Project "MONEY PIT"

[Cue-Ball]

Okay guys, most of you know what my plans are and some of you don't.

So I thought it was time to just layout all my cards and start one of these build up threads. I must warn you in advance that this is going to be a VERY slow thread until I get all the parts and pieces ordered and they arrive, after that it will move really fast.

So the plans:

• 42/46RE Hybrid transmission
• 4.6L stroker engine
• Clayton Long Arms (triangulated 4 link)
• Coil-Overs front/rear
• HP60 (full width)
• Full Detroit
• 5.38 gears
• over axle track bar bracket
• 1 ton steering with 1-1/2"x1/4" wall DOM tubing
• 14bolt (full width)
• Full Spool
• 5.38 gears
• XJ Armour's rocker protection
• Extended steel braided brake lines (all 5)
• Replace 249 transfer case w/ D300 w/ 4.1
• Limiting straps to protect shocks
• RE HD Track bar and bracket (already installed)
• 40" GoodYear MT/R's
• Beadlocks (unsure which ones)
• Dual Optima Yellow Tops (already installed see pix below)
• Turbo City air intake (already installed see pix below)

Well that about sums it up for the first go around. Once this is all installed the future plans will be (far in the future):

• Full interior roll cage
• Supercharger
• PSC steering gear box
• Mastercraft suspension seats (front and rear)
• 4 point seat belts
• Kevin's roof rack
• PIAA 520's in front Trail Ready bumper

I am sure I am forgetting some stuff and I am sure I will change my mind and add stuff to the list, but this is a good start.

So here is the dual batt and Turbo City pix:

From this:


To this:




Some of the welding



Stay tuned for more.

[nate]

That's more or less what I'm doing to mine.

7" RK springs and ACOS will be TALL! You'll be able to run 35s with just the 7" from what I have seen on here. Trim a little hear and there if need be, but keeping it low is a good thing. Alot of guys are running less too, just depends on how crazy you go with the sawzall.

Nice battery install. What kind of cables are you running? I need to find someone with a lug crimper so I can run the military blocks like you have.

[Cue-Ball]

Yea that is why I am not sure about the ACOS yet.

I got my cables from James at jeepersandcreepers.com they are pretty sweet. Once I figure out my dual battery isolator I will order some more cables from him for the 2nd battery.

I am really stoked about how the batts came out, could not have been happier with the way they are.

[Nordic1]

With the RKs, you'll have to get creative with rear bump-stops or rear spring upper retainers because RKs springs unseat really easy

[Cue-Ball]

True, Ty up at Rock Control has some spring retainers I am probably going to use.

Hey Chase, you going to keep your RK springs or sell them?

[Nordic1]

keep them... one of these weekends I'm going to throw my accos in and then install the RKs

[Cue-Ball]

Cool.

Did you ever find out about that front axle you were looking to get?

[Nordic1]

HP 30 for me... I just got a hold of alloy inners, 760 spicer and stock outer axleshafts used from JU

I might have a deal on an ARB used for pretty cheap... outside of that I'm def going over the axle trackbar that I might build with some 1.5" dom (like my steering) and then do the tera 30 knuckle or something.

[nate]

Why is the RK spring any different than an RE spring? I'm not sure what you mean with unseating, like if you flex and the spring falls out, or they don't fit in the spring cups right?

What I was looking at is ACOS with my 4.5" RE springs. Not sure yet.

[Nordic1]

I'll take pics when I swap my RE's out for RKs but with no weight on the spring, RK's are about 1" shorter than RE's. Here's a pic of what I mean by unseated:

That's the best pic I have on hand.... nothing will ruin your day like unseating a spring like this... Instead of creating something gheto-fab with exaust tubing for an extended bumpstop, I'm going to simply add accos.

[nate]

Ok. Well that's not a problem with RK springs; you make it sound like it is. That's just long arms for you. Make a retainer, limiting straps, etc.

$200 ACOS or $2 of pipe... Hmm. ACOS are cool since they are adjustable, but it will bump you to ~8.25" of lift... Isn't that a bit tall?

[nate]

Ok. Well that's not a problem with RK springs; you make it sound like it is. That's just long arms for you. Make a retainer, limiting straps, etc.

$200 ACOS or $2 of pipe... Hmm. ACOS are cool since they are adjustable, but it will bump you to ~8.25" of lift... Isn't that a bit tall?

