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Sneedle Vision
03-17-2012, 05:10 PM
Hadn't put a build thread up here on my Jeep, so I thought I'd share a little bit about it.

This is my 2nd XJ. I sold the first one cause I was an idiot and didn't know what I was giving up. It was a 2wd but I had a lot of fun getting it stuck a lot!

If you're curious...
-3" BDS kit, soft 8's, 31x10.5 BFGs and Custom 4x4 Fab rear bumper and carrier.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/profile3.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/side.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/rear.jpg

I had to jump back into the XJ world... so I picked up this 2000 with 88k in July 2011.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/stockgreenjeep.jpg

It was missing a couple creature comforts that I wanted since this is my only vehicle and therefore my daily driver.

- upgraded to IPF housings, H4 bulbs and harness
- installed the OEM cruise control kit
- removed the nasty, faded trim just to treat my eyes better
BEFORE
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0177.jpg

AFTER
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0179.jpg

Then, by October of 2011, I was itching to get it up in the air like it should be. Unlike the first jeep, where i paid for my suspension like 3 times, this XJ was getting it done right the first time.

So I went to a shop over in Raleigh, NC called East Coast Gear Supply and had them install a 6.5" Clayton long arm kit with Bilstein shocks and Advanced Adapters SYE. I had picked up a set of 5 Moabs from a local forum guy for $250 bucks and put on 285/75/16 BFG Rugged Terrains. This was the result...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/bruce.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0225.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0226.jpg

I then decided that I wanted to protect my rig a little bit, and after doing a some research here on XJtalk.com, I came across Detours and decided that would be next, so I called Mark and got a set of stiffy/sliders and tailbone on order.

The sliders came in first so they got a couple coats of bedliner and they were installed!
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/xjslider2.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/xjslider1.jpg

and then shortly after that, the Tailbone came in! I was really excited to not have to use up all of my cargo space with a spare! It was pretty easy to install, but to get clearances right, it required a bit of finessing but it's GUD TIGO! Also installed a Reese hitch at the same time.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0214.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0215.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0222.jpg

and the finished product!

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0221.jpg

There will definitely be more upgrades in the future, but I haven't decided on which way I'm going to go. When I do, I'll be sure to post with more pictures!

cantab27
03-17-2012, 07:07 PM
nice mate, shes looking good

Mudderoy
03-18-2012, 12:43 AM
Getting that 32" spare tire out of the cargo area was one of the best feelings!

Brasscatz
03-18-2012, 11:52 AM
Looks great!!!!

gary63
03-18-2012, 12:14 PM
looking good i have a 2000xk also and picked up backbone,tailbone and slider all from detours and been looking at clatons al kit how do you like them so far?

Sneedle Vision
03-18-2012, 01:35 PM
I have been really pleased with both the Detours products as well as the Clayton lift kit. Probably the sliders are the most impressive though, they are so incredibly beefy and the way it mounts is brilliant. Can't say enough good things about them.

The only thing I'm not wild about with the Tailbone is where the tire is located. I wish it could be a center mount, but that's just a personal preference. It's fit, finish, and accessibility are great.

As far as the lift, it's been given mostly street duty as of late so I haven't tested it out now that the coils and leafs have settled.

Mudderoy
03-18-2012, 03:17 PM
I have been really pleased with both the Detours products as well as the Clayton lift kit. Probably the sliders are the most impressive though, they are so incredibly beefy and the way it mounts is brilliant. Can't say enough good things about them.

The only thing I'm not wild about with the Tailbone is where the tire is located. I wish it could be a center mount, but that's just a personal preference. It's fit, finish, and accessibility are great.

As far as the lift, it's been given mostly street duty as of late so I haven't tested it out now that the coils and leafs have settled.

Well it is nice to be able to see out of 1/2 of the back window. ;o)

gary63
03-18-2012, 03:19 PM
i'm waiting for my leafspring sliders to come in and then I will inslalltailbone recever and the slider all the same time.if the slider work like they are suppost
the spring will be next.

Sneedle Vision
03-21-2012, 05:32 PM
Someone on another forum asked what the view out my rear window is with the tire swing on, so I thought I'd share that here as well....P.S. please excuse the cell phone picture quality and the fact that I'm backed up against the garage door.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0228.jpg

gary63
03-21-2012, 09:02 PM
how is it looking though you mirror and what size tire do you have on it?

