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bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:45 PM
Well, I figured I'd toss up some pics and info on my Jeep. This will be pretty much a recap of the past 3-4 years, but I'll keep updating is as this project will seemingly never end. :P

I have a 2000 XJ Classic that has been in my family since new. When a new DD was in order for the fam, I bought the XJ as a play/utility vehicle. It had about 225,000km on it and a few issues, but since it was garage kept and never taken off road, it was in great condition overall.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/Pictures027.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/Pictures028.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/Pictures030.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:45 PM
The A/C didn't work, and windows only rolled up/down intermittently, so a new drivers side switch module was in order (cheaper then fixing the a/c ....lol). The disc brakes were shot, so the front got new rotors and pads.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/LittleElbowCamping-July2010153.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/LittleElbowCamping-July2010155.jpg


Next up was a bike rack, as I intended to use the XJ for many a mountain bike trip.

:)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/RaceOfSpades013.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:46 PM
The Infinity amp was shot, and the factory head unit was intermittent, so I decided a new stereo was in order. I didn't want to sink too much coin into it, but still wanted the ability to bump some decent tunes, so I got to work.

The factory head unit came out, and a Pioneer CD deck went in instead. Dual pioneer 6.5" coaxials went in the rear, while a nice set of Auditor 5.25" components slipped into the front doors (6.5" wouldn't fit here, sadly).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap20.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap19.jpg

I wanted to run a better amp and a sub, but didn't want to loose a ton of space, so I cut out one of the rear panels, and built a custom sub box from MDF.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap1.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap2.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap3.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap5.jpg


Internal volume worked out to be right around 1 cubic foot.........perfect for a single 10" sub. I decided to integrate the amp mount into the box design, and started carpeting.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap8.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap7.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap11.jpg


I've had very good luck with Focal in the past, so decided to stick with their budget "Auditor" line, and dropped in one of their 10" woofers.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap13.jpg


Amp was supposed to be much cheaper then this, but I happened to have to 4 channel Eclipse amp kicking around, so in it went.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap15.jpg


Once the construction was finished, I got AudioConceptsMobile to hook it all up, and then I made up some trim pieces to finish it all off.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap22.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap23.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap30.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap32.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepStereoSwap33.jpg


The set-up sounds good overall, though in retrospect I should have spend the extra cash of a better deck. Oh well..............

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:47 PM
It was around this point that I realized the running boards were on their last legs after putting my foot through on of them in Canmore.

So off they came.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepRunningBoards1.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepRunningBoards2.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepRunningBoards3.jpg


The back of the XJ was riding a little low, and I knew all 4 shocks were shot.

After MUCH research, and a lot of back and forth deliberation, I finally decided to pony up and ordered a 2" heavy duty Old Man Emu lift from Northridge4x4.ca.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift1.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift2.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift3.jpg


The new springs, leafs, shocks and bushings made a HUGE difference in the way the truck rode, and the load carrying capacity is WAY better then ever before (rides smooth and level with 1000lb+ in the back).

The lift netted ~1.75" in the front, and over 3" in the back (oddly enough).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift6.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift7.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift10.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift9.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/JeepLift5.jpg


Looks a little bit wacked at rest, but levels out nicely when fully loaded.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/Fernie-August2010117.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:51 PM
Tow hooks installed:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/077.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/078.jpg

Got to use those LOTS the first few times on the trails!


http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/094.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/095.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/084.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/104.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/103.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:55 PM
Some heavy trail damage saw some front end work needing to be done. HID's were popped in for more light, and some sweet JKS ACOS went in (magically without pictures) too. Next up it was time for a better front bumper, so an Or-Fab unit was selected and ordered.


To start, a brief reminder of the "before" look. This is a pic snapped out past Waipairous a couple years ago on an exploratory run.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/010.jpg



A visit from UPS, and a short unpack later, I was greeted with boxes filled with spray foam.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/002.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/004.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/011.jpg

As great as the packing was, it seems that ORFab managed to damage the finish on a number of pieces before sending them out. The light mount has a series of scrapes through the powdercoationg and right into the steel.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/010.jpg

The rest of the pieces have some chips in the finish, and generally are pretty scuffed up. Boo!

None the less, still looks pretty cool, IMHO.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/018-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/019-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/020-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/021-1.jpg

Another negaitive, was that not all the parts were in the same finish. While the main bumper was in the bicycle black, they shipped the steering box brace in wrinkle black. Uhg.

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:56 PM
Front end tear down of the XJ went smooth. Surprised at the amount of mismatched hardware holding on the bumpers, though, and even more surprised to find a bolt missing. :o

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/022-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/023.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/024.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/025.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/026.jpg

Also discovered that there is supposed to be some sort of sensor by the grill. Mine apparently is missing, though the wiring & plug is still around. Anyone know if this is something I should be looking into?

Anyway, started with the "Gap Guard"..........which of course doesn't fit since I have a tranny cooler. A few measurements and some xacto time, and the problem is solved.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/088.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/089.jpg

Center section bolts on first using what will end up totaling to be a ridiculous amount of 1/2" grade 5 & 8 bolts.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/087.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/090.jpg

End caps go on next. No issues here.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/091-1.jpg

Then the grill loop. Looks great, but doesn't fit quite as flush as I had hoped. One of the washers hits the weld too. No biggy, I guess.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/092.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/097.jpg

Center winch section and light mount is up next, along with trimming the stock wheel well liners. AKA, pretty much done. Loved the fact that the kit was missing two 1/2" x 1.5" bolts. Uhg, now I have to track those down.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/093.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/094-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/095-2.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/096.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/098.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/102.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/104-1.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 05:58 PM
Well, I managed to get a bit more work done on the XJ.

First up was finding the rest of the bolts for the bumper. A quick trip to Calgary Fasteners revealed that 1/2" grade 8 bolts were much cheaper then I expected. As such, I picked up enough of them to replace all the garde 5 hardware on my bumper. :)

Next up was swapping out my stock (and tweaked) swaybar links for a nice set of JKS Discos.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/015.jpg


Getting the old links off was a snap, but dealing with the press fit pin at the bottom was another matter. After 4 days of PB Blaster, I opted to try the extraction method suggested by a few other forum members..........knocking them out with a hammer. After 20 minutes, I gave up, and splurged $12 on a pitman puller from Princess Auto. A quick grind on the bolts to allow the puller to fit, and they slid right out like butter.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/080-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/079.jpg


After that, the new ones slid in without issue. Good stuff!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/085.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/088-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/091-2.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/090-1.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:02 PM
I was feeling pretty good at this point, so I decided to tackle the steering stabilizer next.

Again, out came the pitman puller to pop off the 4 day PB Blaster soaked drag link pin.

This did not go as smooth as I hoped.

I started cranking down on the puller, and after 2 or 3 minutes, all that was happening was the pin was bending and flaring. Uh oh. I opted to pause and take a look back at some info I had printed to make quadruple sure I wasn't screwing something up. As I'm sitting on the back bumper, I'm suddenly greeted with a Jeep shaking "BANG!", followed by the clanging of metal on concrete.

Well, it seems like leaving the pitman puller on under pressure worked, as the pin popped, allowing the puller to fall to the ground.

Sweet.

The rest was easy from there.

I love how beefy the OME damper looks compared to the OEM one.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/092-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/095-3.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/096-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/094-2.jpg

First couple of drives have shown this to be a worthwhile mod. Front steering feels much smoother then before. Not that it's any surprise...........brand new OME damper vs. 242k on a stock unit.....LOL.

