Hit 2nd and bump it - my ZJ build

[UTChavok]

Current:
1998 5.9 Grand Cherokee
46RE Transmission
231 TCase w/ SYE
35x12.50x15 KM2s
Front axle: J10 Dana 44 4.56s welded carrier, Yukon outers, dutchman inners, 300M Nitro U joints
Rear axle: Ford 8.8 Aussie locker
Front Radius Arms w/ Johnnys
Rear triangulated 4 link w/ Johnnys in the lowers 7/8 heim uppers
Bilstein 5125s

Most Recent:




Sitting here bored, figured Id make a build thread where I could get a lot more useful information compared to Jeepforum

Bought my ZJ stock when I turned 16, 4.,0, 242 113k blah blah. I knew how to change my oil and that was about it.


After learning alot more and getting to know the guys in my club I decided to bump up in some lift. Bought a 3.5" RE superride off a guy in my club and got some old 32x11.50 wildtracs from a friend and put them on some cragers. Also bought a teraflex adj front track bar.


This lasted for a while until I itched to go higher again. I cut down my 2" spacers to 1.25" and stacked them ontop of the 3.5 RE for just over 4.5". I ordered some black diamond shocks since the procomps were a little short, and put on my YJ brake lines. Droops pretty good with everything now. Put on 33x10.50 KM2s shortly after too.



After trimming


Did some other little things, heres how shes sitting now after the TnT stiffeners and sliders.





Badass pose right here, not sure why I look extremely pissed off


Ive got plans but there basically the same as everyone else and there mom on here.

[UTChavok]

We started constructing my new crossmember. Its for my senior project and Im getting alot of help from a buddy of mine, first time weve actually built something for the ZJ. The 2x2 will be welded onto the stiffeners and then the tube is welded onto a small piece of plate that bolts to the 2x2. Its tacked on now just to mock it up. Have a 4x6 piece of plate that will be welded in to bolt the tranny mount to. Eventually the hole bottom of the tube will be plated. Have to bend a piece of tube for the transfercase skid aswell.

[Jeeperoni91]

looks good, looks alot like my rig did before i got ahold of cam's shit and put it underneath.

very clean, i like it alot.

[MoonWorks]

Looking good bro. Keep the build going!

[greyjeep93]

its about time. cant wait to get both the zj's out on the trail. my heep has been out of commision so long that you're taking my place. cant let that happen.

but slap an 8.8 in it and come to harlan with us next weekend.

[UTChavok]

give me $500 and wed make it happen haha. to bad $7 an hour at firehouse aint paying for hell with my build.

[UTChavok]

Swapped in a header to get rid of my cracked exhaust manifold. Was planning on the 99+ intake but I drove 140 miles round trip to a salvage yard that screwed my over so I just didnt bother with it.

Old vs New one all painted up

Everything off

Header on

intakes on


For the first time taking any of this stuff apart it wasnt that hard at all. I cleaned out my intake manifold and tb too while they were off. The difference between the header and the cracked manifold I had on there before is huge. Sounds so much better now. Notice a slight difference too when accelerating. Overall im pretty happy with it.

[UTChavok]

Little update-



I got an 8.8 with 4.10s with the mounts already ground off, brand new brake pads, rotors calipers, ebrake pads and the flange to ujoint adapter all for $220. Its a little rusty because it was sitting in this dudes shed, but nothing a flap wheel wont clean up in the next day or two.

Doing a four link with DOM for the links. Gonna go with johnys on the lower links axle side and these poly bushings from ballistic for the frame side. (http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...63_p_1646.html) there pretty new from what my friend was saying. Not sure if were doing hiems or not for the uppers though.

Any input on the 4 link would be appreciated too. What brackets yall have used, designs, trusses. Im open to all ideas now. Been searching on here to and finding a bunch of helpful stuff.

[AQHACowboy]

Looking good.

Who makes the header that you have?

[BigDaveZJ]

I'd probably put the poly on the axle end and run the johnny joints on the frame end personally.

[UTChavok]

Looking good.

Who makes the header that you have?

Im not sure, it looks like the same exact one made by flow daddy off rustys website he sells for $250, came with the same gasket kit and everything. Heres the ebay link where I got mine from, he went up like $16 from when I got mine.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1991-...1%7C240%3A1318

I'd probably put the poly on the axle end and run the johnny joints on the frame end personally.

Thats what I was thinking with how the RE arms are made. My friend (skerb on pirate) whos gonna be helping me build the LAs said that with how the axle will articulate itll put a lot of wear on the rubber bushing where it could use the movement in the johny joint and allow better articulation on the axle side.

[MoonWorks]

I'd probably put the poly on the axle end and run the johnny joints on the frame end personally.

I agree if you're going to use the poly bushing

Thats what I was thinking with how the RE arms are made. My friend (skerb on pirate) whos gonna be helping me build the LAs said that with how the axle will articulate itll put a lot of wear on the rubber bushing where it could use the movement in the johny joint and allow better articulation on the axle side.

True but if you use a JJ on both ends of your lowers I'd recommend you only run a 3 link. If you run fixed joints on each end of all your links...it will bind up w/ a 4 link. So if you want to run a 4 link...use the poly joints on the axle side.

