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TimmyTXJ
10-14-2012, 01:51 PM
Hi everyone! Okay, so I've been in and around the Forums here at XJTalk a bit discussing my new Jeep project. I figured since it was rainy today, and I can't work on the Jeep, I'd start a build thread.

WARNING: Obligatory introduction follows, skip to the pictures if you only care about the Jeep.

My name is Tim (or Timmy if you prefer) and I am a self-proclaimed mechanical genius! Okay, so that's a bit excessive... let's just say that from an early age I've been fascinated with anything that has gears, levers, wheels, turbines, or any other mechanical contrivances that make it go. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of New Mexico, and I work in the oil & gas sector as an engineer / project manager.

I've been a hot rodder since I bought my first car in high school (1968 Mercury Cougar). A vehicle which I have disassembled and put back together several times now... a vehicle which currently takes up my entire garage in a state of final assembly. I got into 4-wheeling about 2 years ago when a friend took me along on a trip to BVORR with the Katy 4wd group. I was instantly hooked!

Since that trip, I've been wheeling 2 more times with my neighbor who runs speedsportlife. Linked below are some videos I put together of the two trips. The first was a side by side comparison of a 2010 JK Rubicon and Ford's new Raptor F-150. The second video is a test run of a stock 2011 JK. I had so much fun on those trips I decided to buy a Jeep of my own!

http://youtu.be/sxmfrPcMCjc
http://youtu.be/hoS64Vyk4Ro

My Jeep adventure begins in the next post!

TimmyTXJ
10-14-2012, 02:05 PM
Alright, on to the fun stuff!

After nearly two years searching Craigslist and countless hours of researching builds and XJ videos I decided on a Jeep. It's a white 93 XJ with a little more than 187,000 miles on it. It has all the basic options I want at a price that is fair for it's condition.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/Jeep_zps9408569c.jpg
Interestingly, the Jeep lived less than 5 miles away from my house... guess it was meant to be. The Jeep, at some point was whacked pretty good in the passenger side fender, from what I could see, the damage was mostly cosmetic. My first order of business was to get it cleaned up and do what my Haynes Techbook calls a 30,000 mile maintenance.

I ran into a few electrical problems right from the get go... mostly due to my over zealous degreasing of the engine and under carriage, but partially due to quick fixes by someone with limited knowledge of circuits and grounding.

This round she got new plugs, new rotor and cap, new battery terminal leads, and a new horn.

Next post, wheels! (with pictures)

TimmyTXJ
10-14-2012, 02:45 PM
There was one oddball wheel on the Jeep and no spare. The dopey wheels I could live with but the tires were bald, dry rotted, and had to go. Back to Craigslist!

I waffled back and forth over whether I wanted to go ahead and lift the Jeep and put 32s on it right away or just to get some decent tires and drive it for a while. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to drive it a while before lifting it. (I've already got one immobile project in the garage, I didn't need another)

I started out looking for any wheels and tires that would fit the XJ. I really dig the Rubicon Moab wheels, and there were plenty out there, but after some research, I found that the JKs didn't have the right bolt pattern so I had to keep looking.

That's when I found them... a set of 5 TJ Caynon wheels!
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-06_10-51-20_30_zps587b17c8.jpg

They came with BF Goodrich All Terrains and they were in really good shape. I really like the way black wheels look on white Jeeps so I decided to paint them.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-06_15-43-54_11_zps1d2f636d.jpg

I spent the better part of a day cleaning and prepping the wheels before the first coat of primer went on.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-06_15-48-14_694_zpsa2e05d91.jpg

Two coats of primer, two coats of hammer black, two coats of satin gloss clear later I had me some black wheels.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-07_07-40-36_873_zpsf38b1011.jpg

I put the non-painted Jeep center caps back on and mounted them on the Jeep. One of the lug nuts sheared off while removing the old wheels, so it took a little longer than planned to get these beauties on.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-08_18-21-03_958_zps93a0cd22.jpg

I'm very pleased with how they turned out and super happy that the Jeep looks like it now has a purpose!

Next post... headliner headaches!

TimmyTXJ
10-14-2012, 02:57 PM
When I got the Jeep, the headliner was drooping pretty bad. After reading the drooping headliner thread, I decided to try to recover the headliner myself.

