TMC'S project: "Fire-Road Runner"

[TMC-XJ]

Ive been meaning to join and start a build thread here ever since I got the Jeep, but on my time off I tried to get as much done as I could, so I apologize now for the lack of more detailed pics. These first couple posts are just catch up from what Ive already done. So here we go....


After many months of searching and waiting I finally got another Jeep. This one is a 91 2 door with almost no rust and only 165K on the clock. (PO actually rebuilt the engine about 20k ago) From what I can gather, it does have the Upcountry add-ons, but someone removed the engine skid plate. It has the Upcountry 1" lift and 2" spacer/aal on 235/75/R15's. It actually rides and drives quite well for a 23 year old vehicle, but I will be upgrading to an actual 3" lift sometime in the future.



Heres how it looked when I brought her home:






A week after I got it I made a JY run (which is an hour away) and it was a HUGE success.

I found:
Driver & Passenger Mirror from a '98
entire Center Console (lid, air duct, and bracket) from a '98
hand brake assembly from a '98
gauge cluster from a '91
oil pressure and temperature sensors from a '91
front passenger seat belt buckle

Grand Total? Only $68



My driver mirror was missing the glass when I bought it, and here it is with the bigger '98 mirror:





My next goal was to swap my idiot lights for actual gauges. I had read several threads on this and it actually was as straight forward as everyone says it is. I was even able to find one that was very close to my miles. The only problem I ran across was when I went to swap the temp sensor on the head, at some point in its past the connector and wire were cut and/or tore off. I was able to find the wire in the harness and make the necessary connections. Here are my two gauges side by side before the swap:






The factory hand brake was broken because the button no longer worked and when you pulled on the handle it would just slide back down. So since I found a full newer style console and hand brake assembly I just swapped both from my older style. So I now have a working hand brake AND the elusive cup holders (that don't look like they came from the discount cart).
I still need to attach the front part of the old air duct to the new one so I don't have weak rear air. I also need to figure out the shift boot and the gap at the front of the console. As far as the newer style hand brake goes, I just used a small turnbuckle and attached it to the original linkage and it works great. Here is the (mostly) finished product:






I've gotta say.....I am extremely happy with all of the changes I've made so far and how well they look/work. I would recommend them to anyone with an older XJ that want some newer style upgrades.



Coming soon:
-passenger mirror
-finish console details
-exterior trim removal/cleaning
-painting lower body/fender flares

and oh yeah....BETTER PICS, MORE OFTEN! :banghead:

 

[TMC-XJ]

Here are some shots of the '98 mirror. As you can see, it lines up almost perfectly and has definitely more overall viewing surface than the older square style. The mirrors I found were power, but right now the wiring is just tucked away. I may still add it later on.








Those of you that know about/have installed the idiot light-to-gauge swap or already have gauges factory know what they look like. But for those of you who don't (or want to try it) it literally is plug and go other than swapping the oil pressure sensor near the oil filter and distributor and temperature sensor on the back of the head. Its one of my favorite mods so far.





As I stated in the previous post, I still need to extend the air duct under the new console, cover the small gap at the front (newer dash sticks out further), and either find a ash tray cover lid or make one. I also still need to either find a newer shift boot and bracket, or make an adapter for the older style. I actually felt like the console and e-brake swap was rather straight forward as long as you have the following:
newer console
newer air duct
newer console bracket
newer hand brake assembly

I feel like having the two factory cup holders and newer console design really made this swap worth it in the end.

 

[Mnkyboy]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

The full cluster swap was one of my first mods when I got my MJ,its a nice upgrade.

 

[TMC-XJ]

I wanted to work on removing my lower exterior trim and cleaning off the remains, but I ended up working on removing my front valance and trimming the front flares while my son played in the front seat.


