Pavement Still Sucks

So a little more about my Jeep. I know I know.. eventually I'll get to talking about other Jeep stuff. I want to kick this off slowly, and introduce what I'm working with here.

After a multi-year effort to do what they said couldn't be done, I finally caved and sent my old 1990 YJ off to the wrecking yard. By doing what they said couldn't be done, that was fitting a TJ tub on a YJ frame, while keeping the YJ windshield, hood, and grill. Well, I did it. I was into the finally going to put it back together stage, when a 1999 TJ practically called to me. Low mileage, stupid low price, and with a host of small mods I wouldn't need to replicate or carry over from the YJ.

I stripped the 4.88 gears and Detroits out of the YJ axles, kept the MT/Rs, took the Warn hub conversion, a couple other odds and ends, and scrapped it. Sadly. Don't get me wrong, I do miss the YJ. It was easy to work on, but there gets a time in life where you realize that it's sometimes better to move on, than to try and rebuild.

I picked up the TJ and began planning how to get it up to where the YJ was. A Rough Country 2.5" lift went in, I transfered my home made tire carrier over, and scored a cheap winch plate. With some Kijiji luck, my wife found a complete black softtop with tinted windows, and I was on my way. I had the gears and lockers dropped in, and swapped the hub conversion in myself when I had further time. I had to swap out the used and abused control arm bushings for some poly bushings, and do some routine maintenance, however, it was a good machine, and was well maintained. Once all was said and done, it made the drive from Toronto to Rausch Creek, wheeled the day away, and drove it home.



I've since completed a tailgate swap to a CJ tailgate and now my next challenge is fitting a back seat and my toolbox back in, as baby number one is on his way for my wife and I.