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2003 1/2 Tomb Raider-edition #815 build thread - from stock to 35" long arm build

9K views 33 replies 8 participants last post by  Wdkirk01 
#1 ·
2003 1/2 Tomb Raider-edition #815 build thread - from stock to 35" long arm build

In Aug. 2003, I bought a small Rubicon - one of the "very last of the Rubicons" I was told at Riverside Chrysler Jeep. The Rubicon package was introduced in late 2002 and included the production of 8,000 Rubicon packaged TJs. When the Tomb Raider-edition Rubicons were introduced in May 2003, they represented the last 1,005 Rubicons before Daimler Chrysler would return to building the SE (base model), X, Sport, and Sahara TJs. The Tomb Raider included the comfort group - similar to the Sahara, but included a front CV driveshaft, 4:1 transfer case gears, front/rear Dana 44s w/locking differentials, rock rails, special front bumper, Lara Croft fog lights and special light bar, leather wrapped steering wheel, etc., etc. etc.

100% stock


33" build


Brooklyn Mine Jeep Trail



In 2013, I got a dumb idea to upsize to 35" tires.:pcwhack: Enter the death wobble threads and millions of problems to follow!

Current 35" "parts" build - short arms with questionable performance

35" All-Terrains in Baja, Mexico -- I nearly beat these tires in the ground. They didn't grip rocks very well, offer poor traction in the mud, but they rode quietly and comfortably!


Slick on the rocks! Palomar Canyon, Baja California


Bring more mud! Laguna Salada, Baja California

 
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#2 ·
Soon before long, I developed a consistent symptom of a front end shimmy. Enter the parts chase that cost hundreds of dollars!

Rubicon Express' RE1600 track bar


Replacing the unit bearings :bop:


Replacing OEM control arms with bigger, better MetalCloak control arms!


We drove across the southwest - actually, beat up mile after mile in the slow lane - front wheels wandering, depending on the condition of the road surface.

Saunderson, Texas - July 2014


Vernon, Oklahoma - July 2014


Big Bear, CA - August 2014 (with Wrangler Forum!)


2016 upgrades

4.88 Gears and Ten Factory axle shafts


Fox Steering Stabilizer replaced Rancho Monotube Steering Stabilizer


MetalCloak trackbar replaced Rubicon Express trackbar :)


M.O.R.E. Steering brace -- Steering angles steep, providing poor steering response, bouncy ride


I decided it is time to STOP with the modest upgrades! They haven't provided me with a satisfying daily drive. Superior performance has eluded my Jeep since I began lifting it. I should have kept it stock or on 33s!
 
#3 ·
Modest to capable in just 4 days! Stay tuned...

Jeeple tend to influence you to do crazy things. Alfonso's Baja Mexico build got me thinking about transforming my MODEST 35" build into something more capable...





Alfonso gave me some pointers on exhaust to run with triangulated long arms.
Thrush/Dynomax WLK-17656


My Jeep parked next to Alfonso's


More parts are arriving in the mail -- My long-arm installation happens in just a few days. I can't wait! :bop:
 
#7 ·
I haven't, but he has/had!LOL



My Jeep has 160,000 miles on the odometer. Never had any transmission or engine problems. In January, I pulled a 2WD Chevy truck out of a mud bog.



Never underestimate the utility of a TJ Jeep with mud terrain tires!



Although I pulled this Chevy out of the mud, driving home was safest on surface streets and not along the 91 Freeway. That's the basis for the big upgrades being made to my Jeep. To make it safe and steady at highway speeds.

 
#8 ·
Adventures over the past decade with my beloved Jeep




The Jeep is on a temporary hiatus from all of the adventures it has been on. Here is a small collection of photos from MEXICO! (just 2 hours drive south of where I live)

Getting (un)stuck from a ditch outside of Palomar Canyon - Thanks, Victor!:)



Nov. 2013 - Palomar Canyon - a solid day from the main highway with plenty of rocks and pure water rushing out of the side of the Sierra Juarez



Nov. 2006 - San Felipe Pemex station - A retired American parked his Jeep at the gas station in San Felipe, and I parked next to his, and snapped this photo. When running 33" tires, my Jeep drove better than on 35s.



