Expedition Build: Yellow Jeep XJ

[F.N.G.]

I love the steering brace. It really firms up the steering. Good choice

Thanks man. They make good products. Definitely rugged, and will help prevent a lot of issues down the road.

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[F.N.G.]

Long Arm Suspension Joints

I was getting some clunking and popping noises from my floor boards, and it was handling a little funny. Now keep in mind I have a lot of noises going on, so trying to diagnose each one individually and address them can be a challenge. Turns out the flex joints on the upper and lower control arms were getting worn. I have a Rough County 4.5" Long Arm Lift Kit. So Rough Country hooked me up with a rebuild kit for uppers and lowers on both sides. Apparently it's a slightly newer style than the one I had installed a year or two ago. Seems to do the trick for now. Handles a little better as well.

If these go again, I may opt to go for Ballistic or Currie joints in the future.
No pictures on this one, just figured I'd share the build progress.

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[clydefrog]

How many miles on the RC long arm kit? I have the same kit, just wondering what the timeline is roughly for rebuilding the joints? Thanks.

 

[dan1977p]

I've had to tighten all my joints on their long arm kit every couple months. Had to replace the heim on the track bar in less than 10k miles. Just noticed today the bushing on the axle side of the lower arm is shot now too.

 

[F.N.G.]

How many miles on the RC long arm kit? I have the same kit, just wondering what the timeline is roughly for rebuilding the joints? Thanks.

I would say in all about 40,000 miles, with the majority of this mileage being traveled in a 1 year period. Keep in mind I went overlanding across the country for 33 days in one trip alone though, so a lot of off-roading was done on these. I don't beat on it, but I'm not easy on it either. I ride a lot of trails, over various terrain. And it's my daily driver.

The bushings on the 2.2 shocks were the first to go, and they went fairly early to be honest. This was followed by play in the heim joint on the adjustable track bar that developed, and then finally the flex joints went. I also want to mention that I grease often, so the joints never went dry.

I got another RC hiem joint, then decided to simply upgrade to a newer design RC Adjustable track bar. I went with the RC rebuild kit because the guys at RC gave them to me free of charge, can't beat the price. But I did not buy shocks from RC again, and instead went with Bilstein.

So 2 years total, over 40,00 miles. But it was put to the test. Hope that helps

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[F.N.G.]

I've had to tighten all my joints on their long arm kit every couple months. Had to replace the heim on the track bar in less than 10k miles. Just noticed today the bushing on the axle side of the lower arm is shot now too.

The joints on my RC long arms had couple of hiccups early on, then once they were worn and had play there was no turning back. I guess the older style joints had more issues, from what I here. See if you can get a newer style rebuild kit from RC. Otherwise I would suggest Ballistic or Currie Long Arm joints.

I had issues with my previous Track Bar not staying put. Started wobbling out the whole on the axle because the bolt kept coming loose, even with locktite. Had to weld on a few washers on the back of the hole on the axle where the track bar bolt goes through. Then the Heim joint started to go, and eventually changed out the old RC track bar to the newer model. The combination of fixing the wobbled hole and replacing the track bar sorted it out.

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[Anak]

Sector Shaft Brace

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What is the reason for the washer underneath one side of the support bearing?

 

[clydefrog]

So 2 years total, over 40,00 miles. But it was put to the test. Hope that helps

Helps a lot! Thanks! Mine is built for expo use as well, I am using Bilstein 5160 shocks with the RC LA kit, Love the RC kit, Have about ~5k miles on it (hard miles, its not my DD so when I drive it its overland or 4wd trails). Have to tighten everything ever time I really flex it but it really only takes me a few minutes so NBD. Awesome to hear about the RC support with getting a rebuild kit or new heims.

 

[F.N.G.]

What is the reason for the washer underneath one side of the support bearing?

Good eye, and I'm not just saying "Hello" in Australian.
So the Jeep was developing some steering issues. It was wandering, had a dead spot in the steering, and would pull to the right. I started checking and replacing steering components. Ball joints, u-joints, long arm joints, track bar etc. While doing this I was checking measurements across the board. Noticed that my axles were both dead on in relation to the Jeep, yet there was an inch longer difference on the passenger side measured from axle to axle. Started doing some more measurements and came to the conclusion that my uni-frame is racked slightly.

So to compensate we had to adjust some things slightly, one of them being the new sector shaft brace. We simply could not line it up precisely where it needed to be. The washer seen in the pic helps compensate for a slight angle caused by one uni-frame rail being slightly out of line with the other. We did some other things as well, such and adjusting the long arms and alignment slightly to compensate.

I'll never know if it was myself or the previous owner that originally racked the framed. I have a feeling it was the previous owners though. When I bought it the XJ had a 3" lift with 2"spacers with nothing else modified. So they were playing around with a 5" lift, sway bars went, got a real nasty full blown death wobble and they sent it. Looks like the frame rail caught a rock, and the original cross member under the t-case was bashed in pretty good. Scared them, and the sold it to me. I always knew the XJ was never quite plumb, as bumpers and such lined up funny once I striped down the XJ and began the build. But I like this particular XJ, so I deal with it despite its flaws.

