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RiPPiNiTuP7
03-27-2007, 11:16 AM
well i been thinking about it lately...i been on these forums for a long time now, but never actually introduced myself or made a thread about my zj in any detail. i just bought a decent digi camera of my own that doesn't eat batteries so now i'm more motivated to take pictures.

my name is reid, i live in holland, ohio which it on the outskirts of toledo area. i am a TPT for the toledo north assembly jeep plant. i have a 96 zj and heres the current rough specs on it:

re 3.5” Coils w/ 2” bb
re front track Bar w/ HD bracket
jks rear track bar
re brake lines
re upper SF/lower SR control arms
re twin tube shocks (ugh)
jks discos
addco's front/rear
ome stabilizer
oem skids all around
HP dana 30 w/ 4.56 Gears
super super 35 kit w/ 4.56 gears & detroit locker
jcr rock sliders
arb bumper w/ M8000 Winch & 100 watt lights mounted up
bling bling aluminun wheels w/ 33” bfg at's
reman mopar trans
tom woods sye and front/rear driveshafts

i do have some pics of some of my past mods, but i don't feel like going back in time right now, so we'll fast forward to whats happing right now. my biggest concern is the rear axle. i feel like it's keeping me restrained from ever doing anything more with my zj so i decided to get an 8.8 that would be better matced to the HP30 i already have. i'd feel a little weird welding up a claytons long arm to a dana 35, and i know by the end of this summer i will probably be on 35's so bye bye d35.

heres a mall crawler shot of my zj at the house:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/myzj1.jpg

the project begins; ford 8.8 from a 2001 explorer w/ 49k 4.10's LS (even though that doesn't matter as you'll read further down):

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/Axlebeginning1.jpg

getting brackets ground off:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/axlebracketsvutting2.jpg

smoothed down:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/axlebracketscut.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/axlesmooth.jpg

i decided to do the abs mod as per jordan's instructions, i figured it won't hurt to see if it works and abs is always nice with the weather ohio gets, but if for some odd reason it doesn't work no harm done trying...

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2239.jpg

as we know the 8.8 is about 5/8" narrower than the d35 so i had a buddy at work machine a set of spacers out of steel get get my widtch back...

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2240.jpg

damn, fits like a glove:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2242.jpg

had to get some new studs due to the spacers, so i did like aprilwarriorz with the arps, picked them up on ebay cheap:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2248.jpg

cut down:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2259.jpg

now for some goodies in the mail...

flange, bolts, and re extended line:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2245.jpg

overhaul kit and new wheel bearings/seals:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2280.jpg

and what hit the wallet hard; my eaton e-locker:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2313.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2314.jpg

i also picked up a set of precision 4.56 gears, but since i'm not doing the gear install (local shop i trust) i picked them up local since they had them on the shelf and wanted to help them a little bit, so no pics of gears. also since i dd my zj i didn't want to have too much downtime, so locked98gc opted to cut his old d35 in half and send me the tubes with the brackets attatched, this helped a bunch:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2312.jpg

now as of yesterday, the time has come to rip out the old stuff:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2326.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2329.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2332.jpg

about 2 hours from the start, i had the old axle out on my own:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2333.jpg

and heres the 8.8 back from the shop, gears/locker/overhaul kit installed, tubes cleaned up as best as possible, and brackets fully prepped ready for welding. at this point i already welded the tubes to the pumpkin and threw some primer on the welds, it came out pretty good considering going from steel to cast:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2331.jpg

pinion set to 11*, perches, etc at 0*, tacked in place:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2336.jpg

and finally the last pic of the night, welds fully laid down on 5 of the 8 brackets, today hopefully i will get the other sway bar mount done, and the two LCA mounts, that way i can get a coat of primer before i call it a night:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2338.jpg

thats all for now guys, as things progress i will update this thread with more info and pics, let me know what you think so far!

-reid

jfowlzj95
03-27-2007, 11:39 AM
Very nice! Also, PM sent.

