PDA

View Full Version : Project: The Reverend



bburgi
06-13-2005, 02:54 PM
This is the beginning of my journey deeper into the grand cherokee world. I've got a 2000 WJ Laredo with the 4.7L V8 that I've owned since January of '04. This is my first Jeep, and my first 4x4 for that matter. Just to give you a frame of reference on where I began, before I owned the WJ I had never even changed my own oil- I know, I know... I've come a long way since then.

About two months after I got the Jeep, I completed my first "mod"... a set of bolt-on OEM skid plates- admittedly not very high-tech, but I credit that step to getting me underneath the Jeep and bringing me to where I am now. From that moment on I was hooked, and I soon took the mods a step further by pulling the roof rack cross bars from my totaled Ford Exploder and modifying them to fit the Jeep. I saved a bunch of $$ and gained a lot of confidence by making my own solution to something I wanted on the Jeep.

In the beginning, with the explorer cross-bars added.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/wj1.jpg


Over the past year or so I've actually started wheeling the Jeep, and I've been doing more and more to upgrade things as I get the money to afford it (2 years out of college and just married means cash is very scarce). I won't bore you with all the details since most of this stuff is pretty simple, but I'm doing all the work myself learning more and more as I go along. With the addition of each new mod I would always step back and think how cool I was... and then I quickly realize how much of a dork I am. :tease:

How the Jeep currently stands. (as of 6/13/05)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/wj2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/no_doors.jpg

Current Specs:
D30 Lock Right (Just Installed Yesterday)
31" BFG AT's
2" BB
Quick Discos
OME SS
K&N
Wilderness Rack
4 Hella 500's


The plans are to drive the jeep as it is with only minor alterations for about two more years at which point I will start looking at more advanced upgrades. I'd like to build the WJ up to be a true hard-core off roader yet still maintain the creature comforts and usability as a daily driver. I'd like to be able to take a cross-country, off-road trip when I "finish" the build... it's very early in the planning stages at this point though, so we'll see what happens.

Future plans include (but are not limited to):
Rockrails (going on in the next week or two)
Steel bumpers front and rear
On-board Air
Winch
4-6" of lift on Clayton's long arms
Larger tires (33"? 35"?)
And at some point down the road I'll swap out the axles to allow for a locker in the rear and more strength all around.



Hella Switches
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/small_1.jpg

Junk/Spare Parts Box
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/box.jpg

No locker yet + high-centered = STUCK
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/tow_rope.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/up.jpg


The project will be going pretty slowly since I currently have zero extra money, but I'll be sure to keep this updated whenever I'm able to upgrade or work on something significant. Feel free to poke fun all you'd like- I know it's not much yet, but it's got tons of potential and that's what counts. :supz:

- Brian

bburgi
06-13-2005, 03:08 PM
A buddy came over on Sunday to help me install a lock-right in my front D30. Let me just say, this "simple" install brought the suck BIG-TIME. Even thought it's not complicated, I had planned on it taking about three hours since neither of us had worked on gears before and this would be a learning experience for both of us.

From the beginning everything seemed to work against us- I can't remember ever having so many stuck bolts in one project and my favorite tool quickly became the BFH. Once we finally got the carrier out we threw in the towel and made a run to a friend's shop to borrow his air tools (thank God for good friends...) Aside from trouble with the bolts, the install itself was practically seamless- we got the ring postion marked correctly, didn't have any trouble with the axles, and installing the lock-right in the casing was pretty easy. With all the trouble we had, the whole job ended up taking us over 6 hours- but about 90% of that time was spent just getting everything taken apart. Putting it back together went very quickly.

The point of the story? Stuck bolts suck. It's good to have friends who enjoy wrenching on Jeeps. And I really need a permanant (non-rented) garage, a work bench, some air tools, and a much bigger hammer.


This is my awesome workspace in front of my garage at my apartment complex. I know you're jealous.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/garage.jpg


Detail of the BFH Technique
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/BFH.jpg



The up-side? I now have traction in the front! The lock-right seems to be working great so far. I plan to get out on the trail this weekend to put it to good use.

-Brian

Frogger
06-13-2005, 03:24 PM
Brian,

I was looking over your pictures and things look very familar. Are some of those pictures from Devils Den? I've wheeled there many a times when I was stationed in San Antonio. Your WJ is looking cool. Check out my web pages for some pictures from Devils Den.

http://zjfrogger.com/Frogger_Texas.htm

Lindley

bburgi
06-13-2005, 03:32 PM
Yeah, most of those are from the Den actually- I live about 30 min away and wheel there all the time. Are you still in the area? We should hit it up sometime.

*EDIT* Just saw on your website that you're now in Germany.