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[F.N.G.]

So This Happened...

Easy little hill. A little greasy, a little wet grass. Didn't pick the best line, started a lateral drivers side slide. No big deal cut the wheel to turn out of it downhill like Ive done countless times before. Then my drivers side front tire caught a rock...

First off, we had to get her back on her feet. Used my recovery gear along with a 2nd vehicle and flipped her over.
Second, see if she can start and move under her own power. Did a walk around to asses steering, suspension and drive train components. Then proceeded to take a look under the hood. Drivers side lower control arm shackle on the axle was tweaked, but other than that just cosmetics.
Powers up, but doesn't start. So we check grounds first, then pull the coil pack and check the spark plugs. Spark plugs for cylinders 5 and 6 are soaked with oil. So I clean them off and turn the key a few times to clear the oil from the top. Put it all back together, she fires up, White smoke while she cycles through, then clear. We are good to go.

Rode the trail, did a bony river crossing, and drove her home.

Here is how she sits now:

Not too bad considering...

Damage Report:

1. Drivers Side lower control arm shackle on axle damages
2. Slight damage to roof and front fenders
3. Cracked windshield
4. Rim Damaged from rock
   

Seat belt kept me from injury. The roof slider did its job (albeit in an unorthodox way) and helped minimize roof damage. It did detach from the rain guard up front and crush the roof slightly. Cragar soft 8 steel rim never lost bead, held air. Driver side doors open. I have not not attempted passenger side doors nor rear hatch, as I need to drive it to my friends house to work on it. Don't want to risk have doors not closing in transit.

Lessons Learned:

1. Always square up before a hill climb
2. Always properly read the terrain
3. Never underestimate any terrain
4. Never become overconfident in driving ability
5. Never become overconfident in vehicles ability
   
6. Continue to wear seat belts, even on the easiest of trails, as anything can happen.
7. Properly secure all objects in cab to avoid projectile injury in event of accident or roll over.
   

I had to eat some humble pie and recognize that overconfidence, miscalculations, improper line and failure to thoroughly read the entire terrain on potentially the easiest trail I have ever driven on was the contributing factors as to how and why I flipped the Jeep.

On the plus side we all handled it calmly and it was a textbook recovery. I work as an offroad tour driver by profession, and ride with other drivers. So it was a very calm and fun recovery experience. We are also trained in wilderness rescue and evac procedures, so that helps. The situation quickly went from rescue, to recovery, to busting my chops. We know each other well, and have excellent communication and knowledge of recovery equipment. And the jokes ensued...

All in all. not a bad roll over. No injuries, minor vehicle damage.

Whats next:

Ordered 1/4" HD Lower Control Arm Mounts with skids from Iron Rock. I will pull apart the entire steering and suspension for inspection while the axle is out. Check unibody. Check entire Jeep inside and out, engine, transmission, drivetrain, etc. Weld Rock sliders to unibody frame rails. Invest in better seats to accommodate 4 point seat belts. Roll cage and partial exo cage install. Metal tube frame flat fenders. Fix roof or opt for chop top.

First priority is to fix lca mount, as that is the only thing keeping me from driving it comfortably at the moment. The front axle is now pushed back a few inches, so it catches my fender well and rock slider on medium to full left hand turns.

More to come...

P.s. My friends have named both myself and the Jeep: "Kickflip"

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[Boostwerks.com]

Thank you for purchasing our S. Brace! I'm glad your ok after the roll, and it seems like that Rack did a lot of damage control!

I do have to say though that I don't understand the need for the washer under the pillow bearing? The bearing itself is self centering (as you can see in the picture actually). Having the washer in there is just putting uneven stress on the cast iron bearing housing.

 

[clydefrog]

Ah man that sucks!

 

[F.N.G.]

Thank you for purchasing our S. Brace! I'm glad your ok after the roll, and it seems like that Rack did a lot of damage control!

I do have to say though that I don't understand the need for the washer under the pillow bearing? The bearing itself is self centering (as you can see in the picture actually). Having the washer in there is just putting uneven stress on the cast iron bearing housing.

Thanks for the feedback. We'll get back under there and sort that all out. Great product, pretty rugged.

 

[F.N.G.]

Ah man that sucks!

It's all good man, no one was hurt. Good excuse for the ole chop top mod. Always wanted a Jeep Buggy

 

[F.N.G.]

Haven't posted for a little while, as I have been working on the rig. Then I get busy, then I forget. It appears I have a short term memory problem...
But I've gotten to a point where I think I can start to give you all some updates.

So I searched around and it seems that the lower control arm brackets getting tweaked is a lot more common than I had realized. So I decided to upgrade the brackets, and ordered some heavy duty 1/4 steel lower control arm brackets from Iron Rock. They are beefy, and I like them. They definitely instill confidence over the thin stock ones.

Disconnected the long arms from the axle and proceeded to cut and grind off the old bent ones. I was a little surprised at how thin and flimsy the stock lower control arm brackets actually were. Once I cut them, I could bend them by hand.

