I added some lexan, some 3/16 plate and a fresh coat of paint
Well while in Afghanistan I was doing the endless Amazon browsing that a deployed Soldier does in their down time and found a deal too good to pass up on some RE 4.5 coils, I think I paid 60, and took it as a sign that its time to start again. When I got back I ordered some Barnes 4wd brackets, eduro joints, heims. That's about the time the wife got pregnant, I had professional development school, and had to move a division headquarters overseas on short notice, coupled with a PCS. It was just the universe's way of telling me wait a little longer.
As luck would have it that PCS was to an instructor position at Ft Sill. It meant 3 years of stability, the first year I spent enjoying the time I had with my family and getting back into fishing pretty heavily.
This past August a Chevy 1500 decided to run a red light and T-bone the WJ so an ambulance could get by... Totaled Jeep later and a few months and the Jeep bug started hitting the wife and I hard again.
For a long time I wasn't sure what my long term plans were for tire/axle combo. I thought about going ton's, I looked for ton's, I bought my DD OBS F350 7.3DI, and had to slap 35's on it to get the clearance I wanted under the axles to go to my fishing spots. I realized than that I really don't want the width of tons, nor do I really want to go into the 40" tire range to get the ground clearance I wanted. So I've opted to remain on 36's and just beef the axles I have.
Fast forward to this past Christmas leave and a New Year's Resolution of finishing projects...
I started my 3 link front build. Custom trans xmember, no bind, upper is flat at ride height.
Exhaust is going to be tight but doable.
I made more progress but forgot to snap pics. Its now sitting on coils again, axle brackets are burned on except for the shock brackets and hydro ram mount.
I am not sure I'm happy with the height at the moment so I ordered some 2" spacers to see how that sits.
The front lower shock brackets, I have an idea in my head that I think will work out just fine, not my first choice but with the axle tube/caliper clearance I have available its my only option. I will post up that when they are tacked for opinions.
Plans for the next year include, alloy front shafts but do I do RCV or standard shafts with super joints. I like the ability to easily remove standard shafts but will I really need to remove the RCV with 36's very often?
Replace chipped gears in 8.8.
Tap/Rebuild the spare steering box I have so I can end the slow leak I have on my box.
Wheel once again.