The Silver Fox LJ Build

[JMT]

I replaced some O-Rings on the ARB Compressor and no more leaks, which means lockers work!

Hood pins installed. Went pretty smooth, but not sure I really good pins. Kind of annoying. Hollow eyes. I think I’m done with the HiLines when I put the headlights back in. I think. I need to go back over everything to make sure. EDIT: oh, and paint the hood edge.

 

[Swiss-cheese TJ-6]

I replaced some O-Rings on the ARB Compressor and no more leaks, which means lockers work!

Hood pins installed. Went pretty smooth, but not sure I really good pins. Kind of annoying. Hollow eyes. I think I’m done with the HiLines when I put the headlights back in. I think. I need to go back over everything to make sure.

View attachment 655289

Hopefully you have better luck with hood pins than I’ve had. I got a similar-looking set on Amazon that were anodized black, and they faded after one summer and then grenaded themselves with the little internal springs. I had to buy another set because the holes are already in my hood. The second time around I bought a more expensive set in the $100 range, and they’ve also faded from the original black, and I can already feel the internal springs getting crunchy when I open my hood. I’d get some nice moly grease in there as soon as possible—hopefully they last longer for you. The grease has helped mine a bit, but they’re still on their last leg after only a year of use.

 

[JMT]

Hopefully you have better luck with hood pins than I’ve had. I got a similar-looking set on Amazon that were anodized black, and they faded after one summer and then grenaded themselves with the little internal springs. I had to buy another set because the holes are already in my hood. The second time around I bought a more expensive set in the $100 range, and they’ve also faded from the original black, and I can already feel the internal springs getting crunchy when I open my hood. I’d get some nice moly grease in there as soon as possible—hopefully they last longer for you. The grease has helped mine a bit, but they’re still on their last leg after only a year of use.

I purposefully avoided anodized and went with straight aluminum. Won’t help the function, but might look decent longer.

I’ve adjusted and adjusted and can’t seem to get one of them happy. I’m wondering if my placement is not the best or if one of them is just not a very good good pin. The problem is when you press it down it just presses a little bit and not enough to click and pop the head out.

I’d like to have them both a bit lower, but when I do that it’s almost impossible to get one of them to click free.

 

[Swiss-cheese TJ-6]

I purposefully avoided anodized and went with straight aluminum. Won’t help the function, but might look decent longer.

I’ve adjusted and adjusted and can’t seem to get one of them happy. I’m wondering if my placement is not the best or if one of them is just not a very good good pin. The problem is when you press it down it just presses a little bit and not enough to click and pop the head out.

I’d like to have them both a bit lower, but when I do that it’s almost impossible to get one of them to click free.

I struggled with them the same way. If it’s rough to get them in, you can tap them with a mallet to line them up left, right, and center better. And as for depth, I’ve found that having them set lower and needing to press the whole hood down with my arm for them to click free is better than having them taller and loose. That solid press can be achieved a few ways—with some type of return spring pushing against the grille, or a foam seal. In my case, it just presses super hard against my highlines, and it works for me with the door-edge protector that runs along my highline cut.

 

[JMT]

I struggled with them the same way. If it’s rough to get them in, you can tap them with a mallet to line them up left, right, and center better. And as for depth, I’ve found that having them set lower and needing to press the whole hood down with my arm for them to click free is better than having them taller and loose. That solid press can be achieved a few ways—with some type of return spring pushing against the grille, or a foam seal. In my case, it just presses super hard against my highlines, and it works for me with the door-edge protector that runs along my highline cut.

What if I slightly enlarge the hole where the ball stud bolt is mounted to allow it to self position when I lower the hood?

 

[mrblaine]

I struggled with them the same way. If it’s rough to get them in, you can tap them with a mallet to line them up left, right, and center better. And as for depth, I’ve found that having them set lower and needing to press the whole hood down with my arm for them to click free is better than having them taller and loose. That solid press can be achieved a few ways—with some type of return spring pushing against the grille, or a foam seal. In my case, it just presses super hard against my highlines, and it works for me with the door-edge protector that runs along my highline cut.