Next up: Skidplate. Or that was the plan. But this is afterall a Jeep.......... so first up was fixing a leaking radiator. My temporary "fix" of keeping a jug of coolant with me was starting to get old, so after a fair bit of research, I opted to upgrade a bit and pick up a Champion 3 row full aluminum rad.

;D

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/013-2.jpg




Since I was pulling the rad anyway, I figured it was a good opportunity for some "piece of mind" preventative maintenance as well.

Getting started on Friday morning................

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/007-1.jpg




Started with draining the coolant, flushing the system, then reflushing the heater core.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/011-1.jpg




After that, out came the old rad. Third one this XJ has eaten in 245000km, amusingly.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/014-1.jpg




Next up, new thermostat, thermostat housing, water pump, viscous fan coupler, all new hoses, and a new serpentine belt.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/032.jpg




And then..............shiny time!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/020-1-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/023-2.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/024-3.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/034.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:03 PM
Radiator is a 98% drop in fit. The build in transmission fluid cooler uses different threaded attachments then the stock rad. Luckily Champion includes two new threaded flares and elbows. So I started by cutting off the old elbow for the upper hose with a dremel, ans mounting in the new one with a piece of hose.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/038.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/039.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/041.jpg



Some mechanic had long ago chopped off the bottom quick connect, so for the lower mount I just slipped the new elbow into the existing hose. Easy fo sheezy.

This of course is where I found out that the bottom elbow fouls with some metal when the rad goes in. What metal you ask? This metal......

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/042.jpg



I cut out a dime size piece with a dremel, wacked it a few times with a hammer, and hit it with some paint. Problem fixed, and the rad slipped right in.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/043.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/044.jpg



After that it was smooth sailing until I accidentally snapped my fan shroud in half. Luckily Pooks garage of XJ saved the day, and before I knew it, I was rolling again.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/053.jpg





Now back to the fun stuff...................

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:05 PM
And so began the next phase...................

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/032-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/039-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/045.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/047.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/051.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/040.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/052.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/055.jpg

And new shoes.....

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/004-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/003.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/005.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:06 PM
Well, after a bunch of shop time, the XJ got a little bigger.

Front: JKS ACOS, Detours shock extenders, Iron Rock adjustable upper & lower control arms, Iron Rock double Shear Track bar, Iron rock SS brake lines.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ324.jpg



Rear: Rubicon Express 1.5" lift shackles, Detours shock extenders, Iron Rock SS Brake lines.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ325.jpg


Add in some 1.25" Spidertrax wheel spacers, a set of five new 265/75R16 Goodyear Duratrac tires, and a few other little odds and ends, and it's starting to look pretty okay, IMO.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ322.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ326.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ329.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ3213.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ3214.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/XJ328.jpg


Interestingly, the 1.5" lift shackles netted virtually no lift in the back. With the front HD OME springs, I was sitting at 1.75" of actual lift in the front, which the ACOS have now bumped to almost 3.5". The OME 2" HD spring packs in the back had netted me almost 3" previously, and the longer shackles really only added maybe 1/2" to that. Odd. The good news, is that I quite like how it looks a bit lower, the bad news is that I chose the 32" tire size based on an assumed 4-4.5" of total lift. With 3-3.5" of lift, now I'm thinking rubbing is gonna be a big issue. Time to look at some massive bump-stops I guess................which I never really did. And the lift settled even more. But we'll get to all of that in good time.......

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:09 PM
Had some free time, so I figured I'd get a few things done before a local Off-Road 101 event.

1st up: JKS Disconnect mounts. Drilled and set these up on the OEM front skid, and the looked and worked super slick. Well, up until I tried turning that is, at which point I was horified to find out they rub my tires. Bit of a surprise since I have 1.25" spacers. Grrrrr................

2nd up: Kingone TDS 9.5C Winch Install. Doesn't fit up to my ORFAB bumper. Ends hit the bumper on both sides, and the feet of the winch don't sit flush on the mounting plate.

UHG..............


Anyway, after going to 32" tires, the spare certainly wasn't fitting in the stock location anymore. Laying it across the back SUCKED, and sadly a new rear bumper/sway-away wasn't in the budget since the wifey and I just pulled the trigger on building a new house. In the end I turned to Mark at Detours USA for one of his knucklebone set-ups.

Started off by pulling the factory hitch:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/440.jpg



And grinding down the rust:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/442.jpg




The hitch and all the Knucklebone components got sprayed with primer, and then bedliner.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/444.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/445.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/446.jpg




And the whole thing got assembled and mounted up.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/020-2.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/019-2.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/024-1.jpg




The tire now rotates off to the side to make way for the lift gate.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/023-1.jpg




Mounted:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/043-1.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/035-1.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:11 PM
I wasn't thrilled with how far out the tire was, so I got Mark to make me up a custom angled mount. Looks WAY better, IMO, and sucks the tire in a little closer.

Best of all, I can still get three bikes on the back rack. ;)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/066.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/069.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:11 PM
Decided that the XJ needed some company, so I built this up for fun.

;)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Jeep%20XJ%20SCX10%20Project/127.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Jeep%20XJ%20SCX10%20Project/128.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Jeep%20XJ%20SCX10%20Project/131.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Jeep%20XJ%20SCX10%20Project/135.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Jeep%20XJ%20SCX10%20Project/143.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Jeep%20XJ%20SCX10%20Project/524.jpg

More infor here if anyone cares: http://www.calgaryrc.com/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=14418

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:15 PM
Tire mount has been working well, but sadly the 32" spare pretty much covers the license plate. After tempting my fate with the cops for a few weeks, I finally decided to break out the tape & drill, and remount the plate.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/179.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/180.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/181.jpg




A new license plate lamp was added for legalities as well, but in this picture it's still not hooked up.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/007-2.jpg




With the Jeep parked for the past week I've had a chance to start tacking a few other items on the "To Do" list as well. First up was cutting some sizable chunks out of my OrFab bumper so my Kingone 9.5 winch would fit in. Steel was removed from both sides, and a small bit of metal was ground off the winch feet as well.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/126.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/125.jpg




Once everything was fitted, I used a flapper disc to clean off all the CRAP stock powdercoating, primed it, and then sprayed it with bedliner (to match the tire carrier).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/127.jpg
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/128.jpg



Since the OrFab winch mount is a little odd, the winch is mounted 180 degrees from normal, with the winch line feeding over from the top. Solenoid box doesn't fit in the stock location, so I'm going to see about relocating that to under the hood someplace.



In the mean time, more time in the garage after picking up this:

:)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/307.jpg


Starting off with the stock engine bay, I was mainly looking to recoup some space by axing the OEM airbox.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/308.jpg



Much better!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/310.jpg



Leaving the kit out in the cold garage overnight turned out to be a bad idea when I went to stretch this rubber/plastic spacer over the throttle body. Would not happen. Lucky for me, I got a call about about a skid plate for sale, and the drive over to pick it up gave me enough time to warm up the spacer on the dash of my Evo. ;D

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/311.jpg



Marking for the cowl cut:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/312.jpg



It SUCKS cutting a 3" hole in your Jeep!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/314.jpg



But the rest of the install was easy and straight forward.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/317.jpg


Oh ya, got my sweet new transfer case skid on too!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/324.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:16 PM
Cowl intake sounds frighteningly creepy and loud when starting the engine, and at idle. Very noticeable "whooshing" sound as if the engine is drinking air violently through a long straw. Which really, it now is. Noise isn't really noticeable at normal driving speeds at the tires and general XJ rattles/creaks keep the added sound at bay. It's a non-issue if the stereo is on too. :) The skinny pedal makes the engine WAY louder and growlier now too. Sweeeeet. More power? Dunno.............