Here's what the headliner looked like after ripping the loose fabric off.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-02_19-02-08_230_zps43401b66.jpg

The passenger side corner had been hacked up pretty bad, but overall, it was in decent shape.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-05_18-00-30_669_zps167a24bc.jpg

I spend some time making a replacement corner out of cardboard and fiberglass.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-06_08-53-10_654_zps441ca98d.jpg

I went over to the local fabric store and found some headliner material. Unfortunatley, it was black and my interior is grey. I decided to get the black material because it had the right "spongeyness" and cover it with some thinner grey material.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-05_18-33-32_91_zpsdaf7a520.jpg

Apparently, I didn't use enough adhesive on the thin material so it began to separate and wrinkle pretty bad when I glued it to the headliner.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-14_12-20-23_428_zps31680be4.jpg

It doesn't look too bad, but I can do better! I'm going to try to fix it next weekend if time permits.

TimmyTXJ
10-14-2012, 03:03 PM
So I noticed a sad little puddle under the Jeep on my nice clean driveway this week. I knew the rear main seal was leaking but it hadn't been too bad. That changed, of course, after I actually put some oil in the thing. I can't stand leaks so installing a new rear main seal was job one this weekend.

What a horrible, long, dirty job that was! I wasn't able to get the pan to clear the axle so that complicated the whole job.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-12_13-18-20_921_zpsea6a5dd2.jpg

I went through several iterations of lifting the jeep, disconnecting the sway bar, and removing the wheels before I got decent access.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-12_13-18-42_905_zpse622eb5f.jpg

The actual job of tapping the seal out wasn't too bad, but getting to that point nearly took all day.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-12_13-49-46_406_zps9091c7b7.jpg

After finishing, I took the jeep out for it's first "long drive" 10 miles in stop and go traffic. I got home and found that the RMS was no longer leaking but the cooling system was spraying antifreeze and hissing pretty bad. After a day under the jeep messing with the RMS, I'm not in the mood to try and fix it now. I'll get to it next week.

I think that brings us up to date, sorry for the multiple posts but it seemed like the best way to break things up. I'll try to post as I go from here on out, thanks for reading so far!

Brasscatz
10-14-2012, 06:40 PM
Nicely done Tim! I love the way the black wheels look on that thing! Don't forget too, Cypress isn't too far away from me and if you need/want some help I'm happy to come over when I have time. I may not know a ton, but I know a little! I'm very excited to see the progress of this thing!

XJ Wheeler
10-14-2012, 07:55 PM
Great start! Good work on fixing that headliner too, looks like it was made for it.

Must've been a blast having a new Raptor and Rubicon to play with.

cantab27
10-15-2012, 12:20 AM
nice job tim.........

Carves
10-15-2012, 05:12 AM
Coming along well ... and looking good ... :thumbsup:

TimmyTXJ
10-15-2012, 07:52 AM
Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement! I'm new to the whole forum thing, posting anyways, because every forum I read always seemed to degrade into arguments and vicious cut downs.

This site is totally different, I can't believe how awesome and helpful everyone on this site has been so far! There's a real sense of community here and I totally dig that!

Jake, it WAS a blast driving that Raptor! We had it when there weren't many on the road yet... the guys we ran into thought we were crazy wheeling it like we were. I have to say though, I was really impressed with what the Jeep folks did for us. They didn't balk when we said we wanted to take it off-road... in fact, they told us to have fun and to not worry about any damage so long as we didn't roll it. They even arranged for a guide to help us out, 'cause we don't know squat about wheeling.

XJ Wheeler
10-15-2012, 02:07 PM
Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement! I'm new to the whole forum thing, posting anyways, because every forum I read always seemed to degrade into arguments and vicious cut downs.

This site is totally different, I can't believe how awesome and helpful everyone on this site has been so far! There's a real sense of community here and I totally dig that!

Jake, it WAS a blast driving that Raptor! We had it when there weren't many on the road yet... the guys we ran into thought we were crazy wheeling it like we were. I have to say though, I was really impressed with what the Jeep folks did for us. They didn't balk when we said we wanted to take it off-road... in fact, they told us to have fun and to not worry about any damage so long as we didn't roll it. They even arranged for a guide to help us out, 'cause we don't know squat about wheeling.

