...thanks, and yah I'll definitely keep going - I've wanted a bigger silly abusable 4-door version of my dad's 52 Willys M-38 for years, and this is it, both in form and primitive function, and to achieve that goal I'm trying really hard to have the custom parts look more like decent fabrication and less like fabricobble...fortunately thick paint helps a lot

...high pressure fuel filter is mounted in place on a removable bracket allowing it to hover just above the sending unit while also being neatly under the trap door, which I will raise up just about half inch to give plenty of clearance, both easily accessible from the floor hatch - just remove the right-rear seat and the hatch is right 'there' -






removable bracket to allow for removing the sending unit - works great -




removed a bit more from the floor -



and will clearance this lower part just a bit more -


Then mocked up the fuel lines and set the body on to check things out - pic from under the center console - sure is nice to be able to set the body on for fitment - noticed 'interference' between the projected fuel line route and outboard Atlas shift rod and cut yet another access port to enable me to maintain things that much easier -

...made a couple adjustments, and here's the layout. Both the feed and return are 5/16 EFI fuel hose from the tank to the throttle body, double wrapped first with DEI Vapor Block (pics) and then an outer heat shield from wherethehellever...




...and in the meantime...we have to have a new leach field put in...and they needed fill dirt...and we just happened to have a little project out back we wanted to do...so they helped us out by digging our giant hole...and we saved a bunch of $ on fill dirt - so now we have this to play in next to the rock pile



look close - there's a JKU on 37s in there...

pretty cool updates !
and you even get a "playground" in your back yard. now just how cool is that ?
i have been meaning to ask, how much weight do you think was added when you armored the underside ?

...oh I dunno - maybe 150-200 lbs or so - I still have to bolt up the rock sliders, armored fenders, and corner armor. And yah the playground out back is way more funerer now

so...the factory gas tank sending unit has a smooth (not barbed) output port, which has a connector fitting with an internal o-ring...but when attached it just didn't seem to be very 'tight'...so I deleted the fitting and slipped the 5/16 hose directly over the port, which went on pretty tight, and then an EFI clamp to seal the deal - should work fine





I'm confident this will hold up to 50-60 psi just fine...and simplifies 'everything' -


with that done, attached all the fuel lines for good, and might even fill the tank all the way up and check the seals for the 'add-ons' - the float and return line - make sure they don't leak. Now is the time ...

I wouldn't count on the clamp holding that hose onto the smooth plastic nipple. It didn't work out well for me. The hose would stay on the plastic nipple for about 3-4 days, then blow off, and the electric fuel pump just keeps on pumping a lot of gas, real fast as long as the key is on, until the electric safeties shut off the pump (it will dump a gallon of gas before that happens). That was on a street use vehicle that didn't see any of the vibrations your truck will see. What ever you put there has to have some kind of locking ring to keep it connected.

Back then (3-4 years ago) Orilley's had a replacement fitting with the locking ring. It had a short piece of ribbed steel tubing for the hose to clamp onto, with the other end that fit over the plastic nipple complete with O rings to seal it, and a new factory style locking clamp to hold it there. That replacement end was only about 3" long, and was around $10-$12 back then.

yep understand, and that's why I post up my progress - to get second opinions and/or other recommendations, and based on another thread the build is on I ordered the two below fittings - I'll know soon how well it fits on a JK sending unit -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GB2R77C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09494FV4N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

...so again, one of the main reasons I post up the many steps of what I'm doing is to enable the opportunity for others to provide feedback on better ways to do a thing, a perfect example being this really slick aluminum fuel fitting that replaces (in this case) the OE plastic wrangler gas tank sending unit fitting the gas tank sending unit. A guy on Irate made me aware of these and I already have it installed. This is an aluminum, internal double o-ring fuel fitting which appears to be a specific replacement for the weak OE plastic fittings -

Evil Energy 6an - 3/8 fuel fitting - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GB2R77C?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Evil Energy 6an - 5/16 hose fitting - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09494FV4N?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

As far as I can tell this fitting attaches to the plastic output tube on my 2014 Wrangler gas tank perfectly - secures nice and tight to the stop lip -










and with these upgraded fittings in place the fuel system is 'done'. I did slightly 'scar' the plastic output tube with my exacto knife trying to get the 5/16 rubber hose off (that didn't make me happy) so I had to lightly sand the edge down for the o-ring to seal up clean; I was planning to fill the tank completely to make sure the float and return line seals don't leak, and while I'm at it I'll energize the pump and pressurize the lines and check for leaks.

