idahoyj
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Twin Falls Idaho
I have been wanting to post a build thread for this project for several months, but until lately all of my pictures were stuck on the camera and my phone. I have since lost all of the pictures that were on my phone.
This is my second YJ build. My first build spiraled beyond what my budget and time would allow. When I started the last build, I had 1 child and our family of 3 had 2 incomes. Cutting back to 1 income in a declining economy and gaining 2 more kids made me realize that the project I had been building, was too much for me to ever complete. Previous build thread- http://www.planet4x4.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11454
I have since parted that rig out and bought a running/driving (sorta) Wrangler to start over with.
I purchased this 1989 Jeep Wrangler early in 2013.
The Jeep is an early TBI 4cyl with manual trans. It has NP231 with Tera 4:1 and SYE. It came with a ball joint front Dana 60 and Sterling/Ford 10.25 rear. The rear is welded and the front is open, both 4.10 gears. 295-17 tires on Weld wheels. Suspension has a 2+”-ish lift with 1.5” lift shackles, spring over. WAY TOO TALL. THIS JEEP IS A PILE OF CRAP! But, it was in my budget and I knew that it had enough decent parts that I wouldn’t loose any money on my initial investment. I planned work on it in phases and hopefully keep from having it sit in “project mode” for years at a time.
Goals-
Keep it “streetable-ish”.
Longer wheel base for 40-42” tires.
More interior space with seating for 5 passengers.
Strong/capable/dependable drivetrain.
Nice enough looking to be proud of, but not too nice to abuse.
Parts and plans-
So far I have gathered a few parts but most will have to wait for funds
Ford ranger 40/60 front bench (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ soft top with door surrounds (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ belt rails (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ factory sport cage (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ Corner armor (Have)
Jeep Wrangler TJ/LJ windshield top gasket.
Jeep CJ7 tail gate (Have)
GenRight YJ fuel tank (Have from previous build)
Ford 78-79 front king pin Dana 60, (Settled for later king pin D60)
Lockright “locker” for front Dana 60 (Have)
14 Bolt rear with disks and shave kit (Have)
Boat side rockers
Flat belly
Highline stock fenders with extended flares
Drop/Hood grill for visibility
Spring under (YES, LEAF SPRINGS)
I have done tons of little things to make it driveable since then.
Trans mount was gone
Exhaust was simply slip-fit together
Power steering lines were so loose that they weren’t doing any assist.
Brake master cylinder was empty
Drivers motor mount was held together with a ratchet strap.
Fuel cell was held in the tub with a matching ratchet strap.
No front fenders or any flares
I bought some 37s from a buddy of mine and wheeled it a couple times.
PIC ON 37s
But then I bought some 42” Iroc’s from on here (damned RME!)
At the same time I decided to have the Weld wheels that came on the rig powder coated charcoal gray before I got them mounted up. To help hide the inevitable rock rash on the wheels I sanded the powder coat off of the outer lip of the wheels. (They looked better all charcoal) I took it wheeling and of course, I scratched all 4 wheels in the first trip!
The first mod I made was to add the Ford Ranger bench seat. Since I have 3 kids, I needed to figure a way to have seats for 5 passengers. The Ford Ranger bench seat is a 60/40 split bench with the larger portion being on the drivers side. The center is a center console that flips up the be a seat back. I mounted the seats to the factory Jeep sliders and bases. I was able to retain the flip up passenger mount to allow access to the rear seat. Factory Jeep seat belts still work and the center passenger seat has a belt incorporated into it from the Ranger.
Next, I started raising the front fenders and lowering the grill. I cut and notched the grill to fit lower in the frame. I drilled new holes in the back of the fenders to mount them higher on the tub. Then I cut the inner fender where it mounts to the grill and bent it around the grill and bolted it on with new higher holes. I screwed up and mounted the fenders 1” lower than planned….. This is still a project. I need to clean up the cut on the bottom of the hood, raise the fenders the additional inch, and clean up the area where the fenders meet the grill. I also need to add the hood pins. I raised the fenders in anticipation of lowering the suspension in the next project.
The suspension was way too tall for what I wanted. It had lift springs, lift shackles, and springs on top of the axles! I put it in my garage to install the 37s, and I had to compress the rear suspension with a ratchet strap just to get the hard top to clear my garage door.
SO, the lift shackles are off, and the springs are going back under the axles. Since I couldn’t afford the 78-79 Front Dana 60 that I really wanted, I settled for a newer king pin Dana 60. This causes issues with the front spring placement. The newer Dana 60s have the diff off set further toward the drivers side than the older axles. (That’s why the older axles are so popular.) Knowing that, I started on the front outboard spring process. This brings me to where I am today. I have cut off all of the passenger side spring brackets, built a new front hanger, and stripped the front axle clean. It looks like the spring pins will be 35” center to center when I am done.
