"The Ice Cream Getter"

[Newcomer]

OK guys so here is the project I have been working on for just over a year. When I decided to start on a new project my wife had some input about some things she would like about this project. Rather than build a rig that I would have to trailer everywhere she wanted something that we could also cruise around in during the summer and, as she said, “go get ice cream”. So the idea of building the buggy went out the window and I decided to build something a little more multi-purpose. Her only other requests were if it was a Jeep it needed to have round headlights. So with this in mind I went and bought a YJ, not in spite but because it was so unmolested and cheap ($1500). Before I start, I have to say that I am not that good about taking in depth or detailed pictures, I tend to forget to stop and take pictures when I am in the middle of what I am doing, so forgive me.

This is what I started with, it had 240,000 miles on the clock, 4 cylinder, 5 speed, worn out springs, a broken windshield and a dent on the right side.

 

[Newcomer]

I drove the Jeep for about 4-5 months as it was before I pulled it in my garage and took it apart. During the time I was driving it I gathered some parts for the project. I decided that I would put a CJ front clip on the YJ because it would be an easy swap and it would fit the round headlight criteria. I know that some guys will hate the fact that I did this but whatever. I bought these entire front clip pieces from one guy, the parts had about 16 coats of paint and a few other coats of something that seemed to be a morphed version of paint on them. So I sent them to a blaster and had the parts down to bare metal. Doing this was still cheaper than buying new parts.

 

[Newcomer]

Then teardown began.

 

[Newcomer]

During the teardown process I started mocking up the CJ front clip, it was fairly straight forward, the fenders bolt straight to the YJ tub with no new holes needed. The inner fender portion of fenders need to be trimmed somewhat to fit around the frame rails. The front body mount needed to be cut off the frame and I made a longer one to match up with the body mount on the grille. I also had to trim the bottom left corner of the backside of the grille to clear the steering box lines.

When I started with this project I had no intentions of actually taking this thing all the way apart, but, as things do, things got out of hand and I eventually ended up with a bare frame on Jack stands.

 

[khwrx]

Subed , waiting On more progress

 

[OH9JK]

Subscribed....

 

[Newcomer]

Because this was going to be an “ice cream getter” I decided against going with one ton axles, I knew I was going to run 33-35” tires and I don’t tend to have a really heavy right foot when off road I opted for a Ford 8.8 that I stole from a 98 Ford Explorer at Pull a Part. I found one with 4.10 gears and an open diff. I went this route because I was keeping the HP Dana 30 front axle which was already geared 4.10.

Although I may get some grief for this, I installed a spool in the Ford 8.8. I decided not to spend the money on selectable lockers for either the front or rear axles because I did not want to invest a lot of money into either of the axles I was using because I did not feel it would have been worth it. I opted for the spool over an auto locker for the rear because I had read so many threads about guys saying the auto locker in the back of a Jeep can make for some hairy, unpredictable handling when on the throttle. The spool seems like a bad choice for something I am going to drive around town, but I am going to give it a go and see how long it is before I take it out. The only other thing I did to the Ford 8.8 was weld the axle tubes to the center section.

 

[Newcomer]

Modifications to the front axle were a Spartan auto locker and a vacuum axle disconnect delete. I used axle shafts from a TJ because the passenger side shaft is one piece. To finish out the vacuum disconnect I installed an axle tube seal in the differential and a cover plate over where the axle disconnect motor use to mount.

 

[Newcomer]

 

[Newcomer]

I decided to stay with a spring under setup for the suspension. I used Full size Wagoneer 2.5” lift springs on the YJ and flipped them to the orientation that provided a 2” wheelbase stretch in both the front and the rear. I had originally wanted a little more of a stretch but 4” total was easy to obtain. I built some heavy shackles that provided 5/8” addition lift.

 

[Newcomer]

For steering modifications I built a tie rod and drag link out of some heavy wall tubing, tapped the ends for GM 1 TREs. I drilled out the steering knuckles and welded in TRE inserts that would let me run the tie rod on the top side of the steering knuckles. I purchased a crossover steering bracket from JB 4x4 so that I could run a crossover steering. I will say that this bracket setup is the only thing I have done on the Jeep so far that I am unsure of. I guess time will tell.

 

[Newcomer]

 

[Jason W.]

Very clean and simple, Like it!

 

[Newcomer]

The powertrain was replaced entirely. I ditched the 4 cyl, AX5, 21 spline NP231 combo. I bought an AX15 and 23 spline NP231 from an 89 Cherokee to use on this project. I installed a SYE kit into the NP231. After cleanup and some paint here is what I had.

 

[Newcomer]

 

[Newcomer]

Very clean and simple, Like it!

Thank you

 

[Newcomer]

For an engine I got a 2002 5.3 with 62,000 miles on it from a suburban 1500. I got the engine and cleaned it up and bolted some Sanderson street rod headers. In order to mount the 5.3 to the AX15 I bought an adapter plate and a flywheel from Novak conversions. There are several different options for how to mate the 5.3 to an AX15. The reason that I went the route that I did is because it allowed me to use the most off the shelf parts that were readily available at the local parts store. The only special parts were the flywheel and the adapter plate. I used the AX15 bell housing, the stock internal slave cylinder for the 89 AX15. The clutch and pressure plate setup is just a generic LUK Chevrolet clutch setup that is very common.

 

[Newcomer]

I cut the old engine mounts and front shock towers off the frame. I used Novak engine mounts to locate the engine in the frame. The mounts set the engine right where it needed to go and then I had to just make a transmission mount that bolted through the stock cross member. I used Ford Shock towers for the front upper shock mounts.

 

[Mulishajoe]

Man that power train looks good. Like the steering too.

 

[Newcomer]

 

[Newcomer]

Man that power train looks good. Like the steering too.

Thanks

 

[Newcomer]

I picked up a set of used 35” KM2s and a set of 15x10 steels for rolling stock.

 

[49erRider]

Man your ability to clean is insane!

 

[Land Crusher]

I like where this is going! Nice work!

 

[Newcomer]

I decided I was going to use TJ fender flares so I could get away with less lift and still run the 35s. In order to fit the TJ flares the CJ fenders and the YJ tub needed to be trimmed . The CJ fenders had to be cut back so far that I had to separate the inner fender from the outer fender, push it back and re-weld the inner to the outer. I also cut off the front edge of the CJ fenders because I like the look better.