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XJ Buildup III

It also decreases the number of times the compressor fires up on the trail when using your lockers since your not operating your entire system right at the range you need it for the ARBs.

Now common XJeeper, I know for a fact you have at least another half-dozen updates you haven't posted! :geek:
 
Wouldn't that only speed up the air up time of the first tire? After that, the tank is drained and there's not really time for it to fill back up as you walk to the next tire. As always, though, your work looks good.

This is true, but it's better to start the tire fill process with 150 PSI in the tank, than 105 PSI like it was originally. Unless one runs a engine-driven OBA system and larger volume storage tank, tire fill ups are measured in minutes, not seconds.:)
 
Did you get all your armor put on?
 
On, then off.....return to JCR to trade for parts that are built correctly. Install replacement parts......SIGH........trim, grind, massage with 20T press to get them to fit properly......On, then off.....trim, grind, pound....On, then off.....Leave in the corner for months......

I should have all of my projects completed this summer that I want to body color match, so I can finally install the armor for good.
 
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Thanks for the review. I have been eyeing those for a while.
 
I think JCR makes good products, but they failed on the Quality Control.

When the lower quarter guards didnt fit properly, they stepped up and said they had a QC problem with that batch and had since corrected the issue and if I sent the parts back, the would send me new ones that fit properly. Unfortunatly, the replacement set had the same fitment issue. Also keep in mind that I was installing these on straight, unmolested XJ panels.

With the upper section of the Lower Quarter Guard bolted on, here is how the replacement set fit, as shipped from JCR. :banghead:I had to use a brake press on two of the bends get them to fit the body lines at all angles.

JCR97LowerQuarterPanelGuardfitment_zpsece321a8.jpg


The JCR Upper Quarter Guards with integrated tail light housing had even more fitment issues. When bolted on, I couldn't close the hatch without the housing hitting the hatch. This required removing a 1/8" width of sheet metal from top to bottom.

There was also a fitment issue at the wheelwell area and I had to remove 1/8" of metal from the upper guard so that it would fit snug to the body.


JCRUpperQuarterGuardfitment1_zps18159f8e.jpg



JCRUpperQuarterGuardfitment2_zps768b850e.jpg


After several exhanges with JCR, they decided that a $100 Gift Cert was adequate compensation for my time to modify their products so that they would actually fit and repayment for the return shipping on the defective parts :dunno: ....... bottom line, I still think JCR makes a good product, but don't expect them to just bolt-on without "massaging".

My hope is that all of the feedback which I provided to JCR was applied to improving their process and QC, so that the products which are now shipping will have tighter tolerances and less fitment issues.
 
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Great info here. Jeep is looking great I am doing the poly bumpstops soon should be interesting.
 
I invested a lot of time on home projects in 2015, so not many updates, but I did squeeze in a few Jeep projects that I have yet to post.

In July, I noticed that my front tires were showing some signs of cupping on the inside and when I checked the ball joints......both lowers were super-sloppy. My maintenance records didn’t show a BJ replacement since the inner-C knuckle rotation project, so these joints have at least 75,000 road miles on them, plus a couple of dozen rock crawling excursions, with some two-track hooning and dune jumping thrown in.

Wanting to install a stronger ball joint setup this time around, I researched the available options and settled on the Teraflex HD JK/WJ ball joints. They are well-built units that include adjustable lowers to compensate for wear.

Teraflex offers a non-knurled version and a knurled version to compensate for slightly stretched mounting holes.

Teraflex is a local Utah company, so I dropped by their new West Jordan HQ and snagged a set in the non-knurled flavor.

Tera%20BJ%202_zpseb2bugkc.jpg


Installation is much like any other ball joint, strip everything off the inner-C and break out your BJ tools.

Tera%20BJ%201_zpse7oyvo8l.jpg


When installing the lowers, you will need to pay close attention to how you clock the grease zerk hole, so that it can be accessed to service the ball joint with lube.

Tera%20BJ%203_zpsue8ejy3k.jpg
 
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It's been a while since I've updated this thread, thanks to all for the compliments. Bottom line, the rig works well but as previously stated, it's a work-in-progress.

One of my recent mods is to make the jump to WJ brakes and custom steering. The Vanco brakes work well, but I really wanted the benefits of strong, precise steering too. My modified OTK Currie setup worked well, but still had the limitations and negative characteristics of any Inverted Y setup.

Here's the summary of my WJ brake swap:

IMG_8780-1.jpg


In addition to these components, I puchased new WJ rotors at $31.00ea and also purchased Moog WJ balljoints (Moog PN K3134T $55.31ea and K3185 $97.97ea......yup, not cheap) to ensure that I wouldn't experience the issue of wallowed-out knuckles, as many have who used XJ balljoints with the WJ knuckle swap.

I'm guessing that the price of the WJ BJ's is the main reason that folks attempt to reuse their XJ BJ's....at the expense of trashing their WJ knuckles when the holes wallow out. Weigh the cost of this, factoring in having to source new knuckles and weld on new JKS spacers, plus labor. Just use WJ ball joints......... you'll be money and time ahead.

Wanting to run the steering over the knuckle, I installed Goferit weld-in tapered TRE inserts. The stock TRE taper needs to be drilled out to 3/4" to accept the insert.

IMG_8781-1.jpg



IMG_8787-1.jpg


I then welded the TRE inserts to the knuckles, as well as the JKS hub spacer...sorry, no pix of the JKS spacers welded on.

Not wanting to mess with rotor to caliper spacing issues that some have experienced when using Explorer Sporttrac rotors with the WJ brake swap, I decided to redrill new WJ rotors to the XJ 5 x 4.5" bolt pattern.

I used a rotor with the 5 x 4.5" pattern as a template to transfer the pattern to the WJ knuckles, then circle-scribed and center-punched each hole and drilled new holes using my drill press. I drilled smaller pilot holes for each first to prevent "bit walk" and maintain hole spacing accuracy.

Not wanting deal with the rotors seizing onto the hubs/studs in the future (I live in Utah + salted roads in winter = rust) I drilled the 1/2" wheel stud holes to 17/32" to minimize this issue. The rotors are hub-centric and not stud-centric, fwiw. This entire process took less than 1 hour to complete both WJ rotors.

With the WJ ball joints installed, the rotors drilled and everything painted, I bolted everything up and checked clearances. On a side note and since the question has been raised in the past, I'm running TJ unit bearings with XJ unit bearing bolts with plenty of threads using the JKS spacers.

IMG_9063-1.jpg


IMG_9069-1.jpg


Custom steering to follow......


JEFF, any chance you could update the pics since the PhotoBucket debacle?
 
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