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Track Bar and Steering

The 5" shorter won't matter, unless you managed to squeeze 14" coilovers on there and I missed it. When they are as flat as they are, it takes more travel than XJ's usually have for the length to become an issue.
 
The 5" shorter won't matter, unless you managed to squeeze 14" coilovers on there and I missed it. When they are as flat as they are, it takes more travel than XJ's usually have for the length to become an issue.

No 14" coilovers. Just a boring old 5 inches of lift or so! LOL!
 
Yeah you won't really notice the length. You can kind of tell when you're hauling ass through the desert but at safe speeds it's way more than adequate.
 
Now it says "Ron Rock Off Road!

Even better, cover up the "R", add a comma, and then you'll have
"ON ROCK, OFF ROAD" :thumbup:
 
Yeah you won't really notice the length. You can kind of tell when you're hauling ass through the desert but at safe speeds it's way more than adequate.

Awesome, thanks.

Yeah, my days of hauling ass are over ever since I sold my Baja Bug years ago and got into Jeeps. That Bug was fun and fast!

Now I'm just cruising. Old and slow! :roflmao:
 
Another update.

Got the steering all painted up and installed. Finally got my axle poly end for the track bar. Ordered a piece of 1-1/4"x.250 tube from Parts Mike. Should be here early next week and I can have the track bar done. Cycled the suspension, put in bump stops, almost ready to roll!

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Poly Joint from Steinjager. I wanted a 2" poly joint to fit the Stinkyfab axle track bar bracket. I wanted it to have 7/8"x14 threads so the track bar would match the steering and the frame side Johnny Joint threads. This is the only one I found that fit my specs. Seems well made. I may try to use a JJ on the axle side, too. Haven't decided on that yet. Not sure if it is best to use a solid joint on one end and a poly on the other, or 2 solid joints. Most of the track bars I've seen use one solid and one poly, or 2 poly's, so I decided to model mine along the 1-poly/1-solid lines. Some say 2 solid is better, but I don't know.

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It dawned on me that I didn't really put in more pictures of what I'm doing. Here's the Heep and a few pictures of what I've been doing. 99 2dr, AW4. Got it in 2016 in Sacramento for $1500.00. Bone stock, no rust, 200,000 on the clock. Wasn't looking for another XJ, but it fell in my lap and I couldn't resist. Plus the wife doesn't ever give me grief about my projects, so there's that!
Been amassing parts and started to build it finally this year. With the Covid 19 thing, I've been able to work on it a whole lot more.

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Had the axles (D30, 8.25) built with IRO trusses, Detroit in the rear, Eaton E-locker in front, 4:56's. Same set up as my 97 and 95, except those have D44's in the rear. Honestly, having both, I don't think I'd waste my money on a D44 again unless it was a great price. I'm super impressed with the 8.25. Stout and beefy.
Went with a 241J TC out of a 03 TJ Rubicon. Almost a plug and play. Had to change the yokes. Used the ones from JB Conversions. Pricey, but a great product. JB was good to work with, too.
Had to change out the 4 wheel drive indicator switch and connector. Sourced those from O'Spankly's. Shifter is from Novak, went in just okay. TC shifter z-gate needed modification for the extra throw the 241 has. Modified Novak's TC bracket by adding an extra mount and gusset that uses a 3rd bolt in the tranny like the stock one does. Just the 2 bolts that the Novak bracket uses on the TC aren't enough. You can see the bracket flex when the shifter is operated. Anyway, it's stout now, but I wish there was a better set up. I'll see how it works on the trail.

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I've done the mid stiffiners on the 95 and 97, but I thought I'd try the full set from IRO. Went in well, good product, but it's a bit of a pain to install if you don't have a lift. I also used IRO's new 3 link setup. That is nice, too. We'll see how it performs. The 97 has the IRO iron Y, while the 95 has the TNT long arm. I like both of those, so we'll see how this one compares.

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Just got my tires mounted on some soft 8 rims from 4Wheel Parts. Basically buy 3 rims get one free.
Went with 33x12.5/17 General X3. I like them, we'll see how they perform. Local tire shop ordered and mounted the tires. Decent price point, made in USA.

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Welded up my rock sliders today. I've made them for the other Jeeps, but I want to add the tube extensions for these.

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Slight problem with the tube extensions. Apparently my Hobo Freight PIPE bender doesn't work on tubing. Duh! How could I be so stupid to not realize this. Luckily I had some scrap to practice on when it dawned on me it wasn't going to work. Gonna take my new 1-3/4 tubing to a buddy's shop that has the proper bender. I'll post up more pics later after install.

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I have some things to wire up like lights, locker, fan overide switch. I picked up this pre-wired relay box from 12Voltconnection.com. Neat product, great service and fast shipping. Haven't used something like this, so we'll see how it goes. Shameless plug, but the guy was great.
Also got the new Metra double Din dash kit from Crutchfield. I'm going to try and install a single Din stereo and a CB under that. I did the same in my 97, but I had to modify the trim piece. Hoping this is an easier install. I'll post more wiring stuff when I get to it.