There are several ways of removing the valance:
-removing the bumper, then unbolting the valance
-if your patient reaching up behind the bumper and unbolting it (through a 1" gap)
-use a reciprocating saw
-use a utility knife and cut it at the mounting points
-use a pry bar or screwdriver and pop the plastic off
-some have said they just pulled it off if broken/loose


Because of time constraints I didn't want to remove the front bumper however, mine had all 5 front bolts and 3 of the 4 side clips so I used a combination of the above. Well minus the reciprocating saw because I had the windows down and didn't want to scare my son.




So I first used the utility knife to cut around the 4 (3 in my case) side clips and tow hooks. Then I used a screwdriver to pop out the 3 clips as well as prying the valance over the 5 front bolts. I then removed the "center section" of the valance.








I then used the utility knife to trim the side and front of the flare as well as the rubber backing trim of the flare. When thats done you will notice the bracket for the valance hangs down. Here it can be seen to the right of the driver's side tow hook:





I was going to just unbolt the bracket, but in my case I realize it was bolted twice to the subframe and to the fender. So I just quickly used the reciprocating saw to cut just the vertical piece off.





After that just repeat the process on the other side. Heres a before and after:

BEFORE:




AFTER:



Despite the odd looking angles from the above pictures, I really feel like it makes the whole front of the Jeep look better. As well as improving the approach angle, even though the valance only hangs down about 2". I also feel it falls right in line with the "simple, yet useful" theme of this build.


I don't think anyone is even going to read all this, but I feel like it helps show me what all I've done to the Jeep over time. I work 50hrs/wk with usually weekends off, but with my son I only get about 4-8 hours a weekend at a time to work on it.

So.....who cares? I'm happy with it!

 

[TMC-XJ]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

The full cluster swap was one of my first mods when I got my MJ,its a nice upgrade.

I agree. Its still one of my favorite mods to date.

 

[TMC-XJ]

First off, I got the center console air duct fixed so now I don't have weak rear air for any passengers. All I did was cut 1 1/2" off of the '91 air duct and attached it to the front of the '98.
(sorry no pics)

I also replaced several bulbs that were out throughout the Jeep, as well as did some other routine maintenance.




NEXT:

I started the lower body trim removal and cleaning. Here is a shot of my lower trim:




So when I purchased the Jeep the passenger door trim strip was off, but came with the Jeep. I thought, "well I could clean up the door and reattach it or I could do something else"......well guess what?! "Let her rip!"








You know, people say when removing the factory fender flares there is a chance you'll find some rust. Well its the same chance when you look under the trim. It's just the nature of the beast. I luckily didn't have any what so ever, but there was quite a bit of dried mud and muck next to the double sided tape lines and I'm sure doing this whole project helped ward off rust, on a vehicle that still doesn't have hardly any.

Anyway....

like most things on a Jeep, there are several ways of removing the trim:
-use a heat gun/hair dryer then remove the trim
-use fishing line to slide behind the trim
-pull the trim off by hand if loose or old

then:
-roll the old double sided tape (dst) on newer models
-use fishing line again on dst
-use goof off/goo gone to remove dst
-use a razor blade to remove dst
-use an automotive eraser wheel to remove dst and residue

I went with 'pull trim off and razor blade' because I couldn't find an eraser wheel near me without having to special order it, and my trim was old/loose enough to just remove by hand. I did however use some goof off to help ease things up. My lower body is painted silver behind the trim pieces, so I knew I wanted to just get it all off and clean. Then I could prime/paint, bedline, plastidip or what have you. I gotta admit, my way probably wasn't the fastest or easiest, but it worked fine for what I had in mind. There were several spots where I did get into the paint layers, but like I said, I knew I'd have to sand and prime anyway.





I decided to go with Rustoleum Truck Bed Coating in black because I knew I wanted something that could hold up to the forest roads that are all over where I live. I scraped, then sanded, then added a light coat of primer, then the liner. I probably didn't need to sand or prime because it's suppose to stick no matter what, but better to be safe than sorry later on.





As you can see, I should have done a better job at first taping/covering more because there was overspray that got on the upper body, but I was able to come right behind and clean it off with a little bit of mineral spirits.





I used my recently learned knowledge and applied it to the other side.





