LSRGreg's WJ Build... Its ON!

TCBound · Mar 27, 2009

Yeah...okay...it's 12:40 am and I thought I'd take another peek at this to look again at the Claytons. I saw the pics with the sliders and my jaw hit my desk so hard it woke up my dog. SHE started barking (thought it was an intruder, I guess) THEN my wife woke up and came and was looking over my shoulder. I said, "Hey, what do ya think? Do ya think mine would look good like that"? She said, "Not if it costs more than a couple hundred bucks!" *Heavy Sigh*
Women- ya can't live with 'em, and there's no open season!
BUT, like the man said, "Sometimes it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission! Wish me luck, buddy!
Man that baby looks great! (I'm picturing my midnight blue '04 with yellow Claytons...see, you're starting a trend!)

LSRGreg · Apr 7, 2009

Finally got my wheels in today! Only problem is, they didn't come with the RAD valves i wanted, so i guess i will be adding those myself. Man these sucker are pure beef! 45 lbs each, and aluminum. No wonder they use them on trophy trucks!

No welds on these beads!

Now they just need some powdercoat treatment!

LSRGreg · Apr 7, 2009

Got some pics from the maiden wheeling voyage. Had a super nice weekend out in Box Canyon near Florence Junction, AZ

Here are some shots:

Testing out the flex to see how bad the tires are rubbing with the very minimal trimming i have done thus far:

Here is where we had to stick the rear spring back in, since they dropped out 3 times that trip: (left sway bar connected, so rear end did all the flexing, and since i still have the bastard shocks, there isnt' much holding back from serious droop)

Here is another spring drop:

LSRGreg · Apr 7, 2009

Aired down to 18 psi:

It was a dusty weekend.. thank god for windows, and AC!

faststang1 · Apr 8, 2009

Nice WJ....u need to get some Monster sickers on there...lol..to give it more pop with the green clayton arms!!!!

LSRGreg · Apr 20, 2009

Finally got the wheels mounted. I spent all day yesterday adding the Monster Valves, and getting them mounted up. The center caps finally came today, so i will get those coated to match, and some new lug nuts when i get them balanced at discount. Even though, with no balancing, they run just like they did on the stock wheels, even at 70 mph on the freeway..

Here is a wheel with monster valve installed:

Here is the difference between a Monster Valve and a regular valve stem:

Little bit wider stance due to the 9" rin width versus the 7" stockers

The tires make a little more road noise now, but nothing annoying. Even without them balanced it drives great on the street.

RockZJ · Apr 21, 2009

That is awesome! Probably one of the nicer built WJ's that ive seen. Looks like you have to do some trimming eh? Gotta love the obnoxious grabber green!

RockZJ

LSRGreg · Apr 21, 2009

yeah.. trimming for sure.. my next project is to make some coil spring retainers front and rear so i can flex it without dropping the coils out on the trail (like i have already done), then i will see how much trimming i need to do when i can flex it to its max.

zeldagangsta · Apr 21, 2009

wow this thing is really amazing. solid lift solid rims just solid all around. much props

fuzzy59 · Apr 21, 2009

I like the green look. Any plans for a front bumper?

NOTHINGMAN · Apr 21, 2009

http://www.nagca.com/forum/showthread.php?p=289513#post289513

fuzzy59 · Apr 21, 2009

Good call!

LSRGreg · Apr 28, 2009

Ok.. another weekend went by with more work done..

Got the new track bar mount welded in and installed... as well as Kevins HD Tie Rod..

It drives like *** right now, since the drag link isn't flipped over yet, but i will be doing that tonight.. gotta rent a tie rod end puller, and do some drilling and reaming of my spindle and pitman arm.

I also fabbed and installed my coil spring retainers:

and i decided to use some exhaust clamps on the upper rears. LOL

I think i might vinyl dip the ends of the hook style ones, so they don't make noise..

I made 1 set of extras if anyone is interested.

ZJones · Apr 28, 2009

Looks great as usuall. I don't think I would add anymore green though, you don't want it getting out of hand. Maybe to the failead when you get the bumper done but that's it.

LSRGreg · Apr 28, 2009

the fair lead, and the d-rings.. and that is it... i agree.. i don't want to go too much.

Has anyone ever heard of not wanting the springs to stretch??? It will ruin them or something?

G-

ZJones · Apr 29, 2009

Never heard of that, if you're bump stops and shocks are at the correct length you shouldn't be flexing to the point where your springs will get streched. I could be wrong though.

LSRGreg · Apr 29, 2009

well... it has enough flex to go past the length of the springs, so i want my shocks to be able to let it flex as much as possible.. but i have been told that stretching the springs is a very bad thing to do.. so i might have to limit the shocks more than i want to.. Oh well.

Got the steering drag link reamed out, and installed.. sort of. TNT sent me the wrong ends, and that made the drag link too short, so i sleeved it temporarily to get me around, until they send me the right parts.

a nicely reamed hole:

I had to remove the JKS sway bar link on the pass side, and grind down the mounting tab to clear at full lock. I will have to move the link up on that side by making a small bracket that raises the hole up an inch or so.

Drives a lot better now, but feels a little wobbley on the front end now. Its only been aligned by tape measure, so after i get the new correct drag link, and ends, i will get it aligned by a pro, and also get the wheels and tire balanced too. :eyeye:

LSRGreg · May 4, 2009

I got the sway bar mounts moved up.. to clear the new steering at full lock..

I also machined up some spacers to move the sway bar end links away from the mounting plates to keep them from rubbing and making noise...

I also flexed it a bit to see where i need to do some more trimming to the fenders.. here is a little i added to the front. I took off about 1" from that main lip, and pounded up near it to give it some more clearance at full steering lock, and tuck.

85IrocZ-28 · May 5, 2009

Looking good, I have never seen spring retainers on the top like that. I usually just see people run a limiting strap when they have a problem with dropping springs out. Very well thought out and built.

geesaw · May 5, 2009

As far as over-stretching your springs, I would guess if you didn't let them stretch much further from an unloaded position than the distance they compress from an unloaded position, you would be OK, right?

I'm thinking if it's elastic to a point one way, the material should maintain it's integrity to at least the same point the other direction.

LSRGreg's WJ Build... Its ON!

TCBound

LSRGreg

LSRGreg

LSRGreg

faststang1

LSRGreg

RockZJ

LSRGreg

zeldagangsta

fuzzy59

NOTHINGMAN

fuzzy59

LSRGreg

ZJones

LSRGreg

ZJones

LSRGreg

LSRGreg

85IrocZ-28

geesaw

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