[Build Thread] 2004 Wrangler Unlimited (LJ) ~ Mild build

I wanted to build a CJ8. So yeah, the LJ saved me a lot of trouble. My plans for the M715 won't be so easy.
 
Got some new wheels, tires, and internal beadlocks installed this week




I was a long time BFG all-terrain guy. Ran multiple sets over the years in everything from a 217/75R15 up to a 31x10.50R15. I even borrowed a set of 33x10.50R15 KO2's for the trip down to NC last fall for the Appalachian Rendezvous and Overland Expo. Despite my longtime fandom of the BFG's, I have to say I officially a Cooper man now. Buddy of mine runs the Cooper Tire Discoverer S/T Maxx on his Tacoma and after watching his tires do their thing all last year I finally conceded. Few things played into the decision to switch not least of which being the hybrid all-terrain/mud-terrain nature of the S/T Maxx. I also liked that is an E rated tire, M+S rated, and studable. All the good things an east coaster like myself needs to consider since we have all the seasons up here (sometimes all in the same week like this week).

Full write up here: http://eastcoastoverlandadventures.blogspot.com/2017/01/new-tires-long-time-coming-but-worth.html (also includes the install of the beadlocks)



In the interest of full disclosure, this switch is part of a corporate partnership deal. I don't take such deals lightly nor am I a "free-parts whore" nor a "mindless corporate shill." The things I value are a quality product with a good reputation, and I give preference to American owned companies who do their manufacturing and/or assembly here in the US (although I fully recognize we live in a global economy so this is a preference rather than a hard and fast rule). As such I am VERY picky about the companies I work with. I've turned down more than a few offers from companies I don't believe in. Truth be told I only partner with companies that I already own or would be buying anyway. In this case, these S/T Maxx's are sweat enough I would have made the switch and bought a set anyway. I don't think it's that big a deal, but I did want to mention it preemptively.
 
Alright then Dean... explain the Vagisil corporate partnership deal to us. :D

Seriously, a lot of folks are switching to Coopers lately it seems. @Haggis has been a big fan of them in his environment for many years now. I got a set of the S/T Max about 7 months ago and have been pretty pleased with them so far. BFG KO, KM, KM2, and NITTO Trail Grapplers in the past...
 
Alright then Dean... explain the Vagisil corporate partnership deal to us. :D

Well, after sitting in a Jeep for 30 hours on my way to Flagstaff I needed a little something for the itch.

Seriously, a lot of folks are switching to Coopers lately it seems. @Haggis has been a big fan of them in his environment for many years now. I got a set of the S/T Max about 7 months ago and have been pretty pleased with them so far. BFG KO, KM, KM2, and NITTO Trail Grapplers in the past...

Yeah, Cooper hit a home run with the S/T Maxx. I was never a fan of Nittos for east coast wheeling. They seem to gum up real bad. BFG has been the gold standard for a long time and I was super stoked about the KO2's but I wasn't keen on the C load range for the 33x10.50R15. They also didn't thrill me as much in Uwharrie as I was expecting. Once I started second guessing that, and wresting with the all-terrain/mud-terrain dilemma, I found myself at square one. Once I laid out everything I wanted from a tire, and with some insistence from a friend, the S/T Maxx won me over.
 
I was an early adopter of the ST Maxxes and had the first set in this region. They have preformed excellently on the Tundra in all conditions, more so than any brand or model of tire I've had before. One of the best winter tires too, only to be outdone in the white stuff by the original Dick Cepek FC IIs. That being said these are one heavy ass tire. You can feel the added heft when they're mounted up. No problem with my V8 full size but if I was still running my LJ I'd be hesitant to utilize them on such an underpowered rig. You're gonna feel that heft added to the already wooden performance of a Jeep.
 
You can feel the added heft when they're mounted up. No problem with my V8 full size but if I was still running my LJ I'd be hesitant to utilize them on such an underpowered rig. You're gonna feel that heft added to the already wooden performance of a Jeep.

I'm rocking 4.88 gears in the LJ. That's one step deeper than normally recommended for 33's (which would be 4.56). She's a rocket from 0-60 but suffers a little at the top end. She'll do 70 but doesn't have the HP to be effective at the 55-70 range. She was like that before these tires. Haven't noticed much of a change. Real test will be towing the trailer once it gets refreshed.

At some point I'll be doing something with the motor and transmission in the LJ. I love the body style too much to get rid of it and i plan on keeping it for the long haul. There just isn't anything else out there right now I can see myself driving. Not to mention I'm already in too deep with this rig mod wise. Finally have it sitting where I want it. Just not exactly sure what I'll do with the motor and transmission.
 
I She's a rocket from 0-60...

Hehe...I think your definition of a rocket and mine are from two different planes of existence Dean.

You'll be very happy with the Maxxes, just bear in mind they really like to be rotated often. On my heavier ride I had the best results at a 4000 mile schedule, seemed like a good compromise between doing it every time you turned around and still having good wear characteristics.
 
Like your LJ, I have an 05 LJ Rubi, 2" OME HD lift with Bilstein 5100 shocks, I made my own rear bumper (super heavy duty) with a swing out tire carrier linked to the tailgate and pivoting on an old CJ spindle, POS mile marker winch. I used Monstaliner inside, that stuff is amazing!!! I run 285 75 R16 BFG AT, they are around 32+"......... I love the LJs they are the ultimate answer for me and my wife and our 100 lb. akita
 
Time to blow the dust off this thread and post a little update...

