$400 Pioneer (Wilbur)

[JeepcoMJ]

do what I did in the mean time just pull the fan, add nuts for the empty space and run a electric fan.

 

 

half-arsing the problem only leads to more problems down the line.

 

Not really a half A$$ job I ran mine like this all summer cause it was doing the same thing. 1hp off taking the clutch fan off and no worry of sucking water in a hole as you can control the electric fan, never had an overheating issuse either.

 

 

but if the fan isn't the issue and something else is, just taking off the fan is NOT going to fix it. best find the problem now and not screw up anything else.

[Wildman]

So.......reading thru all this........

 

Thinking about all the mods you did to your MJ.........

 

.........and how your "Testing" the latest problem......

 

........going into the alley, doing a burn out.

 

Now, you don't think that's going to torque your rear axle with the what........5 inch lift in the back (SOA)????? Pushing the drive shaft forward, pushing the tranny/engine forward........and where is the fan going to go :dunno:

 

How much "slip" do you have in the drive shaft/X-case??

 

Don't you think, that doing a burn out would "flex" the springs/lift to the forward motion???

 

When the truck is just sitting, not running........how much room do you have between the fan blades and the radiator??

[mvusse]

I have 8.5" long perches to combat axle wrap.

 

I had the move the axle forward for the drive shaft to be in the transfer case far enough for my liking as I was afraid of breaking the tail cone. It's still out too far, but will have to do for now. So lots of travel there.

 

Really don't think that's the problem, but won't rule it out.

 

Will take a close look at the fan and radiator tomorrow. Been too wet and too late/dark when I had time to look at it today or yesterday. Planning on fixing it one way or another Saturday.

[mvusse]

The fan blades didn't hit, the clutch did. At rest fan blades are 1 9/16" from the radiator. Clutch is 3/4" away. I fixed the radiator for now by squeezing shut the channels that were damaged. I'm hoping the problem will go away when I install my 8.25", which will let the drive shaft engage the transfer case one more inch.

 

Today's updates:

Old and new driver side axle shaft:

and new axle shaft after removing the ABS ring:

 

89 and older hubs do not work with the ABS ring. Remove the ring and everything fits fine. Passenger side shaft will be replaced when I can afford another $28.98 for the second 5-760x u-joint. Even the parts counter guy where I got them commented that they were "expensive little buggers" after looking up the price. At least I have a local source 10 minutes from my house that keeps them in stock. I hope they don't break because Spicer probably will not honor any sort of warranty when they figure out they were used off road. Autozone warrantied out the Duralast one I busted no questions asked. The replacement will go into the Cherokee as the driver side one is squeeking.

 

Also new dash:

 

and old dash, with mud from last trip off road with window open:

 

Tomorrow weather permitting I will drain and refill both axles as I once again have chocolate milk in them. and she should be good to drive again. Will also have to take the rear brakes apart and flush all the sand out of them again. Every time I go through the water at JeepSkool (and they have a bunch of it) I end up with water in my axles and sand in the brakes. The guy that runs the show has had the brakes on his JK replaced 5 times now, with only 20k miles on it. But he doesn't care, as it's done under the "lifetime, unlimited miles" warranty he got on that vehicle.

[freakjeep93]

man you should really fix that big rust hole in the bed and paint the whole truck red id look much better that way ..... but nice jeep anyhow

[mvusse]

What? You from Pennsylvania or something? The entire body is rotting away. I will wheel it 'till it falls apart, then buy a rust free short bed from the south and move everything over.

[WahooSteeler]

Hey vusse, I think we found the guy who stole your right front fender :brows:

 

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14017&p=164068#p164068

[mvusse]

Yeah, I saw that too. Was going to reply, but didn't want to hijack the thread.

[freakjeep93]

man I'm from newbrunswick on the east coast of canada ive got 3 mjs 2 with busted frams cuz of rust and the other one is good ONLY because it was undercoated many years ago before it sat for lik6 years and I'm now restoring it from the ground up

[mvusse]

No offense intended. Pennsylvania is the next state over from us, and they don't allow any visible rust on cars in that state. Big joke here in Ohio.

 

Was meant to be funny.

[freakjeep93]

none taken but i didnt know about that but i was sayin is that up here in nb rust eats stuff so I'm like right anal about getting rid of rust... but anyway your doing a nice job with the truck

[BJA814]

Hey vusse, I think we found the guy who stole your right front fender :brows:

 

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14017&p=164068#p164068

 

Knew I should've shot the other side :shake:

 

Didn't think I'd find out huh Wahoo?! Thats ok...mvusse knows franken-jeeps kick arse.

