Mikey’s build

[mikesayboom]

Hey guys finally After two years of owning this runner and lurking these forums I’m finally able to do some mods of my own to it. When I purchased it two years ago from a member on here it already had a few things done to it. A mild lift (SAW) in the front and some ome springs in the back (that’ll be changed end of summer with LC 8 wraps)

This is the first build thread I’ve ever done so I’m going to try and keep it as updated and detailed as possible as I go through everything. As it sits now it has 255,453 miles and I’m about to do a pretty big maintenance job on it next month.

Engine wise I’m taking the top end apart and outing in new intake manifold gaskets, half moons, cam seals, spark plugs, and sending my fuel injectors to WitchHunter to all be redone as I’m having a slight kiss between 50-60 mph.

I’ve never done a timing belt job on a car and after watching timmmy the toolman videos and other diys I think I can handle the job myself as I’m already going to have most everything apart. I found this kit on amazon Has anyone used this kit before?

://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039VMSCU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8aYjBb2C7SNXT

Reviews look really good and comes with everything except the crankshaft bolt. I’ll be ordering it here in the next couple of weeks.

Next on my list is suspension. While my injectors are at WitchHunter being cleaned. I’m going to replace inner tie rods and boots, both cv axles as my boots are torn to shit and upgrade the steering rack bushings with white lines and also upgrade the lower control arm bushings to and drain and fill the differentials and transfer case.

FINALLY the fun stuff. I was talking to a cousin of mine who’s a welder asking him how hard it would be to build a bumpers/sliders/skids for my car and he said that if I got some pics of what I liked and wanted to go for. And that He would guide me on what to do and would only charge me materials. And it gets better. A week or so later talking to a friend of mine who use to build cars for the baja1000 and he mentions that he has 8-12 foot pipes of Dom piping he would give me for FREEEEEEE!!! Freaking score of a lifetime!


With that being said and after a month of looking up different bumpers. I know what design I want to go with but have questions on how to mount it to my frame as I see people build additional supports but that’s for a different post later once I finish doing more research into it. Also I’m deciding on wether or not I want a wench or not. I don’t do any serious wheeling YET. Just light off-roading getting to mtb trails and campsites here in Tx. But might want to go on some of the trails I see you guys post up in Colorado as I go there often for work. I hope you guys enjoy what’s to come because I know I’m excited to share with y’all the joys and headaches to come with buildings any kind of car.

Also how do I post pics from a Flickr account? I can’t figure out how to do it:ybrick::ybrick::ybrick::ybrick:

 

[mikesayboom]

Hold for future

 

[Islandchanel]

Hope you take pictures of the process.

 

[mikesayboom]

For sure! I’m not much of a picture taker in the last. But have now added photography to a list of hobbies when I purchased a nice Sony a6000 to take some good pics! Seeiinh the work flemster does on all his trails made me really want to get a decent camera for when I do go off-road.

 

[AssBurns]

Sounds like an awesome start for a build thread. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with for bumpers. Having a friend that is willing to build you bumpers and only charge for materials is a solid friend! Make sure you compensate him with plenty of pizza and beer because fabricating bumpers ain’t as easy as it looks.
Also awesome score on the DOM tubing! Steel ain’t cheep right now!

 

[mikesayboom]

Sounds like an awesome start for a build thread. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with for bumpers. Having a friend that is willing to build you bumpers and only charge for materials is a solid friend! Make sure you compensate him with plenty of pizza and beer because fabricating bumpers ain’t as easy as it looks.
Also awesome score on the DOM tubing! Steel ain’t cheep right now!

Ha I know! He’s a bad ass welder. If I remember right he did a lot of the welding for “the titan” ride at six flags. And the compensation has already been set. Buying him a new keg for his kegerator haha. And I’ll also learn how to weld and having someone as good as he is guiding me will give me a big jump in confidence for all of this.


Once I figure out how to post from Flickr I’ll post a picture of my runner as it sits now.

