The Jeep is getting a makeover

[kemosabee]

So we got our nice bonus at work here and I was thinking about a new vehicle but I decided to make the jeep a little better instead. Looking at replacing the existing suspension with a new kit, putting a 8.8 in the rear (a buddy of mine has one with an arb and 4.10s that he wants to get rid of cheaply.) Truss the front 30 and the 8.8. Regear to 4.56 and run 35s. Maybe add a cold air intake and a bored throttle body. I was thinking about doing a rebuild on the engine as well, the heep is at 105k now and I'd like to make it a bit more cleaner. Also need a new front bumper that can hold a winch, I'm still waiting on my rear bumper. It's been under construction since July! and I'm not sure if AJ is even going to finish it or not, I've been patient but this is getting a little ridiculous.

So what I'm thinking:
Lift - T&T 5.5" Ylink kit or the RE 5.5" XJLA
SYE & DS - Advance adapters & Tom woods front and rear
Rear Axle - 8.8 with ARB, TNT truss
Front Axle - keep the 30, TNT truss
Wheels & Tires - 35" Mud Terrains or TrXus and 16" steelies
Regear Axles to 4.56 or 4.88s
Front winch bumper - Maybe AJs.. time depending
Rear bumper - Maybe AJs but we'll see, anyone want to make me one?
Winch - Warn M8000 with synthetic line
Steering - haven't thought about it yet, its still going to be my DD for now
Internal Cage!

I'm sure there will be some more additions to add too.
So be looking for a nice build coming soon!

I'd say I'll have a wrenching party but there's so much snow here!

Oh yeah, I'll be RED soon for

 

[RTicUL8]

Screw the winch.

You need one of these:

.

 

[kemosabee]

Nah, I love my shovel.. It's more fun but if I had one of those now I would be making a killing with all the people here that need to have snow removed. I swear going up to my house, CDOT is my neighbor, the berms are at least 10ft high!

 

[jwtrapper]

Dang I wish I could get a bonus large enough to do all of that. I say go with 4.88's if you want to run 35" tires. You will need to trim to get them to fit with the 5.5 TnT Ylink. Sounds like a great start!!

 

[jdogg4]

My tax return is going into paying off the jeep then that extra 300 a month will be sitting pretty in the savings accout.
My mods for the New Year are.
TnT long arm kit want to go to 5.5" lift
I have the gears for my HPD30 and for the D44 in the back going to 4:56 gears.
I want an ARB front and rear but odds are I’ll tap out on my pocket book at that point.
Going to do a truss on the rear and maybe the front not sure about that one yet.
Want to go to 35’ MTRs
Fab me up a rear bumper/tire carrier? I have most if not all the metal to fab that up. Then again I have a whole shop supply of that stuff.
Take off my front bumper and rock rails do some touch ups, and then sandblast and repaint them. Had a few spots that I want to redo the welds on.
I used old rod when I welded up the bumper and had a few more just cosmetic flaws than anything, but I want to add some light tabs to the bumper for extra lights.

 

[Led]

Going to do a truss on the rear and maybe the front not sure about that one yet.
.

truss the front first it needs it more!!!

 

[jdogg4]

The D44 is sitting in the garage, and I have the gears install kit and the metal to do the truss for it. I still have to collect the goods to convert it to disk breaks.
The HPD30 is still under the 98 stock XJ. I need to find a Axle to swap under it so I can have that D30 pulled and I’ll fab up the truss for that aswell and do the gears that I have for that aswell. I have pretty much everything I need for it. I’m just waiting tell the jeep is paid off and I have the cash for the odd and end things needed to do both axles. I want them totally done and ready to go so all I have to do is out with the old in with the new. I don’t want to put them in tell I have the TnT longarm setup that way I can weld on the rear spring perches for the correct pinion, so I can ditch my shims I got in it now.
I’ll then be selling most if not all of my 4.5RESF kit to pay for the tires I want. It’s one of those deals that I want to have everything ready to go so I can just strip it down and toss it back on. What I don’t have for metal I can get at work here.

I'd like to upgrade the shafts but I'll see how the kit and tires cost me. I can do those pretty easy after it's all in.

 

[kemosabee]

So I ordered my bumpers from Rigid, ordered the rear bumper with tire carrier and a front winch bumper from Terry. Real good guy to talk to, it was funny when he called because I was snowboarding at the time. So the 8.8 is in the Denver area, just need to get it down to PS. The gears are all set up and everything has been cut off the tubes and ground smooth. It needs drums, and shoes from what i was told.

I decided to hold off on the replacement suspension system, going to just lift it 2" more, going to wait til spring and get the tnt ylink upgrade.

 

[Yucca-Man]

The HPD30 is still under the 98 stock XJ. I need to find a Axle to swap under it so I can have that D30 pulled and I’ll fab up the truss for that aswell and do the gears that I have for that aswell.

Yella apparently has a beam front axle! :cheers:

Jim www.yuccaman.com