Clara - The little Jeep that could!

[DemCoconuts]

It`s a new year - time for a build thread!

A little back story.

I`ve been a half ton guy all my life. Never had a big lifted one, but my relatively stock 08 Silverado has never failed to take me where I wanted. From rocks to water, snow and more. It was only this past year that I started looking hard at wheeling a larger 4 wheel vehicle often, and wanting to push it with that vehicle. As much as I love the Silverado, I`m not a big IFS fan, and after replacing a couple hub bearings, CV axles, e-fan/etc, I decided it was time for a second vehicle, that way I'll always have one running.

That brings me to getting this Jeep. After watching my buddy in his 2013 2 door rip around so easily, I knew that that was what I wanted. I took a look at YJ's, TJ's and JK's. All sorts of project ideas floated through my head, but in the end I decided on a couple things I wanted: a 2 door, auto, and something that I wouldn't need to put a lot of work into immediately, especially since winter was on it's way and I don't have a heated garage. Apparently Jeeps are made of gold here, however, so after missing a couple TJ's I found a JK that fit my budget, and the requirements I had. Just a quick note before we go any further - between my hobbies and saving for a house, my budget isn't the best right now, but that just means I get to be more creative!

Enter Clara. A 2009 Jeep Wrangler X 2 door. Very basic - nothing power (locks/windows/etc) or fancy, just a hard top and an auto transmission. Found her at a dealer. New windshield, front bumper and 4x Duratracs. Having had great experience with Duratracs on the truck, I was stoked to have them on the Jeep. Fast forward to now, and I'm not so much! More on that later.

At the dealer;


Home with the Silverado!


The first big problem: no recovery points. I have a fun little wheeling area 15 minutes from my place, but I wasn't going to break one of the commandments of wheeling so quickly, so off to 4 Wheel Parts I was!

Came home with a Hi-Lift, hood brackets and a Smittybilt hitch receiver.




Got those attached, and off to the local trails to see just how different this 2 door was from the truck!




The Jeep has a way different feel to it - but boy is it nice to be able to take the top off!

 

[RageKage]

Liking the build thread so far man. Keep updating us with new experiences and mods.

- Kyle
'14 JKU aka Black Plague

 

[DemCoconuts]

The next issue to tackle was deciding on front tow points. Factory bumpers with the factory hooks can be had for nothing here - but I wanted something that I could throw a winch on eventually. After checking out the bumpers that offered what I wanted, I settled on the best one I could get price-wise, a Smittybilt SRC Stinger style. It ended up being a no brainer with the price that 4WP matched for me. I know people aren't the biggest fans of them, but thus far this bumper has done all I've needed, so I'm happy with it.

Stripping the box at the store so it would fit nice in the back;


Installed! I painted the grill inserts as well. Only broke one vertical piece removing it too (damn you double sided tape!), so that's a win in my books.


Think I'm a fan of maroon and black?


Took Clara out for a little rip in the snow afterwards - coming from a truck with no traction control, the TC on the Jeep felt crazy, and I wasn't thinking in a good way. After more time with it, I now enjoy it as I find it much more predictable, and works well in a lot of situations. Not a locker of course, but it has impressed me.



Now, remember how I was stoked to have new Duratracs? Well, this is the point where I stopped being stoked. I picked up the bumper so I was ready to do a run down a somewhat local Spillway (nice 5 hour trail). Installed everything, good to go. Was suppose to go on a Saturday. Well, what do you know, I go hunting on the Friday before and do this to my rear left...



Now, take note that these were the P version, and not the LT version, but they have a stupid thin sidewall. No apparent debris or cause in the area, so I must have caught something that turned it into a slow leak. Good thing I was going slow. To add insult to injury however, I inspected the Duratracs on the truck and found a cut in one. I will admit that was my fault from playing bumper rocks earlier in the summer though haha. Budget dictated that the truck got a new tire, and the Jeep got grounded for a couple weeks until I found my price effective solution. That came in the form of 5 older take off BFG KM tires and rims from an older Rubicon (for just a little more than a single new Duratrac!).


Swapped the rims, and I'm really happy with how the gunmetal rims work with my colour theme.



I have since picked up another set of 17" tires from my dad to act as a secondary set, and will be selling the Duratracs once I get them off the rims. Best dad ever. Can't say that enough!

 

[DemCoconuts]

I also stripped off the sidesteps when the bumper went on. Planning to replace those with sliders later.

Next investment came in the form of a VIAIR 400P compressor kit, and a Rugged Ridge CB bracket. Pulled the CB from the truck, and now have it all mounted and wired, minus the antenna (just need to finish my bracket for it - more later).





Found my buddy's Jeep at work...


Got bored one night and decided to learn how to "Cobra Weave" myself some handles. They don't match anything in the Jeep. Might do colour matching ones, but knowing me those will probably there there to the day the Jeep dies! Came out really well, and I left myself some extra length when I tied it off. Always a good idea to have some spare cordage around in case you need it!






Forum quesiton: Anyone know how to flip those 2 photo's? Uploaded them the same as the others, and they are the proper way. For some reason they don't want to play though!

