The Never Tight TJ Build

[rodney eppes]

I need come of dem cuttin wheels

Me too, Me Too!!!

 

[rodney eppes]

TJ with a full width d44 I’ve been working on. Clamp is on the anti rock mount

All in how you wanna package it. Personally mine needs some speed holes or something. Figured the skeleton look would church it up some because it’s a big ole eye sore.

You might want to move that weed wacker, when you welding. BOOM

 

[Chris_Keziah]

I know you’re kind of in a crunch time on yours. I’ll wait til you’re done

10-4, should be good after Potts.

Hol up....WTF is @BigClay 's jeep doing at the shop

Had no flexy, now has flexy. Had some crazy binding in rear lowers, still has some but who ever owned it previously welded the lower brackets on the wrong side Plus it needed some new rear uppers and steering that wasn't bend and wore out.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Productive night in the shop today. Been at it since about 5:30 with two parts store runs. @77GreenMachine came over to help out some and to stupidvise our senior shop bitch @adamk

The front is pretty much done, still have some tidying up to do and figure out an actual coolant overflow. Steering is freaking awesome, just under 3 turns lock to lock.

 

[BigClay]

Productive night in the shop today. Been at it since about 5:30 with two parts store runs. @77GreenMachine came over to help out some and to stupidvise our senior shop bitch @adamk

The front is pretty much done, still have some tidying up to do and figure out an actual coolant overflow. Steering is freaking awesome, just under 3 turns lock to lock.

View attachment 298049 View attachment 298050 View attachment 298051 View attachment 298052

Looks SUH-WEET! I say leave the overflow like it is, gives it a Roadkill vibe hahaha

 

[Jody Treadway]

5.3 baby!

He said LS swap.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Lunch turned into a dash to tighten everything up front, toss some brake fluid in and hope I fixed the leak (seems like it was just loose banjo bolts), quick test flex and a very short test drive. Got up to 30ish, felt pretty good. Not really happy with the rotational play in the steering, I think it may be the input shaft to orbital but will have to check a little better. Really happy with the feel of the steering though, never in all of my wheeling have I had a rig with this light of steering. It is Paula Dean amounts of butter smooth, still quite a bit of air to work out of the system but it all seems happy and no visible leaks.

Closer and closer to being ready to wheel again. Really happy with the front suspension travel for only a 10" shock and who knows what springs. Full Bump on Driver front and Passenger rear, gonna have to be careful at full bump and steering lock, sway bar is gonna be all up in the tire.

Ignore the ugly fender trimming, I got pissed at my body saw for being a POS (It's a horrible freight) and cut it with tin snips. Still gotta figure out how I want to finish it, thinking I'll just clean the edge up and fold it flat.

Ordered a air filter and prefilter plus the stuff to adapt it to a TJ intake tube, not gonna have enough room for the stock intake box and a coolant over flow. It'll be in Friday and I'll get that buttoned up. Gonna take a break from it tonight and get the rear 5.38's tossed in Thursday or Friday night after it cools off some.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Got the shop mostly cleaned up tonight and the Jeep backed in. The coolant overflow fit nicely on the passenger side, popped some holes in the rad flange and mounted to it.

Went ahead and got the Jeep up on jack stands to nut and bolt everything and get the rear gears done. Got the rear cover cover pulled, bottom 3 bolts were fuckered had to use the good Irwin channel locks to get them out. Opening the cover exposed a little surprise, I'd say the carrier preload is a touch light.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Super custom ultra high horsepower adding hot as fuck air intake.

 

[BigClay]

Super custom ultra high horsepower adding hot as fuck air intake.
View attachment 298207

Same high horse power air intake on mine too haha

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Plan for Friday night got fuckered early after I fubared the pinion bearing with the bearing puller. Then got sent into a panic because I couldn't find it in stock anywhere. I mean how the hell do you not keep an inner pinion bearing for a 44 in stock.

Ended up searching a little more and found one at the Auto Zone in Winston off Silas Creek. Being it was after 10 I just did an online order for the bearing and a few other supplies I needed.

Woke up this morning with full intention to go to the parts store early, which did not happen. Got there at 9:30, spent way to long in that store because the employees there a fucking idiot's.

After that painful experience got back to the house, loaded up the 4.0 out of Corner Jeep to take @Lankford for a YJ he bought and dropped by David's to pick my battery charger up. All this running put me back home around 3:30-4 which meant it was 10,000°Frankenstein with 500% Humidity. Said fuck working in the shop I'll hang out in the a/c till dark.

Got out to the shop around 9 after I got motivated to move and got her about 98% done and ready for Potts. Got the gears in. Putting the axle shafts back in I got pissed off trying to fish that damn plate on the studs so I did a parking brake delete since my e-brake cables are long gone.

Got everything back together after a parts store run for one more qt of gear oil and some diff cover bolts I was ready for a late night sketchy test drive.

Put about ~15 miles down, about 20 mins of drive time. Jeep drove surprisingly well, still a slow gutless turd with 5.38 but marginally better than before. Holyshit did I forget how loud and drony this bastard is on the road. That Borla sounds great but with the TSL's singing the song of their loud ass people and the exhaust drone in the mid 2k rpms I'm really glad this isn't a daily. The full hydro and play within the steering column coupled with the ever changing steering center was a bit odd to get used too. Was easy to control up till 50, any thing after that could get twitchy easy if you put to much steering input in.

Amazing how warm these got, this was a few mins after I got back.