Frogger
06-13-2005, 03:37 PM
I'd wheel with you but the distance thing is a killer..... My ZJ is up in Philly, PA. Long Arms are going on as soon as Sierra Rock Control delivers them.

Lindley

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
06-13-2005, 09:28 PM
looks good!

SuicideTireZJ
06-13-2005, 11:57 PM
A doorless WJ? That's a first. Looks awesome.

The bug bites again!

bburgi
06-25-2005, 06:36 PM
I put on the rockrails yesterday, and only ran into one major problem. When I took the lower cladding off, I realized I had smashed in the pinch weld on a previous wheeling trip. The plastic wasn't hurt though, and had been hiding the damage-
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Rock%20Rails/rail_3.jpg
The only problem with it is that the rear-most bolt for the rails lines up prefectly with the smashed section. I had to get out my big 'ole pliers and hammer and pound the thing back into submission. I was able to get it lined up well enough to get the rails on, but that section is looking pretty sketchy now. I may go back and throw a weld down on it to make sure nothing falls off when I'm beating the crap out of it.

I know a few of you already run rocky-road's rails, and for the money I love em. I'll be going to test them and my new locker out on the trial sometime tomorrow. If anyone down in central Texas wants to hit the Den with me, let me know.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Rock%20Rails/rail_15.jpg

bburgi
07-11-2005, 11:39 AM
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/IMG_3372.jpg

norton
07-11-2005, 04:05 PM
so what happened to your sliders .. or is that just an old pic?

bburgi
07-11-2005, 04:41 PM
just an old one I found that I liked

The sliders are on and working great, just don't have any action pics yet.

OverkillZJ
07-11-2005, 09:35 PM
Love it with the doors off.

ogdak
07-12-2005, 03:48 PM
So show us some scratched slidersz,








Just kidding, nice project.

Cinci-Sur-WJ
07-12-2005, 04:37 PM
Brian,

Your GC looks great and neat modification.

Cheers,
Suresh.

p.s Sorry just realized that this is your jeep journal thread and its not fare to ask questions about my WJ here.

bburgi
07-17-2005, 09:21 PM
Well I FINALLY got out to a local trail to test run the new toys (the locker and rockrails), and they both passed with flying colors. It's been raining here for several days, so the mud pits at the local trails were jumpin' jumpin' and there were a lot of slick, wet, muddy hills to climb.

The locker was absolutely perfect-- I can't imagine ever living without it. Of course, you guys who are locked know this already.

And the rails completely saved my butt- I came over the crest of a hill into a really muddy clay section. I was powering through it to not get stuck when WHAM! A big 'ole hidden rock jumped out of the mud to take a shot at my rocker panel. Not today rock! Big bang, little scratch. Happy jeep owner. (Even happier wife).

Sorry, no action pictures this time since it was still raining buckets, but here's the aftermath.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/mud2.jpg

norton
07-18-2005, 03:27 AM
kick ass :supz:

i love wheeling while/right after rain. sig

bburgi
08-01-2005, 10:10 AM
All righty- I finally got out to do some real wheeling with the new gear. I headed out to the Den with my buddy Patrick in his TJ. There's been a lot of rain here lately, so a lot of areas on the trial were under water which made for some great water crossings. The best part of the trip though, was that I could walk right up tons of crap that used to take me several tries and lots of wheel spinning before I was locked. I also took chances on obstacles that I used to pussy-foot around and I really put the rockrails through their paces. Towards the end of the trip, my buddy's TJ go high-centerd in a rut in the mud and I got to tow him out, so right now we're tied 1-1 for strapping each other.

I've been out mudding and stuff at night before, but this was my first real night-time wheeling trip- it was freakin' awesome.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_1.jpg
One of my favorite pictures.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_10.jpg
High water crossing.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_6.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_5.jpg
Rockrails work!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_11.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_13.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Den%20at%20Night/Jeep_Night_15.jpg
Only his rear left tire was touching the ground.


So, yeah... fun times.

bburgi
11-17-2005, 03:13 PM
Man... I've only had the chance to go wheeling once since my last night-time excursion, and what happens? I break my first freakin' axle shaft! Now that I've actually broken something while wheeling, I can count myself as a real Jeep enthusiast. No poser material here! I limped it home and when I tore the thing apart it looked like a grenade went off right at the CV joint. Thankfully WJ shafts only cost about $75 each, so I'm not out too much.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/shaft1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/shaft2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/shaft3.jpg

I ran into a problem after I changed the shaft when I realized I had also snapped the pins of my lockright in half. I've been driving around with the equivalent of a spool up front until I can tear the thing apart again to replace the pins. Squealin' tires are the bomb!

Also, some good news! I'm expecting a brand new AussieLocker in the mail soon for my open rear 44a. I'm going to be testing and reviewing how the locker works in a WJ, and I'll post up my experience as soon as I get it in.