[LouisianaZJ]

Okay guys, most of you know what my plans are and
So the plans:

• Rock Control Long Arms (double triangulated 4 link)
• Rock Krawler 7" springs front/rear
• HP30
  [list:f05a600bac]
• open diff
• 4.56 gears
• over axle track bar bracket
• 1 ton steering with 1.5"x5/16" wall DOM tubing
• All new MOOG ball joints
• Crane cover

[/list:u:f05a600bac]
[list][*]8.8
[list][*]PowerTrax no slip locker[*]4.56 gears[*]Spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers[*]Raised shock mounts[*]Crane cover
.

if you ditch the rear crane cover and the powertrax no slip, you would probably be close to the price of a full detroit rear


might want to checkout the tru trac or a noslip for the front, about $300

[Cue-Ball]

True, but the PowerTrax is already installed in the 8.8 so I don't really want to mess with it right now.

I have thought about some kind of locker in the front but I don't want to break stuff all the time and I want to be able to drive on the street. Right now I have the 249 TC so I am not sure how well a front locker will like that.

[nate]

I don't know if your looking for ideas on diff skids, but I suggest the Warn ones. They are around $65 a piece. Have saved me a time or two.

[Cue-Ball]

Thanks Nate. I already have the Crane diff cover for the front and will be ordering one for the 8.8 pretty soon.

[BlackDiamondBound]

XJ Armour's rocker protection

is that the same that jerod has? do its realy for a xj?

[Cue-Ball]

Yes it is the same ones that Jerod is running. I am not sure that they are for the XJ but they are called XJ Armour, so I am not sure, but I think they look GREAT, and I got a sweet deal on them, I just need to pick them up in LA, and since we are going to Disney Land in Feb. I will just pick them up while I am down that way.

Works out great.

[BlackDiamondBound]

i searched and could not find them anywhere, do they still make them?

[MaineZJ]

1 minute with google:

http://www.xj-armor.com/rockrails.htm

[Cue-Ball]

Nope those are not them, and no I don't believe they make them any longer.

Here are a few pix of the ones I get to go pick up.

[Cue-Ball]

Just added a synthetic winch rope this weekend.

I also had the aluminum hawse fairlead hard anodized black, turned out sweet.








Now I need to break down and take the bumper off, strip it down, and repaint it. I might get some POR-15 and spray it with that. Not gonna mess with that for a while though as it is a pain to take it all apart.

[Cue-Ball]

Okay the dual battery set up is almost complete. I got the kit from Wrangler NW and I have to say that Steve was great to work with.

Here is how the kit came


It is a very complete kit.

Here is the massive 200 amp continuos duty relay


I opted to go with military battery clamps as I had done when I upgraded the stock battery cables a year ago with jeepersandcreepers.com

I like how Steve uses red and black screws (I know it is the little things that excite me)

Here is the battery manager switch that controls the relay

Here is the wiring harness for the battery manager switch

You can tell that WranglerNW pays close attention to detail in the way they construct the harness, they even include the terminal covers, very clean


So now to the install, I mounted the relay to the custom battery box I have installed, I had to gring the mounting edge of the relay a little bit to get it to fit.



The location of the switch is basically where ever you can find a place that you like. The wiring harness is avaliable in different lengths and is easily cut shorter if needed (I had to cut 3-4 feet off mine). I picked the spot just below my lighter plug (that is since been replaced with the plug for my winch). The problem with this location is that the switch is rather long and there was some metal behind that I had to drill out to get the switch to fit. It is also a PITA to get that front part of the dash off, I could only get it part way off so it was even more of a pain.







I know the switch is a little crooked I will fix that when I finish up the cabling.

Here is a picture of the partially wired relay


Okay why is it only partially wired, and why is it almost complete you ask?

Well the The cables I had Steve make up for me have a different end than the cables I have had James at jeepersandcreepers.com make up for me when I upgraded the battery cables previously. I am sure that the ends that Steve used are just as good as the ones James uses, but for me it comes down to the way they look.

So I have sent the cables that came with the kit to James to have him install new ends on them that will match the cables I already have installed. I should have the cables back hopefully by this weekend so I can get them installed and call this project DONE. I was able to temporarily hook up the cables to make sure everything worked and it seem to be just fine.

[Cue-Ball]

Okay got the cables back from James and installed the cables this weekend and straightened out the switch under the dash. The only thing that I have to do now is replace the military battery clamps I originally got from jeepersandcreepers last year as it has started to rip on the positive clamp. (I tell you it is ALWAYS something).

I will have some pix in a few days my wife is out of town this weekend with the camera.

Now I can focus all my extra cash on getting my long arm and axle swap stuff figured out.

[Cue-Ball]

Okay all,

I FINALLY finished the dual battery set up.

Here are a few pix of the finished product.

Second battery


Relay


Main battery


And yes I even sraightened out the switch


While I was at it I installed a CB, I still need to test and tune it with a buddy here locally sometime this week but at least it is in.



The CB is the LAST item I am spending ANY money on that is not related to my long arms and axle swap, except for maintinance items like the motor mounts I have to replace. I have to get really focused on that now and put every penny I can into it. I do have my guage pod to install but I already have everything I need for that, am going to try and install that this coming weekend.