Out came some steel and some bending, drilling, and bedliner latter, I had these:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/320.jpg



Using one of the existing bolts from the OEM airbox, and two existing bolts holding on some electrical doodads, I was able to make a pretty sturdy and clean mount for the winch solenoid/controls.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/338.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/337.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/336.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/339.jpg


Twisted and wrapped a bundle of four 16ga wires, and ran it thru the firewall from the cab out to the engine bay.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/340.jpg


Then started drilling interior trim.....

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/321.jpg


And relocated the mounting point for the hand held winch controller.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/322.jpg

bRIBEGuy
08-24-2014, 06:24 PM
And then............I just drove it, and stopped taking pictures of it for some reason. Managed to blow the aluminum radiator, so another stocker went back in. Swapped out the front u-joints and unit bearings. Had to rebuild the cheapo winch after it blew up. Started using the XJ to tow heavy crap using a 5x8 utility trailer as somehow landscaping a new house became my new life.

Okay, so my 2000 XJ has extremely little rust on it....up until last year when the roof started to spot up a bit. In no time flat now (well......a year or so) this has morphed into a bubbly nasty XJ skin condition.

Now 95% of this looks like simple surface rust to me, so my plan was to grind it down, prime it, and get it painted. I'd like to keep my Jeep in good operating condition, and spending the money and effort on repainting is fine. As it sits there are no leaks inside the Jeep, and the stuff on the roof seems shallow. I don't have much bodywork rust knowledge though........ There is one spot on the passenger side upper windshield corner however that looks pretty nasty when the trim is pulled back.

A few pics to show the current state:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P2210016_zpsc77f570f.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P2210022_zps8d2e6a4d.jpg

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P2210020_zps65469408.jpg


Or at least I THOUGHT there were no leaks in the Jeep.........then the other morning, after an evening of light rain and fog, I got into the XJ to find a small puddle on the passenger side floor mat. Uh oh. Upon closer inspection of the upper passenger side windshield frame, it appears that I have a small hole under the rubber trim. I can slide the ignition key into my header, and I fail to see how this could be even a remotely good thing.

So........now I'm stuck trying to figure out what to do, while a pookapotumus whispers in my ear to pull the windshield and learn to weld.........Hmmmm......

WELCOME TO MY JEEP.

XJ Wheeler
08-24-2014, 07:34 PM
Wow! That jeep is gorgeous! I am sorry to see that rust pop up, and how odd to cover the roof like that. You've got some great ideas and I love how much ingenuity you're putting in it.

Brasscatz
08-24-2014, 09:06 PM
Holy crap! You've been busy! Looks great though. I've always loved the Or-Fab bumpers and have planned on getting the front and rear ones.

cantab27
08-25-2014, 12:18 AM
nice work mark ........nice watching em grow up ......

bluedragon436
08-25-2014, 12:58 AM
XJ is looking good, and sorry to see the rust... but def better to spend a little bit of money on having it repaired and repainted now before it becomes a larger cancer and you end up with far more leaks, and especially if any of them allows water to drip onto interior electronics and cause damage there... that cost will spiral out of control quick...

bRIBEGuy
08-25-2014, 07:38 AM
Thanks for the kind words guys. The Jeep has been a lot of work, but that's half the fun, right? At least that's what I tell my self to keep my sanity.....lol.



I've always loved the Or-Fab bumpers and have planned on getting the front and rear ones.

I really like the design of the Or-Fab, but the quality of the paint is TERRIBLE. The powder coating on mine was flaking off and rusting within a few months, and in talking with a few people, this seems to be pretty common place. The bumper looks REALLY rough now, and definitely needs to be ground down and repainted. One more thing on the list.......ha ha ha.

The roof and windshield frame are the next project, and I'm hoping to start that in mid-September. If that job is a success, then next up will be fender flares (finally!), as I currently have a NIB set of Bushwacker flats hanging out in the garage......

Brasscatz
08-25-2014, 05:08 PM
Thanks for the kind words guys. The Jeep has been a lot of work, but that's half the fun, right? At least that's what I tell my self to keep my sanity.....lol.




I really like the design of the Or-Fab, but the quality of the paint is TERRIBLE. The powder coating on mine was flaking off and rusting within a few months, and in talking with a few people, this seems to be pretty common place. The bumper looks REALLY rough now, and definitely needs to be ground down and repainted. One more thing on the list.......ha ha ha.

The roof and windshield frame are the next project, and I'm hoping to start that in mid-September. If that job is a success, then next up will be fender flares (finally!), as I currently have a NIB set of Bushwacker flats hanging out in the garage......

Wow, you would think that with the price they sell their bumpers at, the finish would last! Which finish did you get? Wrinkle black?

bRIBEGuy
08-26-2014, 08:18 AM
Which finish did you get? Wrinkle black?

No, it was the gloss black option. Now it's the rusty rust rust option. :P

bRIBEGuy
10-27-2014, 09:34 PM
I made the mistake of neglecting this longer than I should have, and things got worse. I asked around for advice, contemplated my options, and spent longer than I'd like to admit driving the Jeep with a high-tech duct tape windshield seal.

Lucky for me, I ended up with a break in my yard work, and a bit of free time a week or so ago, and I finally decided to tackle the project.

Step 1: Pull the windshield molding and roof rack. Top and bottom of the windshield frame are not looking too hot.....

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA150001_zpsd2223362.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA150001_zpsd2223362.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA150002_zps397d3d0c.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA150002_zps397d3d0c.jpg.html)


Roof is not awesome, but not as bad.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA150004_zpsd5d84b19.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA150004_zpsd5d84b19.jpg.html)


I figured I'd start with the roof, and the next two days became a driveway located sacrifice of many many many a flapper disc and wire wheel.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250394_zps1483047e.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250394_zps1483047e.jpg.html)


Part way through I was looking like this:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA150010_zps384aec2d.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA150010_zps384aec2d.jpg.html)


The wire brush was starting to make the hole grow, and this was getting me worried.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA150013_zpsaffc806f.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA150013_zpsaffc806f.jpg.html)


None the less, I soldiered on. I finished grinding down the roof, gave it a good clean, and hit it with a few layers of rust converter. After cleaning that up, I sprayed two coats of self etching primer and decided to pull the windshield. With the glass out, I was able to start cleaning up the windshield frame, and kept watching things get worse and worse in front of my eyes. Not only did the top hole keep growing......

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA170029_zpsc9deb0a3.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA170029_zpsc9deb0a3.jpg.html)


But a couple holes decided to appear in the bottom too. GULP!

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA170027_zpsfb42ea5d.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA170027_zpsfb42ea5d.jpg.html)


I tried not to freak out too much, and cleaned up the frame, and slathered on some more rust converter before it was time to park the Jeep back inside, ponder the mess I'd made, panic a bit more, and eventually call up Pook.

bRIBEGuy
10-27-2014, 09:34 PM
While I was convinced the Jeep was dead, Pook was convinced I was being overly dramatic. He showed up with a portable welder and some sheet steel, and laughed at my panic situation. One mans tragedy is another mans idea of fun.............

