Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Tub replacement and restoration

47K views 94 replies 22 participants last post by  TheJeepKing 
#1 ·
I have a 2000 jeep wrangler 4.0. I recently swamped it out and my dad and i got it running good again, so now its time to work from top down and make it into the great jeep it can be! First off, The body is in bad shape rusting out at just about every body mount, so I picked up a new tub for just 475$ (which is a great deal!) it is rust free, the only problem with it is that the PO got in a wreck with his jeep so the front right body mount is a little off set. Other than that, which is a minor fix, it is in great shape! We are beginning to take off the old tub tomorrow and planning to work on it through the summer and put in a few new parts, along with a few mods:) ill keep a build thread and update it through the process:)
 
#29 ·
Got the new tub all painted today. First I took our palm sander using a fine grit paper to scuff the factory paint up just enough to get the shine off. We then rubbed the whole thing down with isopropyl alcohol. Prep is essential to getting great results! Then my father and I painted the tub in two thick coats. Being sure to get a really thick coat on the floorboard to prevent from wear and tear . I used roughly 11 cans of rustoleum bed liner to cover every inch of the tub, including the underside. Very pleased with the results of the product, so far I have about $105 worth of paint after doing the frame, tub, and doors. Still have the grill, fenders, and hood left. So far I looks great!
 

Attachments

#31 ·
So I decided that I didn't want any more chrome on my jeep, I just didn't like the way it looks... And I had chrome wheels. So I took some bedliner to those too:) I first got all the rust off with a wired wheel, then taped off the tire. Next I primed them with rustoleum self etching primer. It took me about 1 can to paint all 4 rims. Putting two thick coats on each. I also bought 20 black lug nuts from quadratec to replace my chrome ones. Before and after:
 

Attachments

#32 ·
Today we finally mounted the tub to the frame! One of the changes that we had to make to the LM tub was that the bottom shifter boot on the LM was about 7" longer than the one on the EM. To make it fit we took a piece of aluminum and fit it to the tub so that the shifter boot would have something solid to screw too. Along with this we also noticed that my transfer case lever was siezed up (which could be the reason it constantly popped out of 4 wheel low). We took it apart and hit it with some invisilube... It worked like new money. Then it was time to put the new tub on. As I stated before the new tub had been in an accident... This forced all the body mounts back a bit. We straightened them out then chased them and finally got the tub all bolted to the frame. Lots of work ahead, hopefully getting it back on the road soon! Pics coming:)
 
#33 ·
This is the patch piece we fabbed to adapt the EM inner boot to LM tub.

Auto part Automotive exterior Bumper


With that in place EM boot fit perfectly.


Auto part Vehicle


All pieces were sealed with elastrometric caulk.
And here she is!

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Tire




Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Jeep


Now the real fun starts, putting everything back where it belongs. Hopefully our labeling pays off. We'll see is JeepKing can paint parts faster than I can bolt them on. :D
 
#35 ·
Awesome job guys! Can't wait to see the results!
 
#36 ·
Thanks for the compliment! We've gotten a ton done since the last I posted! After getting the tub all fitted we started working on getting it back together. A lot of electrical stuff just plugging things in. We got the dash pretty much all together with the exception of the panels (waiting on paint). I ordered some smittybilt flat tube fenders to give me the clearance of running the 33's ( also have a 1" BL) got them for $299 shipped. We just got them installed today, had some issues with the passenger side fenders lining up correctly due to the tub being a little distorted from the accident. We eventually got the bolts in their holes ( after some mild language.lol) and the driver side was easily done. I would deffinitly recommend these fenders if your looking for a little more clearance, along with some great looks(; we also got the hood and grill installed. It's looking more and more like a jeep! Just a few minor things left before it hits the road! Pics coming tomorrow
 
#38 ·
Wanted a custom look so we went with 6" oval flush mount LEDs for brake/tail lights.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Automotive exterior


JeepKing and I put in a marathon week in near 90° temps and were able to get her road worthy. I am glad (and very proud) to say he was able to drive her to his first football game Thursday!

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Tire



Land vehicle Vehicle Car Jeep Automotive tire


She is still a work in progress. Gotta level out the stance, install new front bumper, get a bit more creative with the front indicater lights (the factory ones are zip tied for now) and a few other odds and ends.
 
#41 ·
We were thinking about doing that, but we didn't really want to cute a big hole in my grille... My brush guard I'm getting in the future will cover that area. Right now we're thinking of putting smaller blinkers under the fenders where there's already a convenient hole(;
 
#47 ·
The donor tub was from an 03 Rubicon which had the rocker covers removed. This left several unsightly holes in the tub. To fix this and restore the weather proof integrity we bought two pieces of aluminum diamond plate 6" wide, 60" long, 1/8" thick. These were cut to length via plasma cutter, scuffed with wire wheel, and sprayed with self etching primer.


View attachment 324657

Top coat is.......you guessed it, bed liner.


View attachment 324665

We then applied elastrometric caulk around the holes and rivited on the covers.

View attachment 324697

Turned out pretty nice.
 
#50 ·
I got my Novak transfer case shifter installed today. Took about an hour and a half with me putting the bracket that attaches to the tub on backwards the first time. Lol. It now shifts into 4 wheel drive with ease! And it stays in 4 wheel which is a plus!:)
 
#52 ·
I was going to paint the rims in green, but I also have step bars that are green and once I get those in it should look much better. It's a pretty loud green so I don't want to go too crazy and have too much. I plan on doing something with the hood but am still undecided on to what that will be.
 
#55 ·
So this past weekend we finally got to take my jeep off road for a little bit at bundy hill. Drives much better than before! The 33's make all the difference! I have a slight rubbing issue when the steering is locked and fully stuffed. But once I get back from basic training I will have enough cash for a lift which will make it so I easily clear the 33's. Overall very happy with my build so far and can't wait for my next upgrade!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top