Another MJ build thread ...

[Bryan C.]

How far from the wall ?

Here is how I do it. Find a 6 ft wall with a large level area in front of it. Pull up the wall, as close as you can without bashing your bumper. Turn on your lights and mark the center of the beam on the wall. Back up 25 ft and adjust the lights to the same mark on the wall. If you want you can adjust them slightly down as Gordon suggested but CA law is 0 degress vertical and 0 degress horizontal for headlight aim.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Ok thanks bryan. I'll dial them in.

 

[GordoSmasho]

As brian said about 25 ft. Also might want to do this in the most used mode. If you are mostly going to drive it loaded to the gills then that may change your headlight angle if you set them up while empty. This is another reason i aim mine down a bit. Even if i sag out the rear i wont be bothering anyone.

 

[XJensen]

As brian said about 25 ft. Also might want to do this in the most used mode. If you are mostly going to drive it loaded to the gills then that may change your headlight angle if you set them up while empty. This is another reason i aim mine down a bit. Even if i sag out the rear i wont be bothering anyone.

Your right Gordon. I have never given any thought about your saggy rear. It must not bother me.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

dialing in the MJ.

sprung it over. removed the XJ AAL. put on shorter shackles. used massive U bolts and u bolt plates, shocks are flush with the tubes now. No more boat anchors.

anyone who runs spring under and says they wheel is a liar! it only took one week of wheeling to mangle these, I bent one center pin in two different directions, and bent the shock mounts to hell too







ready for the sexiness? Here it is:





thing drives better than ever. rides awesome, gained a lot of lift in the rear, went from Cali rake to a normal rake.



put the front DS back on, the belly back on, getting a rear DS made by west sac driveline, 48.5" long to account for the lift and a high angle yoke from a YJ, so I will use mine for a spare.

Its all coming together.

also grabbed a new battery for it too.




HERE IS WHATS LEFT FOR WINTER:
install my 125$ pirate classifinds d44 lunchbox (once I get a open carrier from mike)
build a high clearance rear bumper
cage it
add a tranny cooler


thats it.

I was happy to take it on like 6 trail runs this year, next year i plan to hit more with it, and way more with the red jeep.

 

[Skipper51]

I just love MJ's. The body style and with a little lift just looks manly.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Built a rear bumper
Cut 8" off the quarter panels











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[blondejoncherokee]

Keep those quarter panels in check

 

[twinhauler]

I can't wait to hear this bumper smashing on rocks! Gonna make some lovely sounds

 

[blondejoncherokee]

I can't wait to hear this bumper smashing on rocks! Gonna make some lovely sounds

LOL!

the good news is this one is sitting like 1-2 feet higher than the old one with the spring over and the high clearance bumper. The old mJ bumper was mangled.

I might have only been sitting at like 0-1"of lift in the rear before with rearward rake. Now I have more like 5" lift in the rear with a forward rake so I think all the clearance should help a ton.

I want to go run all the SF trails again in this thing now.

 

[831_xj]

Looking so killer Jon.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

West sac driveline rocks.

I had them build me a longer rear driveshaft with a yj slip yoke and brand new U joints off a stock xj rear shaft for the MJ and they used a remmant driveshaft tube to save me like 40$ on the thing.

Yj slip yoke has way more cleaeance around the ears

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

I will keep that yj slip yoke in mind!! Do you know about how much a custom rear driveshaft for an XJ is?

 

[blondejoncherokee]

I will keep that yj slip yoke in mind!! Do you know about how much a custom rear driveshaft for an XJ is?

Just depends on what you want.

I am not planning on doing a SYE on the MJ, so lengthening the rear DS after the lift made sense, as does the YJ yoke. I just have a stock rear.

You would be better off bringing them a spare DS and having that lengthened and YJ yoke added. I paid too much for the yoke, 78$, but you can find them online for cheaper.

Mine looks just like this RE one on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Rubicon-Expre...1442947160&sr=8-3&keywords=wrangler+slip+yoke


once you get into that price range, you might as well buy a SYE and get a front shaft off a AW4 based XJ.

My MJ rear DS is 48.5" long, there is no cheap option for me. And I needed it turned around in 1 day, because I was born without patience.

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Ok for sure! I got one made from IRO, and man does it suck...broke the ujoints it came with twice, and twisted the center yoke :/

Currently running a stock front drive shaft on the rear and it has held up much better hahaha

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Ok for sure! I got one made from IRO, and man does it suck...broke the ujoints it came with twice, and twisted the center yoke :/

Currently running a stock front drive shaft on the rear and it has held up much better hahaha

damn.

IRO is not known for great quality, sucks to hear that man.

Stock fronts seem to hold up, or go with Patricks Utah hookup, tatton, or I prefer west sacramento driveline.

for a CV style shaft, all built up, I bet you're looking at like 250$-300$ + at west sac, but that would be from scratch.

tatton has beefier driveshafts for less, shipped. they are all over eBay.

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Ok for sure thank you for the advice!! And IRO i believe outsources its drive shaft making

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Ok for sure thank you for the advice!! And IRO i believe outsources its drive shaft making

that doesn't mean they dot request cheaper materials or use a crappy driveshaft place.

Ive only snapped one rear driveshaft U joint in 14 years of wheeling. no fronts. and that was full throttle with bad axle wrap on the slabs bonus line on rubicon at like 1am.

you should not be blowing through U joints unless you are hammered while hammering it down. if, you are, well then, carry spares.

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Dang...iv got videos of me breaking both...ill try and imbed them here. I wasnt even pinning it, and completely sober

 

[87manche]

are you keeping the body cladding?