Locked Front AND Rear baby... try and stop me now!

SuicideTireZJ
11-17-2005, 05:22 PM
So what's with the "Wonderbread"?

bburgi
11-17-2005, 05:47 PM
It's actually a nickname I got a while back. I'm as white as they come and my friends used to call me "white bread" which soon became "Wonderbread" because it's just about the whitest bread you can find.

When it came time to name the Jeep I wanted it to be something personal, funny and unique so that's what I went with. It's lame, but it works for me.

Of course, I'm open to suggestions if anyone's got a better name.

EDIT: Changed the name of the Jeep so this post is no longer relevant.

SuicideTireZJ
11-17-2005, 06:22 PM
No, it's cool, just had no idea where it came from!

bburgi
12-01-2005, 04:14 PM
Went hunting this weekend and took this picture while I was out. Thought it made a pretty cool background.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/General%20Trail%20Pictures/bw_jeep2_tn.jpg (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/General%20Trail%20Pictures/bw_jeep2.jpg)

Click the picture for a full-size 1024x786 version.

-Also, the Aussie Locker came today. I'm going on another hunting trip this weekend though, so I won't be able to install it and post my experience until early next week.

bburgi
12-07-2005, 11:27 PM
It's official! The locker is actually in my WJ. I've got a really early day at work tomorrow though, so I don't have the time to post much up right now. I did drive the WJ home though and nothing exploded, so we'll say test #1 was a big success!

I don't want to take the thunder away from Dave's write-up, so I'll post my experience and thoughts here. If there's anything you want to use from this for the official write-up feel free to do so.

bburgi
12-08-2005, 01:10 PM
Here we go... I'll just start from the beginning. I have to give thanks to Aussie for their help in getting the locker for this test and to James Collier of CARS in San Marcos http://car-for-u.com/ for the use of his shop.

So much anticipation as gone into having a locker available for the Alumminum Dana 44 that I was pumped when the package from Aussie actually arived at my doorstep. I just happened to be home from work that day (thanks to the info from the UPS tracking #) so I tore into the box right away to see what this thing is all about.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_8.jpg

Nice instructions, all the parts, and even a sticker!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_13.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_10.jpg

I put together the locker to give you an idea of what the finished product will look like once it's inside the diff. (minus the springs, and cross pin.)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_11.jpg

If you're familiar with lunchbox-style lockers at all, this installation will be fairly straightforward. I installed a Lock-Right up front a while back, and the whole process is practically the same from start to finish. I won't rehash the instructions that Aussie includes with the locker, because they're very thorough (much more so than the instructions from Lock Right in my experience), but hopefully the pictures will help guide anyone doing this sort of thing in a WJ for the first time.

Once we got the WJ up on the lift, we pulled the cover off the diff and drained the fluids. From there, your first step is removing the small bolt that holds the cross-pin in place.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_6.jpg

Once the pin is removed, you can rotate the tires to turn the housing around and your spider gears will pretty much come out on their own. Be sure you save the thrust washers from each side! (You may notice that in Dave's write-up they remove the drive shaft at this point to make turning the housing easier. This isn't a necessary step if you're looking to save time as I was, but it does make things a lot easier on you.) Once the spiders are out of the way, clean out the diff with a good break cleaner and you're just about ready to start installing your new locker. At this point the installation will differ slightly between a WJ and and a ZJ. The WJ (unlike a ZJ) does not have C-Cliped axles, so it will be necessary to pull at least one of your axle shafts out a few inches in order to fit all the parts inside the housing. You can pull both sides if you want, but to save time and effort we pulled only the drivers side and it worked just fine. [To pull the shaft just remove the wheel, remove the brake caliper & hang up out of the way (don't let it hang by the brake lines!), remove the bolts that hold the axle in place, and pull.] In the picture you can see where the right side axle shaft is still sticking inside the housing, but the left side has been pulled out.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_8.jpg

Now that the old parts are out of the way, the real fun starts. Grease up your parts as per the instuructions and start the installation.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_10.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_11.jpg

If you're doing things the way I did and have only pulled one shaft out, you'll need to install the right side of the locker first or you won't have room for the other side to fit.

