Jeep Nathan and Tanja's 99 XJ Build up

[Gravy]

stock XJ is 61ish front and 59ish" rear (wms to wms) fyi.

My old one was 83" front 81 rear with tires
Cory's is 84" wide in front. 81" rear with tires.
both were wide suckers... even with bushwackers.

 

[benjy]

it was cool after I put that up there I actually dropped the main cross member so I could have access to the area around the tcase for shifters. No jacks or anything under the transmission, just the motor mounts and the d-300 mount at the back of the tcase.

That is pretty cool. I was planning on building my tcase mount into the skidplate, but now that you say that I think I'll build it independent of the skid

 

[X1994J]

Looking good man. My wheels have about 4" of back spacing, plus they're 15x10's with DIY bead locks, so they actually measure about 11". Mine could stand to be a little more narrow. But I like it so far.

 

[hammerdownxj]

looks really good man nice work. I used a 78 chevy 1ton MC without the hydroboost on my cherokee stops on a dime no lie, and the stock hood closes i did have to cut out some of the supports on the hood but it still functions just fine. As far as street legal goes i used stock TJ flares and some huge mud flaps and was good to go with stock ford steel wheels and 37s.

 

[thenag]

"Hey nice welds Me:Hey nice dana 30 "

That just might be my new sig, just need someone to say something about my welds...

nathan

 

[thenag]

Normally I do a full weekend update, not one on Saturday night but here goes;

First I would like to share a little mod to the ax15, and my new mantra might just be "6011 rod is there anything it can't do?" (in my best Homer Simpson voice)

I don't know if anyone has had issues removing the stick from an ax15, I know mine was a pain.

so I cut the spring a little and added some tabs so that you actually have something twist the collar with, instead of a very flat greasy surface.

I figure this is a mod I will forget about until I go to pull the stick off in a few years and will think of myself as really smart. (or with the shorter spring the stick will pop out going down the trail and I curse myself...)

We spray painted a bunch of stuff and since it was windy, and since we could, we pushed the jeep outside and painted in the garage.

I didn't take any pictures of the stuff that got painted, it is all black now...

Here is the write up on how I am shifting the d300. I flipped the case and left the shifters on the new bottom. One of the annoying things about this is that I can't think of a good way to make it so that when you push the shifter forward it will be in high and pull it back into low. So it looks like it will be backwards, back is high forward is low.

I started with some really scary scrap steel this allowed me to change the pivot around, change the length of handle, the test shifter was just for the rear shift rail, I knew that I could then do the front the same way. As usual I didn't take enough pictures of it during.

here is what I use for pivots, these exact same bolts and spacers shifted my 203/205 for 8 years. I think they have some use left in them.

The final setup before finish welding, grinding and painting.

shot of them in jeep, we did have the console in but I forgot to take a picture. These will have to be removed when the console is installed, and then re-installed after the stock console is put in. (right now it is Rear High and the front is Neutral)

That was about it for today. Tomorrow I am going to fill the t-cases, work on brakes and fuel line. maybe put the gas tank back in.

*edit* for Gen2 tcase shifters see post #27 on this thread;
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?107672-Custom-T-Case-shifter-setup(s)-and-Behemoth/page2
woo-hoo page 4!

Nathan
-99 xj getting there

 

[Max Power]

Good progress.

 

[sixstringsteve]

this has to be one of the fastest builds ever

 

[thenag]

this has to be one of the fastest builds ever

I am kind of known for getting stuff done. Sometimes I get so focused on what I am working on I forget to eat.

The Bronco build was really fast too.

I swapped the 300-6 for an EFI 460, it was not running for only 4 days.

The one ton axle swap on the bronco, which also went from stock to huge, only took 4 days as well.

I did the engine over thanksgiving weekend and the axles in January.

I am big fan of researching the crap out of everything. (with the bronco motor swap I had about 60 hours of just staring at wiring diagrams of both trucks and figuring out what wires I needed to splice together I only spent about 3 hours splicing the two wiring harnesses together and it started first time I turned the key) Also trying to have the parts on hand before you start or at least researching enough to know what you will need and where to get it.

Also so far... I have been pretty lucky the only real curve ball was that I couldn't use the Clayton spring plates as designed and had to get shorter front springs.

but yeah thanks for the recognition on the time line.

also it is far from done, I still don't have steering drive lines, or exhaust. (or bumpers, sliders)

nathan
-99 xj

 

[thenag]

Short Sunday update.

This picture is for Ben, this is what it looks like without the main cross member in and the weight of the drive train supported by the motor mounts and the t-case mount at end of the t-case.

Also a shot of the bottom of the d-300 shifters

custom brake push rod and a sleeve just in case it bends.

I am hoping that RTV will seal the ford MC on the jeep booster, when installing it it didn't seem like it sealed. I will test it with a mighty-vac.

full albums still here;
https://picasaweb.google.com/thenag

nathan
-99 xj no steering about 40% of brakes done

 

[gtxracer]

On the d300 I filled the vent hole with aluminum welding rod

What rod did you use? How difficult was it compared to 6011?

 

[thenag]

What rod did you use? How difficult was it compared to 6011?

