First Change Order. I am going to reuse the outer back part of the fenders to "fill in" the side a little. It will give me a good place to mount the side marker lights and cover some of the ugly. I am going to mount the battery behind the passenger seat. I will then install a couple buss bars where the battery bracket/shelf is now. That will clean up a bunch of the wiring mess and I will still have the clearance needed for the font tires to flex and stuff!
...and a pic to give you a idea of what I'm talking about
IT STARTED! I must not have messed up the wiring to much! The battery is now between the seats with the battery cables running next to the drive shaft tunnel, thru the fire wall and then to a bus bar. So far so good. It hasn't caught fire!
AND! The 37" tires don't touch or rub anything at full lock left and right.
Also I took a short little test drive and the 5.13 gears are a perfect match for the 37" tires
I might be in the market for a Rubi! I was just diagnosed with Macular Degeneration this week. At 32. If my driving time is limited, I'm going to enjoy it!
James, That sucks! I just did a quick google search... you would think that something effecting over 10 million people would get a little more attention. You will be in my thoughts.
Brad, you should see some of the Jeeps on Jeep Forum that have had the same owner for 10 or 15 years. Some are pretty crazy.
The Jeep Jamboree has set the limit at 37" tires and no more than 6" of lift. I'm glad they have a limit...
Thump sorry to hear about your condition. That sucks. Play it out is the way to go!
Southern Jeeps are at least a 50% better shot of getting little or no rust. I lucked into mine in central Florida 20 or so years ago. It was totally rust free when it was fifteen years old. While shopping for it I found many that you would have thought had plowed snow in a salt mine.
I hate that my lift is well over six inches and that my tires are 38.5's It would take too much time for me, at this time, to tone it down to go play with Mark and the Jeep guys, or I would be there. The boys I played with were into unlimited stuff that got so crazy big that I quit going with them due to costs of keeping up.
Nice job Mark. Hey you want to do mine? A little new wiring is always a good thing. I also have planned to move my battery to that same location. I run a big 12V truck battery. The re-location would be a good thing from many aspects.
Broke a mounting bolt off on one of the rear shocks... up high... next to the gas tank filler tube...
Soaked the rest down with PB Blaster for the last few days.
I hope the other 3 play nice.
I am changing out the gas tank skid shortly. So dropping the tank is in my near future. If any more break off, that will be the time for the drill and tap.... I hate the drill and tap
If those are like most Jeep shock mounts, they don't have to be replaced with a stud. Drill it out and use a shock bolt with a nut and washer. Most parts stores have replacement shock mounting bolts.
I fired my ole 400 in my CJ up and headed out into the back forty.....heading for camp swampy.....then I remembered the rear drive shaft is sitting on my bench near the vise. Shit.
Oh well, I was just moving it to use it as an anchor for the awning on my ole motorhome. The awning has a broken recoil spring and I cannot put it up. We had big wind coming again. Last week the winds ripped out my ground anchor stakes and broke a support arm off from the awning. With the next round of wind storms I doubt it will carry the Jeep very far. If it does.....those things won't matter anymore anyways.
It is cool that just a ride around the property in the Jeep still feels good. I believe this is my nineteenth year of owning this Jeep.
Funny thing.....my younger(27) daughter was asking me the other day if she could have the jeep when I die. I went in the house to look in the mirror. I did not think I was looking that bad! I mean damn! I have been feeling pretty good lately even!
I bought my YJ in 97. I actually been thinking about selling it lately and buying my dream car but it's hard to part with something that has been part of your life for nearly half of it.
Oh and the dream car is a 65-70 Mustang fastback or convertible.
I set the Jeep aside in my mind when it comes to selling stuff, I have learned to think of it as not available.
Every now and again I get someone who stops by thinking it would be a good idea for me to sell it to them. I simply make sure I price it so high that they look at me like I am nuts. That is when the price is in the right zone.
As far as that "dream car", I sincerely believe you simply gotta have both. If the garage or driveway isn't big enough start there. Once that is fixed with a proper upgrade, keep the Jeep and get that hotrod.
One of the vehicular items I have had the longest is my 1971 Corvette LT1 350 short block and it's Muncie 4 speed. I got them in 1977. The 400 4 bolt main, that is in my Jeep, came by way of a 1971 Caprice that I drove as a winter beater in 1978. I guess I have had them well over half of my lifetime.