XJ Lift Good Friday

[jeepxj3]

Ok, I'll make you guys improved Ridgco style bumpers. Jason, I want your ARB! LOL...

Brian, you can draw stuff in AutoCAD and e-mail it to me. I have the program, so viewing .DWG/.DXF files are no big deal. I'd make the whole thing from 3/16" plate. There is no need for 1/4" anywhere. You're not spanning any great distances, and with the inner support structure, you should have no problems.

We can trade! Just make me a sick ass bumpahhh, and yes I want toob.

[BigZees]

Ok, I'll make you guys improved Ridgco style bumpers. Jason, I want your ARB! LOL...

Brian, you can draw stuff in AutoCAD and e-mail it to me. I have the program, so viewing .DWG/.DXF files are no big deal. I'd make the whole thing from 3/16" plate. There is no need for 1/4" anywhere. You're not spanning any great distances, and with the inner support structure, you should have no problems.

What I'll do is check out some of Rigidco's specs and go from there. The only thing I'm really not sure about is the winch mount. Hole specs, and spacing. It would probably be better to drill those later when I have the winch in hand. I'm guessing I'll have to drop my front bumper to sketch up the brackets, unless someone knows a source for the bolt hole locations and spacings.

Most of the work I can do myself Steve. Having someone with more welding experience than myself is a big help.

I worked at a fab shop for a few years. Watched many a cabinet get welded up. Many a frame, jigs and whatnot. I inspected them all. Key is in the grinding after the welds. Even bad welds can be made to look sweet with good grinding. We had guys do only that. They ground welds all day. Sounds like a suck ass job, and it was, but let me tell you those guys were good. I learned quite a bit just from watching them.

[BigZees]

Next up, flares are on their way. Should be here by next Wednesday / Thursday. Looked at the Rusty's flex flares, and the Bushwackers. Decided I like the Bush better!!! Reason behind this is coverage. The Rusty's won't cover my tire /wheel offset / Warn hub width up front.

This weekends gig is spare tire mount fabrication at it's finest. I got the metal. I got the welder, and grinder in ready mode. Woohoo sparks baby!

(Metal came from old bed frames, buddy dropped off enough bed frames to build 6 beds!) (2 x 2 x 3/16)

[JeepGeneral]

Hopefully Bushwacker has come up with a better way to mount their flares, both Dave and BBaker had them from a few years ago and everytime you bump a tree the bolts pulled through the plastic.

[BigZees]

Hopefully Bushwacker has come up with a better way to mount their flares, both Dave and BBaker had them from a few years ago and everytime you bump a tree the bolts pulled through the plastic.

Bearing that in mind I'll check and see if flat washers will fit behind the bolt heads. There is a rubber spacer behind the flare itself.

I need coverage, and with XJ's there isn't a whole lot of options out there. Wackers have the most amount of coverage that I've found.

[JeepGeneral]

That would be your best option. I know they both ran new bolts with flat washers after they pulled through the first time and it was too late, the holes were already wore too large.

[bluespark]

Brian,
When I installed them on my last XJ, I used washers on both the inside and outside of the plastic flare itself. IIRC I picked them up bulk at Tractor Supply...

Chad

[jeepxj3]

Brian, I wouldnt cut the fenders if you dont have to, just cut the flare to fit, those 31's have plenty of space inside the fenderwells stock. No sence in cutting up a perfectly good Jeep if you dont have to.

[OverkillZJ]

Those 31's (Interco) run a bit big, I wouldn't be surprised if he needs to trim anyway.

[BigZees]

Those 31's (Interco) run a bit big, I wouldn't be surprised if he needs to trim anyway.

Exactly. As far as cutting up a good Jeep I'm beyond all that now. Once I made the commitment to making this an offroad fun buggy, the sawzall and welder rule! The wheel offset I have, plus the Warn hub kit width, and the actual 31" tire size require me to do a little trimming.

The front end is sagging about 1-1/2" now. As soon as the fender flares are on I'm buying the ACOS system to level the front end out. Seeing the XJ sit there uneven bugs the living crap out of me. I have Bills OCD where it comes to stuff like that. I have to fix it!

