Todd's 1974 J10 Muddin Build Log

[JeepsAndGuns]

So was it a event somewhere or just you and some friends getting together?
My cherokee is mostly stock with almost worn out tires, but I would at least come up and watch. Le me know next time and I will drive on up there.

[247pia]

Did you do a cut and turn on your front axle? I did a write up on that some where in here.

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by JeepsAndGuns

So was it a event somewhere or just you and some friends getting together?
My cherokee is mostly stock with almost worn out tires, but I would at least come up and watch. Le me know next time and I will drive on up there.

It was the first time I had been to this bog, over 100 people showed up (quite small in my opinion) not something I'd drive from Cullman to go to. But if I can remember I'll let you know in the spring when extreme mudsports opens back up. Colt ford has played there a few times and it's at least a thousand people out there when he comes to town. They only have about an acre of mud, but it's pretty fun. They have some moderate hills as well, as well as some rocks.

Just saying.... mostly stock is a better in my opinion. After everything I've done to the truck I think I had more fun when it was stock axles, no lift, 33's and the petal to the floor. It was more of a struggle but it could just about go through anything the big guys went through. It was a lot funner on hills too. The main thing was knowing that you hadn't spend as much as what a new car cost and you weren't worried as much about breaking things since you hadn't already spent money on axles, driveshafts, etc.

I'm sure you know of grey rock since it's closer to you, that's my next objective. Rock climbing tends to require more skill than just putting it in a hole and slinging mud around. I am going to try grey rock out next year though. http://www.grayrockorv.com/

They have trails you can have fun on stock, all the way to extremely stupid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WciZm...feature=relmfu

They don't have next years schedules up, but this is extreme mud sports site.

http://www.extrememudsports.com/

Let me know what you think.

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by 247pia

Did you do a cut and turn on your front axle? I did a write up on that some where in here.

I did not, seems like it's not as easy as it sounds. My drivline angles ended up alright after going back to stock j20 springs on top of the d60, just a little vibration in 4wd.

You can provide a link though, and I'll check it out.

[247pia]

Here is the link where I cut and turned the knuckles, I forgot to bring my camera to my friends house where I did this but the first post I tell what I did and there are pictures of the after math.


http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showt...hlight=finally


In response to your above post, does it just feel that your truck is too big now?

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by 247pia

Here is the link where I cut and turned the knuckles, I forgot to bring my camera to my friends house where I did this but the first post I tell what I did and there are pictures of the after math.


http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showt...hlight=finally


In response to your above post, does it just feel that your truck is too big now?

Thanks for the link.... I don't see myself changing much in the driveline unless I start having some major issues, but I'm glad to have a definite method to turn the axle now.

I don't feel that the truck is too big, it's exactly the way I wanted it from the day I drug it out of the ware house. It is exactly the end result I had hoped for.... I just feel that I had more fun in it with less worry when it was stock with 33's. I've learned a TON doing this project and would change my method 100% (would have done a 4.8 fuel injected swap for fuel economy and added a turbo for power on demand like I did to my other truck / would have went rockwells with a 4 link / 44's with full hydro steering / skipped the 10 different suspension setups I tried / skipped the sets and sets of bent springs / forgot about keeping it a true jeep with an amc heart)

All in all I am happy how the truck has turned out so far, and it does great off roading, in the mud, climbing, as well as driving down the road smoother as butter (even with boggers). But I could have made it a bigger / more capable truck with an automatic transmission, fuel injected reliable motor with more power and better mpg, stronger axles, bigger tires to displace more mud. And I could have done all this spending a lot less money than what I have spent on the current setup.

My problem was a plan, I never had a definite plan and just kept adding and adding... if I would have realized what it would have ended up costing doing everything the way I did it I would have just bit the bullet and done it once and got finished with it.

Back to reality though, the truck is great the way it is. You don't see too many of them around these parts anymore so everyone that sees it loves it. It looks great, and is fun to hop into on a sunday and go trail riding. Once I get the interior buttoned up and some paint on her this project will be finished, and I'll be completely happy with the end result.

That's my un organized sloppy rant about the truck.... just reflecting back and explaining what I would do if I knew then what I knew now.

Still love my dang ol mud light. If anything It'll stick with me through thick and thin.


I've done this along the way a few times... a to do list. Here is the list as it stands now.

