TrailReadyMJ

Take a look at the MAP sensor on the firewall. If the vacuum line comes loose, gets clogged, or has developed leaks, it can have similar symptoms.

:hijack: Got pics or link? I also built my own DBs!!! thought I was the only one crazy enough to take the time to build these vs. just buying a set or building long arms :yes: . Pics in my build thread, link in sig.

4x4 I assume? You should be able to run 31x10.50s, but they may rub a bit on the control arms at full steering lock. You can however adjust the steering stops, or get new wheels with less back spacing, to prevent this.

Same here! You really can get a bunch of flex with short arms if they have proper geometry. :cheers: Why do you need to replace the arms? Bad bushings? If they aren't bent, rusted, or otherwise damaged, they do sell just the bushings at most parts stores. They can be a bit of a pain to change though, and you need to be careful not to damage the stamped steel. And I agree with mnkyboy that if you are wanting an HD upgrade, arms designed for a 3" kit will work for you at 2". Most of the 3" arms I've seen are the same length as stock.

Yep, Jeep sourced the whole steering column from GM, it's a standard saginaw column. As far as what to expect, make sure you have a good diagram of the assembly. There are quite a few little parts in there. You will also need a steering wheel puller and misc hand tools, including torx bits IIRC.

Saw it first hand... fixing customers Jeeps under warranty. The Steering system that broke was on my business partners rig. I was parked next to him and heard it snap as he pulled out! Fortunately that's the only RK steering setup we sold! The breaks in the flex joints were also not catastrophic (like the steering was, that was just scary!), and they "just" chipped at the ends of the cross bar. RK also never had any problem sending out replacements. Now as I noted, this was about 3-4 years ago (but after the big re-design), and we only sold them for about a year (about 8 kits total, 2 with known problems). It IS possible we just got a bad run. I will also note that other than the steering failure, these breaks all occurred off-road, in the rocks, under pretty hard use. It's doubtful you'll have problems, but just keep an eye on the joints!

Sorry to all the fans, but just a heads up about Rock Krawler. I actually used to be a RK dealer, and have actually seen a few broken flex joints on their setups. I have even seen their steering system break a heim joint in half!!! Just turning in a parking lot... good thing it wasn't at 65 on the highway a few mins later :eek: Now I will say this was a few years ago, and I haven't seen any new stuff to see if it's changed at all, but it didn't leave a great impression. I will say other than the joints, their stuff is real stout (solid stock tube, actually way overkill and heavy!), and they are real good about their warranty. I do really like the 3-link design, and their bracketry isn't a bad design for bolt on (Some welding may be required), but if they haven't improved the flex joints and heims in the last couple years, I'd stay away.

:agree: I have ran into this a lot myself, especially with autozone or advance brand parts. In fact as I type this my buddy down the road is working on his. He is on his 3rd bad autozone alternator in 2 days for his VW! In my experience, if a new or reman unit is going to go bad prematurely, it usually happens within the 1st 100 miles or so.

:agree: The driveshaft/yoke get pretty close to the pipe on compression, especially when under full flex. This is with stock suspension of course, although even with a lift it can get pretty close depending on your setup.

Alright, that rules out a stuck shift linkage.... Now, does it engage in 4lo and neutral? If not, it could be the shift fork in the t-case. If it does, it could be something binding keeping it from dis-engaging, or the linkage just isn't adjusted properly. I too have a non-CAD axle, and also have a lock right in it. I have to do the turn the wheel back and fourth thing to get it into 2wd, but have always blamed the locker for the binding.

Same here.... Also makes it easier to drop the bolts in the bell housing when changing the CPS :doh:

Is the lever actually stuck, or does it feel like it's shifting fine, just not coming out of 4x4? :hijack: Got any pics of this custom interior you speak of??

Stuck/Faulty e-brake switch?

This is basically the procedure stated in the FSM according to my memory... 1) Park on a hill, facing downhill. It has to be steep enough that the back of the engine is higher than the front. 2) LET IT COOL DOWN! Then locate the coolant temp sensor on the back of the head. This sensor will have one wire attached (brown IIRC), and threads into the top of the head toward the drivers side. 3) Top off the tank/pressure bottle and keep cap loose. You will want to be able to tighten it down quick though, read below. 4) SLOWLY Remove the sensor from the head using a 1/2" socket. An extension and swivel can be handy here too. Be very careful to not lose the sensor, and keep it ready to put back in real quick! 5) Once coolant flows from the sensor location, re-install the sensor. (this will/should only take a second!) NOTE: the sensor can sometimes be tricky to get started, especially when plugging a hole where coolant is flowing out. You can slow the flow of coolant by tightening the pressure cap, just make sure it doesn't stop and suck air back in before the sensor is tightened down. Make sure your pressure tank remains full at all times! The last thing you want to do is suck air back in. Think of it like bleeding brakes.

Be careful with that kit, and make sure you get QUALITY heims, and replace all of them! I have a buddy that had this system on his ZJ and had nothing but problems. It even broke a heim in half while just turning around in a parking lot! Thank goodness it wasn't a minute later when he would have been going down the road at 55 :eek: He was also constantly having the pass side knuckle bolt loosen up as well, but after replacing the joints with some good ones, he had fewer issues. My opinion in looking at his was they really should have made the tie rod straight, and included a sway bar remount kit so the mounting tabs didn't interfere with it. With the bends in the bar, not only are the heims under extra stress due to the angle, but the weight of the bar itself causes extra stress. Since they make these out of solid stock they are extra heavy, and with the front of the tie rod bouncing around, there are lots of unwanted forces being applied to those joints! I am not trying to discourage you on your free steering (at least the price was right!), but I would seriously consider buying/building a straight tie rod to go with it!