- City
- Fairfax
- State
- VA
Well...I guess I should start my own thread as this Scrambler is on it's way!
I finally pulled the trigger on a Scrambler after the confluence of a number of events. I've always loved the Scramblers and been on the prowl for one for quite a while. My CJ7 is built just how I want it and has a 360 TBI, but will never pass California Emissions. I am moving to San Diego (military move) in June. Wife is WAY-pregnant with #3. Although we used to pack the family in the CJ7...and it was fun - but there's no way to enjoy the CJ7 as a family of 5....Scrambler it is!
So, I picked up a 55k original mile Scrambler Laredo from Rudy at Rudy's CJs in Ohio. We made the deal before he had it advertised. The big selling point - besides the low Nevada mileage and no rot - was the C.A.R.B. Certified MOPAR MPFI on a brand new NAPA crate 258. California ready.
Rudy believed the prior owner had originally run the MPFI on 85/87 octane at altitude and probably burned up the original engine. Either way, it came with the receipts for the motor. I wasn't all original or unmolested and had some horrible shackle-lift and Tough Country springs/shocks. Bump steer like it was a sport. Rode like a buck-wagon. It was all over the road. Steering box is wacked.
Although I know it's a relatively rare find, I specifically didn't want something so clean and unmolested that I would be afraid to make it into the driver/trail vehicle that I need and want. I'll probably keep much of the original paint, etc, but other than that, I have my own ideas. It's mine, so I guess that'll have to be good enough for the crowd!
Luckily, I'd met a couple of SOA members in my CJ7 days and one lives 30 minutes away - with a beautiful heated garage...and wife that will let him spend an entire Sunday working on somebody else's Jeep. Oh, it's also a plus when that guy can walk into his basement and pull a set of Dana 44 spring plates out of a box in less than 30 seconds....so many parts...so, so, many parts.
NOTE: Today was the AFC Championship Game between the Broncos and Patriots. I am a life-long Broncos FANATIC. I missed the game to work on the Jeep...that's how much I love my Jeep.
So Wrenching Party was scheduled....and the plan for today was this:
Yank the AMC 20 and install an 86 CJ Dana 44 Rear - found one that was newly rebuilt/blasted/painted by DownEast Offroad in NC. Got it from a from a guy who had it for a project and went another direction. It's 3.31 which matches the front Dana 30...so I can drive it for a while.
BDS 4" lift w/ add-a-leaf in the rear. Fox 2.0 shocks. M.O.R.E 4" shackles.
JKS quick disconnects.
HD tie-rod kit.
33x10.5 BFG KM2s on Mickey Thompson (15x8) Classic III polished aluminum wheels.
John and Dustin were awesome. They know their way around these things like nothing I've ever seen.
Front went in without a hiccup. Rear was smooth enough, after we located the correct spring plates...and Dustin did a quick brake job to swap the wheel cylinders to the correct side. The AMC 20 had puked lube out the passenger seal - and of course that was the side where John N and I had to harvest an e-brake cable after the clip on the new one broke...figures, right?
Next time:
PCS Big Bore Steering box w/ Borgeson steering shaft and HD mount (FedEx delivery 1/21/14)
Ground Pounder Fab shorty front bumper/winch plate and rear swing-out with rotopax/Hi-lift (powder coated black) - picking up this week.
Heim Joint Clutch Linkage
In the meantime:
Rear main seal
Brake flush
Throw-out bearing's making noise
New fluids (tranny/TC/Front diff/Radiator)
Clean up the locking hubs
Rebuild the driveshafts - lengthen - w/ new Spicer u-joints
And then:
4.10 re-gear with lockers. Perhaps a Dana 44 front axle....more research/thought needed here....
And then:
Custom (simple) cage w/ 3 point seatbelts (HardRockFab, Crozet, VA)
Spice Seats front, rear, and way-back
Spice Bikini
And then: Who know??...but it's going to Wheeling for Hope in April - and Colorado for a big wheeling/camping trip in June - so I gotta get it done!
Got an early start this morning and this is what happened....I'll let the out-of-order pictures speak for themselves...AND my phone bonked on me at the end...it is what it is....A GREAT RIDE!! MANY THANKS TO JOHN N. AND JEEPERDD!
