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Ricel's Official Build Thread

35K views 201 replies 37 participants last post by  tito6116 
#1 · (Edited)
2002 SE, Auto, 4WD, Black
Ghost

Body:
Plastics
Hitch Flip with custom stock bumper How-to


On Board Air:
10# Air tank /w regulator and 25' air compressor hose. Bumper QD soon to come*

Front Suspension:
Stock
AC UCA's [in box]
Sway-a-way torsion bars [in box]
3" extended Bilsteins 5100 [shipped]

Rear Suspension:
AC Shackles
AC 3 pack AAL's [shipped]
3" extended Bilsteins 5100 [shipped]


Steering:
Stock

Drivetrain:
Airbox Mod
K&N Dropin
Straight pipe exhaust (ok... ok... the muff rusted off)
Replaced original 2002 engine with engine from 2003 X that had rolled

Armor:
Skid-Row Engine Skid
Skid-Row Front Skid

Recovery:
Block and Tackle/Spare Shackles for off angle recoveries
Hi-Lift 48" Jack, Shovel
3' x 30' Snatch Strap
3" x 10' Tree Strap
1 Front Bumper Recovery hook
Rear Bumper Recovery hitch

Structural Mods:
2" Body Lift

Tires:
265/75/16 Goodyear Duratracks

Lighting:
B&M Low Profile Light Bar (Removable / Waterproof Plug) How-to
2 X Hella 500 Driving lights
2 X Hella 500ff Fog Lights
XOskel Rear Low Pro Light Bar
2 X Optronics Lowproile
LED Engine Lighting How-to

Entertainment:
Kenwood KAC 7202 490 watt Amp
Kenwood 12" KFC-W3005 Sub in enclosed box
Fusion 2000 iPod, AmFM, Satellite, VHF
Rubber ducky antenna
XM Satellite radio
Uniden PC68XL CB with Firering and Firestik 4' Tuneable Hatch mounted Antenna
Iphone Apps
Landmeter
Rev with PLX (OBD-2 scanner and logger)
Motion X GPS map tracker

Other:
Yakima Load Warrior Tob Rack
Removable Yakima Bedhead Bike Mount
Wireless Remote Starter Disable

Day one:




Now:


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Early September 2010 my friend was selling his Black 2002 se. He wanted out of the loan and I needed a new car. I paid him the remainder of the loan and walked away with a nice truck. A hell of a lot better than a 1995 toyota tercel.

After driving it a couple days I searched online and found this forum. We all know what happens when we first found this side. We got the bug. He's bone-stock minus the removal of the step rails and mud flaps. Great truck and looked great for the miles on the body.

Two weeks later I was leaving campus and I turn the key. All I heard was that CLICK noise. Aww hell. I Tried to jump it for a while, but no go. I though it had to be the starter. So my friend and I ran to autozone and throw in a new starter in right in the parking lot. After that the truck started right up. Thought I solved the problem

Well bout a week later Im pulling into autozone to pickup and replace worn pads and I turn the key, again noting.

The guy tested the battery and told me it was shot. The cells were bad. (If i wasn't stuck dead I would have brought it to my work and tested it with digital battery tester. (I don't really like autozone much). Purchased a new battery and drove it to work, retested the new battery and found it wasn't charging. (again, hate autozone). My friend and I found out the alternator was the real problem from the beginning. Replaced that, bought an AGM battery (what a red top is made of) from work and put that in after returning the other to autozone. (Don't think I have to repeat who Im not fond of)
Least I won't have to worry bout em.
But enough of that.

Next came the real modding. Ordered up the shackles off AC. Love how beefy they are!




The sway bar. It is coming off, just not that night.

I installed some LED lights in the engine bay as utilities for night time oil checking. Check out the DIY in my sig. I also added some hells and free wally-world roof lights with a B&M light bar. (wiring soon to be done)

I ordered up the Loadwarror through my work. I wanted a better place to put my spare rather than take up room under or inside my truck. My jeepin buddy doesn't have a bracket for his High-lift he inherited, so I told him we could put it on my truck. Plus it looks badass.

Now if you look closely you might see the distruction of a warn out passanger tire... Yep my friend got new tires and never did the alignment. So after much research I went ahead and ordered up some 265/75/16 Duratracs.

I was like a kid on xmas morning when I dropped my truck off at the tire place. He calls me and I pull up to see this!

I smiles, just a little bit. I love how quite those tires are and balzieness of them.

After that, I had time to remove the sway bar. Once you put the tire on the roof, you really do get a lot of room under there.


In the process of OSPHOing the underside. My friend and I will be doing both our frames and possibly repainting them to deal with the NE rust war.

Did my diff recently, and came out amazing. Will be posting pics as soon as we get a sunny day.
 
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#3 ·
Nice job and a good start! :D

Man I feel for you guys up in the NE having to deal with the rust issues. That's a whole new level of maintenance I fortunately don't have to worry with.

Keep the pics coming man!
 
#4 ·
Nice man, get those pics of the engine lights..

Currently doing a bunch of leds both in/out of the cabin right now..
check out my sig, I have the diy link in there. Soon to replace them with brighter LEDS:wink-big:
 
#6 ·
#8 ·
They really aren't that bad.. once you've taken your bumpers on and off about 10 times lol. All you have to do is remove the biggest part of the bumper and then you have access to the clips. All you need is a long handled flat-head screw driver to get em. When reassembling, put the clips on the removed piece, that way the bumpers just snap right in. I didn't do that the first time and couldn't get the bumpers back together.. quite a few choice words were said lol
 
#10 · (Edited)
Looks good! Now black out those plastics next...lol
Ask and you shall receive.

