TJ: Only took a year

[brokenujoint]

Well, last yr at the Superstition Mt run I simply couldn't get up Broken mirror. My TJ wheel base just wouldn't let me do it. It irked me enough that I decided to give er a stretch. That was a can of worms.

I bought and installed an Atlas II 4.3 (no pix) went with the Clayton 7" long arm kit (that's 7" minimum) and pushed it to about 9 inches . I went with King 14" coil overs with 150/150 springs, king 2.0 airbumps, and a fuel cell. I threw on some Genright coil over towers and ended up having to add about 200 lbs of weight to the rear to get it to sit right because I moved so much weight forward with the stretch. I got a TnT tire carrier and a matching Monster beadlock rim with a matching 37" tire. Also added a 10 gauge storage box, a Poison Spyder full cage, some 5 pt racing seats, harness', Genright stretch rockers and corners, PSC stage 5 hydro assist, customed my exhaust, and that's pretty much it... I guess I got a lil carried away.
I learned ALOT about this project. Mostly, it was a PITA. I did everything by myself other than the exhaust re-routing. Ended up buying a Hobart 230 mig as well. Got a piece of metal stuck 1/2 way in my cornea DEAD CENTER... That was lovely! Had to have it sliced out by an Opthalologist and I'm still about 20/35 where I was 20/20 prior... Good times. And yes I was wearing safety glasses. Anyway's, here's some pix.

Before: (Rack was almost never on btw)
Before tear-down
fuel cell installed with Genright sending unit adapter
Modified sending unit. Normally it presses and "crushes" down at the bottom of the stock tank. This cell is taller so it had to be secured. Notice the brackets...
clayton double tai-link x-member
Rear end is out and frame brackets are nearly gone
No turning back after this one!
Figuring out and fitting/welding the Genright Towers.
Burning in the King bump cans. (major PITA trying NOT to warp them and they both did just that....
Installed and painted up
Mounts for stops at full compression
Stretch corners before trimming and powder coating
corners done and installed
coil overs installed
steering stabilizer mount needing to GO AWAY
Fab'd mount installed and cylinder installed
Slightly out of order, but limiting straps installed and full droop checked out.
Out with the old cage and in with the new

seats installed
exhaust was going to be tight and I wanted it to be dumped just aft of the skid but w/o buying a new cat and muffler AND having it all fab'd I opted to keep my hardware and ended up having a shop do it up like a JK and it turned out rather nice actually.
Pretty much done!!!!!!

Now I just need to do a shake down and fix whatever comes up.....

[6spdYJ]

Looks awesome! How much stretch did you end up with on either end (F/R)?

[brokenujoint]

As of now its 104. Ill do the front probably next yr.

[Kaffa]

Looks great!

[brokenujoint]

Well for taking it to Superstition to use as the shake-down I was a bit nervous. Testing everything for the first time in boxed in trails going up 15 ft waterfalls is probably the Chuck Norris way to test it I suppose. It did amazing. There is another jeep in my group that was pretty much on the same WB and build level that I was prior to my build and I was able to use them as a gauge for my new set up. Where they got stuck over and over I simply walked through. This stretch and double tri set up is probably the best thing I've ever done to her...

[brokenujoint]

[DriverJC]

When you put the Fuel Cell in did you happen to use Walbro type pick ups with it? If not, do you have issues with sputtering when your Jeep is tipped (like in the first picture? Also, does your fuel pump whine?

I put the same cell in mine, used the same ring and a new pump and sending unit and the Walbro pickups and the fuel pump whine in REALLLY annoying.

oh and one other thing. With the Cell in the back seat, what is your plan to pass the California Smog test when it is next due.
Thanks
Joel

[brokenujoint]

When you put the Fuel Cell in did you happen to use Walbro type pick ups with it? If not, do you have issues with sputtering when your Jeep is tipped (like in the first picture? Also, does your fuel pump whine?

I put the same cell in mine, used the same ring and a new pump and sending unit and the Walbro pickups and the fuel pump whine in REALLLY annoying.

oh and one other thing. With the Cell in the back seat, what is your plan to pass the California Smog test when it is next due.
Thanks
Joel

I literally just swapped everything over from my oem tank and used the Genright bung.. I modified my sending unit so that it wouldn't sway around.. I lost probably 1 gallon of usable fuel because the sending unit doesn't hit the bottom. Maybe someday I'll go to a wider and less tall tank.
I do hear it whine but that's nothing a few turns of the stereo won't cure. No issues with starvation ...
As for street legal,,,, it's not! I'll try my hardest to find a REPUTABLE smog guy to pass me. It's cleaner than new but certainly wouldn't pass a visual. If not I aint worried about it as it's a trailer queen as it is with my unbalanceable beadlocks and bias ply 37's.

[6spdYJ]

As long as the filler tube can be sealed by a standard gas store nozzle and the vent lines are all run in what would be their respective OEM positions it shouldn't be a problem. Shouldn't... If all else fails, cover it with an elevated floor.

[chad1]

Nice looking TJ. I'm very impressed with your suspension setup.