[mvusse]

Notes to self:

 

Shock length at ride height:

RF 23.5, LF23.5

RR 20.5, LR 21

 

Lift rear driver tire until fender interferes:

RF 27, LF 19

RR 18.5, LR 24

 

Lift front driver tire until fender interferes:

RF 20, LF 27

RR 23.5 LR 18.5

 

Front shocks Gabriel #81440 with extensions:

27" fully extended, 17" fully compressed. (24 5/8" to 14 5/8" without extensions)

Rear shocks Monroe #59358 (Gabriel #61582 should also work, 25" extended, 15" compressed):

25" fully extended, ??" fully compressed.

 

Can't lift passenger side with full gas tank: gas pours out near filler.

 

Rear tires hit front of flare before top. Move axle backwards will solve, but need longer drive shaft.

Front tires hit front of flare before top. Modify flare somehow.

 

Front and rear both look like they might fit inside under flex.

 

Front lifted fully extends shock and tire interferes with flare at same time as track bar hits axle bracket. Modify bracket a bit with grinder.

[mvusse]

Well, Saturday I painted the other fender and header panel. Did the grill flat black as an experiment, but will redo it again gloss. Flat black looks more grey than black.

 

Sunday I went to pull-a-part. Alternator went out halfway there. It's been acting up since it spent a few hours submerged last time off road, yesterday it completely gave up the ghost. Decided to head on to the JY as I have a pretty good battery, and got a sunburn on top of my head pulling parts.

 

Score:

Complete ZJ rear disc brake assembly, both left and right, with almost brand new rotors and pads. Parking brake shoes are shot, however. $41.15

Alternator with warranty: $18.30

FM Antenna: $2.99

 

And for a buddy:

2 XJ tail gate shocks

1 wiper delay module

 

I installed the FM antenna yesterday.

 

Today I installed the new alternator, but not in the stock location. Instead I stuck it on top where the AC compressor would normally mount. I have no AC, so the only thing there is an idler pulley. Took some nuts and bolts from the hardware store, and a piece of steel, angle grinder with cutting wheel, bench grinder and drill to make some custom brackets. Then went to Autozone and got a shorter belt (770K6).

 

Sorry, no pictures as my camera cable went kaput. I got pictures, but no way to get them to the computer.

[mvusse]

Have been hearing some creaking in the front for a bit now, thinking it was suspension parts. Then yesterday on the way home (after forklift flex to check some remaining clearance issues) the steering felt loose, and there was wobble. Side to side wobble, but not severe enough to be called DW. I would probably think it was DW if I had not experienced actual DW before.

 

Obvious culprit would be the track bar. But all seems to be tight. I then do a thorough examination of the entire steering and front suspension systems, as well as the frame.

 

THE #@%&$#* FRAME RIPPED RIGHT OVER TOP OF A STEERING BOX BOLT!

 

:headpop: :fs1: :ack: :grrrr: :fs2:

 

My tow hook bracket and sway bar bracket both straddle the rip, helping hold it together and (hopefully) preventing it from ripping further. Truck will be parked until this is fixed.

 

Current plan is to cut two pieces of 1/4 steel, and sandwich the frame between them from the very front, back up to the tract bar bracket.

 

Problem is, Saturday I have a cook out to go to, Sunday is my oldest daughter's graduation, I need to get the Strasburg Corn Fest web pages updated and I'm supposed to take my POS off road next weekend.

[mvusse]

Got a new cable for my camera. This is what I was up to before I found the tear in the frame:

 

 

I did the grille in flat black as an experiment, but the flat black is more like grey. Will redo it the same as the rest after the frame has been fixed. The bumper and hood are next.

[mvusse]

Finished the braces for the frame around the steering box, and got the crack in the frame welded. One pass looked good, so we did a second pass just in case.

 

Crack:

 

All welded up:

 

Inside brace:

 

Outside brace:

 

Mocked up in place:

 

Now the steering box bolts are too short. Stock bolts are 7/16-14x4, I need 4.5". Don't know if they exist. I bought 3 5" bolts at the local hardware, but the threads may not go far enough down the bolt.

 

That's where I ran out of daylight.

[mvusse]

Went to Advance to put down a $170 deposit for a a loan-a-tool ball joint press kit and went to town on my passenger front wheel. Got to the point of removing the knuckle, and got stuck until I spent another $13 deposit for a pickle fork. Got the knuckle off, and lower ball joint is bad. Upper seems okay. With a 4 foot pipe on my breaker bar popping the old joint out and reinstalling a new one was fairly easy, but I have no ball joint spanner wrench to install the new split ring in the knuckle. Am tempted to just leave the old one it. Will finish that up tomorrow, hopefully fixing my "not quite dw" shaking.

