YJ 1 tons and links build

1993yj

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Location
Salt Lake
So I figured since I have gotten some feedback from members on here about how to design and fit my front 3 link, I should probably start a build thread so they can see what they have helped with.

Have had the Jeep in the family since 1995. It has been through a few different forms during those years. Current form: 1993 YJ 4.0L auto with D30 front and Ford 8.8 rear, SOA, stretched to 101" wheelbase. Spooled rear, ARB front with 4.10 gears and 35" tires. Boatsides and flat belly done over the summer, along with fold down rear tire carrier designed to hold a 40" spare.

Old pic right before tear down
2013-08-26 20.32.49.jpg

Been wanting to do 1 tons axles for a long time now, basically just to be able to keep up on trails with my brothers who are on 39s. Have been collecting parts for almost 2 years now, just need shocks and tires still. Started tearing down the Jeep beginning of Sept and am now ready to start tacking on link attachments for the rear 4 link, and am just getting the front 3 link laid out.

Plans are: 14 bolt rear trimmed up to remove the bottom hanging lip, spooled with 5.38s and D60 front with Detroit, 5.38s, 35 spline Yukon chromo outers and drive flanges. Trail Gear full hydro steering kit, Ruff Stuff 4 link rear and 3 link front kits with Ruff Stuff shock towers and 12" ORIs for the suspension. 39" Krawlers on 17" Allied beadlocks will round it off. Going to plumb a ball valve in line with the rear brakes to give a type of park brake for the rear when needing to park on trails.

This build will probably take me until next spring until it is actually finished as I am expecting my first kid within the next month. Hope to have all of the links tacked in place by then so there can be some down time until Jan or so while I order the shocks. Have already sold off a lot of the removed parts through the classifieds here. Pretty much just down to spare shafts from the old axles, steering gear box and power steering pump, shackles and a few other misc parts.

Here is a pic as she sits now
2013-09-06 15.49.38 (Copy).jpg

Hopefully I will have some pics to show for updates within the next few weeks before my schedule gets adjusted.
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
Got the shock towers tacked in place
front shock tower hole.jpgfront shock tower.jpgrear shock tower.jpg

Next steps will be getting the link mounts tacked up. My plan is to drop the rear axle upper links down into the truss to give me another 1" of travel so they clear the underside of the tub
rear truss.jpg

And I need to figure out a way to move/remove the fuel filter on the inside of the frame as I have a link mount that needs to go there. I have another fuel filter inline before my fuel pump so I am not worried about losing it, but the hardline coming from the output of the filter is right where my mount needs to go. Is it possible to cut that metal line and then flare it like a brake line so that I could just run a rubber line in place of where the fuel filter was?
fuel filter.jpg
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
I bet once I get the fuel filter taken off and that bracket cut off I could pull the line away from the rail enough to flare it. That will be the plan for the moment at least.
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
Was able to get my truss welded up, my fuel filter removed and all of the link mounts tacked in place. Ready to cut links and put them in to cycle the suspension.

2013-10-24 21.57.30.jpg2013-10-24 21.57.41 (Copy).jpg2013-10-24 21.58.00.jpg2013-10-24 21.58.14 (Copy).jpg2013-10-24 21.58.27.jpg2013-10-24 21.58.36.jpg2013-10-24 21.58.49 (Copy).jpg
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
Links are cut and I should hopefully get the bungs tacked in this week. In the meantime I got around to installing a winch control in the dash. Will make life much easier to suck down the front in the future.

winch control mount 2.jpg
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
Finally got around to tacking up the control arms today. Rears are all up. Front is up except for driver's side lower. It is about 1/4" too long. Need to trim it down. Hope to cycle everything tomorrow to check for clearance and binding, then burn it all in.

2013-11-16 16.01.37 (Copy).jpg2013-11-16 16.01.49 (Copy).jpg2013-11-16 16.48.34.jpg2013-11-16 17.19.48.jpg
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
Rear tire placed on to check clearance. Pictured it is sitting about 2" lower than it will be at ride height, and had 3" up travel still to go. Total up travel at ride height will be 5".

2013-11-17 13.22.59 (Copy).jpg2013-11-17 13.23.21 (Copy).jpg
 

1993yj

.
Location
Salt Lake
Rear turned out perfect. Everything just barely clears, and the tires wont even rub.
2013-11-17 15.03.28 (Copy).jpg2013-11-19 16.32.00 (Copy).jpg2013-11-19 16.33.36 (Copy).jpg2013-11-19 16.32.54 (Copy).jpg2013-11-19 16.33.14 (Copy).jpg

The front not so lucky. Looks like I need to do a bent panhard as the driver side still needs to come up 2". The tires up front will rub a fair amount at full artic, but I will see how bad that is when I take it out for the first test drive.
2013-11-19 16.57.44 (Copy).jpg2013-11-19 17.03.11 (Copy).jpg2013-11-19 17.08.04 (Copy).jpg
 
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