Cleaned it up, made some marks, did a mock up and liked what I saw. Until I noted a little bit of rot on my shock perch which the drivers side control arm is butted up against. So we had to clean it up and tack some fresh metal on it before we could continue. My buddy did the welding, as that skill is not one of my strong points. Got them all welded up, primed and painted, and good to go. But before we put it all back together we decided to take my long arms completely off to check the joints. We had been eyeballing them while we were under the rig, and the ones mounted to the transfer case cross member looked a little blown out. Good decision, because they were bad. More to come on that later.
Meanwhile, here is what we did with the lower lca mounts upgrade...

Bent Lower Control Arm, Drivers Side

Fixing Shock Perch

Lower Control Arm Bracket Comparison

Grinding, cutting, welding and replacing Lower Control Arm Brackets

Next up, Long Arm Johnny Joint Upgrade.
Stay tuned, more to come...



​

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[clydefrog]

Next up, Long Arm Johnny Joint Upgrade.
Stay tuned, more to come...


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Can you post what parts you will use and where you get them? I want to upgrade mine next year or so. Since we have the same kit, and you will prob do yours before me, I will let you do all the research : )

Thanks!

 

[F.N.G.]

Can you post what parts you will use and where you get them? I want to upgrade mine next year or so. Since we have the same kit, and you will prob do yours before me, I will let you do all the research : )

Thanks!

Not a problem, going to post it now.

 

[F.N.G.]

While we were working on the lca brackets, we had seen that the long arm joints looked a little funny. So before we put it all back together we decided to take my long arms completely off to check the joints. We had been eyeballing them while we were under the rig, and the ones mounted to the transfer case cross member looked a little blown out. Good decision, because they were bad.

This was my second rebuild kit from Rough Country. While I liked the long arm lift itself, Their joints and bushings on the kit left a lot to be desired. The threaded retainer ring that keeps the ball joint in had bent out, being blown out by the force of the ball. This is the second time this has happened. Granted this was a roll over, but they were just replaced a month prior. And they were replaced with a rebuild kit because the last threaded retainer ring also blew out through normal wear and tear and wheeling. So I decided to upgrade and ordered some heavy duty Johnny Joints from Currie. Had a little trial and error getting the right ones for a correct fit, but once I dialed in on the correct part, they were a perfect fit. Clydefrog had asked about the Johhny Joints I was going to use, so I'll provide the part specs on the label in a pic bellow.

Decided to spray my long arms while they were out, they definitely needed a few coats. So I sanded them down and hit them with some yellow paint, same for my cross member/skid plate.

It was some driveway rig work on some hot days. Grilling and cold beer got us through this project. Couldn't have done it without some help from some good friends, can't stress that enough. Had to make some tarp sun shades to keep us from being cooked. If I ever have a shop, I will most likely still end up working in a driveway more often than not, simply because I have just become so used to crawling around in the dirt working on rigs.

Long Arm Johnny Joints

Driveway workshop

Next up, Chop Top.
Stay tuned, more to come...

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[themauler]

Haven't posted for a little while, as I have been working on the rig. Then I get busy, then I forget. It appears I have a short term memory problem...
But I've gotten to a point where I think I can start to give you all some updates.

So I searched around and it seems that the lower control arm brackets getting tweaked is a lot more common than I had realized. So I decided to upgrade the brackets, and ordered some heavy duty 1/4 steel lower control arm brackets from Iron Rock. They are beefy, and I like them. They definitely instill confidence over the thin stock ones.

Disconnected the long arms from the axle and proceeded to cut and grind off the old bent ones. I was a little surprised at how thin and flimsy the stock lower control arm brackets actually were. Once I cut them, I could bend them by hand.

Cleaned it up, made some marks, did a mock up and liked what I saw. Until I noted a little bit of rot on my shock perch which the drivers side control arm is butted up against. So we had to clean it up and tack some fresh metal on it before we could continue. My buddy did the welding, as that skill is not one of my strong points. Got them all welded up, primed and painted, and good to go. But before we put it all back together we decided to take my long arms completely off to check the joints. We had been eyeballing them while we were under the rig, and the ones mounted to the transfer case cross member looked a little blown out. Good decision, because they were bad. More to come on that later.
Meanwhile, here is what we did with the lower lca mounts upgrade...

Bent Lower Control Arm, Drivers Side

Fixing Shock Perch

Lower Control Arm Bracket Comparison

Grinding, cutting, welding and replacing Lower Control Arm Brackets

Next up, Long Arm Johnny Joint Upgrade.
Stay tuned, more to come...



​

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For Wheeling, Overlanding and Travel Pics of the XJ in action


​

Looks like those welds could use a do over. That position is not ideal at all and that looks like flux wire which can make an extremely messy weld. As much force radius arms put on the brackets i would pull it out and weld again in a better position.

Also, were you out on the trail with your sway bar still attached???


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[Heavyopp]

Photobucket killed the beginning of this thread -- no more pictures

I'm liking the build, thinking I want to use my xj the same as you -- set up similar

I'm a serious hobby welder -- I have to agree on what the previous poster mentioned about those welds for the lca brackets -- those welds are important -- they should be redone properly