Sneedle Vision
03-24-2012, 10:40 PM
Went and got the oil changed at the local dealer cause they were having a special. We knew there was an oil leak somewhere, so I thought I could get them to take a look. They came back with a bill of $1700 to change out 3 gaskets and replace a water pump! HAHA

So the engine got hosed down and we determined that it was just leaking from the valve cover. So that was today's project.

Took off the cover, scraped down the mating surfaces, and installed the new gasket! I had never done this before, so I was pretty pumped about getting it all knocked out! Much better to spend $35 and use some elbow grease than $1700!

Brasscatz
03-25-2012, 10:56 AM
Gotta love stealerships!!! They love getting all they can out of you. I once worked for a shop that did that. The owner would come up to me during an oil change and tell me to sell them an air filter... I'd say they didn't need it. He said... so?
So I would take the air filter inside and show the customer and say... "here's your air filter (knock it out a bit on my boot) It's good for another 10,000 miles!"
I'd rather them come back for years to come than get them for all the money I can in one trip. Better business that way.

Sneedle Vision
03-27-2012, 06:14 PM
I finally got around to fixing two things on the Jeep today that had been bugging me for a while. My windows were all jacked up!

1st) The driver's window motor would not stop running at full up or down, so you would hear "druhdruhdruhdruhdruhdruh" if you held the switch too long or if you hit the auto button and didn't stop the window yourself.

2nd) The second thing was that none of my other windows would work at their appropriate switches. They would only work from the driver's panel.

The first problem was fixed by pulling the door apart and taking out the window regulator. Wasn't really all that difficult, followed these instructions (http://www.steigerperformance.com/docs/sp12001_InstructionsD.pdf) and got it all taken apart. I flipped the cable and reinstalled everything and it worked like a champ! If you checked the cable at full up and full down, you could see where the cable had been worn down so the motor wouldn't catch the edges.

The second problem was fixed by using a wiretap to bypass the window lock switch. I tore off the kickpanel, located the connector with the black, yellow and tan wires. I connected the yellow and tan wires with a wiretap and all the windows worked! At their appropriate switches!

As Ice Cube said, "Today was a good day."

Sneedle Vision
03-31-2012, 09:19 PM
I got tired of the crappy sound that my stock speakers were throwing out so I decided to make a change.

I didn't want to spend a ton, so I just changed out the front door speakers. Went to Amazon and picked up a pair of Polk Audio DB651s 6.5" speakers. Had to get the shallow mount kind so they would fit. Also grabbed a set of speaker quick connects Amazon.com: Metra 72-6512 2 Pin Rectangular Speaker Connector for Select Chrysler Vehicles: Car Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/212laqHvcSL.@@AMEPARAM@@212laqHvcSL because I didn't want to run all new wiring since I still have the stock headunit.

All it took was removing the door panels, mount the speakers using 2 self tapping screws, hook up the connections, and button the door back up!

And as for the speakers, they are a huge upgrade over stock. Sound is no longer muffled and it has a clean, crisp sound. But it's not overpowering or anything. Totally worth the $$$$.

4.3LXJ
03-31-2012, 09:29 PM
Yeah, 6.6" is a good size for the doors

Sneedle Vision
04-10-2012, 09:09 PM
Got tired of the Jeep being so hot all of the time, so I finally went and got the windows tinted.

The rears had the privacy glass from the factory, but I went ahead and put 35% on the driver passenger (legal limit in NC) and 5% on everything else.

Will post some pictures tomorrow once I take them.

Sneedle Vision
05-10-2012, 03:44 PM
I noticed that the Jeep wasn't coming to a stop as quick as I would like it to be so I decided that I wasn't going to take a chance. One car accident had already changed my life forever so I'm not going to risk it.

soooooooo.... EBC pads and rotors will be here in 2 days! :D

Mudderoy
05-10-2012, 03:48 PM
I noticed that the Jeep wasn't coming to a stop as quick as I would like it to be so I decided that I wasn't going to take a chance. One car accident had already changed my life forever so I'm not going to risk it.

soooooooo.... EBC pads and rotors will be here in 2 days! :D

I don't remember, are you using the stainless steel brake lines? How old are your calipers?

