…but I made some progress today.
TC removed
the goodies going in (SYE, 2Lo, Speedo gear)
done
started on the 8.25 (going to 4.56 gears with a no-slip)
should have all day tomorrow to continue working 
Well, I finally started the first steps towards getting my new suspension installed on my XJ. I got the rear axle removed (so I can regear it and install the locker easier) and most of the rear suspension out.
….and on another note, I have removed the shocks on 3 XJ’s up until this point, and on all 3 of those, I have only broken 1 upper bolt. Figures that I broke all 4 on my 2000, which is the newest XJ I’ve worked on so far…..
Here’s a few photos from The Cliffs last weekend that I liked. Enjoy
….where I want to cover as much ground as possible is a bit of hard work. But I think it will be worth it 
Well, in order to make room to install the new suspension on my 2000, I decided to clean up the right side my garage. I don’t think it has ever been this clean….even when I first moved into this house
Now to get going on the install sometime this week 
After knocking plenty of wheel weights off of the wheels on my old XJ, I decided to try something different with my new one. I figured I would try dynamic balancing on my new 32″ tires. After referencing the chart here, it looked like I would need about 8oz of weight per tire. In order to help keep costs down, I ended up going to Wal-Mart and picking up a container of Airsoft BB’s and a diet scale:
Next I went ahead and measured out 8oz on BB’s and placed them into 4 separate Ziploc bags.
Once that is done, it’s time to get them into the tires. My tires were already mounted on the wheels, so all I needed to do was break the bead so I could get them inside.
Lucky for me, I have the Harbor Freight Tire Changer (the $30 I spent on it was has been well worth it), so that made breaking the beads a simple task.
First, you gotta let all the air out of the tire. Removing the valve core makes it a quick task
Getting ready to break the bead:
Bead Broken:
Next I poured one bag of BB’s into the tire. Make sure they all fall inside and are not stuck on the bead of the tire.
Lastly, all you need to do is air up the tire again and make sure the bead seats again.
Now all my tires are ready to install, and I shouldn’t have to worry about them getting out of balance
Here’s some pictures from my ride-along with Brian at The Cliffs today. Lucky for us, it rained all night and most of the day, so it was slippery and muddy…..
Showed up today, so I couldn’t wait to get it on my bumper
(still need to mount the solenoid box and hook it up……I need new battery terminals so I can hook up my new red top, too)
I think I have put enough weight on the stock suspension…..guess I will have to lift it starting next week
…but not quite as much as I had hoped. Got my gears finished up on the D30…..almost got my XM radio hooked up……and got that new CB mounted.
Also got a few new goodies. I almost have everything I need to finish up this build
LeBaron hood vents to help keep cool in the desert.
….and I need a better battery to hande the winch that should be here this week
Hopefully I can get more done tomorrow evening.
If you’ve been reading my site, then you know I’m trying to get my 2000 XJ ready in time to go on a big trip out West. Anyways, here’s a brief overview of my plans for the trip. I’ll be putting up more details of my plans in the future as I work them all out…..and if you have any suggestions, let me know.
I will be leaving Thursday, July 19th around lunchtime from work and heading to Colorado, where I will be making my first stop at the Sawatch Mountain Range. From there I will head over to spend a few days in the San Juans at NAXJA’s ColoradoFest, before heading to Grand Junction for the UFWDA Annual Convention. After that, I plan on shooting over to Moab for a day or two, and then heading up through the San Rafael Swell and making my way to the Uinta Mountains.
From this point, planning is still a little rough, but I am thinking of hitting the South East corner of Idaho before making my way to the Wind River Range in Wyoming. From there, I’ll make my way over to Devils Tower, and then through the Black Hills National Forest to the Deadwood area. From there I plan on heading home through the South Dakota Badlands.
My goal is to keep off the pavement as much as possible and take a lot of backroads and trails. This should be an awesome trip if I can pull it off
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