dankicksass

They show up at $1.59 each for me. The UPF2 for 4.0 HO is still at the closeout price. That PF9 is for Renix.

I used two of my filters today. They still have six left at the deal price.

That must be a major PITA. Not really, it's an easy way to get yourself extra hours (money) on a routine service. Same with hood and hatch struts, headlight alignments, all kinds of easy stuff can get tacked on. Up until recently I worked as a dealership tech. Now I do custom audio.

I replaced tailgate cables about twice a week for the last twelve years. Usually in what I've seen the sheathing gets worn and the cable rots. I still want them more than what I've got.

That's how I wound up with a Chevy tailgate handle. Fits pretty well.

So I fixed my tailgate and it turns out all those rubber bumpers are having a fight with the tailgate straps. I cut away the offending rubber pretty well and that's great but I was thinking I might like cables. Does anyone who has switched remember which tailgate cables they used?

I fixed my tailgate today. When I bought my Jeep, the tailgate handle was rotted off and I had originally intended to rebuild the handle with new bushings on the functional assembly and fabricate my own release handle with a sheet metal brake. I just hadn't made it a priority. So I was at the parts store the other day to pick up CV axles for one of my VWs, and I decided to take the broken Jeep handle with me so I could compare it to their aftermarket handles. Turns out a 88-98 Chevy C/K tailgate handle is about the same size, but the bolt pattern is different and the rods connect at the bottom instead of the top. I decided that was good enough for me, so I took it home. Dorman 77077 - $21 with tax. This component is a really easy install. I had to trim away a little metal inside the tailgate handle hole to fit the new tailgate handle through, but other than that it's just three holes drilled and done. The whole project was about 20 minutes. I'm happy with it so far. EDIT: I just wanted to note that the tailgate handle was not modified in any way for this install. My goal was to use an off the shelf part as-is so if it fails it can be cheaply, easily and quickly replaced. The tailgate cutout was not modified except for trimming on the backside at the top. The hole is not enlarged to use the Chevy handle.

I haven't posted here in a while. I haven't really got a lot done. I cleaned up the truck a bit, put a crappy cargo net in place of the tailgate, removed some dead brake lines, got rid of the spare tire carrier, changed the tires for some that are slightly less terrible, tore off the stock flares and tore out the inner fenders, took the dead stereo wires out of the doors so I can make the doors properly removable... and then I went out and got it dirty a couple times. That's what it's really all about anyway. I damn near ripped off my rear bumper - I have a longbed and a crappy aftermarket bumper - so I was thinking I might want to chop that bed and frame at the spring shackle. Or I might not. I don't know yet. I really need to get axles though. The lower arm mount on my front axle is pretty rotten. That's the next thing, I guess.

The bed, tailgate and axle are all nicer than mine.

I own this Jeep, it resides in NW NJ, it has about 214000 mi on it. I just got my build sheet from Chrysler. TBBA: The full size spare is not in place. It has a compact spare and the accessory spare tire retainer. CUMP: The mini console has been replaced by a full console. CACP: The low back buckets have been replaced with similar Cherokee parts. SCES: The alcantera wrap on the steering wheel has been removed. MGMS: The belt moldings are not present. ????: It has air conditioning, but does not appear on the build sheet. That's how I got it.

I bought some Chinese auto darkening helmet on Amazon for under $50, it came next day; tested it in the sun around the house corner yesterday and it gets dark quick. I'll know if it sucks right away. I got the starter kit with the cart, regulator, helmet and welder all in one box. I should have it by next weekend. I can't remember where the 240v outlet went in my garage. I know that sounds dumb, but I thought it was between the doors and it's not there. So I went with a 120v setup. I have to rewire and relight the garage anyway, so I'll find that outlet soon enough. Once it gets light out today or maybe tomorrow, I'll put up a photo of my Jeep progress. I won't have a lot of further progress on the Jeep this coming week. Now that the safety stuff is more or less out of the way, I have to get back to my Chevy. The motor has been out of it forever and it's taking up garage space. Not really a big deal, just a day or so of work but I have to find the remaining parts, torque stuff, go to the DMV, stand in line all day to get it registered, drive it for monitors, try not to get a ticket because my inspection was due in 2009... it's going to suck up my whole week.

I don't have anything against Eastwood. I use their fender roller all the time. I actually wound up saving $20 over the equivalent Eastwood kit by going with Hobart, and the warranty is two years longer, and it came with a (cheap $20) helmet too. I know I probably should have bought a bigger welder, but I'm sure this will be adequate to build bumpers, fix the body, put new axles in, etc. Almost everyone I talked to before I sat down to do my own research told me to get an Eastwood though.

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If you're even the least bit competent with fiberglass, you can mod your own kick panels with wood rings or use the cheap plastic universal 6.5in speaker buckets. You can do it for around $25 with the buckets or less with all DIY.

I removed the shift interlock on a GM vehicle I own recently because the cable and floor shift are discontinued and it would get stuck and stay in ACC. Now you can turn that car off and take the key out in any gear. Doesn't really matter to me, I'm not going to let it roll away.

