The '90 by 1990JEEPXJ

10 minute(s) of a 112 minute read

well today i picked up my detroit truetrac and D30 install kit. tomorrow the yukon grizzly and D44 install kit

2-18-2012

well today i picked up my detroit truetrac and D30 install kit. tomorrow the yukon grizzly and D44 install kit

2-27-2012

well i got both axles swapped in. the locker in the back is barely noticeable on the street. in made one loud pop when i backed up for the first time. but i know lockers make noise from time to time. they will be put to the test this weekend. still have to chase down a driveline vibe and change out my speedo gear.

and i ended up using the stock drums for the 44. getting the discs in on time proved to be too much of a hassle given the timeframe i needed. so ill keep all of the disc stuff for later on down the road. but i did change the wheel cylinders in the drums for ones from an '87 dodge 3/4 ton truck. they directly bolt in and are a larger bore. the brakes are much better, especially after a proper bleeding.

3-5-2012

got back from wheeling yesterday. it was such an awesome trip. the locker and limited slip along with the gearing were simply amazing. i never had any trouble except on some of the bigger man made obstacles. but i did find out the i need bumpstops real bad up front. i nearly ripped off my front brake line.

4-20-2012

havent done much to the jeep lately. just been enjoying it. wheeled it some more. im loving the axles. the rear locker is very well mannered on the street. never makes a peep and rarely squeals a tire. even had the chance to use full time 4WD on some snowy roads. the front truetrac is awesome. glad i chose the LSD vs a full locker.

but i am having some weird rear brake drum issues i need to investigate

5-10-2012

some recent wheeling pics. only thing sort of new is the riddler cover.

me and the dog

5-27-2012

thanks man. i absolutely loved your green one. i dont think ill ever part ways with my XJ, except maybe to get a newer 97+ to swap the parts over

went wheeling yesterday

and in doing so, i caught my slider sort of underneath a large rock which proceeded to rip off the slider

so the plan now is to replace the rockers with 2x6 box, take the side tube off the JCR sliders and use those and resell the sliders to recoup some of the money. the slider is fine, it just ripped out the 8 self tappers and the 5 bolt holes in the pinch seam were just ripped. i mean i COULD just get bigger self tappers and drill new holes for the pinch seam, but its a good excuse to do the rockers

i also managed to scrape my exhaust and break some welds at my muffler. have a nice exhaust leak now too.

also, forgot to mention, i replaced my front RE 4.5" coils with the RE 5.5" coils. MUCH better. they are a better height and a stiffer ride. the 4.5" coils were too soft for me. now i just need to remove my ACOS. its sitting a little too high for me right now.

and a couple videos.

this was a bad *** XJ. chopped top with the back of a comanche cab, exo, HP44 ARB, 9" Detroit, 35's blah blah blah.


and me going up the same spot. took me about 15 minutes and some careful spotting. i kept getting hung up on my drop brackets, first time i ever have been hindered by them. got some good airtime though

6-15-2012

well i decided that i wanted to have a swaybar again. after adding the rack and having weight up there i feel its time. i dont NEED to but id feel more comfortable having one. especially if someone else needs to drive. have RE gen II discos and JCR axle side brackets waiting to go on. just need to actually get a swaybar now.

very soon ill be replacing my radiator as well as taking out my A/C condensor and related stuff. it barely works and i never use it. why not increase airflow to the radiator?

i also have leaf bushings to replace. just need time!!

7-2-2012

went on a weekend trip to the local mountains. camped, fished and even wheeled a tiny bit. i had some trouble at the first obstacle. i kept sliding over and getting my rear diff caught between two rocks. i know i couldve made it but i was alone so i didnt want to try too hard.

camping:

fishing:

wheeling:

12-7-2012

haha thanks taylor. so kind of you to post me nearly getting stuck because of my drop brackets. but you forgot this one:

yes this is what ive been doing to the jeep. i did the 2x6 rockers even with the door sills. so i had to cut about 2" off the doors. then i didnt like how the rockers didnt stick out much for door protection. so i cut the old outer tubes off of my old JCR sliders and welded them to the new rockers. worked out perfectly. 

while i was at it i did the cut n fold in the rear. 

replacing the rear leaf bushings was obviously something that was LONG overdue. it clunked just a tad. but much better now.

just for kicks i also took off the roof rack.

soon i will be making myself a new t-case skidplate as i bent my stock one and dont want to deal with trying to bend it back. just have to think about what style to make it, if i want to raise the t-case a bit first etc...

12-17-2012

some other random wheeling ones

1-5-2013

some other random wheeling ones

i recently bought some parts for a WJ knuckle swap. the knuckles, calipers, and brackets. i also began collecting the other necessary parts. i bought JKS hub spacers and new Timken hub bearings for an 01 XJ. next up is ball joints. i am on the fence about getting the spicer ones or going for the synergy ones. the cost difference is pretty significant there

now i could probably get away with re-using my existing steering and just adjusting it out a bit but new bungs and tube isnt too much more. ill probably get a beefier tie rod as my 1.5"x0.25" wall DOM is bent. i was thinking 1.75"X 3/8" wall DOM.

im even toying with the idea of throwing a real locker in the dana 30 soon. having the truetrac up front has begun to show its weakness in some areas.

BUT ultimately this is a lot of money for a D30...