Stage II - bigger, heavier, slower.

[SirFuego]

Looks awesome, Ryan! Looking forward to seeing it this weekend!

[rstrucks]

Good looking and fully functional don't always go together but I think you pulled it off. One of the cleanest full body grands I've seen over the years... hope it stays that way, kind of

Ha, we shall see. Thanks man, sometimes I wonder why the hell I'm trying so hard to make it look clean, it was a ton of extra work. I just hope it lasts a while.

What he said. Easily my favorite cage design in/on a ZJ so far. I was going to ask how you terminated the "roof rails" a while ago - what do you have planned?

Thanks man. I am planning on just welding a "footplate" on the roof near the compound curve (at the rear upper corner) right next to the end of the tube and welding it together. I'll probably use the cap of the, as of now, open tube end as the peice that will tie into the footplate. I hope that makes sense. I was going to add some triangulated tube supports to tie into the C pillar exo crossbar but have just about decided against it. I wouldn't be able to fully weld the tubes due to lack of mig access and for lack of a better term I think the rear hatch area is "sacrificial". If I roll it, I will probably just chop it and move on. I hope that won't happen but I have considered it.

[rstrucks]

Looks awesome, Ryan! Looking forward to seeing it this weekend!

Thanks Jared. Im fnready to wheel this weekend!

I never did get any extra lights installed though..

[paulkeith]

must.........close window........before i delete......for sale......post






Looks really good. Bummed i'm gonna miss this weekend guys.

[IndyZJ]

Thanks man. I am planning on just welding a "footplate" on the roof near the compound curve (at the rear upper corner) right next to the end of the tube and welding it together. I'll probably use the cap of the, as of now, open tube end as the peice that will tie into the footplate. I hope that makes sense. I was going to add some triangulated tube supports to tie into the C pillar exo crossbar but have just about decided against it. I wouldn't be able to fully weld the tubes due to lack of mig access and for lack of a better term I think the rear hatch area is "sacrificial". If I roll it, I will probably just chop it and move on. I hope that won't happen but I have considered it.

Makes sense. When "mentally designing" for the ZJ, I had virtually the same thing in mind for the interior/ exo idea, only I couldn't figure out a clean way to terminate the roof rails and have any real structural integrity back there without killing cargo space. The only thing I could think of would be to triangulate to the C pillar cross bar like you said and add a D pillar to the cage, tying into where your C pillar brace hits the floor.

Really, if you roll it hard enough to ruin that area with what you're planning on, the body is basically done for anyway, at least behind the C pillars.

[CrawlerReady]

VERY bad ass Ryan! Looks great! Excellent fab skills you have. Like Indy said, the best looking in/ex cage I've seen to date.

[chadjans]

Stop off at a truck scale on your way to GSSE. I am curious.

[Brad S]

Man your rig is sweat! Very clean looking... for now

[UTChavok]

Ryan what are you running exhaust wise? Or what were you back when it was on 35s in Harlan, when yall filmed? I clearly remember that being one of the reasons I was so dead set on getting a 5.9 . I have to cut mine off soon and trying to get some ideas.

[rstrucks]

Ryan what are you running exhaust wise? Or what were you back when it was on 35s in Harlan, when yall filmed? I clearly remember that being one of the reasons I was so dead set on getting a 5.9 . I have to cut mine off soon and trying to get some ideas.

It has a Flowmaster muffler and a high flow Magnaflow cat. I also have Edelbrock headers on it.


I had thought pretty hard about selling my ZJ and picking up a TJ. The TJ I had my eye on I ended up passing on and decided just to go ahead and keep the Grand.

It's been a while since I updated and I am actually getting some work done. When I get my camera out I'll get the some pics loaded up.

[AgitatedPancake]

AWESOME man I'm glad to hear it. Makes me sad each time we lose one to the dark side

[Jeeptech01]

It has a Flowmaster muffler and a high flow Magnaflow cat. I also have Edelbrock headers on it.


I had thought pretty hard about selling my ZJ and picking up a TJ. The TJ I had my eye on I ended up passing on and decided just to go ahead and keep the Grand.

It's been a while since I updated and I am actually getting some work done. When I get my camera out I'll get the some pics loaded up.

So are header options really that limited for the ZJ? Since it looks like I'll be swapping a magnum into the XJ I want some shortys. Someone said they are like $650?? Theres gotta be a better way.

[biggoofy]

Glad you didn't sell it man I love your ZJ.

[ATL ZJ]

whatever you're working on, I can't wait to see it in action at GSSE-W

[Stroked X]

looks badass love your cage. its giving me ideas lol

[rstrucks]

So are header options really that limited for the ZJ? Since it looks like I'll be swapping a magnum into the XJ I want some shortys. Someone said they are like $650?? Theres gotta be a better way.

Yeah, they're high. You can find them for around $550 I think.

whatever you're working on, I can't wait to see it in action at GSSE-W

Nothing too exciting. Working on doing a double triangulated rear 4 link and trussing the rear axle a bit.

[squashman702]

Just read this start to finish. Very clean build, your attention to detail really makes the difference.

[Jeeptech01]

Yeah, they're high. You can find them for around $550 I think.



Nothing too exciting. Working on doing a double triangulated rear 4 link and trussing the rear axle a bit.

Ugh. I was reading that some of the dakota headers can fit with some work. I guess I may go that route.

The four link will be cool Im sure. Cant wait to see some pics.

[zj6.5]

Ugh. I was reading that some of the dakota headers can fit with some work. I guess I may go that route.

The four link will be cool Im sure. Cant wait to see some pics.

Make your own?

[slim616]

Nothing too exciting. Working on doing a double triangulated rear 4 link and trussing the rear axle a bit.

does this mean your going to do something about your wooden spacers

[Jeeptech01]

Make your own?

I could but it usually winds up cheaper to buy a set and cut them up a bit.

[rstrucks]

does this mean your going to do something about your wooden spacers

Hater.

[rstrucks]

Four link pics -

[rstrucks]

More...

[FortCollinsZJ]

Everything looks stellar as per usual! The bolt on truss is trick! And the clearance for the upper links. Awesome stuff Ryan.

Is it a total bitch to get to the bolt for the upper on the passenger side, due to the muffler?

What muffler and cat are you using, those both look like the dimensions I need.