The Chechs X-Build

[The Chech]

*Warning picture heavy*

I wasnt new to the off road scene but the day I bought my X I knew there had to be alot done to it before I could say mine was different from any one else's. And not be like the rest of those pretty little mall cralwers(jeeps)
And so the story begins.

List of mods

* = extras in case of breakage

(Engine)
-Stock for now

(Suspension/Powertrain)
-AC's UCA
-*Sway away torsion bars
-Deaver AAL (smallest leaf removed)
-Extended rear dif breather hose
-Front/Rear Sway bar delete
-Bilstein HD shocks Front/Rear
-MM Manuel hubs

(Wheels/Tires)
-Crager soft 8's 15x8's / 33x10.5x15 BFG KM2 (wheelin set)
-Stock allows 15x7's / 31x10.5x15 BFG AT's (driving set)

(Armor)
-Shrockworks Front bumper (Champion 8k + MasterPull Amsteel blue sythetic rope)
-Shrockworks Engine/Trans skid
-Shrockworks Front skid

(Lighting)
-(4) U.S General 6" Offroad Roof lights (roof)
-(2) Rugged ridge (rear facing)
-(2) hella 500 Driving lights (bumper)

(Steering)
-Beck/Arnley Centerlink
-*Deeza Inner/Outter TRE
-*Durlast tie rod adjuster (lifetime warrenty)
-AC's Idle arm brace

(Audio/Comunication)
-Pioneer DEH-2400ub head unit
-Pioneer Front/Rear speakers
-Cobra 19 DX lV CB 40-channel
-Firestik 4' Tuneable antenna (Frontbumper mounted)

As she sits now

The first few mods came really fast. I knew I had to do some thing about my exposed lights and tire that was under the car (poped 2 spares under the car with my old 98 4runner, learned that lesson the hard way....)

Thats what happens when you wheel as a newbie. Crap happens litterly....(and you drive onto a Semi dry lake bed)




After some wheeling and the delivery of my Shrockworks bumper I decided it was time to start getting recovery gear to same my own tail and fellow wheelers.
Then came the winch (love using this for every thing else but pulling people out I came to find out)

But after putting that heavy winch in I came to realize some thing needed to be done with some of the weight up front. I soon realized about the wonders of synthetic ropes and the ease of using and not to mention them being alot safer over a steel cables.

Soon had to use the winch for the first time alone (was kinda fun to be honest)

Then came the sway bar removals (makes a huge difference when trying to get over things)

After about the 3rd time to Uwharrie i soon realized i needed some more protection under the truck. Back to ShrockWorks with teh monies! and found there set of skids (not gonna lie those things are heavy....)

 

[The Chech]

The a few months came and went and then one day my friend showed me the wonders of small things to be painted can make your X really be different from the others (but now it seems like every one paints there trimmings black :S) *and thats Bryan he finally bought an Xterra hooorrraaaaay!*

The I got a little creative while I waited on alot of the trimmings to dry and decided I didn't like the plain-ness of the rear hatch

Have to admit X's look alot better with every thing black on them and the tiny amount of snow NC got over the 2011-2012 winter (>.>)

Thats when I decided that the factory wheels had to go for some thing a little more wider. Found a great deal on some cragar soft 8's

Realizing soon that'd I'd be upgrading tire size to a 33 I needed some thing to help out my steering until I could redo most of it, so it wouldn't come apart on me on the trails. So I decided to go with the AC idle arm brace for the time being.

Before the last trip to Uwharrie for my birth day this April I wanted to get a little more articulation out of the front. So I went about taking off the front sway bar to get that extra umph outta her.

As the X sits now 4/13/12

This is where its starts to get a little more interesting trying to fit 33's on a stock X but hey i make things work

The ones off the X are 31 bfg a/t's the ones on X are 33's . I amuse my self some times lol

The today before the rest of the lift comes in i wanted to get rid of the trailer hitch for that extra 3"s of clearance in the rear. But then soon realized I had no recovery point at all. So after some quick thinking and find my old tow hook laying around taking a breather from being scraped every where I hatched a scheme.

Coming soon! the AC 3" lift (after the UCA's and ball joints get here....) 4/27/12

More parts came in!

Well after about a week of waiting to put all the parts on the day finally arrived! 5/5/12

Then came the front (will never try and do this again unless I have to....)

Yup bolts were so old and rusted out ended up cut the entire upper A-arm off from the cam bolts to the ball joints......(dont ever recommend doing this unless you have to or you have amazing skills with alot of drill bits and a decent drill..) 5/7/12

Had to drill out the spindle on both sides....

But we finally got it all done after a few days
(And yes didnt think this one through but we did it in my garage and had to have alot of bumper monkeys to weight the X down just to get it out)5/8/12

And just for comparison of a stock X here is that pic too 5/10/12

 

[The Chech]

And another reserve

 

[Davcos]

Nice rig man, looks real good

 

[Macland]

Great looking rig man. I think a little color on the skids is fun.

 

[The Chech]

Haha thanks! and yeah I was kinda worried how the red would turn out but it did alright in the end. The only thing and painting with me is that if I buy to much paint I'll want to paint every thing and that can be bad some times lol

 

[Timrich]

Very nice sir! Looking forward to the lift.

