Mama's got her own Jeep now

trailhugger

trailhugger

Human Resources
Administrator
Joined
Mar 19, 2005
Location
Raleigh
Some have seen it, some have heard about it, and @shawn keeps driving it, so I figured it's time to make it NC4x4 official...

IMAG0973.jpg
 
So, it started out as a 3.07 geared 4.0/5spd with a turdy and turdy-five. It had a budget boost, some 31 BFG ATs, and the bitchin front bumper when we picked it up. We traded @Mulishajoe and @jeepin' jen for a 30/44 pair set up with 4.10s, a Detroit in the back, and a Spartan up front.

I need to make a set of rear lowers for it, install the PS cooler we bought from PSC, and swap in the Genright tank (because it's an ass-dragger right now).

After that? Maybe some coils, beef the front 30 housing a bit, find an 8274 to go with the rope laying in the mud room, and decide what to do about tires and wheels before we sidewall one of the BFGs and get forced into a hasty decision.

Long term, I think it gets RCVs or those 1350 shafts up front and an Atlas. I'd prefer to put ARBs in it, but that's Cyd's call.

As it sits, she's been driving it to Uwharrie and back. We trade on the trails, letting her drive the one that has seven spare tires, a flat belly, and a trailer ride home.
 
So what you're SAYING, is that you NOW have 5 occupied seats leaving 3 seats completely unmanned (or, uncar-seated)

I think I can see Cydney's ulterior motive from here. I hear discovery channel has an open slot since another fertile family got the axe from their line-up earlier this year
 
Looks like Sheldon and Donna Gardner's driveway 14-15 years ago (maybe now too, Haven't talked to em in years). You red jeep people like to match.
 
Nope, Donna and Sheldon are all into motorcycles and racing them now......although Sheldon does have a dirt bike too.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Looks like Sheldon and Donna Gardner's driveway 14-15 years ago
Click to expand...

I thought theirs were identical?

These two are the same color, but the running gear will not be the same.
 
shawn said:
I thought theirs were identical?

These two are the same color, but the running gear will not be the same.
Click to expand...

the did not start 100% identical but ended up that way, except for the cow hide seat covers donna had :)
 
These two are similar, but will never be the "same".

NC4x4: (98 2.5L TJ)
4.0 (99) w/Ironman motor mounts
AX15
NP231 w/Advance Adapters SYE & Novak cable shifter, flatish belly
Oliver's 1310 CV shafts
Front: Dynatrac JK44 w/electric locker, 4.88, JK discs
Rear: Dynatrac JK44 w/32 spline electric locker, 4.88, JK discs
1.5" wheel spacers
BFGoodrich 255/70R17 MT (JK takeoffs)
Ironman 4x4 Fab adjustable uppers front/rear
Homemade lowers w/ Johnny joints (front) and Barnes joints (rear)
2-1/2" Rough Country suspension lift and shocks
Warn 8274 w/superwinch contactor & Masterpull 3/8" Superline
Barnes bumpers f/r
Genright 15 gallon tank

TRALHUGR: (99 4.0L TJ)
4.0
AX15
NP231 (future 3.8 Atlas?) w/stock skid
Stock driveshafts
Front: OEM Dana LP 30 w/Spartan locker, 4.10, TJ discs, stock shafts & joints
Rear: OEM Dana 44 w/Detroit locker, 4.10, TJ discs, stock shafts & joints
BFGoodrich 31x10.50R15 ATs
Adjustable uppers and lowers front (dunno whose, JJ style cartridge joints in them)
Homemade lowers w/ Barnes joints (rear)
Budget boost, white shocks (may install same RC lift as above)
Big ass PSC power steering cooler
Warn 8274 with Warn contactor, Warn AL fairlead, and Masterpull 3/8" Superline XD
Rusty's bumpers front/rear
Genright 19 gallon tank
 
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We had a big weekend of Jeep repairs. Put a new steering box in mine, fixed the flat left front (again/for reals this time), flushed Cyd's heater core, and set out to fix the power steering issues in Cyd's Jeep once and for all.

Both TJs are locked on both ends, but since the tires are relatively small, neither has ever been in a position where it felt like they'd really benefit from a ram. Mine's actually all set up for one, but we've just never seen the need. However, Cyd's TJ has a Spartan in the front, and the PS fluid will get hot. The problem is usually caused by long stretches of trail with lots of turns. Pretty soon, the power steering pump is howling like a cat in heat.

