09/17/2003: I got some Warn Premium hublocks on ebay super cheap, they had arrived when I got back from Saturdays trip, so I put them on tonight... the right ford oem hublock had started to make a clicking sound more frequently, it looked like the spring had started to wear from not turning with the hub and the c-clip had worn on the outer part of the lock....
I also looked at the steering, and basically re-measured everything, setting the wheels at center, the pitman arm in the middle of its travel, and the steering stops in a bit and even on each side, as the aluminum beadlocks must have an inch more offset. I also had to re-adjust the toe quite a bit, I forgot to set it after relocating the drag link to the front of the tie-rod, and I am sure I put too much wear on the trip to Lake Placid...

09/13/2003: I went with the club to a spot near Lake Placid, sandy hills in the woods, some mud, no rocks... but I had fun.. was 120 or so miles each way, so the boggers got a workout, I need a trailer bad... Jeep worked awesome, but it did seem to turn further to the right than the left, something to look at later...

09/01/2003: I am really starting to jones over no wheelin!.... I am making a list of things to do, get a spare tire, maybe put the boggers on steel rims and put some 37" MT/R's on the aluminum beadlocks, I want to remove and disasemble the front axle and repaint it now that I am happy with the design... I have to make a little more clearance betweent he end of the axle tube and the inner axle yoke. I also want some warn premium lockouts to match the back. I need to take care of the rusting on the rear calipers too, I guess that is what I get for using it to launch the boat at the beach :-)

08/23/2003: I changed the passenger side tie-rod end to now locate the drag-link lower joint to the front of the tie rod to give more clearance and not need a rod-end that was bent, only the tapered hole enlarged.

08/17/2003: I put the steering sabilizer on, will have pice when I get my digicam back.

06/27/2003: I found out that due to work, that rubicon is not going to happen :-(

06/26/2003: Atlas T-case is fully installed and shafts in... 4.3:1 and 5.13:1 rocks! I had to make a custom aluminum cover for the new larger hole in the floorboard, since my 1" body lift is negated by my 1" engine/tranny/skidplate lift and brigngs the shifter too close to the factory floorboard.

06/26/2003: I have the rear bolt pattern finally changed with the help of the Warn full floater kit for my D44 rear. I used Warn's disk brake brackets to mount cadillac eldorado calipers and used late model CJ front rotors. This combined with the big bronco fronts gives good braking, even with the 37" tires. I have the 37" boggers mounted on the Champion beadlocked M/T Classic II wheels I have the 3rd ring and pinion in and it is living just fine after I gigured out no to use synthetic gear lube that is nto synthetic transmission gear lube... I figured the expensive syncromensh stuff I got a 5-gal pail of for the nv3550 tranny was better than $5/gal hypoid, but i was way wrong... call it a $300 learning experience...

06/16/2003: Atlas arrived and I have it mounted, have to get the front shaft shortened, and a junkyard cv shaft shortened for the rear since I wanted to keep the Tom Wood's unit to go with my SYE kit on my np231 I am selling...

05/01/2003: The Dana 44 front is done, I now have two different bolt patterns and will be changing the rear axle shafts to get 5x5.5" pattern, Moser can make them fit inside my SSBC rear disc conversion kit rotors and drill them for 5x4.5" too. I will have that done so that when I go bigger, the axles will have resale value! I called Dynatrac and it is $1295 for a ProRock60 housing with tubes and flanges. I will do my own bracketry for the rear since I enjoyed doing it for the front. I also called Rubicon Express and inquired if there was anything special about installing an atlasII with 1" body lift on the longarm kit. they said no big deal, makie a new tranny bracket and maybe persuade the body tub a little with a hammer.

03/05/2003: I decided that $280 for a bearing was absolutely stupid and that I was not going to sink another dime into my current axle. I did some additional research to supplement what I had been poking around at for a couple years, and went junkyard shopping for a '78-79 Ford Bronco/F-150 axle, a Dana44 High-pinion. Junkyards were a dead end, either they had nothing or the wanted $500 for a complete unit with warranty, which would be a waste for me. Since I was going with different axle shafts and would be using a detroit locker with 5.13:1 gears, a shell with hubs is what I wanted(or what I was willing to pay for). Alan's gear works had a well used unit and offered to build the whole thing, but I knew that would get expensive since I was deciding what I exactly wanted as I went along, trying to be both frugal and have a jeep that could use as many off-the-shelf parts as possible. Here is the work-in-progress: Dana44 front axle for a TJ and the tech notes.

02/15/2003: I had a wobble in the front of the jeep, so I had the balance checked and had the alignment done again. I finally figured that I had a bad right front wheel bearing. It is a unitized hub/bearing, and I knew they were not cheap, so I pressed it apart and wet sanded a couple thousandths of an inch off the part of the inner race that determined the play the bearing had. I knew this was a temporary fix, and would have to get a new bearing.... I shopped around, and it turns out that they changed the design in 2000, and the dealer retail was $280... I tried a $100 unit taht fits YJ/ZJ/TJ's from 1990 and up, but it was different... I will live on the fixed bearing for a while.... Thanks Diamler-Chrysler!!!

11/07/2002:

I put in a in-cab switch for the winch, was always a pain to get out of the jeep and hook up the controller, and I operate it from the drivers seat 99.9% anyway... I put it right next to the cigarette lighter socket, and it gets power from my arb/york/ safety switch... now I just need a electronic high idle controller... maybe I can make one...

I wired up my Warn SDB-160HB foglights so that they use the factory switch and go to high-beam/driving spot beam when the headlights do the same... the Warn lights used to have a goofy little switch pod and the lights did not come on until you pressed a button, and then another button to go back and forth between high and low... it sucked... who wants to have to turn on the foglights everytime you get in the vehicle? I like driving with the foglights, they have a whiter light and are less annoying to little cars when you pull up behind them....

I installed some side steps thatt I made from 0.125" diamond plate to the underside of the sun performance rocker guards

11/7/2002: I boxed in the front spring pad mounts on the axle... I got the 33" michelin's balanced at Sam's Club, the wear pattern on the back makes it vibrate at speed I think, I will put a thousand miles or so on them and take it back to Sam's Club if needed... Front acting a little vague, I need to see if my loser track bar mount is not firm enough... I may go to a ball joint at that end too.... I still have not put on the steering stabilizer either...

10/29/2002!

Almost 2 years since the last update.... in order of oldest first:

I got rid of the 35x16-15 boggers over a year ago..

I have installed the RE longarm kit (powder coated yellow :-)

I sold the turbo-city rocker skids and put on Sun Performance rocker guards...

I got 35" BFG's from Troy at crawlerz.com (hosted by me on my pc)

I also snagged his 15x10 beadlocks and got 37x13-15 boggers on them and they rock!

I traded the OEM wheels for some 15x10 M/T classic II wheels and the 33" michelins are incredible on the highway

I installed Brad Kilby's '00 TJ onboard-air setup and put the tank under the body under left rear seat

I started building a trailer to tow behind the jeep on the rubicon next July

the new steering is almost complete HERE

the '03 rubicon I ordered came in (white/kahki, 4-speed auto, tint, $27k sticker) but due to lack of a job at the current time, I had to let it go... my plan is to make my jeep better than the rubicon in every way, so the list is growing!