My buddy tim and I recently Monsterlined his Jeep (went to bed at 6 am that night) and between coats of primer and bedliner we worked on my front grill and light bezels.

Removal of all plastics (motion to change "grill clips" to "Satin Clips")


Big ass horn. So fun to hit.


Prepping for chasse saver


Rust sanded and primed


Sanding and prepping grill


Krilon fusion.


Grill and lights done.


While the grill was off I even had some time to buff and shine the headlight lense as well.

Deciding on if I want to do the bumper satin black still. Prob going to do everything in satin black.

Thoughts.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Haha it def does! Canteens to get a day to hit up the other plastics.

Yeah that light bar, pretty sweet one if I say so my self thanks to that guy up there /\ :wink-big: I highly recomend. One thing I'd chain is the bottom hole size. Couldn't really fit a socket into it so a little improv.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Ok so this thing needs a little update.


Finally wired up my roof lights. I recently had a misshap with a parking garage warning bar being set too high. Well got a nice little scare about ripping off my lights. This calls for fast removal if needed.

Had this plug sitting at work so all said and done it came out I think nicely.














Also got rid of a bent fm antenna and replaced it with a rubber stubby from a VHF hand held.

cut, drilled and tapped it to fit.







 
#17 ·
Cb antennas mounted. Went with a 4' firestik tunable and hatch mount. I also found the firering cable to compliment it. Picking up my cb from work tomorrow. Pics to follow shortly.

Now just have to save up for the AC 3" 3pack.

Heard people not liking AC UCAs any issue there? Was going to go with the AC uca, torsion, bilsteins, and leaf packs. Any one have a better idea?
 
#19 ·
Hey Ricel, next time you're out taking pictures, would you mind snapping one of just a side profile, and maybe the rear of one of your front tires when they're cranked? I'm thinking of getting the tires/size you got. Thanks! X is looking good!
 
#21 ·
Ok its been a while so time for some updates!

NeXterra ran the April fools run, and though I needed to update some stuff before the trails.

First thing first, finally got rid of those ugly Baja light and replaced them with the hella 500ff's.


Fixed my engine bay lights. Added another set of LEDs and it came out so much brighter.

I had a co2 tank from my homemade kegorator and used that as a dual purpose OBA system. The regulator attached to a compressor disconnect and my 25 ft hose with an air chock. Mounted nicely with a quick grip agains my OR box.

Finished my cb install using the uniden, an 18ft fire ring, and a 4' firestick tunable.

Finally finished up the 'most outa my stock airbox' with a K&N drop in and resonator plugs. Def a little more pick me up.

The weekend wheeling went great, up until my alternator crapper out with a little too much mud.




Limped home with out the alternator, thank god for my Duracel AGM praying the thing wasn't permanently gooned!

Got back and hosed down the engine bay. Then took WD-40 to that sucker. After a few good love taps with a hammer brought that sucker back to 14.3volts!


I'll get some more pics up later tomorrow, specially the side shot for you buddy.
 
#22 ·
Lobo shelf installed.

I saw the white closet shelfs and almost bought one when I bumped into the garage organizing section and got ahold of these grey ones.


Hung it up with the aluminum l brackets and gromets, best wrteup ever.

But for the front I'm using dyneema soft shackles (same material used in synthetic winch cable) and I spliced them into loops capable of being opened. They hold about 3,000lbs so I think the plastic clips are going to have to snap first.



I posted up about these sometime last year and didn't get too much of a positive response, possibly it just hasn't fully hit the off road market yet. If around the world Volvo ocean racers are using them instead of their huge stainless shackles they gota do something right. :wave-big: (check out wmrigging.com for more info)


The garage grey shelfs are beefier and a little heavier. Better for bumps when they are empty.
 
#24 ·
The rear backup lights are installed! This corrects my reverse lights lighting up the night squirrels. I can finally see the mailbox when I backup at night. (too many close calls).




I ordered up a xoskel rear lightbar and wanted everything removable so added in a connector that fit nicely under the hatch.





I have a double rocker switch (on-off-on) which will allow me to manually turn them on, turn them off, or pull signal from the reverse lights and have them light up when in 'R'.



They throw some nice light as well.







How-to to follow.
 
#25 ·
Any chance of getting that side shot?
 
#26 ·
Gifts came in the mail from AC!

Power coated engine and front skid. They were out of bare steel, but AC's customer service was at it again taking care of it's customers.




That powdercoating is way too shiny, hope to take care of that next run with the NeXterra crowd.



Installed, better pics to follow.

Also finished cutting off my bent up exhaust, pinching your exhaust on rocks, not as fun as it sounds. Threw on a ricer tip for $12 and the gasses won't blow into my body as it were before.

My muffler and cats are on their way out, might have to do a full setup, prob thinking custom with a magnaflow.

For xtacular:





And personal words, I loved my tires! They preformed amazing through the crappy NE winter with ice and all. this past week I was able to kick my buddy in his heep on some muddy trails. my mod bug does whispers from time to time to me "33's you want 33's... Depending on what your doing with your truck, (lots of highway) you might pick up a set of mudders on crappy rims for any OR trips and leave the dura's as your DD, I was looking at this option.
 
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