Turning a $200 Jeep XJ into a Service Truck! (Beater with a Heater)

The Beater had to pick up the slack while the truck was out!
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[@drwho135]

"This.. fu...... Well, we finally got that stinkin' heat-shield put on here." HAHA Thanks, needed a good laugh today.

[@Denpachii]

Aww, you beat me to the posting of that epic moment where Matt's edit revealed his biggest secret, He CAN drop an F-bomb.

[@squintin480]

@@Denpachii i went back and turned up the volume to make sure i heard what i heard lol

[@warmwaffles]

Best part of the whole video.

[@nevillegoddard4966]

Yep. Lol!

[@MrPossumeyes]

😁Wondered how he dealt with all his mechanical issues without losing his rag ever! Ha!

[@WatchWesWork]

Hmm. Taking notes for my Rav4 service truck!

[@corydriver7634]

🤣 I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have the proper tool to torque a plastic jam nut to 15 ft lbs.

[@841k9]

Did you clear that with Hufflepuff towing?

[@mikelyons9971]

Hufflepuff towing got a new vehicle the rav4 became wes's going to town rig

[@sk8erkbadass]

Same here but a Mazda

[@alansmead4516]

What ever it takes to see you suffer more than usual! 😂 Lol

[@braaapattack2937]

Matt’s temper at 13:21 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I’m sure it was good 30-45 seconds of pure laughter to watch 🤣

[@brockwagner939]

Perfect editing

[@robertvandalsem94]

The Beater With A Heater is really earning its keep. I'd definitely add a pair of heavy duty off road shocks to dampen all the tool weight.

[@stephaniewilson3955]

It would help the air-suspension I agree.

[@1954shadow]

When you pulled that tool drawer out in the back, I was half expecting to see the front wheels come off the ground.

[@williamgurtner4759]

😂😂😂😂

[@marcryvon]

🤣🤣

[@kathyusa-iowa5137]

🤣🤣🤣

[@everyday_motivation24-7]

This made me laugh out loud

[@jstar1000]

Have a friend who's live was forever changed for the worse due to such an accident.

[@chucknSC]

When I install dual airbags like that, I always tee the line to the bags with a single inflation port. That makes inflating slower and equals the pressure in the two bags.

[@roberteix2516]

Hi Matt, Great video! I use to be a trunk slammer Electrical Contractor. Had a 74 Ford 4 door and used it all around. Was family vehicle and towed 24' travel trailer. Total weight car and trailer was 12, 760! Had that car till 1985. Never did any major repairs. Use to haul hundreds of feet of conduit stuck in back window to passenger foot well. Because of tool and material weight I had air shocks on it to make it sit level. I worked under car to install them just like you. In later years People laughed at my vehicle but not at my work or price. Very much Identify with all your down to earth projects and repairs. At 77 I miss all the projects and repairs. Days gone by. Keep the videos comin! Bob Ikes

[@FarmCraft101]

Nice fix there. Good call on the leaf spring cam!

[@blackdogexcavator21]

Looks like a pretty decent system and it made the old family truckster into an adequate service vehicle. She's a beaut Clark.

[@InsaneBimmer]

Matt losing his $h!t over that hose clamp was well worth the coffee I spewed haha

[@thediver360]

"THIS FU....."cut Nice to see hes just like the rest of us.

[@marcryvon]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mfcjr1]

Sounded just like me.

[@tt7hvn]

Not gonna lie, I watched it a couple times. We've all been there. Sometimes the frustration just sets in.

[@andymackay3059]

I was wondering if anyone else caught that. The sensors weren't quite fast enough lol

[@tl7209]

I had a Jimmy one time I installed bags on. because I was hulling some supplies to my job 759 miles away. turns out if your bags are not filled to the same amount it can cause stability issues. if you buy a kit like this make sure your bags are the same presser every time.

[@brianblank9921]

"Instructions say to install this nut to 15ftlbs, so..... click" lmao matt, not the first time you've done that, also not the first time I laughed. Thanks for the smile on Sunday morning.

