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The most epic 72 hour Jeep build-up ever!

2K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  jdhallissey 
#1 ·
A friend of mine has a YJ with 200,000 miles on it and was in sad shape. It was on its second 2.5 motor with flat springs and a ton of body rust..... It just got the overhauled.

We started on friday morning with the removal of his old springs. Three out of four had a sleeve rusted onto the main eye bolt so they had to be cut off, we also hacked the rear track bar off cause it's useless. Once the springs were off we fitted the RE 2.5 springs under it and relocated the brake lines and fit a stainless steal rear line and then tightened the whole thing down. His shocks were 15 years old so we cut the studs from the tops of the fronts and opened the eyes on the rears to remove those. We also had to torch off a lug nut or two on the rear wheels. The rear brake line rusted and broke so we flared a new line and fitted it in place.

We pulled the 2.5/ax-5 out and started fitting my old 4.0/ax-15 with SYE in and then noticed the difference in engine mount locations......

Pause for a moment of panic.

Then move onto what is probably plan H (or prep H) at this point and call in a few friends.

Luckily I had two 4.0 frames laying around. Jack stand the new frame at around 1600 hours on sunday and bend new brake lines and fuel lines for it. Removed the front suspension and axle from the 2.5 frame after craning the engine back out and move it over to the front of the new frame. Now pull the rear end out and move it over. Crane the 4.0 onto the new rolling chassis. Unbolt the fuel tank from the old frame and move it the new one connect every line and tighten the suspension down.

Now onto the body. Grill mount snapped off when we pulled it out to get the engine out, so that's not a problem, working counter clockwise around the Jeep from there the first mount spun so we cut it off, the next one just under the driver seat was already rusted to the point where it was not holding anything, next one came out fine, both in front of the gas tank came out easy the two behind the tank on the rear snapped off so we torched holes through the body to pull the old stud and fit new bolts through. All three on the passenger side came out easy. We hocked a hoist to the top. Of the roll bar and lifted the body straight up giving us room to pull the old frame out from under it. After it was out Ecksjay torched it into 6 pieces and threw it in the scrap trailer. With the body hanging off the ceiling we rolled the new chassis under it and lowered it down into place. Used a set of urathane body mounts and got all but the one that has no body to clamp to bolted on. Bleed the brakes and power steering double checked everything and moved onto wiring. Chased all the wires down turned the key and sat there in silence..... Son of a bit..... Touch the brake and the starter cranks. WTF?

Fold the windshield down and pull the dash off. Rip the old harness out from there and fit the one from my 92 so that we don't have to figure out what wire is crossed refit the dash and bring the windshield back up. Turn the key again and it cranks over. With the help of a little starter fluid we managed to get it going and idling. Put the hood back on and fit the drive shafts....... The yoke is different..... Ok pull the yoke off the rear axle and put the smaller one on fit the tom woods shaft smash a bottle of champagne on the bumper take a drink and drive home on monday night.

Why did I do this? I have no idea. I'll get some pictures up when I get home (I posted this from my crackberry). Somewhere in there we fit a new exhaust and torched a few more things I'm sure. And I know it was 84 hours, but 4 guys made this happen and managed to sleep about 7 hours every night.
 
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#4 ·
His frame scared me a bit anyway. The rear shakle mounts were almost rusted out, plus I'm not confident in my welds to hold an engine in
 
#6 ·
Sounds like a great bed time story but i dunno about all this pics or it was just a dream and you must walk out and say sorry to his poor bastard of a truck! lol.
 
#12 ·
That is pretty badass.
 
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