When I built Ricky's rig, there was 1 offering out there for the Aero Catch, Quik-Latch style hood pin kit. At the time it was about 200 for them. I sent the first set back because they had aluminum pins and I couldn't see them lasting with the lateral deflection of the hood and grill under articulation. Any sideways force on aluminum with threads will snap them off if it happens more than a few times. He replaced them with this set which has been very nice. I have to say that I'm actually quite surprised they are still being made given how many crap copies there are of them.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0160TO258/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Last thing, if you didn't fill the corners of the hood with structural foam, then you aren't holding the hood down against anything but easily flexed sheet metal with near zero structure. If you open the hood and squeeze the corners where the reinforcement was cut away via the trimming at the front, it is easy to see. That creates a variable gap over the grill that disturbs me.

 

[JMT]

When I built Ricky's rig, there was 1 offering out there for the Aero Catch, Quik-Latch style hood pin kit. At the time it was about 200 for them. I sent the first set back because they had aluminum pins and I couldn't see them lasting with the lateral deflection of the hood and grill under articulation. Any sideways force on aluminum with threads will snap them off if it happens more than a few times. He replaced them with this set which has been very nice. I have to say that I'm actually quite surprised they are still being made given how many crap copies there are of them.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0160TO258/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Last thing, if you didn't fill the corners of the hood with structural foam, then you aren't holding the hood down against anything but easily flexed sheet metal with near zero structure. If you open the hood and squeeze the corners where the reinforcement was cut away via the trimming at the front, it is easy to see. That creates a variable gap over the grill that disturbs me.

Great. I emailed the Quik-Latch company for latch hole size: 1 1/2”. These are spendy, but I’m sure they are worth it. Mine “look” identical but they suck.

 

[Apparition]

When I built Ricky's rig, there was 1 offering out there for the Aero Catch, Quik-Latch style hood pin kit. At the time it was about 200 for them. I sent the first set back because they had aluminum pins and I couldn't see them lasting with the lateral deflection of the hood and grill under articulation. Any sideways force on aluminum with threads will snap them off if it happens more than a few times. He replaced them with this set which has been very nice. I have to say that I'm actually quite surprised they are still being made given how many crap copies there are of them.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0160TO258/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Have you tried the black version of these? Does it hold up over time?

 

[mrblaine]

Have you tried the black version of these? Does it hold up over time?

No idea since I've not used them.

 

[JMT]

Used some 5052 Aluminum to make a little bracket to hold my ARB hose coupling. I might cut one corner off, but haven’t decided yet. Fun little project. I’ll be replacing the stock recovery hooks.

 

[JMT]

Got it out for a first test run and washed it up. 35’s look small. Next debead them from the beadlocks, debead the 37’s from their JK wheels, sell the JK wheels and 35’s to help fund Super 16 BBK.

 

[mrblaine]

Got it out for a first test run and washed it up. 35’s look small. Next debead them from the beadlocks, debead the 37’s from their JK wheels, sell the JK wheels and 35’s to help fund the 17" BBK.

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FIFY. TJ Unlimited on 37's should be running the 17" kit.

 

[Woodrow]

Got it out for a first test run and washed it up. 35’s look small. Next debead them from the beadlocks, debead the 37’s from their JK wheels, sell the JK wheels and 35’s to help fund Super 16 BBK.

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Looks great, Jeremy. What is your belly height and spring length at ride height?

 

[JMT]

Looks great, Jeremy. What is your belly height and spring length at ride height?

Belly height at ride height is 21.50” at the frame rail.

The front spring length + a 1.25” spacer that Maximus had added = 17” and the rear spring length is 13.25”.

I am planning to remove the front 1.25” spacer and add a 0.25” and in the rear I’m going to move the upper perch up closer to the frame when I center it to try to lower the overall rear lift to 12.25.” With a bit more gear loaded in the back it should bring it down to 12”.

I’m thinking that with the Hilines up front and the rear corners cut (I may need to trim a bit more) I should be pretty close to perfect. Once I cycle and everything clears then I can get started on the outboard.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Just found a future video of Jeremy in the SIlver Fox at Sand Hollow in May:

 

[JMT]

Just found a future video of Jeremy in the SIlver Fox at Sand Hollow in May:

Third times the charm!

 

[Mike_H]

Silver fox or Silver Flop

 

[JMT]

37’s on one side.

 

[JMT]

 

[Apparition]

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What is the roll angle?