At the start of this year I decided to adult and took a full-time real job (or at least as close to a "real" job as I could tolerate). Thankfully it's still within the off-road industry so I get to eat my cake and have it too. For the last 6 months I've been working as an assistant manager for a new four-wheel-drive shop in my area. To complicate matters shortly after we opened my manager quit and a few weeks later one of my sales guys quit which meant for the last 3 months or so I was doing three jobs. Needless to say, my travel time in 2018 has been seriously lacking. However, the upside is a lot of overtime combined with an employee discount means I could make a lot of much-needed and long-overdue repairs and upgrades to the LJ. So... without further ado, here's how she sits now:

20180427_154218.jpg


Chassis: 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited "LJ"
Duties: Street/Trail/Overland Rig
Engine: 4.0L inline six
Trans: 4-speed automatic
T-case - Housing: Command-Trac 231
T-case - Gears: 2.72:1
Axle - Front: Dana 30 with 27 Spline Chromoly Axle Kit
Axle - Rear: Dana 44 with 30 Spline Chromoly Axle Kit
Axle - Gears: 4.88:1
Differential - Front: Selectable Electronic Locker
Differential - Rear: Factory Trac-Lok Limited Slip
Body Lift: 1" Body Lift
Suspension Lift: 2" JKS Mfg JSpec dual-rate lift kit
Suspension Arms: JKS Mfg J-Link lowers and J-Flex uppers
Wheels: 16x8 black D-window steel wheels
Tires: 255/85R16 Cooper Tire Discoverer S/T Maxx
Beadlocks: Coyote Enterprises internal boltless beadlocks

Skid Plates:
  • Skid Row Offroad Engine/Transmission Skid Plate
  • Skid Row Offroad Steering Box Skid Plate
  • Skid Row Offroad Front Lower Control Arm Skid Plates
  • Skid Row Offroad Radiator Guard
Armor:
  • AtoZ Fabrication HD Front Bumper
  • AtoZ Fabrication Rear Bumper with Tire Carrier
  • AtoZ Fabrication Rock Slides
Other Mods:
  • 1" HD Motor Mounts
  • Custom DIY Cargo Management System
  • Aftermarket AM/FM/CD & Satellite Radio System
  • Custom DIY dual fuel-can carrier
  • ViAir Corp "Ultra Duty" 200 psi Onboard Air System
  • Rigid Industries LED Headlights and Auxiliary Driving Lights
  • Rigid Industries Ignite Series LED Auxiliary Reverse Lights
  • 31.5 Gallon Safari Gas Tank by GenRight Off Road
  • Odyssey AGM Battery
  • TNT Customs Rear Spring Relocation Brackets
  • Rugged Radio 5R
  • PowerStop Brake Upgrade
  • Soft-Top & Tonneau Cover
  • Skid Row Offroad Mirror Relocation Brackets
  • New HD Adjustable Front Trac-Bar
  • Anti-Rock Swaybar System
  • New 7" wide stock-style fender flares
Recovery:
  • Warn 9500 XP Self-Recovery Winch
  • Warn Epic Recovery Kit
  • Blue Ridge Overland Gear - Strap Bag
  • ⅜" Custom Splice Synthetic Winch Rope
  • Factor55 FlatLink-E Shackle Thimble
  • ⅜" Custom Splice Synthetic Winch Rope Extension
  • Custom Splice Soft Shackles (two)
  • 2" Hitch Receiver Shackle Adapter by Custom Splice
  • 30' Semi-Static Recovery Strap
  • 48" Hi-Lift
  • Hi-Lift Recovery Kit & Off-road Base
 
Also, what Jeep thread wouldn't be complete without a list of all the things that needed fixed :rolleyes:

Major Maintenance Items:
  • New all metal radiator and new thermostat (Fall 2014)
  • Replaced PCV and breather lines (Fall 2014)
  • New PCM (Fall 2014)
  • New TPS and spark plugs (Summer 2015)
  • New Fan Clutch (Fall 2015)
  • New battery and battery cables (Fall 2015)
  • New catalytic converters and oxygen sensors (Fall 2015)
  • New tensioner, idler pulley, and serpentine belt (Fall 2015)
  • Rear driveshaft rebuild (Fall 2015)
  • Front driveshaft rebuild (Spring 2016)
  • New front windshield (Spring 2016)
  • Replaced faulty rear limited slip (Spring 2016)
  • Replaced fuel pump assembly (Spring 2016)
  • Replaced rear shocks (Summer 2016)
  • Replaced OBA pressure switch (Summer 2016)
  • New MAP Sensor (Summer 2016)
  • Replaced water pump and radiator hoses (Fall 2016)
  • Put old spark plugs back in (long story) (Fall 2016)
  • Replaced heater core and A/C condensor (Winter 2017)
  • New Transmission Shift Solenoid Pack (Spring 2017)
  • New spark plugs (the right ones this time) (Spring 2017)
  • New TPS (Spring 2017)
  • PCM Re-flash (Spring 2017)
  • New Front Windshield (Spring 2018)
  • New HD Ball-Joints (Spring 2018)
  • New HD Steering (Spring 2018)
 
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