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across this:

mbc100k.jpg


The PSC MBC100K power steering cooler kit for Jeep TJs. For a bit over $100, you get a bolt-in cooler bracket, a $50 Derale cooler, and enough 5/16" low pressure line to last you the rest of your life (aka, about 10ft worth).

I liked at least two things about this: I prefer for coolers to have some sort of bracket holding them to the vehicle (no zip ties through the radiator for me). Also, I'm lazy, and this came ready to bolt in. No need to waste my Sunday afternoon trying to fab up a crappy little bracket out of pieces of steel strapping.

So, step one: Do as little work as possible. I removed the fan and fan shroud, unbolted the radiator and AC condenser and pushed them far enough out of the way to work.
DSC_6404.JPG


Step two: bolt the cooler to the bracket

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Step three: Remove the V brace from inside the grille. The cooler support bracket takes its place.

DSC_6410.JPG


Step four: figure out where the PS lines will run. I drilled two holes with a 1" spade bit through the plastic air dam on the driver's side of the radiator.

Step five: put it all back together, bleed the system.

DSC_6417.JPG


The more observant of you may have noticed that the kit includes an option for a second cooler. Might be nice for those with automatic transmissions.

Total install time was two or three hours, taking my sweet ass time.

Lastly, if your TJ doesn't have AC, the install might be a bit simpler. You might be able to slip the pieces through the gap in front of the radiator, leaving the radiator unbolted, or maybe just pushing it back a few inches without removing the fan and shroud.
DSC_6418.JPG
 
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Very nice guys. I was wondering what was going on under those TJs :cool:

Reminds me of the YJ I rode with at Harlan one time. 2.5l/ax-5/ HP30 and XJ D44 locked on 33s. Red too! Went everywhere besides the buggy trails and never pulled a cable. The bottom of the jeep from the cross member back looked like a crumbled soda can though :lol:
 
NickMaul said:
Very nice guys. I was wondering what was going on under those TJs :cool:

Reminds me of the YJ I rode with at Harlan one time. 2.5l/ax-5/ HP30 and XJ D44 locked on 33s. Red too! Went everywhere besides the buggy trails and never pulled a cable. The bottom of the jeep from the cross member back looked like a crumbled soda can though :lol:
Click to expand...

The one I was driving on Saturday (Trailhugger) would have done a lot better if I hadn't lunched the belly skid into the transmission early in the day. I was able to beat the skid back straight on Saturday night, but it took out the transmission bushing too. It ground a groove into the transmission where the skid was rubbing, but there doesn't appear to have been any real damage other than that.

We had a notion that hers would get an Atlas, but it might get a tummy tuck and SYE in the meantime to keep this from happening again.

Cyd took some photos. I'll post them later.
 
Might as well put all this stuff in my sorry ass excuse for a build thread:

So, picked up an 8274 for Cyd's jeep. It was missing the remote and is something like 30 years old. Gave away the old cable and mount, and bought a Warn TJ mount for it and a Warn 83664 9.5XP contactor pack. I also found a newish 3/8" Masterpull XD winch rope on Craigslist for cheap.

alh3_googleusercontent_com_TrOKvr_l8wtqcF76JoaLhbGdkWOlIW9G4U838d432de3386f19478a72ef614975a48.jpg


First order of business was to modify the contactor mounting bracket and shorten the power leads:

Cut to length (don't forget the heat shrink):
anc4x4_com_attachments_alh3_googleusercontent_com_yphaaqwzbgvp57edf687b62989f74e2ade8131518bda.jpg


Crimp on an end:
anc4x4_com_attachments_alh3_googleusercontent_com__9bsuigohmhme8aa9488e8e7a5f64ad3c6c66ebca623.jpg


Ta Da:
anc4x4_com_attachments_alh3_googleusercontent_com_rhe7juz4qu07078b5f94f1dbd1a09c18fe9d3be88fd7.jpg


New wires, new contactor, new boots, ready to go:
anc4x4_com_attachments_alh3_googleusercontent_com_epehorkbukhx2fbb599a3e4c3f4e28c5f5b0285d3735.jpg


I also bought a bottom end seal/bushing kit for it, but once I got it apart, it all looked pretty new. So I just changed the oil and put it back together.
 
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