RiPPiNiTuP7
04-07-2007, 03:58 AM
another update:

8.8 is fully painted and has been installed for a little while now. it went very smooth, everything bolted up fine and it drives smooth. only thing i am concerned about is my extended RE line i'm not sure will offer enough slack when i flex it out. i'll have to pay close attention to it when i take it out on the trail after the gears are broke in. it might have to be relocated on the axle tube somewhere.

oh ya, the ABS works! i wired it up just like jordan has in his diagram and the ABS light went out and i tested it fully and it does work fine :) i have my locker now wired up too, i'll snap a couple pics of how thats setup since not too many people are running an e-locker than i noticed. it's dead silent when it engages--very nice.

on to the pics:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2358.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/100_2361.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/installed001.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/installed002.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/installed003.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/8%208%20Install/installed004.jpg

corrupt143
04-07-2007, 02:31 PM
Lookin' good. I can see that rear brake line in one of the pics, it doesnt look like its got much slack. It would concern me too.

DJJordache
04-07-2007, 11:42 PM
hell yeah looks great! I'm glad the ABS mod works on your 96 also, I had wondered if it would since it is a different ABS system than mine and also is OBDII. So you are the #3 confirmed vehicle that I know of keeping ABS this way, since I did it on mine and my brothers XJ first:D

RiPPiNiTuP7
08-21-2007, 12:18 PM
had a bad weekend. got a little too much rain and it got the best of me this time.

after being pulled out of the water...
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4392.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4394.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4395.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4397.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4398.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4399.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4401.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4402.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4403.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4404.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4405.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4406.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4409.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4410.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4412.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/jeep/100_4413.jpg

been through this trail a billion times, but apparently someone took something big through it because the water was over 4 ft deep. it's never been like that, but i should of checked before going through it--my stupidity. the interior was completely flooded up to the seats/door handle. damage report so far:

bent re control arm
broken spindle
3 flat tires
busted shock
tweaked my bumper
winch doesn't work
transmission isn't working
3 busted tow straps
...i'm sure more will be noticed as i get wrenching.

i had to resort to junk tires to get me out--no one had 3 35's as spares laying around--redneck setup there--i know, but it got me out and home. it took a chevy 2500hd diesel, f-150, and a cherokee w/ hours of work to get it pulled out. i would of had pictures from the beginning but i was too pissed off to take pictures seeing my jeep submerged in water with nothing i could do. not sure i like mud/water anymore. this sucks.

DerekL
08-21-2007, 12:34 PM
Damn, thats like my worst nightmare.

zj95maxx
08-21-2007, 01:03 PM
Holy crap man, that blows

jfowlzj95
08-21-2007, 01:35 PM
Damn that sucks, reminds me of when I got stuck on Christmas Eve...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/jeepmutt/volente8.jpg

Damage wasn't as bad as yours but it took 6 long hours in the wet cold to get the Jeep out. Ever since then I dont really care for mud anymore.

You had to of been pretty wedged in there if all that happened while you were being pulled out.

gonecheenin
08-21-2007, 01:45 PM
WOW

how do you bend that control arm & snap a knuckle down in there?????

RiPPiNiTuP7
08-21-2007, 03:30 PM
WOW

how do you bend that control arm & snap a knuckle down in there?????

i think when trying to recover my jeep. all the tugging was done using straps, d-ring shackles, and the hookups on my ARB/rear hitch, so you can imagine how stuck it was to bust that stuff getting it out. there was somthing nasty under that water. i forgot in my first post, i lost a coil spring too, that was a PITA to get back in place out there in the mud.

...i'm glad i have a 2nd vehicle right now, lol.

RiPPiNiTuP7
08-22-2007, 10:14 PM
dropped the trans pan and drained the oil today.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/JeepFluids001.jpg

hmm not the colors i was hoping for....

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t11/rippinitup7/JeepFluids005.jpg

fresh fluid goes in tomorrow, hopefully she will move again.