Sneedle Vision
05-10-2012, 03:54 PM
I don't remember, are you using the stainless steel brake lines? How old are your calipers?

I do have stainless brake lines. As far as calipers, I'm assuming they're the original. I didn't change them when I bought the Jeep last year.

Is there a concern?

Mudderoy
05-11-2012, 03:49 PM
I do have stainless brake lines. As far as calipers, I'm assuming they're the original. I didn't change them when I bought the Jeep last year.

Is there a concern?

I noticed a significant change when I went to stainless steel brake lines and new calipers. I had about 174k on them at the time. I also changed rotor and pads, but I had done that before and not noticed an improvement.

Sneedle Vision
05-13-2012, 07:29 PM
Well everything got here and this is what I ended up with!
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0247.jpg

The install went pretty smoothly and only took a couple of hours (for someone who had never done it). The only issue was that a little bit of brake fluid came out of the reservoir when the caliper pistons were pressed back into place.

And the end result!
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0248.jpg

So far, the Jeep does seem to stop better than before. Even when slightly pressed, there is a noticeable grip to slow down compared to it feeling as if you were just driving up an incline.

4.3LXJ
05-13-2012, 08:11 PM
Man, those are too purdy to get dirty

bluedragon436
05-14-2012, 01:44 PM
That is a very nice looking XJ...At least you realized the mistake you made in getting rid of your previous one.. I honestly think you ended up better off with this one in the end anyways... Starting off with 4WD, and you have def. done some awesome choosing as far as your upgrades go...

Sneedle Vision
05-14-2012, 05:22 PM
Man, those are too purdy to get dirty


That is a very nice looking XJ...At least you realized the mistake you made in getting rid of your previous one.. I honestly think you ended up better off with this one in the end anyways... Starting off with 4WD, and you have def. done some awesome choosing as far as your upgrades go...

Thanks guys! I think either flat flares or some kind of front bumper/winch combo will be next. I'm leaning more towards the bumper and winch. I'd like to get a combination of this style bumper with a detours backbone worked in. (I like minimalistic). http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/comanche3.jpg

Mudderoy
05-14-2012, 10:02 PM
Thanks guys! I think either flat flares or some kind of front bumper/winch combo will be next. I'm leaning more towards the bumper and winch. I'd like to get a combination of this style bumper with a detours backbone worked in. (I like minimalistic). http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/comanche3.jpg

I think flat flare would look really good on there. Winch bumper and winch is a very useful combo though.

nickxj94
05-14-2012, 11:39 PM
Thanks guys! I think either flat flares or some kind of front bumper/winch combo will be next. I'm leaning more towards the bumper and winch. I'd like to get a combination of this style bumper with a detours backbone worked in. (I like minimalistic). http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/comanche3.jpg

That's a nice rig!

Sneedle Vision
05-29-2012, 02:23 PM
I've started to get a growling sound from my front right brakes. It usually happens when I'm slowing down to make a turn. So I'm thinking that the pads are getting stuck against the knuckle on either the top or bottom since the sound goes away when you press the pedal again.

If there are any other possibilities, I'd be happy to hear em. I picked up some CRC Caliper grease to fix it.

bluedragon436
05-29-2012, 02:34 PM
Thanks guys! I think either flat flares or some kind of front bumper/winch combo will be next. I'm leaning more towards the bumper and winch. I'd like to get a combination of this style bumper with a detours backbone worked in. (I like minimalistic). http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/comanche3.jpg

I just want that Commanche!! And even more so if it had a Detours backbone attached!!

As far as the brakes go, have you checked the condition of the discs and the pads?? Or at least pull the brakes on that side to make sure that it is all in good condition??

Sneedle Vision
05-29-2012, 02:45 PM
As far as the brakes go, have you checked the condition of the discs and the pads?? Or at least pull the brakes on that side to make sure that it is all in good condition??

I would think they would be fine. I just put on new pads and rotors 2 weeks ago, and followed the break-in instructions.

bluedragon436
05-29-2012, 03:00 PM
I'm just saying to make sure that they haven't been damaged at all causing the sounds you are hearing

Sneedle Vision
06-23-2012, 04:53 PM
Got halfway done with the Bushwacker flat flares today. Didn't get the whole thing done because we were taking our time being the first time messing with the fenders at all...

But pictures will come tomorrow since we figured out what to do today.