Pook schooled me on some metal work, and with some semi-ghetto equipment, we bent up some patch plates. Bottom one got tacked in without issue.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250369_zps33e021c7.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250369_zps33e021c7.jpg.html)


And continued along without much incident.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250379_zpsa709da67.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250379_zpsa709da67.jpg.html)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250386_zpsec6d00ef.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250386_zpsec6d00ef.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
10-27-2014, 09:36 PM
Next up was the top patch.......same idea, more hassle.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250389_zps40ac229c.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250389_zps40ac229c.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250390_zps86113798.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250390_zps86113798.jpg.html)


Eventually the patch plate was in, but the welding blew a hole in what little was left of the roof metal.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA250406_zps4658cbcf.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA250406_zps4658cbcf.jpg.html)


Weld in the hole. Grind down the bead. Open a new hole.

Repeat 3 or 4 times.

ACK!!!

Eventually Pook got it patched up, we ground it down a bit, and relaxed with a quick rip in Mortis (such a sweeeet rig!). The XJ went back into the garage for the afternoon, and the work resumed the next morning.............

4.3LXJ
10-27-2014, 10:00 PM
Nothing like a few band aids to fix the boo boos

Brasscatz
10-27-2014, 11:16 PM
looks like some good work there! I need to learn to weld....

bRIBEGuy
11-02-2014, 09:28 AM
Grind grind grind.

Grind grind grind.........4.5" grinder. Dremel. Stones. Flap discs.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA260417_zps02e86230.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA260417_zps02e86230.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA260418_zps5f2f406e.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA260418_zps5f2f406e.jpg.html)


After the grinding was done, and with little to no room in my own unheated garage, I figured the Jeep needed to be somewhere roomier and warmer for the rest of the priming/paint work. Luckily with a snap of my fingers, the Jeep magically moved locations, and I was back on track (sounds legit, right?).


Started to mask everything off to shoot the last bit of etching primer.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA260420_zps390728d1.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA260420_zps390728d1.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA260424_zps24a1af29.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA260424_zps24a1af29.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA260426_zpsfc20078e.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA260426_zpsfc20078e.jpg.html)


And started to spray.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA260434_zps696b0a52.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA260434_zps696b0a52.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
11-02-2014, 09:31 AM
After a day or so, it was time to tackle a minor amount of bondo work to build up the passenger side corner a bit. Nothing that couldn't be handled in a quick evening.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA280001_zps6c182528.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA280001_zps6c182528.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA280003_zpsa5a7ff6a.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA280003_zpsa5a7ff6a.jpg.html)


A quick shot of primer, and things are looking good (imo).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA280006_zpsc51a7920.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA280006_zpsc51a7920.jpg.html)

bluedragon436
11-02-2014, 09:40 AM
Looking good Mark!! That is one of the most annoying places I've seen rust like that on quite a few XJ's... I think that is one of the best repairs I've seen of it.. seems like most people either leave it alone, throw some speed tape over it and act like it isn't there, or do a real crappy repair...

bRIBEGuy
11-02-2014, 09:45 AM
I managed to score a Friday off work, and this seemed like the perfect time to do the paint work. A mug of coffee and a 7am start assured plenty of time to tackle the work, and I got busy with some 180grit sandpaper to rough up all the primer.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310018_zpsec084288.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310018_zpsec084288.jpg.html)


Blasted it clean with the compressor (yes, I opened the garage door...), and then cleaned everything up with acetone. And now............masking. Tape, tape, tape, plastic sheet, tape, brown paper, tape tape tape. Good freaking times this part.......lol.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310019_zps0f0e3219.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310019_zps0f0e3219.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310020_zpsf20dc3b1.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310020_zpsf20dc3b1.jpg.html)


I had opted to go the "bedliner" route since I liked the way it looked, and figured it might be more durable. First coat ended up taking about 35 minutes to apply with a brush and roller. Much more of a PITA then I expected.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310021_zps107b0d86.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310021_zps107b0d86.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310023_zps218b9f06.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310023_zps218b9f06.jpg.html)


I waited an hour as per the cans directions, and then went to do up coat #2. I figured for a more uniform look, that I would spray the second coat, and had picked up a Duplicolor bedliner gun to facilitate this. Hooked it up to the compressor, droped the line into the can and..........nothing. 15 minutes of adjustment, air pressure changes, and various other tests later, I loudly exclaimed, "Well isn't this an unfortunate event" (or something like that... ;) ). Set the gun aside, grabbed the roller, and just put on the (thicker) second coat by hand. This one took a bit longer as I tried to ensure an even texture, and a minimum of "roll" lines.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310030_zps8a857c94.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310030_zps8a857c94.jpg.html)


Now being 5 hours into my garage day, I figured it was time to take a break. Or rather the directions told me I had to wait two hours before pulling the masking, so I was sorta forced to take a break. Cool.........just enough time to head to "Wheel Life Cycle" in Okatoks and pick up a new bike I had ordered. Multitasking Friday FTW!

bRIBEGuy
11-02-2014, 09:48 AM
Looking good Mark!! That is one of the most annoying places I've seen rust like that on quite a few XJ's... I think that is one of the best repairs I've seen of it.. seems like most people either leave it alone, throw some speed tape over it and act like it isn't there, or do a real crappy repair...

Thanks for the kind words! It is a crappy thing to deal with, and I didn't really know what I was doing, but it needed to be fixed. I figure If I had to suffer through it, might as well try to do a good job. Luckily for me I had lots of advice from others, and a buddy (Pook) who saved my butt with his welding prowess!

bRIBEGuy
11-02-2014, 09:52 AM
Just over two hours later, and it was time to pull the masking.

It went pretty smoothly, and only a few small spots created issues or lifted. A few touch ups by hand, and the XJ was actually looking pretty reasonable in my own twisted eyes.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310033_zps2e49e9dd.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310033_zps2e49e9dd.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PA310038_zps59c0437c.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PA310038_zps59c0437c.jpg.html)


Dropped the temperature in the garage from 22c to 16c, and decided to leave everything alone to harden for a few days.

Next step to figure out: Getting someone GOOD to come out and put in a new windshield.........

Pookapotamus
11-02-2014, 09:54 AM
Looks great! Could use some yellow though! 😉

XJ Wheeler
11-02-2014, 04:24 PM
Nice work! Surprised at how good bedliner looks on there, and I like how you've tied it into the hood.

bRIBEGuy
11-02-2014, 04:45 PM
Nice work! Surprised at how good bedliner looks on there, and I like how you've tied it into the hood.

Thanks!

I think the bedliner looks okay, since the blue is so dark anyway.

I didn't have any intention of doing the cowl area, but the welding sorta blew off some of the paint, so I figured what the heck. Doing the stripe down the hood was an attempt to visually "balance" out the paintwork. I actually kinda like how it turned out, and I haven't seen any other XJ's with it.

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 01:10 PM
Some more long overdue updates...........these span a few months really, so please drop all delusions of how quickly I work and how awesome I am.

Okay....you can still think I'm awesome.... ;)

New windshield went in without a hitch. If you consider a windshield getting scratched during install as "without a hitch".

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB130010_zps6963913d.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB130010_zps6963913d.jpg.html)

No biggy, it' still the nicest part I currently have on the XJ. :P


With the roof done and the windshield in, it was time to get this build back on track, and get rolling with some nice easy "bolt on" stuff. Bushwacker Flat Flares, here we come!