Right Side going in...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_12.jpg

Left Side going in...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_15.jpg

Ta-da! Both sides of the gears are in.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_16.jpg

This is the point where I forgot to look at the instructions. I went ahead and installed the rest of the locker without realizing that I first had to measure the space between the cross pin and the gear. I had to remove the inner part of the locker to get the measurement.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_17.jpg

Measuring the gap... It's good!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_19.jpg

This step is VERY important because it relates to the warranty on your locker. If the gaps in the locker are not within spec, Aussie will not honor your warranty. If the gaps are within spec, you're in the home streach! Pull the cross pin back out, then install the remainder of the locker according to the instructions. Once you have all the parts in, you can begin installing the springs. Turn the locker around so that the flat sides line up with each other. Use a small tool (like a dental pick or small screw driver) to push one of the pins aross into the opposite side of the locker, then insert a spring into the gap. Using your screw driver, compress the spring and work it the rest of the way into the hole. Repeat x4.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_21.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_22.jpg

Once all four springs are in, put your cross pin back into place, then check the specs on the center gap.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_23.jpg

If all is well, you're done! Put your shaft back in place, replace the brake caliper, put the wheel back on, then bolt up the diff cover. (I won't go into all the details on how to do that here since it's pretty straight forward.) Once you fill your pumpkin up with oil (Aussie recommends 85/140 gear oil) you're good to go.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Aussie%20Locker%20Install/aussie_locker_24.jpg

bburgi
12-08-2005, 01:21 PM
Thoughts: This installation would be very easy for a garage mechanic to do in a couple of hours. The fact that you don't have to remove the ring gear and housing makes things even easier. The instructions that Aussie provides are clear and to the point, and the pictures they include actually help (unlike the dark blurry mess in the Lock Right instructions).

I drove the WJ home about a mile from Jame's shop and nothing exploded- so that's good! I will say though, on the drive home the locker was a LOT louder than I expected. Compared to the D30 Lock Right, the D44a Aussie Locker is almost twice as loud, although I have heard of a break-in period where the locker will quite down a bit. Driving around this morning the noise level varried depending on how I drove- turn slowly and it's just a mild click - turn sharp (as in a parking lot) and the click is MUCH louder. It's not to the point of being annoying though, so don't let a little noise deter you from getting one.

So far the locker seems to be working just as a locker should. Going straight it locks up, just like a spool. Turn a corner and it unlocks and clicks as the gears run over themselves. There really don't seem to be any conflicts using the locker in a WJ at all. Despite the differences between the ZJ and WJ, Aussie seems to have done a wonderful job of making a one-size-fits-all locker for the 44a. I'm planning to hit some local trails on Saturday to get the locker out in it's element and put it to the test. I'll post up my thoughts and experience on how it works, but for now I have high hopes.

jeep4x4nut
12-08-2005, 05:36 PM
Nice Write up man! You will love being locked in the rear, it helps out so much!!

AussieLocker
12-08-2005, 09:44 PM
Excellent write up. We look forward to your report on your new traction capability.

bburgi
12-09-2005, 10:25 AM
Excellent write up. We look forward to your report on your new traction capability.
Thanks guys - I'm definately looking forward to having the extra traction - it's been the biggest thing holding me back out on the trail.

As for further plans for the Jeep... the next step is to get on-board-air. I'm still undecided between a compressor and CO2, but I'm leaning more and more towards the CO2 tank. I've seen some good deals floating around, and in my experience using friends' tanks they're generally faster than their compressor counterparts. After that I'm not sure where to go first. Near-future plans include:

Front steel bumper w/ winch mount
Rear steel bumper
Clayton's LA's

It'll be a little while before I can do either of them because of $$$, but I predict that the front bumper will come first. We'll see.

bburgi
12-14-2005, 12:55 PM
The grand got to pull Christmas Tree duty last night.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/jeep_tree1.jpg

We also decided that Wonderbread needed a little Christmas Cheer...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/jeep_christmas.jpg

Bustin' Loose
12-14-2005, 04:29 PM
Glad to see the install went so well! Definately let us know how it handles off road. It'll be some before I can test mine out in style. But come March/April, the Aussie Locker will be Moab Tested!!

And dude!!! I am SOOO jealous!! You had a lift when you installed yours.

bburgi
12-14-2005, 05:10 PM
Oh yeah, I had a lift! ...but look back at what I had to work with when I installed the lock-right up front! That sucked the big one!

Oh, and I'll be there for Moab, so we can really put these things to the test and see who breaks something first.

Northtrails
01-03-2006, 11:05 PM
Thanks for the write-up on the locker, I have mine on its way.

TheGrandZJ
01-08-2006, 01:14 AM
Great write-up (if it means jack-chit from a newbie)

I'm looking forward to hearing how the locker works off road!

bburgi
01-08-2006, 01:37 AM
I have not had a single free moment to go off road with the locker since it was put in, and it's killing me. I hear from Jim that it works great... I'll have to wait and see.

bburgi
02-11-2006, 08:25 PM
My wife and I took our 1-year anniversary trip this past week to Crested Butte Colorado, and of course we took the Jeep. :D

I had the wj in 4wd most of the time on the snow and ice and it handled like a champ. I obviously don't drive on the white stuff much down here in Texas, but I sure didn't have any problems on the ice due to the front and rear being locked. I know one week in the snow is hardly definative, but from my experience if you're considering locking f&r but are hesitant about driving in the bad stuff, I wouldn't worry about it. The benefits far outweigh the costs.