Sneedle Vision
08-28-2012, 06:57 PM
Okay, it's been a while since I updated this thread. Haven't really done much except finished installing the fender flares and gettin my new sweet SNDLVISN plate.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0293.jpg

and Boom!
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMG_20120819_152500.jpg

It's about time for me to start lining up the next addition but I'm having a time deciding. It's come down to new headers and exhaust OR finally getting regeared to 4.56. My concern with the gearing is that I still have the LP D30 and I'd like to have the HP and only do it once.

We'll see what happens.

4.3LXJ
08-28-2012, 07:31 PM
Low and high pinion strength is very misleading. Most of this hype on forums are due to old lore. Actual tests show very little difference, not worth the effort. The real advantage is pinion angle, but if you are satisfied with what you have, build what you have.

Sneedle Vision
08-29-2012, 05:20 PM
Low and high pinion strength is very misleading. Most of this hype on forums are due to old lore. Actual tests show very little difference, not worth the effort. The real advantage is pinion angle, but if you are satisfied with what you have, build what you have.

Well that's good to know. For the wheeling I do, the LP hasn't done me wrong yet. Maybe I'll just go that route.

The other thing I need to work on is my steering. I don't have any death wobble but it does feel like the Jeep likes to wander. The 10* play on each side of vertical in the steering wheel doesn't help either. I'll snap a photo tonight instead of just talking.

If I was going to do the HP axle, I was reading up on doing the WJ knuckle swap and crossover steering. Opinions?

4.3LXJ
08-29-2012, 07:32 PM
I have what is technically a cross over steering, marketed as a high steer which is a more accurate description in my opinion. You don't really need that until you hit 6" of lift. Someone will say they have 6.5" and getting away with it. But at about 6' you start exceeding the range of motion of the TIEs. But until you get there, you don't need it. But once you do, a little known fact is that you have to redo your track bar to make it parallel to the drag link. That requires a new one as well as fabrication. You have to do that or you will have death wobble when you hit tar strips.

Sneedle Vision
08-29-2012, 07:54 PM
Hopefully this picture says more than I can. What high steer setup are you using?

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0067.jpg

4.3LXJ
08-29-2012, 09:40 PM
Tereflex. It looks a lot like the WJ high steer

Sneedle Vision
12-28-2012, 03:17 PM
Well, I finally got tired enough of the rough ride of those E-rated tires. So I was able to work out a deal with a local forum guy to buy them and I've got a set of BFG All Terrains in 33x10.50 coming in.

Didn't want to buy new wheels just to run 12.50s when this Jeep sees 90% street duty. The ATs are aggressive enough for me to goof off with. And once this rig sees more dirt, I will be happy to get some serious meats, maybe something in a 35 even.

Pictures will be coming.

Sneedle Vision
12-28-2012, 08:33 PM
There Jeep gods punish me for my exuberance...

my oil pressure dropped to zero when driving home tonight. It was too dark and too cold for me to investigate. Fingers crossed it's just the sending unit, but we'll see.

4.3LXJ
12-28-2012, 08:39 PM
Best of luck on that

Sneedle Vision
12-29-2012, 10:34 PM
Checked the quality and level of the oil, no issue there. Replaced the sender and voila! Everything is back to normal.

Also went and got the "new" wheels and gave them a scrub down in preparation for the new tires. They also might get a couple coats of a dark graphite wheel paint if I feel up to it. We'll see.

Sneedle Vision
12-31-2012, 04:36 PM
Well today didn't go exactly as planned. I'm still pretty fired up about it.

Dropped the Jeep off at Discount Tire to get the new tires. Ran an errand and came back. Got back and 3 of the new wheels/tires were on and the 3 spacers that had been on were off and sitting in the back of the Jeep. The original wheel/tire was still on and they were unable to get it off. They said one of the stock lugs had lost its cap and was crushed and so they couldn't get the wheel off.

When the cap comes off, this is what it looks like and how it was when we dropped it off...http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0142-cro_zps8111df23.jpg
and then this is what the nut/stud looked like after we had to drill it out. Note the outer edge has been untouched by me.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0150-cro_zps3e163704.jpg

So they obviously impact wrenched the hell out of of that nut and screwed it all up. Left me with 1 old tire, 3 new tires and sent me on my way. Claimed they couldn't work on it since the Jeep had spacers, but yet they took the other 3 spacers off the car.