 

[DemCoconuts]

Now with that all thrown together in a nice little package, it was time to hit the Spillway. Joined a group who I'd never met before and had a fantastic run. There was a lot learned in regards to communication and the likes for all, and everyone made it out safe and sound. Enjoy the pics! (note the lack of action shots - who stops for a picture when you're having that much fun!).















This was near the end. There ended up being a fair bit of spacing between people, and the guy in the Chev (younger guy, learned hard here) broke through. I'm not sure if someone else had broke through earlier or not in that spot. For reference, he was on 35's, and when I went through the hole at the bottom right on the picture, the water swallowed my 32's easily. Fun hole though! Got hung up on my first go by a chunk of ice about 2 feet long, a foot wide and 8-9" thick. The guy in the Chev ended up losing a tie rod sleeve while being recovered. A couple of the more experienced guys got him to town, and fixed up.

Now what impressed me the most was this damned Grand Cherokee. I will never underestimate where these things can go again. He went everywhere everyone else did, just had to do it a little slower in spots.

 

[DemCoconuts]

And that brings us to today, and the final pictures I have for now. Got back from my Christmas trip to see the Fam Jam, promptly sold my side steps and bought myself a "Poor man's lift" for $20. 17/59 coils from a 4dr Rubicon. Put them in today and gained about an inch. Can't complain for $20! Finished in the dark tonight, so no pictures yet (not that there's a big change).






Now, the plans for Clara. They've turned into a multi-year investment, not only into building her up, but building my skills as well. I'm an average backyard mechanic, but by the time I'm done with this Jeep I intend to be well versed on welding (never touched it), and anything mechanical.

Short term (next 6 months):
Skid plates - trans/oil/evap/etc
Winch - currently looking at the Warn M8000
Bedline the interior
Custom build a "security shelf" over the rear of the vehicle - I intend on removing the rear seat for good and want the space for secure storage with the top off
Custom build a snorkel (I was pretty close to playing submarine with the truck a few times this year, so this is going to happen to avoid, ya know, water)

Long-term (6 months and way beyond):
D60 Front/Sterling 10.5 Rear axles (I will build them - exact configuration TBD, however I would like to source them this year)
37" Nitto Trail Grapplers
Coilovers
Stretch the wheelbase
V8 swap (when someone hits my truck and totals it!)

Kinda sounds like most of the big built rigs, eh?

In the end I want this machine to be overkill for what I will do with it normally, but want to have that capability should I require it. I won't be lifting early/etc, because I'd rather do it right the first time. Going to take longer to get there, but my money will be put into the right place. I plan on taking this rig on trips through Canada and the States. Got another one coming up here on Saturday actually. Will try to remember to get good shots!

 

[DMF]

Nice Jeep! I traded in a 2011 Sierra for my JK. I miss that truck . The paracord looks good but I think you should make 2 more to wrap around the rollbar. You can use carabiner to attach it all together.

To rotate those pics, it's a pita. 1st you would have to remove the pics by managing attachment. There may be an easier way but I had to resave the pics on my computer to invert it back and then add the attachment\photo back. It's a pain.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Nice Jeep! I traded in a 2011 Sierra for my JK. I miss that truck . The paracord looks good but I think you should make 2 more to wrap around the rollbar. You can use carabiner to attach it all together.

To rotate those pics, it's a pita. 1st you would have to remove the pics by managing attachment. There may be an easier way but I had to resave the pics on my computer to invert it back and then add the attachment\photo back. It's a pain.

I will give that a try! May do the additional weaving once I pull the hard top off come the spring.

Luckily I have myself in a position where I am able to keep my truck. I love it as well, and it won't be going anywhere for a while yet. If I didn't have it, I'd really need to be in a 4 door. The 2 door is just too small for my lifestyle alone.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Ha-zaa!!! Got the pictures rotated. Had to reupload them as PNG's rather than JPG's.

Anywho, spent last Saturday out on the trail at Ruby Falls over in the foothills with a local group. Had an excellent time! With the new coils Clara rides much firmer, and traverses rocks better because of it.












Finally used the Hi-Lift as well. That thing is slick! Loads of 2-3 foot ups and downs. Between airing down to 15 PSI and 4 low, this little Jeep continues to impress me. The folks leading the group kept mentioning how well the stockers were doing... I think what it really came down to was experience. Just because your rig is pretty much stock, doesn't mean you're bad at wheeling!

Definitely need them skid plates though, especially as I will continue on my 1" overall lift until I figure out exactly where I'm taking Clara.

 

[Jegar]

Nice write-ups! Your girl is going to be all grown up before you know it

 

[DemCoconuts]

Nice write-ups! Your girl is going to be all grown up before you know it

I know! Scary.

Made myself a CB antenna mount from a $2 angle bracket I got at Canadian Tire. It's currently held in by 1 bolt from the tire carrier and is pretty secure. Should it need more support I'll simply add a small piece of bracket and attach it to a second tire carrier bolt. I wanted to route the coax cable in through the rear door, like is done on the write up on here, but I completely forgot that when I originally ordered this setup I had 1 18' cable and 1 12' cable (was going to install it in my Silverado). Ended up cutting the 18' removing it from my truck, so through the door with this one was out of the question. It's currently running through the weather stripping of the hard top. With the way the weather stripping layers in that area, I foresee no issues arising from it.

