Mud is the enemy.
It's a mantra, a manifesto, a rallying cry.
The only problem is, I live in South Florida. A very muddy place, if not the mud capital, then definitely a mud prefecture.
But I loved Jeeps, so I bought myself an LJ, bigger and better equipped than my old 2001 TJ. I started modding it with no actual plan or path, I knew I wanted a lift and I knew I wanted 33inch tires. I knew just enough to get myself into trouble but not enough to know what I was doing. Basically the sweet spot of ignorance.
Which is not to say I know what I'm doing now, but I'm moving forward.
So here she is, in all her stock and unmodified glory, when I picked her up:
And later that week during a typical Miami Monsoon.
She had about 46k on the odometer and the soft top leaked like a sieve. This led to my first mod, a new NX Top from Bestop. Around the same time I got my lift done by the fine folks at Karnage Motorsports out in North Miami.
It was a Zone Offroad 3 inch lift, which used the stock control arms and the stock front trac-bar, just drilled in a new location.
The tires were BFG All-Terrain K/Os, which was probably the only good decision of the whole process.
So what now?
I have a general "plan" of action, to make this into a more capable and reliable Overlanding rig.
My first area of attack has to do with the suspension. My plan of action includes some work to un-"fix" the front trac-bar bracket and fit a Currie Adjustable front trac bar, more specifically the TJJ model with an offset johnny-joint. Also on the docket is a set of Currie adjustable control arms. Rounding out the suspension mods is a complete overhaul of the springs and shocks. I plan on running Savvy 3inch progressive springs and an as of yet undertermined brand of shocks.
So what will this build thread contain? Interesting trips, a log of my mods, and hopefully some entertaining bits. More than anything, I hope for a good exchange of ideas.
I'm a neophyte when it comes to auto work, but I'm quick to learn and willing.
Which helps...I hope.
It's a mantra, a manifesto, a rallying cry.
The only problem is, I live in South Florida. A very muddy place, if not the mud capital, then definitely a mud prefecture.
But I loved Jeeps, so I bought myself an LJ, bigger and better equipped than my old 2001 TJ. I started modding it with no actual plan or path, I knew I wanted a lift and I knew I wanted 33inch tires. I knew just enough to get myself into trouble but not enough to know what I was doing. Basically the sweet spot of ignorance.
Which is not to say I know what I'm doing now, but I'm moving forward.
So here she is, in all her stock and unmodified glory, when I picked her up:
And later that week during a typical Miami Monsoon.
She had about 46k on the odometer and the soft top leaked like a sieve. This led to my first mod, a new NX Top from Bestop. Around the same time I got my lift done by the fine folks at Karnage Motorsports out in North Miami.
It was a Zone Offroad 3 inch lift, which used the stock control arms and the stock front trac-bar, just drilled in a new location.
The tires were BFG All-Terrain K/Os, which was probably the only good decision of the whole process.
So what now?
I have a general "plan" of action, to make this into a more capable and reliable Overlanding rig.
My first area of attack has to do with the suspension. My plan of action includes some work to un-"fix" the front trac-bar bracket and fit a Currie Adjustable front trac bar, more specifically the TJJ model with an offset johnny-joint. Also on the docket is a set of Currie adjustable control arms. Rounding out the suspension mods is a complete overhaul of the springs and shocks. I plan on running Savvy 3inch progressive springs and an as of yet undertermined brand of shocks.
So what will this build thread contain? Interesting trips, a log of my mods, and hopefully some entertaining bits. More than anything, I hope for a good exchange of ideas.
I'm a neophyte when it comes to auto work, but I'm quick to learn and willing.
Which helps...I hope.
for simplicity and price procomp and smitty both have a front bumper that is light and about the same dimentions as stock for 100 -140.00. They are their bar bones "rock crawler " bumpers your bar would mount to them also I believe.