Project MixNMatch aka MallCrawler

[Fore Wheeler]

Yumm, chocolate!

 

[XJ&CHZ4ME]

looks like an I6 fondu fountain......

 

[Smash Hole]

That sounds like my experience latest night. 3am woke up with I6 chocolate fondue fountain coming out of my ass. Something wasn't right with that White Castle.

Or maybe it was right?

EDIT... Thought this was Important. My bad...

 

[REWSTER]

uke:

 

[IllianaXJ]

Yep, it's a 4.0.



Leak problem removed (and finally fixed). Thanks Chrysler for making the PS pump bracket bolt to the water pump



Backed it in the shop and got it set up to pull the front axle tomorrow.



Roundabout plan is to swap the front axle, drive it onto the lift, swap trans/t'case, drive it off the lift with the front driveshaft and then swap the rear axle. Thanks JIM for the idea, I was going to do it the hard way and use the wrecker to move it around

Poor little guy has no idea what is in store for it

 

[IllianaXJ]

Made progress today.

Out with the old;



And back on it's feet, 3" higher and with a diff.



This is why IRO says you have to run wheel spacers with the 5/8" steering:



It's not touching, but about 2 playing cards away. It will work for now, wheel spacers will be added later.

 

[IllianaXJ]

Finished up the steering install today. I decided to go ahead and use the drop pitman that was on the 2 door since it was only 1/2" lower than stock. Steering angles ended up ok, what do you think?



Mounted up the front DuraTracs; it's amazing what a set of tires will do for how a Jeep looks





2wd PreRunner, yo!

 

[Fore Wheeler]

Steering looks good.

I like the white walls.

 

[XJosh95]

Lookin good, Byrun-run!

Steering looks good accept the Rusty's track bar. Unless it's double shear... And to be totally honest, The biggest problem I had with mine was that it was too short. The TRE was just too far out of the bar even for a BB. Bar was tough but too short and the TREs were too small. Oh well. My double shear RC bar isn't all that much better.

I'm rambling. Keep up the good work!

 

[IllianaXJ]

Steering looks good.

Thanks.

Steering looks good accept the Rusty's track bar. Unless it's double shear...

It is the double shear HD unit.

 

[K5Matt]

Since it looks like there's a welder there, you might want to get rid of the stock lca brackets. They are already looking kinda bent. Artec makes some nice ones.

 

[GoSlowGetStuck]

Looking good! How much lift is that?

Matt, part of the bend you're seeing is factory, they add a lip to take some of the material out of plane which makes it stronger. Same concept as drilling holes in a sheet and using a dimple die on them.

I would second getting some LCA brackets from Currie or Artec or BTF if you still had the axle out, but now that the axle is already in, I'd say screw it. The mini skids are a good option at <$30, that would probably prevent them from getting tore up in the first place.

When's the rear axle going in? I will be crossing my fingers for easy shackle bolt removal!

Steering looks good.

I like the white walls.

X2! Aggressive tires need the white letters out.

 

[IllianaXJ]

I think they're 3.5" coils, but the leafs are marked 4.5, so who really knows. I wasn't smart enough to measure before and after. I'm hoping I won't have to stack another isolator once I add the winch and bumper.

Mini skids will probably happen eventually, the LCA brackets are slightly bent.

Tim (poorboy87) is going to assist with the trans swappage this coming Saturday, then if that goes well the rear axle should follow shortly after.

I debated on white letters in or out, I have always been a fan of white out and since this will be a Walmart crawler why not

 

[kmanxj5050]

Lookin good, Byrun-run!

Steering looks good accept the Rusty's track bar. Unless it's double shear... And to be totally honest, The biggest problem I had with mine was that it was too short. The TRE was just too far out of the bar even for a BB. Bar was tough but too short and the TREs were too small. Oh well. My double shear RC bar isn't all that much better.

I'm rambling. Keep up the good work!

Why? The only issues i have ever seen is with the threads on the trac bar nothing with the TRE.

I had one come undone at 70 MPH.

 

[XJosh95]

Why? The only issues i have ever seen is with the threads on the trac bar nothing with the TRE.

I had one come undone at 70 MPH.

Well, if you're asking me why about the Rusty's TREs, it's because the bar is too short, requiring me to have too many threads out of the bar and it made it the weak point.

If you're asking me about my RC track bar... Look around for the pic of Collin's RC track bar from WF12 (IIRC). Maybe 11. Either way, it was quite the smile. They're just not all that buff.

 

[kmanxj5050]

Well, if you're asking me why about the Rusty's TREs, it's because the bar is too short, requiring me to have too many threads out of the bar and it made it the weak point.

If you're asking me about my RC track bar... Look around for the pic of Collin's RC track bar from WF12 (IIRC). Maybe 11. Either way, it was quite the smile. They're just not all that buff.

Right but have a bushing end and a double sheer mount will still give you the same problem if the bar isn't long enough. Mine was a HD mount and it didn't have enough thread engagement. My experience was going from 4.5 to 6.5, I called them and they said it would work and it didn't they made it more than right though. Rusty personally called me when he found out and sent me a new longer bar, a new rod end and a new mount (which I didn't need).

I've never had an issue with Rusty's. Everybody out there has had there twerks and things that fail, to me it's all in the way that they take care of the failure.

 

[XJosh95]

Which is why I said the biggest issue was that the bar was too short and the TRE took the abuse. The unit was tough enough.

 

[poorboy87]

Looking good! How much lift is that?

Matt, part of the bend you're seeing is factory, they add a lip to take some of the material out of plane which makes it stronger. Same concept as drilling holes in a sheet and using a dimple die on them.

I would second getting some LCA brackets from Currie or Artec or BTF if you still had the axle out, but now that the axle is already in, I'd say screw it. The mini skids are a good option at <$30, that would probably prevent them from getting tore up in the first place.

Ive got a set of BTF brackets that I have yet to install. They are beefy

 

[IllianaXJ]

Made serious progress today, couldn't have done it so easily without Tim. Thanks again.

Pulled the 2WD AW4, slid the 4WD trans and t'case in. Literally dropped in, bolts went in like butter. Only got one pic, we were moving quickly.

Pulled it off the lift in 4x4 and prepared to swap the rear axle.

20 minutes later: (no kidding, Southern vehicles are awesome. If you have the means, I highly suggest you pick one up. They are so choice.)

Back on the lift to install the rear driveshaft because it is easier than laying on a creeper. Looks pretty dang good if you ask me.

All that is left to do now is the rear shocks (left the BPEs at home) and bleed the brakes. So far I have ~$150 in this thing out of pocket.

 

[Jeepguy91]

Looks good. Reminds me of my first xj. Looks almost identical.