thecodemonk

A bit more detail on the truck would be nice too...is it lifted with wider tires? Depending on the tire, the grooves in the road can throw you around on the highway (especially if the highways are deeply rutted). Is the steering linkage stock or aftermarket? (some after market designs end up with tie-rod roll after a truck is lifted, which can lead to play) While it's possible LCA bushings being shot could affect steering play, but you'd normally hear clunking and other things from that. Also, you should be able to easily verify that yourself by jacking up the truck in the air (using non-harbor freight jackstands :) ) and checking for play by pushing/pulling on the front axle or LCA.

Welcome, fellow Washingtonian! Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Latest mod install...Comanche Club Sticker!!! Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

I think my phone must take large pictures since I keep hitting the an attachment size limit. Sorry Pete! Anyways, we made sure to test out the obstacles (I stayed off the big one with no lockers and a huge rear overhang...need more armor to protect the truck before I tackle some of them). The first time through, it was a bit too easy, so they spaced out the logs a bit to make it challenging but still doable and fun for a rig locked on 35's (we have other trails that are both easier and harder). Meanwhile, I had to get some obligatory flex shots of the MJ. :) (Yes, the front tire was just barely starting to hit the fender a little) As with all jeeps, once one person flexes out a bit, the others have to join in. :) It was a great time and the trail looks so much better than before! On the truck side of things, however, I've been running into what I think is heat soak the last week or so (as outside temps have started to rise a little). Once in a while, it just won't crank if I try and try to start it up too soon after stopping...but if I let it sit for a few minutes, it starts right up just fine. It's not too bad at the grocery store, since we're usually inside for a few minutes, but at the gas station, it gets really annoying. So...I've got a time delay relay and a momentary switch on order and will see if wiring up the fans to be able to run a few minutes after I turn off the truck helps to fix the issue.

Update on the truck...runs great, wheels great (especially considering there's no lockers yet). Had some fun working on a trail this weekend with the local club in preparation for their yearly big event. It was in the low 90 degree temperatures outside and muggy near the creek but it was great to finally get back out on the trail! It felt great to get back on some mountains again. It feels like it's been years (probably because it has). Once we got up there, we got to work. We had 4 excavators and I think we had over 20 people working to help clean up the trail, take down dead trees, as well as make some fun obstacles (ensuring there were bypasses for the BLM trucks, if they had to come up for a search-and-rescue operation or something). An example of one of the obstacles in progress. I'm glad I did the shave on the rear end...would have dragged while playing around if not for that.

Yeah, it's a huge difference between the two mirrors. I love the new ones.

Hopefully it'll be dry for a bit. :) Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

That's an awesome solution to the high idle switch!

This ^ A lot of people mix the two up. Death wobble is something you never forget when it happens.

Yeah, that's the part that took the longest on my build too. But, once they're working good and well built like you're doing, they shouldn't be any problems with it later. :)

Amazing as always! I love all the attention to detail you have for this old truck. Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Welcome! Long wheel base trucks have a special place in my heart. The truck looks good! Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Minor update today...upgraded the side mirrors to the 97+ style since they bolt right on. I was so done with them rattling around and pointing any which way they desired. I grabbed these from the local junkyard years ago and only just got to putting them on. For those who don't know, this should show the difference in how much more visibility you get with the newer mirrors. With them on, I think it looks just fine and it was an easy task. Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

That front bumper really was the indicator of what is going on with the rest of the rig. That said, maybe they'd let it go super cheap to someone who would clean it up right

So...not strictly a hardcore upgrade, but it's an upgrade nonetheless. I have cupholders! The graco slimfit carseat fits pretty well on the bench with all three of us and the cupholders can fold in half when not in use. While they don't look like it at first, they fit normal cups without any issues (my wife had a small hot chai, I had a large iced tea). Also, baby loves riding in the MJ.

Missoula is only a 3-4 hour drive from me in Spokane. Hey, @JordanTMiller! Do you still need a comanche topper?

Nothing hugely special. The point, for me, was to be able to get most of the parts from any parts store or junkyard. As cool as custom or rare axles are (like A Wagoneer Dana 44 that I had on my XJ), getting parts for them are a pain. These two axles are very common. Front axle has an artec truss and warn hubs. Front knuckles has Artec's weld-on high-steer setup as well to give me easy crossover steering with Ruff Stuff's 7/8ths heim steering kit and, of course, a ruff stuff diff cover. Since OEM has 35 splines inner and outer and giant dual piston brakes, there's not much in the way of upgrades needed for strength. Fun fact: At full lock, I can turn significantly tighter on this, even with 35" tires when compared to the dana 30 on 33's. Rear axle was shaved with a TMR kit but the ring gear was left alone and has the ruff stuff simple swap kit for perches and shock mounts. Otherwise, just refreshed all seals on them.

Spalding's junkyard here in Spokane. Front axle is a superduty Dana 60 from a newer f350, rear is a 14 bolt from a Silverado 2500hd. They were installed a few months after the LS :) Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Pull the front driveshaft from the front axle and see if the problem goes away. You can probably just unbolt on the axle side and bungie it up for a quick test. That'll tell you if it's related to the driveline spinning or not. If it still vibrates, check tire balance next? If the vibes stop, it's something to do with the driveline balance or angle. Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

It's a dually. I'm curious what axles they used for that and how they got a DRW setup on an axle small enough to fit under an MJ. I see them occasionally, but it's always originally from across the southern border or something. I think it was an aftermarket kit?

Hood vents can help evacuate the heat, but will only help marginally with any engine heating issues. Some people add spacers to the rear of the hood so that there's a gap at the rear and that seems to work the best for evacuating heat, but it looks...weird to me. I think there's several writeups on using LeBaron vents as hood vents though. I'm waiting to see how it behaves in the summer to see if I have any heat issues on my LS-swap. It was great all winter but..well...that's winter.

It's the opposite situation for me. My company said IT's "return to the physical office" will not be re-evaluated until Sept 1st at the earliest, regardless of what the local governments are going to do. In fact, we can't go into the office without manager approval right now (to protect critical operations personnel who have to be there). That said, been working from home this whole time exactly as I was in the office.

Got it out to move the trailer out of the alley so the landscaper can get to the backyard. It doesn't squat too much with the new springs and I still have plenty of suspension travel left in the back. The one-ton brakes stop the (empty) trailer pretty easily and the LS has plenty of power to move it. Honestly, it's like it's not even back there.

I have the IRO 3 link and it works great on the MJ. It's a pretty easy install too. The only thing to be aware of is the MJ's brake and fuel lines. They route different than on my XJ, so you have to pull them out a little from their plastic retainer near the crossmember.

This ^ The idea that the XJ dana 44s are smaller outside of the center section likely came from the TJ *front* dana 44 having dana 30 outers and over time got misunderstood.