 

With all that taken apart, I think now would be a good time to finally install a u-joint in my single piece 297 front axle to replace the two piece 260 one, and the tie rod end on the end of the drag link (part of the drag link itself, not threaded on) is in pretty bad shape. Might be time to think about a steering upgrade.

[BJA814]

I too did passenger side balljoints today. Drivers side is tomorow. I left the lower balljoint bushing in place, as it seemed to be in decent shape. I'll keep and eye on it and if it becomes sloppy, then I will replace it.

 

Autozone charged $140 to rent the ball joint press....man I hate trying to figure out what goes which way, etc. Setting up the press takes the longest in the whole job.

 

I have heard of people grinding down old sockets to use the install the bushing/sleeve/whatever its called. Might be an option to consider, tho i've never tried it.

[mvusse]

Got the ball joint done and installed a Spicer 5-760x u-joint in my single piece passenger shaft. Need to buy an oil seal for it, and am running out of time tonight.

[mvusse]

Stock non-disconnect seal (National 710068) does not work.

[mvusse]

Update: June 24th:

 

Ordered a $10 oil seal nobody has in stock. Either 11771 (National equivalent is 40576s) or 11800 (National 471765). Can't remember which one any more.

 

June 25th:

 

Installed oil seal, buttoned everything up, and Bush Pig is back on the road.

[mvusse]

Since the last post I've been wheeling 3 days over July 4 weekend, when I must have damaged my drive shaft

 

 

In the process I found out the bottom U-joint was half seized with 2 dry ends. 5 months old, lifetime warranty.

 

Also busted a steel belt in one of the tires. By the time I got home it looked like a porcupine with steel wires poking through the tread and side wall.

 

Wheeled 3 days first weekend in August when I found a bad drive line vibe, caused by an out of balance drive shaft and/or play in the pinion shaft of the rear axle. Made a 75 minute 70 mile trip into 4 hours and 190 miles to pick up 3 more 33" tires for $25 each, as I can't wheel on 3 tires, and going back to the 29s is not an option. Wheeled Bush Pig Friday, then Saturday my daughter and her boyfriend drove up in the Cherokee (still bone stock), and the rest of the weekend I wheeled the Cherokee and they wheeled Bush Pig. After being used to 33" tires, lots of lift and a front locker, getting used to wheeling a stock stick shift took some getting used to, but I managed.

 

Then I went to Badlands: 400 miles there, wheeling all day Saturday and 400 miles back.

 

Still with the damaged drive shaft and play in the rear axle pinion shaft.

 

Somehow the axle survived.

 

This coming Saturday I'm wheeling again, still with the damaged drive line, and afterwards I'm parking her for a while to get the new axle in, and have a new drive shaft made (longer one shortened to a bit longer than my current one).

[mvusse]

Dug through the weeds to find the 8.25" axle as well as my Grand Cherokee rear disc brake setup. Stacked a 2.75" hole saw inside of a 3" one, thinking the 2.75" will work as a centering "pin" to drill the 2.75" holes out to 3". Drill press at 250 rpm (slowest setting), 5 minutes and a pint of oil later I was done.

 

Came home to find out my spring perches and shock mounts from RuffStuff Specialties have arrived! :banana:

 

I started bolting it onto the axle and am pleased to report everything fits perfectly. Mounting holes line up great, rotor tight on the axle flange is centered in the caliper, and the parking brake mechanism even works. Kind of a weird set up, though. The main brake is a disc brake set up, while the parking brake is a drum brake set up inside the hat of the rotor.

 

Ran out of daylight to finish putting the other side together, but now that I figured out how it all went together again, it will be easy enough.

 

Still left to do:

Finish installing brakes on other side

Reinstall C clips on the axle shafts

Grind off spring perches

Grind of remainder of shock mounts

Buy some U bolts and hardware

Install and tack perches

Install and tack shock mounts

Finish weld (or have welded as I still don't have a big enough one) the perches and shock mounts

Buy and install brake lines

Install axle under Bush Pig

 

Get drive shaft made and installed.

 

I expect to be back on the road before September is over.

 

Wish me luck!

[jpdocdave]

good luck, sounds like you're doing good. hey, did you ever pin down that part number for the axle seal up front? i saw a post further up the page, but it sounded like you weren't sure.