Author Topic: 2000 XJ (Read 30068 times)

JR · « **Reply #50 on:** March 17, 2018, 01:51:14 PM »

Funny, I won't let my kids work on anything in the garage without shoes.

Nice job there Baylee. Are you welding too or is that dads job?

stlaser · « **Reply #51 on:** March 17, 2018, 02:29:18 PM »

Quote from: JR on March 17, 2018, 01:51:14 PM

Funny, I won't let my kids work on anything in the garage without shoes.

Nice job there Baylee. Are you welding too or is that dads job?

I tell them not to come in my garage barefoot (steel shavings main culprit) and can't get them to do that on a regular basis. I thought sandles and socks was a huge achievement!

JR · « **Reply #52 on:** March 17, 2018, 03:53:47 PM »

I hear you, and they have found the nasty little things!

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #53 on:** March 17, 2018, 06:02:52 PM »

That looks great.

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Flyin6 · « **Reply #54 on:** March 17, 2018, 08:32:36 PM »

Nice job, really nice!

xjteeg · « **Reply #55 on:** March 17, 2018, 11:01:43 PM »

thank you.

xjteeg · « **Reply #56 on:** March 17, 2018, 11:04:49 PM »

Quote from: Bigdave_185 on March 17, 2018, 12:11:45 PM

I am extremely pleased to see the proper use of socks to protect ones feet, open toed shoes can be bad but using socks closes them right up, I chose to weld and grind with out socks as to burn off the hobbit feet hair

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Since you liked those socks so much just wait until the next post :)

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #57 on:** March 18, 2018, 09:02:02 AM »

That is a pretty good looking bumper. Me thinks your dad may have done something like that once before.

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cj7ox · « **Reply #58 on:** March 18, 2018, 12:18:51 PM »

Happy Birthday, Baylee! And good looking bumper!

KensAuto · « **Reply #59 on:** March 18, 2018, 01:31:47 PM »

Just noticed the bumper...looks great!!
Did you guys make the d-ring ears, or store bought? either way they look cnc-good

stlaser · « **Reply #60 on:** March 18, 2018, 02:25:10 PM »

Quote from: KensAuto on March 18, 2018, 01:31:47 PM

Just noticed the bumper...looks great!!
Did you guys make the d-ring ears, or store bought? either way they look cnc-good

I bought those Ken, A to Z fab parts.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #61 on:** March 18, 2018, 06:51:13 PM »

Quote from: stlaser on March 18, 2018, 02:25:10 PM

Quote from: KensAuto on March 18, 2018, 01:31:47 PM
Just noticed the bumper...looks great!!
Did you guys make the d-ring ears, or store bought? either way they look cnc-good

I bought those Ken, A to Z fab parts.

Was actually spying them meself

Thinking they'd weld onto the backside of that new Kubota of mine...Ya know, just for looks, not that I'd actually try to yank anything with the machine...

stlaser · « **Reply #62 on:** March 18, 2018, 07:25:32 PM »

Quote from: Flyin6 on March 18, 2018, 06:51:13 PM

Quote from: stlaser on March 18, 2018, 02:25:10 PM
Quote from: KensAuto on March 18, 2018, 01:31:47 PM
Just noticed the bumper...looks great!!
Did you guys make the d-ring ears, or store bought? either way they look cnc-good

I bought those Ken, A to Z fab parts.
Was actually spying them meself

Thinking they'd weld onto the backside of that new Kubota of mine...Ya know, just for looks, not that I'd actually try to yank anything with the machine...

Zack, the guy who owns it is a decent guy. I wheeled SE KY with him once years ago, family owned business & always been a straight shooter with me over the years. Parts have always been quality pieces everytime.

JR · « **Reply #63 on:** March 18, 2018, 07:55:16 PM »

They have some cool stuff, bookmarked for sure. (maybe another potential link add here?)

For just winch plates I found summit has some killer stuff too. I got my plate from them for mine and they were 1/2 the price of HF.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #64 on:** March 19, 2018, 10:27:58 AM »

Quote from: JR on March 18, 2018, 07:55:16 PM

They have some cool stuff, bookmarked for sure. (maybe another potential link add here?)

