94 ZJ

[workgoats]

Some of you know that I bought 3 Jeep ZJs at impound auctions, 94.96 and 97.

Only the 94 was a 4x.  We turned the 97 into a parts car and my grand-daughter is driving the 96.  I put the 97 grille and bumper on the 94 so basically it looked identical to the 96.  I bought a set of plans and built the winch bumper that's on it now, eventually adding pull points and moving the license plate to a flip up cover over the faring and winch and rope hook.

I put turbine wheels and 31x10.5 tires that my daughter bought from Ryan on the Jeep, having to space them out 1.5 inches to clear the sway bar.

Next I added a Rough Country 3.5" lift to get it to the last look.

Still left to do is a skid plate under the transfer, because I'm not breaking another one and a skid plate under the gas tank, because there's fragile electric pump parts in there.  Also, there is one more plate under the bumper, from the bumper to the factory skid plate.

It has a 4.0, 373 gears, a 242 transfer case that gives it full time and part time and it starts regularly.

[workgoats]

Richard had gotten me some front bumper parts that were missing, then I just threw it away and built a new one.  Thanks anyway Richard...

[SixGun]

    
Sniffle sniffle ... That's OK

[workgoats]

   
Sniffle sniffle ... That's OK

I found those parts in storage today...  I'll keep them for you.

[workgoats]

So, in the last few days I have been saving the bacon for some very non-thinking red necks.  Our employees have stuck our pavement only forklift several times.  I have winched it out twice with the 94 jeep and the 12,000# Harbor Freight winch.  I had to tie the Jeep to a tree once and park it in a ditch the second time to keep it from being drug across the field.

Then a guy in a new ferd with a round bale trailer buried up in a neighbors yard.  Then some guy in a diesel Ram buried himself while hooked to the ferd.  We winched out the Dodge by tying a tractor to the back of the jeep for ballast.  Then, when we went to pull out the ferd and the trailer, we had the snatch block on the ferd and ran the end of the winch to the Dodge to get enough weight to pull him out.

I tripped the 150 amp circuit breaker twice that night but the winch motor never got hot.  We would have taken some pics but it was too dark to find a camera...

End result:  I'm very happy with the Harbor Freight winch and new bumper I built.  And, I suggest a good re-settable 150 amp circuit breaker to go with any winch.

[SixGun]

Have you seen the new Badlands 18k winch?  Though it seems like weight capacity is not an issue as much as ballast.

http://m.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/winches/18000-lb-industrialtow-truck-electric-winch-with-automatic-load-holding-brake-62194.html

[crazzywolfie]

almost sounds like you are in the wrong line of work .

[workgoats]

almost sounds like you are in the wrong line of work .

I'm thinking that will have to go on the 57 if I can ever get the title.

[SixGun]

I can see it now, with "WorkGoats Recovery" on the doors.