Then I started the fun task of taping and masking. I just happen to have a year old 4WD Hardware catalog on hand.








Then I sprayed two coats and then removed all of the tape and paper.





Well, you can't really tell from the pictures, but there are a few run spots and a couple of "off" lines near the flares, but all in all I am very pleased with how it turned out. Here is the before and after....is it just me or does it look taller?

BEFORE:




AFTER:





I have used Herculiner in the past in the bed of my old truck, but I really liked how the Rustoleum Truck Bed coating was not as rough as the Herc. Granted, the Herc liner was a roll on, but still I think it looks pretty sharp no matter how close or far you are standing. The whole project only took about 1 and a half cans, so this was all done fairly cheap. I also used one of the spray paint trigger caps. I didn't really feel a difference, but maybe I will on larger, future projects on the Cherokee.



Honestly, the more I look at it..........the more I like it.




NEXT!

My back two windows has some old tint on them. I really prefer tinted windows, but this had become purple-ish with time and needed to go. I actually was able to just use a razor blade and slowly, strip by strip, remove the old tint. It thankfully wasn't the old kind that was super sticky or just fell apart when trying to remove it. So other than just being time consuming, it went rather well.

Again, you can't really tell from the photos (my fault) but it actually is even more purple colored in person. It makes it weird to look through while driving.
Here is what it looked like before:




And here is what it looked like during the removal. Its quite a difference that I think helps make the Jeep, as a whole, not look so old.

 

[TMC-XJ]

I went to the Pull-N-Save second location and it was a pretty decent haul. I got:

-new lower shift boot (mine was cracked several places)
-newer shift knob from a Suzuki (Sidekick/Samurai?)
-factory switch and bezel to move my rear window wiper and defroster together so I can put switches on the other side

From the main location I got:
-97+ shift boot bezel (not broken! :O)
-97+ e-brake cable (to tweak mine a little)
-97+ console ashtray
-97+ transfer case knob and lever
-passenger mirror glass (from a Caravan and fits perfect)
-barely used gun rack (for rear window storage)
-factory blank panel for switches above

At the secondary location they had several S-10 Blazers that I wanted to pull leafs from to make a pack....2 even had new Bilsteins that I wanted to pull SO bad (Id use all four rears for all four corners on the XJ) but my socket extension wasn't long enough to reach the upper mounts.

The main location had a newer 2 door XJ with a nice factory hitch that I want to pull as well but I ran out of WD-40 and it was getting later in the day.

Lets just say I will be back for both the springs, shocks, and hitch just ASAP!





The pictures above make the new shift knob from the 'Zuke look huge, but its the perfect size and height while Im driving.

I was finally put on my 97+ passenger side mirror. When I got both mirrors, that one was missing the mirror glass. After scouring online and part stores, I basically found out that I could either:


A:buy a entire brand new unit ($40+)
B:have a glass shop cut a custom size mirror
C:JY hunt for a stocker/close fit


The last option ended up working out and costing like $4. The mirror glass is from a Caravan (year unknown) and it is almost the perfect size. It is slightly larger than the stock XJ mirror and I did have to do some trimming on the sides, but it is officially installed.



The results from the drivers seat are ten-fold compared to the tiny stock 96- mirror.






And it looks good too since it matches the other side finally lol



Next, the Jeep got a nice fresh oil/oil filter change. After much back and forth (reading online/my own personal experience) I decided to try out Shell's Rotella T 10w-30 with a Napa Gold filter. The Rotella oil was on sale at the time so I figured even if the newly rebuilt engine doesn't seem to like it, I'll just swap to something else. No problem. I gotta say though, I am VERY curious how it does with it....

 

[TMC-XJ]

I wanted to swap my wiper/washer and defroster switches to one side to make room for switches or what not on the other side.

How it looks stock:



Of course to do this you have to remove the dash panel. Then from there, to remove the left side bezel is just a single screw. The right side bezel screw however is hidden behind the cigarette lighter bezel. I just had to remove those screws and then you can remove the right side switch bezel.




Here are my two "stock" bezels next to the "new" style from the JY.



