The Uncharted build

I'm not 100% sure where to begin with my build. Seeing as how I build it once and now have completely torn it down and rebuilt it.

I guess I'll do a short sum up of my Jeeps life and detail the actual build over the past two years or so to get everyone up to speed.

My Jeep started life as a 98 Wrangler Sport with a no name 4 inch lift and 33'' Futura Dakota RVT



Over time I did the normal stuff we all do, front and rear bumpers, rocker guards, suspension, exhaust, tires etc... and it looked like this.



It was around this time that my weekly routine was to get to work early to weld my control arms back on my frame or axle...which ever one decided to rip out that day, gotta love New England and our wonderful rust. After doing this a few to many times my awesome wife gave me the green light to, as she put it "do what you do", and so the work began.

My build so far is looking like this...

Frame
2000
Completely stripped
Coated inside and out with Rust Bullet
New motor mounts
New front track bar mount
New steering linkage mount
Newly fabed rear control arm mounts
Reinforced rust prone areas of frame
New transfer case nutserts
New Classic Tube SS brake lines

Motor
4.6L I-6
4.2 Crank
Brown Dog MML
Icon IC944 .30 pistons
Comp Cams 68-232-4
Mopar performance valve springs / Retainers - 5249464 / 4452032
Mopar performance head gasket - 4529242
Arp head studs
Melling oil pump
62mm TB
Fuel Pump, lines, Ford 24lb Injectors
FAL Fan
Aluminum Radiator
Header
Banks Exhaust
Hi Flow cat
New Gaskets
New Bearings
Custom mounted Amsoil cone filter w/pre-filter

Transmission/Transfer Case
Advanced Adapters SYE
Advanced Adapters Braided Stainless Clutch Line
Novak Transfer Case Shifter
Tom Woods Rear Drive Shaft

Suspension
OME 2.5 HD springs
OME L series shocks
JKS Control arms upper and Lower
JKS Quicker Discos
TNT Front track bar (with replacement frame bracket)
Rokmen .5 body lift
Rokmen bump stops extensions
Rokmen rear spring relocator kit
New bumper jounces

Axles
Front
2000 HP Dana 30
4.10
Solid differential cover
Lube locker
New upper control arm bushings
Gusseted lower control arm mounts and upper control arm mount
New Rotors and Pads
SS Brake Lines
- locker, RCV's, sleeves, Artec truss (ordered), C Gussets (ordered), Currie steering, Vanco BBK

Rear
1999 Ford 8.8
Ford Racing LSD Clutch Packs
4.10
Solid differential cover
Lube locker
New Rotors and Pads
Currie 8.8 brake line kit
Artec Truss
Yukon 8.8 Axles
- Locker

Armor
Rokmen HiLine Tube Fender
Rokmen Stryker Steel Corners
Rokmen Transfer Case Skid
Rokmen Gas Tank Skid
Rokmen Rocker Guards
Rokmen Power Steering Skid
Poison Spyder BFH II Rear Bumper
Mopar Front Rock Bumper

Recovery
Warn M8000-s
Front & Rear Shackles
Misc straps and pulleys

Lighting
GE Nighthawk LED (re-branded Trucklights)
30" LED Light Bar
2" LED Spot Lights

Rims and Tires
Black Rock 15x8
Goodyear MT/R Kevlar 35x12.50R15
Dyna beads





Now, let me rewind a bit and start things off from the begin...again...for the second time.

Awesome rig! Love it. Subscribed. Have you run the dynabeads?? Thoughts?


Sent from my iPad using WAYALIFE mobile app.......

those MT/Rs look awesome. Great look. :rock:

So starting with the most important part...my new to me frame.

I picked this beauty with matching tub up for cheap coin. Just south of Boston.



and like anything you get for cheap, it surly had its problems. Like for instance, the front track bar mount had been sort of cut off, so I finished what someone else started and replaced it with a new mount. Along with replacing the missing motor mounts.




Next was to bolster the rear part of the frame where TJ's are known to rust...oh and the rear control arms where cut off, I made new upper and lower mounts for those as well.


I made up a few 3/16 plates to fill in those wonderful holes



I figured while I had the frame upside down and easy to work with I would do the nutserts for the transfer case as well.
This whole process was made vastly easier with the help of an air chisel. I tossed together a nutsert "tool" and went to work.






Next was frame prep for paint got everything cleaned and sanded down and laid 3 coats of Rust Bullet.





After that I laid another 2 coats of Rust Bullet Black Shell




So that is basically the frame for now. I've have since done more, but we'll get there, its a bit of a ways off.