The Raptor is of my top five new vehicles, so... ya... me likey.

How awesome of Jeep, and to have free reign had to be great.

TimmyTXJ
10-17-2012, 08:14 AM
Nooooooo!!!! There's a new small puddle of oil under the Jeep! :bang: It appears to be dripping slowly from the bottom of the bell housing. Fingers crossed it's just the oil pan gasket.

msmoorenburg
10-17-2012, 08:23 AM
Nooooooo!!!! There's a new small puddle of oil under the Jeep! :bang: It appears to be dripping slowly from the bottom of the bell housing. Fingers crossed it's just the oil pan gasket.

also have a gander at the oil filter adapter

TimmyTXJ
10-17-2012, 12:52 PM
also have a gander at the oil filter adapter
Roger that Matt. Thanks for the advice.

TimmyTXJ
10-22-2012, 03:17 PM
Another weekend... another set of problems fixed. This weekend I swapped out the upper and lower radiator hoses, installed a new thermostat ans flushed the cooling passages out with water (not necessarily in that order though!) Thanks to some most excellent help, the job was messy but fun.

Sunday I took the Jeep out to run some errands in... it ran like a champ and didn't spray anti-freeze when I got home! I still have a small oil leak but I didn't hve time to fix it.

I did however manage to finally finish my headliner project. Some pictures below:

I couldn't stand all those wrinkles so I pulled the thin material back and cleaned it off.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-21_10-12-34_826_zps82442365.jpg

I sprayed about twice as much glue this time and went SUPER slow. I have so much more respect for upholsterers now than I did before. The darker areas are from drips of sweat... who kow this would be so much work?
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-21_10-23-13_40_zps06c028cd.jpg

I put the new/old headliner in this afternoon. I feel like the front needs something... just doesn't look "finished". I'm thinking some of that push on vinyl trim will do the trick. Here's the finished product.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-22_13-42-21_776_zps25383d6a.jpg

And one more view.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-22_13-42-40_108_zps9ae639bc.jpg

I'm very happy with the result. What ever shall I do to this thing next? :D

Brasscatz
10-22-2012, 06:04 PM
Nice job Tim! I'd say next is trying to adjust that steering gear box. Then possibly the other upgrades we talked about, durango box, zj tie rod, alternator, etc. OR.... go straight to lift kit :D
Almost forgot that tilted driver's seat of yours too lol

TimmyTXJ
10-31-2012, 12:56 PM
Okay, so not much in the way of mechanical awesomeness going on lately. This weekend all I had time to do was replace the windshield wipers... but I did it in true "TimmyTXJ" fashion! I went ahead and pulled the arms off and painted them.
Now I've got some pretty, new wiper arms.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2012-10-27_12-02-35_683_zps11462707.jpg

This weekend I'm going to attempt to remove the old bubbled up tint. (If my portable steamer shows up, that is)

TimmyTXJ
01-24-2013, 08:03 AM
After several attempts, including penetrating oil every day for a week, an impact wrench, and a breaker bar with a 2 ft pipe extension, I have admitted defeat. Last week Friday I slammed my tools to the ground and said a more colorful version of the following "Forget this stuff! I do have the horsepower to get these brassafrakaschmacity bolts loose. I'm gonna pay someone to futz with this nonesense!" :bang:

So... Jeep is in the shop. Hopefully, it'll be returned to me 3" higher and a whole lot jeepier this weekend. I'll snap some photos once it's back. In the meantime, I've been helping my gf with some cosmetic projects on her YJ. I won't go into details... but let's just say chrome does not belong on a jeep!

XjMudder
01-24-2013, 09:06 AM
Me beng an xj neewbie, i found that last post quite funny. But its better to have some one else mess with it than gettin hurt (believe me) :xjtalk::D

Brasscatz
01-24-2013, 09:23 AM
That was pretty funny! Hope it turns out well, bro. Btw... Get that tint off?

TimmyTXJ
01-24-2013, 10:51 AM
That was pretty funny! Hope it turns out well, bro. Btw... Get that tint off?