For just winch plates I found summit has some killer stuff too. I got my plate from them for mine and they were 1/2 the price of HF.

Go get him
Put him in the for sale section...If you guys think he is a good person and all that, invite him in.

rpar86 · « **Reply #65 on:** March 20, 2018, 01:21:08 PM »

Birkenstocks?? tisk tisk... I guess you do live in CO though... ;)

All joking aside, bumper looks great!

stlaser · « **Reply #66 on:** April 24, 2018, 03:31:44 PM »

Quote from: rpar86 on March 20, 2018, 01:21:08 PM

Birkenstocks?? tisk tisk... I guess you do live in CO though... ;)

All joking aside, bumper looks great!

You know, I wouldn't be able to tell a Birkenstock from any other brand and both my wife and daughters wear them just saying.........

you related to Al Bundy?

So slight update, we haven't done any real work on it in a bit. I purchased steering and track bar system on March 27th and still do not have all of the parts. At this point I am not recommending Cavfab.com for anything and I spoke with the owner a week prior to purchase. More to come shortly.

rpar86 · « **Reply #67 on:** April 26, 2018, 05:38:48 PM »

My dad always wore them around the house when I was a kid, so that's how I know. Always thought they were god-awfully uncomfortable.

stlaser · « **Reply #68 on:** April 26, 2018, 06:41:12 PM »

Quote from: rpar86 on April 26, 2018, 05:38:48 PM

My dad always wore them around the house when I was a kid, so that's how I know. Always thought they were god-awfully uncomfortable.

Copy, too expensive for my taste & what I do with sandals.....

stlaser · « **Reply #69 on:** May 04, 2018, 08:19:12 PM »

6 weeks later & we finally have all the front end parts to do major surgery, tear down starts in the am.......

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #70 on:** May 04, 2018, 09:04:38 PM »

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stlaser · « **Reply #71 on:** May 05, 2018, 08:31:41 PM »

Got it stripped down today, test fit all the parts. Had to drill a hole & ream some others. Modified one part that just wasn’t going to work in stock form. Welded & painted new mount & modified part. Baylee will most likely post a full review of the build once we finish up tomorrow. Paint was just taking forever to dry today so we called it quits after about 5 hours. I’ll leave you with this, she showed up late and had camo shorts which I forgot to snap a pic of as she rolled in groggy eyed. No fuzzy socks this go around.....

Edit: oh & she fixed her non functioning speedo with the help of Dave our great neighbor who owns a 96 xj & does all of his own wrenching.

cudakidd53 · « **Reply #72 on:** May 05, 2018, 09:49:29 PM »

OSHA Approved Footwear!

stlaser · « **Reply #73 on:** May 05, 2018, 10:30:28 PM »

OSHA has never been allowed in my shop, it’s too dangerous for them & they might get hurt.....

I’m not joking either.

Bigdave_185 · « **Reply #74 on:** May 05, 2018, 11:58:02 PM »

That’s not a photo of a Jeep or of work or progress

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JR · « **Reply #75 on:** May 06, 2018, 12:06:45 AM »

RMTWS footwear,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

stlaser · « **Reply #76 on:** May 06, 2018, 12:18:18 AM »

Quote from: Bigdave_185 on May 05, 2018, 11:58:02 PM

That’s not a photo of a Jeep or of work or progress

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Not my build thread boss........

& JR it’s hippy land, I’ve welded in less footwear!

