91 YJ build

[RACER J]

Bought this jeep pretty much stock for 3,500 and did some upgrades already, but still not satisfied with the way it rides. It works offroad very well but I just can't seem to leave it alone!! Here's a list of stuff I've already done.
Built a 9" Ford rear with 4.56 gears and ARB locker.
Front end is just a Dana 30 with ARB locker also, just waiting to brake it so I can upgrade to a 9" or Dana 44
I'm running 35" tires for now
Swapped out the AX15 trans for a SM420
Didn't like the wrangler look, so I put a CJ hood and grill on it.
Built a full cage just to be on the safe side. Lol
And this months project is to replace the 4" lift leaf springs with some ORI 14" struts, 4-link the rear and 3-link the front.

 

[RACER J]

 

[DLC]

Jeep looks great ! Nice mods so far... and they are very addicting

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but the led bar across the top in my opinion doesn’t fit A jeep...

Yes I will get slammed for say this, and I don’t mean to be a dick

My opinion

It’s More of a prerunner / racer look... there are so many stock trucks with a light bar that get driven to work...
and that spoils the look And use of the light

I’m more of a traditional jeep looking guy...bumper /windshield, yes those big bars toss a ton of light out Frt but your
usually not prerunning or traveling fast enough to use the light..

This is just my opinion and I don’t think they look good on the newer jeeps, also more like a fad and a jeep is the
King of all trails / off road


Now adding some leds lights at the windshield & down at the bumper and on the winch...maybe on the Hood
looks good and kind of more of traditional jeep look, so to speak and you can switch the lights on /off for what
is needed or if dust gets kicked up, rock lights are also a big hit due to the speeed, slow crawling around

I have 2 jeeps an 05 LJ on 35’s 4:88 gears and a 2012 jku on EVO coilovers, 37’s 5:13 gears and I love lights, disco lights, color lights red blue green rock lights but I’m not a fan of the big bars

 

[DLC]

I think your jeep is sweet and I surly didn’t mean bag on your pride and joy...

I do like lights... this was my 2nd jeep 99 TJ on 33’s

 

[DLC]

My o5 rubicon

I don’t have a pic of my 2012

 

[havasujeeper]

I love the jeeps. I've restored a CJ5, CJ7, a few YJ's, two TJ's, and now working on a '99 TJ. Please keep this thread going because I love them!

 

[outboard_256]

nice. Your going to love the ori shocks.

 

[RACER J]

Jeep looks great ! Nice mods so far... and they are very addicting

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but the led bar across the top in my opinion doesn’t fit A jeep...

Yes I will get slammed for say this, and I don’t mean to be a dick

My opinion

It’s More of a prerunner / racer look... there are so many stock trucks with a light bar that get driven to work...
and that spoils the look And use of the light

I’m more of a traditional jeep looking guy...bumper /windshield, yes those big bars toss a ton of light out Frt but your
usually not prerunning or traveling fast enough to use the light..

This is just my opinion and I don’t think they look good on the newer jeeps, also more like a fad and a jeep is the
King of all trails / off road


Now adding some leds lights at the windshield & down at the bumper and on the winch...maybe on the Hood
looks good and kind of more of traditional jeep look, so to speak and you can switch the lights on /off for what
is needed or if dust gets kicked up, rock lights are also a big hit due to the speeed, slow crawling around

I have 2 jeeps an 05 LJ on 35’s 4:88 gears and a 2012 jku on EVO coilovers, 37’s 5:13 gears and I love lights, disco lights, color lights red blue green rock lights but I’m not a fan of the big bars

I'm not "thrilled" with the look of the light bar either, but for now I'm taking function over looks. We do a lot of night runs and usually end up back in canyons we never been in and I like as much light as possible. I've been toying with the idea of making it a quick disconnect setup and only putting it on at night, just haven't had time to do it yet.

 

[RACER J]

So far the SM420 has been the best investment I've made. Going from 3.83 :1 to 7.05 :1 low gear is a huge help in the rocks.

 

[MissB]

Yesss! Love it, keep the pics coming! Someday I’ll have a Jeep...
nice jeep you got there also DLC!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DLC]

Thanks!

What gears are you running in your jeep?
See if you can add a twin stick to your transfer case, one stick for Frt axle and one stick for rear axle, we did the rubicon and used 2wheel low for most of the trail. My 99 TJ I added a 2 wheel Lo to my 231 transfer case and I could hit most of the trails in Ocotillo wells in 2 wheel, blow sand was a bomb in 2 wheel lo

In my white and tan 99 TJ I had 4:56 gears with 33, it worked really good

My LJ has 4;88 on 35’s and it’s a little low for driving down the highway, thinking I need to bump to 37’s

 

[Slats]

Nice keeps guys. I have a Jeep also. 2017 rubicon unlimited that's been to AEV for their 20th year anniversary conversion. Not that I couldn't do the work myself but it had all the mods I wanted short of some new fenders. And I didn't have to lay on my back to do them. I see ca plates on racerj but where are you located DLC. I'm out in Vegas. They look great. Keep us posted on the up grades.