It's raining and the weatherman says it's going to be cold and rainy all day, so that seems as good a reason as any to buy a welder. I just ordered my first welder, and no it's not an Eastwood like my VW buddies said to get. I ordered from farmandfleet.com a genuine Made in USA Millermatic 130 kit, now labeled Hobart Auto-Arc 130. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.

Nice work.

Thanks!

I am really pleased with how my 3157 type lamp harness upgrade went. I have some junkyard 3157 harnesses in a box somewhere but working with the brand new ones from GM was nice. They're all uniform and not brittle or rotted like junkyard plastics tend to be around here. I might change the front when one eventually blows out or if l get ambitious when I relocate the side marker to the TJ flare 194 socket location. I haven't thought about how to make the fender mounted lamp accessible yet, but that's why we're blessed with hole saws and wacky tape.

Didn't get a lot done again today. Cleaned the PO dirt out of the cab this morning and the parts I ordered started to trickle in. New taillights arrived from my Facebook buddy. I ground off the parts of the JK hitch I don't need so I can weld the receiver to my bumper. Went with my bro to Autozone and picked up a cheap Grant steering wheel and some hard mud flaps since they're required by law, or at least it used to be that way. Took the tailgate handle assy off so I can start to make a new one. I'm going to cut it out of sheetmetal and bend it up, should be pretty simple. I just need to make a paper template out of the rotted out remains. This weekend, hope to have these parts in: Harmonic balancer Hella #3389 license plate lamp fixtures. These are nice and big, come stock on Sprinter chassis cabs. They take a 97 bulb like stock. Dorman hood release cable - because mine feels like it's ready to fail and I'm not going to try to save $20 by not replacing it GM flasher button - because mine is just a rusty drywall screw Toyota roof mounted rear view mirror and dome light - tell you why I wanted it later Air & fuel filters, and wiper blades And I really, really need to re-hang the doors. Each is only attached with two bolts and there are parts missing. I know it's not a lot but this is a budget build and I don't really want to splurge on anything yet. Even the Grant wheel was a bit of a stretch right now, it's not necessary but the stock wheel is in my lap. I absolutely need to take the carpet out soon. I don't want to do anything about the lift until I decide what I'm going to do about my axles. I'm seriously considering WJ axles. They're a little wider and I was planning on 5x5 wheels anyway so it makes sense in my head. If I do anything before I change axles, it's just going to be an add-a-leaf and shackles since that will come in under $100. My next purchases really need to be tools though. I need to buy a welder, sheet metal brake, some body tools and probably a bead roller kit. I need to make some slip plates so I can adjust the alignment, I need to buy a bigger jack, etc.

That's a lot of wheelbase.

I don't have the door checks either. Hasn't been a problem for me. I think the PO had the doors off regularly.

I saw the BITOG thread when I was looking around to try to remember what the black-gold AC Delco filters actually were. I don't have any huge concerns. I have a pretty big stash of late SBC K&N filters that I bought in 2003, bought way too many then I closed up shop. They're still fine too. Now I don't change anyone's oil but my own and the only thing I have that they fit gets one oil change a year and it comes out clean since I almost never drive it. These will at least fit two of my vehicles plus my brother's. I can throw away nine of these and still be ahead compared to buying the PL30001. I've still got a big stash of synthetic oil, every time I buy an oilchange special my shelving units look at me like I'm some kind of jerk. To be honest, if I didn't find these, I would have just bought the cheapest filter I could find that matched the FL1A specs. The only filter I've ever really been disappointed in was one of the new black K&N filters with the Nascar logo. It was about $3 and complete crap. I couldn't get my usual PL30001 because it was out of stock and I figured a $3 K&N was cooler than a $3 Motorcraft. Flipping wrong. That thing was about half as heavy as it should have been, came with a pretty sizable dent and wound up letting go at the seal. Not good for a turbo. Edit: I did go ahead and look up an 87-90 4.0 and the computer said it takes a metric filter. I don't know why they changed it, but I do know the filter I buy fits my Jeep and about a million compound years of Chryslers, Fords and Volkswagens. The deal on AC Delco standard blue filters for the older 4.0 does seem pretty good at $0.47+p&h ea. A box of 12 quotes out at about $15. That's not bad for a Fram. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/racatalog.php?partnum=PF9&tab=search

UPDATE - DEAL IS DEAD. SOLD OUT. I went to RockAuto.com to stock up on the usual consumables (light bulbs and wire) and figured I'd order a couple oil filters. Usually they come in about the same as NAPA delivered, and I usually have a bunch on the shelf but I was ordering anyway... So I lookup an 85 MERKUR because that will get me an interchange to a Motorcraft FL1A which fits* turbo Volkswagens and 4.0 Jeeps. I usually buy the Purolator PL30001 version which is pretty good and I could get it for about $4 last quarter but checked my usual supplier and it went up over $9. Luckily Rock has a closeout on the AC Delco UPF2 at about $2 each shipped in a case of 12. That's a synthetic media filter similar to the Mobil-1 brand filter, and it used to cost about $12 to $15 before it was discontinued. Great deal if you need filters. *This filter is taller than stock for Jeep and fatter than stock for VW. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/racatalog.php?partnum=UPF2&tab=search

My tailgate doesn't make any noise sitting in my garage. Maybe one day I'll fix the handle so it can make noise.