I like that a lot better.

that IS a slick piece !
i'll bet that will fit other mopar vehicles as well.

I finally got the coils mounted. It took forever because I wanted upper and lower isolators for both the front and rear coils to the axles...but to my continued disbelief I could not find a source for a Wrangler JK/U rear coil spring lower isolator...at least not for the Iron rock coils in my kit that fit flat on the 14b perch. The coils have a 2" i.d. at the base, and I needed a polyurethane bushing that would both fit the 2" hole just a bit tight and have an i.d. that would allow for a decently thick post to center on. After several rounds on Amazon of buy/return I finally found bushings that fit the bill perfectly...in the form of Kenworth motor mounts .

Get the mounts, pound out the sleeves, shave off the dome (that rests on the axle perch), cut about 1/2" off the length. Then a friend machined me a set of 1" x 1.5" steel posts with 1/2-13 internal thread, welded the posts to the perches...and the bushings fits my rear coils perfectly -






I used a wood rasp on my drill press to make a perfect chamfer to clear the welds -


Fits the coil base perfectly -




steel alignment posts -




After I bolted them in place I noticed the coils have a bit of 'bend' to them - due to the angle I have my 14b at to center the pinion joint - not really awesome, so I'm likely going to modify the coil base to zero out the bend...

...the front coils were much simpler - a set of bushings from Energy Suspension did the trick with no mods, #9.6120G -

Built a bracket to angle up the rear coil base mount - works great - squares up the coil nicely -






before...


...after -


And thanks to a big beefy Artec bracket the rear track bar is in -



Front is in work, long with shock mount adjustments...

So I'm really happy with my Iron Rock lift kit...but the bump stops left a bit to be deisred, so I opted to go with DV8 hydraulic/nitro bump stops. Easy installation in the front, the rear needed more custom work, including a set of machined sleeves I frenched into the frame - so far looking and working great. Finishing shock mounts now.

pic of the extensions in the kit - they'd work...but I can do better -


DV8 nitrogen charged hydraulic bumps - should soften the impacts nicely -


...hidden inside the front coil -


My neighbor Ben machined the ends of the sleeves to accommodate the threaded inserts -










Go 'Merica!!

ok - after 4 (I think) iterations I think I have the exhaust figured out...at least the Y-pipe. To recap, 2" primary pipes into a single 2.5" all the way out the back, using the OE Wrangler 2.5" muffler (same configuration as the 02 Dakota had with the 360). There were many factors in the overall calculus, and in the end retaining a flat belly (no exhaust plumbing peaking out) was paramount, while also avoiding heating things up as much as possible, and ultimately I am bringing the p-side exhaust straight down and under the bellhousing and up to join the d-side. Might send the y-pipe to JetHot to gain maximum heat retention and limit radiation. Here is the y-pipe - working on connecting the dots out the back next.













this pic is at max compression - there will be a bunch more room at regular ride height...

Looks great, but its going to be a pain if you ever have to drop that transmission. Might have to lift the body off it get it out.

Nice job on fitting the exhaust into very tight areas. That piece must be a bear to get in and out of there!
Nice fabrication skills BTW...

thanks. Far as I can tell to drop the y-pipe all I'll have to do is drop the engine/trans shield and front driveshaft - easy squeazy - fortunately I shouldn't have to drop it out...like...ever.

But also...if I ever do have to pull the tranny...I probably will go ahead and pull the body off - I'm designing things so that will be pretty easy too

another example of the excellent fabrication skills you possess !
job well done sir !