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 01:13 PM
Step 1: Remove old front flares.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB180060_zpse6072a82.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB180060_zpse6072a82.jpg.html)



Step 2: Remove old rear flares and bumper caps.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB180064_zps76d85b38.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB180064_zps76d85b38.jpg.html)


Step 3: Start swearing profusely at all of the rear quarter panel rust that had been hidden by the bumper caps and flares.

FML.

A snip and a tuck was the only way I could see the Jeep living longer. With fear in my eyes I drilled out the rivits for the bumper cap mounts, grabbed my trusty angle grinder, and returned to my least favorite pass time ever......dealing with rust.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB210001_zpsbad03648.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB210001_zpsbad03648.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB210003_zps421327f5.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB210003_zps421327f5.jpg.html)


Since a cut and fold would involve needing access from inside as well, I started pulling interior panels, and my sub/amp mount.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB210013_zps4a73f241.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB210013_zps4a73f241.jpg.html)


With the sub out, this was the view from inside.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB210015_zps15cce2d8.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB210015_zps15cce2d8.jpg.html)


Pretty sure it's supposed to be like that, right?

:(


Started to grind off more rust. Then started cutting. Cutting and grinding. Cutting and grinding.......

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB210008_zpsa339e3f1.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB210008_zpsa339e3f1.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220022_zps09c96689.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220022_zps09c96689.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB210018_zpsd7314fde.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB210018_zpsd7314fde.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220020_zps45410660.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220020_zps45410660.jpg.html)


Rust converter. Self etching primer. Folding.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220030_zps67190227.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220030_zps67190227.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220031_zps5f204307.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220031_zps5f204307.jpg.html)


Seam sealer. A few self tapping screws. Seam sealer. Pop rivets. More seam sealer.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220033_zpsd3086490.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220033_zpsd3086490.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220034_zps08a4f53a.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220034_zps08a4f53a.jpg.html)


Bondo. More bondo. Epoxy primer. Paint.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB220038_zpsbe67565d.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB220038_zpsbe67565d.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB230058_zpsa70ffb1c.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB230058_zpsa70ffb1c.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB230065_zpsd04a066d.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB230065_zpsd04a066d.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/PB230067_zpsdbb4511f.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/PB230067_zpsdbb4511f.jpg.html)


Since i was in rust fixing mode, I patched up a few more spots too. No need to be pretty here....it's gonna be covered. ;)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/DSCF9621_zps0c6251c4.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/DSCF9621_zps0c6251c4.jpg.html)


Cut and fold in the back means the OEM bumper won't work. Solution is en route thanks to Broken Axle Dave flexing his muscles and getting all medieval on his vendors. ;)

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/DSCF9625_zps08faefce.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/DSCF9625_zps08faefce.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 01:17 PM
Looks great! Could use some yellow though! ��

My thoughts exactly........I mean it's already got OME shocks and such right? ;)

As such, I tracked down some Mazda colors and decided to give the XJ a bit of a hat tilt to Mortis. After all, the XJ wouldn't be where it is without the help/advice of pook.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/DSCF9627_zps2adacaf4.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/DSCF9627_zps2adacaf4.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 01:19 PM
And then it was back to those darn fenders.

Mark. Cut. Trim. Fold. Prime. Paint. Repeat.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1250010_zps3adec119.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1250010_zps3adec119.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1250021_zpsd84d2c1c.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1250021_zpsd84d2c1c.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1310035_zpsf161bc2f.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1310035_zpsf161bc2f.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1310037_zpsd7a00e9a.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1310037_zpsd7a00e9a.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1310038_zpsc287890e.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1310038_zpsc287890e.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P2010079_zpsee8cbaf1.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P2010079_zpsee8cbaf1.jpg.html)



Dropped off a few bags of money at Broken Axle, and a while later Dave dropped off some really heavy boxes.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1250014_zpsdefdc3b6.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1250014_zpsdefdc3b6.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P1250016_zps2da7163a.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P1250016_zps2da7163a.jpg.html)


I started to mock things up........

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P2010077_zps7a74064e.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P2010077_zps7a74064e.jpg.html)



And that's when the next round of problems raised their ugly heads......

The JCR Crusader Sliders appear to be VERY nice, but they are fairly complex, and the instructions......lets just say, could be a bit better. They are also designed around a stock Jeep XJ, and not one with cut-out fenders....though admittedly, I did kinda know this when I ordered them, and was sort of just hoping that crossing my fingers really intensely would make them bolt up with no mods. No such luck. The back end should be fine, but I'll likely end up having to cut off 1/2" or so off of the front, and drill new mounting holes. Certainly not the end of the worlds.

Getting these things up and in place is a bit of a challenge due to their size/weight, and things starting moving MUCH smoother when I just wised up and tricked a buddy into coming over to play helper. We managed to get the first upper mounting hole in the front drilled, and the lower mounting hole in the back done c/w nutsert. After taking the drivers side to the same stage, we looked at moving onto the frame brackets, and were kinda thwarted by a complete lack of hardware. Yup, that's right, the 18 self tapping 3/8" x 1" bolts were not included in the kit.

Grrrrr.................

Turns out these bolts seem to be rarer than diamonds as well, and after getting turned away by 3 hardware stores as well as Calgary Fasteners and Bolt Supply, I admitted defeat, and got in touch with Allen at JCR. He apologized, and mailed me out a new set the next day (great service from those JCR guys).

So now it was back to sitting and waiting.

Stoopid Jeep.

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 01:24 PM
Over 4 unproductive weeks flew by, and after a shipping SNAFU with the hardware, the bolts finally arrived last week (c/w with a $16 brokerage charge from UPS...fml) along with a free "apology" T-shirt from JCR. They actually sent me an entirely new set of mounting hardware, which is quite nice. Spares are always handy!

Anyway.....managed to get some garage time in this weekend, and progress is back to being made. nothing is working out right, or even remotely bolt-on mind you.......but hey, everyone tells me that's the "fun" of a Jeep. :p

Pictures, and more words soon..........

Pookapotamus
03-24-2015, 01:39 PM
Looking good mark! We need to do something with that front bumper though! Just does not match the rest of the jeep now

We need to get out on the trail soon!

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 01:49 PM
Front bumper will be getting a bit of a "refresh" before the XJ hits the roads again. I'd love to bolt on something new, but it's not in the cards (credit cards specifically...lol) right now. Cut off discs, flappers, refinishing, and accessories will hopefully help make it fit in a bit better.

Rear bumper........I might be bugging (begging?) you for a bit of help again, Dana. I have an "idea"....but it might be out of my league. Details in a week or two when I get to that point......

Pookapotamus
03-24-2015, 03:14 PM
Does it involve adding a third axle????😊

bRIBEGuy
03-24-2015, 05:49 PM
Does it involve adding a third axle????😊

Ha ha ha! Nope, I'll leave that one for you to build!

bRIBEGuy
03-31-2015, 03:31 PM
Well, bit by bit this thing is moving forward.

First up......while the quality of JCR stuff might be top notch, the instructions are terrible! None the less, the show must go on...........