Thanks Jim. Yeah the tint came off like a dream. I posted a "tutorial" in the how to section with pictures. Think I called it "Easy Tint Removal" if you want to check it out. I'm anxiously awaiting the call to go pick it up. I usually prefer to wrench on my own stuff but as I've gotten older I've gotten just a bit wiser. (a very little bit) :D

4.3LXJ
01-24-2013, 11:57 AM
I hope it goes well too. Heat can be your friend if you have an acetylene torch

Brasscatz
01-24-2013, 04:13 PM
Thanks Jim. Yeah the tint came off like a dream. I posted a "tutorial" in the how to section with pictures. Think I called it "Easy Tint Removal" if you want to check it out. I'm anxiously awaiting the call to go pick it up. I usually prefer to wrench on my own stuff but as I've gotten older I've gotten just a bit wiser. (a very little bit) :D

You just didn't want another day like the motor mount fiasco!

TimmyTXJ
01-28-2013, 09:33 AM
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-01-26_12-19-29_945_zps0c6ceaf4.jpg

The Jeep is home!!! As you may have read, I decided to take it to a shop to have the lift installed. I picked it up Saturday morning and I am extremely happy with how it turned out. I was worried that the 29" tires were gonna look really goofy, but I'm happy to say they don't look too bad. I think I can drive it like this while I save and shop for some new tires.

Time to get some mud on this sucker!!! :D

XJ Wheeler
01-28-2013, 10:51 AM
Lookin good, Tim. Nothing wrong with getting help with a big job like a lift. Enjoy the new altitude!

4.3LXJ
01-28-2013, 11:52 AM
Yeah Tim, not bad at all. It will all come with time

TimmyTXJ
02-06-2013, 01:02 PM
Well now that the lift is done I got motivated to take care of a few other things this weekend. I hadn't changed out the gear oil in either of the diffs yet so I figured I'd take advantage of the great weather this weekend and get that chore knocked out. First thing I did was order some "Lube Locker" gaskets. They were pricey, but I HATE seeing drips under the Jeep so it was an investment well worth it... plus they're re-usable, AWESOME.

I started by loosening up the bolts and persuading the front diff cover off.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-02_14-09-18_834_zps7912bdca.jpg
Boy, was that oil ever nasty...

Then while the gear oil was draining I cleaned up the diff cover.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-02_14-52-47_973_zpse2829464.jpg

I decided to have a little fun so I made a stencil out of some paper and stuck it on the diff before doing the final coat.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-02_15-47-49_183_zpsea94941d.jpg

I just stuck the paper onto the diff cover while the paint was a little tacky. It worked beautifully. I did some final trimming with an x-acto knife while the stencil was on the cover. Then I painted it black.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-02_16-04-09_406_zps290d68e9.jpg

After the black paint set up a little I carefully pulled my paper stencil off.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-02_16-08-53_620_zps44b563b6.jpg
The wasp is in honor of the huge wasp nest that I removed from the chassis of the Jeep when I got it :)

Front and rear got the same treatment. I'm very pleased with the results.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-04_10-16-05_34_zpsaa82e114.jpg

Bonus, with the lift... you can see what a great "diff"erence my artwork has made peeking out from under the jeep.

TimmyTXJ
02-06-2013, 01:34 PM
I've been cruising Craigslist for parts and I happened to come across an add for a 94 Cherokee that someone was parting out. Looking at the picture they posted, I quickly determined that they had the exact fender I was looking to replace and it was even painted the right color!

Needless to say... I quickly called to confirm they still had the fender and I booked it on over to claim it.

Here's the bum fender. It didn't bother me too much, but I wanted to fix it nonetheless.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-04_14-47-48_337_zps42be36b5.jpg

After some head scratching and a little bit of prying the old fender came off.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-05_10-38-53_354_zpsf3940b9c.jpg

And finally, the new fender on. The bumper was tweaked from whatever caused the damage so I left it off. I bit the bullet and ordered an offroad bumper with recovery points. I'll update with pics as soon as it gets here and I put it on.
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-02-05_11-27-47_287_zpse7600d0a.jpg

Brasscatz
02-06-2013, 01:58 PM
Dang Tim! Getting some work done! Which bumper did you go with?

4.3LXJ
02-06-2013, 02:03 PM
Yur makin it purdy

Brasscatz
02-06-2013, 02:24 PM
Yur makin it purdy

Seems to be a trend with the white Jeepers on here :ass:

XJ Wheeler
02-06-2013, 03:48 PM
Nicely done, Tim. That fender looks much better, and love the diff covers. Cool idea using the stencil.

