Project Honey Badger is one of those projects that just falls into your lap and you have to do. Last summer a friend on mine was removing his drive train from a 2013 JK to put in an LS, incidentally another friend had a 1997 TJ he was looking to get rid of.
Now I know you can imagine where I am going with this, and some may be saying, that will not work, it is too expensive, the wiring does not match up etc etc etc.
Well, after many hours of talking with a local builder and working out the details to acquire the entire drive line from the JK, including axles and all wiring, and coming to terms on the TJ, Project Honey Badger was on.
I took her back to my garage and began to strip it down. The front fenders where removed, engine, trans, T case, and interior all removed. The frame and fire wall was painted black.
After that she was taken down the road to the shop that will be doing most of the work. It was placed on jack stands and the TJ axles where removed.
The build is getting mostly all Poison Spyder armor, and the new rock sliders, comp corners, and Defenders flares where installed/mocked up. New body mounts where installed early on as well. The front Dana 30 Jk axle is trussed and guesseted (keeping the cost down by reusing the front Jk axle plus the JK axle is about 5.5" wider than the TJ so it will give the Jeep a nice stance). Upgraded ball joints where installed in the front. Currie Anti Rock was added up front.
The 2013 engine, trans, and tcase where then fitted up for the new motor mounts. The 3.6l pentastar fits amazingly well, with only small clearance issues because the JK frame is wider than the TJ.
Once the drive train is installed, the front 3 link suspension is worked out through a couple of revisions and the new coilover mounts are made.
I know I am missing a ton of details and I will revise this as I think of them.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Now I know you can imagine where I am going with this, and some may be saying, that will not work, it is too expensive, the wiring does not match up etc etc etc.
Well, after many hours of talking with a local builder and working out the details to acquire the entire drive line from the JK, including axles and all wiring, and coming to terms on the TJ, Project Honey Badger was on.
I took her back to my garage and began to strip it down. The front fenders where removed, engine, trans, T case, and interior all removed. The frame and fire wall was painted black.
After that she was taken down the road to the shop that will be doing most of the work. It was placed on jack stands and the TJ axles where removed.
The build is getting mostly all Poison Spyder armor, and the new rock sliders, comp corners, and Defenders flares where installed/mocked up. New body mounts where installed early on as well. The front Dana 30 Jk axle is trussed and guesseted (keeping the cost down by reusing the front Jk axle plus the JK axle is about 5.5" wider than the TJ so it will give the Jeep a nice stance). Upgraded ball joints where installed in the front. Currie Anti Rock was added up front.
The 2013 engine, trans, and tcase where then fitted up for the new motor mounts. The 3.6l pentastar fits amazingly well, with only small clearance issues because the JK frame is wider than the TJ.
Once the drive train is installed, the front 3 link suspension is worked out through a couple of revisions and the new coilover mounts are made.
I know I am missing a ton of details and I will revise this as I think of them.
Stay tuned for more updates.