A friend has my memory card reader at the moment or I would post a couple of pics. I'll get them up as soon as I can.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
02-11-2006, 09:13 PM
sounds good, I was hesitant to lock mine up with full time lockers b/c its a DD but we haven't gotten any snow (to speak of) in the 2 winters its been locked! :mad:

bburgi
02-14-2006, 11:42 PM
Pictures - because I can.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/General%20Trail%20Pictures/tn_Pictures027.jpg
My Wife and Jeep at the Black Canyon

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/General%20Trail%20Pictures/tn_Pictures049.jpg
Parked at the end of a trail we drove up.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/General%20Trail%20Pictures/tn_Pictures021.jpg
In front of the hotel.

SuicideTireZJ
02-15-2006, 02:37 AM
Did you decide on OBA yet? I've got a ViAir compressor hooked to a 20 gallon tank and I've filled up the tires of 3 vehicles with 33's in less than half an hour before, so time isn't really that bad with it. CO2 isn't really that expensive either though, so it might not be a bad idea.

bburgi
02-15-2006, 08:24 PM
I'm going with CO2, just don't have the money for it yet. For what I want it for I think it's my best bet.

bburgi
02-18-2006, 08:35 PM
Name change!

1996cc
02-21-2006, 02:53 PM
Name change!

With no explanation????????

bburgi
02-21-2006, 03:42 PM
With no explanation????????
Nothing exciting, I just never liked the old name. My wife made a good point that wonderbread was my nickname and didn't really fit the jeep. I work for a church, so the new name is a play off that.

Krash80
02-21-2006, 03:42 PM
Nice jeep...i love seeing WJ's that get wheeled.

If I had to pick a name for you though by what you look like, it wouldn't be wonderbread or the reverend....i'd say you look like Clark Kent. :D

bburgi
02-21-2006, 11:11 PM
....i'd say you look like Clark Kent. :D
LOL!

On another note, I finally put a cb in the jeep. I haven't tuned the antenna yet because the local Radio Shack is out of SWR meters. I know it's not the ideal location for the antenna, but I'm only going for short-range trail communications, and this way I can still get in and out of the garage easily. I'll probably add a spring to the mount pretty soon. That'll give me a few inches more in height and a better saftey against all the trees I drive through in my area.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/JeepCB004.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/JeepCB011.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/JeepCB013.jpg

bburgi
03-14-2006, 04:53 PM
CAUTION: extreme hard-core tech coming up...

I decided I'm going to paint my wheels this weekend. I briefly considered getting black steelies, but these wheels are working just fine. I really just want black wheels, so I figured why waste ~$300 when I can paint these for $10.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/General%20Trail%20Pictures/BlackWheels.jpg
(photoshop test)

ZJARCHER
03-15-2006, 12:06 AM
Do it! or find some cheap, used steelies for like $80 haha

violatedppl
03-16-2006, 02:46 AM
I think they look good, but its always the first press on the spray can that is the hardest. I said bye bye to my chrome kill about a week ago.

bburgi
03-21-2006, 04:13 PM
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Jeep%20Accident/accident5.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Jeep%20Accident/accident1.jpg
Time to get a new steel front bumper?

(...and because I know you're wondering what happened- a lady made a three-lane change and cut in front of me, taking out the bumper and the quarter-panel. Her insurance should be getting back to me by tomorrow.)

SuicideTireZJ
03-21-2006, 04:33 PM
I love it when insurance compaines buy me new parts! Hope everything goes over well.

bburgi
03-23-2006, 11:37 AM
Just talked to the body shop and the estimate comes out to ~$2400. The bumper, absorber, fog lamp, and bumper brackets come out to ~$700 for parts alone, and they said they would be willing to trade those up for an ARB. Sweet.

I go for my "official" estimate tomorrow, but I don't see any reason why those numbers would change any.

bburgi
03-24-2006, 02:57 PM
YES! It's done deal- got the insurance estimate, talked to the body shop and they're ordering everything today... including the ARB! I am so pumped that I'm getting a brand new bumper out of this deal.

Incidentally, my front tow hooks will be going on sale sometime in the next week or so. I'll give you Mallcrawlin guys first dibs if anyone needs a set.

Northtrails
03-25-2006, 03:57 AM
Nice pics and congrats on getting the ARB. Throw a Warn inside ;)

bburgi
04-04-2006, 11:22 AM
Got the Jeep back on Monday... sans bumper. The ARB is on it's way, but Rusty's couldn't give us a straight answer on when it will be in.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/bumper3.jpg

bburgi
04-09-2006, 09:50 PM
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4836.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4833.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/wheels2.jpg

SuicideTireZJ
04-10-2006, 05:41 PM
Blacked out rims look HAWT!!