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Anyway, that's all I have for tonight. I'll post more later.
 
Comin along nicely! Can’t wait till my Heep looks all shiny and fresh underneath!

DirtLifestyle on YouTube has a pretty good vid on how to not link DON with your HF bender.. pretty cool... he bends up a stinger, so past 90* on the thing. I’ve used one and have experienced your struggles. He says he doesn’t pack the pipe with dirt, but that helped with kinks when I bent a stinger back in the day on one. Follow his method and you’ll be golden.

Of course having a buddy with a real bender is faster


For the bump stops are you going to add hockey pucks to the spring perch? Looks like shock bottoms out before bump stop makes contact?
 
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Oh and fwiw-
Not sure if the Boostwerks tcase shifter will work for your needs, but it is a beefy setup and well thought out design
 
Comin along nicely! Can’t wait till my Heep looks all shiny and fresh underneath!

DirtLifestyle on YouTube has a pretty good vid on how to not link DON with your HF bender.. pretty cool... he bends up a stinger, so past 90* on the thing. I’ve used one and have experienced your struggles. He says he doesn’t pack the pipe with dirt, but that helped with kinks when I bent a stinger back in the day on one. Follow his method and you’ll be golden.

Of course having a buddy with a real bender is faster


For the bump stops are you going to add hockey pucks to the spring perch? Looks like shock bottoms out before bump stop makes contact?

I did actually watch that video, and others, too. My youngest son was helping me with the first bends, and when we realized it wasn't going to work, he immediately says, "go on youtube and look for videos." :laugh:

If I didn't have my buddy's shop so close, I would definitely use his method.

The bottom of the shock is not hooked up yet, the mount is farther down on the truss, you just can't see it in the picture. I was cycling the suspension and checking out the shock placement. I added the extended bumpstops from Daystar along with some 2" hockey pucks for bumpstops. Originally the stock bumpstop with a hockey puck was not quite enough as the shock did bottom out first. Seems like it is good now.
 
Oh and fwiw-
Not sure if the Boostwerks tcase shifter will work for your needs, but it is a beefy setup and well thought out design

I actually had that shifter and was planning on using it for stock 242 before I got stupid and bought the 241. I have that exact shifter both on my other XJ's and they work great.

Unfortunately, the 241 shift lever goes in the opposite direction. On the 242 or 231, you flip the lever up and it works. On the 241, the lever is already up and shifts towards the back of the TC. You can't really flip it down as it then becomes too close to the yoke. Anyway, It seemed like a cable shifter was the only option and would work out. Seems like Novak's cable shifter is more suited for the TJ/LJ. They say it works for the XJ, but not quite. It works, but the throw on the 241 is too long and you have to modify the z-gate. You have to clearance the front and back of the z-gate to give it more throw. I'm at the limit of the z-gate, in fact, I hit the bezel both ways now. I also had to cut the threads on their rod ends to get them to adjust properly. It was either too far one way or too far the other. I could either have it in 2H and not 4L, or in 4L and not 2H.

It works, but just not quite. In fact, they say you have to sometimes modify the bend on the TC shifter lever. Novak even gives you a printed scale diagram to match up yours and see if the factory bend is right. Unfortunately, the picture of the lever is from a TJ/LJ (or I don't know what), and it doesn't match what is in the XJ. They are different, so I don't know how that would help.

Anyway, by modifying their TC bracket, rod ends, and my z-gate, it just barely works. I really don't have any more room for adjustment so I don't know what will happen when that cable stretches over time. We'll see.

RCP PHX actually used his stock shifter linkage when he did this swap. At the time, I thought I would just go with the Novak and be done with. Maybe his idea is the way to go. I don't know. Mine is in and I'll hope for the best.
 
New Shoes! I like the look and ride height. I have 31x10.5 on my other Heeps, but these are 33x12.5. May have to install some Napier Flares, though.

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Took my tubing to a friends son's shop to get it bent up. This is what a proper bend in tubing should look like! Thank you Franco. I first met this kid 25 years ago when he was 10. His dad and I became friends through youth baseball and softball. Our daughters played on the same team. We've been friends ever since. Now Franco has his own fab shop in San Diego and does some incredible work. It's really cool to see people still wanting to carry on the trades.

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It's going to look great on my sliders. I'll burn those in tomorrow and post some more pics.

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Another update.

Not sure if it is best to use a solid joint on one end and a poly on the other, or 2 solid joints. Most of the track bars I've seen use one solid and one poly, or 2 poly's, so I decided to model mine along the 1-poly/1-solid lines. Some say 2 solid is better, but I don't know.

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I've run both configurations, but for the past 12+ years, I've run an RE Superflex Joint at the frame and a heim joint at the axle. Zero issues, unlike the poly joint setup that I started with, which had too much slop for my liking.
https://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=913774&page=4
 
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