But I did get to use my new instant on weld helmet today, wow all I can say is when I can see the weld (meaning the screen isn’t flashing on & off at random) I weld way better!!

my old helmet has been giving me fits for awhile now. I just didn’t realize to what extent. Here I was thinking I was just out of practice, that is not the case apparently. Lol

xjteeg · « **Reply #77 on:** May 06, 2018, 11:45:58 PM »

So here goes the two day steering and track bar replacement/ reinforcement with an add in of a speedo fix...

the system i had was called an inverted y

so basically this is the gutting of the old system

at this point all of the old is gone and we need to ream the tapered holes, started to pull the pitman arm then decided to just do it on the steering box

the knuckles went pretty smooth as they appeared to be soft material versus the pitman arm which appeared to be semi hard.

xjteeg · « **Reply #78 on:** May 07, 2018, 12:07:22 AM »

For some reason cavfab decided to paint the drag link and tie rod but not the track bar. As mentioned prior it took six weeks for our steering and track bar system to show up from them. Quoted lead time was two-three weeks. Quality of parts were high, customer service not so much.

Next order of business was to install the new lower track bar bracket, which dad did while Dave (next door neighbor and xj owner) and i worked on speedo.

Had to trim out part of the old lower track bar mount to make room for the new one.

As we let the paint dry on the new lower mount we replaced the upper single sheer mount with a sturdier double sheer mount that incorporates a cross member that ties both frame rails together underneath the oil pan.

Went to install the steering box brace which also ties both frame rails together of sorts as one end mounts to the steering box. It is a Rusty's offroad part which was a half inch too short. So we sleeved it with some 3/4 inch black pipe and paint.

Once the steering brace was installed loosely we tightened down all the upper structure. Next we drilled the drag link and tie rod bolts for cotter pins. Cavfab sent us bolts long enough to accomodate cotter pins but no pins or holes included. Also no instructions...

Then we installed the drag link and tie rod.

New system has no provision for a stabilizer shock, at time of writing xj has no bump steer and no need for the stabilizer shock. Handling is night and day difference once again. Front end feels extremely rigid.

xjteeg · « **Reply #79 on:** May 07, 2018, 12:19:46 AM »

Last but not least Dave and I took on the speedometer. He has had to tear apart his dash several times before on his XJ so he was kind enough to show me how to take the entire dash apart and clean two components.

We first removed the plastic surrounding the stereo and A/C that just snaps in.

Secondly, we removed the plastic pannel that covers this metal pannel in order to get to the speedometer. The metal pannel is held in by three small screws underneath.

Then the metal pannel was removed.

After removing 16 screws total we were finally able to get to the speedometer. Which we then took out and blew out the dust with an air hose. The final step was to spray the backside of the speedometer/connectors with contact cleaner/ enhancer.

Putting the pieces back together wasn't all too complicated, but after finishing the steering today and rotating the tires it took about 10-15 minutes of driving until the speedometer to start working again.

JR · « **Reply #80 on:** May 07, 2018, 12:47:58 AM »

Nice detailed post. Is it normal for the speedo to take 10 minutes to work after a repair?

Who is trying to stay out of the picture?

stlaser · « **Reply #81 on:** May 07, 2018, 01:01:51 AM »

I’m trying not to break the camera, as for the speedo didn’t think so but it started working now so we will see how long it lasts. The engine light is still on from it not working, my understanding is that the small plug in gets corroded which is why we sprayed it with cleaner. But it didn’t seem to make a difference immediately so not sure exactly what is going on. The rest of the gauges always work.

JR · « **Reply #82 on:** May 07, 2018, 01:51:02 AM »

Sounds like my dash lights. Still inop.

stlaser · « **Reply #83 on:** May 07, 2018, 08:20:35 AM »

Speedo is probably off a bit due to tire / gear ratio anyhow. So we were thinking about downloading an app for her phone then just use a nice phone mount up by the radio.

Worth noting, I had to trim both Currie Johnny joints on the track bar. Even with the 6” or so of lift she has the track bar had to be fully collapsed & she is only running one jam nut on the one end in order for the axle to be aligned under the front end. We also ended up at 3/16 inch toe in up front. Our option was that or 1/16 & I opted a little more than little less which seems to be fine for now. May take it in for real alignment at some point again but my track record in doing so on modified jeeps isn’t the greatest.

