XJ "rookie" build

so i've been busy and have been saving up the funds to get some parts. but good news is next weekend i get my long arms and new crossmember that has the brackets for the LA from IRONMAN4X4. also i just ordered new 5.5" leaf springs from IRO (one of my leaf springs are done for and making my jeep tilt) and picked up new brackets and u bolts for the leaf springs too.

the next thing i'm needing to get is a SYE for my NP231. i'm deciding between 1)IRO HD SYE. 2) Rusty's advance adapters SYE. both are reasonable price for what's out there. but IRO just put out mega short hd sye in there online store but don't know if anyone has any experience with these products? i'm still searching what's out there and product reviews.
 
so i want to rename this build "murphy's law" cause it seems that every time i try to fix or upgrade the heep something thats simple turns into everything going wrong.haha

so earlier this week i got my IRO leaf springs and IRONMAN4X4 LA and crossmember brackets.
LA's
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i'm holding a nickel to show the thickness of the LA.
leaf springs
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so i decided to go ahead and install my leaf springs. the noob part of me was like "this should be easy 12 bolts, take out the old, put in the new and rebolt" yeah i only wish....
well i got the ubolts out, the rear eye bolts out and put in the new shackles. then on to the front eye bolt a.k.a. PITA! didn't know about it till i couldn't get them out. so i researched the trouble i was having and realized alot of guy have that problem. so i choose from the many ways people took care of it, that i was going to cut the bolts and retrieve the nut by cutting into the welded bracket that completely encloses the nut so i can put a new one and fit a wrench in it.
my tools of choice
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so i was able to cut the driver side bolt and cut the section in the bracket.
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the passenger side was another story. couldn't cut the bolt at the time so i cut the leaf spring from the front eye
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then i tried to get through the layers to get to the bolts so this happened.
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that was the front eye.
then i was able to get my hands on an angle grinder and put a cut of wheel and got to the bolt.
so then i cut a hole in the bracket on the passenger side.
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i needed a big enough hole to get a 24mm wrench in for the nut.
so that is it for now will finish the rest of it tomorrow.

so moral of the story is.... i'm ordering poly performance's front eye bracket that attaches weld and or bolt to the the subframe.
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so far all in all i'm pretty pleased with the work i've done with this since this is the first time i've ever done anything like this.
 
Damn noobs always fucking shit up!!!
 
nice work so far. I know alot of people will say XJ's are good for up to 35's or so, but I'll be the odd ball in the group. Mine is still full bodied and on 40's and I wouldn't have it any other way. When it rains, my windows roll up, when its hot, my AC blows cold and I pretty much can follow any buggy through the trails when I actually get to wheel it.
 
went to the junkyard today to pick up a front drive shaft for the jeep so that i can have 4wd again. got it and bolted it in. while walking around i found this.
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ford 9"

so i'm now on my way to full widths and the long process of building axles has started! going to order the brackets for it this or next week and start working on it. now all i need is to find my dana44.
 
finally put on my IRONMAN4x4 long arms yesterday! so i got the new crossmember with the LA brackets in and welded.
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then the long arms
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then my buddy BigGoofy found some scrap metal that somehow perfectly fit without any cutting as LCA skids and welded those in.
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Looking good man!!
 
Brandon over a rides is runnin a Cherokee with a d44 front and 9 inch rear. I saw him beat the dog shit outta it last weekend and it does tue job! Call him If ya got questions. Worst case scenario if yourblike that guy breaking shafts maybe you should learn to driver and not wheel like a mad man :p!
 
pgaloustian said:
Worst case scenario if yourblike that guy breaking shafts maybe you should learn to driver and not wheel like a mad man :p!
Click to expand...

what fun is that! i'll still wheel the piss out of the jeep but just more skillfully. also it's dana 30 shafts if you haven't broken one then i'd say you ain't wheelin.:Rockon:
 
44 and 30 shafts are pretty much the same man lol.
 
i just broke the carrier in my zj but the shafts look fine..... i got a 8.8 and hp30 getting rdy to install with 410s.
 
Nice XJ, all I can say is the best investment I made to mine was a rear locker. It helps alot to have power to both rear tires.

I would like to know how those radius arms flex too
 
well bad news is wrecked the POS jeep.

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so the insurance company said it was a loss. so with my the money i'm getting i have another xj that i'm getting as a DD/trail rig and then buying back my wrecked jeep to maybe make into a racing rig or whatever and beat the living piss out of it. should get the new jeep here in a week or so. so i'll post pics and everything up then.
 
Wow, got a story to go with the pics? How'd our LA's hold up? Sad to hear but it sounds like you've got an ECORS rig now!
 
the long arms didn't even look like they were damaged whatsoever they help up good. i'm going to take them off the junked one and put them on the new jeep.

the story is i was talking to my passenger and noticed a red light late slammed the brakes and skidded into the intersection were a sedan hit me. everyone walked away unscratched which was awesome.

yeah me and BigGoofy are thinking about making it a ECORS rig.
 
Should be awesome man!
 
It wouldn't be for about 2 years but if its sooner my wife says she will co drive for ya Steven lol...
 
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