Twin Sticks - Ordered
Get the seat redone - Calling him next week
Order the full replacement vinyl mat from bj's
Get the stock cluster working and do away with my autometer gauges
Make the diamond plate door panels
Make a new headliner
Fab up a front bumper around the existing winch plate
Get the marker lights working and figure out my electrical demon in the tail lights / turn signals
Fix the rust in the body and throw some new orange paint and clear on

I guess that's the order from most to least important as of now, and will likely be the order the work will be done in. I want to keep the tail gate but I think it would be more work than it's worth, so I may end up with one of those nets on the back.

Getting closer and closer to the finished product. Baby steps

[JeepsAndGuns]

I have heard of gray rock, but never been.
Have you ever been to stony lonesome? Its closer to me than gray rock. Its in the dodge city/bremen area on hwy 69. Really easy to find. I went there a couple years ago, but havent had the chance to go back. Mainly because I dont want to wheel alone.

[holley2346]

Thanks for showing me that! I may try to get my dad to bring his rubicon and go up within a couple of weeks! Looks like it would be a ton of fun!

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by JeepsAndGuns

I have heard of gray rock, but never been.
Have you ever been to stony lonesome? Its closer to me than gray rock. Its in the dodge city/bremen area on hwy 69. Really easy to find. I went there a couple years ago, but havent had the chance to go back. Mainly because I dont want to wheel alone.

Are all of the trails on the map navigatable by a full size vehicle? If so I may have to get a cabin and spend a weekend up there. It looks nice!

[JeepsAndGuns]

They have some trails for atv's/dirtbikes, and then regular ones for 4x4's.
When I went a couple years ago I was in my cherokee, stock height and 31's..lol
All their trails are labeled as easy, med, and hard. So you know where and where not to drive your vehicles.
If you let me know at least a week in advance, I would drive out there and go with ya. Heck, we could even post it up here and see if any other members want to join.

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by JeepsAndGuns

They have some trails for atv's/dirtbikes, and then regular ones for 4x4's.
When I went a couple years ago I was in my cherokee, stock height and 31's..lol
All their trails are labeled as easy, med, and hard. So you know where and where not to drive your vehicles.
If you let me know at least a week in advance, I would drive out there and go with ya. Heck, we could even post it up here and see if any other members want to join.

thats what i would like to do. I really want to go next weekend but am trying to see if everything will work out.

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by JeepsAndGuns

They have some trails for atv's/dirtbikes, and then regular ones for 4x4's.
When I went a couple years ago I was in my cherokee, stock height and 31's..lol
All their trails are labeled as easy, med, and hard. So you know where and where not to drive your vehicles.
If you let me know at least a week in advance, I would drive out there and go with ya. Heck, we could even post it up here and see if any other members want to join.

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=148605

[Rompn]

So what was/is your current setup from the mud bog photos? Still running 6" springs with an SOA or the stock J20 springs? Still have the 1" longer shackle up front as well? What about the setup out back? Trying to finalize a few options since I will be running the same tire size on a wide trac Cherokee and am not looking to cut much if anything. Thanks.

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by Rompn

So what was/is your current setup from the mud bog photos? Still running 6" springs with an SOA or the stock J20 springs? Still have the 1" longer shackle up front as well? What about the setup out back? Trying to finalize a few options since I will be running the same tire size on a wide trac Cherokee and am not looking to cut much if anything. Thanks.

Right now I'm stock j20 springs / stock shackle / soa front. Shackle Flip / 2" AAL / 3" Block Rear.

I don't know if these "stock j20 springs" had anything done to them or if they are just stiffer and a little taller than my old j10 springs, but the truck still sits up plenty high, and I don't feel that I lost 6 inches by removing the lift springs..... more like 3 or so.

[Rompn]

Originally Posted by holley2346

Right now I'm stock j20 springs / stock shackle / soa front. Shackle Flip / 2" AAL / 3" Block Rear.

I don't know if these "stock j20 springs" had anything done to them or if they are just stiffer and a little taller than my old j10 springs, but the truck still sits up plenty high, and I don't feel that I lost 6 inches by removing the lift springs..... more like 3 or so.

Thanks for the info. Ya, the front definitely looks higher than just a standard SOA on stock springs. Do you rub at front or rear?

[holley2346]

Originally Posted by Rompn

Thanks for the info. Ya, the front definitely looks higher than just a standard SOA on stock springs. Do you rub at front or rear?

i dont rub at all