95 XJ Build - BDS Long Arm and More - Junkyard to Trail
I don't post much over here but I have lurked and read and watched. Thought I would share a build I am doing with a bunch of high school students.
This all started with my old trusty YJ finally rusting to the point that it needed a new body. So after talking thinking about it and talking it over, we thought it would be a good time to go a different direction and build a vehicle with more room for passengers, gear, tools, parts and what not.
I say we in many places because this Jeep is being partially built by high school students and they are calling the shots. They chose the vehicle, colors, mods, lift, lighting, etc. When completed, this vehicle will be used in the same way as the YJ was. Students get to drive it in the local mud drags, parades and off road events and competitions. We also take it to car and truck shows, visit other schools with it and use it for general PR for the Career Center. In the winter, many times we have been called to help get hospital staff to work and we always use it to get students out of the ditches around the school.
Plans:
Convert to 4wd
BDS True 4 link Long Arm http://www.bds-suspension.com/
8.8 rear, HPd30 front, both alloy, both locked
Kalkaska Fab front bumper
Essentially Off Road full internal cage http://www.eoronline.com/
Bunch of stuff from Jeeperz Creeperz http://www.jeeperz-creeperz.com/
Bunch of stuff from North West 4x4 http://www.northwest4x4.com/
Durabak partial exterior and cargo area http://www.nonslipcoating.com/
35x12.5 ProComp XTerrains on AE-589's
Lots of chopping
This is what we started with. A 1995 2 wheel drive XJ. Saved from the salvage yard. Yes, it was in the junk yard. Said to have a bad motor. Vehicle had a Missouri plate on it and it was last registered 2 years ago. Gas smelled really bad and about a thousand parts were thrown at it to make it run and none helped. Even the coil is just plugged in and not bolted down just to test to see if a coil would make it run.
The Saturday it got towed to my shop, one of my students did about a half hour of diag, found no spark, checked the CPS and said it was bad. I had one at home so we went and got it, popped it in and it started right up. Runs great.
Here she sits in the Junk Yard, waiting to be stripped.
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The day it made it to the shop.
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So the inside is a bit rough. We'll see what we can do with it.
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The inside cleaned up pretty good but it is all still soaked and smells SUPER bad since it was sitting there for a while with a busted window. We will gut the inside and do some inspections, cleaning and other things.
![Image]()
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Cargo area will be stripped of carpet, a reinforcement will be welded/bolted in, and the rear shocks will be in-boarded to this. Then the whole cargo area will be covered with Durabak. The spare will be stored inside, as well as a toll/parts storage device.
![Image]()
I don't post much over here but I have lurked and read and watched. Thought I would share a build I am doing with a bunch of high school students.
This all started with my old trusty YJ finally rusting to the point that it needed a new body. So after talking thinking about it and talking it over, we thought it would be a good time to go a different direction and build a vehicle with more room for passengers, gear, tools, parts and what not.
I say we in many places because this Jeep is being partially built by high school students and they are calling the shots. They chose the vehicle, colors, mods, lift, lighting, etc. When completed, this vehicle will be used in the same way as the YJ was. Students get to drive it in the local mud drags, parades and off road events and competitions. We also take it to car and truck shows, visit other schools with it and use it for general PR for the Career Center. In the winter, many times we have been called to help get hospital staff to work and we always use it to get students out of the ditches around the school.
Plans:
Convert to 4wd
BDS True 4 link Long Arm http://www.bds-suspension.com/
8.8 rear, HPd30 front, both alloy, both locked
Kalkaska Fab front bumper
Essentially Off Road full internal cage http://www.eoronline.com/
Bunch of stuff from Jeeperz Creeperz http://www.jeeperz-creeperz.com/
Bunch of stuff from North West 4x4 http://www.northwest4x4.com/
Durabak partial exterior and cargo area http://www.nonslipcoating.com/
35x12.5 ProComp XTerrains on AE-589's
Lots of chopping
This is what we started with. A 1995 2 wheel drive XJ. Saved from the salvage yard. Yes, it was in the junk yard. Said to have a bad motor. Vehicle had a Missouri plate on it and it was last registered 2 years ago. Gas smelled really bad and about a thousand parts were thrown at it to make it run and none helped. Even the coil is just plugged in and not bolted down just to test to see if a coil would make it run.
The Saturday it got towed to my shop, one of my students did about a half hour of diag, found no spark, checked the CPS and said it was bad. I had one at home so we went and got it, popped it in and it started right up. Runs great.
Here she sits in the Junk Yard, waiting to be stripped.
The day it made it to the shop.
So the inside is a bit rough. We'll see what we can do with it.
The inside cleaned up pretty good but it is all still soaked and smells SUPER bad since it was sitting there for a while with a busted window. We will gut the inside and do some inspections, cleaning and other things.
Cargo area will be stripped of carpet, a reinforcement will be welded/bolted in, and the rear shocks will be in-boarded to this. Then the whole cargo area will be covered with Durabak. The spare will be stored inside, as well as a toll/parts storage device.
