Hello from a fellow Jeepaholic

[1bolt]

Posted the same introduction on Krawlers the other day...
Hi my name is Simon and I have a Jeeping problem... It all started with a friends CJ5 when I was a teen in the 80's and just got worse from there... pretty soon my Buddy was turning me on to a "YJ", and all my friends were doing it... It didn't have to be Jeep Jeeps, there were FSJ's, Bronco's, Scouts, even a Three quarter elliptical VW. that got the snot beat out of it in "the Pits" (the land that used to be where Tysons II Mall is in Vienna)

These days my habit is not quite under control:
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/1251/projects017an1.jpg
a Comanche, Family XJ, my XJ thats locked, 4.0 stroked to 4.6, 4.56 geared on 33's...
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/51/front1202eb1.jpg
And my YJ which has had so many things done to it I could fill a whole post and bore the piss out of you all, but is currently just a roller waiting on a drive train. Ether a 4.0 stroker which I have the parts for, a 401 Nailhead I have, or a late model Mustang 5.0 which I also have.
The only thing I own that's not a 4x4 is a 65 Mustang Convertible, Mustangs being my other addiction (4 in the past this is the 5th)
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6513/stangsig003uu7.jpg

[ECnVA]

welcome to the dark side of the moon.

[mjeff87]

hmmmm....33 BFG's

wonder where you coulda got them from....:lmao:

Welcome to RJ Simon :cheers:

Jeff

[86CJ7]

welcome, oh shit another xj on the forum.

[Ace4wd]

welcome, oh shit another MJ on the forum.

:rock:

Lets see the YJ
:hellyeah:

[1bolt]

hmmmm....33 BFG's

wonder where you coulda got them from....:lmao:

Welcome to RJ Simon :cheers:

Jeff

Those are the ones that wore out and are getting replaced with yours. Been looking around for another brand new one to fit with the ones I bought from you. Meanwhile I ran into these:
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/3478/1006900dy0.jpg
which should get me past inspection, it amazing how much clearance I gained with the 16x8 Moabs over the stock 15x7 XJ sport wheels, they supposedly only have like an extra half inch (or less) of BS but they stick out an extra inch and I gained clearance on my lower control arms with a wider tire! Not sure how but the old BFG's were narrower and only measure out around 32" and rubbed the arm at full lock. These are wider and taller (over 33") and don't rub.

Can't figure out how that works, unless my steering stops have slowly backed themselves out...

[1bolt]

welcome, oh shit another MJ on the forum.
:rock:
Lets see the YJ
:hellyeah:

Well I this is as close as I have to a pick of the YJ in its current state:
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6453/picture551kw8.jpg
which says it all... its waiting for either this:
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/3817/1005980pa8.jpg
Or this:
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/6046/picture580zd7.jpg

Here's an old pic of it shackle lifted on 31's next to me old Cobra which I miss :(
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/8315/ourpicsusa212ut7.jpg

Since that pic it had a 4" lift, 35's SYE, all sorts of mundain BS like stainless hard brake line kit, TJ front grill, frame repairs. And two engines pulled, from it then sat for the last couple years.

[Ace4wd]

TJ front grill...??? How dose that work with the YJ hood ?

[1bolt]

There's a gap where the radius is different on each side but it's nothing too bad considering how gappy a universal Jeep is to begin with. Some day I'll put pie cuts in the hood and relax the radius to meet the grill then weld it back up.

If I get a chance I'll take a pick today as she sits so you can see. It works pretty well, and I really like how mutt like it looks with the mismatched parts. Obviously its not a trailer queen with a nice paint job.

[Ace4wd]

I have been thinking of putting a TJ Grizzle on my YJ. but not sure if it will look ok or not. The wife dose not like the YJ look. Please post pic's. I think the rad hoop I have will help hide the gap.

Thanks
Mike

http://www.eastcoast4wd.net/forums/imagehosting/thum_1248cdb1db4d79c.jpg (http://www.eastcoast4wd.net/forums/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=856)

[1bolt]

Here's a pick as she sits, I think that hoop would make it pretty much impossible to tell there's a gap there, considering the gap isn't all that bad to begin with...
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8738/1006946fz4.jpg
As for putting it on there I pretty much winged it, drilled new holes in the fender that lined up with the TJ grille, cut the support rods off the old grille where their bracket is welded on, and welded the supports right back onto to the TJ grill without removing them after making sure the hood closed good and everything lined up square and as good looking as possible.

I'll try and post some more pics if I can dig them up

[soacj]

Ether a 4.0 stroker which I have the parts for, a 401 Nailhead I have, or a late model Mustang 5.0 which I also have.

Here's an enthusiastic vote for the 5.0L--Been running one in my CJ/YJ creation for four years or so and it never fails to put a smile on my face.

[1bolt]

Yeah the 5.0 is tempting. Some of the factors I'm considering though is that a 4.0 stroker (stroked to 4.6) tend to have more torque with a flatter torque curve and about 90% of peake torque just off idle With an RV cam they peak usually around 2000 RPM's and 90% of peak available all the way to redline. Because of that and the avalability of dirt cheap AX15's and NP231's it's harder to go with the 5.0. which requires more wiring and parts I don't have yet. And the 5.0 needs a T18 or SM465 which I also don't have. They have stronger T-case options for sure but they are hard to get dirt cheap...

The 401 Nailhead is making 450 foot pounds a little over 2000 RPM's which is bad ass, but the drive line options are hard to find, expensive and maybe hard to stuff within the YJ wheelbase without stretching it out and turning it into a Jeep Truck. I have a 2wd TH400 (SP400 Buick called it because they put a variable stall speed converter in it) but it would require some sort of Divorce mounted T-case.