 

[Pesky Varmint]

Nothing is as brutally tough as leaf springs, and on a jeep keep the springs under the axle. We use Rubicon express springs and
it rides pretty nice. I'll never give up the leaves. Nicely equipped Jeep, you've got the right idea. Just blow up the Dana 30 and
make it a Dana 44. Maybe someday I'll show the 89 YJ I built for my wife powered by 1996 Ford 5.8 truck engine, NV4500,
Atlas transfer case and I can't remember all the stuff we did.

 

[DLC]

I’m from San Diego north county with a 2012 jku on 37’s EVO coil over conversion w/5:13 gear silver with gen right fenders

and

also have a Havasu Casa with my 2005 LJ Rubi 4:88’s on 35’s. Pictured above

 

[RACER J]

Thanks!

What gears are you running in your jeep?
See if you can add a twin stick to your transfer case, one stick for Frt axle and one stick for rear axle, we did the rubicon and used 2wheel low for most of the trail. My 99 TJ I added a 2 wheel Lo to my 231 transfer case and I could hit most of the trails in Ocotillo wells in 2 wheel, blow sand was a bomb in 2 wheel lo

In my white and tan 99 TJ I had 4:56 gears with 33, it worked really good

My LJ has 4;88 on 35’s and it’s a little low for driving down the highway, thinking I need to bump to 37’s

Thanks!

What gears are you running in your jeep?
See if you can add a twin stick to your transfer case, one stick for Frt axle and one stick for rear axle, we did the rubicon and used 2wheel low for most of the trail. My 99 TJ I added a 2 wheel Lo to my 231 transfer case and I could hit most of the trails in Ocotillo wells in 2 wheel, blow sand was a bomb in 2 wheel lo

In my white and tan 99 TJ I had 4:56 gears with 33, it worked really good

My LJ has 4;88 on 35’s and it’s a little low for driving down the highway, thinking I need to bump to 37’s

I'm running 4.56 gears. I've never heard of a 2 low conversion for the 231. I'll have to look it up.

 

[RACER J]

Nothing is as brutally tough as leaf springs, and on a jeep keep the springs under the axle. We use Rubicon express springs and
it rides pretty nice. I'll never give up the leaves. Nicely equipped Jeep, you've got the right idea. Just blow up the Dana 30 and
make it a Dana 44. Maybe someday I'll show the 89 YJ I built for my wife powered by 1996 Ford 5.8 truck engine, NV4500,
Atlas transfer case and I can't remember all the stuff we did.

I would like to see some pictures of it. I'd love to get an atlas some day.

 

[DLC]

I'm running 4.56 gears. I've never heard of a 2 low conversion for the 231. I'll have to look it up.

Currie has a 231 2 Lo kit, need split the transfer case and install a new shifter gear, it’s fairly cheap a couple hundred bucks

 

[DLC]

Here is the kit.

 

[DLC]

So what this does is give you low gears but 2 wheel drive rear axle, push the trans case lever up one click and you have 4 wheel low

steering works great, gives you a lot of control for playing around

 

[RACER J]

Not much progress, I've been swamped at work and it's been hot as shit here. Finally got most of the old brackets cut off and some of the new ones finally showed up.

 

[RACER J]

So.. this is where all my old suspension is going. My son got bit by the jeep'n bug. Hes been working on this 88 wrangler for about a month. It had a 4.2 with a carburetor. Hes stole my spare 4.0 and bought a Howe fuel injection kit for it.

 

[havasujeeper]

I'm loving those front fenders.

 

[DLC]

Wow looking good and NICE SHOP !! You even have a lift that makes things so much easier!

 

[RACER J]

Just like everything else custom, nothing fits like you want them to. Got the brackets put together and apparently they were designed for a short link arm so I had to rip a piece of 3/16 x 4 tube to take some of the dog leg out of the frame to be able to move the bracket forward and end up with an angle to the rear end I was happy with. Should end up with a 39" long arm instead of a 32". I guess on the bright side adding the tube doubled up the frame at the bracket.

 

[outboard_256]

are you increasing the link or they just shipped the wrong brackets? Are you worried about it changing your anti-squat values?

 

[RACER J]

are you increasing the link or they just shipped the wrong brackets? Are you worried about it changing your anti-squat values?