[ZJ TINS]

Same header is the same as the APN it was about $129.

[UTChavok]

True but if you use a JJ on both ends of your lowers I'd recommend you only run a 3 link. If you run fixed joints on each end of all your links...it will bind up w/ a 4 link. So if you want to run a 4 link...use the poly joints on the axle side.

definitely not running a 3 link, not running fixed links on either end to. good to hear about the axle side then.

[greyjeep93]

I'd probably put the poly on the axle end and run the johnny joints on the frame end personally.

i've always put the jj's on the axle and bushings on the frame cause the frame end just move up and down for the most part while the axle ends need to move and twist when the axle droops and tucks. thats how mine is set up and i've had no side effects. my shocks max out before my rear runs out of flex.


but i would probably run jj's all the way around if i did it again. but i thinks it more of a personal preference weather you do frame or axle with bushings. just my .02

[zj95maxx]

To the above post.

Your logic is not as head on as you would think

You say you put JJ on the axle because the axle twists and the body stays straight...but what do you think happens when the axle twists..the body moves with it? Both "move". The axle moves when you flex, and the body moves away from where the axle is going by staying still, if you get what I am saying.

[greyjeep93]

To the above post.

Your logic is not as head on as you would think

You say you put JJ on the axle because the axle twists and the body stays straight...but what do you think happens when the axle twists..the body moves with it? Both "move". The axle moves when you flex, and the body moves away from where the axle is going by staying still, if you get what I am saying.

not sure i follow, you mind elaborating?

im not saying mines the only way, thats just how i did mine and several other jeeps and it proven to work. my logic may not be right but that's what i've always heard and understood. there will always be some binding if you run bushings anywhere on suspension (reason why im changing mine to johnny's) so you can't really get rid of it.

[zj95maxx]

Think of it like this. Look at these I's
I
I

right now they are directly over one another, think of them as your links, the bottom of the bottom I is your axle, top of the top I is your body mount.

I
-I

Now, your suspension has flexed and the axle has moved away from the body. The body mount has stayed still, but since the axle has moved, the body mount has "moved" by staying still. as in, they dont line up anymore.

Maybe I am getting over my head with the, moving while staying still. The point is, any bushing anywhere, when not rotating in a straight articulation, is going to bind somewhat.

The bushings one one end make for a better, quieter ride. They are also cheaper. These are some factors that come in to play when designing the links.

Johnny joints will flex better, but having a bushing on one side is not a bad thing.

EDIT: this stupid keyboard cant type links!
\ would be a better understanding of how the link has now moved, both top and bottom

[greyjeep93]

not a bad description. agreed that the dont stay lined up which is why i wouldn't do bushings again. but yes they do ride alot better casue the absorb alot more road vibes than johnny's. i also agree that ,like i said earlier, bushings are always gonna bind to some extent.

but sorry ronnie, i guess that didn't help your decison on weather to run bushing at the frame or axle. just save and be a baller and get johnny's for both ends

[UTChavok]

not a bad description. agreed that the dont stay lined up which is why i wouldn't do bushings again. but yes they do ride alot better casue the absorb alot more road vibes than johnny's. i also agree that ,like i said earlier, bushings are always gonna bind to some extent.

but sorry ronnie, i guess that didn't help your decison on weather to run bushing at the frame or axle. just save and be a baller and get johnny's for both ends

To bad I ordered 4 of the poly thread bushings from ballistic. Two for the uppers two lowers.

Heres a couple crappy pics of the crossmember we finally got mounted up there. Im going to plate the bottom of it and bend another piece of tube for the TC skid and plate that. I was planning on picking up a used Hobart 135 for $350 tommorow but after looking around they seem to be going for ~$300 so I may hold off. Not sure If I want to buy used or just get a new handler 140.

[UTChavok]

heres a few pics too of when me and my buddy went wheeling last saturday. only took the camera out for the "obstacle course" they have at the beginning of the park.


Some guy was like HEY GOT A CAMERA?!? and had me stop to take a picture. Drops down about 4 more feet into that bowl. That drop in was pretty crazy, Ive never been more vertical and almost shit myself then right there

[ATL ZJ]

Paying an extra $50 might help insure that you're getting a machine that wasn't abused. The parts do wear after a good bit of use.

Is that trail something new at gulches? or the other new place in the upstate?

[UTChavok]

Paying an extra $50 might help insure that you're getting a machine that wasn't abused. The parts do wear after a good bit of use.

Is that trail something new at gulches? or the other new place in the upstate?

Thats what I was thinking too, it says its in great shape on craigslist and the interenet never lies so that has to be true

Thats at the new place here in Pickens, I think they named it Rice Creek ORV or something like that.

[rstrucks]

X2 on the new machine being worth a few bucks more. I picked up my 140 for around $400 IIRC. Even if you have to go w/o the gas bottle at first I'd go new.

Don't forget to get a real spool of wire too. They start you off with a very small amount of wire.

[ATL ZJ]

Wait, what's this about untruths on the intardweb?

Yep, get a 11 lb spool like Ryan said, and keep the 1-2lb spool of flux wire for trail/camp fixes.