Ever since the LJ came on the scene, I was fascinated by it. Work and life kept me busy, and most of my spare time was spent building and riding motorcycles and snowmobiles. However, I always wanted to build a Jeep. Now, later in life - and facing my mortality - about three years ago, I decided I'd better find that LJ and build the Jeep I always wanted. I started looking for a low-mileage LJ after Covid was in full-swing.
Finally, in June, 2021, I found a one-owner 2005 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon halfway across the country with less than 50,000 miles on it. The owner and I hit it off, and I ended up hopping on a plane, checking it out, writing a check, and driving it home. On the way home with it, I stopped at an old friend's house (we'd worked together at one time, but moved on to different states, and I hadn't seen him in many years) to compare his 2006 LJ to mine (he's @06LJR on here), so the joyous occasion was even more joyous!
In the almost three years since I bought the LJ, I've been slowly making mods to it while amassing a pile of parts for it. I still have a very busy life, so it's been tough to dedicate a bunch of time to the LJ. I've rebuilt two other vehicles in the interim, and I think I'm finally getting to the point where I can start the build! Actually, continue the build would be more accurate, since I have been very slowly making progress on it over these past years.
I've always been a backcountry-minded feller, spending a lot of time in places most people never go, so the idea with this build is to put together a vehicle that will get me anywhere I want to go in relative comfort. In addition, I plan to do some occasional rock-crawling with it, since my body can no longer take the abuse of riding things with handlebars.
I'll start this build thread with a picture of the rig from somewhere in Georgia on the way home - on the day of purchase (June 19, 2021):
Ain't she a beaut! Since that day, the following has been done to the rig, roughly in this chronological order (hyperlinks direct to pre-build-thread posts on here related to the activity, and how the change affected the weight of the rig at the end of each change in bold text, when measured):
Finally, in June, 2021, I found a one-owner 2005 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon halfway across the country with less than 50,000 miles on it. The owner and I hit it off, and I ended up hopping on a plane, checking it out, writing a check, and driving it home. On the way home with it, I stopped at an old friend's house (we'd worked together at one time, but moved on to different states, and I hadn't seen him in many years) to compare his 2006 LJ to mine (he's @06LJR on here), so the joyous occasion was even more joyous!
In the almost three years since I bought the LJ, I've been slowly making mods to it while amassing a pile of parts for it. I still have a very busy life, so it's been tough to dedicate a bunch of time to the LJ. I've rebuilt two other vehicles in the interim, and I think I'm finally getting to the point where I can start the build! Actually, continue the build would be more accurate, since I have been very slowly making progress on it over these past years.
I've always been a backcountry-minded feller, spending a lot of time in places most people never go, so the idea with this build is to put together a vehicle that will get me anywhere I want to go in relative comfort. In addition, I plan to do some occasional rock-crawling with it, since my body can no longer take the abuse of riding things with handlebars.
I'll start this build thread with a picture of the rig from somewhere in Georgia on the way home - on the day of purchase (June 19, 2021):
Ain't she a beaut! Since that day, the following has been done to the rig, roughly in this chronological order (hyperlinks direct to pre-build-thread posts on here related to the activity, and how the change affected the weight of the rig at the end of each change in bold text, when measured):
- Removed OEM Lug Nuts and Installed McGard Lug Nuts/Locks
- Installed Buchanan Precision 1.5" Seat Riser Kit - gained 3.24 lb
- Removed Cold-Air Intake and Replaced with Stock Intake - lost 3.53 lb
- Removed OEM OPDA and Installed Crown OPDA
- Installed Bartact Seat Covers
- Installed SpeedoHealer (the LJ came with metric 33" tires on it, but no speedo change) - thanks to the generosity of @mrblaine!
- Removed Rubicon Rocker Guards and Installed RockSlide Engineering Electric Steps Kit with Armor (I have a short wife, and my knees and hips ain't what they used to be!) - gained 146.12 lb
- Replaced Door Handles on the Full Doors
- Installed MORyde Tailgate Reinforcement Kit and Hinges (modified for tail lights and powder-coated OD green) - gained 24.59 lb
- Installed HyLine Offroad Spare Tire Carrier (modified to fit on the MORyde bracket and powder-coated OD green) and installed snubber spacers - gained 8.09 lb
- Removed OEM Head Unit and Installed Alpine iLX-W650 Head Unit and Metra Dash Kit - lost 2.39 lb
- Removed Walmart Battery and Installed NorthStar NSB-AGM24M Battery (it already needs to be replaced and they won't warranty it because - eBay purchase during Covid) - gained 21.82 lb
- Removed RanchHand Rear Bumper and Installed Dirtworx Rear Bumper with Hitch and RockHard Frame-Bumper Ties (I use a cargo basket for meat coolers when hunting) - lost 11.35 lb
- Removed SmittyBilt XRC-8 Winch (Steel Cable and Roller Fairlead) and Installed Warn M8274-S with cover and Wireless Remote System (Barnes M8274 Mount) - gained 26.52 lb
- Installed TRE Safety Thimble and Safety Thimble Fairlead - gained 3.25 lb
- Removed Ranch Hand Front Bumper and Installed Savvy Front Bumper (powder-coated OD green) with Hooks, Light Mounts, Winch Guard, and Hardcore Corner Guard Kit - lost 78.8 lb
- Installed Quadratec Plug-n-Play Tow Hitch Wiring Harness
- Installed License Plate Frame with LED Light - gained .44 lb
- Removed OEM Tail Lights and Installed Savvy LED Tail Lights and License Plate Relocation Kit - gained 2.91 lb
- Installed Alpine Front Camera (eventually to be replaced with three separate cameras - thanks for the idea, @Apparition!) - gained .48 lb
- Installed Alpine Third Brake Light and Rear Camera - gained 3.60 lb
- Installed TeraFlex Hand Throttle Kit (for both on-board air and winching) - gained .50 lb
- Installed ORO York Compressor Kit - gained 35.28 lb
- Removed OEM Alternator and Installed Singer 270A Alternator - gained 1.34 lb
- Removed K-C A-pillar Light Brackets and Installed Rockhard 4x4 A-pillar Light Brackets (powder-coated OD green) - lost .84 lb
- Removed (4) PIAA Driving Lights and Installed (4) Rigid 36204 6" Driving Lights (2 on bumper, 2 at bottom of A-pillars) - gained 2.92 lb
- Installed 50" Black Oak LED light-bar mounted on HyLine Offroad aluminum brackets (powder-coated OD green) - gained 20.98 lb
- Installed Black Magic Big Brake Kit, New Rear Brakes, and Wizard Brackets (thanks for making top-notch products, @mrblaine!) - gained 7.74 lb
- Installed Revolution Gear Rear Chromoly Axles - lost .47 lb
- Installed 00 Power Cables (self-made) - gained 4.81 lb
- Installed Secondary Power Distribution Center (thanks for the guide, @Steel City 06!) Note: This was later removed, to be replaced with a Switch Pros system.