 

[mikesayboom]

A6000 by Michael Reynolds, on Flickr


Finally!! Able to post the most recent pic i have of my runner. The only thing different now is the light bar is unfortunately gone. Driving down the highway one morning on my way to the gym I heard a loud bang then me running over something. i pulled over and saw the bolt holding the light bar to the bumper had broke completely off and causing it to rip out of the bracket. And it wasn’t able to be saved. The light bar had been completely smashed. I didn’t plan on using it in the next bumper build. But would have been nice to sell for some extra money.

 

[mikesayboom]

Ive been recovering from a few surgeries for the last couple of weeks. (Severe deviated septum was fixed, tonsillectomy and something else I can’t spell lol)

But during all my downtime I spent it ordering parts for my major maintenance I’m going to do next month. VC gaskets, spark plugs, wires, sending injectors to whichhunter to be rebuilt, timing belt and everything that goes with that, drive belts. Then suspension wise steering rack bushings, lca white line bushings, inner tie rod and bolt, and doing the steering play weld fix.

Thenshortly after meeting with my cousins to start mocking up the build for bumpers, sliders and skids!

 

[mikesayboom]

what a hell of a few days for my runner.

Finally started the process of getting all my maintenance done. tackled the VC gaskets, half moons, cam plugs, spark plugs, and fuel injectors on saturday and took most of the day with very little hiccups besides being sent the wrong part from the dealer. Intake manifold gaskets instead of valve cover gaskets. I even had to argue with the sales at the dealer saying they were the right part. but anyways while im waiting on the correct parts VC gaskets and fuel injectors thats on hold.

Sunday I spent almost the entire day working on my front suspension. everything went well besides one cam bolt was seized on and ripping both my upper ball joints so i had to order two of those. borrowed a reciprocating saw from a friend and a red diablo blade and cut the bolt right out no issues. Hoping to get the LCA bushings pressed in today after work and get the steering rack bushings put in to.

One of my questions i have was with my LBJ. They have 75k miles on them and look fine and was hoping to get 125k out of them. Should I go ahead and drop the cash now while everything is apart to replace them or should i get the extra 50k/2 years out of them? having to spend all the extra money on parts and broken pieces as i go a long has me going back and forth on them. and next wednesday im going on vacation to colorado to wheel up in the mountains for my first time ever. pretty pumped for that as long as i can get everything together in time.

2nd question is when i removed my lower shock bolt for my front sway a way coilovers i had a hard ass time removing the bolt. turns out the misalignment shims broke in half. I called sway a way on monday and ive been getting the run around on getting them every time i call. I didn't get a pic unfortunately but can post one later today when i get back home. Does anyone know where i could get some other then sway a way?


heres some pics of the carnage this weekend. and special thanks to [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] for all his how to videos he post that helped me every step of the way.

al the old parts

the frozen cam sleeve

waiting to be put back together.

 

[wrench.n.wheel]

Really great job on tackling all of it at once.

If you're already there, might as well do the LBJs unless you're strapped for cash.

How did you know that your lower control arm bushings for fried? Just visual?

 

[hatchb4ck]

Way to dig into that front end. It looks like you've got a good handle on what you're wanting to get done.

 

[mikesayboom]

Really great job on tackling all of it at once.

If you're already there, might as well do the LBJs unless you're strapped for cash.

How did you know that your lower control arm bushings for fried? Just visual?

I didn't really know until i took them off. i was kind of doing it just because but once i started to get everything apart you could tell from how loose the interior of the bushing was. i put a bolt through and was pretty much able to push out the center of the bushing out by hand. Glad I did it now instead of later.


Yeah thats what im figuring. I Would have liked to get another 50k out of them but for piece of mind might as well.

 

[mikesayboom]

Hopefully last trip to the parts store.

Also they gave me a free hat since they’ve seen me so much haha

 

[mikesayboom]

I was hoping to wrap up most of the suspension work today but was having major problems with the cv axles. I went with the Napa max drives and couldn’t get them to fully seat up against the Diff. I probably pulled the drivers in and out and tried the c clip in multiple orientations with no luck.


Do these look normal to y’all with Napa cv Axles


Passenger side maybe a 1mm gap

Driver side has a 3 to 4mm gap