My TJ build

[MallRated]

98’ Jeep Wrangler Sahara


G2 Dana 44 axles w/ chromoly shafts, 4.56 gears, and arb air lockers using single high output compressor and disc brakes (both front and rear)

4.5” rubicon express long arm lift w/ x-duty control arms

Bilstein 5100 shocks front and rear

5x 37x12.5x17 Goodyear wrangler Mtr w/ Kevlar sidewalls

5x AEV Borah wheels

Exhaust modification for lift clearance w/ manga flow muffler

NP231 slip yoke eliminator

Exp 4042 cv driveshaft rear

Rubicon express heavy duty steering kit

Brown dog motor and transmission mounts

2” coil spacer kit

Stainless extended brake lines

Performance brake pads w/ Drilled and slotted front rotors / slotted rear rotors

Airraidcold air intake

Halgar drake fire extinguisher w/mounting brackets

Advanced air systems power tank 10lb , super bracket , regulator bag and tank boot

ORF swing away tire carrier mount with fuel cans and 48” high lift HL 484 jack

ORF third brake light extended mount

ORF rock rails

New powersteering system with pump and quadratec hd steering gear box

Smittybuilt front bumper w/ stringer

Warn Zeon 8 winch

JWspeaker 8700 evolution headlights

Piaa off-road driving lights 05572 Lp550 led and rigid industries squads lights set used for reverse lights

Alpine double din headunit w/ marine amp and kicker speakers and backup camera

Tan besttop replacement top

Tan besttop bikini top

 

[obullfish]

So ya bought it. Good looking rig! If you plan on wheeling it in the south get rid of the cold air intake. Those act like a hug straw and will cause you to hydrolock the engine in water crossings and mud.

 

[MallRated]

THANKS !

Yep, lifted my last two trucks and spent way to much money on my JK to ever wanna damage it. This time i made the smart move to let someone else invest the money but get all the benefits for pennies on the dollar.

totally agree with the "hot air intake" been an automotive tech for the past 12 years and seen my fair share of issues caused by them. Not only water but just non correctly metered air (mostly in MAF cars)

 

[BB98xj]

I was drooling over this on FB. Looks good.

 

[Jason W.]

Lower it, you'll enjoy it alot more on th trails, nice TJ

 

[MallRated]

@Jason W. lower it meaning remove the coil spacer ? You think it will still clear the 37's to flex or are you recommending drop it and go down to 35's ?

 

[Jason W.]

I am recommending ditch the spacers, do something with your fenders to clear your tires, useable flex and useable are two totally different things, if you cant keep the tires planted and shiny side up it will do you no good. 4.5 inch of lift on a tj is allready tall, 6.5 is way to tall. Your center of gravity on that short wheel base will be a pain in the ass and very tippy on the trail.

Big tire+ low center of gravity= win

There are a lot ou f fender options out there that give more tire clearance,, @obullfish @CasterTroy @Chris_Keziah , pic reference please

Look at metal cloak fenders, Jcr etc

 

[Chris_Keziah]

I am recommending ditch the spacers, do something with your fenders to clear your tires, useable flex and useable are two totally different things, if you cant keep the tires planted and shiny side up it will do you no good. 4.5 inch of lift on a tj is allready tall, 6.5 is way to tall. Your center of gravity on that short wheel base will be a pain in the ass and very tippy on the trail.

Big tire+ low center of gravity= win

There are a lot ou f fender options out there that give more tire clearance,, @obullfish @CasterTroy @Chris_Keziah , pic reference please

Look at metal cloak fenders, Jcr etc

I actually like my DoucheCloaks, just wish I had the flat version and not the high arch.

Troy has the flat style and they look better imo.

 

[CasterTroy]

First off: That's a GORGEOUS JEEP!!


I personally wouldn't do a damn thing but mall crawl that bitch, and buy a crunchy piece to wheel hard


I started on 33's with a 1.25" body lift (so I could run a 1" barnes skid and tuck the transfer case) and 2" springs with stock length Ironman4x4offroad links.

When I stepped up to 35's I also stepped up to 3" springs.

I did extensive research and cycled my suspension 50million times with my stock fenders and 35's to get as much travel as I could WITHOUT having to change fenders. But I DID realize I had to do some cutting if I wanted to really wheel this thing

I figured out exactly how much to cut off

And it worked beautifully for 35's

But 35's just weren't cutting it for the wheeling I do.

I LOVE my CoG and didn't want to compromise that, but wanted more clearance for suspension, PLUS...I've wanted a set of TSL's since I was kid. And seeing how skinny/small Clay's 35 TSL's were, I couldn't justify the step from my VERY capable STTPro's to something that MAY be slightly smaller. So I decided to go 36" TSL's. But those are close to the size of a 37" MTR, so I HAD to make room.