TimmyTXJ
02-06-2013, 04:44 PM
Dang Tim! Getting some work done! Which bumper did you go with?

Thanks Jim! I hemmed and hawed a great long time. I couldn't decide if I wanted a winch bumper or not. In the end, I decided to go with the pre-runner style bumper from JCR. (no winch) :)

TimmyTXJ
02-06-2013, 04:57 PM
Yur makin it purdy

That'll just make it more fun to get dirty Steve! :D

4.3LXJ
02-06-2013, 05:07 PM
That'll just make it more fun to get dirty Steve! :D

And mor work to clean. :D

The last time I cleaned my diff cover was when I installed my locker. Haven't touched it since. :sign0181:

TimmyTXJ
02-26-2013, 08:23 AM
Well, the bumper arrived last week and I must say I am extremely impressed with the quality of the part. It's clear that JCR spends time in fabbing their bumpers. Some of the welds look like they are done by machine but the majority of them appear to be done by hand (a very professional hand). I will post some pictures of the bumper soon.

In the meantime, I started cutting the front fenders to make room for the new bumper. After some trial and error, I found that the combination of a finetooth handsaw and an abrasive cutoff wheel make for a very clean looking cut. Again, I'll post pictures soon... I've been too excited to finish the work to stop and take pics :)

TimmyTXJ
02-26-2013, 08:28 AM
Seems to be a trend with the white Jeepers on here :ass:

It's not that we "try" to make our white jeeps purty Jim... they're just better looking naturally so you assume that's what we're doing! :smiley-laughing021:

Brasscatz
02-26-2013, 02:03 PM
It's not that we "try" to make our white jeeps purty Jim... they're just better looking naturally so you assume that's what we're doing! :smiley-laughing021:

Lol, nice one! Don't have a good comeback for it yet :love0055: :D

4x4Dalton
02-27-2013, 01:14 AM
Lol, nice one! Don't have a good comeback for it yet :love0055: :D

Hope yer writin all this down lil Jim. See us White XJ's already got it figured out we just waitin on y'all :D

Brasscatz
02-27-2013, 07:10 AM
Hope yer writin all this down lil Jim. See us White XJ's already got it figured out we just waitin on y'all :D

Just a few more borrowed parts and your white xj is going to turn green ;)

4x4Dalton
02-27-2013, 04:27 PM
Just a few more borrowed parts and your white xj is going to turn green ;)

By then it will be indestructible cause its already AWESOME!!!!! :D

TimmyTXJ
03-14-2013, 07:29 AM
Okay, so installing the new bumper has been a bit more involved than I had expected. Not saying that it's more difficult... just more fiddly. I'm sorry once again that I have no pictures to post, by the end of the day lately, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer screen.

Here's what's done :)
1. All the frame tie-in brackets for the new bumper are primed and painted.
2. The triangle cross braces right behind the headlights are removed, trimmed, and painted.
3. The vacuum bottle has been relocated.
4. The new bumper has got it's first coat of paint.
5. The frame tie-in brackets are mounted to the jeep.

Here's what's not :(
1. Vacuum lines need to be lengthened to reach the vacuum bottle
2. Triangle cross braces need to be reinstalled
3. Bumper needs to be top coated and installed
4. While removing the bolt inside the engine compartment to remove the triangle braces I noticed the transmission cooler lines look chewed up/deteriorated. They'll need to be replaced (I figured it's a good time to upgrade so I ordered a B&M stacked trans cooler)
5. While removing the steering box bolts to mount the bumper frame tie-ins the box shifted and seems to have cracked like an egg... it's leaking near the back. As far as I can tell either a seal has broken or the power assist lines have come loose. Either way, I have to pull the steering box out. Maybe I'll look into that Durango uprgade while its out.
6. New sway bar bushings and end link bushings (because the guy that installed my lift forgot to put the end link bushings back)

Fingers crossed that I don't break more stuff while I'm fixing this stuff!

XJ Wheeler
03-14-2013, 04:20 PM
Sounds good. Which cooler did you go with? Not long ago i mounted up a #70268 and the fit was perfect if not tight.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/xj-wheeler/Stormy%202/2012-12-201708080.jpg

Brasscatz
03-14-2013, 07:06 PM
Okay, so installing the new bumper has been a bit more involved than I had expected. Not saying that it's more difficult... just more fiddly. I'm sorry once again that I have no pictures to post, by the end of the day lately, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer screen.