Cheers,
Dylan
I finally pulled the trigger on a Scrambler after the confluence of a number of events. I've always loved the Scramblers and been on the prowl for one for quite a while. My CJ7 is built just how I want it and has a 360 TBI, but will never pass California Emissions. I am moving to San Diego (military move) in June. Wife is WAY-pregnant with #3. Although we used to pack the family in the CJ7...and it was fun - but there's no way to enjoy the CJ7 as a family of 5....Scrambler it is!
So, I picked up a 55k original mile Scrambler Laredo from Rudy at Rudy's CJs in Ohio. We made the deal before he had it advertised. The big selling point - besides the low Nevada mileage and no rot - was the C.A.R.B. Certified MOPAR MPFI on a brand new NAPA crate 258. California ready.
Rudy believed the prior owner had originally run the MPFI on 85/87 octane at altitude and probably burned up the original engine. Either way, it came with the receipts for the motor. I wasn't all original or unmolested and had some horrible shackle-lift and Tough Country springs/shocks. Bump steer like it was a sport. Rode like a buck-wagon. It was all over the road. Steering box is wacked.
Although I know it's a relatively rare find, I specifically didn't want something so clean and unmolested that I would be afraid to make it into the driver/trail vehicle that I need and want. I'll probably keep much of the original paint, etc, but other than that, I have my own ideas. It's mine, so I guess that'll have to be good enough for the crowd!
Luckily, I'd met a couple of SOA members in my CJ7 days and one lives 30 minutes away - with a beautiful heated garage...and wife that will let him spend an entire Sunday working on somebody else's Jeep. Oh, it's also a plus when that guy can walk into his basement and pull a set of Dana 44 spring plates out of a box in less than 30 seconds....so many parts...so, so, many parts.
NOTE: Today was the AFC Championship Game between the Broncos and Patriots. I am a life-long Broncos FANATIC. I missed the game to work on the Jeep...that's how much I love my Jeep.
So Wrenching Party was scheduled....and the plan for today was this:
Yank the AMC 20 and install an 86 CJ Dana 44 Rear - found one that was newly rebuilt/blasted/painted by DownEast Offroad in NC. Got it from a from a guy who had it for a project and went another direction. It's 3.31 which matches the front Dana 30...so I can drive it for a while.
BDS 4" lift w/ add-a-leaf in the rear. Fox 2.0 shocks. M.O.R.E 4" shackles.
JKS quick disconnects.
HD tie-rod kit.
33x10.5 BFG KM2s on Mickey Thompson (15x8) Classic III polished aluminum wheels.
John and Dustin were awesome. They know their way around these things like nothing I've ever seen.
Front went in without a hiccup. Rear was smooth enough, after we located the correct spring plates...and Dustin did a quick brake job to swap the wheel cylinders to the correct side. The AMC 20 had puked lube out the passenger seal - and of course that was the side where John N and I had to harvest an e-brake cable after the clip on the new one broke...figures, right?
Next time:
PCS Big Bore Steering box w/ Borgeson steering shaft and HD mount (FedEx delivery 1/21/14)
Ground Pounder Fab shorty front bumper/winch plate and rear swing-out with rotopax/Hi-lift (powder coated black) - picking up this week.
Heim Joint Clutch Linkage
In the meantime:
Rear main seal
Brake flush
Throw-out bearing's making noise
New fluids (tranny/TC/Front diff/Radiator)
Clean up the locking hubs
Rebuild the driveshafts - lengthen - w/ new Spicer u-joints
And then:
4.10 re-gear with lockers. Perhaps a Dana 44 front axle....more research/thought needed here....
And then:
Custom (simple) cage w/ 3 point seatbelts (HardRockFab, Crozet, VA)
Spice Seats front, rear, and way-back
Spice Bikini
And then: Who know??...but it's going to Wheeling for Hope in April - and Colorado for a big wheeling/camping trip in June - so I gotta get it done!
Got an early start this morning and this is what happened....I'll let the out-of-order pictures speak for themselves...AND my phone bonked on me at the end...it is what it is....A GREAT RIDE!! MANY THANKS TO JOHN N. AND JEEPERDD!
Cheers,
Dylan
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