Armydog said:

Awesome rig! Love it. Subscribed. Have you run the dynabeads?? Thoughts?


Sent from my iPad using WAYALIFE mobile app.......

Click to expand...

Thanks

And yes I have been running dynabeads for quite awhile now and swear by them, with my old MTR's it was the only thing that would balance them. A little time consuming to install through the valve stem if you don't have a shop break the beads on your tires and just dump them in but it was worth the time.

kornchip said:

those MT/Rs look awesome. Great look. :rock:

Click to expand...

Thanks, I hope they work as good as they look, I'm hoping to find out real soon.

During the time working on my frame I had done quite a few other things.

I picked up a HP Dana 30 and a Ford 8.8 for my axles. I got the front and rear axles for $200 at a local parts yard, and picked up some used gears from a local Jeeper for $100 that he was planning on tossing because he moved up to 4.88's. Got them cleaned up and set up both with 4:11's, welded on the brackets for the 8.8 and got all the bearings and races installed. I also got the bump stop extensions mounted and new bushing installed along with a few random peaces of steal to bolster up the lower control arms and the upper control arm mount. Don't really have a whole lots of pics on this.




Because I was doing all this set up myself it called for a fair amount of tools to be purchased. I subscribe at home to the right tool for the job mentality.



This whole thing has been one great learning experience, I have managed to do 99% of all the work on my own.

Also during this time I tore my motor down, painted most of my armor




This was one thing I had not given much thought, I tossed the fenders and rear guards to see how they would fit up, and things seemed to fit up just nicely.



Until of course I added my ARB rockers to the tub...



I wasn't really thinking about having to buy rockers until I got a good look at that. lol

Subscribed! Awesome job :thumb:

I finished setting up my front and rear axles or so I thought and got them under my frame.
Oh I forgot to mention, all of the factory shims for my carriers and pinions front and rear got thrown away, so setting up included starting from scratch with setting the ring and pinion depth. I did learn a-lot.

So axles, at first I used brackets from Iron Rock Off Road for my 8.8 rear axle. It's hard to see in this picture but if you look at the lower bumpstop extensions you can see they have a bit of a rake to them. (This turns out to mean that when I welded them on (over 9 months before hand) I set the pinion angle for a stock drive line setup, not for running an SYE)


You can see it a little more in this picture. As well as how far away my bumpstops and pads are from each other, they are not even close to the correct lengths in the back. Not to mention the track bar mount is angled way to much.


The front lined up much better. The control arms are just tossed in at this point at whatever length they where set at.




Now to most people I'm sure this doesn't seem like a big deal. But finally having my frame up and rolling was a huge boost for me. I, at this point had been working on my Jeep for about a year. But it was a little here and little there kind of thing. At the same time I was rebuilding a YJ (carb to fuel injected engine swap) for my boss at work and it was sucking all of my Jeepness out of me, so every night I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was work on my own Jeep.

good work on the frame, nice build up so far.

Nice looking jeep and a lot of sweet went into it!

Next was the installation of an SYE to an NP231. Things where quite a bit easier with the whole assembly out of the Jeep and standing on end.

Make sure you have everything needed for the job.



Drain the ATF


Remove the speedo gear



Next was the shift linkage (after engaging the transfer case into 4wd)



The front yoke was removed next with a 1 1/8 socket a ratchet and yoke holding tool and it came right off.



Then onto the tail shaft and the removal of the output shaft boot.



Next the stop ring and snap ring come off



The rear seal is next to be removed


The two rear bearing retaining snap rings came next




The tail shaft housing was after that with a little motivation from a dead blow hammer around the edges, a little prying and it came right off


Oil Pump came next inline to come out


After the case was split, we removed the front and rear output shaft.


Then the top snap ring was taken off and the mode hub and drive sprocket got removed from the shaft. Remember the orientation of these two.




Quick shot of the half empty case.


New shaft covered in AMSOIL Assembly Lube, replaced the mode hub and drive sprocket and placed the new snap ring on the shaft.






Next was back to the case to install the front and rear shafts along with the chain. (Side note, when we first installed it in the case the chain was slightly binding, this is normal, after you install the yoke is pulls everything into proper position.) Notice the cleaned edges of the mating surface of the case. Next came The Right Stuff for making the gasket and sealing the cover back on to the housing along with the installation of the oil pump. A lower retaining ring was placed on the speed-o-drive gear and another retaining ring to top it all off. I place another bead of The Right Stuff on the rear housing and bolted it in place.




