2005 LJ

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tobyw
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2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Thu May 05, 2022 9:58 am

I simply could not pass up the deal I stumbled into on this little gem. It's a 2005 LJ with a pile of road miles, but had clearly never seen the other side of a gravel road and was completely stock save for some routine maintenance part replacements over the years, Rubicon flares, and an aftermarket frameless soft top:

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After dragging it back home from the greater Spokane area and giving it a good once over, it was decided that this would become a v2.0 of my beloved 2004 LJ, which was purchased as a very similar pavement princess, and ultimately became my second favorite Jeep of all time:

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Unbeknownst to me, however, the female minion immediately called dibs on this outfit so the overall build plan will be slightly less purpose-built than before:

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Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...
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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Thu May 05, 2022 10:18 am

Ordinarily on a TJ-platform build, I start with rollcage upgrades and then build out the rest of it from there:

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Since this one isn't intended to be a dedicated off-roader, I'm going to leave any rollcage work for sometime down the road and instead focus on the suspension, recovery, and body protection aspects for now. With that said, I'm stuck in the supply chain nightmare waiting for the recovery portion of the build, but the suspension bits have started showing up on the porch so it's probably time to get started:

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The first order of business was to whip up and install my patented lower bump stops, complete with recessed threads be able to stack additional pucks if necessary to keep tires out of fenders. I also welded on a doubler plate for the track bar mounting bracket because the factory piece is tinfoil thin, but I didn't snap a good picture of that:

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Some quick trimming to the shock mounting bracket for control arm clearance at full droop:

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The minion decided she wanted to help, since it's her Jeep, so I put her to work assembling the adjustable control arms:

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And here we have the completed front installation:

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Hoping to get to the rear install this weekend...
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Mon May 09, 2022 10:30 am

Before leaving the front I added some 1" spacers to the lower shock mounts to allow a little bit of additional droop since the shocks are currently the limiting factor, and uptravel is limited by the bumpstops before the shocks bottomed out. There is now perfect harmony between shock uptravel and bumpstops, although the rest of the suspension does still have significantly more downtravel available... We may revisit shocks at a later date:

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The rear is just as simple as the front, with my world famous bumpstops, (4) adjustable control arms, and a riser bracket for the rear track bar. As with the front, uptravel is very well matched between the shock and bumptstop, but there is a lot more droop available than the shocks allow. I typically like to outboard the rear shocks on a TJ platform anyway, so again we may revisit shocks at a later date:

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Next up was a 1.25" body lift, which will ultimately pave the way for a high-clearance belly pan, but also provides some additional fender clearance without so much suspension lift as to cause funky control arm angles:

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And the final element for now is a 1" motor mount lift, again to help with the high-clearance belly pan. I've had these on the shelf for the better part of a decade, having won them in the raffle at the annual All-4-Fun event in Colorado some years back:

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With that, it was time to install the tires that I recently picked up from Screaming Toilet... The boy is currently taking automotive tech at Richland High, and they are encouraged to bring in their own projects for class work. So, I tasked him with mounting the new tires up on the factory wheels:

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A quick push of the broom to clean up the bomb that went off in the shop, and I backed it out for some quick shots as the sun was setting:

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Things are starting to take shape, visually at least, and there will be more to come as we start fabricating sliders, bumpers, and get the winch mounted up :thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Wed May 11, 2022 11:30 am

Got tired of kicking the boxes around the shop so I installed the winch last night, even though I'm still waiting on the hawse fairlead to arrive :roll:

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If anyone is in the market for a budget winch (usually around $300 on Amazon), I would strongly recommend taking a look at these Smittybilt Gen 2 XRC units. This is the same winch I put on the boys' XJ and have been nothing but impressed with it, having already put it to significant use for not only recovery, but also pulling stumps around the pharm. It is extremely quiet, has a very reasonable line speed even under load, and the remote has a nifty magnet on the nose that allows you to lay it on the bumper/hood/fender and it won't fall off. Nice little touch...
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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DougCampbell
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby DougCampbell » Wed May 10, 2023 8:44 am

Hey Toby - I am glad you found another one! I own your old LJ. I bought it from my father, he was the one who bought it from you. I have a couple of questions for you about your old LJ. Did you rebuild the engine or tranny? They are working great, but I don't have any background info. Also, do you remember if the gears you put in the rear were the "thick" variety or standard?
I am rebuilding the gearsets as they were not set up correctly and I need to order replacement ring and pinions. Any info you have would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug Campbell

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Wed May 10, 2023 8:59 am

Hey Doug, glad to hear the old LJ is still around the area! I almost immediately regretted selling it...