Bigdave_185 · « **Reply #84 on:** May 07, 2018, 08:59:31 AM »

I have used speed hud in the past to check my speedo, it works really well and has a large display for long distance reading

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stlaser · « **Reply #85 on:** July 14, 2018, 09:23:37 PM »

Rear pinion seal is leaking, so we’re going to tackle this soon.

Pics and some other updates coming shortly.

OldKooT · « **Reply #86 on:** August 13, 2018, 01:34:36 PM »

Looking good guys....I was just in Colorado, they have to wear sandals. I think it's a law.

stlaser · « **Reply #87 on:** August 13, 2018, 04:45:38 PM »

Quote from: OldKooT on August 13, 2018, 01:34:36 PM

Looking good guys....I was just in Colorado, they have to wear sandals. I think it's a law.

It is, I was able to secure a pass to wear full enclosed shoes when welding though....

xjteeg · « **Reply #88 on:** September 02, 2018, 05:01:15 PM »

XJ has gone through a couple of new modifications over the past couple of weeks...

Firstly, stock grab handles were taken out to be replaced by oh shoot purple and black paracord handles. With the help of dad 1/8 x 1.5 aluminum flat bar then was cut and drilled to make a cover plate for behind the handles. A former navy guy makes these handles and can be found on Ebay I got them for my sixteenth birthday.

xjteeg · « **Reply #89 on:** September 02, 2018, 05:06:14 PM »

Secondly, after countless trips to the hardware store... fabricated proper roof rack/ light bar mounts. Then roof rack and mounts were primed and painted black. Then roof rack and 22" LED Cree light bar was installed.

xjteeg · « **Reply #90 on:** September 02, 2018, 05:17:41 PM »

Lastly, Dad finally got the hydraulic tube bender working so a "bull bar/ light mount bar" was created. The bar goes up and across for added winch protection and to add a place for the two extra 4" x 6" driving lights to mount. The formed tubing was welded onto the front bumper. Then the whole front bumper color was changed from grey to black. I decided to change the color for a cleaner look. Then the winch was reinstalled and the lights were installed.

xjteeg · « **Reply #91 on:** September 02, 2018, 05:29:19 PM »

We also added on rocker panels with nut zerts... this process took a lot longer than needed because dad broke the cheaply made chinese manufactured tool because he is " too strong".

Nate · « **Reply #92 on:** September 02, 2018, 05:47:01 PM »

Nice work baylee

Bigdave_185 · « **Reply #93 on:** September 02, 2018, 06:56:39 PM »

Looking good. Now to let that thing see some rocks and some mall parking lot flexing on a light pole or something.

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cruizng · « **Reply #94 on:** September 02, 2018, 08:53:13 PM »

Very nice looking. Great work!

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TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #95 on:** September 02, 2018, 09:33:11 PM »

Pretty cool Baylee. Shawn that looks pretty good.

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stlaser · « **Reply #96 on:** September 02, 2018, 10:28:26 PM »

Quote from: TexasRedNeck on September 02, 2018, 09:33:11 PM

Pretty cool Baylee. Shawn that looks pretty good.

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Thanks, part she left out was that we had to have these upgrades done before the first day of school. Some kids get new school clothes and mine wants Jeep upgrades....

She’s staying at friends house tonight so we’ll see if she is able to stay awake tomorrow to do a couple small upgrades.

JR · « **Reply #97 on:** September 02, 2018, 11:03:00 PM »

Are you getting her into the family business??

She does nice work, does she need coaxing or does she have the eye for it all alone?

stlaser · « **Reply #98 on:** September 03, 2018, 12:17:28 AM »

Quote from: JR on September 02, 2018, 11:03:00 PM

Are you getting her into the family business??

She does nice work, does she need coaxing or does she have the eye for it all alone?

IDK, she did start a Facebook page about her build and link her Instagram to this xj thread.

She knows what she wants, so obviously the fabrication is mine but she painted most everything and is doing the wrench turning. Doesn’t shy away from it at all. In fact she has been wanting to help me install the fenders on the jk for last couple months.

JR · « **Reply #99 on:** September 03, 2018, 12:35:06 AM »

That's great.