Sliders: After mounting and removing these beasts at least 132 times, I finally got all the mounting brackets in place, and nutserts installed. There are 18 bolts to the "frame", 22 to the pinch weld, 14 thru the sheet metal, and another 22 joining things together. Pretty much it's a hardware party.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3210003_zpsxg70pzne.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3210003_zpsxg70pzne.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3220015_zpsuy8ckkrq.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3220015_zpsuy8ckkrq.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3210006_zps2hsri9at.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3210006_zps2hsri9at.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3220012_zpsuhostqef.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3220012_zpsuhostqef.jpg.html)


After this was done, I drilled an additional hole for the lower fender flare, then mocked those up to determine my cut lines. Ended up trimming off almost an inch, and relocating two of the mounting holes.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3280090_zpssezm5adb.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3280090_zpssezm5adb.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3280098_zps2pzav80r.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3280098_zps2pzav80r.jpg.html)


Switching to the back side, I got the gas skid in place, and the new exhaust hanger....which, of course, took some trimming and tweaking.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3080004_zpsvbv2soyi.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3080004_zpsvbv2soyi.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3080010_zpsllddiwyf.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3080010_zpsllddiwyf.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3080006_zpske7br9uu.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3080006_zpske7br9uu.jpg.html)


After that it was starting to get back to the rear bumper. Some of the rear sheet metal needed a bit of a trim and a bend (and then more trimming...lol) so all the brackets would clear.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3280077_zpsiupcw8bn.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3280077_zpsiupcw8bn.jpg.html)


After mounting and remounting the bumper 5 times in a morning, I was finally able to start drilling holes to mount the rear quarter panel armor.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3220014_zpseto1eclq.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3220014_zpseto1eclq.jpg.html)


This was the only issue I had with JCR's fit and finish, as the side panels are bent with slightly different dimensions then the bumper. No matter how the mount, there are gaps. Some gentle persuasion with a sledgehammer (seriously...), and a few extra bolts helped...but didn't fix the issue. Oh well.....

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P3280101_zpsmdgzqur2.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P3280101_zpsmdgzqur2.jpg.html)


Pretty much at the point to start prepping for paint, which will hopefully be next weekends task at hand. It's getting closer...........

4.3LXJ
03-31-2015, 03:37 PM
I really like the looks of those sliders

bluedragon436
03-31-2015, 05:17 PM
Love those sliders... I was actually wanting to get those sliders... but after purchasing everything else I've had to for the Jeep, decided to just pull the old ones off the 90 XJ and repurpose those for now... one day I'll pick up those sliders... so look forward to hearing throughs and review on them once you get em out and sliding over stuff...

XJ Wheeler
03-31-2015, 09:11 PM
Bleepinjeep did a video on them. Cool idea, especially if your rockers are in good shape. I think i remember him saying something about them not being as durable as a rock rail though.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

Firemanray
03-31-2015, 10:51 PM
Nice build!

bRIBEGuy
04-01-2015, 01:17 PM
The Sliders would DEFINATELY not be as strong as a traditional rail type. That being said, even JCR notes that point on their website.

Big rock ledges aren't really something I've seen a lot of around here, nor are they really the intended use for the XJ right now. I wanted something that would add some side/bottom protection, look good, and be a bit different. Since the XJ sees mainly utility and "overland" driving, I don't think not being able to take full weight body drops will really be much of an issue.

The Crusader sliders are still pretty darn beefy though, and certainly make for a WAY stronger set-up then what I had stock.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

4.3LXJ
04-01-2015, 03:34 PM
There is something to be said for the slider sticking out far enough. My last wheeling trip I got too close to a log and had it crease my door a little. The fat part of the log was above the slider (no small tree). Another two inches on the slider would have saved that from happening

bRIBEGuy
04-15-2015, 09:18 AM
Figured I may as well give the OrFab front bumper a refresh as well, so off it came for some grinding, cutting, and bit of much needed love.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4030015_zpsoojturgn.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4030015_zpsoojturgn.jpg.html)


And then so began more prep work.

And so began more painting.

Clean. Rough up. Rust converter. Clean. Prime. Paint. Party party party........

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4030003_zpszmll4ck0.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4030003_zpszmll4ck0.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4030004_zpsgbdn8bjc.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4030004_zpsgbdn8bjc.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4030005_zpsebkyofnc.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4030005_zpsebkyofnc.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4030006_zpsgzqsrfgb.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4030006_zpsgzqsrfgb.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4030009_zpswlyaimjz.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4030009_zpswlyaimjz.jpg.html)

Rear bumper, sliders, and rear armor all got painted black on the inside/mounting surfaces. Outside surfaces got scuffed back up and bedlined.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4080047_zpsunpm9pfh.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4080047_zpsunpm9pfh.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4080038_zpsynzyse4u.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4080038_zpsynzyse4u.jpg.html)

It pretty much took two full days to do the painting. Which pretty much sucked. Almost forgot to drill a hole in the rear bumper for the hitch plug too.....LOL! Luckily I remembered (you can see it in the last pic).

bRIBEGuy
04-15-2015, 09:21 AM
After that, it was time for mounting.

INSTALLING
JCR
CRUSADER
SLIDERS
SUCKS
A
SUCK
LOAD
OF
SUCK

It's a good thing they look pretty badass, since it was a horrible experience. Rear bumper was a comparative snap.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120066_zpsht0ncogk.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120066_zpsht0ncogk.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120059_zpsu4j4u0rs.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120059_zpsu4j4u0rs.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120055_zpsl6fpl44n.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120055_zpsl6fpl44n.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120056_zpsxo2cuhpy.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120056_zpsxo2cuhpy.jpg.html)


After that, it was time to rebuild the front end, with the newly shortened side pieces.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120062_zpsxcp5rxhz.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120062_zpsxcp5rxhz.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120060_zpsvdnmkkjg.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120060_zpsvdnmkkjg.jpg.html)


Oh ya, and put the roof rack back on (with some RTV on all the screws for waterproofing good measure).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4120067_zpsbyh3qfs5.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4120067_zpsbyh3qfs5.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
04-15-2015, 09:23 AM
In all the cut and fold write ups I read, non of them seemed to address the fact that the factory trailer hitch harness exits thru a plug in part of the metal that ends up going away. After some head scratching, I came up with the following.

- There is a plastic plug next to the rear taillights. Remove it entirely (require loosening the light mounting bolts).

- Fish the trailer harness thru this hole, including the original/stock rubber gasket.

- Slide the gasket down until the correct amount of wire remains to reach your hitch mount.

-Use some RTV to seal the gasket into the factory hole (which is just a hair bigger than the inner gasket flange).

-Tighten up the light again to hold it all in while it dries.

I also fished thru some extra 16ga wire which I'll use for some aux reverse lights. Hey, why not, right?

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4110051_zpsut1fc7i5.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4110051_zpsut1fc7i5.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4110052_zpswfhqpczt.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4110052_zpswfhqpczt.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4110054_zps5dsfz93m.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4110054_zps5dsfz93m.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
04-15-2015, 09:25 AM
Next up.........trying to convince a set of Bushwacker flat flares to play nice with all the new parts. Sundays attempt did NOT go well. Hoping some Friday garage time will yield better results.

Pookapotamus
04-15-2015, 09:25 AM
Ready to hit the trails now??

bRIBEGuy
04-15-2015, 09:28 AM
Ready to hit the trails now??