ILikeMud
04-10-2006, 08:47 PM
Looks good.

What bumper are you buying?

bburgi
04-10-2006, 09:41 PM
ARB Winch Bull Bar

bburgi
04-17-2006, 03:33 PM
Had the day off, so I decided to clean up the Jeep a little. I started on the auxiliary wires under the hood. After hooking up the hella's and a cb, the wiring was getting pretty nasty all hooked to the battery. I got a small project box from Radio Shack and wired everything up to one hot lead from the battery. It looks a hundred times better, and makes it that much easier to add accessories in the future.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4837.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4841.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4840.jpg

bburgi
04-17-2006, 03:47 PM
While I was working on the Jeep I also took the time to clean up the overspray on the tires from painting the wheels, and touched up a few thin spots. Looks a lot better now except for the white lettering on the tires. I might take a sharpie to it...

2000_WJ
04-27-2006, 07:15 PM
ARB on yet?

bburgi
05-02-2006, 12:26 PM
ARB on yet?
No... it shipped last Tuesday, so it SHOULD be here by today. The shop I've been working with is awesome- they've been calling Rusty's almost every day to get updates on when the heck it's actually going to be here. I'm not mad yet, just really anxious to get the thing in.

bburgi
05-02-2006, 12:29 PM
Parts came in the mail today:

New radiator
New hoses
New door lock actuator (I'm sure many of you are familiar with these things)
New front parking break cable (been without the parking break for close to a year...)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4883.jpg

I'm taking the day off tomorrow just to work on the Jeep and get everything back like new. I'm happy, but my bank account certainly isn't...

nate
05-02-2006, 01:31 PM
What happened to the stock radiator?

bburgi
05-02-2006, 05:18 PM
It got a small leak a couple of weeks ago that quickly turned into an all-out flow. It's busted on the top corner where the water pump connects and coolant just runs out of it at this point. With 100K+ miles on the Jeep I'm replacing it along with all the hoses- and I'm hoping the water pump will hold strong for a while longer. I can't afford many more repairs just yet.

bburgi
05-05-2006, 12:44 PM
Got the new radiator and door lock in and everything's working great. I know this isn't very exciting stuff, but I'm sure there's someone out there who cares. The old radiator gave me tons of trouble coming out- I didn't have a fan clutch wrench to get the fan off, and none of the auto parts stores had one for lease OR sale. The only one I could find was from our local Snap-On dealer, but he wanted $90 for it... I ended up taking apart the entire front end to get the dang thing out.

The new one is working great, so the only thing I have left to tackle is the parking break.

Front end torn apart-
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4891.jpg

New radiator ready to go in- Old and busted radiator ready for the trash.
(notice how much space I have in my garage to work in...)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4892.jpg

And a few shots of the work space.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4893.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4894.jpg

aresridingflat
05-05-2006, 12:52 PM
man, that arb is taking forever to get there....

when a buddy of mine ordered a warn bumper from rusty's he had it in about 4 days...

Will

bburgi
05-05-2006, 01:01 PM
You're telling me... I'm starting to get a little ticked off. I'm going to be making some more phone calls today to find out where the heck it is.

NAFTEL
05-05-2006, 01:50 PM
arb stuff is slow- took 2 weeks for my snorkel to arrive.

bburgi
05-05-2006, 04:42 PM
I just got off the phone with Rusty's, and here's the story. They DO have my order for the ARB, so I know the shop isn't screwing me- that's good. But they have no idea when the bumper will actually get to the US- that's bad. They have a waiting list for the bull bars of about 8 people, and I'm at the top- that's good. But again, it could be a week... or it could be a month before I see the thing.

I might call around and see if another supplier has the things in stock.

bburgi
06-16-2006, 09:47 PM
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4950.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4954.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4955.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_4956.jpg

1996cc
06-17-2006, 12:07 AM
Looks good, but man those two rubber bumper things really kill the approach angle.

bburgi
06-17-2006, 01:48 AM
yeah, they'll probably come off at some point. I like to do things by the book at first, then customize it to fit my needs as I go along.

Steveindajeep
09-04-2006, 04:56 PM
When you put the rocky road rails on did you leave the lower cladding off? Did you have to? Wont they fit with the caldding left in place? If you did leave them off did you have to paint the rocker area that was exposed?

Rig looks good.

Do you still have the front tow hooks? Im in the market for a set.

bburgi
09-22-2006, 10:12 AM
Sold off the tow hooks already.

I left the cladding off and I didn't have to paint anything. The body color on mine is similar enough that it still looks good. On the Laredo models you either have to leave the cladding off or cut it to fit. Sliders and rock rails mount flush to the body- right where the stock cladding sits.

