FrankenJeep

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Jan 28, 2012

• #1

Figured I should start a build trend on my 96 4 door chop top.
Bought it chopped on 35s with a rustys 6.5 long arm. First 4x4 and ready to have fun. Went out twice with it and found its short comings. The rear suspension didn't flex, driveline vibes, death wobble, wiring issues and snapped my track bar on my second trip. Alot of work to do, let the adventure begin.

How she looked when I got her. well minus the mud.

Wiring fun, pulled a harness at the pull a part and now we have turn signals and tail lights.

floor coating

scout helping on the harness swap.

rustys track bar let go on the second trip and the madness of the build really begins.

So the broken track bar turns into trussed front and rear, rear locker ( keeping the hp30 and 8.25 by the way ), sye, iro trackbar and steering, shackle relocators, frame stiffeners, mj bastered packs, wj knucle swap, zj disk, 2500 master and whatever else i get ahold of lol.

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Jan 28, 2012

• #2

HD relocation brackets. Great product, with the mj pack ill actually have flex.

quick shot of paint.

stock gas tank skid added and keeping the hitch for now so i have at least one recovery point.

brackets put together and ready to go in.

brackets in

bottom on.

and springs in supper easy, if you can tack a bolt out you can do this.

Man on mock up to see the rear flex for the first time was great. In mock up bracket plus mj leaf and shackle minus overload spring was same 6.5 of lift. Ill post my final lift and adjustments once it gets under its own full weight.

 

cnjcherokee

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Middletown, NJ

• Jan 28, 2012

• #3

Nice start, looking forward to the build.
Is that a full working hatch with the chop? cool

 

2stix

NAXJA Forum User

Location

fallbrook Ca.

• Jan 28, 2012

• #4

looks good. which main leaf did you use for the MJ pack? i think the stock Mj uses a 36" pin to front eye for the main leaf. might have issues with the carrier housing hitting the fuel tank.

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Jan 28, 2012

• #5

it was a working hatch but not finished. I didnt like it so ill be welding an a 97 hatch to help get some strength back into it.

its the mj pack minus the overload i have 3 pin leaf brackets for the axle that i think will keep me forward enough. If not i have a stock xj pack and the rusty 6.5 packs to mix and match with. tomorrows plan is to weld on the rear truss and check he clearances.

 

Dozer11B

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Ft Polk, LA

• Jan 28, 2012

• #6

That thing is cool man. Have fun with it. Sounds like you have your hands full in a good way...

 

2stix

NAXJA Forum User

Location

fallbrook Ca.

• Jan 28, 2012

• #7

let me know how the leaf pin location works out with the three hole perches. i was thinking of doing the same thing, except with using chevy springs. same 26" pin location as the MJ. with my crude measurements it seems to be ok.

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Jan 29, 2012

• #8

put the wife to work

lopping of all the brackets

got my buddy to weld on my truss

Figured out the mj pack wouldnt work, puts axle to far back. got the rear trussed today and working on the front now.

 

aintright

NAXJA Forum User

Location

eerie, pa

• Jan 29, 2012

• #9

that poor stang got showered by sparks!

moving along nicely man.

any concerns of the truss hitting anything being so high

 

2stix

NAXJA Forum User

Location

fallbrook Ca.

• Jan 29, 2012

• #10

when you say the axle was set too far back, did it hit the tank, or just too far back in the wheel well?

 

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Tacedaddy

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Shenandoah valley

• Jan 29, 2012

• #11

this^
why not just move the front spring mounts forward 4 or 5 inches
(with a welder anything is possible)

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Jan 30, 2012

• #12

truss should be fine.

Wheels were to far back in the wells (35s) and stock cover may just miss the tank but my ruff stuff would hit it.

Moving the mounts would be a lot harder and take longer then just making a bastard pack from the stock and rustys 6.5 springs i have.

by the way this has to be ready for a trip on march 3 and I can only work on it on the Saturdays do to school.

 

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Tacedaddy

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Shenandoah valley

• Jan 30, 2012

• #13

ryan6838 said:

I can only work on it on the Saturdays do to school.

Click to expand...

I know the feeling...

i guess with your deadline it does make more sense to stick with bastard packs

 

Last edited: Jan 30, 2012

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clean4drxj

NAXJA Forum User

Location

CT.

• Jan 30, 2012

• #14

If you plan on doing a WJ knuckle swap go with this http://claytonoffroad.com/product_info.php/cPath/18_78/products_id/349

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Jan 30, 2012

• #15

Have a iro steering and trackbar already.

 

BRIANHO13

<- Yum Chocolate

Location

Spring, TX

• Feb 2, 2012

• #16

Very nice work.

 

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jblack'00xj

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Concord, NC

• Feb 11, 2012

• #17

got and more shots of how the hatch is setup/works?

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Feb 13, 2012

• #18

Still alot of pieces

got my sye in and order a adams drive shaft

Rear 8.25 almost done. IRO truss and spring mounts, zone offroad shock mounts, zj disk and still have to put in the lock right and ruff stuff diff cover

Front 30 getting closer. Ballistic Fab coil mounts and truss, rustys top mounts. Have to put on the c braces, wj knuckles ( have to make it work with mile marker hubs) and brakes, IRO track bar and steering, ruff stuff diff cover

Added spherical joints to the rustys long arms but forgot to grab a pic.

piced up a cage the other day. have to make it work but for 150 was a good deal. dont know when ill put it in though.

Previous owner did the chop. He moved the hatch up and made a tail gate. He didnt finish it though, was held shut by bungee cords and theres no bulkhead. I plan to close the bed in but dont know if ill keep a operational hatch or use the 97 hatch i had picked up with plans to weld it in.Ill try to get more pics of it but the hatch isnt at the shop and i keep forgetting it.

Next week it should be on its own 4 feet and i can cycle the suspension to see what shocks ill order.

 

Vanimal

NAXJA Forum User

Location

escondido, ca

• Feb 13, 2012

• #19

how was the ballistic truss install? i just got one, looks like it's going to be a PITA around the drivers side upper control arm bracket since i have radius arms. looks like yours arent stock?

 

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ryan6838

NAXJA Forum User

Location

AL

• Feb 13, 2012

• #20

Its the rustys upper mounts. The ballistic truss was a pain, front didnt need to much work but the back took a ton of work. About 3-4 hours in the truss and its not finished its just tacked right now.