The combo panel came out of a 89ish so I was pretty sure the wiring would be different, which obviously it is cause it wouldn't reach to the right side of the steering column. All I had to do is extend the wires. The main goal in the this was to keep it looking fairly stock as well as have a nice clean space for future switches without cutting into the dash in random places.

Heres how it looks after:








My final thoughts on this mod.....I love it. I love that it looks factory (because technically it was). And I love how simple it changes the dash. I also went ahead and removed the clock/blank panel from above the cigarette lighter. The clock didn't work and now I have a nice spot to use however.


After doing the gauge swap the faceplate on the "new" set of gauges is gray while my "old" set was black. It's been bugging me ever since.


Here was before:



To paint it to match the other black of the dash I used a nice coat of Rustoleum Bed Coating. Now I know what your thinking...

"Great. Another one of those idiots who bed coats everything on his Jeep. "

...BUT...

...the nice thing about the Rustoleum stuff is that its only turns out "slightly" textured depending on how many coats you do.


Check it out:




How sharp looking is that!?!

You gotta admit, it looks pretty nice. I love how great it turned out.



Well I finally got the turbines and second set of tires from the PO shop. I swapped them out. Im kinda liking the look of the turbines so far, although I wonder if I could sell the turbines for more $$$ than the black steelies.


One of the tires is obviously older and pretty bald :scared:
.....so honestly....I just need to get a whole new set of tires. That way I can just start fresh.



I took the Jeep out on some back roads to get some better pics and to see how the different wheels/tires felt out on the highway. Here are some shots I got once I was up above the river:









And with that everything is current and from my other thread. Ill be keeping both going so watch for updates. Sorry if that seemed like a novel haha. If anyone else is reading along (besides Mnkyboy) I appreciate it.

Keep Jeepin......

 

[ruger81]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

Looks like I great start! I always like the 5speed xj. Something about getting to shift when your claiming a hill or decending down a hill.

 

[Bronzewyrm]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

Looks like I great start! I always like the 5speed xj. Something about getting to shift when your claiming a hill or decending down a hill.

X2!

Fyi, if you don't want the undercoating to fade in the sun (as bad) over time. grab some clearcoat, or (best) some acrylic urethane to go over it. hurkuliner and many other brands do not have much UV protectant in them. once the sun gets through it, it will start to power up and rub off.

Bronze.

 

[TMC-XJ]

Looks like I great start! I always like the 5speed xj. Something about getting to shift when your claiming a hill or decending down a hill.

Thanks! Yeah my TJ was a 5 speed too....just love "jammin them gears"

 

[TMC-XJ]

X2!

Fyi, if you don't want the undercoating to fade in the sun (as bad) over time. grab some clearcoat, or (best) some acrylic urethane to go over it. hurkuliner and many other brands do not have much UV protectant in them. once the sun gets through it, it will start to power up and rub off.

Bronze.

Why thank you sir! I love where its going so far. And thanks for the clearcoat heads up.

You've done some pretty awesome stuff on yours....as long as mine turns out half as good as someone like yours, Id be happy

 

[90xjblue]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

Did the newer style mirrors bolt right in? I have been meaning to get new ones for my 91 as the trails claimed them both, but hate the old style mirrors.

 

[TMC-XJ]

Did the newer style mirrors bolt right in? I have been meaning to get new ones for my 91 as the trails claimed them both, but hate the old style mirrors.

They sure do Blue! They are 100% worth it. Not only are they actually foldable but also the viewing space is HUGE compared to the 96-

The ones I got are technically electric, but I didnt deal with any of the wiring for right now, although I may later. The only things that I had to "change" was to flatten the door panel upper lip (by the triangle trim piece) and the plastic triangle trim cover on the inside....it doesnt attach the same as the 97+ so I just used a single screw up towards the top.

You can see it in this photo:

 

[90xjblue]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

Awesome thanks for the info, im gonna grab some tomorrow.

 

[TMC-XJ]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

Your welcome Blue! Anything to help a fellow forum member

 

[TMC-XJ]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

double post. sorry.

