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Another TJ-6 Build

64K views 119 replies 35 participants last post by  chop110 
#1 ·
Well, I have decided to follow in the footsteps of a few talented individuals before me and stretch my TJ tub and frame by 15”. A couple examples of my inspiration can be found on the following links (Thank you, Jason and ‘Kelowna’ Mike).

108" TJ. the TJ6 - JeepForum.com

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f118/tj-6-a-63621.html

I don’t know who coined the “TJ-6” moniker first, but I like the whole CJ-6 theme… and with their permission, I am going to run with it.

Here are a couple of other 15” stretches I came across in my research.





Truth is, I always wanted an LJ. The advantages of the larger wheelbase and extra interior room can’t be denied. At one point, I was seriously considering trading my TJ for an LJ but the cost of this trade up always got in the way of this plan. It seems like LJ’s are hard to come by in general (I can’t say I blame people for wanting to keep them). Whenever one popped up, they were either high mileage Jeeps with a minimum $12K price tag or just too close to $20K. Considering that at best I can only get 6K for my 99 Sahara with almost 200K miles in the odometer, I knew I was going to pay dearly for it. Then there is the issue of the $6K I had already spent on mods over the years. I was going to have to start all over again (I just put on an AEV highline, I was not about to just give that away!!)

I then came across Mike and Jason’s impressive TJ-6 builds and others like them. As I looked into to it further, it dawned on me that this was something that was definitely within my fabrication abilities and budget.

I am licensed structural engineer by trade but do have some basic know how on metalworking and welding. Plus, I have recently dabbled in bodywork and automotive painting when I did my highline install.

Like Mike, I will use frame sections from a wrecked TJ for the frame extensions and will borrow ideas from the AEV Brute frame extension conversion. I will attempt to repair the 15” tub gaps with 18 gauge sheet metal and body filler (Some creativity will be required to effectively hide the splice seams). I will remove the soft top belt rail on the driver’s side and transplant the excess material to belt rail gap in the passenger side. I will then use a new LJ belt rail for the driver’s side.

Here is a digital previsualization of the finished product:



I will tally up all the material costs at the end along with any money I gained from selling my current soft top and frame from my TJ. So far, the biggest expense has been a new Bestop LJ top and soft top frame ($1000).

Along the way, I will incorporate upgrades to the roll cage, skid plate, suspension, and drivetrain that I would have already done on my SWB TJ anyway.
 
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#96 ·
It's worth it though, I have about 100 trouble free miles on my stretched tj since the axle swap and it's running great! I'm taking it to an off road park Saturday, I hope it runs good!
 
#98 ·
No trouble at all with the top, Other than it hitting the ceiling in my garage :) I have to pull it out in the driveway to put it up or down.
 
#99 ·
I am now under the gun to finish this project in three weeks. I am selling my daily driver and will need the Jeep to drive around until the new daily driver arrives. Needless to say, the pressure is on to avoid being stuck with a rental in the interim.

Continuing with the interior of the side panels...

I fabricated the tops of the storage compartments. In order to attach the lid hinges, I needed to weld some nuts on the insides.



I knew that creating the belt rail supports at the top of the tub gaps would be a challange. Ideally, I would have liked to have found some donor sections from a wrecked TJ tub. However, this proved to be a difficult errand. It was tough finding two unblemished 15" sections and the few that I did find, the sellers wanted me to buy the whole tub. Trying to fabricate some of my own would only result in some ugly bends (I am not that skilled).

In my search, I came across this weld-on TJ repair panel from NOR/AM that just happened to have the sloped bends that I was looking for. The sheet metal was thin (21 gauge) and felt flimsy, but in short sections, it was stiff enough to work. Best of all, it was only $60.



Look how perfectly the bends match the factory tub! :)





Passenger side welded:

 
#100 ·
After grinding everything flat, it was important to hit the top of the tub edges with some weld through primer. Once the belt rails are in place, any exposed metal in the interior gaps would be exposed to rust.



I bought a new LJ rail on the driver's side which I had no problem welding on.



For the passenger side, I fabricated one extended belt rail from the removed pieces.



