TJ: Tassie Jeeper's Wrangler Build

[Tassie Jeeper]

ok so as allot of u would know my jeep is off the rd atm until i can afford to do some much needed maintenance.

so what i thought id do is show you what my jeep was like upon purchase and what iv done to it over the last 4 years (and allot of profanity)

here is a picture the day i got it back from Sydney via the spirit of Tasmania.
I purchased the jeep on the 24th of September 2009 and this picture was taken 2 days later on the 26th only 5 minutes after pulling into my driveway for the first time.
i wasn't even driving it at the time as my license had been suspended so my father came with my to drive it home THANKS DAD!!



over the years iv done quite a few mods to the jeep it started out as the picture above ^^ with a RE 3.5" lift, 33"s lockers, 4.11 diff ratios and a safari snorkel.

it wasn't long before i was sinking 90% of my pay each week into my jeep either fixing things id broken or buying new things to break.
fist on my list were some stock wheels and tyres for pit passing and boy did it look stupid with a 3.5" lift and 28" tyres.

this was quickly followed by some 7" fender flares so i could equip my 33"s without to much attention from the boys in blue.

after which im not quite sure of the order but i know i put them on around the same time anyway and the next few mods consisted of adding a "garvin" roof rack, tuff dog rtc damper, swapped out my "OME" shocks for some "rancho 9000xl's" and some 35" "Maxxis creepy crawler" tyres for a bit more grip and ground clearance.

next i bought a "scan gauge ||" and my girlfriend bought be a "Icom IC400PRO" uhf which i had no where to fit so i built a roof console unlike the conventional, here are some pics of that:

here i am fitting my UHF


here it is after covering it with carpet foam this gave it a more professional look imo as it rounded off the edges and made it softer to touch.


here u can see my father sewing up the vinal for me as i am no good at this


and my father again helping me staple the vinal on to make it look sexy


and last but not least here is the finished product mounted in all its glory:



here is the jeep with all the above mentioned:






it was about this time i decided i needed a whinch,
i decided upon a "Warn 9.5 XP winch with 10mm plasma rope"
here it is:


but it wasnt all smooth sailing i had allot of dramas over the years inc:
air-conditioning pump needing to be replaced,
steering box requiring a full rebuild,
both diffs needing a recondition,
all bushes and ball joints needed to be replaced,
all steering arms and tie-rod's needed to be replaced,
my clutch failed when the throw out bearing went through the fingers on the pressure plate,
iv had to replace many uni joints and hubs etc...

about 18months ago i had an incident during a 4wd trip where my radiator got blocked with mud and the engine overheated, i rolled 2 tyres off the bead and drove home on 3x 35" tyres and my 33" spare but there was a rather unnerving whirring noise on the way home which turned out to be the gearbox and it is terminal i also destroyed my clutch fan and water pump and glazed the bore and fried my rings .

here are some pictures:
this mud was to thick and hard i had to chip it off with an axe so i could get to the wheel nuts.


here is my engine while i was replacing my clutch fan and water pump.



at the moment the jeep sits at idle in the drive way, waiting for me to come up with the funds to fix her up and get her dirty once again.

on my to do list:
gen3 v8 auto
atlas4
claytons lonk arm kit
aftermarket ecu
home made highline kit with tube fenders front and rear
1.5" body lift and lowering the suspension down to 2" over stock
37" tyres
RCV axles up front with a home made truss and 4.56 gear ratios
chromo axles in rear with a home made truss and 4.56 gear ratios

and plenty more i have recently purchased a run around car which i am using while i am fixing up my jeep:


one day ill hear her roar again
WATCH THIS SPACE

[sht50]

Nice build man. A lot of blood, sweat and tears there by the looks of thing. I didn't see an upgrade of diffs there, I think you might need to address that. Ls1 and ultra low gears are going to hurt the 30's r&p. and more than likey the 44 won't last behind that either. Just something to ponder over. I would hate for you to sink all this coin and man hours into the build and not be able to drive it like you really want to.

[skwake]

Nice mate. What does it need to be back on the road?

[Tassie Jeeper]

Originally Posted by sht50

Nice build man. A lot of blood, sweat and tears there by the looks of thing. I didn't see an upgrade of diffs there, I think you might need to address that. Ls1 and ultra low gears are going to hurt the 30's r&p. and more than likey the 44 won't last behind that either. Just something to ponder over. I would hate for you to sink all this coin and man hours into the build and not be able to drive it like you really want to.

yer im thinking about it i really wanna get it engineered if i can im not sure how id go with different axles id love some hp-d60's front and rear but im hoping mechanical sympathy and driving style will be enough atm, iv read before u can get your ring and pinion heat treated/tempered for extra strength and am looking into that too.
i only wanna go crawling on the rocks and some dune work i over the mud has
(cost me allot of dollars i didnt have)

Originally Posted by skwake

Nice mate. What does it need to be back on the road?

minimum all new bushes and ball joints, tie rods, new piston rings, bearings, (valve guide seals maybe), gearbox transfer-case pinion seals front and rear.
the engine is not that bad i overheated it but it runs fine does not get hot so i doubt cracked heads or gasket but it blows tons of blue smoke and has very little power so i reckon iv glazed the bore and fried the rings

i figure i may as well upgrade the lot unless i can find some stuff cheap but i doubt it. im in no rush to get her going again its already been out of commission over 12 months just research more parts and start saving.
gotta go down to the army barracks on the tenth for preliminary interview hopefully that works out ill have a minimum 12months reliable work (tax free too) will keep u guys posted

[Tassie Jeeper]

if i go bigger diffs ill be able to get a decent dollar for mine as they have new bearings throughout 4.11 ratios and arb lockers.
id fix the oil leaks prior to sale obviously.

the engine i will probably recondition just what i needs rings, honing, bearings, valve seals. and i reckon it would be running sweet remember its only got 150,000km's
the gearbox i think is near un-salvageable except for the case dont know what itd be worth to sell (not much) $100? needs full rebuild that cost about $3k down here as u no fidler the transfer-case isnt too bad but the chain is stretched and needs replacing and i wonder what other wear would be present.

i will probably be selling all rims and tyres 4x 33" cooper stt's 6-8mm tread left on 15x8" 3.75bs 1 brand new and 4x's 35" maxis creepy crawlers on 15x10" 4.25bs 8mm tread left (in the center) about 2" tread on the edges i spose i could get $1,000 for that and that'd help pay my way towards 37x12.5R17's
at the moment im just trying to get a reliable income so nothing is set in concrete as yet 1 thing is for sure u wont find my jeep in the for sale section! i love my jeep and id sooner see it sit in my driveway and never driven than in someone elses!!

[tassiecj6]

Originally Posted by skwake

Nice mate. What does it need to be back on the road?

lots of money ,time and an amputated right foot

[skwake]

What do u think a near brand new (5,000km on it) TJ 5 speed Gearbox and a good condition TJ engine with lots of new parts (pulleys, brand new power steering pump, brand new radiator etc) would be worth? $1500 - $2000 more or less?