Re-installed the speedo gear


And last but not least we installed the new seal washers both front and rear along with both the yokes.



Top everything off with new fluid and it's good to go.

hinrichs said:

good work on the frame, nice build up so far.

Click to expand...

Rusty said:

Nice looking jeep and a lot of sweet went into it!

Click to expand...

Thanks cant wait to get it out of the garage and start driving it.

Next came the engine.
Here is what it looked like when it came out of my Jeep.



I tore it down and sent it out for machine work.
I took .30 off the cylinder walls, rotating assembly balanced, had the head decked and the valve seats done.
Motor details are on page 1

I got the head back a week earlier than the block so I cleaned up the intake and exhaust ports gasket matching them.
Before



After




As with any build lay everything out check for missing components


First things first, laid in the bearings and checked the mains and rods for proper gap with Plastigauge. It spec'd out perfectly right between .002 and .0015.




I covered all the bearings and cylinder walls with Amsoil Assembly Lube and torqued everything to spec.



I next got the oil pump and pickup installed and torqued the cap brace down.



Laid on the head gasket.


Factory 4.0L valve spring vs. Mopar dual


Got everything all lined up for valve and spring install and went to town.






Checking clearances and dialing everything in.


Got the motor and trans mated up and placed it into its new home after painting it.


Got the majority of the accessories bolted up



Now that the motor was between the rails it was time to work on the tub.

The day I went to work on cleaning up and painting the underside of the tub was beautiful. Everything was ready, had POR15 in hand, flipped the tub over and found this


Having dealt with this in the past on my old tub and others I knew there was only one fix, surgery was needed to fix the problem, so I put the tub in my truck and off to work I went (we have metal fab tools there, which is the major thing I'm lacking in my garage)


So the garage it went and let the games begin


With the first few cuts made, the classic sign of living life in New England reared its head... I was glad I followed my nose



All cleaned up and ready for new mounts to be build.


Process was the same for the other three



Knowing I was going to be running a 1/2 Rokmen body lift for skid clearance I worked that into the new mounts so I didn't have to fuss with the 1/2 pucks for these four mounting locations. I cut up some cardboard templates and broke out the plasma and started cutting and welding.






End result, painted inside the rails as well to seal out water.

That is one hell of a job you are tackling. Awesome job man!

Awesome work! great details in your pics, writing! I could have used your pics awhile back when putting in the SYE in my TJ :thumb:

I don't know how I missed this build thread. Wow, you are really turning this thing around and looks like you are doing it some justice. Thanks for sharing. :yup: :thumb:

Next was installing a new fuel pump before attaching my gas tank skid to the Jeep.

So here we go, installing a new fuel pump in a TJ.

Remove as much fuel from the tank as you can before starting.

Remove bezel. (Sorry no pic of this, I didn't have one at the time) Drop tank enough to remove the fuel pressure line, vapor line and electrical connector. The pressure line is the one that will most likely put up a fight. You need to depress the two tabs on the blue clip and pull at the same time. Then remove the vapor lines, a pair of pliers will help break the seal the vapor line with a little twisting motion. I choose to replace everything seeing as how I already had everything apart.



Remove tank skid and gas tank. If your tank straps are in good shape leave them be, if not again this is the time to replace them.
You need to remove the metal retaining clip that goes across the top. Flat head screw driver will help with this.



Keep that flat head in your hand, you can use it and a small hammer to slowly loosen the retaining ring that hold the fuel pump in the tank.



And out comes the fuel pump.


I found my filter element just kinda floating around in my tank


Not really sure this is the recommended way to filter fuel


Then pull the seal off the hole, if it didn't come off already. Your new pump should come with a new one.


I completely cleaned out the tank, I siphoned the last 3/4 of a gallon of gas out and wiped the inside clean with a few lint free pieces cloth.
Now reverse order. Install gasket, Install pump, making sure the arrows are facing the proper direction. (should be toward the front of the Jeep)



Replace your blue retaining clip and vapor lines



Lift tank into position and reconnect fuel pressure and vapor lines and plug in the electrical line.
Re-install bezel.

So by all accounts I was making good progress and shooting to drive my Jeep by Sept. It was currently June (2013)...then work happened. I managed to try and stand up under a truck frame, that I though I had cleared, smashing my head and being the recipient of 7 shiny staples...


I didn't get much done for a week or so, then I was able to get the tub mounted



And got the brake lines installed



As well as getting the holes cut for my taillights