CJ: The Lucky Charm

Here is the Lucky Charm

Specs:
Vehicle:
- 1983 CJ7

Color:
- Electric Lime Green

Suspension/Lift:
- 4” Superlift springs
- Custom 1” lift shackles
- M.O.R.E Shackle Reversal System
- 1” Daystar Body mount lift
- Rough Country shocks
- Ford F250 front shock towers

Engine:
- 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0L
- Custom exhaust
- Flowmaster 40 series muffler
- Rock-It air intake

Trans:
- '00 TJ NV3550 5-speed
- YJ hydraulic clutch line

Transfer Case:
- Dana 300
- Twin-Sticked
- Clocked


Rear Axle:
- Custom Length Dana 60
- 4.56 gears
- Moser alloy axle shafts
- Detroit SoftLocker

Front Axle:
- Custom Length Dana 44
- 4.56 gears
- Dana 30 outers
- Superwinch locking hubs
- Detroit SoftLocker
- Custom homemade tie rods
- Tie rods flipped on top of the knuckle.

Tires/Wheels:
- 35x12.50x15 Mud King XT tires
- 15x10 (5x5.5bp) Allied Wheel Components Black D-Window wheels.

Winch:
- Smittybilt XRC8 Comp. synthetic line.

Lighting:
- Halo angel-eye headlights
- Bumper mounted 100w off-road lights
- Windshield mounted 100w lights
- Under carriage rock lights
- Rear-facing auxiliary light. (aka. tailgater light!)

Fabrication:
Front Bumper
- Custom homemade
- D-ring shackles
- Winch Protecting hoop
Rear Bumper
- Homemade
- Swing-out carrier
- Desta-Co Latch
- D-rings
- 2" receiver
- Hi-Lift Jack mount
- CB Antenna Mount
Side Rails
- Homemade Diamond Bar
- Bolted to Frame

Safety/Recovery:
- Fire extinguisherrs
- 8' Tree Saver
- 4" x 20' Recovery strap

Other/Misc:
- Corbeau Baja SS suspension seats.
- TJ flares
- 98 YJ tub Hurculined
- GMC 4500 seats
- Grant Steering wheel
- Chevy Blazer heater blower motor
- Tom Woods front driveshaft
- XJ front driveshaft in the rear

Future plans:
- OBA (in the making)
- Cage
- Flat Belly


~Bry

When I bought it:

pretty much stock, except for a paint job and some stainless accessories.



The reason it's named the Lucky Charm, When I bought it there was this clover on the side. I thought it was ugly and wanted to take it off, but it was clear coated over the emblem. Well, "if you can't beat them join them" and I ever so creatively came up with "The Lucky Charm"








Grant steering wheel




After the 4" Superlift Suspension lift. My first time having the top off.


Hurst short throw shifter for mt T5 transmission:




The Rough Country shocks that came with my Superlift kit?? Along with the extended sway bar links.


Dana 30, new power steering gear box, M.O.R.E shackle reversal


Rear shackle of the SRS


AMC 20





~Bry

Ground down to bare metal


Reinforced body mount locations




replaced rear crossmember


Eastwood Company Rust Encapsulator.


Reinforced tow points




~Bry

Not all of these pictures are in order, but I figured that I'd keep them together for the sake of organization.

Dana 60




Dana 44 w/ Detroit EZLocker and Dana 60 w/ Detroit Softlocker. both with 4.56 gears


I used the stock Dana 30 outers on the front axle so I could keep my stock brakes and everything else to save some money and keep the weak link away from the differential.


The custom Spring plates that I had to make for the D44. To see more info about them here is the write-up http://www.luckyoffroad.com/forum/sh...=2581#post2581










Superwinch 1/4 turn locking hubs


Rear Dana 60 is a Chrysler axle with Ford 9" axle 11" big bearing rear brake ends so I could keep the 5x5.5" bolt pattern




I made these rear lower shock towers, they lasted for like 8 months then took a holiday(they broke) To see more info about them here is the write-up http://www.luckyoffroad.com/forum/sh...=2581#post2581








~Bry

In 2004 I got my engine on ebay. I had to drive down to Cincinnati to pick it up but it was a decent deal.

Specs:
1998 Grand Cherokee 4.0L HO I6
38,000 miles
A/C compressor, going to convert into On Board Air
came with fan, belt, wiring harness, flexplate, and some other doo dads

~Bry

I got it on the engine stand and checked it out. Checking it out, I noticed that the oil pan was smashed in a little bit. I didn't want it to plug the sump, so I just bought a new one. Everything else inside looked alright though.

I thought this would also be a good time to deal with the motor mounts. The stock CJ 258 mounts work fine and bolt right up to the 4.0 block. The mount did have to be ground down a little bit because the webbing on the block is a little bit bigger than that of a 258. This isn't the same for all 4.0 blocks but my certain one did. There is also one bolt on the ending that is metric :evil: , so replacing that was easy enough.







~Bry

Then it got bolted in.

















~Bry

The original T5 trans bellhousing bolts right up to the 4.0L engine.




T5 trans




~Bry

With the tcase out it's a perfect time to do the twinstick mod. It's cheap/free to do and easy. There are no adverse effects and it makes it easier to shift.




~Bry

Bolted the trans and tcase in.


I was worried that this offset would be a problem, it you can't tell the axle yoke and t-case yoke are offset. I looked it up and found that the drivetrain in a CJ is offset to the driver's side due to the passenger side offset front axle. This double axle is also better for the ujoint (from what I heard) because it uses both sides of the joint.





~Bry

Another thing that came to my attention is the fact that my front driver's side tire has a bunch of positive camber (leans outward at the top)






The Passenger side has a little bit too. For now I'll just leave it, and see how it works out.


~Bry

I got an AWESOME deal on this tub and it was even hurculined when I bought it, which I was already planning on doing!!! It's an 89 YJ tub with no rust.










~Bry

I got the seats bolted in, It took a lot of fabrication and a lot of time! They are out of a Chevy/GMC 4500


Wiring mess


~Bry

I decided to run TJ flares so I can cut the fenders and fit bigger tires. This means I get to chop up brand new front fenders!










~Bry

It's coming together!












~Bry