I have owned Jeeps for 15 years and only lately have I even really considered the JK.
During a trip to Ouray and Moab this summer I rented a stock Rubicon and had a blast.
The combination of comfort, refinement and capability blew me away.
I came home with a vision of building a multi-purpose rig off of a JK platform.
My aspiration was to have a vehicle that I could:
- Drive to any wheeling destination in the country
- Wheel any trail (within reason)
- Drive it home
- Take it to work on Monday
** This rig will be used
I started the process of liquidating my fleet and sold my Jeep, Cummins and Trailer to fund the JK. This is what I got rid of:
My previous Jeep was more of a purpose built trail rig that was very capable but lacked the ability to comfortably drive on the road very often.
On to the build.........
I searched for several months to find the perfect platform to start from. To be honest I experienced major sticker shock when looking at used JKU’s.
I finally found what I was looking for in upstate NY and picked it up 2 weeks ago.
Model: Unlimited X (Auto Tranny)
Year: 2007 (35K miles)
Though this is a relatively extensive build I will be doing it on a STRICT BUDGET. Like most of us, I do not have the resources to drop this off at a shop – write a check – and pick it up 2 weeks later. I’m not knocking the turn key buyers, I wish I could do the same. My intentions is to produce a Jeep of the highest quality, capability and reliability without the $60K price tag.
The build will include:
- Front Axle: Tera 60, Full Chromo, ARB, 5.13's, Big Brakes, Tera HD Steering
- Rear Axle: Tera 60, Full Chromo, ARB, 5.13's
- Suspension: Tera 3" long arm
- Drivelines: Tatton 1350 CV's (front and rear)
- Shocks: TBD – wanting coil overs or remote resi smooth bodies but have not worked that into the budget yet
- Wheels/Tires: Pintler Beadlocks / 37" KM2's
- Motor: Hemi VVT Truck motor (JSS conversion)
- T-case: Atlas 2 speed
- Steering: PSC Hydro Assist
- Bumpers: JCR Offroad front & rear (MI made and top notch)
- Misc:
• "Black Box" electrical system (provided by Djstorm100 on the forum ** he is an awesome guy with great service)
• Big bore master cylinder
• ARB compressor
• Custom rock rails
• Winch (TBD - looking for a deal)
• Custom tunes (sub, components, etc…)
• Simple lighting upgrades (rock lights, headlight conversion, etc….)
While sourcing all of the parts I came across John Williams (Owner of Impulse Offroad).
John is a JKO vendor and has proven to be an invaluable asset in getting things moving. I shared my goals with John and he went to work offering different options, prices and ideas.
Not only does he have the ABSOLUTE BEST PRICES but he is also a great resource to help spec out the best mix of parts.
John has a TON of experience with the JK and is a straight shooter regarding functionality, capability and value.
Please hit him up if you are in the market for parts. You will not be disappointed.
I am not the easiest buyer........(I have a lot of wants and little $) John has spent hours on the phone with me quoting, refining, and quoting again. His patience and service never wavered.
I ended up buying all of the axles, suspension, steering, etc.. through John.
Timing (I have never seen anyone achieve their expected timing):
90% of the parts arrived today. So most of what is left is just labor.
I plan to weigh the Jeep tomorrow and take it under the knife this weekend.
I will be doing all of the install in my garage at home.
- Stage 1 = Suspension & Axles Goal is to be complete by Dec 15
- Stage 2 = Motor Plan to drive/enjoy it for awhile
(will probably tear it down at the end of spring)
- Stage 3 = Cage Cage work will be done next summer
I will make updates as often as possible.
I’m sure I will be asking the JKO community for some insights along the way.
The purpose of this thread is to document progress, give credit to anyone that helps, and provide some tech.
Stay tuned……………….
During a trip to Ouray and Moab this summer I rented a stock Rubicon and had a blast.
The combination of comfort, refinement and capability blew me away.
I came home with a vision of building a multi-purpose rig off of a JK platform.
My aspiration was to have a vehicle that I could:
- Drive to any wheeling destination in the country
- Wheel any trail (within reason)
- Drive it home
- Take it to work on Monday
** This rig will be used
I started the process of liquidating my fleet and sold my Jeep, Cummins and Trailer to fund the JK. This is what I got rid of:
My previous Jeep was more of a purpose built trail rig that was very capable but lacked the ability to comfortably drive on the road very often.
On to the build.........
I searched for several months to find the perfect platform to start from. To be honest I experienced major sticker shock when looking at used JKU’s.
I finally found what I was looking for in upstate NY and picked it up 2 weeks ago.
Model: Unlimited X (Auto Tranny)
Year: 2007 (35K miles)
Though this is a relatively extensive build I will be doing it on a STRICT BUDGET. Like most of us, I do not have the resources to drop this off at a shop – write a check – and pick it up 2 weeks later. I’m not knocking the turn key buyers, I wish I could do the same. My intentions is to produce a Jeep of the highest quality, capability and reliability without the $60K price tag.
The build will include:
- Front Axle: Tera 60, Full Chromo, ARB, 5.13's, Big Brakes, Tera HD Steering
- Rear Axle: Tera 60, Full Chromo, ARB, 5.13's
- Suspension: Tera 3" long arm
- Drivelines: Tatton 1350 CV's (front and rear)
- Shocks: TBD – wanting coil overs or remote resi smooth bodies but have not worked that into the budget yet
- Wheels/Tires: Pintler Beadlocks / 37" KM2's
- Motor: Hemi VVT Truck motor (JSS conversion)
- T-case: Atlas 2 speed
- Steering: PSC Hydro Assist
- Bumpers: JCR Offroad front & rear (MI made and top notch)
- Misc:
• "Black Box" electrical system (provided by Djstorm100 on the forum ** he is an awesome guy with great service)
• Big bore master cylinder
• ARB compressor
• Custom rock rails
• Winch (TBD - looking for a deal)
• Custom tunes (sub, components, etc…)
• Simple lighting upgrades (rock lights, headlight conversion, etc….)
While sourcing all of the parts I came across John Williams (Owner of Impulse Offroad).
John is a JKO vendor and has proven to be an invaluable asset in getting things moving. I shared my goals with John and he went to work offering different options, prices and ideas.
Not only does he have the ABSOLUTE BEST PRICES but he is also a great resource to help spec out the best mix of parts.
John has a TON of experience with the JK and is a straight shooter regarding functionality, capability and value.
Please hit him up if you are in the market for parts. You will not be disappointed.
I am not the easiest buyer........(I have a lot of wants and little $) John has spent hours on the phone with me quoting, refining, and quoting again. His patience and service never wavered.
I ended up buying all of the axles, suspension, steering, etc.. through John.
Timing (I have never seen anyone achieve their expected timing):
90% of the parts arrived today. So most of what is left is just labor.
I plan to weigh the Jeep tomorrow and take it under the knife this weekend.
I will be doing all of the install in my garage at home.
- Stage 1 = Suspension & Axles Goal is to be complete by Dec 15
- Stage 2 = Motor Plan to drive/enjoy it for awhile
(will probably tear it down at the end of spring)
- Stage 3 = Cage Cage work will be done next summer
I will make updates as often as possible.
I’m sure I will be asking the JKO community for some insights along the way.
The purpose of this thread is to document progress, give credit to anyone that helps, and provide some tech.
Stay tuned……………….