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a story of Redemption

22K views 147 replies 22 participants last post by  Madanio24 
#1 ·
A story of Redemption.
Hi all , I am new to the board and want to write a little story on why I named the new WK Redemption. see we used to be Wrangler people. We have owed YJ's and Lj 's and have enjoyed both greatly. We have been a offroading family . Wheeling over the summer and repairing over the winter. Our last est project was purchased in 2008 it was a stock 2006 Lj .



we stared imedetly with the necessary alterations to make it a wheeler capable of a black trail, springs ,shocks, heavy duty bumpers 1/4 plates the bottom,etc.




in 2009 is when all things changed. There was a accident at work, where I was exposed to some chemicals that had a permanent effect. On my nervous system. I no longer could be exposed to any chemical, esp . Those that we used everyday while wrenching . Simple things such as fire smoke ,exhauhst,Windex,cleaners would cause extreme pain,swelling and discoloration of my face and a lack of tolerance to cold.
Luckily , I have some really good friends that have stepped up and finished my project and created one hell of a wheeling machine. It was exactly what I intend it to become.
The only problem was my system (nervous) was no longer able to take the stresses of the off road/rock crawling environment. not to mention. I am a firm believer in not taking out a vehicle and placing it in danger when I can not repair it , It would be unfair to my friends and myself not to even bring up the part costs.

so , where did that leave me ? With a jeep that would make most wheelers excited and a body that can not use it. Seems like a waste ,doesn't it?
Not to mention the fact that we have a 10 year old who is getting a little big to be jumping in and out of the backseat.
This is all leading up to one decision , The Lj had to go!
This desicion was not a light one but needed to be made, for both my sons sake(lol),and for mine. It seemed to be a constant reminder of the things I could no longer do. I felt this was mentally ,emotionally holding me back from my new normal.
This is where the WK comes in. This will allow me to still. Enjoy a jeep (a extremely comfortable one,lol) and still have something. That mods can be done.

So let's start with what we have at the beginning (by far the nicest jeep I have ever owned)
2006 WK Limited. - black with tan leather interior
5.7 hemI
Quadrant drive ll
Class iv hitch
Tow package
Moon roof
Power, heated seats
17" wheels and tires




Mods soon to be done
Eibach wk springs
Wk Blistein HD shocks
Front srt8 sway bar
Rear srt8 sway bar
Cold air kit
Magnaflow exhaust
Gator back serpentine belt
LED lighting all the way around
Rep.SRT8 wheels 20 x9
275/55/r20
Husky heavy duty floor liners
Front windows tinted to match the back
Remote start
Drilled and slotted rotors and brakes

Hmm, maybe I should call it "a new hope" ...... don't know but either way , I feel its a step(small as it maybe :) ) in the right direction .

I have driven over things , now its time to be faster then them ,lol

More to come!
 
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#3 ·
Thanks Gojeep! It was Benzine and Styrene were the 2 main components .

I learned it is what it is now. this is my build thread( so to speak) I will not be installing but ordering and masterminding( with the help from all of you of course) the whole project .
 
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#4 ·
You are a true example of the 'Burg mentality! Nobody ever gives up there! You just move on in another direction.This place was founded by some of the most skilled and helpful street jeepers in the world so you can expect a lot of help from the WKers.Good luck to you and your build Spyder. It will turn out awesome! + rep
 
#5 ·
THANK YOU CheapJeep !!!!! I am not sure what else to say but Thank you !!!

I have learned so much already and I am excited about the new project and new friends !!!
 
#7 ·
Thanks Duff Daddy !!
 
#8 ·
some goodies I just received in the mail , I also have the Blistein shocks ,lol

getting closer ,lol.

sway bars


springs


 
#10 ·
Thank You , sir! glad to be here !
 
#12 ·
Thank you Thestreet16. I am as well. Its been a long time since I have been excited by a project, even if I am not the one wrenching ,lol
 
#13 ·
WOOOHOOO , Just got word from Scot at OE Wheels ,That my wheels and Tires are on the way !!

Will have pics up soon. Plan on having shocks , struts ,sway bars and wheels all Installed next weekend!
 