[@rawr51919]

He been watching too much Rainman Ray

[@brianblank9921]

@@rawr51919 lmao, I've watched a few of his videos as well. They both make me laugh "oops I almost forgot.. CLICK"

[@williewombat1851]

Your rear shockers are defiantly shot Matt. If you intend to run the vehicle with that weight in it for a long time, I would strongly recommend you replace them. Good heavy duty shockers will take a lot of the strain off the air bags and extend their life considerably.

[@dalton456]

shocks do not bear weight/affect ride height, in most cases at least, the one caveat to that is if you install air shocks, all the shock is there for is to control suspension movement and to prevent it from just bouncing around wildly, I do agree that he should replace the leaf springs though so there is less strain on the bags

[@banaana1234]

@@dalton456 But they still take strain off the bags and springs. The suspension wont compress as far if it hits a bump when the shocks are there to absorb the movement. Shocks will do very little to the static situation though.

[@marcryvon]

When he'll use his Jeep unloaded, it will bounce like crazy and be darn dangerous. You see that often on highways with old cars with shot shocks. They bounce all over the place ! 😱

[@Digital-Dan]

Came here to say that.

[@XH1927]

@@dalton456 Shocks control suspension movement Less unnecessary/excessive movement/bouncing Fewer and more controlled extension/compression cycles on the spring, and hence on the bag Yet they won't take strain off that air bag, nope, not at all. SMH.

[@jayjohnston2821]

Just stick a pair of new shocks in Matt It will make it safer on the road at speed for a start

[@bprieur]

The "beater with a heater" continues on. It sits pretty good with 30psi. I would put a pair of shocks on it though.

[@CliffManis]

Hi MATT, I am Cliff Manis and really do like the machines that you are able to fix on Diesel Creek. Thanks,

[@arthurbiringer5676]

I’d change the shocks just so the airbags don’t have to flex so abruptly. Great job!

[@dalestevens4683]

Yes...change the rear sbocks I have 2 sets of these one on a F450 and on a Chevrolet 3500 put new shocks on too makes a excellent smooth ride.

[@davep6977]

Memories. I had a '69 Capris I put air "shocks" on. Oh it was bad looking. Till I was driving down the road and hit a pot hole. Pop went the shock. Man was that a let down.

[@chrismadden1660]

When I added air shocks to my XJ I put the air inlet inside the fuel door. Nice clean install and well protected.

[@thriftabout5110]

The guy waiting behind my Suburban for the air pump at the gas station got out of his car to ask me why I was putting air into my gas tank. He claimed his kid sitting in the passenger seat was curious. XD

[@outdoorswithhenry6098]

You have a gift, reviving tired old iron that helped build this country. These kind of videos I really enjoy. I know you have a lot of projects but I would like to see you build a log splitter. I think that would be fun and you will need it once you build your house.

[@markmclellon8516]

Food for thought.The upper bracket is attached to the unibody frame rail by self tapping screws/bolts flush with the side of the rail. Those screws/bolts are supporting all the weight without the bracket extending under the frame rail for added support. Without that extra support under the frame rail those fasteners could shear off, elongate the holes or tear the frame rails from the extra weight the jeep is carrying.

[@akersjon278]

-" Exhaust clearance modification? Yeah I've got a sawzall..." LOL! That's some real world mechanic talk right there!😁👍 BTW, when I want a center mark in the middle of a big hole to mount a bracket I don't use a center punch (to easy to miss the center), I use a drill bit the same size as the hole in the bracket to make a mark with the tip, then I use a smaller drill bit to drill a pilot hole before I drill it to the correct size for the bolt.

[@nevillegoddard4966]

That's real good advice Ackers! I shall file that one thanks.

[@cullenosbourn3304]

Yes that’s a good line

[@jurgenkuhlmann9194]

Matt's alternative repair method: when there's no car lift around - take a forklift! It's that easy!

[@alan6832]

A cheap way to lift leafs is to go to a junkyard, get any old leaf springs of the same width, take the individual leaves apart on both sets, check for cracks, and put together 1 good set with 1 or 2 more leaves than original. worked great on my old Scout!