 

[bigjim247365]

very cool!

 

[The Chech]

Now I have to figure out what to do next, other the some sliders and a rear tire carrier. The only thing is the tire carrier wont happen for awhile....

 

[Kris&HerX]

Well... while you're waiting you could help your friend up in Hickory out with whatever she needs. Just kidding.

 

[The Chech]

What'd you need help with up in hickory? or are you just dying to get the parts I don't want any more lol

 

[Kris&HerX]

A little of both.

Maintenance work mostly, it's past time for new spark plugs, a transmission flush, radiator flush. Etc.

 

[Jmac289gt]

X looks good sir, hope you get the rear figured out to where you like it.

 

[RATTFINK]

A fellow Alpine Green X... I LIKE!

Lookin good, keep it up.

 

[J Everett]

Nicely documented build, great lookin' X!

 

[The Chech]

Concurring Daniel trail the wrong way haha

 

[Jmac289gt]

Oh wow, that looks a little on the scary side but then the background in your last picture looks amazing.

 

[Xtacular]

How bad was the rubbing in the front passenger wheel well in the 3rd to last picture?

 

[Trexx]

1st gen = beast


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?ju3vst

 

[bigjim247365]

nice 3 wheeling pics!

 

[The Chech]

Wasnt rubbing at all, I've cleaned out the wheel wells so much that I can stuff 33's in there and be good to go.

But after last night I'm kinda up shiat creek with out a paddle, blew out either my torsion bar or the anchor. The front right tire went into a ditch with a large slam then heard a very loud pop so I'm kind of assuming its the T-bar......just my luck... will get pics later

 

[The Chech]

Gotta get back out to Uwahrrie soon, missing those days out in the woods!

 

[Jmac289gt]

So what ended up broke on your ride?

 

[The Chech]

The torsion bar adjustment anchor. The splines in it were just destroyed they were smooth but nothing happened to the torsion bar so now I have 2 set of HD T-bars.

 

[The Chech]

Some more wheeling pictures of Uwharrie

The middle of rocky mountain trail

Airing back up for the trip home

 

[gorillamel]

Nice pics! It's always fun to see other people's wheeling pics. Glad to see you take yours out and use the heck outta it on trail.

 

[The Chech]

Thanks and its always fun to get out in the out doors and put it through its paces and make the guys in the jeeps look bad

And lovin the Initial D avatar!

 

[The Chech]

So blew a hub completely on my passenger side (will have pics soon) but surprised it took this long for the auto hubs to go. Went ahead and ordered the mile marker manual locking hubs from 4x4parts so will have pics on how they go in and replace your hubs.

 

[xterror04]

Eek, be careful man those mile marker hubs like to grenade

 

[Xado89]

Nice looking rig!

Just a question, how well does the ride handle minus the FRONT sway bar? Have heard mixed views on having it vs not having it. Any issues with tire wear or anything like that?

All in all man, keep it up that thing is a beast! Love all the rigs on here.

 

[Kris&HerX]

Some more wheeling pictures of Uwharrie

Airing back up for the trip home

Do you know about the button on the underside of the air compressor? We learned about it at our 1st trip to URE. Def much better than spending numerous quarters on 4 trucks worth of air.

 

[The Chech]

Well with the new HD torsion bars its not a huge difference but it has some body roll. I just don't drive like a mad man around town with it but all in all its isn't bad just have to take turns a little slower and the wear on the tires I haven't had an issue. Woah what button Kristen? the small one under that lets you steal air ?

 

[The Chech]

Eek, be careful man those mile marker hubs like to grenade

Er what like as in BOOM BOOM pow type? And I hope not lol but wheelin around here is starting to die down a bit so they wont be pushed to hard until next summer atleast

 

[drbandkgb]

Those hubs are very weak... Warns or the factory hubs are the way to go

 

[RacerXXL]

Er what like as in BOOM BOOM pow type? And I hope not lol but wheelin around here is starting to die down a bit so they wont be pushed to hard until next summer atleast

Oh so you've seen one fail before? Because that is precisely the noise this one made when it went. Mind you Luke was behind the wheel and he can break anything. :blush:

 

[drbandkgb]

Oh so you've seen one fail before? Because that is precisely the noise this one made when it went. Mind you Luke was behind the wheel and he can break anything. :blush:

Sad thing was those were pretty new hubs too lol

 

[The Chech]

Haha wow and nope first time I've ever blown a hub, just surprised it took this long. But for the money I just need them to work on the roads and mountains until next summer for now at least though.

 

[Kris&HerX]

Well with the new HD torsion bars its not a huge difference but it has some body roll. I just don't drive like a mad man around town with it but all in all its isn't bad just have to take turns a little slower and the wear on the tires I haven't had an issue. Woah what button Kristen? the small one under that lets you steal air ?

Well technically you aren't stealing it. The owner of the station told us about it when he saw our cup of quarters. He said he tells all the offroaders to do it. You've probably just been there on the days he's not in.

 

[The Chech]

Well one of the guys inside told us about it he just looked really young to be the owner and honestly every gas station should have that button. Such a rip off to pay 4$ to fill all the tires up every where else. The only places I like paying for air is the one that are doing fund raisers through them.

 

[The Chech]

Got the hubs done today pics and a write up should be up by tomorrow