TJ: The Rubber Ducky Build
 

I thought seeing as i started with a bone stock TJ and i have the dream of making it into a mean rig, i should start a build thread!

This is my daily driver however i do want it to be a very capable 4wd (and also look the part ;)). Being that I'm poor and have minimal income at the moment, i imagine this will be a very slow moving thread, but it shall be a thread nonetheless! I will try and go into as much detail as i can PLEASE POST ANY AND ALL ADVICE OR COMMENTS, thats what this forum is for after all right?

i'll do a quick rundown of the minor mods i've done to date and then the fun will start.

And so it begins….

Here is the jeep as i bought it in december 2011.
2000 TJ wrangler sport soft-top. I bought it in Perth as that's where I'm from originally. It had about 33000kms on it and was completely stock. The dealer told me it had lived most its life in broome but as far as the nature of its life, i can only speculate.
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813809
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813932
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388814011


I don't think i had the roof on once, the whole time it was in Perth. god i miss that weather

the first thing i did when i got it home. nothing feels better than the air blowing up your shorts
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388812706

Next, being that I'm somewhat of an audiophile (and a DJ by profession) came the sound system… and what a sound system it is. VERY loud and very clear (as if the yellow wasn't attention seeking enough) but just like the car its installed in, i find myself wanting to pump more money into it.

the mono-block amp (the farthest) came off my old car and is a beast of an amp, more than enough power for the sub
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813741

the sub has its own story but basically, a mate of mine managed to get it for me for almost nothing as it had a small bend in the outer metal ring, which ended up just bending back when i screwed it into the box. i was sceptical about soundstream gear (possibly something to do with the big spider sprawled across all their stuff) but this sub has been an absolute killer, and i would recommend to anybody looking for a slimline sub (had an alpine before which blew up 10 days after purchase)
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813739

the other amp i picked up from cash converters at a risk but turned out ok, it powers the speakers in the overhead console (more on that later)

boot could do with a clean, although I'm thinking on the possibility of a storage system. id also like to rewire and tidy up all that mess at some point

Obstacle #1: So apparently there is a lot of red dust in Broome… everything was covered in it. the dealership had cleaned the visible areas but it didn't take long to uncover the desert i was carrying. heres an image of the BOULDER of red dust i found that had somehow formed on a pipe under the steering wheel

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps02f2b43e.jpg

so the cleaning began. one day i hope to remove every grain of red dust, but there is still so much in there…

put in a budget snorkel (cost about $140 i think) anybody know if there are any advantages to the $400 safari snorkel over something cheap??? they seem to be made of the same stuff…. anyway probably a bit late to change now! can't find any actual pics of the install but here is the finish product.

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813444

the location of the windshield bracket poses some issues for removing the drivers side door, anybody found a way around this?

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388816464

I had to remove the drivers side battery tray to access the point where the snorkel joined the air hose through the outer panel. once removed there was no way i could fit the hose through the holes in the battery tray supports and get it to line up with the snorkel so i had to take to the supports with the grinder
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388816486
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388816511

after taking these pictures i think i might need some more padding on those battery tray supports….

As most TJ owners will be aware, theres always a constant battle for space! i wanted an overhead console that suited my needs but all i could find was a rugged ridge sort of thing that didn't really fit the bill… so decided to make up my own.

originally my constraints were:
- had to fit nicely within the area of the soft top
- couldn't obstruct any vision
- had to be removable
- had to allow the the soft top latches
- had to house the UHF radio

so scribbled out a rough idea of what i wanted on an old receipt and got to work with the tools and some MDF. i didn't expect it to turn out that well but it actually worked out perfectly!! {i can probably dig up the receipt or write down the specs if you want to do it yourself, just send me a PM.}
The plans changed a little along the way and i decided to go in a different direction with the UHF placement and also decided to chuck some speakers in the console with a little storage area in the middle. It does everything i set out to do. doesn't block any vision, fits perfectly and can be moved for the soft-top latches or removed if necessary.