Both, the brackets they sent have a 10° angle and where I wanted to put them would have ended up with the link arm in the center of the tire. Only way that 10° would have worked would be if the brack was back about were the front spring hanger was.
I'm wanting the link arms as long as I can get them to help the ride at higher speed and to decrease the vertical angle so it not trying to push the ass end of the jeep up more than its trying to push forward.

 

[RACER J]

Well....I just couldn't leave well enough alone, picked up a dana 44 for the front which leads to an OX air locker, gears and a new set of wheels to work with the bigger lug pattern. Should have just left the 30 in it but decided it would be better to set it up right the first time. Some progress pics.

 

[DLC]

Looking sweet!
I have to say working off a lift must be nice, I’m usually the guy laying on my back with a creaper roling around wishing I had a lift...

That’s going to run really well, and your right do it once and be done... C-ya 30!!

 

[RACER J]

Looking sweet!
I have to say working off a lift must be nice, I’m usually the guy laying on my back with a creaper roling around wishing I had a lift...

That’s going to run really well, and your right do it once and be done... C-ya 30!!

Thanks. I was always the guy on the creeper also until about 4-5 years ago. It's been the best 2,800 I've ever spent!!

 

[DLC]

You’ve probably made some NEW friends also!!

Looks great!

 

[RACER J]

Small update. Got most of the brackets welded to the frame, front end is roughed in and starting on the rear. Ordered genright armor with the 4" set back but have the reared at 5", I don't think it looks too bad the picture is at full bump, it will extend forward a bit at ride height. Hope to work on it all day tomorrow. Sorry pictures aren't in order.

 

[RACER J]

Almost have everything welded up. Should start painting soon, then I can put it all back together.

 

[RACER J]

Progress pics. Its getting closer.

 

[RACER J]

Bought a new Miller tig welder about 6 months ago. haven't used it much until now, wow it's so much smoother than my old Lincoln.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Bought a new Miller tig welder about 6 months ago. haven't used it much until now, wow it's so much smoother than my old Lincoln.
View attachment 686945 View attachment 686946

Sexy welds!!!!

 

[RACER J]

Still moving forward....slowly. got everything painted and bolted up, the corner guards came out better than I thought they would. They blend in so well you hardly notice them.
Right now I'm working on setting up the gears and locker in the new front housing.

 

[RACER J]

Spent a couple hours doing some technical work this afternoon, Gears and locker is all set up. I'm running the OX locker in the front. it's a pretty trick unit, if you lose air to activate it you can put a tool in it to lock it up and get out of a bad situation. Hope it works.

 

[RACER J]

Other than a few little things, it done for now and ready to hit some trails.

 

[RACER J]

Playing at work. This was the tallest thing I could find. Need to do some shock tuning but it seems to work.

 

[pwerwagn]

Looks great! You’ll love those ORI’s. They are so stable off-road.

 

[RACER J]

Looks great! You’ll love those ORI’s. They are so stable off-road.

Thanks! Hopefully it'll only take a day or two to brake in the seals, then I can start playing with pressures.

 

[RACER J]

Doing a little work on the suspension, its starting to come around.

 

[RACER J]

Update on my jeep build. Everything seems to be working well with the suspension, took it on a few runs and haven't had any problems. Ended up putting new tires on it because the old 35s didn't do worth a shit in the snow so figured I'd make the jump to 37s.
Today I picked up an ATLAS 4 speed transfer case iv had on order for 2 months, gear ratio is 1:1 1.5:1 2.72:1 and 4:1 that should give plenty of gears too get in trouble with. Lol guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend!!

 

[RACER J]

It was tight but got it stuffed in.

 

[RACER J]

Here’s a little update on my Jeep project. The thing was pretty gutless with the stock 6 cylinder so I bought a wrecked 02 1/2 ton with the 5.3
Rebuilt the engine and sent the computer off to be reworked. Figured I’d change out the dash to the CJ style while I was at it.
Finally got to drive it yesterday and what a difference!!

 

[havasujeeper]

How did you know that block would fit? Great job!

 

[RACER J]

How did you know that block would fit? Great job!

Just figured CJ’s came with an AMC V-8 which are pretty wide compared to an LS.

 

[havasujeeper]

But the yj and cj are different beasts. My cousin put a vette engine in his yj, but it took major restructuring. It fits, and looks bad ass. Congrats!

 

[outboard_256]

looking good

 

[RACER J]

But the yj and cj are different beasts. My cousin put a vette engine in his yj, but it took major restructuring. It fits, and looks bad ass. Congrats!

Actually the CJ and YJ are pretty close, I think the YJ even has a little wider frame width. The grill, hood and dash took very little modifications to get them to work.