Show me what's custom on your TJ

[Rnuovrcj5]

The list of what isn’t custom on mine is shorter than what is . Probably the most “uncommon” custom thing on it is having a Motobilt front half kit but with a steering box instead of full hydro. The box is from a 1979 F150 and everything that touches it is fabbed to make it work including the pitman arm that wraps around the track bar bracket.

 

[srimes]

The list of what isn’t custom on mine is shorter than what is . Probably the most “uncommon” custom thing on it is having a Motobilt front half kit but with a steering box instead of full hydro. The box is from a 1979 F150 and everything that touches it is fabbed to make it work including the pitman arm that wraps around the track bar bracket.

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Oh shit how do you like the ORIs??

 

[Rnuovrcj5]

Oh shit how do you like the ORIs??

I’m pretty happy with them. I’m not 100% sure I would have bought them from the start based on price but I used them since they came with the TJ that this started out as. Saying that, I’ve been thinking about putting them on the rear now too.

I somewhat blew the seals out of them during the 24 Hours of Appalachia endurance rally in Kentucky in October but ORI rebuilt them and updated them to the current spec for a fairly reasonable price and it only took about 1.5 weeks with most of that being shipping time. ORI said that they’re at least 10 years old based off of what parts were in them and they spent a lot of time sitting while I was building the jeep and before I got them which I’m sure isn’t great for the seals. They were still functional at the end of the rally but both were puking oil and there wasn’t any rebound/top out damping left on the driver side.

After the rally about to go on the trailer for the ride home.

 

[srimes]

I’m pretty happy with them. I’m not 100% sure I would have bought them from the start based on price but I used them since they came with the TJ that this started out as. Saying that, I’ve been thinking about putting them on the rear now too.

I somewhat blew the seals out of them during the 24 Hours of Appalachia endurance rally in Kentucky in October but ORI rebuilt them and updated them to the current spec for a fairly reasonable price and it only took about 1.5 weeks with most of that being shipping time. ORI said that they’re at least 10 years old based off of what parts were in them and they spent a lot of time sitting while I was building the jeep and before I got them which I’m sure isn’t great for the seals. They were still functional at the end of the rally but both were puking oil and there wasn’t any rebound/top out damping left on the driver side.

After the rally about to go on the trailer for the ride home.
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Do you do much street driving?

Seal life and service is the main concern vs coilovers. >10 years doesn't seem bad at all.

 

[Rnuovrcj5]

Do you do much street driving?

Seal life and service is the main concern vs coilovers. >10 years doesn't seem bad at all.

I tend to daily drive it unless I need my truck for truck things. I probably put 15k miles on it in 2025 and it was on jackstands from January to May while I redid the front frame/suspension.

I don’t think they’d be terrible to do a seal/service on yourself either. I chose to send them in not knowing how much internal damage I had caused to them by the end of the rally. ORI said they weren’t bad at all other than the blown seals. I paid a little extra to have them upgraded to the current lower caps with their newest generation of seals while they were there and already torn down.

 

[srimes]

I tend to daily drive it unless I need my truck for truck things. I probably put 15k miles on it in 2025 and it was on jackstands from January to May while I redid the front frame/suspension.

I don’t think they’d be terrible to do a seal/service on yourself either. I chose to send them in not knowing how much internal damage I had caused to them by the end of the rally. ORI said they weren’t bad at all other than the blown seals. I paid a little extra to have them upgraded to the current lower caps with their newest generation of seals while they were there and already torn down.

That's awesome. Sweet Jeep! Definitely putting ORIs on my long-term wish list!

 

[Harold&Cat]

Antenna mounts , rear bumper, tail lights , front turn signals , cargo shelf , Ham Radio installation, inverter, wheels , on-board Internet with cellular antennas on the hood , upgraded agm battery , 4.88 Revolution gears with Eaton Truetracs .

Most of this is covered in the build link .