Deep East Texas LJ Build

Now that I am a year into being a jeep owner and have definitely drank the kool aid, I thought I would start my own build thread. If it’s not interesting to anyone else, it will be a platform to help me keep track of what I have down. And, maybe provide some nostalgia at some point.

March 2024

I bought my 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited non-Rubicon in March of 2024. The LJ came with:

• 4.0 I6 Power Tech Engine with 128,668 Miles
• 6 Speed Manual NSG370
• 35” Tires and 17“ Wheels
• Ford 8.8 Rear End
• Stock TJ Front End
• 4.88 Gears
• Electric Lockers Front and Rear
• 6” Rough Country Long Arm Suspension Kit
• 2” Body Lift Kit
• Homemade Rocker Guards
• Thorton Chip Tuner
• A Check Engine Light
• Plenty of Rust

I brought it home show my friends with whom I would be jeeping. They agreed I found a steal. But, immediately said it sat too high. Not understanding crawling, I didn’t care. I thought it looked cool.



The first mod was upgrading to 37s. Simply because a friend of a friend had them for sell for cheap. The lug pattern was for a JK so I bought adapters. I added new catalytic converters, the winch, an aux beam switch panel for the lockers and cubes, a spider shade and some Diver Down seat covers to mask the worn-out seats.

My first trip was to Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area in Gilmer, Texas. I immediately realized (the hard way) I didn’t have spring retaining clips. Those were ordered before the trip was over. I also learned my lockers were not always engaging or staying engaged. Meaning, I had a pretty big learning curve and not having dependable lockers made it worse. But, I was hooked!

Before the second trip to Barnwell, I had made the following mods:

• Rewired Locker Switches (We thought that was the problem)
• Spring Retainers
• Bestop Soft Top
• Hi-Rise Jack Mounted on the Hood (I just think it looks cool)
• Fire Extinguisher
• Trail Bag with Tools I Learned I Might Need in the Future

September 2024

The second trip went well and my skill level definitely increased. The trip was cut short when I destroyed the rear ring and pinion attempting to conquer an obstacle on JP Expressway. I also developed a leak from the gas tank located around the evap lines.



While it was at the shop, I had the following taken care of:

• ARB Locker in the Rear (We thought the front was fine, but learned later it wasn’t)
• The First of What Has Been a Few Alignments

To repair the gas tank leak, I tried to plastic weld but couldn’t make it work. So, I had to add a:

• Used OEM Fuel Tank from EBAY (At some point, I will add a Fuel Cell.)


November 2024

During this break, I was gifted a Dana 30 Front Axle from a JK. So, I made the following mods:

• JK2TJ Truss Kit from Artec
• ARB Locker in the Front (The ARB Lockers made a huge difference!)
• RPM Tie Rod
• Rock Hard Harness Bar
• Aces Racing 5-Point
• Kilby HD Skid Plate

January 2025

I tested everything out at my buddy’s ranch to get ready for my 3rd wheeling trip which was Winter Jamboree at Sand Hollow in Hurricane, Utah. We had an absolute blast! We conquered Papa Smurf, Faulty Towers, Dominguez Falls and Fallen a few times.

However, I experienced my first layover after the Z-Turn on Fallen. All in all, it was a great trip!

February 2025

The lay over made one thing very clear, the OEM roll cage is not adequate. So, I made the following mod:

• Complete* Rock Hard 4x4 Bolt-In Roll Cage – Powder Coated Gloss Black

*The only piece missing is the rear harness bar which I have since added

Apparition said:

What wasn't adequate?

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The OEM roll cage without reinforcement. What was a relatively mild layover damaged it in a way that wasn’t repairable. The bend at the driver’s side door was significantly enough it was difficult to wheel without hitting my head.

E-Ticket said:

Welcome to the site and thanks for brining us along your journey. You clearly have the "mod fever"!

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Thank you. And, you are correct! I am addicted. I will post the last few months' worth this evening or tomorrow. Those have seen the biggest mods so far!