- Installed Custom Lower Switch Panel from Custom 3D Fab. Note: This was later removed, to be replaced with a Switch Pros system.
- Installed Upper sPOD Switch Panel (thanks, @PNW_LJ!) Note: This was later removed, to be replaced with a Switch Pros system.
- Installed Black Magic Brakes Raised Front Swaybar Brackets and Reverse-taper Knuckle (more fine products from @mrblaine!) - gained 2.29 lb
- Installed Clayton Offroad Front Spring Retainers (because the Rubicon Express springs that came on it have a short free length) - gained .15 lb
- Installed Savvy Steering Box Skid (powder-coated OD green) - added 2.19 lb
- Installed Wouxun KG-1000G Plus GMRS Radio - gained 5.75 lb
- Removed OEM T-case Shift Linkage and Installed Savvy T-case Cable Kit. Note: This will be removed and replaced with the Atlas shift kit.
- Installed Savvy Body Lift - gained 7.74 lb
- Installed Savvy Engine Lift - gained 2.38 lb
- Installed Fumoto USA Quick-drain Oil Valve
- Removed OEM Shift Tower and Stick and Installed B&M Shift Tower and Stick - gained 1.54 lb
- Installed Repainted Hood Shroud and Color-matched Headlight Bezels
- Installed BMB Front License Plate QR Bracket (yet another great product from @mrblaine!) - gained 1.47 lb
- Installed Color-matched GenRight Corner Armor (wanted Savvy, got tired of waiting) - gained 41.21 lb
- Removed Factory Full Doors and Restored and Installed Factory Half-doors with New Bull Dawg Uppers - lost 19.97 lb
- Installed Hard-coated Aluminum Front Recovery Eyes (thanks, @sunnysideup_lj!) - gained .61 lb
- Installed Painted Fender Flares (OD green)
- Fix Cracked Fuel Filler Nipple on Tank
- Reinforce Top Tank of Radiator (an idea to prevent the common cracking failure)
- Move Rear Frame Up To Match Body Lift
- Install Savvy Gas Tank Skid
- Install Fire Extinguishers
- Install "The Wiz" for GMRS Radio
- Remove Axles from Jeep
- Install Atlas 4-speed Transfer Case
- Make and Install Transmission Cross Brace
- Install Savvy Mid-Arm Kit Frame Brackets
- Install Genright Body Lift Brackets
- Make and Install Transmission Skid Plate (thanks for the aluminum, @mrblaine !)
- Install Savvy Engine And Transmission Skid Plate
- Install Savvy Mid-Arm Axle Brackets Front and Rear
- Install Rockjock4X4 Mini-Skids
- Install Revolution 4.88 Gears Front And Rear
- Install ARB Lockers Front and Rear
- Install RCV Front Axle Shafts
- Modify and Install Barnes Diff Covers, Modified with Hard-facing
- Design, Make, and Install AR400 Differential Skids
- Install New Spicer Ball Joints
- Install Rockjock4X4 Bump Stops Front and Rear
- Install Axles in Jeep
- Install Rockjock4X4 4" Coil Spring Set
- Install Dorman Extended Front Brake Lines
- Install Rockjock Currectlync System with @mrblaine 's 4340 Tie-rod
- Install Rockjock Front Tracbar
- Install Hydro-assist System (PSC parts with @mrblaine 's BMB kit)
- Install M.O.R.E. 1" Steering Riser
- Add Towers for the Front Fox 2.0 Shocks with DSC Reservoirs (11" travel)
- Outboard the Rear Fox 2.0 Shocks with DSC Reservoirs (12" travel)
- Install Fender Liners
- Install New Tom Woods Driveshafts
- Install Hutchinson Rock Monster 15x8 Bead Lock Wheels (thanks, @Bigfoot-NM !) And Tires (probably BFG KM3s)
- Install Oil-Coalescing Filter for York
- Install ARB Mini Compressor (thanks to the discussion here)
- Plumb ARB Lockers Front and Rear
- Install Switch Pro RCR-Force 12 Switching System
- Install LUX Rock Lights
- Install Front Cameras
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