For anyone interested, I've just updated my first post so its more accurate on my plans for my TJ
I've been busy lately trying to get my TJ back on the road and back into competing and I succeeded with no time to spare. I was still spinning spanners the night before lol
What I've done:
- pulled rear housing out with help from Morgan aka LiftedTJ
- put second hand housing under with 4.88s, chromos axles and ARB air locker
- pulled front housing out and took it to Westside 4x4 and got them to install 4.88s and ARB locker
- put the rebuilt front housing back under my jeep
- front front chromos in and put front brakes back together
- replaced rear axle bearings and seals thanks to my fiancé and Westside 4x4
- put Chromo axles back into rear axle
- didn't realise the hole at the base of the axle where the wheels studs are is there so you can undo the 4 bolts and pull the axle out without having to pull the brakes apart. the good thing is I know how to pull my brakes apart and put them back together too lol
- mounted and wired up air compressor into my centre console
- ran air lines from centre console to diffs
- mounted and wired rear led lights up
- modified centre dash to fit switch panel
- wired up rocker switches for rock lights, spotties, rear lights, compressor and lockers
- changed wiring for my lockers so I can have the front locker on without the rear
- simple things like changing brake fluid, engine oil and filter, diff oil etc
...I think that's it. Unless I've written above that I had help, I did almost everything by myself. It was hard, but fun and interesting
As I was heading out to my first comp in over a year I think, with my fiancé following behind and we got onto the highway and he dropped behind me and told me to pull over. My drivers front wheel was wobbling around. We made sure the wheel studs were tight and jacked it up to check the hub and all was fine so he thinks I've got a bent axle. I guess that's the unfortunate downside to buying second hand car parts
We then pulled into Aratula BP (about 1.5hrs from the comp) and I put the bonnet up and discovered a cracked radiator. I put some plastic epoxy on and once it went a bit hard we continued on. We went up Cunninghams Gap and made it to the comp later than we had hoped but at least we made it..
I started the comp on Saturday morning and halfway through the first track I yelled out to my navi "how do I use these lockers?" I had no idea how to use them and not only had I had no seat time in its current setup but have never driven a TJ with working lockers so I had no idea. Lol
Throughout the saturday I was nursing my radiator making sure it wasn't getting worse. Coolant started weeping out from under the epoxy and the weep turned into a leak and by dinner time it had used a few litres of fluid. I got back to camp and started getting ideas on a better fix. I had about 20 guys offer advice including using white pepper, eggs and plastic welding. We gave plastic welding a go by sanding back the crack then using a butane torch to melt a zip tie into the crack. We then realised zip tie plastic was too brittle. So we cracked it off then used a bit of one of the guys tubliner. I took it for a quick drive and it worked a bit better. Finally I found someone who had a container of "quick steel" so we put that over the melted tubliner and it held up for the night run and the tracks on Sunday and a,, the way home! What a relief.
Getting it ready for the comp had one thing going wrong after the next so I refused to let a crack radiator stop us.
My navi and I ended up coming first in locked class which I was so stoked with considering I had no seat time lol
But I am loving the 4.88s and 35s. I can have it on a steep decent and it just sloooowly crawls down. Love it!
Anyway.. Here are a few pics..
The pic below is a bit blurry but under the switch panel I've hooked up 2 x 12v outlets
This massive hole I have since filled up, but have cut a smaller hole in line with the filter to suck air in. I was going to mount a small fan to suck more air in but a friend said the compressor would pull air harder than the fan would be able to blow so it'd be a waste of time
Since taking the below pic, the wiring now goes through the bottom of the console instead of out the back and the holes have been covered with grommets
First place trophy on the bonnet
I know some of you may be worried about the compressor getting too hot in the centre console but keep in mind the compressor is only burring away when it needs to build pressure which is for a second if that for lockers and when I'm using it to air up, I can lift the console lid up for a bit more air. I have aired up once since mounting it there and it gets hot but just usual temp.
I would have mounted it in the engine bay but because I did the high fender lift there is just no space and I didn't want it under the seat incase it got wet so the console seemed like a great idea and so far no regrets.