2008 JKU "Argenta" Build Thread

[pc1p]

Making some more progress in the afternoons... I got the flares pulled off to give me more access and to start cleaning the body/frame up. I will need to push the Jeep out of the garage once the motor is pulled to give it a thorough power wash, so I'll need my brakes working (see steep driveway post above!).

You can see above that the hoses on the OEM calipers comes from the rear. The 14B however comes from the front, so I need to think about how I need to route them...

Just thinking about overall fitment and protection, the above seems like it would be the best option.

This was my first inclination, but I think the control arms are going to be problematic in the long term, and the hose would need to be filed down a bit since the block at the end of the hose is about 1/32" too long and the bolt won't sit centered.

This is less obvious but does take out some length of these Metalcloak hoses and lets me route it around the springs a little better. However, I think the lower control arm would end up hitting at full droop.

In my attempt to "cross one thing off the list per day", I was able to get the axle shafts cleaned, painted, and installed before calling it a day. Unfortunately, I forgot the can of Rustoleum Flat Black wasn't actually flat black, so it's got more shine than I like, but I'll hit it with some steel wool once it's fully cured to knock the shine down a bit.

 

[pc1p]

Doing some cleaning while the sun was shinning and the days are sunny and in the 70's. I had some mud and salt deposits around seat brackets in the Mrs. Grand Cherokee, so I dragged the Bissell outside. While I was there, I went over Charlotte's Islander seats. Every time I do it, it serves as a good reminder that cloth seats are f*%$@#* disgusting!!!

While cleaning, I installed the Drake Billet Aluminum shift knobs in the Islander too. The t-case shift knob kept popping off and the guy I bought the Bushwhacker flares from had these for $40, so I grabbed them on a whim (I'm not one to go for stuff like this, but these served a functional purpose so I gave them a whirl). They look nice but more importantly, they don't pop off against my knee and fall on the floorboard anymore!

I starting working on the Islander axles since the weather is already cooling and winter will be here soon.

I dragged the D30 and D44 back into the garage and started stripping them down. I can't imagine why the e-brake didn't work too well:

I got lucky with another FB Marketplace score:

Got a brand new TrueTrac shipped to my door for $240 - hard to beat that! To sweeten my week even more, I found a guy on my way to Virginia that was selling a Revolution D30/44 regear kit with 5.13's and MIKs for $500... I love me some deals!

I'm going to order some small parts this week - crush sleeve eliminators, new Spicer u-joints, new Spicer rear bearings and retainers, etc. I may take a vacation day next week to get these rebuilt. With any luck, I'll throw these axles under the Islander in 2-3 weeks, before Charlotte comes home for Fall Break and needs to drive her Jeep around for a few days.

I was originally going to go with 4.56 gears and leave the 285/70's but with finding these 5.13's, and adding up all the costs of OEM replacement parts to refresh the suspension (e.g. new control arms, track bars, shocks, Teraflex 1" springs, etc.), I've decided that I'm just going to install my 2.5" MetalCloak Game Changer (the one I took off my JKU) and then buy a set of 35"s. It won't be too tall for her but will look nice and proportional. With the new gears and suspension, it's going to be like a totally different Jeep for her when she gets back into it...

While I've been messing with the Islander, I'm still making progress on my JKU too (I mean, this is my build thread after all lol). I reworked the rear-passenger brake line. The line has a plastic coating on it that makes getting in clean and smooth for a flare kind of a pain, but with a few quick passes of a MAPP torch, I was able to soften and scrape the plastic off. The SSTubes kit should arrive this week, so with any luck, I'll be able to get the brakes completely hooked up this weekend and bled. If all goes to plan, I will start pulling the 3.8L once Charlotte's axles are done and swapped out....

 

[tJKrider]

I found a guy on my way to Virginia that was selling a Revolution D30/44 regear kit with 5.13's

Having the knowledge and experience to do this yourself is huge! I've had regears done in several vehicles but never attempted it myself.

 

[pc1p]

Having the knowledge and experience to do this yourself is huge! I've had regears done in several vehicles but never attempted it myself.

Doing gears yourself is like buying a new welder - you get to make all sorts of new friends on your block or in your Jeepin' group

Seriously though it's not bad. People - the most famous of all being "Jerry" (yeah, that one) - like to pretend that it's basically rocket science and that one small nanometer out of spec and the thing will grenade apart. It's simply not true and getting a proper pattern is reasonably easy, albeit time consuming at times (especially for new builders). I've seen dudes pull carriers and gears out of junkyard axles, throw them in their housing, torque stuff down and go to town - reusing old crush sleeves even.

If anyone has ever had the chance to watch someone set up some gears, the mystery disappears rather quickly. I've shown a handful of people the process and at least two of them have successfully rebuilt their own stuff (not sure if any of the others have tried).