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The stocker build party

BPB

NAXJA Forum User
So Friday night I took the stocker up to darrens and put it on jack stands and took the wheels with me to work to mount up the new tires. Saturday darren, eric, dustin me and a couple bullies from gresham fought rust... we'll eric dustin and I did, darren an the gresham boys just practiced making fun of people. We fought rust but still managed to install tomkin front coils re leafs, ome tcase drop, terraflex swaybar discos, and skyjacker front shocks.


Stay tuned for the torx report with pictures
 
Common theme on this rust bucket.
P1060465.jpg


Pictures are uploading now.
 
Rust_Bucket Build Party: 28 January 2012

BPB called together a work party for his stocker. The plan was to install a bare essential hill-billy 3" lift. Components would include, 3" Tomken Coils, 3.5" Rubicon Express leaf packs, OME 1" Transfer Case Drop, Skyjacker Nitro Shocks, and some JKS Quick Disconnects (which actually turned out to be Teraflex brand). Pretty straight forward, shouldn't be too complicated...

I cruised out to Woodland to lend a hand. BPB was actually late to his own build party. Eventually he arrived, and immediately got to work on removing the stock sway bar links.
P1060427.jpg


Since new control arms weren't in the build plan. BPB chose spring compressors as his tool of choice.
P1060429.jpg


That's safe right?
P1060435.jpg


After we got our starter beers in, Eric and I got to work on installing the OME t-case drop. The stock bolts came out pretty easy, but when it came to the studs that was a different story. Here we should have realized this XJ was a rust bucket. Ben using the stud remover tool.
P1060441.jpg


Eric spit in the bolt bucket. Around this the Gresham Boys arrived, Redjeep2.0 and OrangeJeep.
P1060443.jpg


Stock coils were out, but Ben ran out of thread on the spring compressors when removing them...
P1060447.jpg


Ben trying not to kill himself with his spring compressors.
P1060449.jpg


I have a theory that the cross member holds the unibody together. Once you take them off, they never line back up correctly. Eric and I decided the only way we're getting it back on is using some mechanical advantage. Some quick come-a-long rigging, and we were golden.
P1060454.jpg


Transfer case drop was installed, Tomken coils were in, so we moved onto shock bushing install.
P1060458.jpg


Driver front was done.
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We passed the bushing install off to our friends from the south.
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At this point Ben moved onto the sway bar disco install. Eric and I got to work on the rear suspension. First task was shock removal. "Well, who wants to brake the next one?"
P1060465.jpg


Needless to say all four upper shock bolts sheared. Meanwhile, BPB was working on getting the pressed in sway bar studs off.
P1060471.jpg


Eric removing the u-bolts.
P1060475.jpg


Safety first.
P1060478.jpg


We got the rear axle free. At this point Ben noticed one of the jack stands had gone full float. Somehow the Jeep was hovering on this corner, which was comforting to know.
P1060479.jpg


We started on removing the shackle to leaf spring bolt. First we tried breaking it loose with the 3/4" impact. No go. Then we tried the 1/2 break bar. No go. So we added the cheater bar ~3ft. With Eric and I taking turns we got some movement. Unfortunately, it was the bolt shearing in two.
P1060480.jpg


PB Blasted the other side. Luckily the front leaf bolts, and upper shackle bolts all cooperated.
P1060484.jpg


TORX, "Ben what do you do if you need to use your extinguisher?"
BPB, "I'll be able to rip it free from all the adrenaline."
P1060497.jpg


Time to start installing the new RE packs. Something didn't seem right?
P1060500.jpg


Back together.
P1060504.jpg
 
With four sheared upper shock bolts, we set out to cut an access hole in the floor. First order was cargo tie-down delete mod.
P1060507.jpg


It took a few tries, but eventually we found them. Good thing we didn't go with my guesses.
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I just cut where I was told. I kept thinking, "don't worry, it's not your Jeep." :D
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Nick trying out the vice grip technique.
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Drill it.
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Ben decided he could deal with the shock bolts later. With the springs, t-case drop, and disco's installed, it was time for tires.
P1060517.jpg


Finished result looked pretty good. 3" lift, 31x10.5 Goodyear Duratracs on stock wheels.
P1060515.jpg
 
WOW, quite a battle on this build it looks like.
One question... why did you opt to drill thru through floor to get to those upper shock weld nuts?
I've done a few lift installs where these have broken or spun on me, and I just air hammer or drill them out and fish new grade-8 bolts with fender washers in from the top (pretty easy - got a bunch of pics on how I did this in my build thread) -might save some time/hassle/trouble and body flooring in the future.
 
WOW, quite a battle on this build it looks like.
One question... why did you opt to drill thru through floor to get to those upper shock weld nuts?
I've done a few lift installs where these have broken or spun on me, and I just air hammer or drill them out and fish new grade-8 bolts with fender washers in from the top (pretty easy - got a bunch of pics on how I did this in my build thread) -might save some time/hassle/trouble and body flooring in the future.

Because we were drunk.......

to much male on male action for my liking.........

I agree it gets kinda akward at times....
 
One question... why did you opt to drill thru through floor to get to those upper shock weld nuts?
I've done a few lift installs where these have broken or spun on me, and I just air hammer or drill them out and fish new grade-8 bolts with fender washers in from the top (pretty easy - got a bunch of pics on how I did this in my build thread) -might save some time/hassle/trouble and body flooring in the future.

NW99XJ's Build Thread said:
Don't be a idiot and start cutting up the floor of your jeep to try to do this form the top.

:roflmao:

I'm sure BPB will do a classy patch job. I practically made the cuts look factory.
 
WOW, quite a battle on this build it looks like.
One question... why did you opt to drill thru through floor to get to those upper shock weld nuts?
I've done a few lift installs where these have broken or spun on me, and I just air hammer or drill them out and fish new grade-8 bolts with fender washers in from the top (pretty easy - got a bunch of pics on how I did this in my build thread) -might save some time/hassle/trouble and body flooring in the future.

I did the same thing, I though at the time it was my only option. It worked out just fine, I used the steet from my hood and some sheet metal screws with some seam sealer, looks factory now.

Yeah why dont I ever get invited.. :wave:
 
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