Ha ha ha.....nope, not yet! Still a fair bit to do before it's driveable. This weekends "To Do" list looks like:

1. Figure out how to trim & mount fender flares
2. Install rear bumper mount tire carrier & spare
3. Mount hitch plug/wiring
4. Re-mount front fog lights
5. Remove rear swaybar (c/w seized bolts)
6. Reinstall windshield wiper arms & blades
7. Relocate licence plate
8. Figure out wiring (and tie-in point) for relocated licence plate lamp.
9. Remount front winch

Good times. ;)

bluedragon436
04-15-2015, 11:47 AM
Ha ha ha.....nope, not yet! Still a fair bit to do before it's driveable. This weekends "To Do" list looks like:

1. Figure out how to trim & mount fender flares
2. Install rear bumper mount tire carrier & spare
3. Mount hitch plug/wiring
4. Re-mount front fog lights
5. Remove rear swaybar (c/w seized bolts)Had a blast with that when I did my rear suspension swap out!! Treated them to some PB Blaster a few times... then after letting that set for a bit, hit em up with the impact gun
6. Reinstall windshield wiper arms & blades
7. Relocate licence plate
8. Figure out wiring (and tie-in point) for relocated licence plate lamp. Look forward to seeing some pics of this... as I'll be relocating and rewiring my lisc. plate once I get my new rear bumper w/ tire carrier.. I already got the relocation bracket w/ LED light from JCR for mounting it, just have to figure out the wiring in portion..
9. Remount front winch

Good times. ;)

Pookapotamus
04-15-2015, 01:09 PM
Ha ha ha.....nope, not yet! Still a fair bit to do before it's driveable. This weekends "To Do" list looks like:

1. Figure out how to trim & mount fender flares
2. Install rear bumper mount tire carrier & spare
3. Mount hitch plug/wiring
4. Re-mount front fog lights
5. Remove rear swaybar (c/w seized bolts)
6. Reinstall windshield wiper arms & blades
7. Relocate licence plate
8. Figure out wiring (and tie-in point) for relocated licence plate lamp.
9. Remount front winch

Good times. ;)

hold off on number one and number 5, do all the rest friday night, then sat morning bring pook a coffee and see how he trimed and fitted his flares, and borrow his plasma to cut off number 5.

easy simple and I get a coffee!

bRIBEGuy
04-15-2015, 02:29 PM
Rear Sway Bar: Upper mounts (15mm bolts?) came out without too much effort thanks to a crappy impact gun. Lower 18mm nuts came off with a little more work. The issue, is that the 18mm bolt itself, seems to be seized into the lower (leaf spring) mounts. Much swearing and hammer hitting did nothing. I hit it with PB Blaster and am hoping by Friday it wants to play nice.

License Plate Relocation: Slightly frustrating since this will be the third home my plate has had. Also slightly funny. I'll post up what I figure out!

Pook: You have a plasma cutter!?!?

Pookapotamus
04-15-2015, 03:18 PM
Plasma, stick, tig, mig, aluminum spool gun, lathe all the toys!! soon to get a press too!!!

XJ Wheeler
04-17-2015, 03:55 AM
Plasma, stick, tig, mig, aluminum spool gun, lathe all the toys!! soon to get a press too!!!

Thinking of relocating to SE texas??? You'll regret it but those tools would be nice for me to use. :rolleye0012:

Pookapotamus
04-17-2015, 10:28 AM
Thinking of relocating to SE texas??? You'll regret it but those tools would be nice for me to use. :rolleye0012:


Ill stick with being the northern stop for repairs for the club!

bRIBEGuy
04-23-2015, 08:14 AM
More progress!

Spent some time in the garage last weekend, and managed to get the flares on. Bushwacker flats do not play well with:

1. JCR Crusader Sliders
2. Cut and fold rear quarter panels
3. JCR rear bumper

Luckily I have all three of those things. :p

Fronts weren't too bad. Realized that one of the flare mounts didn't have any holes drilled from the factory. Initially I was really annoyed by this, but it ended up being beneficial since I had to relocate the holes anyway. The inner mount pieces sit on top of the JCR armor, so they are effectively mounted 5mm further outboard on the bottom. Looks terrible until you cover it up with the flare. The outer flare required some trimming and notching to sit flush around the armor, and then new holes were drilled. Disassemble. Install speed clips. Reassemble. Repeat for other side.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170001_zpsjopvjjou.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170001_zpsjopvjjou.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170002_zpsosydumqg.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170002_zpsosydumqg.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170004_zpsnimepxjq.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170004_zpsnimepxjq.jpg.html)


Out back, there was substantially more cutting to do. Fronts of the mounts and flares had to be trimmed and notched to clear the Crusader sliders. Back mounts received some heavy handed cutting. And by heavy handed I mean very careful dremel work.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170008_zpsiq3oqiye.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170008_zpsiq3oqiye.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170006_zpsdjafz8eu.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170006_zpsdjafz8eu.jpg.html)


After much trial and error, the mounts finally fit fairly well. I opted to leave on the lower screw hole, and bend it under to mount onto the lower angle of the rear quarter panel armor. I figure more support was obviously better than not enough.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170009_zpskwvs1ybk.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170009_zpskwvs1ybk.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170011_zps25yeqo86.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170011_zps25yeqo86.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170012_zpswdbsqfq9.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170012_zpswdbsqfq9.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170013_zps6x6z9ezm.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170013_zps6x6z9ezm.jpg.html)



From there it was time to start trimming and cutting the outer flares. Again, front and backs both needed work in order to sit flush.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170016_zpsltnlo58p.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170016_zpsltnlo58p.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170017_zpspthdbfqq.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170017_zpspthdbfqq.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
04-23-2015, 08:15 AM
With the flares finally on, it was time to start getting some of the miscellaneous jobs finished up.

After much swearing, hammering, wrenching, and frustration, the rear sway bar came out:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4190025_zpsuos6mhdq.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4190025_zpsuos6mhdq.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4190024_zpsq4dqsjty.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4190024_zpsq4dqsjty.jpg.html)


Next up was getting the tire swing out mounted:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170020_zpsbu2j27ym.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170020_zpsbu2j27ym.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170022_zps7jsmd4st.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170022_zps7jsmd4st.jpg.html)


And then the OEM trailer wiring harness got buttoned up, and the plug got mounted in the new location (while friends stood back and drew clever signs...):

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4170018_zpsxrzbyufw.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4170018_zpsxrzbyufw.jpg.html)


Last task for the weekend was to get the winch back in, and mount the aux light plate:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P4190026_zpsqni5izio.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P4190026_zpsqni5izio.jpg.html)



And then, in what was an exciting moment, I drove the Jeep home. It's the first time the beast has been on the road since late 2014, and it was certainly nice to see it rolling again. Now it's back home, and the work can resume in my own driveway.

More updates soon.............

Carves
04-23-2015, 09:06 AM
......... And then the OEM trailer wiring harness got buttoned up, and the plug got mounted in the new location (while friends stood back and drew clever signs...):


:D:D


XJs looking good.

.

Pookapotamus
04-23-2015, 09:16 AM
Just needs a stroker now! <temp temp >

bluedragon436
04-23-2015, 09:26 AM
Looking good.. and I know you're happy to have her back @ home!! and even more so where you can get out and work on it as you get a chance or you want too...

4.3LXJ
04-23-2015, 10:09 AM
First time on the road since 2014? :congrats:

bRIBEGuy
05-24-2015, 08:33 AM
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/For%20Sale/P4260005-mod-bymjs_zpsrgodefn8.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/For%20Sale/P4260005-mod-bymjs_zpsrgodefn8.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
05-24-2015, 08:35 AM
And some more updates.....................

Ordered up some RotoPax swag from 4Wheel parts (horrible experiance...), and decided to keep working on the swing out. Only to find out..................yup, you guess it, THEY DON'T FIT!!!