#14 · (Edited)
Wheels and Tires just arrived !!!!! THANKS SCOT and OE Wheels !!!! Cant wait to get them on !!

Here is a pic next to the stock 17" rims and Tires



 
#15 ·
Got the new springs , struts and shocks , and tires installed this weekend . Here are the measurements
Old stock - 58,000 miles
Before - Measured at the center of the wheel well
32 1/2 front
33 1/4 rear

after
33 1/4 front
33 3/4 rear

1 day after install ( after springs have settled)
33 1/4 front
33 1/2 rear

shocks - Blistein Hd Wk shocks
Springs -WK Eibachs
Swaybar - Srt 8 front and rear with new bushings and brackets
Tires - Nitto Nt420s 275-55-20
Wheels- Rep Srt 8 - 20x 9"
The first thing I noticed is It leveled out nicely . the rear is not higher then the front. from a visual stand point, It looks awesome!!! Wheels and tires look perfect in the wheel wells.
One of the big things I noticed is , When you hit the gas , The back end no longer drops . The power seems to go straight to the wheels and you go.
There is very little lean around bends . It seems to stick to the road. THIS IS GREAT!!! lol.


There is a little rub at full lock but It looks as if the plastic inner fender maybe alittle loose. I will have to check this and get back to you on this.

Its been raining here the past 2 days , I will post pics when the rain stops and I get her cleaned up.
 
#19 ·
Thanks lol, I will pick one up the next time I stop at the parts store, lol. Next inline is a ported TB and CIA .

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 
#21 ·
Its a whole new learning curve ,lol. In Crawling you want the suspension to flex and move freely , where in the street thing , Its better to have a stiffer suspension. Not to mention the height difference . My wife says its like putting "Skates on your A$$" ,lol.

I used to be a Volunteer FF ( Ran Ladder Company) awhile ago and I would have to agree, although the chemical put off from the newer material are like a HAZ-MAT incident ,lol. God bless you and Thanks for what you do !!
 
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#22 ·
UPDATES on this? im definitely interested in seeing those mounted up. like the thought behind this- wheeling days are over, why not keep it street.

on a side note, sorry to hear about your injuries- but thats awesome youre not letting it kill your passion for jeepin.
 
#23 ·
Thank You Paroxysym , I will get pics up as soon as possible. We had 2 days of rain then took it to a Dirt Mover 2000 ,lol. I was able to get a good wash on it today . so pics real soon ,lol
 
#24 ·
We went up to a local park to get some Pictures and wouldnt ya know it . They Tarred and chipped the road for winter .....:wtf: So that led us to another trip to a different Dirt mover 5000 ( auto car wash). then we went to a new place for the pics. sorry , Its not as clean as I wanted but we will get there ,:D .

The next things on the list ( already ordered ) - Afe dry filter CIA, Flyinryan's ported Throttle body , custom tune ( By FlyinRyan as well) , Flowmaster series 40 or super 40 Muffler (This isnt ordered yet ;))




 
#25 ·
Sorry to hear about your injuries. At least you've accepted it! Jeep looks great! Why did you go with such a big tire?

I ditched wheeling and $y beautiful xj on 35s to move on to my stock 05 wk when I new iwe were having a baby.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Thank You , Its been a struggle to get used to my new "Normal life" and still is at times but I have a Great wife and son who have stood by me ( sometimes dragging me ,LOL) forward lol .


I liked the SRT rims and while I was Talking to Scot at OE Wheels about what I was doing and how I wanted it to look . Thats what size seemed to work. In hind site, I would have probably gone with a Tire with a little less height but same width . The tires do slightly rub at full lock, which isnt a big deal . It is rubbing the plastic inner fender.
I have not really looked into fixing this yet , Other things have had me occupied .

It rides great and handles like its on rails,lol.

That was another reason why the LJ had to go . My 10 year old and his friends were getting to big to be jumping in and out of the back . I used to remember taking my son in his car seat ( well , The best car seat I could find ) up on the trails ,lol. He used to Laugh ,lol

Just a update ... Sitting on the porch this afternoon was a Flowmaster 942542 -40 series muffler .:thumbsup: It is 2.5 center inlet /2.5 offset outlet :D:D
 
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