Here's what's done :)
1. All the frame tie-in brackets for the new bumper are primed and painted.
2. The triangle cross braces right behind the headlights are removed, trimmed, and painted.
3. The vacuum bottle has been relocated.
4. The new bumper has got it's first coat of paint.
5. The frame tie-in brackets are mounted to the jeep.

Here's what's not :(
1. Vacuum lines need to be lengthened to reach the vacuum bottle
2. Triangle cross braces need to be reinstalled
3. Bumper needs to be top coated and installed
4. While removing the bolt inside the engine compartment to remove the triangle braces I noticed the transmission cooler lines look chewed up/deteriorated. They'll need to be replaced (I figured it's a good time to upgrade so I ordered a B&M stacked trans cooler)
5. While removing the steering box bolts to mount the bumper frame tie-ins the box shifted and seems to have cracked like an egg... it's leaking near the back. As far as I can tell either a seal has broken or the power assist lines have come loose. Either way, I have to pull the steering box out. Maybe I'll look into that Durango uprgade while its out.
6. New sway bar bushings and end link bushings (because the guy that installed my lift forgot to put the end link bushings back)

Fingers crossed that I don't break more stuff while I'm fixing this stuff!


Holy crap that's quite a list! My weekend is busy, but I'll ask about next weekend if you would like some assistance ;)

TimmyTXJ
03-14-2013, 07:18 PM
Sounds good. Which cooler did you go with? Not long ago i mounted up a #70268 and the fit was perfect if not tight.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/xj-wheeler/Stormy%202/2012-12-201708080.jpg

i believe its exactly the same one Jake! glad to hear it fits well... thats a clean install too!

TimmyTXJ
03-14-2013, 07:27 PM
So I managed to snap a few photos... and to answer your burning question - yes, I pulled the trigger and ordered a durango steering box. The seal kit for the stock XJ box was almost as much as a new one so I did some serious digging and found a reman durango box for less than what a reman XJ box would cost. +1 internets

okay, so here is a picture of the jcr bumper reinforcement
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsfc8dc29e.jpg

and one of the bumper in primer
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsd9c6c823.jpg

and finally, my newly installed xjTalk sticker!
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsb8011075.jpg

4x4Dalton
03-14-2013, 07:29 PM
Sweet!!! Lookin good Tim.

girlyjen78
03-14-2013, 07:37 PM
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/2013-01-26_12-19-29_945_zps0c6ceaf4.jpg

The Jeep is home!!! As you may have read, I decided to take it to a shop to have the lift installed. I picked it up Saturday morning and I am extremely happy with how it turned out. I was worried that the 29" tires were gonna look really goofy, but I'm happy to say they don't look too bad. I think I can drive it like this while I save and shop for some new tires.

Time to get some mud on this sucker!!! :D

Who's sexy YJ!?

Brasscatz
03-14-2013, 08:16 PM
So I managed to snap a few photos... and to answer your burning question - yes, I pulled the trigger and ordered a durango steering box. The seal kit for the stock XJ box was almost as much as a new one so I did some serious digging and found a reman durango box for less than what a reman XJ box would cost. +1 internets

okay, so here is a picture of the jcr bumper reinforcement
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsfc8dc29e.jpg

and one of the bumper in primer
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsd9c6c823.jpg

and finally, my newly installed xjTalk sticker!
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsb8011075.jpg

Looking very nice! That lift is looking awesome too :D

XJ Wheeler
03-14-2013, 10:46 PM
So I managed to snap a few photos... and to answer your burning question - yes, I pulled the trigger and ordered a durango steering box. The seal kit for the stock XJ box was almost as much as a new one so I did some serious digging and found a reman durango box for less than what a reman XJ box would cost. +1 internets

okay, so here is a picture of the jcr bumper reinforcement
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsfc8dc29e.jpg

and one of the bumper in primer
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsd9c6c823.jpg

and finally, my newly installed xjTalk sticker!
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q776/TimmyTXJ/image_zpsb8011075.jpg

Sweet looking bumper, bro. Pretty clean underneath too.






i believe its exactly the same one Jake! glad to hear it fits well... thats a clean install too!