This is my second YJ build. My first build spiraled beyond what my budget and time would allow. When I started the last build, I had 1 child and our family of 3 had 2 incomes. Cutting back to 1 income in a declining economy and gaining 2 more kids made me realize that the project I had been building, was too much for me to ever complete. Previous build thread- http://www.planet4x4.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11454
I have since parted that rig out and bought a running/driving (sorta) Wrangler to start over with.
I purchased this 1989 Jeep Wrangler early in 2013.
The Jeep is an early TBI 4cyl with manual trans. It has NP231 with Tera 4:1 and SYE. It came with a ball joint front Dana 60 and Sterling/Ford 10.25 rear. The rear is welded and the front is open, both 4.10 gears. 295-17 tires on Weld wheels. Suspension has a 2+”-ish lift with 1.5” lift shackles, spring over. WAY TOO TALL. THIS JEEP IS A PILE OF CRAP! But, it was in my budget and I knew that it had enough decent parts that I wouldn’t loose any money on my initial investment. I planned work on it in phases and hopefully keep from having it sit in “project mode” for years at a time.
Goals-
Keep it “streetable-ish”.
Longer wheel base for 40-42” tires.
More interior space with seating for 5 passengers.
Strong/capable/dependable drivetrain.
Nice enough looking to be proud of, but not too nice to abuse.
Parts and plans-
So far I have gathered a few parts but most will have to wait for funds
Ford ranger 40/60 front bench (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ soft top with door surrounds (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ belt rails (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ factory sport cage (Have)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ Corner armor (Have)
Jeep Wrangler TJ/LJ windshield top gasket.
Jeep CJ7 tail gate (Have)
GenRight YJ fuel tank (Have from previous build)
Ford 78-79 front king pin Dana 60, (Settled for later king pin D60)
Lockright “locker” for front Dana 60 (Have)
14 Bolt rear with disks and shave kit (Have)
Boat side rockers
Flat belly
Highline stock fenders with extended flares
Drop/Hood grill for visibility
Spring under (YES, LEAF SPRINGS)
I have done tons of little things to make it driveable since then.
Trans mount was gone
Exhaust was simply slip-fit together
Power steering lines were so loose that they weren’t doing any assist.
Brake master cylinder was empty
Drivers motor mount was held together with a ratchet strap.
Fuel cell was held in the tub with a matching ratchet strap.
No front fenders or any flares
I bought some 37s from a buddy of mine and wheeled it a couple times.
PIC ON 37s
But then I bought some 42” Iroc’s from on here (damned RME!)
At the same time I decided to have the Weld wheels that came on the rig powder coated charcoal gray before I got them mounted up. To help hide the inevitable rock rash on the wheels I sanded the powder coat off of the outer lip of the wheels. (They looked better all charcoal) I took it wheeling and of course, I scratched all 4 wheels in the first trip!
The first mod I made was to add the Ford Ranger bench seat. Since I have 3 kids, I needed to figure a way to have seats for 5 passengers. The Ford Ranger bench seat is a 60/40 split bench with the larger portion being on the drivers side. The center is a center console that flips up the be a seat back. I mounted the seats to the factory Jeep sliders and bases. I was able to retain the flip up passenger mount to allow access to the rear seat. Factory Jeep seat belts still work and the center passenger seat has a belt incorporated into it from the Ranger.
Next, I started raising the front fenders and lowering the grill. I cut and notched the grill to fit lower in the frame. I drilled new holes in the back of the fenders to mount them higher on the tub. Then I cut the inner fender where it mounts to the grill and bent it around the grill and bolted it on with new higher holes. I screwed up and mounted the fenders 1” lower than planned….. This is still a project. I need to clean up the cut on the bottom of the hood, raise the fenders the additional inch, and clean up the area where the fenders meet the grill. I also need to add the hood pins. I raised the fenders in anticipation of lowering the suspension in the next project.
The suspension was way too tall for what I wanted. It had lift springs, lift shackles, and springs on top of the axles! I put it in my garage to install the 37s, and I had to compress the rear suspension with a ratchet strap just to get the hard top to clear my garage door.
SO, the lift shackles are off, and the springs are going back under the axles. Since I couldn’t afford the 78-79 Front Dana 60 that I really wanted, I settled for a newer king pin Dana 60. This causes issues with the front spring placement. The newer Dana 60s have the diff off set further toward the drivers side than the older axles. (That’s why the older axles are so popular.) Knowing that, I started on the front outboard spring process. This brings me to where I am today. I have cut off all of the passenger side spring brackets, built a new front hanger, and stripped the front axle clean. It looks like the spring pins will be 35” center to center when I am done.
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