i did end up removing the sun visors as A) i don't use them and B) they were just an extra step in taking the soft top and I'm lazy…… however I'm considering adding some sort of slide down visors to the back of the console


http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813051

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813567

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813634

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813642

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813522


this reminds me, i still need to carpet those little blocks on the sides
it still has to pass an off road test too….:???: i have a feeling it won't like corrugations. might have to sort out some kind of cushion or something

this is where i put the UHF (centre console), decided it was safer here and the less wires running to the overhead console the better i thought. works really well though now that i put that aux speaker on the dash

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813672
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388813649

heres where i mounted the aerial, the damn top bit rattled off somewhere! or was stolen….. anybody know if you can buy just the top bits? its a uniden AT770
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1388820232

does anybody know if you can get a sort of extension lead for the handheld bit of the UHF? I'm thinking of maybe running an extension to somewhere on the dash and then only plugging the mic in when i use it… kind of an unnecessary mod but hey, would be cool

nice work on the overhead console i did a similar setup, how big is your's 200mmx100mm? i made mine about 300mm from memory but it took some getting used to as its close to my face lol

The Rubber Ducky TJ Build
 

Yep 200x100, no trouble with it getting in my face or anything

OK so managed to score a pretty nice rear bar and tyre carrier from a guy on here. Its a blackjack welding model, hardly a nick on it and gave it to me for a great price! will have to get my housemate to help me put it on i think… more pics when its on the car. if you have any pointers or things i should know about before taking the old bar off and putting this one on, let moi know!!!

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pslsa6e9im.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psxncqvx6x.jpg

the rear bar and tyre carrier are now on and looking gooooood

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pszz1z3hhd.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psbewyfndz.jpg

there were a couple of issues… the bar has 6 holes (you can sort of see in a previous post) on each side to mount to the car, however the car only had 2 holes on each side….. i ended up drilling another two holes on each side but the middle two would be drilling right inside the chassis rail? so theres no way i would have been able to get a nut onto the end of it. anyway hopeful the 4 on each side (plus the frame tie-ins) will be enough to keep it solid as a rock

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pskee3ysx4.jpg

The legend that sold me the rear bar threw in some new style wing mirrors too, on of them was broken as pictured. Having had no lucky finding just the drivers side mirror for sale anywhere it came down to fixing it or sticking with the older style mirrors. Us jeep lovers love to fix things almost as much as we love new kit for our rides so i started the fix!

in the end it was quite easy, once i had managed to separate the two parts.

here is the break:
http://rs1034.pbsrc.com/albums/a427/...pp.jpg~320x480

i had to use needle nose pliers to pull the metal ring off to separate the parts:
http://rs1034.pbsrc.com/albums/a427/...6y.jpg~320x480
the two separate parts:
http://rs1034.pbsrc.com/albums/a427/...th.jpg~320x480

so my original plan was to keep the two parts together in the right position and then fill the indie of the join part with some kind of filler and then put a screw through the whole set up, the filler would stop the inside cylinder being pulled towards the outer shell as there was nothing in between, with the screw being the key part of the fix. in the end i found some builders bog and used that to fill the gaps but once the bog set it was rock solid and i thought the screw would just look tacky and theres always the possibility of rust so i decided the bog would suffice
http://rs1034.pbsrc.com/albums/a427/...9t.jpg~320x480
http://rs1034.pbsrc.com/albums/a427/...ef.jpg~320x480

So far seems to be working perfectly, the only thing i might comment on is that its TOO solid. the mirror gets slightly more vibration than the other side and i can only assume that the original construction absorbs some of the vibration and with the bog holding the two parts so tightly together, the mirror gets the brunt of it. Still, its a s*** load better than the old style mirrors
heres the finished product (sorry for poor pics)
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1394706811
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1394706691
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pszc4bayak.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psmzzvxhyp.jpg

got some small parts in:
door sill protectors
rockwell 3rd brake light
3 new lug nuts for spare as they're in poor shape however all all will need replacing soon
steering wheel puller for when i eventually put in cruise control

got some things on order too:
20" LED light bar for the front
some tow hooks
kwiky tyre deflator
winch plate
dual battery tray

