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!

I am 99% sure it's the line toward the front. Yes, I made hard line connections for the sensor using compression fittings, 3/8" I believe. Just for reference, the B&M temp gauge comes with the T and compression fittings, so it saves any guesswork. I did not go this route and just used a standard h2o temp gauge and hardware store parts. It was several years ago when I did the install on my old XJ, so my memory is foggy when it comes to the exact parts used. This thread got me wanting to bump this project up on my list, so I went and bought a aftermarket cooler and parts to install the sensor in the MJ yesterday. I just took a guess on the size for the T fitting, since it was a last minute impulse thing as I was driving by Lowe's, but if I got it right I should have it installed in the next couple days. Once I know the hardware is correct, I will post up exactly what I used :D

Personally no, but then again I've never used one. I usually just carry a chunk of treated 2x10 to use as a base in case I'm in mud, etc...

Been working on the list! I haven't taken many pics yet, but I'll get some up soon. Here is my basic list: -Change ALL fluids and filters. I will even be changing the PS and brake fluids! DONE-Replace front gears... FINALLY1 I'll be needing them out there! DONE-Replace rear shocks and add mounts so I can bolt in a more stock location (currently they are inverted for more travel, but this causes more sway) DONE-Check ALL joints, bushings, bearings and seals, replace as needed. -Add extra bracing to rear bumper to make me feel better towing ~4k lbs. I built it strong, but I like overkill! -Replace stock trans cooler with aftermarket HD unit -Install trans temp gauge and "autostick" like trans shifter. -Turn old trans cooler into power steering cooler. -Wire in trailer brake controller -Upgrade brake booster/MC to 96 dual diaphragm. -Change to bucket seats if budget and time allows. DONE-switch to 33" AT's for more power and better mileage Haven't added to the list... but I'm sure it will happen.

There is not a location on the trans, but you don't want that temp anyway, too ambient. The best place it to mount it in a "T" connection on the lines right at the trans. This will give you an accurate reading at it's hottest point (before the fluid is cooled). Having one of the return line isn't necessary, but could be interesting just to see how effective the cooler is. The hot side is the important one! I had added a temp gauge on my XJ with the stock HD cooling package and it usually ran 170-180*, saw it at ~190* at the hottest while wheeling at low speeds in the summer. I never really did any towing or hauling with it though. I have mounted a gauge in the MJ, but haven't gotten around to hooking it up yet... it's on my list though!

The flapper for the hot/cold is mechanical, operated by a cable, so make sure it's functioning properly first. If it's a closed cooling system (Renix) you could have air trapped in the system. You can try burping it to see if it helps (did on mine!!!). If you don't know how to properly burp a closed cooling system, here ya go... 1) Park on a hill, facing downhill. It has to be steep enough that the back od 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. If all of that is ok, it could be the coolant valve or at worst a clogged heater core.

I agree with using soft line to sleeve it as well. As long as the fitting is snug and doesn't leak, the vacuum will hold it together so no adhesives or clamps should be needed. I too have fixed many of those crappy, brittle lines with it over the years (exactly as alleydog described) with no problems. In fact I just did it the other day... they're just way too easy to break in the cold weather!

Ahh, my mistake, I was thinking they had them that early, I am fully admit I'm not a big chevy guy. I am curious though because I haven't heard of an actual loss from removing a cat. Did you still have full length pipe after the cat? If not, that could explain it due to loss of scavenging (often falsely referred to as back pressure). Otherwise :dunno: :hmm:

Try this before you buy expensive bulbs, it may be all you need. Takes a bit of electrical know how, but Marcus does an excellent job with his write-ups! http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/HowtoHeadlightLoom.htm I had this setup on my old XJ, and will be doing the MJ soon. makes a world of difference!

I have the same problem, and right now I blame the alternator. When I first got it, it was REAL bad, and the lights would dim to ~50% at idle with the brakes on, and brighten back up to say 80% when the brake was off. Above idle the lights would be fine, but if I tapped the brake, they would dim a bit. I swapped in a USED alternator I had lying around, and it greatly helped the problem! However, the lights do still dim a bit at idle with the brakes on. I have a 105A alternator in known good condition sitting in my garage. I will try to swap it soon and post up with results. I want to note that I have gone through and checked/cleaned a bunch of grounds and power connections, ran new battery cables, new clamps, Optima red top, extra ground straps, etc... etc... so I'm pretty sure the rest of the system is in tact. It was a nightmare when I got it though!

That, and many other vehicles, have a downstream o2 sensor, so if you remove the cat, that sensor will read false and give poor fuel mileage. I am not the biggest chevy guy so I can't confirm it, but you may be able to correct this like I did in my stang. Please note this is not relevant to our MJs, and I will use my old 01 GT stang as an example of this (i miss that car!)... They came with 4 converters on the as well a 4 o2 sensors. 2 before the cats, and 2 after. When swapping to an aftermarket "off-road" H pipe w/ no cats, you will get a check engine light, and it will run rich without the proper fix. To fix that most aftermarket programmers (SCT, Diablo, etc..) have a feature to turn off the rear sensors. Basically all it does is make them give a false reading showing normal conditions, then relying on the primary sensors to provide the necessary info. They also have fake sensors that can be manually mounted called MIL eliminators, but these often cause problems and trigger CELs. NOTE: You would NEVER want to eliminate the primary sensor(s) this way, just the secondary sensor(s) that are usually only relevant to "fancy" emissions systems. In General: I agree that if this is not an off-road only truck, you should just run everything it came with, and just make sure it's all in good condition. At the same time, keep in mind even if it's a trail only rig, most places require a "spark arresting exhaust", so straight pipes, and technically even chambered mufflers (w/no cat) would still be illegal. If you want sound, just swap the "cat back" with your system of choice. We only have one sensor, and it's before the cat, so chances are removing the cat won't have a huge effect on it. There may be a slight difference in backpressure, but if you've ever looked through a new converter, they are pretty free-flowing to begin with, it is the carbon buildup overtime that causes any real blockage. An I mentioned, i plan to install a new converter in the semi-near future, so I can figure the mileage difference between with and without. In fact, I can get a rough HP measurement as well!!! It's not going to be the most accurate thing, but my Kenwood stereo has a G-meter built in and can estimate HP :D It was a fun toy in the stang, especially for measuring handling G forces (pulled 1.17 lateral Gs in a modded GT.. with street tires...off the track ).