So we ended up bringing the Jeep home, drill out the stud, remount all the spacers and put the wheels back on. Here's the final product...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0145.jpg
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0146.jpg

To top it all off, the manager took no responsibility for his employees and tried to "make it right" by giving me a set of lug nuts. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

gary63
12-31-2012, 06:44 PM
just before x-mas a friend bot 4 wheels and 4 tires for he's daughter jeep with studs the tires were drectional and they mounted them all the same we had to change 2 and 90% of the stud fell out rolling the tires out to he's truck.

4.3LXJ
12-31-2012, 07:31 PM
Hey Kurt, when those cheapo caps come off, use a 3/4' socket on them. Done it many times

XJ Wheeler
12-31-2012, 11:33 PM
Yeah, just cause the cap comes off doesn't mean you can't get the nut off.:bang:

Sneedle Vision
12-31-2012, 11:45 PM
Hey Kurt, when those cheapo caps come off, use a 3/4' socket on them. Done it many times


Yeah, just cause the cap comes off doesn't mean you can't get the nut off.:bang:

You guys are preaching to the choir here! I've taken the nuts off when the caps broke before without issue! The shop screwed 'em up and left me in the lurch!

XJ Wheeler
12-31-2012, 11:51 PM
Had my fair share of this kind of shops, best to leave them in the rear view.

Sneedle Vision
01-05-2013, 06:55 PM
Still trying to find a wheel stud that will fit this spacer, but on a bright note...

The Rubicon wheels and the old BFG Rugged Terrains are sold! Made out a little better than expected so here comes some more XJ upgrades! It was going to be gun stuff, but we all know how that goes now.

4.3LXJ
01-05-2013, 07:10 PM
Fortunately Jeep parts are still legal

Sneedle Vision
03-11-2013, 06:42 PM
Debating on what to do as far as axles....I need to regear, but I wonder if I would be better off trying to find an 8.8 with discs and limited slip vs building the 8.25...

4.3LXJ
03-12-2013, 12:48 AM
They do come with 4.10s

Sneedle Vision
03-12-2013, 01:11 AM
That's kind of what I was thinking.

Although, I don't know what to look for when shopping an used axle. I'll keep researching.

Sneedle Vision
03-28-2013, 01:39 PM
Well, this is disappointing. It looks like I'm going to have to part ways with the Jeep. I'll still have it while I search for it's more economical replacement. :cry:

It's possible that I may put it back to stock and then part out its goodies, but we'll see.

4.3LXJ
03-28-2013, 01:57 PM
:cry::cry:

Mudderoy
03-28-2013, 02:13 PM
Well, this is disappointing. It looks like I'm going to have to part ways with the Jeep. I'll still have it while I search for it's more economical replacement. :cry:

It's possible that I may put it back to stock and then part out its goodies, but we'll see.

Yep, that's to bad. I think you have a good idea though. You'll get more money in the long run.

Dredwolf
03-28-2013, 11:23 PM
Well, this is disappointing. It looks like I'm going to have to part ways with the Jeep. I'll still have it while I search for it's more economical replacement. :cry:

It's possible that I may put it back to stock and then part out its goodies, but we'll see.

Man, I hate that, but I understand how it goes...

:cry: :sad0147:

I have been without a vehicle for over a week....a co-worker observing my current lack of transportation started the sentence "Well, you could sell that..." and then saw the look I was giving him.....it pretty much said:

"SILENCE FOOLISH ONE, SPEAK NOT THE BLASPHEMY OF SELLING AN XJ, LEST I REPLACE YOU WITH A BATCH FILE!"

:smiley-laughing021:

Yep, when I actually go to lunch, its by myself. :rolleye0012:

XJ Wheeler
03-28-2013, 11:30 PM
Sorry to hear bud. Gotta do what ya gotta do. Hope something changes so you can keep it.

Sneedle Vision
03-31-2013, 04:27 PM
Well the breakdown may have started...Pop and his Jeep were interested in the Detours Tailbone...so it got fitted to his XJ this weekend...

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/04aacecb-fd67-498a-94dc-d63ae116bd5f_zps0945bbf0.jpg

Depending on if he likes it or not, it still may go up for sale.