[@ScrapiT68]

Did the same on my BF Ford ute (Aussie here) as soon as I had, game changer! Running 60psi, no matter how much I shove in the tradie box (the BF is a cab chassis) it takes it. Towing 1.5 metric tons no problem. I’ve been 4080kg on the weigh bridge (scrap run) ute loved it… just need a bit more braking distance 😁 Cheers from Down Under 👍😎🇦🇺

[@RobCarter04]

"Exhaust clearance modification...." "Yeah, I have a sawzall." Gold.

[@egomaniac247]

Was just coming to post the exact same thing lol

[@nathannero9338]

Jeep springs don’t have as much arch as compared to the rear of a truck. Probably the cheapest rear shocks you can buy would help a lot.

[@johnlowther4068]

What he said, those are the factory shocks. Any shocks are better than the factory set. It will help keep you on all 4 wheels in a deer in the road moment

[@ianburit3705]

normal shocks dont help springs just attempt to even out the axle motion, gas struts may help, coil over struts do help, but air bags are more and more readily available for most applications having been around for years now

[@marcryvon]

@@johnlowther4068 Especially 22 years old shocks !! Factory or else that's normal wear !

[@timheilman2089]

@@ianburit3705 The air bags will last longer with good shocks.

[@yqwgjsg]

Regular shocks are just dampeners. They don’t hold weight. I had a similar situation years ago so I bought a set of air shocks and I could set the rear ride height anywhere I wanted.

[@BobPegram]

New to you shock absorbers are a good idea (junk yard sourced if you can judge them). When you unload the Jeep, just empty the air bags to 10 or less psi. Too bad you don't do a/c fixing and recharging. So long as you can capture the remaining refrigerant, I've seen other DIY KZbinrs manage A/C work. Judging from the under Jeep shot, it looks like those bags free up the leaf springs to do more of a locating service and less springing which very well could be good. Finally, you shoud dispense with the Macho "Instructions, who needs 'em?" 'tude since it became clear you used them later.

[@dennisbailey4296]

What's really good about that style of air suspension is it has a lot thicker standard style airline to it rather than the air shocks which had very small little small lines with them and they get melted and all that sort of thing. Good job!! All the best from Canada

[@romo5268]

My kind of mechanic who has the right tools. Torque wrench-CLICK then done. Haha.👍

[@SpawnofChaos]

Something to be impressed with on the side is the amazingly stable footage from the under-body-mounted camera. GoPros are awesome.

[@raywilson800]

I'm always sad to see you go Matt. You ain't got the most subscribers but you are hands down my favorite. Thanks for the ride along. I told myself when the video started, "I hope he takes us out to the farm" Everything's looking good out there. Maybe when you get some of these other projects caught up you can work on the Autocar a little while. YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT DIDNT YOU? Always good to hear from you Matt. Take care and say hello to the Mrs. and the puppies. Later

[@evilkidd174]

THIS FU...... CUT. Glad to see I'm not the only one that has zero patience for hose clamps. Good editing.

[@johncoleman8793]

Great video, hit all the buttons for me. Came first thing in the morning, had a couple chuckles, video work was awesome, interesting subject matter and great setup, and had a ‘bleep’ moment. For my continued viewing pleasure please wear your seatbelt.

[@Rmasters33]

I used to represent two suspension product makers. One made helper leaf springs which generally are an easier install and less expensive option. These bolt on and only come into play when the regular springs have deflected enough to make contact with the helper leaves. As I recall, they came in 3 different strengths. Bolt on, no moving parts nothing to wear out. The other company was a shock absorber maker. The misunderstanding is shocks are a ride smoothness issue, the reality is shocks are essential to keeping the tires in contact with the pavement. Bounce and sway can cause steering control issues. Also important to keeping vehicle level when braking and reduce stopping distance. We didn't offer airs shocks because the company was opposed to them--they transferred weight to shock mounts not designed for the extra stress,

[@yqwgjsg]

I used air shocks for years with no issues with the shock mounts.

[@ivanolsen8596]

Rmaster33, It seems to me airbags do the same as airshocks, transfer all the weight to one point on the chassis, weakened by drilling, from the 2 points the spring provides. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

[@ivanolsen8596]

@@agnez8646 Very deep and meaningful, I can see you have a degree in literature.

[@marcryvon]

Aaah, the Cherokee ! From when Jeeps were Jeeps, when built of steel, not plastic. The inline 4L 6 cyl was a gas guzzler but built like a tank. Except for the back hatch, made of fiberglass to prevent rust, so common on wagons because of the vacuum back there. At the time, I had a Comanche Chief pick up with the 5 speed trans. An unflapable real work horse ! A tank.

[@WildXNatur]

I put a set of air bags inside of the coil springs of my 1988 Pontiac 6000 to haul more in the trunk and tow a small pop up camper. I had them connected with a "T" and a single fill point. Yea this was back in the 90's.

[@ronhart4166]

My father used a Bronco 2 for a service vehicle for over a decade. He was in the AG industry and would have to drive many miles servicing small engines on Fertilizer trailers. He loved the compactness of maneuvering through the dirt roads and groves. I still have the Napa road box he used in my shop. I have always loved this body style you have. Plenty of room and love the window design. Very open. I would definitely consider a restore on this jeep. They just do not make them like these anymore.

[@NavyfieldVikings]

XJ's are notorious for getting there rear springs nuked, but it looks like those are not stock one's on it in the first place. And your rear shocks are most certainly totally shot :) :) In the ye-old-days we just added another leaf to get it a bit back to normal.

[@kingofthepod5169]

You can stack leafs and add over leafs, which help greatly. I've never pushed my ranger hard enough to use the stock overleafs.

[@NavyfieldVikings]

@@kingofthepod5169 Correct, think i even used some chevy *??* leafs to repair the XJ . Been a while, can be wrong . Here in euro-land usa-car parts are hard to get anyway.

[@wes11bravo]

Stefan - yeah, isn't it a common junkyard swap to use leafs from an S-10?

[@NavyfieldVikings]

@@wes11bravo I can't tell what i used, i just grabbed some and they where from a chevy Van as i recall maybe even incorrect. In truth, the result was "better then stock :) " guess i was just lucky ;p

[@jeepindave5464]

@@wes11bravo s10 or 2nd gen Dakota

[@IntoTheDirtshop]

Set your air compressor output pressure gauge to 21 psi and it will equalize on those bags

[@rayscrafield2106]

Matt, when we had our crewcab dually with 36 foot 5th wheel trailer, I use to keep about 50 psi in my airbags and I found the easiest way was to dial in that pressure into my compressor's regulator. Never had to worry about over-filling the bags.

[@kaydog2008]

Hey Matt I have the same system on my 1990 GMC Sierra SL for heavy loads. I still would replace the rear shocks to reduce over compressing the bags (meaning to reduce your bags from doing all the work) shorting their life span or blowing them out. 👈🤓👍

[@Veikra]

The exponential rate of air spring is why they feel so perfect. You can put a restrictor on those lines to slow down filling process. That's one reason why most cars with stock air springs have tiny 2mm id lines so they can softly lift and not overshoot

[@kikito707]

Click! The torque wrench is hilarious 😂.

[@deercreekmechanical]

I had a 87 4.0 5spd that I used as. Service truck. I put a Rusty’s 3” all spring lift on it first. Made getting in and out of it as well as working it if it even better than factory. I had a gar powered air compressor secured in the middle with the exhaust facing out the rear hatch area so I wouldn’t have to take it out and had a 50’ air reel to. I also had tool boxes on one side and parts/fluids on the other. That thing was absolutely awesome, and like you said, was able to weasel in and around sites that a regular truck wouldn’t have fit. Plus having everything out of the weather and “secured” was another major benefit.

[@j.b.6577]

I'm going to second all the comments about a "catch fence" behind the front seats. I have a friend who used to work in the communications industry that would stack stuff to the roof and ride around with the frame on the axle. I'm surprised no one mentioned the wasted cargo space on the roof... one of those front to rear platforms would give you more cargo ability if you needed it in a pinch... I've contemplated either doing air bags or something like "SumoSrings" on my truck. I was leaning towards the "SumoSprings" so that I didn't have to fiddle with the air or risk them leaking when I needed them.

[@natecampbell4708]

Glad to see it all went so well. Wasn't expecting a "POV" of it operating, but a great idea, since it showed how they operate. Good job!

[@bvnseven]

Yes, and I bet sometimes that showing a product in use working as it should would get Matt some free stuff. No better advertisement that 'how it works under real-world conditions".

[@edwardbusby9402]

Matt you are a genius. If anyone can fix it or make it run you are the one.

[@cptncummins]

Add some led lights into the hatch to light up your “workbench”.

[@oldguy4833]

Hey matt looks great - but by the travel shown on the air bag cam you might want to replace the shocks to give the air bags some help - always enjoy seeing your projects !!

[@_autoverse]

Since you’re essentially using the XJ as a van, have you considered fabricating a bulkhead behind the front seats to separate you from your load? Even just a half height one could help prevent stuff from the back ending up front with you.

[@wes11bravo]

I was looking online and apparently Jeep marketed a "van" version of the XJ with no rear/side windows and I'm thinking a bulkhead. Of course it wasn't sold in the US.

[@caedondecker4867]

Yeah I’d bet in the event of an accident those tools become projectiles in the cabin.

[@gubr]

W/o wearing a seatbelt it doesn't really matter….

[@MindBlowerWTF]

@@wes11bravo "van" versions of cars are common here, but I only saw it done with hatchbacks (from factory) like Renault Clio Societe, Peugeot 208/308, Opel/Vauxhall Astra. I am talking about halfheight sheet metal wall, thick wire "fence" going from the half height to the roof. They are nice if done on 5 door car, so You can access the sides and not have to reach into it soo much (and of course - the size works for Your use case) I only do electronics on equipment, so I have little amount of tools to take a cover or two off.

[@MatthewBerginGarage]

I just use a drill bit that fits the hole to find the center. Take the bit in a drill and give a quick spin with just a little pressure to mark the center and then use the correct size to drill the hole. I would also link the two air lines so their pressures are equalized. The extra volume of the two bags together will make the pressure target easier to hit.

[@midgoog2]

Connect both airlines together with a T piece then connect one filler valve to T piece. Both bags will then fill to the same pressure. Cheers Eric

[@bobw7066]

Good installation and a good kit, I noticed that when you first jumped on the bumper bar to bottom it out that it bounced a fair bit when you got off. Those shocks are stuffed, air bags are less reactive than leaf springs but good shocks are still a must. From Australia.

[@nevillegoddard4966]

Yep. I echo that Bob. Also from Straya! Hey Matty - we're all sayin replace them rear shocks mate! You'll end up with 'bounce wear patches' like I had on the front tyres of my 1972 xa falcon many years ago.

[@woodyman365]

Enjoy your videos, Matt. Personally, I would have gone with helper springs ...simpler and cheaper, plus I would add a couple heavy duty shocks, in replacement of what's there. I would also weld that upper bag bracket to the frame.

[@aforman1951]

Put Monroe air shocks on my '71 Ford Torino so I could tow my furniture to college... added 1 leaf to each side of the rears on my '72 Chevy C-10. Added 2" of lift. Worked for 2 yrs out of a '77 Toyota Celica while my "buddy" had my service truck cut apart until I took it back unfinished and finished myself...

[@aaron840]

@23.48 it looks like the air bag is folding over the right side (from the view we have) plate, with plenty of space on the left side of the plate.. You may wanna adjust that. I can see the rubber for the air bag becoming weaker from the folding and rubbing it may do.

[@alexr.6899]

Hey Matt, the "JRS" on the springs is likely from John R spring services in Warren, Michigan. They make replacement leafs and custom stuff and ship all over the US.

[@r1mein54]

We heard your frustration on the edge of the edit. I remember cussing alot when I put air shocks on my 1970 Chevelle decades ago - back when you wanted to ride with the rear jacked up.

[@ronniewilliz153]

This fucking thing lol I caught that too.

[@markme2261]

It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard him do!!

[@dbeckley43]

I did that back in the day 🤣🤣🤣

[@geoffgay3637]

I remember putting air bags in the coil springs back in the day to put the rear up in 67 Malibu..

[@rob.3575]

I had to rewind it to make sure I heard what I thought I heard lol. 🤣 🤣 🤣

[@travclement9778]

I used to have a 99 xj and I loved that. I have a 95 xj and love that thing even more. Probably my favorite vehicle I have ever owned. Working on getting it back on the road now.

[@scottgudell3635]

Just watched the video. My son had two Jeeps, a 97 and a ‘00. We put Monroe gas magnums on it and it rode great! The first one was totaled. We took the shocks off the first and put them on the second.

[@russell5920]

I used to work at a truck accessory shop and have installed hundreds of these units on different vehicles. Its interesting to see how someone else does it!

[@DieselCreek]

“Interesting” I’ll take that as code for you got a good chuckle out of it 🤣👍🏼

[@Drew6709]

Matt, I kinda expected it to be more over the axle like more heavier duty systems. But hey, if this saves your booty from dragging over speed bumps and other steep inclines.

[@mjmcomputers]

I’ve now had 2 vehicles that I installed airlift bags on and have been very pleased.

[@waynep343]

An air hose quick connect plug and coupler on an air pressure regulator allows you to hook it between the end of the shop air hose and the tire fill valve. Find another pair of matching wheels and install some load range D or E tires for the rear when you are using the jeep as a service truck. Lastly top off the rear diff lube so the axle bearings that ride directly on the axle shaft get enough lube to prevent failing.

[@Shnick]

I had a ‘91 Cherokee I put Comanche leaf springs in. More arc, lifted it about 3.5-4”. Installed a Pro Comp kit up front and it was a great sand/mud/water toy.

[@Sqeezerful]

You might want to rethink your strategy to secure the heavy items in the trunk. In case of an accident it is clear that the cargo will transfer kinetic energy to your back and head - reminding me where a Headache Rack got its name from. As this is a beater fixing mounts etc shouldn't be a problem.

[@mhack9881]

A guy I used to work with was killed by a small tool box in a crash on his way home from work. Good advise.

[@marcryvon]

It happened to me once in my E 250 delivery van. Luckily it was a bathroom tissue 48 rolls box. I had a HD grill installed the day after... despite my boss' opinon 🙄

[@____________________________.x]

I mentioned that possibility to wranglerstar once as he was leaving unsecured toolboxes in the back of his ‘adventure van’, so he banned my account from his channel. He doesn’t like looking foolish… 😹 Volvo provide vertical cargo nets precisely to protect the passengers from loose cargo during a crash, they are a great idea. This was also the thinking behind rear seatbelts in the 70’s, as a child weighs as much as an elephant during a crash and they sometimes killed whoever was in the front seat

[@notverydeep9726]

Great video as always, with lots of informative stuff that encourages me to do some of these sorts of things at least, but occasionally I do shudder at the lack of PPE and as well as strapping to restrain the load, wearing a seatbelt would definitely be a good mitigation against accident injury!

[@jimmurihiku8009]

I had an uncle,cousin my uncle's cousin and his boy all killed from a load of steel plates in the back of their station wagon. The weight in the rear was so great the car drifted across the road and headon to a car coming the other way. Gotta have everything strapped down is what i learned and practice to this day.

[@ducewags]

One thing I learned real quick with air bag systems. If you have the bags on there own fill port and a bag or line pops, you will find your self in the ditch faster then water on an icy road. Think I'm wrong, drive it with one bag deflated down the highway, then have that happen at highway speed in the blink of an eye.

[@andrewkiwi1]

That kit looks like it works well. Its good to see a product that actually works in real life and isn't just hype. While you are under the jeep just check the front suspension in general and the bushes in the trailing arms on the front axle as they wear out and can make the steering a bit floaty. its common. lay under it and get a helper to turn the steering left right with the motor running and see what flexes or moves.

[@Mattmazz77]

I personally would grind down that area. Use some weld through primer, and after I put the self tappers in and knew everything was good and where I wanted it. I would test it out and after all said and done I would weld the bracket on. Yeah your shocks are done...lol.

[@WilliamCHyland]

This was good, and I am eager to see you giving a little love to the loader and grader!

[@MrCarl312]

For your load problem, put air shocks on the rear axle. You put air pressure to carry the load. Air shocks do work. I see other people commented on air shocks also.

[@dwitcraft]

It's a common XJ trick to rob some extra leaves from an S10 blazer to stiffen up the spring pack on an XJ. While you're at it, swap in a Ford Explorer(95-02ish) disc brake rear axle. It's the right width, wayyyyyy stronger, discs, same wheel pattern, just have to weld perches(well within Matt's skill set)!

[@brentking-gmailking2570]

Great video.... Just two things..... Get yo some shocks for the Jeep. You deserve to ride smoothlly. Secondly, please wear your seat-belt... we all want to keep you around making videos for a long time. Yours are one of the first ones I look to. Thanks for sharing and have a great day.

[@sethchyna]

only thing id do different is a service loop on the air lines cutting them right to length always screws you later

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Yep, may need to redo the ends or compensate for travel.

[@LiamTuck]

@@tihspidtherekciltilc5469 The air lines are mounted to the top of the bag, on the frame. As a wise man once told me, "that ain't going anywhere"

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

@@LiamTuck I was thinking air shocks. My bad.

[@marcryvon]

Yep, and you end up with two useless pieces ! Or one is too long and the other is a couple of inches too short ! Same with wiring. 👹 Been there, done that too often !

[@larrywalker7759]

If ever needed, it is easy enough to just replace the entire length of 1/4" NTA plastic line, pretty cheap stuff. But I would recommend carrying a couple of 1/4" pushlock unions and a couple feet of it somewhere in the vehicle in case it ever snags on something and rips out so it can be fixed on the spot.

[@G-Man-kc2nm]

I put a similar system, little bigger, in my Sprinter service vehicle. I also used bolts and lock nuts. The Sprinters come with one leaf spring from the factory. I did not want the on board compressor. I did my system like you did, I installed pressure gauges for each bag. The system worked great. Nice work and thanks for sharing.

[@robertkeable1627]

This is pretty much what I'm up to. Beater with a heater is genius. Thanks. Be well and stay safe. UK.

[@johnminto7723]

I believe JRS is John R Spring located just north of Detroit.

[@jeepindave5464]

They apparently dont make a good product if they failed that fast lol

[@LikePhoenixFromAshes]

OMG, perfect timing for my coffee and bagel break! ❤

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

Air is the best suspension. It's what almost every semi truck and trailer use. Add an inline air pressure regulator to make setting pressures easier if your air compressor doesn't have one. You can get a performance tool regulator for $17.

[@____________________________.x]

Wranglerstar put his onboard air outlets behind his fuel flap, which I reckon was a great place to mount something that doesn’t need frequent access but needs to be protected.

[@ChickenParm152]

you should have 1 air valve with a T in it so it inflates both bags to the same exact PSI

[@martinsnyder4947]

My thought too

[@Falney]

You have 2 valves then if you are off balance with weight, you can control the air bags independently to compensate for it.

[@earlyoung2863]

I had "air shocks" on a vehicle once that were set up with a tee and one air valve under the bumper.

[@ducewags]

@@Falney Want to talk about an un-balaced load? Think if one bag or line poped at highway speed.

[@Falney]

@@ducewags then don't over pressurise one of the air bags. If they are linked in a tee and one pops then both will go down.

[@matthewtaylor3308]

You ought to look a Matt’s Off Road Recovery Channel for XJ “suspension” modification... Ironically, while watching this I got a notification of a new upload from them, as well as one from Fabrats! My morning is set...

[@steveelford97]

Fab Rats and MOOR are awesome!