March 2025

The Sand Hollow trip also inspired the major project of upgrading the suspension system. After a lot of research, I made the following mod:

• Rock Krawler 3.5” X-Factor X2 Long Arm Flat Belly Kit
• Brown Dog Engine Mounts with 1.5” Lift
• 1.25” Artec Boatside Mount Kit





My son and I knocked everything out in the garage. In hindsight, I wish I would have made a video or at least taken more pics. One thing I would encourage anyone who does this themselves is to completely remove the axles and do all it on a bench, flatbed or even the floor where you can work easier. The project went perfectly and I love the way the LJ sits now!



Again, we tested the upgrades at Barnwell. I did end up with more trail scars and dented the tailgate pretty good...

April 2025

The next mod got bumped up because it was easier than making the homemade rocker guards fit correctly. So, I added:

• Motobilt Rocker Guards – Notched for Motobilt Fenders
• Coated with Rustoleum Truck Bed Liner

May 2025

The most recent mod is what I am told will make the biggest impact to date. I have just completed the 241 swap! The project consisted of:

• 241J 4:1 Rubicon Transfer Case (Sourced from salvage yard in Houston)
• Savvy Cable Shifter Upgrade
• Tom Woods Rear Drive Shaft
• Tom Woods Front 1310 Yoke
I have only tested it out at the deer lease, but I can already see a huge improvement. The project was fairly simple. Here’s a cheat sheet:

• 241 TC bolts in just like the 231 TC
• You need part #s PT724 (Pigtail) and NTK 1S4219 (switch)for the 4WD dummy light
• Speedo plug fits right in
• You’ll most likely need a shorter rear drive shaft
• You’ll need a 1310 yoke for the front or change your drive shaft to 1330
• This is the best time to upgrade to a cable shifter
A little insight about the Savvy cable shifter. I chose Savvy over Novak simply because they responded quicker. Hindsight, I would go with Novak. Surely, there customer service has to be better.

• Double check all of your parts the best you can. I did not have the right brackets and was missing a step-down washer. This is difficult because they do not send a parts list or instructions.
• Install cable shifter bracket to TC prior to install.
• Put TC and Floor Shifter in 4LO and Transmission in Reverse. That gear requires the most travel and adjusting the cable shifter after install is difficult. Especially with a flat belly skid plate.




Next up, Motobilt Front Highline Fenders!!!

mikey.wayne said:

I loved just reading through your post. I am based in Tyler and am excited about hitting the Gilmer trails in a few weeks. Of course will be starting with the baby trails lol

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Thanks brother! We go to Gilmer as often as possible. You’ll have a blast!

MattTJRubicon82 said:

Great to see some more Texas rigs!!! And with “long arms”… shhhh. Love barnwell but haven’t been this year since stretch and Coilovers. Here’s one from last year and one current! We’re just north of Houston!!

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Awesome! I'm just north of you!

mikey.wayne said:

Are you planning a trip to barnwell anytime soon?

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We don’t have anything scheduled, but we’ll for sure get there before long. We’re planning on going to Hot Springs in the middle of July. So, it’d be after that. Y’all?

The Motobilt Highline Fender install has begun!!!

I started with disconnecting everything from the stock fenders that will need to be relocated.

• The Horns
• Side Marker Lights
• Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
• My ARB Compressor
• My Auxbeam Switch Panel
• The Fuse Box
• The Air Filter Box

Then I removed to the hood and fenders. Everything was pretty straightforward. The only problem I had-which has been consistent with my LJ-was broken bolts... The stock fender brackets and battery tray are the last things in the way.




The next step is to install the new fender brackets and battery tray. Very straightforward.







Installing the driver side fender first was super easy. The passenger side-assuming my LJ isn't shaped as perfectly as it used to be-required some pulling and tugging and eventually a couple of small ratchet straps to get into place.




Installing the inner fenders panels, I found the following sequence to be easier than what the instructions say to do:



Again, the passenger side involved a little more pulling and tugging, but it wasn't difficult at all.






The next step will be to relocate everything under the hood that was on the stock fenders. The hood will be cut this weekend.

You may have also noticed that I switched my full doors to half doors. After wheeling with full doors or no doors, I opted for something in between. They'll look sharp when painted and the upper skins replaced with black ones.