[BigZees]

Anyone heard about these guys? http://www.protofab4x4.com/products.php?ID=05

[MF Steve!]

I didn't know they were still in business.

[BigZees]

I didn't know they were still in business.

They have an ad in the most current issue of JP.

[MF Steve!]

I wanna start my bumper...but I need a front clip first. I found this picture, of what is supposedly a Blue Torch Fabworks bumper. I'm going to adapt and clone it to fit my application:

[BigZees]

OK. On Sunday I almost completed the spare tire bracket goodies. Got the base made. Got the bracket Bill gave me welded to one side of the uprights. Making last set of uprights this weekend and bolting base to the floor. Going to the Nuthouse and picking up some grade 8 bolts and wing nuts for the whole mess. Will take pics once completed.

Fender flares should be here today / tomorrow. Hopefully get cracking on them soon.

Still need alignment done. Hopefully get it done on Friday. $100 for alignment!!!

Called Terry at RigidCo. Spent 40 minutes on the phone with him. Damn nice man. He is 60 years old and wheels all over. Asked him about his bumper mounting kits. He makes 2 and will sell them separately. Looking at buying the one with all the plates for mounting a winch. $160 clams. Not a bad deal and will save me tons of footwork / time / cursing. All I'll need then is plate for the bumper fab.

Wifes birthday / our anniversary is this Saturday. May cut into my fab time. Of course she is more important than the Jeep, not too mention she carries a big stick! Just remembered. Oldest one and grandkids will be here on Sunday. I might not get too much done.


This will keep me busy for a little bit.

Alignment. (Done)
Spare tire mount completion. (Done)
Fender flare mounting. (Done)
ACOS system to level out suspension.
Bumper mounting kit from RigidCo.
Plate for bumper fab.
Rock rails from AJ's Armor.

[jeepxj3]

I wanna start my bumper...but I need a front clip first. I found this picture, of what is supposedly a Blue Torch Fabworks bumper. I'm going to adapt and clone it to fit my application:

cut the front end off my old XJ

[BigZees]

Rear cargo area spare tire bracket is complete. The bottom frame is bolted through the floor at the rear latch area with 3/8-16 grade 8 bolts with nyloc nuts. The rear latch trim / cover hides the mounting points. I measured forward in front of the gas tank in the small flat area and punched 2 more holes through with the same hardware setup as the latch area. The base is definitely not going anywhere.

The next bracket bolts (with same 3/8-16 grade 8's) to the base. I used wing-nuts and self locking internal washers at the head end to make it a hand tightening, no wrench needed, quick detach bracket. I will buy shorter bolts as I used the same 1-3/4" bolts that went through the floor. No sense winding wing-nuts on that far. This bracket is at a 45 deg angle, which holds the tire just above the rear seat, and 1 inch from the hatch at the back. Bill's wonderful spare tire bracket I welded to this piece, and the tire mounts directly to it using my god awful long lug nuts. Took me 2 weekends to complete, but well worth the trouble.

Tomorrow if it isn't too bad out I'll clean all the junk back out of the hatch area and shoot up some pics.

THANKS BILL!!!! Without your spare bracket this would not have been possible.

[BigZees]

Ok here goes.

Here is the base. Excuse the loads of crap in the back!



Rear bolts hidden under trim.


Bills wonderful spare brakcet in all it's glory.






And the finished sun glared product.



This coming weekend, fender flares!!!

[BigZees]

Fender flares are done. I'll shoot up some pics of those here soon. ACOS system should be coming soon so I can level out the buggy. Then on to the other goodies!

[MF Steve!]

Schweeeeeet! When are we making your bumpers???

[andrew2516]

That tire carrier setup looks nice. I like how most of it comes out incase you wanted to haul some other stuff back there.

[BigZees]

Schweeeeeet! When are we making your bumpers???

I talked to Terry at Rigidco and he is going to send me the whole bumper mount system. http://www.rigidco.com/web3_FbW_Winc...c_P6210004.JPG

He quoted me at $165 which is sweet. Saves a whole lot of footwork and cursing. I can either build around this, or order his bumper. I'll debate this once I get the mount system.