EMTimZJ
09-22-2006, 11:14 AM
Hey looks nice!

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
09-22-2006, 11:26 AM
Brian! you're back from Africa?

bburgi
10-02-2006, 06:55 PM
I am back from Africa- safe and sound too. It was an incredible trip- what an amazing experience.

My pictures are here if you're interested in checking them out: http://flickr.com/photos/bburgi/sets/72157594215601219/

bburgi
01-03-2007, 10:56 PM
Wow, it's been a while since I've been on the forum, much less update this thing. Not a whole lot's been going on lately. I've been pouring too much money into fixing stuff on the Jeep, and I haven't been able to upgrade anything in a long time. Even most of my Christmas money has gone into fixing little problems... the rear hatch lock went out, needed a new belt for the engine, new lifts for the hood & the rear hatch, the turn signal stalk has some kind of short in it that causes my turn signal indicator to come on at random times. One little thing after another, and they all add up...

My big plans for the Jeep are still in the works, but $$ is the big limiting factor right now. I'm scraping my pennies together just hoping I'll be able to make it Moab this year. I did finally get to put the Rev in 4-wheel drive this weekend after a LONG time away from the trails. We went hunting down at my friend's ranch and I got to drive the Jeep all around the place. All of it was minor wheeling, but it did feel good to at least get off road. No pictures from the trails because it was nothing exciting, but here's one out in front of the ranch house we usually stay at.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/341476389_af80c330cf.jpg (http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=341476389&context=set-72157594452699526&size=l)

That's me in front of the Rev holding my hunting rife
(a Winchester M70 .270WSM with a Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42 scope in case you're interested).

And because I'm a picture whore at heart... here's one of the Jeep by itself.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_6966.jpg

SuicideTireZJ
01-04-2007, 06:10 AM
That ARB looks waaaay big on a stock(ish) WJ

Still love those rims

bburgi
01-08-2007, 04:43 PM
I've been thinking the same thing about the ARB, and since my budget won't let me make the Jeep bigger, I went and made the ARB smaller. I finally took off the rubber bumpers, and just that small reduction makes the bumper look like it belongs on the Jeep.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/IMG_7011.jpg

SuicideTireZJ
01-08-2007, 05:56 PM
Actually yeah, that does help a lot.

ILikeMud
01-08-2007, 11:55 PM
Looks a lot better without the rubber bumpers.

bburgi
01-11-2007, 07:02 PM
Here's a fun mystery - what causes the entire front grill assembly to snap off?

Pics...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7053.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7054.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7051.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7057.jpg

I've got no money right now, so I had to do a ghetto fix.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7063.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7061.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7058.jpg

DJJordache
01-12-2007, 12:33 AM
duct tape man that is GHETTO!!!!:tease: I would have at least used ZAP STRAPS:D how many people have you run over testing out that ARB?

1996cc
01-15-2007, 05:06 PM
Yeah, drill some holes in the plastic and use zip ties.

nickzj08
01-15-2007, 05:30 PM
That duct tape is a permanant fix down here. Git er dun.

indy242003
01-15-2007, 06:00 PM
Don't feel like the only one. Mine snapped the same way. I have no idea what caused it. I epoxied most of them back together. If you figure it out, let me know.

jfowlzj95
01-15-2007, 06:16 PM
Like recovery gear, I always have duct tape with me.

AgitatedPancake
01-15-2007, 07:16 PM
Any pressure on the headlight or grill causes those tabs to break easily. You can get a brand new header panel on ebay for 60 shipped, give or take.

jfowlzj95
01-15-2007, 08:11 PM
Any pressure on the headlight or grill causes those tabs to break easily. You can get a brand new header panel on ebay for 60 shipped, give or take.
Or just pull one out of a junkyard (if the vehicle wasnt damaged in the front). Had to fix mine cause it wouldnt hold my headlights anymore, got it for $15.

bburgi
02-07-2007, 06:47 PM
$0.25 worth of zip ties is a great alternative to eBay or even the junk yard...

There's not a lot of weight or pressure on the thing anyway, so I think the zip ties will work just fine. Saves me some much needed money to put into other areas of the Jeep.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7226.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7219.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/bburgi/Driveway%20Pictures/tn_IMG_7221.jpg

bburgi
02-12-2007, 01:43 PM
I have the day off, so of course I've been under the Jeep all morning tuning up, changing fluids, etc. I got to the TC, and it's been a while since the fluid was changed, but I didn't think it had been THAT long... the stuff coming out looked like swamp water.

Oh well... it's bright red now, so I'm happy.

Now that all the fluids are up to par I'm looking for more cheap things I can wrench on to quench the jeep hunger. No money = no parts, no lifts, no mods, etc... now I'm sad.

