91 DD,Rig beater.. total rust bucket to new

[Zeks05]

Well so here is the new one im working on..



91 that someone tried to lift like 3+ on stock control arms.. so i been ever so fixing everything and all the rust... so far i got a full bottle of Gas gone and 2 20lb spools of mig wire... this ole girl is gona be a bomb proof sum bitch..

So here we got typical Cargo area RUST all over... i did fixed from the rear seat forward with ALL new pans.. thats y no seats and or plastic lol..


Junk ass stock springs with AAL... garbage wrapping sum bitchs..


Ya thats how i bought it... straight redneck fab job for exhaust brackets.. lol
no brackets for the leaf packs from shifting... this dude really drove this around... MORON!!!


Oh ya here i am still amazed at the the stock leafs with AAL.. and pluz 3inch LIFT BLOCKS... ya the prev owner really had deep pockets lol!!!!


Here in this pic i started doing the TJ rear flares... and just got done with the 2x6 box steel rockers.. notice the U bolts the guy bent them to fit in there.. they fit around my 3/4 dodge rear axle.. and he said to me " after i lifted it the rear axle seems like it moves" No man.. buy the correct parts...


Iron rock off-road sent me GOODIES today... 5.5 leaf packs with all new hardware.. GOING UP!!!! p.s The right way to build things..




So far this rig gets around 200 a week spent on it in parts.. i got it for a great Deal... 500 and the guy said he will haul it to my house.. i was like sweet... so here is where its truly funny he gets here unloads it.. goes to leave and his truck decided to puke head gasket.. so i was like.. lol.. guess imma haul ur junk back to your house with my truck then come back and take his trailer home..

next week is 1000 in steel and more welding lol.. im droping the gas tank and welding every seam and just about anything that looks crusty..

comments welcome.

[cantab27]

nice work joe ....saving another xj......will be watching ya build and welcome to xjtalk

[XJ Wheeler]

Teach that rust what we jeepers think about it!!! TAKE IT DOWN!!! If you can't tell... i hate rust. Love it so far, keep it going. And by the way, 200 a week just for the jeep... lucky...

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

[Rocco83]

Should sell that guy his old lift back. He may want to reuse if for an el camino or something.

[bluedragon436]

Looking good.. I think just about any real Jeeper hates rust, and how it kills our toys!! Glad to see another one being saved!!

[4.3LXJ]

Hey, those aluminum lift blocks could be valuable stuff at some yard sale. Rare and valuable with exotic metal and everything

[Zeks05]

ya i know 200 bucks is steep for some ppl.. i have a pretty decent job.. so i invest in jeeps.. lol..

Bad news last night for the XJ... broken leaf bolts and busted loose nuts in the frame rails... i made some cuts and fished in some new bolts and such... ill post pics tomorrow..

i just got home from work.. i am eating then napping i have to work all night tonight.. so ill be off on Friday to get the leafs hung and start metal prep for welding..

my poor millermatic welder is gona be on full duty this next cuple weeks..

[Rocco83]

At least you have a millermatic. Those babies are sweet and can handle anything you throw at them. It'll probably thank you for giving it a good work out. I know the one I use at work loves a good work out. Can't wait for pics of how this is coming along.

[oderdene]

good work and thanks for saving a xj, good luck

[Zeks05]

worked on the rig tonight...







So not bad as i had thought... pass frame rail is very good... driver side not so much.. but its only a 7inch spot.. ill weld up some plates good as new.. and spray with the that rust killing paint stuff and then bedliner over it.. also ground out the shock mount bolts.. gona install some new ones and weld them in.. then cover the hole thing with new floor.. prolly only a days worth of work to do on the rear... start tuned for my new home made J-bolts for the gas tank straps.. and i took out the stock shackles.. coz i found out i am gona need new ones...

so this is gona have way more lift then i wanted.. 5.5 leafs with 6degree shims. 1/2 inch of extra lift.. plus new springs wont work with the shackles so its 3/4 or 1 inch lift shackles... so so many new parts... not enough time... i might need to hold a jeep rally to get it built

[Zeks05]

So tonight i worked on the rig... driverside rail was pretty much shot.. so she got FULL box love.. 14g and 1/8 angle iron... this thing is BEEF.. i was useing it as a anvil at one point tonight...

pics:

So here is the start... we all know how y design was for the fuel hoses, so i boxed it in and started bracing from there.. lol also i dont own a Dimple hole press thingy so i just cut out some holes to start welding.. worked out better..
P.s nothing left of the bottom rail at all.. just sides.. well really just the outside rail lol..


So here i got all my plates down and weld'd in.. still need to clean EVERYTHING up... but the miller kept on goin 100% duty cycle lol..


here is where i started the angle iron.. the angle is to take the new good metal on the plates i just put in and the good outside wall of the rail and im gona lay a long piece along the bottom like a new bottom rail.. also acts like a bracing.. this point i was smacking 5lb hammer off it to test..



So to sum it up... everything looks bad.. till the grinder comes out.. ill make all the welds look nice like factory.. however this is way stronger then factory.. plus all the extra adds for the new bumper and skids im planing..

[Pookapotamus]

Nice job! Always nice to hear another xj gets saved!

[Rocco83]

Well at least we will know that this will be a light weight rig haha. Love the progress so far.

[Zeks05]

LOL... u know i just didnt wanna be that guy that his rear cargo area buckles when he comes down on the rear bumper or go to pull someone out and the XJ peels open like a sardine can.. lol..

anything in life worth doing is worth over-doing... coz moderation is for cowards..

overkill is underrated lol

[Rocco83]

But it always makes for awesome YouTube videos as vehicles get torn in two!

Seriously though I believe in your propensity for overkill. Surprised you didn't cut the "frame" out and plate the whole thing.