Regarding the engine/trans/transfer case, I did nothing other than routine maintenance and the fabrication/installation of the second Sanden compressor for OBA. It always ran like a top and I never had a good enough reason to do anything.

As for the gears, that is troubling... While I farmed out the gear installation because I was short on time when I needed them done, I put many thousands of miles on them and never heard a whine or saw any signs of a bad setup? I changed the fluid at least twice that I can think of, and you probably noted the Lube-Locker gaskets on the covers which are awesome for that... Anyhow, the gearsets are just the standard thickness because the Eaton E-locker cases are ratio-specific, and the 4.88's that were installed use the 3.92+ carrier.

Let me know if you have any other questions. We'll have to get together one of these weekends and play with our LJ's in the woods :thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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DougCampbell
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby DougCampbell » Wed May 10, 2023 9:32 am

Thanks for the info. She still runs like a champ. Wheels great too! The lube lockers are great. When I popped the rear end open it was a pleasant surprise. I have replaced the radiator, added an sye kit and adams driveshafts. We just replaced the control arms with the Metalcloak double adjustable aluminum arms and Rockkrawler triple rate 3.5 inch springs. I have a rubicrawler on the way. She has done a lot of fun miles, and we have a bunch of trips to take with her too.
Unfortunately, I had a vibration around 70 and had a bad feeling about it so I opened her up. The shims are on the wrong side of the bearing caps, and the gearset is wearing wrong. I will fix her up right and get her back offroad again. I would love to go wheeling with you all.
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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Wed May 10, 2023 12:31 pm

Definitely sounds like you are treating her right, pretty nice list of upgrades you have going!

We haven't done much of anything else to the "new" LJ, but I'm hoping to get started on cage work and rock sliders in the next few weeks... I have a spare ARB twin compressor so I'll probably take the easy route and just wire that in rather than another Sanden, although I do prefer the engine-driven compressors. Still have not decided what route to take for traction devices, but the reality is that most of the wheeling we do around here doesn't really require much more than a good limited slip, which it already has, so I might just invest in more 87-octane instead :lol:
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby DougCampbell » Wed May 10, 2023 6:39 pm

I like your idea for traction devices. The LS rear-end in these is really good. The arb compressor works well. I have had a few of them. I also like your use of the stock wheels. I went away from them and bought steelies. They are hard to balance and deal with. I am seriously considering going back.
If you don't mind, who did you have do the gears? I would stay away from them for sure.

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Thu May 11, 2023 6:08 am

He was a friend of a friend over in Kennewick, I can't even recall his name but he is/was big into drag racing and several people knew of him and also recommended him. I want to say his first name was Jeff but I have no idea what his last name was...

Seeing those shims working their way out is a little alarming. I never noticed that when changing fluids, almost makes me wonder if the cap bolts have backed off in torque or perhaps the axle housing took a big hit or something? Regardless, there technically isn't anything wrong with putting them outside the bearings, the end result is the same it's really just personal preference in terms of assembly. If you put them inside the bearings, you have to press the bearings off/on again to get the preload right, but if you put them outside like shown you have to juggle them and the carrier assembly when you slap it all into the case. I've done it both ways but in general prefer the put them on the outside because I despise pressing carrier bearings on/off :banghead
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Thu Jul 20, 2023 7:36 am

I'm not sure why I waited until the hottest part of the year to start, but it's rollcage time :roll:

Step one is to gut the interior and remove the flimsy factory windshield support bars:

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Step two is to cut the aforementioned windshield support bars away from the actual windshield attachment brackets, leaving a tidy little stub that sleeves perfectly into 1-3/4" x 0.120 wall tube, and ensures perfect placement of the new, much more substantial, overhead bars to allow for use of the OEM door surrounds:

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Step three is to cut, notch, and booger weld everything else. I have done more cages than I can count at this point, and I've done the A-pillars in both of the typical manners: through the dash down to the floor; and attaching to the structural portion of the dash/tub. For this go-round I saved some headaches and tied into the dash:

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Still have a long ways to go, but progress is being made :thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Sun Jul 23, 2023 4:52 am

Progress on the rear section:

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Here is what was leftover from the first 40-feet of tube:

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Breaking into the next 20-foot length, I kinked up the B-C spans just above the tub, cleaned up my mess, and pulled it outside to get a good look before committing to final welding:

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It was just too hot to keep working, so I'm going to let it marinate but I think I'm happy with it :thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Roman
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby Roman » Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:20 pm

Sun is going down, get out there and get back to work!

:fouet

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Mon Aug 07, 2023 6:47 am

My sincere apologies for how long this took, it's borderline embarrassing for what little work it really is... Regardless, it's finally done:

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Next up will be rock sliders and my patented rear crossmember cover with integrated receiver and toob step. Based on how long it took me to finish up the cage work, this will likely take me most of 2024 :roll:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Tue Oct 24, 2023 12:03 pm

As promised, rock sliders:

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I got a start on the rear crossmember cover but stalled out when Ranch & Home didn't have any more receiver tubes in stock :banghead Added to the Amazon cart instead so hopefully I can finish it up and paint everything this weekend:

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While I'm waiting, I put the ol' girl on a little weight loss program via the use of synthetic winch rope and an aluminum hawse fairlead:

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For grins, I put the wire rope and roller fairlead in a bucket and put it on the scale:

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Then I put the synthetic rope and aluminum fairlead on the same scale:

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I tried several times to get it to register, even holding it in my hands and weighing myself, but it simply didn't register any difference... If I had to guess though I'd say it's probably around 2lbs or so??? I'm happy enough with a 26lb weight loss, especially hanging way out front with all of that leverage.

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:thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Mon Oct 30, 2023 7:11 am

Finished laying down all the booger welds on the rear bumper, then lathered on some paint and pulled it outside for some fresh air:

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:thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Wed Nov 22, 2023 9:42 am

As mentioned before, one of the reasons behind installing the body lift was to allow room to stuff the drivetrain up a little higher and gain some much needed belly clearance. The "shovel", as the factory belly pan is often referred to, is among the worst factory design elements I've seen on a vehicle that is intended for off-road travel. Not only is it laughably low hanging, but the leading edge is actually folded downward which creates a nasty catch point. Further, the belly pan also acts as the transmission mount, so to service the transmission and/or transfer case, one first needs to independently support the transmission and then drop the belly pan, and then fight the whole mess when trying to line it all back for reassembly. If you've done it, you know the struggle is real...

There are a bevvy of aftermarket belly pan solutions, and I've actually used the one from Undercover Fabworks on a couple of different builds over the years (including my beloved 2004 LJ). This time, however, I really wanted to address the issue of separating the transmission mount from the belly pan, and quite frankly I just wanted to have something I could call my own:

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What I came up with is a Frankenstein version of the factory mounting plate, cut and glued back together to maintain the use of an OEM rubber mount, attached to a very simple 1-1/2" x 0.120" round tube crossmember that mounts to one of the factory belly pan frame holes. Simple, and effective.

Next up will be the skid plate, but I'm still marinating a couple of ideas on how that needs to smell...
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Sat Nov 25, 2023 4:59 am

After marinating ideas over a few frosty beverages and a particularly aggressive planning session with a tape measure, I set about the business of fabricating a skid plate:

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While all of those booger welds were cooling, I took a start on a front bumper to replace the perfectly suitable OEM piece and aftermarket winch plate because, uuh, well just because:

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I'm still debating on a hoop for light mounts or just a couple of holes in the top plate, but either way it's coming along 8)
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Roman
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby Roman » Sat Nov 25, 2023 7:44 am

What are you doing for a sway bar now?

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tobyw
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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Sat Nov 25, 2023 8:25 am

Roman wrote:What are you doing for a sway bar now?


