shackle.
 
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