 

[josh9mile]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

thats quite the improvement on your 2 door. amazing what a little work does! Ive got a 96 2 door im building right now, my build thread is is in the modified tech section. So what "one stoplight town" are you in? Sounds like you are close to spokane.

 

[TMC-XJ]

Re: TMC's 91 2 door "Simple yet useful" build

Why thank you. Im happy with how its coming so far, its just slow. I guess I should have titled it "Slowly but surely" LOL!

Ill have to check yours out. I think I may have posted mine in the wrong section....


Just outside of Palouse. About an hour or so, which stinks as far as going to Pull-N-Save haha

 

[TMC-XJ]

Update time! Another solid weekend of working on the Jeep!



Ok, first off my 97+ parking brake handle....the turnbuckle I originally used just wasn't cutting it. It worked fine for awhile but it kept having to be adjusted since obviously the turnbuckle itself is adjustable as well as the linkage to the actual brake cables.

I ended up using rubber-coated steel cable (similar to factory, but thicker and from a building supply) and some crimping sleeves. I also had to get a nice solid rubber grommet to protect the cable from the hand brake mount (also similar to the factory one). You have to insert the grommet into the bottom where the linkage will be.

I then had to remove the factory clip so I would have room for the new thicker cable.

Then pass the cable through the brake handle and back next to itself through the crimping sleeve. Then just use a chisel or flat head punch and crimp the sleeve.

I did use the factory linkage under the Jeep that connects to the actual brake cables. The nice thing about this setup is there is NO movement anywhere except for the factory linkage nuts where the brake cables attach. With the other setup I had, the turnbuckle could turn as well as the factory linkage.

Here is the finished product:

On to the next one!




With a 3" lift most people say you shouldn't need sway bar link extensions, or sway bar drop brackets. However, I noticed the sway bar on my driver's side was at far too low of an angle:

So I walked around to the passenger side and found this:

That's right.

Its touching the coil spring....




So since I don't drive it everyday I started looking on line for some sway bar links or disconnects, and guess what...

...they be pricey.


JKS Disco's: $150ish
RE Links: $65ish with adapters
RC Disco's: $69ish


So, I figure I would make my own. Well seeing as how there aren't many places around to buy heim joints and the stuff online was up there in price too, I was coming up empty.

Until.....




.....I found Pro Comp Sway Bar Links with adapters for 3"-5" lift for $40 online with free shipping!

BAM! SOLD!

I was prepared for this to take awhile after reading all the posts that talk about stuck nuts, broken bolts, and so forth. Honestly, maybe it's because they don't use salt up here or maybe I just lucked out, but I got everything off without a hitch. I didn't even have a torx bit for the lower bolt, but it unbolted and even came out of the axle bracket easily.

Obviously you can see the difference. All the hardware was included, you just have to reuse the lower factory bolt/nut.

Here you can see on the left one where it was rubbing on the coil spring....nice little flat smooth spot on the washer and bushings.

Driver's side installed:

Passenger side installed:

Took it for a quick test drive to see how it sounded and felt. It may just be my imagination, but it seems like it drove better. It felt a little tighter, steered a little better, and seemed smoother over bumps. The other nice thing is all I would need to do to make them disco's is buy two replacement lower bolts and I got myself a nice setup.



On to the next one!




So I've been wanting to change some stuff on my front end grill area. Now I know what your thinking and no....No I didn't do angry eyes

No thanks.


My grill is one of the chrome colored ones, but its fairly beat up. Don't get me wrong, the plastic itself is in great shape no broken pieces or anything like that. The chrome paint was missing in spots and I just wanted to spruce it up a bit.


BEFORE:

A little scruffing and painting and....


AFTER:

Just FYI that last picture makes it look like its got the gangster lean, but thats just the angle of the ground down towards the street.


I kinda like the mix of black and chrome. Plus, its a nice little finishing touch to round out a good day of wrenching.





There's more to come in the mail, so until next time.....thanks for reading.