I might as well right down my plans/dreams, as they are at the moment anyway.
In no particular order:
4" Lift (yet to be decided, leaning towards RE)
1" BL
35" rubber and rims
SYE (purchased)
CV Driveshaft
Steering stabiliser
Skid Plates (Gas, steering, diffs etc)
Cargo Net
Hi-Lift Jack
Hi-Lift Jack mount
Truck Bed-liner tub
Respray interior (maybe)
HID Spotties
Telescopic work/camp light for rear carrier
Rock lights
Swaybar quick disconnects/antirock
OBA set up
Diff ratios/lockers
Dual battery set up
GOBI Roof Rack (probably)
50" LED light bar
50" light bar windshield mount
Jerry can mounts
Headlight upgrade
Front Bar + Winch
Cruise control
Electric fan
Exhaust + maybe new manifold
Alarm (maybe)
Number plate relocation bracket
Gas strut for rear bar
Fire extinguisher mounted


Almost every jeep part known to man i know, but its a good feeling ticking something off the list!

Re: The Rubber Ducky TJ Build
 

Mate, what a sexy looking TJ from stock, love the yellow. Overhead console looks great, nice phat speaker above your head ;-)

Sent from my HTC One XL using Aussie Jeep Offroad mobile app

cheers bud :) i wasn't a fan of the yellow at first but now i wouldn't have any other colour

Awesome looking build and some great ideas mate, definitelty keen to hear how the dual battery tray works out as I'm looking at doing one on my own TJ.

Have you gone with the one that mounts in original position and requires optima batteries to be mounted on their sides? or is there another option I haven't been able to find?

yeh its the smittybilt one that needs optimas :wall: it was second hand and thrown in to make a deal on a winch tray a bit sweeter so i went for it without much thought and didn't realise it needed the optimas…. oh well, by the time i get two batteries, ill probably upgrade to a yellow and a red top. in the meantime there are more pressing issues that require my money... like a lift!!!

a few of us got together and got my mate a bull bar for his 2 day old jeep renegade last weekend. I've had my jeep 3 years and i still haven't got a front bar on mine yet! :cry: but anyway, the plan was to go Warn, but got to the shop and there was going to be a 2month wait at least, seeing as the blokes birthday was the next day we had to rethink… ended up seeing an OR-fab bar on display and it looked really nice, looked really solid, and had all the goods (winch plate, recovery, light tabs etc) and even a sort of built in bash plate, oh and it was american made so we grabbed that and he absolutely loved it!

helped him put it on that day, the only thing that i didn't like was that it required some very minor trimming to some over hanging metal on (now i've got no idea what its called) a sort of second chassis bar, just below the front bar mounting points. anyway, was easy fixed but just didnt make any sense to me….

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1395766150

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1395798856

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1395766490

so if anybody is looking for a good JK bumper, go the OR-fab


EDIT: writing this i have just realised why the cutting is required haha… its to keep the bottom lip of the bash plate flat against that bottom bar so that it doesn't bend or dent if hit :D

all the goodies on those rubicons makes me jealous… 31.5" tyres from stock, more space, lockers, voice control! but then i remember, half of the fun is the ruggedness and simplicity of the TJ! it may not be better on OR offroad (as stock anyway) but you'll have more fun in the process! also i don't like the big plastic design of the JK… oh and TJ is my initials… soooo jealousy crushed :D

done a couple of small things lately:

firstly i attempted to paint my spare wheel, as you can see below… didn't work out too well. i mustn't have done enough prep work coz half the paint just seemed to brush off… so that just moves steelies further up my list of things to do i guess
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1395766366