It's Aluminum rod. I picked it up at US welding. Search for Al ARC welding online. Al stick welding is said to be 50% as strong as doing it properly. The rods were like $25.00 for 1 lb.

It goes really fast, smoky and splatters all over the place, compared to anything. I turned my welder up all the way and did DC-

To fill the vent hole I put about one whole rod into it.

I didn't pre/post heat it.

I am more worded about the 231 backing plate that I AL stick welded...

 

[XJEEPER]

Here's what I did for front bumps, 10" Prothane coil inserts with 2 rings cut off. They work well.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=244922649&postcount=94

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=245275384&postcount=104

 

[Max Power]

Here's what I did for front bumps, 10" Prothane coil inserts with 2 rings cut off. They work well.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=244922649&postcount=94

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=245275384&postcount=104

Very cool idea. Those should be sweet.

 

[thenag]

wow it has been a week since an update.

I have been sick, so sick that I stayed home from work and didn't touch the jeep. nasty head cold, still have a pretty good cough.

I did get two cool parts in, The Ruff Stuff Specialties steering kit.

got the tie rod made and in

also got the air cylinder in that I am going to try to use to shift the np231

still need to build a mount for the rear of the cylinder. I will come off the cross member for the d300

nathan
-stupid cold...

 

[thenag]

Where to begin...

a video of the air ram shifting the 231. My temporary plumbing does not release the air from the cylinder so it hangs up a little bit on the second shift. I am not planing on using Neutral in this box. On my 203/205 I never put the 203 in Neutral.

(not sure how to imbed video so here is the link)

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x_uzMbZDdIbm6G66ut0Vag?feat=directlink

picture of the mount

The Ford Expedition master cylinder would not hold a vacuum seal on the booster so I went and got a new MC for a 98 Dodge 2500 4x4. It was like $60.00, I should have done that from the beginning.

The seal is the same as the 99 xj

couple shots of brake lines

I didn't get a lot of pictures of it but I spent about a day fighting with all the brake lines. I had a union that was the wrong flare for the fittings I had which meant that I had to re-flare a brake line under the xj, and of course had fluid in the MC so pretty much took a brake fluid shower while re-flaring the tube. One of those things that was major pain but doesn't really look like it was.

But anyway we bled the brakes, system seems to hold pressure. I think it needs to be bled again the pedal is still a little squishy. Of course it is not like it is drivable so it is hard to tell.

The 99 xj only has one fuel line, I guess it is new enough to have a return-less fuel system. That meant I only had to worry about one fuel line to route around the rear suspension cross member.

And I put the fuel tank in

Since I have borrowed my brother-in-laws tap and die set I also tapped the holes for the flat belly skid plate

I need to get some drive shafts made up and my hi-steer arm re-made and it will be really close to driving.

Does anyone know if a 99 xj 4.0L will be damaged running it without a catalytic converter?

Oh and this is how frankensteined this brake system is;
99 xj, booster from a 99 xj, MC from a 98 dodge 2500, front brake calipers and disks from a 96 ford f350, rear brake calipers are from a 78 eldorado, rear brake disks are from the front of a 80's 3/4 ton GM 4x4, rubber lines are from the front of a 78 chevette. Custom push rod for MC and custom lines.

nathan
-99 xj coming together

 

[RockChucker]

i don't think it will damage the engine to run it without the catalytic converter, but i'm sure it will throw a code and the check engine light will come on.

 

[thenag]

Been wrenching a lot and forgetting to take pics.

It's drivable though!
video of Tanja backing up
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SbJm8Xl8l-7sl719i1-P1w?feat=directlink

(no cat or muffler)

I also like this pic, I think because it is in the front of the house

I totally re-did my hi-steer arm and didn't take hardly any pictures of it. Josh Underhill cut out the shape I drilled the holes and ran a reamer through it for the TRE.

I will get some more pictures of the hi-steer arm next time I am out there.

Here is a shot of the temporary tailpipe it just goes straight down...

I put a charcoal canister under the hood. Team CAD thought it should go under the jeep in the same space as the Clayton rear driver side upper control arm.

shot of the front and rear drive shafts... yeah I don't know which one is which the are the same!

I like how Six States writes your name on them. You can also see the parking brake cables that again I forgot to take pictures of but the parking brakes work-ish. damn caddy calipers...

I had to return my custom length chromo axle shaft from moser, it was weird like a bad forging or something. When installed one of the ujoint caps stuck out like 1/4 inch and there was much less material around that ujoint cap. Of course I didn't take a picture of it... doh.

And we put the front seat and carpet in, I am not putting the rear in until the exhaust is done in case they want to weld or bolt a hanger or two to the floor.

The thing seems to drive pretty good. The t-case popped out of RWL don't know if that will be an issue or what. Brakes seem ok. I keep forgetting to look if the speedometer is working or not.

Nathan
- 99 xj almost there...
build thread... um your looking at the build thread...

 

[Gravy]

I dig the shifters. My broher in law broke one of the cables on my cable shifter last week...

 

[thenag]

I dig the shifters. My broher in law broke one of the cables on my cable shifter last week...

Yeah the shifters for d300 seem to be great. Not sure about why it popped into neutral though.

When I finish hooking up the air system to shift the 231 that will be interesting. :-\

Nathan