derf

The factory certainly didn't leave much room for the fan clutch. And Rock Auto has the wrong one listed on their site. Took a bit for me to get the right combination and it's still really tight.

Made some good progress today. Got the fuel pump plumbed and the gas tank installed. The threaded portion at the end of the strap had broken and the welded on all-thread gave out. So I cut it back a bit further and put on a coupler nut with some red locktite. Got the tank installed. The Genright tank skid is a nice addition. But I found another issue while I was under there... So I guess the brake upgrade to power brakes is going to happen sooner than I planned.

Bumper jack. They haven't been used since the 70s or maybe early 80s

If I don't finish the Chief in time I'll be in the JL...

Same. I've never had any problems with Moog parts as an OEM replacement.

One thing I have wanted to do is to run the Rimrocker Trail. It goes from Montrose, CO to Moab. It's typically a 2 day trip with camping overnight. Very scenic but not really a hard trail. https://rimrockertrail.org/ It would be a fun trail to run on the way to the meetup. It's closed due to snow starting mid to late fall and doesn't open until the spring. But is that something people would be interested in with this gathering?

I can probably make it up to you in a weekend or two. I'm all the way down in Castle Rock.

So, I'm not going to get near Chicago until Christmas. But I'm interested. If you get to Western IL (quad cities) or even Eastern IA (Cedar Rapids), I have family that could meet you before that.

Got my annual bonus at work. Got some toys for the CJ. Proper fabric doors. Still need to finish assembling the latches bit the initial test fit is good.

I know the pieces are rare, and I'll likely just paint the gray pieces I already have. But if you have black interior pieces looking for a new home, I'd be happy to take them off your hands. I'm in Denver but I have a couple of road trips planned this summer so I may be able to meet you somewhere if you're on the way. Let me know what you have.

I'll encourage people to push their comfort level on trails. You'll be surprised what you and your Jeep can do. But when it comes down to it, you shouldn't feel that you're being pushed beyond your personal limits. The slickrock out there got its name when the pioneers in wagons with steel rimmed wheels were trying to get through. The steel would just slide all over the hard rock. But it's basically petrified sand dunes and it gives great traction to rubber tires. Imagine rock covered in sandpaper. It's very grippy and you can climb things that you wouldn't think you can.

I've been a trail leader for EJS and I've done a bunch of trails from easy to difficult over the last 15 years. I haven't done the more extreme trails but it's looking like few people would want to run those trails. I'm happy to offer to be a trail leader if people want. FWIW, I did Hell's Revenge (6 out of 10 on their scale) in an XJ on 3.5" lift and 32" tires. Just TrueTracs front and rear. I did bypass the harder lines but had zero trouble. If people are interested, I can spot them up Hell's gate. It's a fun side trail on Hell's Revenge and a good opportunity to get good video.

Oh, I know. I've been there in the middle of summer. It's miserably hot. I vote for spring or fall too.

Why not July or August?

I could probably be talked into Moab in 2027. And 2028 too.

I believe there are systems that hook up to the line from a trailer brake controller and push a piston to push the brake pedal. Let the CJ help with braking. Probably not enough time before EJS and I have no idea how much they cost but it's always an option.

Not too hard to make your own. So not terrible if they aren't there. Just inconvenient.

There can be a little slop and new bushings will potentially improve the ride quality. Though the swaybar is a minor contributor. I had an old XJ. I bought it and replaced all suspension and steering parts (swaybar, control arms, track bar, and tie rod ends). I even did unit bearings and axle shaft u-joints. It went from vaguely going in the neighborhood of where you were trying to steer it to being pretty well behaved. But everything was completely shot.

Good idea. I do have a kit to do that...

I'm getting close to being ready to pull the Renix 4.0 out of the donor to be put in my next project. I'm starting my to-do list of what to do while it's out. I'm probably going to start with a compression test on the engine before it comes out. If it's low, it'll get a full rebuild. If not, I'd still want to do some work while it is out and easy to get to everything. At the very least, a good cleaning, new gaskets and seals all around. I'm going back and forth on doing a head gasket and new head bolts. Though if I decide to do a new cam, the head would probably come off. So I'm thinking of doing an RV cam that is close-ish to stock. I'm not looking for a big change. But as long as I'm thinking about replacing a worn down cam, may as well do a mild upgrade. Of course, I'll be doing a water pump and thermostat. And even if I don't do a cam, I'll check and potentially swap the timing chain. New injectors are probably a good idea. I have a bored out Renix throttle body already. I'll do all hoses and look at replacement EGR, PCV, and breather. Anything else y'all an think of?