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Tom95YJ's "The Smurf" Build

86K views 521 replies 64 participants last post by  Tom95YJ 
#1 ·
Ok guys I am starting a build thread for my 89 islander edition Dubbed The Smurf the name stems from an obvious resemblance to a smurf ! This is my 6th Jeep and 2nd YJ , I have been around the block a few times so I am not new to this Obsession as my wife would say.

Heres the back story with a little of idea of how it will be morphing over the next little bit of time :


Last May, I had traded my Auto-X Project/DD Miata for a Pretty clean '89 Wrangler Islander . After looking for someone to trade for almost 2 years I found someone was willing to trade.

Specs on the YJ :

1989 Islander Edition (Pacfic Blue A.K.A. Smurf Blue )
4.2Lw/ Ba10 (works for now)
Hardtop with Full steel doors
208,000 miles
RUST FREE minus the P/S front fender

The Bad : Jeep would not idle on its own, and front axle would not engage in 4 wheel drive. Minor repairs that would scare away most who are not too knowledge able with Jeeps .

My Plan for this Jeep is to keep it simple, and a Budget friendly since it will be DD/ Medium Duty trail rig I had several thousand in my 95 YJ and I was given a Ramen Noodle/ Steel Reserve budget with this one since I am now a Home Owner, Have 2 Kids , and I make about 1/2 as much as I used to 7 years ago. My 95 was build on a Filet Mignon and Topshelf Bourbon Budget.


Mods I intend on doing will be :

4" Lift
TJ Flares
PSC Rear 1/4 gaurds & Sliders
4:10 gears (4banger Axles at first 8.8 rear later on)
F/R Lockers (Spartans)
SYE w/ XJ shaft
TJ Grizzly wheels
Bedlined Interior
Front and rear Bumpers (2x4 boxed steel front stubby with Swing out carrier rear)
8000# winch
Bestop Supertop w 2 piece soft doors

Here are some pics from the first day once I got home with it.



 
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#150 ·
When you took the track an sway bars off, did you have trouble driving at highway speeds? I have a 92 wrangler that is my DD/light to
medium off-road vehicle. Driving to work I drive on the highway about half way there so I don't want to be driving and have it drift all over the road
 
#151 ·
When you took the track an sway bars off, did you have trouble driving at highway speeds? I have a 92 wrangler that is my DD/light to medium off-road vehicle. Driving to work I drive on the highway about half way there so I don't want to be driving and have it drift all over the road

Drive mine 50 miles a day on the hiway to and from work at 75mph with no issues but I've also been driving yj's for 10 years with no swaybars or. Trackbars including moving across country 2x
 
#163 ·
#167 ·
Thanks these things are bright as hell. They blow my XJ's headlights out of the water and it is running a heavy duty harness. E code headlights with 90/100 watt bulbs. My yj's low beam is brighter then the XJ's hi beam.


I bought them from a guy on Cherokee forum but I will never buy from him again. (Froleich suspension technology ). It took 8 months to get my stuff I only got it after starting the legal process. Others have orders over a year old with no parts yet. Which sucks cause quality is excellent.
 
#176 ·
#178 ·
I ordered a solid diff cover today for my 8.8 build and for my 8.25 on my XJ. I also ordered the freeze plug for the abs sensor delete for the 8.8

I also started to cut off the perches and grind them down. Maybe later I'll go out and get a knotted wire wheel and clean up the rust/ remove the paint off the axle then wipe down with wd40 until I get perches burned in
 
#183 · (Edited)
Today I finished grinding down the tubes on the 8.8, maybe one day next week I'll go over my buddy's shop and weld the axle tubes all of the way around the housing to alleviate one of the 3 weak points of the 8.8 axle. I also installed a freeze plug in the abs sensor port so I don't have that bulky sensor anymore . For those wondering what size freeze plug it is. I am not sure it is dorman part # 555-013
 
#185 ·
Took the YJ out yesterday since its been over a year since my wife has went wheeling and it was our youngest sons first time . Over all a good day with a few minor hiccups I did get a few pics

The hiccups I mentioned were :

1. Rear u joint broke ( replaced on the trail )
2. Left Rear axle flange is bent (non C-clip 35 )
3. Left Rear wheel bearing is Squeaking now
4. Seal on Clutch master cylinder is leaking fluid so It's not holding pressure





 
#186 ·
Today I removed the Ring gear , Limited slip , and axle shafts from my 8.8 , I also used a flap disk on my grinder to remove paint I was testing out on my 8.8 to see if I liked the finish. So once I get my perches on the axle I'll reuse the paint But the main reason I removed the paint is I am taking the axle over a buddy's house tomorrow to fully weld the tubes to the housing and fill a spot where my grinder dug into the tube while cutting off a perch.

The LSD and Shafts went to my buddy as a pay it forward for his 8.8 build. His open and he wanted A lsd for his 4.10 open axle. So I left him a surprise on his door step for him to get when he came home from work. I left a note saying its from the Jeep God.

I wasn't going to use the LSD since I am going with a Grizzly locker and since I am doing a ultimate 88 kit I won't need the c clip shafts. Either. I got the axle for free so I gave the parts away for free.
 
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