mvusse

The Compass and Patriot aren't Jeeps. They should have had Chrysler badges.

And where did you add coolant to refill the system?

It's been smiling like that ever since a certain trip to Badlands...

My Suburban has done it, My Geo has done it, and my Cherokee is doing it. All three due to a clogged up radiator. Allows enough coolant flow to dissipate the heat from city driving, but not enough to handle the heat generated from extended runs at 1800+ rpm. If it was an airflow issue it would overheat in city traffic, but not on highway.

My front bumper matches the angle as well, but I had to remove it due to it interfering with the drag link/tie rod connection, plus everything it is supposed to protect is way below it. So now it is installed on Booger.

Mine used to start just fine after sitting overnight, but had trouble when warm. Ran just fine once started. Turned out to be injectors leaking out into the combustion chamber causing flooding. Replaced injectors and all is fine again.

I use perches and shock mounts from Ruff Stuff Specialties, Cherokee spring plates and u bolts custom made by a local shop for ~$5 per bolt.

I don't use full service stations. They charge too much for a simple job I can do myself.

Supposedly they are about the same strength as the smaller u joints. I ran and wheeled with a passenger side CV shaft for a few months and it survived some axle hopping. IMO they are a bit stronger, although not as strong as the larger u joints. I now keep it as a trail spare.

Only water pump I had go was in the Suburban. Drove from work to a friend's house, parked it, and rang the doorbell, Then all of a sudden I hear water hitting pavement. Look over to see coolant pouring out the water pump weep hole just as she opened the door. Told her sorry, gotta get home while I still have coolant in there. Drove 6 blocks to get home, and as I watched the needle rise and the temp gauge hit 245 and the "check gauges" light come one I pulled into my drive. Coolant trail stopped about 100 feet away from my house.

The CV shafts do work for a fact, but as stated above, depending on the unit bearing you may have to remove the ABS ring. It is just pressed on, and usually comes off with a few good hits from a hammer.

I'm used to Autozone. Buy a distributor cap, rotor, plug wires and plugs in Atlanta because you're missing at least one cylinder 650 miles from home. Then back home the warranty information is available at your local store because they use a central DB. So I get a lifetime warranty alternator from Advance in Dover, and need it replaced under warranty in Garrettsville. Sorry, we have no warranty records under your phone number, are you sure you bough it here? After I explained I was more than an hour from home and didn't have my receipt with me, they were nice enough to call my home store and ask for the information. I have since learned to carry my Advance receipts with me on wheeling trips. Of course that didn't help me last time when the alternator went out at 6:52pm on a Sunday when Advance is 15 minutes away and closes at 7pm. Than again, an alternator failing because it's filled with mud is not a warranty issue anyway. The only reason I like NAPA is because they do have a few parts Advance and Auto Zone don't, and they are a block and a half from my house, as opposed to the next town over where the others are. And for little parts paying a bit more is cheaper than gas and 30 more minutes of my time to go somewhere else.

I use their perches and shock mounts also. 1/4" steel may be overkill, but rather that than something that might fail.

No more maybe, I'm definitely out. If some of you are still going, don't forget to post lots of photos. Hopefully next year.

Lower backspacing = wider stance. Stock rims I believe are 15x7 with 5.25" backspacing.

Like the JK, the WJ Grand Cherokee also uses a 5x5 pattern. Don't know if that helps at all.

Even though I was organizing this trip, I'm seriously thinking of backing out. I am in the middle of a front axle build/swap, which may or may not cure DW which I believe to be caused by either the driver side steering knuckle/balljoints or the lower control arm bushings or both. Even if I get everything ready, I'm debating the wisdom of a wheeling trip 350 miles away from home with an untested front axle.. Not to mention a $400 trip really doesn't fit in my budget right now.

To continue on GCWR, and payload, here is the complete information for short bed from my 1987 4x4 manual. To to 5000 pounds: weight distributing hitch needed for tongue weight over 350 pounds. max tongue weight 750 pounds 4.0l 6 cylinder engine 4 speed automatic transmission 205/75R15 tires power steering heavy duty battery heavy duty cooling heavy duty axle (that would be the D44) 6ft box max gcwr 9060 pounds. And there is a foot note on the tongue weight stating that payload should be reduced by tongue weight for a dead weight hitch to keep the rear axle loading below GAWR of 2700 pounds. (3400 pounds for metric tongue) Long bed is the same except for GCWR of 9264 pounds, or 9820 for metric tongue. Manual also lists a curb weight for base vehicle at 1394 pounds for swb and 1420 pounds for lwb. I imagine that is 4 cylinder/manual trans.

Dry weight means nothing, because by the time it is loaded and the holding tank is full, you're a bunch over. The 4000 pound one will probably be 5000 when loaded, possibly over, so 4900 pounds dry would definitely be too much for an MJ. My 1600 pound pop up is way over 2000 when loaded down with pots, pans, food, clothes, bedding, water, battery, ....

When the first post mentioned "he had fun in his 6.5" lifted long armed 89 comanche on 33" tires with front and rear lockers.", that's the first one to pop into my mind. A bit out of my way, though.

Dually :drool:

Even a relatively inexpensive $100 ball joint press kit has the correct sleeves that fit over the top and press on the flange on Jeep ball joints.

Great customer service gets you loyal customers, as well as new ones. A lot of companies nowadays seem to forget that. to AA.

After an idget at Walmart somehow pulled my shifter out of it's linkage, then tried to blow himself up by attempting to pop the bead on the first tire without removing the valve core first and insisting he was all finished and I could pull it out when the lug nuts were laying on the floor beside my vehicle, I don't even trust them to do that any more.

:eek: