BDS Suspension's Project KJ

BDS Suspension · Apr 2, 2013

I bit delayed on the build progress from last week while I was out in Moab for EJS, but BDS R&D had some time to continue progress on Project KJ. We were able to chat with a number of companies out in Moab and pitch our idea to them to see if they are interested in helping out. We'll have more on those parts as parts arrive.

To make room for the massive tires we plan to run on this Liberty, we needed to make some room in the fenderwells. R&D took a plasma torch and sawzall to the inner fender up front removing nearly all of it. Front there the unibody was plated and the end result looks similar to a frame rail for us to start mounting suspension brackets. We'll be building a new inner fender in the coming weeks and plan to tie in a coil-over mount and engine support to retain the rigidity this Jeep's unibody had from the factory.

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For axles on this project we decided to build up a set of JK Rubicon Dana 44 axles. While there are plenty of axles on the market, (i.e. Currie 9, Dynatracs ProRock 60s, Ruff Stuff fabricated housings, Spydertrax Spyder 9s, etc.) we wanted to utilize and axle that is attainable to the masses and show it can be built up to survive off-road abuse. The JK axles have a track width of 65'' (over the stock 62'') to help us gain room to mount the coil-overs, steering assembly and allow the larger tires to have a full sweep from left to right. To fine tune the overall track width for the stance we want we'll find a wheel with our ideal backspacing. At this point we've stripped the brackets off our JK axles and have them in place to begin mocking up tire size, wheelbase, and height. We're using a set of 40x13.50 Maxxis Trepadors on 17x9 (5'' BS) steel wheels we had laying around the shop for mockup. In keeping this Jeep as low as possible, potentially running 3-4” of lift with plenty of droop from a linked suspension we will begin mocking up suspension geometry using a set of 14'' Fox remote Reservoir Coil-Overs that we have in the shop. The decision is still out whether a set of 12'' C/O or 14'' C/O will be better suited for this build and the performance we're hoping to attain, stay tuned for more in the coming days as the guys continue to prep this KJ. Check out the blog for all the info on this build at Project KJ Archives » BDS Suspension Blog

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tjkj2002 · Apr 2, 2013

Going to sleeve and truss those JK 44's? I hope so as they break tubes with 35" tires.

BDS Suspension · Apr 3, 2013

front will be sleeved, inner C will be trussed, upgraded to 35-spline shafts, and new gears installed. Rear will be sleeved and get gears and new shafts... We'l have more on that when we start building the axles. At this point we're still mocking up suspension

Marlon_JB2 · Apr 3, 2013

tommudd said:
Glad to see you doing something on the KJs. Last year at Butler when I stopped by your booth and mentioned a KJ I was basically laughed at for owning one.
So maybe someone is stepping up now epper:

Remember when I asked them about using my KK for lift prototyping and got no response?

Not even a "We're not interested."

rockymountain · Apr 3, 2013

Marlon_JB2 said:
Remember when I asked them about using my KK for lift prototyping and got no response?

Not even a "We're not interested."

That's because a KK is a small SUV and everybody hates them too. :shrug:

TheBlueKJ · Apr 3, 2013

rockymountain said:
That's because a KK is a small SUV and everybody hates them too. :shrug:

Really? If it's because it's small SUV then why doesn't everyone hate wranglers too? I mean they are only classified as small SUVs too...:icon_rolleyes:

BDS Suspension · Apr 8, 2013

While this is a fun project for us, this SAS conversion isn't something we plan to offer a production version of. While I apologize for our rep not responding to your request in prototyping a kit, at that time we weren't looking into the KJ/KK. This being a purpose built rig with hundreds of hours of fab time we're not going to do so on a customer's rig, it'll be on one we use for promotional purposes and have in our possession whenever we need it.

Look for a new video and photos to get posted later today. We stopped by BDS R&D on Friday to check progress and will have an update posted soon.

BDS Suspension · Apr 8, 2013

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Since the last update, our mighty little Project KJ went on a diet shedding excess unibody and a bulky fuel tank as the guys prep for mounting the new steering, suspension, axles and 40” tires. After stripping down the front bumper support, inner fenders and firewall, we made progress towards our small lift/big tire goal. The stripped unibody looks very similar to a frame rail allowing us to tie in the cage, suspension mounts, and mount a steering box up front. Our plan is to run a OE style box with hydro assist for easy turning in precarious situations offroad. Which steering box setup will best suit the build and our limited space constraints… stay tuned for more information as we figure that out.

For axles, we wanted to go with an attainable axle and show it can be built to handle some abuse. We picked up a set of JK Rubicon Dana 44s and are in the process of bulking them up. After cutting off the brackets, the axles received an outer sleeve and brackets were tacked in place as we figure out the suspension geometry. The JK 44s have a WMS of 65”, 3” wider than the KJ (and TJs) 62” width. This additional width will help give us additional room to mount the coil-overs, steering, and allow the 40s to turn lock-to-lock. The housing on the front D44 fits tightly between the engine and “frame” rail at full compression making it ideal for us to achieve a low center of gravity. There is a slight interference with the mechanical fan, which will be resolved by swapping to an electric unit.

In the rear, the unibody has been cut to roughly the shape we need to extend the wheelbase and clear the 40s with minimal lift. The rear corner is an important structural part of the KJ’s unibody so rather than hack it up and potentially tweak the body, we are moving to the interior as we mock up the cage to provide additional support and rigidity. We’ll have more on the cage as the guys build it into the little KJ. Stay tuned for more as the guys continue to turn this little Liberty into an ultra cool low-slung trail buggy to take on the Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off-Road Ultimate Adventure 2013.

Check out the YouTube Video at: BDS Suspension Jeep KJ Build (Update 3) - YouTube

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Marlon_JB2 · Apr 9, 2013

BDS Suspension said:
While this is a fun project for us, this SAS conversion isn't something we plan to offer a production version of. While I apologize for our rep not responding to your request in prototyping a kit, at that time we weren't looking into the KJ/KK. This being a purpose built rig with hundreds of hours of fab time we're not going to do so on a customer's rig, it'll be on one we use for promotional purposes and have in our possession whenever we need it.

I understand all that. Doesn't matter.

The professional way would have been "We're not interested."

BDS Suspension · Apr 15, 2013

So the build is coming right along, but the guys down in R&D keep getting sidetracked working on new product development projects rather than turning this KJ into a cool trail rig. At this point we've sourced some parts and have continued prepping the cab, cage and suspension. We have a PSC JK box and cylinder assist on order along with a set the new 40'' Nitto Trail Grappler DOT tires, 17x10 B.A.D. beadlocks, and 14'' Fox Racing 2.5 remote coilovers. Here's a few pictures from in the shop earlier today...

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More to come as parts start arriving...

1BADKJ · Apr 15, 2013

more specs please.

tommudd · Apr 15, 2013

BDS Suspension said:
While this is a fun project for us, this SAS conversion isn't something we plan to offer a production version of. While I apologize for our rep not responding to your request in prototyping a kit, at that time we weren't looking into the KJ/KK. This being a purpose built rig with hundreds of hours of fab time we're not going to do so on a customer's rig, it'll be on one we use for promotional purposes and have in our possession whenever we need it.

Look for a new video and photos to get posted later today. We stopped by BDS R&D on Friday to check progress and will have an update posted soon.

Back then he was asking for a lift kit for a KK, not a SFA kit
we all realize you would not be building them for the masses since 90% of this build will be freebies

tommudd · Apr 15, 2013

Marlon_JB2 said:
I understand all that. Doesn't matter.

The professional way would have been "We're not interested."

See this is the way they treated me while at Butler last year
"Oh you have a KJ" was expecting to hear "run along now until you buy a real Jeep" :yawn::shrug:

BDS Suspension · Apr 25, 2013

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After a few weeks getting sidetracked on new product development projects, the crew down at BDS’s R&D shop found some time to continue working on our project Liberty. The biggest change, the top is gone. We did this for a few reasons, it allows us to storage a fullsize 40” spare tire and gear, makes the cage much more accessible so we can tie it into the rest of the unibody, and it just looks cool in my opinion. At this point its just a rough cut, we still plan to cut a bit more before closign the cab back off for a weather tight seal (hopefully).

Another challenge is the steering. Ditching the factory rack-and-pinion steering rack in favor traditional steering box will allow us improved clearance will tie to our Liberty’s new JK axles. After some investigation, we went with PSC Motorsports‘s JK steering box with cylinder assist to help turn the 40×13.50 Nitto Trail Grappler DOT tires on 17×10 B.A.D. beadlocks that we have on order. PSC got the parts right out to us and after a quick test fit it appears the steering box will mount on the unibody and steering linkage without to much struggle. Radiator will likely need to be swapped to eliminate the interference between the steering box and radiator outlet hose.

At this point the cage work is continuing, steering box is being prepped, suspension linkage is being mocked up and Fox 14” remote C/O are on order. Plenty more body mods are over the next couple weeks. Stay tuned for updates as Project KJ starts taking shape.

New Update Video posted at: BDS Suspension Jeep KJ Build (Update 4) - YouTube

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Hedsic · Apr 25, 2013

With the back cut like that it reminds me of a Geo Tracker now.

first&lastKJ · Apr 25, 2013

Keep the pictures comming.

BDS Suspension · Apr 26, 2013

Sorry if we lost some of you with the last update, group consensus was to go for it, but we've got a couple ideas on how to cleanly finish it that we'll address a bit later in the build. With the roof off the guys got busy working on the rest of the cage. Radiator is removed and hopefully steering will be going in first of next week. In the front, we've cut out the obtrusive lower corner of the floor/firewall on each side and fill panels are going in to net us for clearance for the tires at full stuff.

One thing we're still deciding on is what's the best option for mounting a fullsize spare. We don't want to stick it off the back like a Wrangler and we don't want it to half-hazzardly strap it to the roof. At this point we're looking at options to get it inside behind the rear seats so it's easily accessible but still gives the driver a line of sight out the back window. It's times like this we wish we didn't have 40s.

Anyways, just a quick update on the progress, let us know what's on your mind...

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rockymountain · Apr 26, 2013

good time to run some speaker wire.

bwflorida · Apr 26, 2013

tjkj2002 said:
35" tires fit nicely(or 37" BFG's:Big Laugh....................

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In that photo, what is that black coating on the plastic cladding?
Is is it something a body shop sprays or was that a DIY project.

TheBlueKJ · Apr 26, 2013

bwflorida said:
In that photo, what is that black coating on the plastic cladding?
Is is it something a body shop sprays or was that a DIY project.

It's some super secret bedliner that he bought and rolled on himself.

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