[bgall]

Picked up an 06 LJ rubi from a guy in GA. Factory half doors. 147k miles. It has some cosmetic stuff like little dings but pretty solid and no suspension mods. I was looking for a virgin suspension to build from. Current play

TF long arm builder's kit with metal cloak inners for the joints

Genright coil over mounts front and rear (outboard rear)

ORIs on all 4 corners

Teraflex D60s with 5.13 and ARBs

Teraflex skids finished in gatorglide

PSC bumpers, front flares, rocker knockers, armor, and cage

Trail Ready 3.5bs HD beadlocks (with spacers and world series rings)

37" Pitbull rocker radials.

Custom inside spare mount where the rear seat used to be

 

[bgall]

Started pulling out the previous owner's wiring. Extra horns with 4ft of loose wire, random but connected wire, flasher wired up with 6 different color patterns and butt connectors, etc... 99% of that wiring is out.

All carpet and part of the dash is removed. Will do the interior in tan (damn hot summers in the SE) and the interior floor/sides in Tuff Coat, also tan.

Replaced the valve cover gasket. I really hate that damn plastic wire guide in the back. Royal pain to get off without just cutting it off. Looks like the oil leak was from the valve cover gasket. Whew! Also used about 9bazillion gallons of simple green cleaning up the engine bay.

Replaced the battery (badly corroded, negative post was small from losing so much material) with a Sears platinum and added a decent hold down.

Ripped out the roll bar padding and covers. New soft top and uppers on order. Will try tinting them metallic red with dye. Wish me luck.

Replaced the tail lights with LED ones. Need a new flasher.

Got the Pitbull Rocker Radials in today. Still waiting on the wheels.

Teraflex stuff is a my friend's house in GA (we will be doing the build there, Ridgeline Offroad)

PSC stuff is all or mostly there as well

 

[bgall]

Removed the factory tire carrier. Third brake light was wired with wire nuts and butt connectors :suicide:. One of the bolts had used the vulcan mind meld and become one with the tailgate. Twisted the head off and broke two easy outs. Just drilled the bitch out. I will drill both out and use a smaller nutcert (welded). Gonna make a bracket for the license plate and an LED light for the rear.

Hoping to paint it flat desert tan. Debating between rattle can so it touches up easy and making it look decent (i.e. professional but inexpensive paint job).

 

[bgall]

Some pics. I even remembered to resize them first!
Notice the spare wire just wrapped around the additional horn in the third pic... yeah...
There is a special hell for folks that use wire nuts and butt connectors in the engine bay wiring. A special hell filled with different color wires spliced with butt connectors and wire nuts where you have no idea which one is hot and which is not. Special hell...

I solder and shrink wrap all my wiring.

 

[GenRight Off Road]

Sounds like a fun build! Subscribed! :beer:

 

[bgall]

I will be ordering the long hood louver kit from Genright today. Gotta vent that heat out. I will also be doing an electric fan and radiator upgrade at some point.

 

[Uncle Sams Misguided Child]

Holy tangled rats nest batman.

 

[NJRRUBI]

Do you want to sell the half doors or are you going to keep them??? Like watching your build, keep up the good work!

 

[bgall]

I am keeping the half doors. Love em! I hunted a while before I came across one with the half doors. I have not yet ordered the genright louvers. I got my boatload of PSC stuff in (ricochet rockers, rear defenders, front defenders, front BFH, power steering skid). I got the bumper painted and tried to install it today. Turns out PSC sent me a JK BFH bumper. Grr. I also pulled the relays for the fog lights. My guess is that the switch was shot in the stalk but the front hot wires were, apparently, fog light wires at one time. Today I started painting the interior since I could not work on any of the exterior stuff. Sucks that I finally got 2 no rain days to paint something and it turns out to be the wrong item. Really frustrating. I am sure the folks at PSC did not enjoy my anger filled rant. Hopefully there will be some swag in the box with the replacement bumper. Really wish I had noticed this prior to painting. Note to self, test fit THEN paint.

 

[bgall]

For those that care, the TJ bumper has round cutouts on the sides. This is the JK bumper (post painting). Notice the two triangular cutouts. On another note, I am going to clean that catch below the radiator. Damn thing has collected so many leaves and pieces of pine stray I am afraid a tree will sprout. Might give the frame horns in front a fresher of paint while I have the bumper off and am waiting.

ORIs and axles are all the parts I think I am waiting on. Oh yeah, I am replacing the dash bulbs with green LEDs. Might try to tackle that one after work tomorrow.

 

[bgall]

Just ordered the hood louvers from Genright. Hopefully JKowners is now "on their list" of forums. I hope they score a used TJ/LJ spare mount and third brake light. I plan on using the tire mount for the license plate and rear facing lights.

 

[bgall]

A few quick updates...
These are from my cleaning out the interior. Damn thing was filthy. Previous owner appears to have had a penchant for sodas and spilling them. I did not take "before" pics of the filth. I did, however, decided to start saving the change. It hasn't been counted or cleaned yet. A pic of some of the more interesting items is attached (with identifying info blocked out). Lastly I have some of the dash painted. I think the light brown is too orange so I am going on a quest shortly to Walmart to see if I can find a darker brown Krylon fusion. That fusion paint works wonders on the interior as long as it is prepped with acetone. really amazing stuff. I don't like their other paints but that fusion for plastic is awesome.

 

[bgall]

Just got rid of that "baby at carrots shit" orange. Found a nice dark brown. Just wish it was a bit less shiny.

 

[bgall]

Much of the refinished interior (dash) is in! Center console and other pieces are painted. I have to install the pressure gauge in the block with the switches before it goes back in. A cobra 75 fits perfectly on the bolts the passenger air bag module USED TO be.

 

[bgall]

2 down, 3 to go. Working on tires and wheels.

 

[Hasley84]

Somtimes I Think I Should have went with an LJ over my new 2 door JK.

Looking Good man.

 

[GenRight Off Road]

Nice color!

 

[bgall]

I hope to finish gutting the interior floor area to coat it early next week. Using Tuff Coat (tan).

 

[bgall]

cleanup and primer done. coating in 45 minutes.

 

[bgall]

First and 2nd coats of tuff coat are on. Need one more on a few spots and the brush spots I cannot get a roller to. Will post pics when done with the last coat. Pretty happy so far.