Pics will be up later. Playing that rotation game again, just on the phone this time!

 

[DemCoconuts]

There we are. The bracket will eventually be black, but all of my painting projects will have to wait for warmer temperatures. Been sitting around -10C to -20C for a while now.

 

[DemCoconuts]

The name is almost official. Just need a quick bath, then slap these bad boys on.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Can't go a week without getting something new apparently.

Canadian Tire had inverters on sale, so I grabbed a 500w continuous one. Along with a small tire repair kit.

Thinking I might end up mounting the inverter under the passenger seat. Rear seat is out, and I will be building a covered box in the back come the spring. Don't want it too far back either, as it needs to be easily accessible for handheld GPS/Radio/phone charging. Any other suggestions? Doesn't fit too well on the passenger side of the console plastic.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Mounted my fire extinguisher on the rear bar, passengers side. Solid so far, and will work as a temporary spot.

Also picked up the wiring for the inverter. Just waiting for it to warm up outside a bit to install.

I've started planning out the enclosure for the rear cargo area. Think along the lines of the Aries Automotive one. Plan is to have it accessible via the tail gate, and have mounting locations on top for water/fuel cans, and tie down points for extra gear that might not fit under the enclosure. I'll likely sell my hard top, then install a soft windjammer/bikini top combo to be able to close off the cab when needed.

Been thinking a lot about the axle/tire combo I want to go with. I am considering ditching the one ton axle idea, and instead building my stock D44 rear, and in a year or so grabbing a Prorock 44 front shell, building that, then installing. Realistically here in Canada there isn't much that requires more than a 35" tire (that I've encountered so far). Still be a while before I move to 35's though, as I have 2 sets of 32's to burn through yet.

Just waiting now on some claims to come in, then I'll be ready to pull the trigger on a couple skid plates and a Superwinch Tiger Shark 9500lbs winch.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Christmas in January. Pulled the trigger on a Superwinch Tiger Shark 9500 SR (Synthetic Rope).

Decided to give this winch a shot for a couple reasons. The price range I was sitting in kept me in the Chinese made range at time of purchase (I know the common opinion on Chinese made for any of them). I originally wanted the Warn M8000, however they recently took a notable price jump here in Canada, putting it out of my reach (and will keep it out for quite some time). Options left me with the VR8000, the Tiger Shark 9500 and your pick of Smittybilts. You never hear much about Superwinch, and the little I have heard has been positive. Figured why not give it a try. Long term plan is to eventually get into a Warn for this Jeep, and move the Superwinch to my half ton truck. Until then I will put this Tiger Shark to the test and report back my findings.

And the small Mig/Flux core welder was a bit of an unexpected buy (as I didn't plan on picking up a welder for a couple months yet), but Canadian Tire had a price I really couldn't pass up. Going to spend some quality time learning on this one before I move up to a more serious setup.

The most important thing for winch life up here in Canada - got a nice cover to keep her somewhat fresh during our dirty seasons!

Oh, and anyone else use their Hi-Lift and the weight of their Jeep to help dismount tires from rims? Was a first for me - couldn't do it without whacking myself in the head once either, ha! Pretty slick method to get the Duratracs off my old rims.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Name decals on, winch installed and CB tuned.

 

[DemCoconuts]

No real change updates lately - I've been spending too much time trying to break off the factory mud flaps!

Getting my fair share of play time in though! Between runs with a local club and taking the boys out, Clara sure is getting a reaming.

I've finally hit the point of full confidence and clarity as to what I really want to change on this little beast. She goes, and she goes hard. I've literally been climbing everything I can, even the stuff the local "built" rigs are avoiding (most are people's daily drivers as well, so I understand them avoiding pushing the machine).

Short term changes, firmed up, are simply to sell the hard top, install the custom rear enclosure, and add the soft top parts required to close in the driver and passenger. I just sold the Duratracs I had laying around, so will be starting to assemble parts shortly.

I will be changing parts as I break them, meaning:

Tires - will change to 35" Nitto Trail Grapplers when I blow through the 2 sets I currently have. Will simply chop the fenders with my current suspension setup.

Dana 30 - when she goes pop, in goes a built 44 (I want a Prorock, but will depend on availability here in Canada at the time).

Suspension - I want to stretch for climbing. Will eventually end up with a coil over setup.

Engine/transmission - once the little 3.8L is tired of living on the red line, I will be looking to swap for a 5.3L or 6L LS.

I realize this is pretty much just a recap of sorts. Next big thing will be the top swap/setup. Until then, enjoy some pictures.

 

[DemCoconuts]

I am hiding in this shot. Much to my buddy's dismay, he didn't get lucky enough to pull me out!

And by hiding I mean temporarily immobilized by a tree, until it saw reason of course.

 

[DemCoconuts]

Wandered over to my local 4WP and these boxes followed me home...