Awesome, and thanks. Btw, the lines are a tight fit. I ran mine up to the right where they come into the engine compartment just below being beside the radiator filler neck.

TimmyTXJ
06-18-2013, 02:31 PM
It's been a while since I've posted in this thread. I've been spending a lot of time helping Jenny with the lift on her YJ so I haven't played with the XJ much. It looks like my last update was the installation of the new bumper. I can't remember if I updated it here or in another thread so I'll just go ahead and record for posterity that I've also performed the Durango steering box swap. After the bumper was on and the wheels turning we took the Jeep for a little test spin in a swanky new master planned community nearby that still has several roads under construction. We didn't get into anything more serious than a little mud but I do have to say the Jeep performed well. I might also add there's something very satisfying about mud chunks flying off your rear tires when you have a Mercedes tailgating you.

I managed to get my hands on a new gauge cluster and have completed the super easy installation. I'm sure I'll be contacting Azzy soon for some updated gauge faces.

One last update... the wasps are back! This time then nest is on the rear passenger door hinge. I found it this weekend when I opened the door to roll down the window. For some reason, they seem to be drawn to this little jeep of mine. :/

Picture update should be coming soon.

girlyjen78
07-02-2013, 12:03 AM
2765

TimmyTXJ
07-22-2013, 07:41 AM
Jens Jeep is finally back on it's feet! I can shift my attention back to my little XJ now! YAY!!!

Here's a list of projects that are in the works or just about to start.
1. Fix the broken coolant temp sending unit... still haven't figured out how to extract that sucker.
2. Install the trans cooler that's been sitting in the garage for over a month now.
3. Scored a set of JKS disconnects... thos need to go on soon
4. I ordered a new rear bumper/ tire carrier from Dirtbound at the beginning of the month, it should be showing up soon! Paint and install. Can anyone recommend a good set of reasonably priced off road lights for the back (3.5" round flush mount)?

I will also try and remember to snap some more photos... I suck at stopping to take pictures.

sexjay
07-22-2013, 08:01 PM
wow man awesome job on the headliner..this is something I need to do myself....just don't want to! haha

Brasscatz
07-22-2013, 10:13 PM
Can anyone recommend a good set of reasonably priced off road lights for the back (3.5" round flush mount)?


check out Snappy Lights on Ebay, they may have some. That's where I got my A-Pillar lights and they were a great price

TimmyTXJ
07-23-2013, 06:12 AM
wow man awesome job on the headliner..this is something I need to do myself....just don't want to! haha

Thanks! The headliner was a good project... it was a fair amount of work but none of it was hard and the difference between before and after was like night and day.

TimmyTXJ
07-23-2013, 06:14 AM
check out Snappy Lights on Ebay, they may have some. That's where I got my A-Pillar lights and they were a great price

Thanks Jim I'll give them a look! I'm not great with electronics so I may give you a call for some pointers when I'm ready to install them.

Brasscatz
07-23-2013, 07:22 AM
I'm happy to help bro.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 because my microwave couldn't do it

sexjay
07-23-2013, 11:37 PM
Thanks! The headliner was a good project... it was a fair amount of work but none of it was hard and the difference between before and after was like night and day.

yea man mines getting pretty bad and its just one of those things that can make it look disgusting or not..a local "shop" estimated 100+ dollars to redo it and I said noooooo way

TimmyTXJ
07-24-2013, 07:28 AM
yea man mines getting pretty bad and its just one of those things that can make it look disgusting or not..a local "shop" estimated 100+ dollars to redo it and I said noooooo way

$40 for headliner material from JoAnn Fabrics, $10 of spray glue, a couple hours of easy disassembly/assembly, and you're golden man! :)

sexjay
07-24-2013, 10:54 AM
$40 for headliner material from JoAnn Fabrics, $10 of spray glue, a couple hours of easy disassembly/assembly, and you're golden man! :)

hahaha yea it seems pretty straight forward thanks for the tips too

Mudderoy
07-24-2013, 12:14 PM
hahaha yea it seems pretty straight forward thanks for the tips too

I didn't want to run the risk of doing it twice, so I purchased the 3M spray on glue, it was more like $20 a can. Got 2, used 2. It was about $100 for everything.