April 2015 - Progreso/Mexicali - Asadero El Morlan Tacos (divide the prices by 13 to see what we paid for our meals!)



 
#9 ·
Last minute parts chasing - front truss w/new control arm mounts & CV driveshaft

On the day of my Jeep going in to 4WheelParts for the long arm install, I ordered three important items from Rubicon Express to make the whole thing click.

- NEW front control arm bushing mounts AND truss!
(part #RE-9986 and #RE-9988)



- a rear CV driveshaft (front not necessary with Rubicon TJ)
(part #RE-1895-175) - 17.5" long-arm compatible driveshaft




I asked 4WheelParts to install the new control arm bushing mounts and truss - these parts require welding. I did not opt for an installation of the driveshaft, but on second thought, I'll ask them to take care of this as well.

[to be continued..]
 
#12 ·
The Synergy lower ball joints had enough play in them to have me all over the road. MOOG ball joints will get installed to combat shimmy and wobbles at hwy speeds.

The front upper control arm bushings are the original ones. With the new ball joints and Rubicon Express PT-MEG upper control arm bushings, my Jeep should steer a whole lot better.

I had expected that the Synergy ball joints would have lasted longer than ~23,000 miles, but, that is probably why people like Jerry Bransford recommends SPICER ball joints! Let's see if the MOOG ball joints hold up longer than the Synergy joints.

The lift spacers are getting removed, and the OEM bump stops are replacing the Daystar extended bumps. This should work perfectly - for less $$$ than can bumps, that is...
 
#14 ·
I saw them on-line, but my new kit included these parts, so I will stick with them and see how well they work. I did pick up the new Metalcloak bar pin eliminators for the rear shocks. They space the shocks down 1/4 inch, but that should be more of a help than a hinderance with regards to droop.
 
#15 ·
"Scare with fear!"

This afternoon, as I patiently waited for my Jeep, I received a phone call that my new Metalcloak bar pin eliminators lengthened my shocks so much (1/4" in fact), that my coils will pull out of the buckets on full droop. Either pull the bar pin eliminators or add limiting straps were my two options. I chose option 3 - wait and add the straps later. Shocks inherently limit suspension droop, and 1/4" is not going to make much of a difference, IMO.

The Jeep should be ready tomorrow...
 
#16 ·
#19 ·
Update: the Jeep is real close to being road-worthy. Muffler is being fitted - hopefully it works, and I won't need to buy another smaller one. The problem is that it might hit the rear links on full compression.

New rear driveshaft isn't ready, and no idea when it will become available (shaking my head).



Pinion angle and front trackbar alignment is next.
 
#20 ·
Keep us informed and just think of the end result. It will all be worth it.
 
#23 ·
I am sure it will be 100% worth it. The steering was a nightmare on the 91 Freeway, I couldn't drive faster than 60 mph in the slow lane due to wander and sharp jolts thanks to bad lift geometry. I loved my Jeep, but I hated the results of the pieced-together lift parts needed to run 35" tires. It woke me up to the reason why people sell their Jeeps after spending tons of dollars trying to raise the performance bar - while remembering how well the Jeep steered and performed when stock/new.

I tried to piece together a short arm lift using quality parts, and I ended up with a frustrating experience that felt like an exhibit from the mideval torture museum. This time, I decided to listen to the 'experts' and the guys who built their rigs with plenty of love prior to the great recession. Riding shotgun felt worlds apart from the torture my Jeep had become.

Tomorrow will be here shortly, and I will be able to see if my expectations correlate with the hype.
 
#25 ·
I picked up my Jeep about 2 hours ago. The stance is improved with a slight rake.

REAR SUSPENSION: ProComp MX-6 21" shocks intended for a 2 inch lift were utilized. This is due to my use of the Metalcloak bar pin eliminators spacing the shocks down along with the position of the RE lower rear shock mounts in conjunction with the Tri-Link. When cycled, the shorter shock made better sense than the 24" MX-6 shocks the had tried using previously.