[@TheRobman]

I was just coming down into the comments to say that, if you really wanna see what an XJ can do, check out Matt's channel: kzbin.infovideos

[@ronaldheit196]

Check out Watch Wes Work. He's really interesting. I like the fact he uses torque when he's as he should on most hardware.

[@06m50blue]

That wouldn't help much since all of Matts XJ's aren't running stock rear ends.

[@TheRobman]

@@06m50blue They're stock from the waist up, lol.

[@jackfessler3463]

That's cool, I went with adjustable air shocks on my hotrod. The fastest , easiest way to let my bigger tires fit 😊

[@craigmiller7488]

I haven't heard anyone use the term "copasetic" in a long time. It reminded me of my Dad.

[@edwarddavis507]

I love the 20-ton hydraulic floor-jack. Nice time saver. Let us know if the heat shield modifications work. You are dealing with some pretty close tolerances. I’d apply some heat shield tape to the surface of the plate if it gets a little too hot for you. It’s the little things that you share with us that makes your channel so great. We are always learning.

[@williamswenson5315]

The "beater with a heater" turned out to be a very good investment indeed.

[@RustyNail5856]

lucky you had it to use. while your truck was down. it look's great .

[@TyphoonVstrom]

One of those small hand powered bicycle pumps is the way to go for adding small amounts of air to those airbags. Just keep it in the back of the vehicle.

[@dant387]

13:21 is literally how every one of my projects end up LOL

[@mikester9673]

I really felt that too man LOL

[@odonovan]

Driving down the highway without his seatbelt on. Brilliant! It's only okay until it isn't. Then, you become a statistic.

[@keithhatch56]

Thats his choice.

[@golfmike304]

I like the air ride bags. I put some on my 01 Sequoia and it helped tremendously. I put a drawer system in the back and carry tools and camping gear in it. Now I don't have to worry about any sag and bottoming out. Great video.

[@DarkFlamage]

1.) Kinda surprised you didn't throw a couple of tack welds on those frame brackets. 2.) I'd throw pair of gas shocks on the rear of that thing, not that expensive, plus could help the new bags last longer. 3.) Didn't know "Air-Lift" brand still existed.

[@____________________________.x]

Shocks are essential for safe braking on uneven surfaces, they are not just there to keep your bum comfy 😬

[@nevillegoddard4966]

Oh yeah that's right Horsey I forgot to mention that. The rear tyres will bounce over the bumps under brakes, & send the ass end out sideways if you're going around a bend fast enough. Matt are you getting the hint?

[@FishFind3000]

21:00 if you turn down your compressors regulator down from 200psi to around 30 then it won’t fill so fast………

[@drufuss1981]

Matt I have a contracting company and do handyman services and just about anything to make money that homeowners don't want to do, but my pickup truck broke down and now my work truck is a 2007 Kia Rio 4 door, last night I went through it and cleaned it out and I took out all the tools and they would not all fit in a full size truck bed, so I know the struggle. Thank you for the great content and videos.

[@MatthewJorgensen1968]

The one thing I did when I got my ZJ (CT Beater for winter) was to put a set of Firestone Winterforce Snow Tires on it. 5 years and 7k miles have never taken them off, have never gotten stuck in the snow...

[@ralphjonesog7149]

You’re camera angles and editing skills have reached andrew camarata level lol well done sir. Great videos 👍🏻

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

Good video

[@Brandon-ch2ot]

Howboutcha!

[@CAPNMAC82]

Not enough crescent wrench, though 😃

[@gregthomas5044]

Loved this vid Mat. I had a good laugh at you complaining about having nothing sharp in 5/16 and an even better laugh at your editing whilst trying to sort out that heat shield. Keep up the good work mate.

[@jameskenney5623]

You should cut a small hole in the headliner (small enough for a spray glue straw) and glue it back into place. Cheap and easy repair and would probably make a good video.

[@ProlificInvention]

Those Stanley FatMax jump packs with built in air compressor would be perfect for those bags, they actually are really useful to carry around as I've jumped many disabled vehicles and filled 6 box truck tires to 100psi with some charge left over. They also will USB charge devices extremely fast as a bonus.