I think my washer fluid is still low - maybe filling it will cheer me up.

bburgi
04-08-2008, 03:12 PM
Dang, it's been a LONG time since I've been on here. Shipped off to basic training last August, the engine locked up on the Jeep while my wife was visiting me back in October, I got back from Ft. Sill in December, and this past week I finally finished getting the engine rebuilt. Now the Jeep is in the shop for some body work (covered by the insurance, thankfully), and it should be back in good-as-new condition by next week.

I didn't really have the drive to visit the site while my Jeep was sitting there unable to move. Once I get the jeep back from the body shop, I'm putting on some new shocks, and hope to get out to some trails for a shake-down soon. Looking forward to this Summer's wheeling season.

It's good to be back. Not driving a jeep sucks.

bburgi
04-30-2008, 11:19 AM
Just a quick update - more for my own use than anything else. Putting my plans out here tends to keep me motivated to continue working on the Jeep.

Had some body work done after an accident my wife had while driving from OK back to TX. She ran into a sudden ice/snow storm, hit a patch of ice and slid off the road into a tree. Nothing major, just dented up the ARB - I'm pretty sure that saved the Jeep. Insurance covered everything and even gave me a shiny new bull bar.

So the motor is rebuilt, the body work is fixed, and the heep is up and running like a champ again. I just replaced a burned out lock actuator on the rear lift gate, and I'm about to get to work on the suspension. I need new shocks all around, and my tie rod ends are shot - that's causing some pretty awesome death-wobble between 45-55 mph, so I need to get on that asap. The left front axle shaft is having some issues too, and It's probably due for a replacement before I blow it up. My parking brake is worn out too - the cable that runs from the handle was broken and I fixed that last summer, but the actual brakes don't work so I need to fix that as well.

After the necessary work is done I'm going to work on getting a rear bumper to replace the plastic crap (I like the one from custom4x4 - hopefully I can get that soon) and eventually getting some long arms on this bad boy. I'm willing to bet the long arms are still a good 2-3 years away though.

Oh, and just to give you guys a good laugh at me - Changed the oil on Sunday and while I was hurrying to finish up I didn't realize the gasket from the old oil filter was still stuck to the jeep. I screwed the new filter on, poured the oil in, and when I cranked it up oil shot out of the filter all over my garage. I was pissed! I thought I must have gotten the wrong filter or else my engine blew up or something crazy... when I realized what it was I felt like a dumbass. :D

bburgi
02-28-2009, 11:28 PM
Let's see where we are with the Rev... Replaced a busted axle shaft last week, installed new BDS 5500 shocks today and got the new tie rod ends put on all around. You should have seen the bushings on the old ends... I'll have to pull them out of the trash and take a picture. No wonder I was getting crazy death-wobble! The Jeep has been out of commission for a while and it feels great to have it back up and running.

Here's my to-do list for now:

- Alignment
- Replace lift gate and hood supports
- Replace two worn out door locks
- Replace broken passenger side mirror
- Rewire the roof mounted lights
- Install rock lights
- Change out all fluids
- New tires sometime soon
- Wheel it!

bburgi
05-03-2009, 11:21 PM
Is this normal?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3498859334_62e51857fc.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3498859334_62e51857fc.jpg)

PS: New tires, and finally got out to wheel it this season. Check out the report in the trip section.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3498399060_d15e4aa785.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/sets/72157617561800525)

Goosed76
05-03-2009, 11:57 PM
Is this normal?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3498859334_62e51857fc.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3498859334_62e51857fc.jpg)


(http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/sets/72157617561800525)Negative- does not meet manufacturer specifications. :rolleyes:

As far as the plastic tabs breaking- just a thought... could be something entirely different going on, but this is what I've seen....
Have you had any cooling system work done- more namely- the radiator? People try to do radiators in the WJ's w/o pulling the front bumper cover(or in your case, the whole ARB bumper) and header panel in order to gain access to a few bolts. It's not absolutely necessary to remove the bumper cover- but if you aren't careful when removing the upper radiator support, these clips will break. Usually it's just the two outer ones that are damaged, but I guess it can happen to all 4 with some who really gets carried away. I personally find that it doesn't take much longer, and is less of a pain to just remove the front bumper fascia and header panel.
Not sure if this is what happened to yours or not, just have seen it happen this way more than a hand full of times. And if it were me- I wouldn't be in a hurry to lift the ARB off to change a radiator either...

bburgi
05-05-2009, 10:27 PM
A few more pictures from this past weekend...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/3505619219_6591b383db.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/3505619219)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3505619853_7d26c81935.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/3505619853/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3386/3506430608_353e9d308c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/3506430608/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3505621913_4ef2ba173a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/3505621913/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3506433556_34bcd4bd45.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/3506433556/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3505624171_05b948898f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bburgi/3505624171/)