next; with the stock tire carrier gone, so was the mounting point for my UHF antenna. i didn't want to spend a gazzillion dollars on a tiny piece of metal to mount it behind the rear tail light so i got a bracket from buntings for $3, sprayed it with some yellow paint to prevent rust and blend in a bit better and then mounted it in the old holes of the tire carrier holes. not perfect but good enough for my needs! also put a 2.5dbi whip on there
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psiiiwdrsf.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7hhegyig.jpg

not really a mod, but i have no clock so found this old analog ikea $2 clock and mounted it range rover style. although this doesn't look great, i do like the analog clock so i might think of a nicer way to put an analog clock in my car
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psxgkx289u.jpg

and to finish: i finally put some lights on! got this 20" LED light bar for $130 from 4WD Supacentra, pretty unbeatable deal. Not as bright as some of the others but does a pretty decent job, and fits perfectly :)
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1395798591
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1395766809

wired it up to the high beams and to this switch in my dash (didn't have any "LED light bar" switches in this style).
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psk7655k7p.jpg

Took the golden beast up to Toolangi on thursday, completely out of the blue trip. it was just like, "I'm bored, I'm going somewhere". There had been a little rain so there was plenty of mud. Got stuck about 5 minutes in and of course i hadn't really expected to see any hardcore tracks so i didn't really prepare properly :wall: but once there tried a track with seriously deep muddy ruts (stupid especially seeing as i was by myself, with no winch or any real recovery gear, no muddys, no front locker AND wearing thongs…)
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psvxvhzbln.jpg

as usual the pictures don't really do the ruts justice but at this point my fuel tank skid is balancing on a rut

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pswlneyzux.jpg

After about half an hour of airing down tyres, shoving sticks and rocks under my wheels, breaking my thongs and a fair bit of swearing i got free

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps08lygbmv.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psmzgrnezq.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pst10gmhwd.jpg

decided to take it a bit easier after that. i had a look a bit further up the track and it got a whole other kind of crazy…. made me realise how badly i need a lift kit, muddies and a winch….

anyway did some great tracks after that, including a crazy steep incline that I'm pretty sure was just meant to be for 2 wheels. here are some picks of a rut/pit that i found (obviously didn't attempt as there would have been no getting out of that by myself if i got stuck)

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pspyymyizd.jpg

the wall of the pit above was over a metre! just for reference

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psuflez1os.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psww1cs4mf.jpg

heres a pic of the incline, the trees closest to the car were on an angle so no good for a reference point, so i lined the camera up with the small trees in the distance in the top right, they were pretty much vertical.
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psyaejdf7l.jpg

all in all was heaps of fun, it really made me realise how badly i need a lift and some bigger rubber though. and also a winch! wish it was just a tad closer to home though….

on friday night a dickhead in an X5 got impatient in traffic and decided to cut me off in a merge….. even though i was already half in the lane in front of him! took off the wing mirror that i had JUST fixed and mounted and put some small marks in the fender flare. no idea why you would do that in an X5… he lost his wing mirror and has huge scratches from front to back! will probably cost him 2k to properly fix his damage. jeep for the win! i fixed the wing mirror with $5 worth of gear from bunnings (a second time) and its even stronger than the first fix. In my defence the wing mirror didn't break at the point that i fixed it either so the last fix was strong! so all i can say to the BMW driver (who also tried to blame me for damage!!) is suck it you d***head, and buy a real 4wd next time. It happened right in front of the pub that i work at and my mate who was on the door, who came and put the guy in his place. heres the fix:

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pswnxhhxp6.jpg

first up i drilled out the holes in the mirrors arm and the part that attaches to the door, pretty straight forward, just used the holes that were already there

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pshw9toxlg.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pscsjthirc.jpg

and then after drilling…

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psfqla3l9m.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psm9elqqfu.jpg

i used a rotary tool to cut out the square in the top bit to *countersink? the top of the bolt