Steering stayed cool and didn't puke any fluid, cooler read mid 90° on the temp gun. Pump and resi were a touch warmer. Both axles stayed cool as well, front pinion was at 150° and rear at 175°

I over filled the front diff so now there's some gear oil sprayed on the all over the frame and coil on the drivers side. May have to put a catch can on it till she decides she is done puking. Only bad thing to report from the test drive is the passenger rear shaft is leaking, probably just got some dirt in the seal. Hopefully it'll push out and stop leaking soon.

 

[Van-go]

Plan for Friday night got fuckered early after I fubared the pinion bearing with the bearing puller. Then got sent into a panic because I couldn't find it in stock anywhere. I mean how the hell do you not keep an inner pinion bearing for a 44 in stock.
View attachment 298381
Ended up searching a little more and found one at the Auto Zone in Winston off Silas Creek. Being it was after 10 I just did an online order for the bearing and a few other supplies I needed.

Woke up this morning with full intention to go to the parts store early, which did not happen. Got there at 9:30, spent way to long in that store because the employees there a fucking idiot's.

After that painful experience got back to the house, loaded up the 4.0 out of Corner Jeep to take @Lankford for a YJ he bought and dropped by David's to pick my battery charger up. All this running put me back home around 3:30-4 which meant it was 10,000°Frankenstein with 500% Humidity. Said fuck working in the shop I'll hang out in the a/c till dark.

Got out to the shop around 9 after I got motivated to move and got her about 98% done and ready for Potts. Got the gears in. Putting the axle shafts back in I got pissed off trying to fish that damn plate on the studs so I did a parking brake delete since my e-brake cables are long gone.
View attachment 298376
View attachment 298377
Got everything back together after a parts store run for one more qt of gear oil and some diff cover bolts I was ready for a late night sketchy test drive.

Put about ~15 miles down, about 20 mins of drive time. Jeep drove surprisingly well, still a slow gutless turd with 5.38 but marginally better than before. Holyshit did I forget how loud and drony this bastard is on the road. That Borla sounds great but with the TSL's singing the song of their loud ass people and the exhaust drone in the mid 2k rpms I'm really glad this isn't a daily. The full hydro and play within the steering column coupled with the ever changing steering center was a bit odd to get used too. Was easy to control up till 50, any thing after that could get twitchy easy if you put to much steering input in.

Amazing how warm these got, this was a few mins after I got back.
View attachment 298378
Steering stayed cool and didn't puke any fluid, cooler read mid 90° on the temp gun. Pump and resi were a touch warmer. Both axles stayed cool as well, front pinion was at 150° and rear at 175°
View attachment 298379
View attachment 298380
I over filled the front diff so now there's some gear oil sprayed on the all over the frame and coil on the drivers side. May have to put a catch can on it till she decides she is done puking. Only bad thing to report from the test drive is the passenger rear shaft is leaking, probably just got some dirt in the seal. Hopefully it'll push out and stop leaking soon.

Just put AC in the shop.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Just put AC in the shop.

I need too, need to run more power out there first.

 

[rodney eppes]

Hot tires? Road might have still been 98 o!

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Got the sway bar finished up and installed. Really wish I did the mounts when I was still in the "fab" stage. Weld prep sucked, positioning was meh, so the welds reflect that. Easy fix, just take the pictures further back.

Had to extend one side since it was mounting much lower than the other.

Yes, that is a lug nut on the bottom joint. I dropped that nut and it took off and flew to china never to be seen again.

In an attempt to throw more miles on her before Potts, ran my ~14-15 miles loop. Sway bar made a hug difference in drivability, not nearly as sketchy now if you input too much steering at speed.

 

[amcjeepman]

FYI, I always keep a set of bearings for a 30, 44 and M20 at home.
Looking good.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

FYI, I always keep a set of bearings for a 30, 44 and M20 at home.
Looking good.

Good to know, most of the time we have a full install kit. This being a still low mileage rear axle I didn't see the need in swapping bearings.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

After Pott's I got really annoyed at the upside down steering wheel and I've always wanted a different one. There's also a quick car disconnect you can't see already attached to the wheel. So a few more goodies before Harlan.

I also ordered a PSC TC pump, the stock pump was ok and to be honest would make due for awhile but I'd rather keep it as a spare. Now I jest need to figure out if I'm gonna use the stock pulley or the slightly smaller PSC pulley I have on the shelf.

 

[adamk]

Now I jest need to figure out if I'm gonna use the stock pulley or the slightly smaller PSC pulley I have on the shelf.

I vote smaller pulley

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Steering wheel is in. Had to turn an adapter to weld the disconnect stub to the column.

Also got the shiny new PSC TC Pump on. Definitely has more power than the stocker, we shall see next week. I decided against the smaller 4.5" pulley after reading that people burnt up pumps quickly, don't want to kill this pump just yet.

Still have to fix this mangled mess, lesson learned on sway bar links at an angle. Shit will work, but only once.

Planning to make a bracket to bolt to the front of the track bar bracket and move the mount inbound after I get the arm back flat/straight. Made this crazy drawing last night that hopefully I can decipher this morning.

 

[CasterTroy]

This thing is gonna look SO GOOD (on it's top at Harlan from you trying to follow Jody )

 

[Chris_Keziah]

This thing is gonna look SO GOOD (on it's top at Harlan from you trying to follow Jody )

More logical to be on it's side, If I put it on its roof then I'd be a little surprised.

 

[Jody Treadway]

This thing is gonna look SO GOOD (on it's top at Harlan from you trying to follow Jody )

I'm gonna do my absolute best to get my pile done in time. I wanna see you jokers again

 

[Chris_Keziah]

Now to make this in steel, and not magic pixie's on a screen.

 

[Jody Treadway]

Angle iron, Sharpie, relief cut, bend, weld.
Oh, and a boat load of spare time