Long term, the plan will be to correct the geometry enough, primarily the roll center via correcting the trac bar angles, to where a sway bar won't be necessary for what little street driving this will ever see. Additionally, I'll eventually get around to outboarding the rear shocks and modifying the front mounts to allow for the use of longer, higher quality shocks that will help a little more. In the short term, however, I will probably end up with another Anti-Rock...
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Sat Nov 25, 2023 8:36 am

With most of the heavy lifting out of the way, it's time to address airing up the neighbor kids pool floaties :lol2

As much as I adore a good engine driven compressor, the ease of an electric outfit has really won over my laziness so an ARB twin was chosen for the task at hand. After some consternation on mounting location, the ABS tray next to the brake booster seemed like the best overall solution. A quick bracket was made, some braided line was routed, and an ARB chuck was poked through the grill:

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:thu2:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

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Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Mon Dec 04, 2023 7:40 am

Pulled the Tewb Kinker 5000 off the shelf this weekend and finished up the front bumper:

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And, here is the final result of the crossmember/belly pan debacle:

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I pulled it out of the shop Saturday afternoon and put a few miles on it, and I'm extremely happy to report non-existent driveline vibs after the drivetrain relocation. The longer rear driveshaft of the LJ platform really does pay dividends for things like this... Also, with regard to the front swaybar, I'm pleased enough with how it handles at this point to forego any sort of short-term "fix" such as an Anti-Rock unless I find and absolute smokin' deal on one somewhere. This isn't my daily driver, and for that matter likely won't ever even be driven to/from the trails, so I'm more than willing to accept some body roll now and again. :thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

Image

User avatar
tobyw
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:00 am
Location: Under the hood...

Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Fri Jan 05, 2024 6:53 am

For anyone looking to add a little functionality to the cavernous TJ center console, czek this out:

Tray_1.jpg
Tray_1.jpg (69.39 KiB) Viewed 10282 times


It's a 3D printed tray that drops right in!! Genius!! I "installed" mine in last night as soon as I opened up the mailbox and found it waiting for me, so it was too dark to get any pictures but here is the idea:

Tray_2.jpg
Tray_2.jpg (105.39 KiB) Viewed 10282 times


I have no affiliation with this company, but I'd highly recommend you give them a look if your in the market for such a thing:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1283104225 ... ecs-rv-2-1

:thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

Image

User avatar
Roman
Peak Putters President
Peak Putters President
Posts: 2743
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:30 pm
Location: Kennewick, WA

Re: 2005 LJ

Postby Roman » Fri Jan 05, 2024 7:29 pm

Wow...
I may need a couple of those

User avatar
tobyw
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:00 am
Location: Under the hood...

Re: 2005 LJ

Postby tobyw » Mon Jan 15, 2024 11:11 am

So there I was... staring at a perfectly good set of 39's just sitting on the shop floor... Next thing you know:

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A quick test drive revealed massive fender contact at pretty much every point imaginable, to nobody's surprise I might add, but I just couldn't sleep knowing how good this could be...

To make 39's fit, and work, on the LJ was likely going to be a pretty significant undertaking. Just how big I wasn't sure, but I simply had to at least do some investigation and ciphering. The first order of business was to drop the front springs out and cycle the suspension to see just how bad it really was. Turns out, it was pretty bad:

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A little bit of up-travel combined with a little bit of turning stuffed the tires directly into the fenders. Hard. So, options... We can add bump stops to prevent the tires from moving up and contacting the fenders; we can replace the fenders with something that allows more clearance; or perhaps some combination of these two things? Well, anyone that knows me is aware of the fact that I'm cheap. Buying aftermarket "hiline" fenders is out of the question. Building a set, however, is tempting... But, as it turns out, I like the looks of a factory TJ flare. What's a girl to do?

Jack up the factory fenders 8)

The rear is pretty simple:

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The front, however, is a whole different ball game... But with some patience, a skinny wheel, and a whole lotta barf bags, it's doable:

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I present to you, an LJ on 39's:

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Obviously there is a TON of finish work left to do, but the bones are there :thu:
Yep, I've wheeled one of those, too...

Image


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