4.3LXJ
03-31-2013, 04:32 PM
Looks good

Sneedle Vision
04-29-2013, 07:25 PM
Well, Dad decided that he liked the Tailbone, but that it got in his way too much since he was always in and out of the rear hatch.

So I sold it. Got a good deal. The guy I sold it to gave me his stock rear bumper in return. His XJ was a 2-door 97 with the base SE package so it was black and not color matched. This was more than okay since the sliders, flares, and freshly burned end caps (Thanks Jenssen) are black.

But the bumper was really faded and so it got disassembled, washed, and sanded today.

I will snap some pictures. I got ahead of myself and by the time I remembered, I was covered in dust.

Sneedle Vision
04-30-2013, 01:10 PM
Well, after how much bedliner came off during Tailbone removal, I wasn't too happy with Plastikote as a top coat. I did a couple test shoots on some stock cause I thought maybe I didn't do enough coats the first time around. It turned out whether it was 2 coats or 4 coats, it still came off.

So I decided to go with something I'd used before on another car, Plastidip.

Here's the picture of the bumper all sanded down...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0280_zps2990526f.jpg

and then with a couple coats of dark gray metal automotive primer...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0282_zps9fbd77b6.jpg

Going to let it set overnight and then lay down the Plastidip. Gonna spray the bumper as well as the end caps. They look better now than they did before burning them, but it doesn't quite match the other blacks so I'm gonna make it a little more uniform.

Sneedle Vision
05-04-2013, 09:48 PM
Well, the past couple days have been cloudy and the temps were low so I couldn't ask for better conditions to get everything painted and ready to go back on!

From old faded plastic....
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0146.jpg

2 coats in....
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0287_zps25dc22d8.jpg

and all finshed with 4 coats of Plastidip!
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0293_zpsb0b8a3a1.jpg

For comparision...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0286_zpsc22e10e2.jpg

and then the rear bumper and caps finally got installed...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0294_zpsaf7ddb45.jpg

to see the texture of the Plastidip (it's a little tacky, but isn't bad)...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0295_zpsc8c9ba63.jpg

and then to see how the new parts work with the flat flares and sliders...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0296_zps5098bf21.jpg


Overall, everything came out great and I'm really pleased! Only downside is that everything requires 4 coats or more to be a good strong layer with a 2 hr dry time between coats.

XJ Wheeler
05-05-2013, 02:31 AM
Nice! Its amazing how something small like that can make such a difference.

Sneedle Vision
05-13-2013, 12:09 PM
Well, the Plastidip didn't hold up as well on a high traffic area...
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j388/sneedlevision/Jeep%20Build/IMAG0314_zps1e261a76.jpg

This happened when some tires were getting loaded in the back. So it looks like it will be coming back off and getting paint.

Sneedle Vision
02-19-2018, 02:05 PM
Been quite a while for an update. Things have been fairly smooth. Only one major issue and it was the water leak into the passenger side floorboard. Tried about a dozen different things but it finally turned out to be an opening between the bottom of the blower motor housing and the firewall in the engine bay. No more wet carpet!

But to more fun things....it felt like it was time to make a new change.
These are the 33x12.5 Hankook Dynapro ATs on Mammoth Boulder wheels. 15x8 with 3.75 backspacing. The stock wheels also had a 1.25" spacer in the configuration pictured. (Can't remember how to make the images smaller in the post, so if anybody can enlighten me, I'll go back and make it more scrollable.)

14378
14379
14380

4.3LXJ
02-19-2018, 02:42 PM
Looks nice. Images are fine

prerunner1982
02-20-2018, 10:30 AM
New wheels and tires look killer.

XJ Wheeler
02-22-2018, 06:42 PM
So much better! Fits those flares perfect!

Sneedle Vision
02-22-2018, 07:01 PM
Thanks for all the kind words, my dudes. Also had to install a new window regulator on the driver's side for a 3rd time since owning. The replacement ones from Dorman are pretty much guaranteed to die as soon as the warranty expires it seems. Also replaced the the door pin bracket and pin so now the drivers door doesn't pop anymore while opening. It's the little things.

4.3LXJ
02-22-2018, 07:43 PM
You are right. It is the little things that seem to matter the most. That is until it quits running :D

carloxj
03-16-2018, 01:45 AM
Nice wheel/tire combo! I also like the stance of your XJ.