Tim's stretched 2004 LJ

LJTim · Apr 11, 2019

There's something I didn't realize when putting the new armor on the jeep. I had intentions of putting the tailgate hinges on top of the armor, and using a Savvy tailgate skid to clean up the look of the back. I was caught off guard when I went to put the hinges back on. Apearently the OEM hinges don't sit flush against the tub. There is actually an indentation in the tub that the hinge recesses into. I had no idea, so I had to order some new hinges that would sit flush on the new armor. I ordered them, and made a special request that the seller expedite the shipping, since I had a Moab trip in less than 5 days from the time I ordered them. I got an email 3 days later with a tracking number - for 2 days after we return from our trip. So, I had to use a make-shift tailgate out of plywood for our Moab trip. It did the trick, but I'm happy to have these nice Kentrol hinges on. Now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with my license plate. Pretty sure I'l just bend it and put it on the corner. I wish I didn't have to though.

corbin.black · Apr 12, 2019

I have loved watching this jeep evolve over the past few years, it's one of my favorites!

zmotorsports · Apr 12, 2019

Great job. I love seeing pics of this LJ.

Mike

LJTim · Apr 12, 2019

Thanks guys. It has been fun. Especially challenging with my limited budget, but a lot of fun.

glockman · Apr 12, 2019

What is going on with your soft top there? I run my soft top without windows all summer. Looks like you just tuck the back corners up and tie the frame down? How does that work out? I'm too cheap to go buy a frameless top.

LJTim · Apr 12, 2019

glockman said:
What is going on with your soft top there? I run my soft top without windows all summer. Looks like you just tuck the back corners up and tie the frame down? How does that work out? I'm too cheap to go buy a frameless top.

That's exactly what I'm doing. My rear corners (particularly the drivers side) always fall out when my windows are pulled out, so I have been tucking them up under the bar, and securing them with a bungee.

LJTim · Apr 24, 2019

I had a couple Moab trips this month. I'm stoked on the new wheelbase.

LJTim · Apr 24, 2019

Here are a couple views that were captured from High Dive a couple weeks ago.

Herzog · Apr 24, 2019

That LJ just looks proper! Love it

zmotorsports · Apr 24, 2019

Looks like it performed perfectly.

Great job.

Mike

Bart · Apr 26, 2019

Love the stretch and it looks like it's working extremely well. Very cool

LJTim · Apr 26, 2019

Thanks guys. I'm really enjoying it.

LJTim · May 17, 2019

I took the plunge on some 40’s. The timing and the price was right on these and the beadlocks, which I am loving so far.

I had to trim the rear portion of my armor, which I was not excited to do since the armor was already powder coated. But it turned out all right.

Pile of parts · May 17, 2019

Looks great! I think I saw you filling up at Costco in South Jordan the other night. I was admiring your Jeep but just didn't realize I was admiring YOUR jeep.

LJTim · May 17, 2019

Pile of parts said:
Looks great! I think I saw you filling up at Costco in South Jordan the other night. I was admiring your Jeep but just didn't realize I was admiring YOUR jeep.

Ha!! Yeah, I fill up there. Come say hi if you see me there again.

glockman · May 17, 2019

do you drive this thing on the road very often? If so, how much grief have you got over your lack of mud flaps and flares? Jeep looks sweet. I wish you would paint it so it isn't an exact model of what mine could look like

LJTim · May 17, 2019

glockman said:
do you drive this thing on the road very often? If so, how much grief have you got over your lack of mud flaps and flares? Jeep looks sweet. I wish you would paint it so it isn't an exact model of what mine could look like

I wish you wouldn't ask questions like that. I figure if the subject is avoided, so will any attention it gets

. I have driven this thing around town (SLC, Herriman, Holladay, and everything in between a lot over the past couple years with no flares or flaps. When the weather is nice, I probably drive it more than half the time. I just picked up a set of teraflex flaps a couple weeks ago that I keep in the trunk just in case I decide to add them one day. Maybe a fix-it ticket? That doesn't solve the flare issue though. I try to avoid the interstate if I can. From what I have gathered, UHP is more anxious to harass the big tire guys than the local PD is. I have tried to make a point of driving near, or even in front of local PD to test that theory for the past few months.

Caleb · May 19, 2019

Many years ago when I lived in So Jordan, I was always getting pulled over for flaps and flares and tint and anything else they could come up with. The only other city I've been pulled over for any of those is So Salt Lake and that was for flaps and no front plate.

LJTim · Aug 13, 2019

I just completed my rear axle swap, 4-link, and while I had it over to my friend Jeromy's shop, I had him add some stuff to my cage that I had sitting in my garage for the past few months. I ended up with a Teraflext semi float CRD60. The process of getting this axle built for my set up was amazing. I was able to take my jeep to the shop and Corbin took measurements so we would have the correct pinion angle and correct shock mount spacing and angles (since I already had outboarded my shocks and used the high clearance, correct oriented Artec axle mounts). I can't thank the axle team enough for the amazing job they did, and they cranked it out for me in lightning speed.

I am also using custom built links using Metalcloak joints. My initial plan was to use OEM JL front lowers for the lowers on this project as they are close to the same length Savvy and Rokmen are using for their mid-arm set ups. I had planned on doing a mid-arm set up all along, and since it's pretty easy to score JL arms for free, I figured that would be a great option for the lowers. It turned out, because the Artec frame mounts put the lower mounts inboard quite a bit, there is too much binding using the JL arms. So we went with a matching custom set of adjustable lowers using the Metalcloak joints.

There was quite a bit of measuring before and after the old axle was pulled, in attempt to get the same ride height and axle position. Due to the HUGE axle tube, a couple of those measurements ended up being changed slightly. I think I ended up with 1/2" extra height in the rear, which I may adjust at some point, but it doesn't bother me a ton.

The triangulated upper links makes a super solid set up. I was delighted to eliminate the rear track bar, as I have never enjoyed how the jeep drives with the track bar. Dips in the roads at 40+ have always felt weird, and the rear end always dropped more on one side than the other. With the 4-link set up, it tracks evenly and has no odd manners on the road anymore, regardless of the speed.