I knew to get this bad boys under my Jeep and NOT make suspension changes I had to get front fenders and do some cutting on the rear.


I didn't have time/skilz to cut my hood and fold/crease it to my standards, and it would cost a fortune to have someone DO IT to my standards in order to use Genright or JCR fenders. So I had 2 options for non-cut; Metalcloak and Poison Spyder. I went with metalcloak to piss off the arrogant know-it-all's like Blaine Johnson with Savvy who LOATHES metalcloak, and believes anyone that buys from them to be douchebags. There's nothing I like more than making guys like Blaine seethe with disdain over something as trivial as a purchase made by a stranger

They work. Despite how critical many seem to be of them, they just DO.

Any critics can show up in their TJ 3 weeks to the above location and park their rig on the same rock and I'll be glad to listen to your schtick

For a comparison, I'm parked next to Chris and his 38's with my 36's with 3" springs, and 1.25" body

 

[adamk]

Any critics can show up in their TJ 3 weeks to the above location and park their rig on the same rock and I'll be glad to listen to your schtick

What about an XJ? If I park there, will you listen to me?

 

[CasterTroy]

What about an XJ? If I park there, will you listen to me?

No. You bought an XJ. That tells me all I need to know about your decision making skills

 

[adamk]

No. You bought an XJ. That tells me all I need to know about your decision making skills

#framlessandshameless

 

[Joe J.]

Any critics can show up in their TJ 3 weeks to the above location and park their rig on the same rock and I'll be glad to listen to your schtick

Ok, I'll go up the ledge in the middle and park, then I'll tell you why no fenders is life.

 

[CasterTroy]

I'll give you a dollar IF you can make it up on that rock




In 2wd

 

[MallRated]

@CasterTroy Going on a long time ago I was actually friends with you on FB. I work with Adam Bressem as a tech at Hyundai Subaru for the past 12 years and used to ride a husqvarna 610 super moto. Over the years of getting out of riding and cleaning out people from my friends list i never talked to i deleted you.

Thanks for all the info. Well looks like I will be pulling the spacers and saving up my pennies for fenders.

Heres my last two jeeps : My xj was first and got tired of fixing shit that broke, moved on to my JK and was too scared of how much i owed to wheel it at all.

 

[jeepinmatt]

@CasterTroy... i deleted you.

If only if were that easy

 

[CasterTroy]

If only if were that easy

 

[obullfish]

This is with the JCR highline front fenders and 5” rear stretch fenders raised as high as possible then rear wheel wells cut. Running 37’s with 4” lift that’s getting dropped to 2” in a couple weeks. Plenty of room for 37’s with 2” of lift.

 

[MallRated]

Put my new fuel pump in last weekend due to the drain valve causing it to loose fuel pressure while sitting and have an extended crank.
Tonight disassembled everything due to a cracked exhaust manifold. Got a new one and going to finish it first thing in the morning.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Put my new fuel pump in last weekend due to the drain valve causing it to loose fuel pressure while sitting and have an extended crank.
Tonight disassembled everything due to a cracked exhaust manifold. Got a new one and going to finish it first thing in the morning.

Mine started doing the same thing a few months ago. Just wish it would've done it before I had put the fuel cell in.

 

[MallRated]

completed the exhaust manifold and dad said mines well keep going.
removed the spare tire carrier and have the spare in the rear behind the front seats now (questioning leaving it out and just carrying plug/patch kit. would like to know yalls take on that)
installed poison spyder rear lights and kept the rigid's as back up lights.

 

[Jason W.]

Keep the spare in the back well tied down.

 

[Caver Dave]

^^Agreed!^^
I've carried a spare for the past 19 years and only needed it when ONCE! (was running radials and cut one on Daniel).
Current front bias TSLs have chunks missing from the sidewalls deeper than a radial sidewall, but still carry a spare.

I figure the day I take it out will be THE DAY I need it...

 

[MallRated]

Used some thick precut to cover up all the bolt holes from the tire carrier and to wrap around the bare metal from where i cut the holes for my poison spyder led tail lights. reassembled and finally got my rigids on the rear wired up as my fog lights and cleaned up all the wiring from the previous installs not done by myself.

 

[MallRated]

So this weekend put in a ton of hours, dismantling the front end, moding all the brackets / making new ones to hold everything to the new inner fender liners, mounting up poison spyder fenders and modifying the hood for louvers for when i get it. Only thing left to do is cut the hood and install the hood pins.

mounting all the factory stuff back into the limited space after high lines was quite a task but completed it and stoked with how it all turned out.

Once all that is done going to remove the coil spacers and replace the sway bar end links with ones of the correct size (as they are too long and adjusted incorrectly as it sits)