I contacted JCR about this, and they told me that yes they do fit.

Yes, they would........if the rear hoop and mount on the tire carrier had been welded in CENTERED as opposed to offset.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/IMAG1930_zpshbt0pwv7.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/IMAG1930_zpshbt0pwv7.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/IMAG1929_zpsic1lrnn3.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/IMAG1929_zpsic1lrnn3.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/IMAG1927_zpss8nntvak.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/IMAG1927_zpss8nntvak.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/IMAG1926_zpsgjs3od30.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/IMAG1926_zpsgjs3od30.jpg.html)

Yup, looks like one side is 18-7/8" for the opening, while the other side is 20-1/4". JCR's response to those pictures and an email: That range of variance is within their acceptable tolerances.

WTF!?!?

So after almost a week of emails with JCR and no solution being offered, it was time to break out the drill and files. Started by redrilling new mount holes, then filing them out into long ovals.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5080002_zpsrcgi7nby.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5080002_zpsrcgi7nby.jpg.html)


After modifying the spout on the RotoPax container a bit, and a bit more creativity, the 2 gallon container JUST fits in place (with a solid push).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5080006_zpsvc7ppd3t.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5080006_zpsvc7ppd3t.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5080005_zpsqt4wzpfw.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5080005_zpsqt4wzpfw.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5080004_zpsctfefytw.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5080004_zpsctfefytw.jpg.html)

bRIBEGuy
05-24-2015, 08:42 AM
By this point I've now seriously regretted ordering a JCR skidplate.........not convinced I really want to give that company any more of my cash. :(

Anyway, went to close up the swing out and..............oh ya, the RotoPax containers hit the Tailgate. FML.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/IMAG1932_zpsubupsugp.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/IMAG1932_zpsubupsugp.jpg.html)


So, the trim piece with the old license plate light gets pulled off.....only to reveal worn bubbling paint and surface rust.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5080007_zpskyzquiyk.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5080007_zpskyzquiyk.jpg.html)


Time for more sanding, rust converter, and bedliner, me thinks.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5080010_zpsw7pozwbw.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5080010_zpsw7pozwbw.jpg.html)
[/quote]

bRIBEGuy
05-24-2015, 08:46 AM
And then it was back to electrical work........................

Unplug the rear wiring harness in the driver side rear quarter panel. Using a multimeter figure out which wire is for the license plate light.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090011_zps7q3druhj.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090011_zps7q3druhj.jpg.html)


Splice in a new wire.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090013_zps0nxvocz5.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090013_zps0nxvocz5.jpg.html)


Solder it up and heatshrink. Run the wire across to the passenger side (under the carpet).

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090014_zpsv0m55mh3.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090014_zpsv0m55mh3.jpg.html)


Drill a hole in the plastic cap by the tail light.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090015_zpsg0fhka7g.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090015_zpsg0fhka7g.jpg.html)


Fish thru the power wire, and a ground wire.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090016_zpshhalxbgn.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090016_zpshhalxbgn.jpg.html)


Twist and shout.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090017_zpszlg5behl.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090017_zpszlg5behl.jpg.html)


Cover up with cable cover, and seal up hole with liquid electrical tape.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090018_zpskjmbldl6.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090018_zpskjmbldl6.jpg.html)


From here I ran the wire down a bit and zip tied it behind the bumper, then back up and to the swing out. I added a set of plugs to it would be easier to remove the license plate mount/light....which has to be done in order to pull off the spare.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5100041_zps6kpig8yz.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5100041_zps6kpig8yz.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5100037_zpsktqgp6oh.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5100037_zpsktqgp6oh.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5100040_zpskkdmxzwu.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5100040_zpskkdmxzwu.jpg.html)


The license plate mount itself was bent improperly by JCR, so it didn't sit square or level. Uhg. And the standard mounting hols place the plate a significant distance away from the tire. Enter more drilling and bending.......... And then, it was time to mount the included LED plate light. Yup.......3mm mounting hardware, and 1/4" holes in the mount. Frick...................

Spent some time fishing around in a box of RC car hardware, and came up with a solution. Got it all mounted up, and then remembered I still needed to mount the ground wire. Did that.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090019_zpsp0dsamk6.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090019_zpsp0dsamk6.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090021_zps4gjnfoqi.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090021_zps4gjnfoqi.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5100039_zpslk1l25zg.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5100039_zpslk1l25zg.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090023_zpsugu7kuru.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090023_zpsugu7kuru.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090024_zpsfvo8e9jp.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090024_zpsfvo8e9jp.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090027_zpsopkwggkj.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090027_zpsopkwggkj.jpg.html)


Oh ya............I mounted up the Aux reverse lights too. Haven't done the connecting wiring yet though.......

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090029_zpsfodnt9fu.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090029_zpsfodnt9fu.jpg.html)

4.3LXJ
05-24-2015, 08:58 AM
You have done lots of stuff since we last heard from you. I have been wondering how those proto packs would work out

bRIBEGuy
05-24-2015, 09:02 AM
The RotoPax would have worked great if JCR had just welded up the rear hoop on center. The "whoops" on their part leads to a less than ideal fitment and set-up now, but I guess there isn't really much I can do about it now. I don't see myself using them a ton, in all honesty, but it just seemed like a nice option to have.

bRIBEGuy
05-24-2015, 09:04 AM
With the cut & fold rear end, I was showing a lot of tire, and in hopes of avoiding attention from crappy ticket monsters, I figured it was time to look into some mudflaps. A quick stop at Airhawk Industries scored me these:

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090035_zpsandtui6o.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090035_zpsandtui6o.jpg.html)


Next up was some quality grinder time with a piece of 2x2 L-Bracket.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5090031_zpsuto04hz0.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5090031_zpsuto04hz0.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5160049_zpsoqcpv762.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5160049_zpsoqcpv762.jpg.html)


Primed them up and got them mounted up. I'm using the frame tie ins that connect the JCR bumper/side armor to the "frame". I figure if they're strong enough to use as a jack point, then mounting mudflaps from them should be a non-issue. :p

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5170050_zpsvv2rsvfd.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5170050_zpsvv2rsvfd.jpg.html)


Cardboard templating...

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5170053_zpsbwpeej6p.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5170053_zpsbwpeej6p.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5170054_zpsmxf5zz9l.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5170054_zpsmxf5zz9l.jpg.html)


And the final flaps all trimmed up.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5170057_zpsysdansuf.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5170057_zpsysdansuf.jpg.html)


Drilled the mounting holes in the brackets, hit 'em with some ghetto fabulous spray paint, and things were starting to come together.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5180059_zps0f6nskoh.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5180059_zps0f6nskoh.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5180060_zpsdmjcak69.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5180060_zpsdmjcak69.jpg.html)


And all mounted up on the Jeep.

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5180061_zpsbzvjhi9e.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5180061_zpsbzvjhi9e.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5180072_zpstnli1yrj.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5180072_zpstnli1yrj.jpg.html)
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab209/bribeguy/Cars/P5180076_zpsxwcvrloe.jpg (http://s864.photobucket.com/user/bribeguy/media/Cars/P5180076_zpsxwcvrloe.jpg.html)

Pookapotamus
05-24-2015, 05:13 PM
Looking great buddy, time to go wheeling!!!

Mudderoy
05-25-2015, 03:48 AM
Nice work! Surprised about JCR. Winch bumper and sliders on the TJ both from JCR and top quality stuff.