taking the plunge

[bludog611]

I'm very handy with home re-models but have never tackled a vehicle project.[I was in college prep pgm in high school but was always envious of the auto shop guys and their rides]
I own a "98" TJ with 4in lift/33's/flowmaster/coldair /etc. I would love to do the Brute project but want to know what I'm in for. Has any ordinary "joe" done one and what's involved time and material wise? Do I need to hook up with a shop or can it be done in my back yard?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx

[somewhereinla]

Have you looked at this thread?

http://forum.aev-conversions.com/showthread.php?t=7

This sounds like a pretty big project that involve pretty much rebuilding a car from scratch... You'll probably need to know welding, about electrical, car geometry, etc... And you'll need lot's of new tool and I suppose a car lift would make the process easier...

Maybe see if there is a jeep club in your area with people knowledgeable that could help you with the project. You could also partner with a high school mechanic shop...:)

[bludog611]

Saw th thread. Wow! Certainly not impossible, but would require some new skills. Thanx for the suggestions.

[AEV Matt]

Remember, you don't have to take the body off and all that. The OK job was a complete repaint to a different color which adds a ton to the work. Its a lot of work, but its all pretty simple.

Matt

[bludog611]

How much of the body needs to be removed to lengthen the frame?
Maybe this is do-able.

[AEV Matt]

Really, all you need to do once the body is prepared as described in the instructions is undo a couple body mounts and temp lift the body about 6-8 inches so you can weld the top of the frame up. Its pretty easy and if you're not planning on doing a color change its the way to go. No need to remove the AC, brake lines or anything else. We do recommend removing the radiator shroud and possibly the fan (don't put the fan into the radiator when you lift it up).

Matt

[bludog611]

Thanx,Matt
Looking more do-able all the time. Are the instructions available on-line?:

[AEV Dave]

Check out these here: http://www.aev-conversions.com/products/docs/

dh

[AEV Jordan]

I'm may be kicked out of the average joe club because I have an AEV in front of my name, but on the other hand I'm so removed from physical vehicle work that an average guy might have an upper hand on me.

I did the brute project (minus welding) in roughly 2 weeks, plus 1 week for cleaning, repairing, and restoring my '99. I had a guy here do the welding, but if you're at all confident with a welder the frame shouldn't be a problem. The body should probably be done by someone with at least a little experience on thin metal (local specialist, body shop, etc)

It was 1 year ago when I did the project. My tub had some dings and flaws in it that the body shop fixed up, and I figured it would be a good idea to change the color while I was at it. I think it came out pretty well, its a lot nicer to drive around then my swb was.

I would recommend you try it. There isn't really anything that requires much skill, just patience if you're new to this kind of work. There is very little chance of you messing something up so badly that it just won't work. I would say the worst case scenario is it'll just take a little longer to get it done, but it probably will get done.

Thats my opinion on it anyway, your millage may vary.

156

[jingram]

Great picture Jordan. Sheesh, with all of this talk about the Mopar diesel conversion kit potentially happening and the beauty of the brute, I might just have to go this route instead of a JK. What color was that before the switch to that Nissan color? What did it cost you for the repaint or did you guys do it at AEV?

Jack