 
#102 ·
With major welding out of the way, I drove the TJ-6 out of the garage to hose off all of the grinding dust that had piled up in there over the last year.



After a thorough wash, it is now time to prep the exterior for bondo, primer, and painting. This next set of steps cannot be rushed.

Here are some shots of the cleaned interior.





The side compartments are not done. I am mulling starting the sheet metal work for these and then welding them on prior to applying monstaliner at a later date. It all depends on how much free time I am going to have over the next three weeks.
 
#103 ·
In preparation for the body filler, I deep cleaned the exterior, scuffed the old paint, and applied a coat of epoxy primer. The paint on the windshield frame is starting to get old and discolored so I am going to repaint it as well.






The interior is all going to be covered in olive drab Monstaliner. I need to do more sheetmetal work and welding before I can fully apply primer to the inside of the tub. Therefore, I only sprayed primer on the bare metal for rust protection.

 
#104 ·
Application of body filler takes a lot of work. It took a lot of block sanding, reapplication of body filler, and more sanding to get everything just flat enough.





For anyone wanting to try their hand at body filler work for the first time, I have to recommend the following two products that will make your experience less painful.

Evercoat Rage Gold - This stuff rocks! Don't waste your time and money on "Bondo" brand filler (They su[k). It spreads really well and is much easier to work with.

Onion Board - A disposable mixing paper palette makes cleanup so much simpler and there is less of a chance of getting bits of dried body filler trash in your finish. Totally worth it.
 
#106 ·
With the arrival of some needed metal working tools, I continued my work with interior storage compartments. As before, I mocked everything up in posterboard. I then used the pieces of posterboard for my sheet metal templates. This work will take some time. In the interest of expediency, I will only going to work on those parts that need to be welded to the tub (I am itching to apply the Monstaliner already!



 
#108 ·

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#111 ·
I figured it is time for another update...

I completed fabrication of the storage compartments and set out some time to make last minute prep work before painting the interior. I removed the rollbar cage, relocated seat/seat belt attachment holes, laid out some seam sealer, and scuffed the fire out of the interior.





I then hit everything with epoxy primer.





 
#112 ·
Next came spraying in the olive drab Monstaliner:







I can't say enough good things about this stuff. After just four days, it is tough as rock. You are supposed to let it cure for a full seven days. I'll start bolting hardware back in then. I am regretting not coating the tub rails and other bits. I ordered a touch up kit to take care of this.

With the arctic front here, I may have to wait a while for conditions to be just right to paint the exterior. In the mean time, there are still a whole bunch of other little miscellaneous details to address. :beerme:
 
#115 ·
Ok first, I love this.
I've tossed the idea around a lot and have too much time/money/love/sentimental value into my TJ to trade in for an LJ (and as mentioned in the first post they are too high $$$)
But I need more interior space. I carry a lot of gear when I go pretty much anywhere.

So, someone may have already asked, but, NOT counting the armor, axle, and other upgrades, how much did it cost you in materials to "simply" stretch the jeep?
Also I would be looking to keep my rear fold and tumble (or possibly upgraded rear) seat... So if I were to move the seat closer to the front, could I not use a LJ rollbar instead of modifying the TJs?
 
#117 ·
So I realize, it has been a while since I have updated this. Here we go then...

I did some upgrade work on my original bolted OR-Fab sport cage. I made all the bolted connections welded ones. I added Poison Spyder floor stanchions. I also added additional bracing to the rear factory roll bars.



Next, I sprayed white Monstaliner on the roll cage:



Several weeks later, the weather was nice enough to paint the whole thing once and for all (Low humidity!)



 
#118 ·
All in all, it came out great. A little drip here and there and some orange peel in the clear coat, but all of it ended up being sanded/buffed off:





"Mostly Finished" product:





I say "Mostly Finished", because there are still a whole bunch loose ends to tie up. Namely, the modified AtoZ rockers, the lids for the interior compartments, the split rear bench I am still fabricating, monstalining the plastic tan dash trim pieces, 35" tires, etc, etc... Will it ever end?!!!!
 
#120 ·
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