EXHAUST:A CARVEN EXHAUST muffler was sourced for use with the Tri-Link. Space was very limited, so my Dynomax/Thrush did not make the cut. The Carven is louder than stock, but combined with the AEM CAI under the hood, I now have more horsepower on tap than before. I read and did the research on-line, concluding that exhaust systems were not cost-effective, but seeing truly is believing. The Jeep accellerates like I now have 33's bolted on the axles! The Carven woke up my 160,000 mile 4.0l engine! Drone is kept at the 2,000 - 2,200 rpm range. Throaty growl is at 1,200 rpm. Once up at around 3,000 rpm the Carven quiets itself to an acceptable level!



The steering geometry is now 100% improved, with the front Dana 44 trussed and upper control arm bushings (by Rubicon Express) in place. I feel now that the Jeep can handle a larger tire - say an Interco 35" SSR or a 36" without any adverse steering issues. Previously, I considered a 34" TRXUS MT, but that was due to the blown Synergy ball joints and poor control arm angles leading to a sense of wandering. Thankfully, those horrible handling traits are a thing of the past.
 
#26 ·
On 7-27, my Jeep was finally completed. I was called at 5:15 pm and by 8:15 pm, I was driving my roaring beast of a Jeep home. My cat Azul had taken off for the night, and he wasn't home for me to put away in the garage for the night with the dogs. More on Azul later.

The Jeep!




 
#27 ·
Problem areas (1) Dropped pitman arm, (2) Carven exhaust drone

I opted to run the Metalcloak "R.E. Delete Track bar" instead of the Rubicon Express track bar.



The upper control arm mounts were torched off and Rubicon Express upper control arms and bushings (and truss) were installed. These mounts nor the track bar were problematic. The dropped pitman arm potentially is. This Jeep exhibits some consistent bumpsteer that needs closer examination - tomorrow.



The Carven exhaust sounds killer - until you reach 2,000 rpm. The engine feels like it flows better from the AEM filter to the exhaust, you can now feel the difference. But, the drone at 2,000 rpm is unbearable. After driving the Jeep to work today, I felt it was time to do something about it.



This generic resonator did the trick. Michael at Riverside Muffler worked magic in completely diminishing the muffler drone from the Carven with its' installation. What was once a nearly unbearable noise level is now a low rumble coming from below the noise of the KM2s striking the pavement.

 
#28 ·
Azul's leg was broken last Tuesday night. He stayed out until Wednesday morning when I discovered something was seriously wrong with him. On Thursday night, my wife and I drove in our Honda Pilot to Tijuana, Mexico for some emergency cat care.



We arrived on Thursday night, and visited the Veterinarian on Friday afternoon. On Sunday, Azul's leg was operated on, and later that evening, we drove back home. Azul is now recovering with real close supervision. He used to climb on the suspension links, but now looks for a foothold that he cannot reach without help in reaching. Get well, little guy...

 
#31 ·
I took the Jeep 'wheeling last month and had a great time in it. The rear Tri-Link is more stable at highway speeds than I had read about on-line. The only problem area is the front coils tend to create a lot of noise and move about like they want to fall out. Thanks to the long bumpstops, this will probably never happen.

On the plus side, I have been able to flex real well with the front swaybar connected.

 
#32 ·
Draft Shaft Adjustment

Hello! Old thread but had to chime in. Beautiful beast you have there! Hope you still got him! Anywho I bought a tomb raider Rubicon a few months ago and it was trampoline wander city from the gate. It came with a rough country 5" long arm lift and I slapped some 33" Faulken Wildpeaks on him. Turns out I was missing a rear right shock and the front and rear track bars were toast. U joint in the rear drive shaft was questionable as well. Well 2 track bars, all new shocks and a trip to the Jersey pine barrens damn near tore out the U joint. The trampoline turned into a catapult and eventually found it's way to a specialist @ RPM in Fairless Hills Pa. Also would like to mention that I was shifting into 5th at 35rpm, very not um yeah. Turns out the driveshaft angle was way off due to the lift. Front tires were pointed in and under, the transmission and U joint were barely seated. Got a new drive shaft 2 new track bars and adjusted the front angle. I believe it was 2.5" on the rear and 1.5" on the front. He drives like a dream now. I go over bumps without the feeling I'm on a 4 wheel pogo stick, and can cruise at 75mph stress and drift free. Hope your jeep is well!

Cheers!
 
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