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psab81ot0s.jpg

then put the bolt through, i added a rubber wash to try and reduce the vibes in the mirror i was having previously although not sure if it will actually help at all, just seemed to make sense… bolt is stainless so hopefully no rust issues
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psddjqf9pl.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pshcuae6bo.jpg

and the view from the top, not quite flush but close enough. might paint the top bit black when i get the chacne although doesn't look too bad currently

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pswldrlvkw.jpg

i really want to rub it in to the guy in his X5 for being such a prick, but oh well

vive la jeep!

Good as new!!

TJ: The Rubber Ducky Build
 

We'll the least the x5 drivers insurance can do is get you a new mirror?.

I have your twin jeep I brought back with me from overseas, just have to convert to RHD now. But yes YELLOW does grow on you..

I would of preferred the new blue but " yellow it is and love it". I will be following your thread closely as you are going in the same direction I want to.

Keep up the great work.
Nick.

bought a $3 LED square off ebay

http://www.obdtool.co.uk/upload/pro/...new-le19-6.jpg

replaced the old globe in my overhead cabin light
used a piece of ruler and some M3 sticky tabs to hold the light in place
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psw3dcf3mo.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psugxqz3fi.jpg

the difference is INSANE. lights up the whole interior

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psaeympirp.jpg

now gotta do the ones in the footwells

had some spotties that i wanted to chuck on the jeep, big lightforce things, but with the LED light bar taking pride of place on the front bar, not much room for them. so ended up getting this bar put together pretty cheaply from a welder in north melbourne, top bloke, gave him some detailed plans of what i wanted and the result was perfect. wish i could have had a crack at it myself but with no welder, and no garage currently to put a welder, i had to leave it to the professionals.

Primered:
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3r9jq6hf.jpg

Finished:
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1397143118
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1397143111
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1397143151

Plans available if you want them, and contact me if you want the name of a good welder in melbourne!

Bought myself a winch the other day, was planning on buying a Runva but a second hand Warn XD9000 with synthetic rope popped up at a pretty cheap price and ended up taking the risk. Looking back I should have really gone with a new winch but deeds done now! the guy didn't have a controller for it and it wasn't hooked up so i wasn't able to test it. well… I'm guessing if i had been able to test it, i would have found that it didn't work. when i got it home, i decided to give it a full overhaul and clean inside and found a bit of a mess.

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pscs8xkqiu.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9kxpsztj.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psziqumzxf.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psdykuqeaj.jpg

as you can see, water and dirt had gotten into the gearbox and there was rust and the "grease" was more like play-doh. so i pulled it apart, cleaned every tooth and gear, re-oiled, re-greased, re-sealed and re-assembled. I still haven't got a controller yet but hopefully works now. if theres trouble in the motor I'm not that confident i'll be able to fix it… heres some more pics anyway

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psrebgnzg4.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psmslqu6ww.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4xz2chug.jpg

my workshop with a view…

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psgcqiwuwq.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psxjxp6arj.jpg

also finally got myself a hi-lift jack

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psloy9kgaq.jpg

Done a couple of small (yet not small) things. Made up some long cables for the winch so that i can run the solenoid under the bonnet and out of the way.
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psd2isvwim.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psjvslutms.jpg


I put in a cheap reversing camera the other day, the screen is a little bulky but it works well. Couldn't come up with a good place to put the camera so i screwed it into the thread of the spare tire (didn't pierce the rubber obviously
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psjalkk7ea.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps16pojecv.jpg

Also sold my 20" Led light bar and bought a couple of smaller light bars, to go either side of the winch. bought some brackets from bunnings as the original mounts look like crap and wouldn't fit anyway. Heres where they'll go, more pics when its finished.
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psgovcjgkj.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psh427o0gk.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6jdtct46.jpg

heres a pic of the lights finished
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps82bu3a6j.jpg

went for trip through the high country a couple of weeks ago and was a pretty crazy adventure

went up to craigs hut, then took a steep overgrown track towards cobbler. came up to a pretty crazy rocky bit that if i managed to get down it, theres no way id be able to get back up it… and stupidly decided to do it anyway, then came to the river crossing, which was a lot bigger than i thought it would be… got out and walked half way in to test the depth etc but it was absolutely freezing so decided to just give it ago (another stupid decision) and got hung up on a rock right in the middle of the deep, fast flowing river :wall: ended up having to winch over the rock as i couldn't move off of it… here are some pics
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psqttdgfqz.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pszuzufo3f.jpg

a pic of the rock after, obviously was concealed underwater before saddled it

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psb0ifcrmc.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psqfxvfxkp.jpg

was good to get the winch out though

had to replace the transmission and transfer case fluid after, and good thing too, the fluids were disgustingly dirty. wondering whether ill need to do the diffs as well? bit more involved so avoiding it if i can

rigged up a reversing/rear light as the stock ones are weak, its wired to a switch so only comes on when i turn it on (save me blinding some unsuspecting driver). works a treat though, wish i had a better spot to mount it
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pszemtwv2o.jpg


so the water crossing the other day fried my amplifiers… :wall: :wall: :wall:
I'm hoping a couple of weeks of drying out might fix them as the light still turns on when they get power but I'm doubtful… so i bought a new mono amp so that at least i have some bass as the speakers that were running didn't have any

its a sound stream picasso nano amp, and its definitely nano! its tiny, which i like as i can mount it higher in the back corner by the roll bar pillar and not on the floor. its 450wrms which is only 50 less than my alpine one, and the sub is only rated to 350 so i didn't think it would make a difference however i am noticing that its quite underpowered, i really have to crank it to full to get the volume i had previously (which i admit is quite loud). nonetheless, it was very reasonably priced on ebay and i love the size of it

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pstleehyrs.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psowq82yuc.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psuidmp7bx.jpg

also picked up some other goodies;

these second hand, will put them on later this week

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pscba2xj9k.jpg

and got myself a 2" lift kit (king springs and rancho rs9000 shocks) for a whopping $25!!!! its in perth though so just waiting for my dad to bring it over. my old man says it looks in reasonably good quality and even if it is rubbish, it was cheap as chips (literally). the guy was selling because he was moving to the US

pictures when its installed

I'd be changing the diff fluids as well after being stuck in the river. Better to be safe then sorry.

Yeh you're probably right.. Thinking I'll chuck a new diff cover on the front while I'm at it

Been a while, got some new stuff :D

Firstly, new wheels on! could do with a tad more back spacing but oh well. need to get some centre caps or something too

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pswyvppxxe.jpg

bought this ARB copy d30 diff cover off ebay for $80 (on sale), as far as i can tell its identical. probably made in the same factory. so cleaned and re-oiled the diffs when this went on. think I'm going to try and get one of the OX locker diff covers for the rear though, will keep in theme with the yellow and black, and one red diff cover is enough!

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pskwz9iuxf.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pstzjmc1mc.jpg

the lack of light when reversing was really annoying me so i stuck one of these little LED bars on the back, does wonders however I'm not really happy with how it looks so probably will be replaced with some small 10w singles or something at some point

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psnfgnphku.jpg

was bored one day so decided to tint the tail lights and indicators, was worried it might be too dark but turned out really good i think

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pswjqjpnze.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psgcyvl4kb.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psgnafbre0.jpg

i detest stickers on cars generally (with very few exceptions) but i decided it needed some kind of name tag and this was better than glueing a rubber duck to the front

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e25y9c9.jpg

i re-did all my switches for lights etc and while doing so i decided i was sick of feeding a new power lead through that grommet every time i need some power, so i went to jaycar and spent some dollars!

I put one solid 8 gauge through the grommet to a little splitter fuse box as you can see. i wanted it to be accessory power rather than always on so ran it through a relay which is turned on by the CD deck accessory power. the fuse box is mounted just under the steering wheel. works a treat!!!

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psgxsxkrqs.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psry39phc0.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pswv3vfh58.jpg

bought some cheap led strip lighting (ebay) and put in some under-the-hood lighting. i put two strips on the angled bit of the bonnet in an attempt to shed light into every nook and cranny and its AWESOME. crazy bright! I've circled the switch which i put through an existing hole in the hood. i have no doubt that fixing engine issues etc will be a lot easier in the dark than in the day. thinking of using the left over strips as rock lights or something. (picture shows it kind of blue looking but its perfect white in real life)

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1409842545
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psnyeiuyuw.jpg

put some HID headlights in too, yes they're cheap ebay ones, sorry if you're one of those haters but i think I'm much safer on the road with working headlights than my dying factory ones. i went with 35w 4300k to try and keep it as stock looking as possible, hate the blue coloured ones. the difference is just brilliant, i can actually see where i'm going at night now. Haven't had a single person flash me either so i don't think I'm blinding any oncoming traffic!

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psdigcxwd1.jpg

these are the springs and shocks i got for a very reasonable $25. bit dirty but otherwise in pretty good condition. it took me a while putting it all in by myself especially when i came across a few hiccups

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pslehqqeoj.jpg

got the rear springs off and found this was the state of my rear bumps. checked fronts and same deal. so had to wait for some new ones, plus some spacers which i didn't have

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psqdlsunty.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psqlzqs3kz.jpg

putting these front-lower spacers was MUCH more trouble than it should have been… firstly there was no hole for me to bolt them through on the lower bump pad, and i have no power in my garage so had to buy a cordless drill (should really have one anyway) then i find, on the passenger side, that it is impossible to put a nut on the end the bolt as the track bar bracket is in the way, so I'm gonna have to weld a rod on to the nut or something to get it on. very frustrating

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psinvkxp8z.jpg

anyway heres a crappy pic of the finished product, ill get a better one tomorrow. measured it out and 5cm lift exactly front and rear and the shocks ride is better than the stock ones
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psglwttkq0.jpg



forgot to post a pic of the amp in its spot all connected up too so here it is

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbmh4qzl.jpg

been a while but some juicy updates now

firstly the springs i put in are pretty crap it turns out, sagged big time in the front, so ended up putting in 2" coil spacers in the front. its a tiny bit higher in the front now but i'll sort that out eventually with some BRAND NEW springs. you can't really complain for $25 though. the shocks actually ride pretty well, but as I'm buying a heap of stuff from the US, I'm thinking ill lash out for some bilsteins. looking at dobinsons 3" for the springs, unless anybody has any better ideas?

NEW STUFF:

Smittybilt Cargo Net

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psru2pfqve.jpg

HiLift Jack mounted on the rear carrier (courtesy of bunnings)

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psltp2k1yx.jpg

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psrcegikhw.jpg

Then a shovel mount to go next to it using Quick Fist rubber clamps

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psixq142us.jpg

One of my favourite mods so far is this little 4 channel amp, that i have mounted, oh so stealthily, INSIDE the sound bar. It was bloody difficult, but so worth it.

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psvjmg1boo.jpg
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...psuemucxdi.jpg

here it is inside the sound bar, nice and snug

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pstsq5xqqg.png

I absolutely recommend that to anybody with the little space inside our TJs
Amp model number: Kenwood KAC-M1804

GOT SOME REALLY EXCITING STUFF ABOUT TO GO TOO, WILL SHOW WHEN ITS DONE

Get an Ausjeep Sticker ;)

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e25y9c9.jpg

+1 for dobinsons springs i have the 2 inch in mine but will be putting the 3 inch ones in, they ride and flex great!