My "Hero" Blog

Thanks for the compliment and input Starboard. I definitely agree with you. I think I am going to end up getting some small diameter tube and will cut a slit down it length-wise so I can slide it over the end of the 1/8" plate and burn it on. Hopefully I can make something look good.

Smokinu, yup that was me! I was out there visiting family
 
Thanks! The shoulder belts feel great. I feel like they could mount a tad lower behind my shoulders, so Ill be ordering some eyelets that I will run upside down under the tabs on my shoulder bar. Other than that, I love them!

Cut those tabs off and wrap the belts directly around the tube. That's how I run mine. I got the idea from Jes, who still runs his that way too.
 
Not a bad idea at all. Ill see where that would put my harnesses and ill go from there. Sounds very promising, thanks for the tip!
 
Smokinu, yup that was me! I was out there visiting family

Sweet, im looking for an xj for me and the family.. i saw it and was like i know that jeep.. my girlfriend thought i was kidding till i showed her your thread and was like yeah! it was his jeep! It looked good. i live right on orangeburg just down the street from the freeway!
 
Thanks man! Hopefully you can pick up an XJ before the wheeling season gets going! Definitely try to make it to the Sierrafest. Its a great time!
 
I went up to Lake Alpine yesterday with the family. Absolutely beautiful up there. There is still snow on the ground (up to 5ft drifts in the shade), but it wont be long until it is gone. Slickrock rd is still covered in snow and is pretty much inaccessible from the Alpine side. I will be heading back up there for Mothers day weekend and hope to hit slick rock while im there if the conditions are right.

Heres a shot from the lake. I fished for a few hours, but didn't catch a thing. A few other people had luck though.

 
So I have been having some trouble with my hack n tap SYE. I torque the bolt holding the yoke (yoke style, not flange) down to 35 ft/lbs when I tighten it down (recommended torque spec from what I have read). It will stay tight for a little while and then the yoke would develop some play and result in driveline vibrations.

Here is what I have tried so far:
-Torqued bolt to 35 ft/lbs
-Torqued bolt to 35 ft/lbs using blue locktite (did this 3 times)
-Torqued bolt to just over 35 ft/lbs using RED locktite

Now after a few months of driving with the red locktite method, I have developed driveline vibrations again. The vibrations are being caused by up/down/left/right movement in the yoke as a result of by play between the splines of the yoke and the output shaft. I have not noticed any left/right twisting play in the yoke (backlash between splines).

I am not sure if the bolt itself is backing out, or if something is rubbing until it wears out and causes excessive movement.

Do you guys have any ideas of how to get this guy to stop loosening up?


EDIT: At this point I am about to just crank down on the bolt. IIRC, it is a fine threaded 1/2" grade 8 bolt which has a torque spec of 110 ft/lbs. I am just afraid of stripping out the output shaft because the bolt goes into it 1" max.
 
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I used to throw red loctite on the bolt and I would put some RTV on the splines.
 
I used to throw red loctite on the bolt and I would put some RTV on the splines.

I've thought about putting RTV on the splines, but the RTV would need to be pretty hard to make a difference. Maybe Ill throw some black RTV on there for the next go-round.

Buy a real SYE. Fixed.

Yeah, if I cant get this figured out, I guess that will be my only option..


What do you guys think of cranking down on that bolt? The torque spec of the bolt is ~110ft/lbs... Will I end up stripping the threads I tapped in the output shaft?
 
I've thought about putting RTV on the splines, but the RTV would need to be pretty hard to make a difference. Maybe Ill throw some black RTV on there for the next go-round.



Yeah, if I cant get this figured out, I guess that will be my only option..


What do you guys think of cranking down on that bolt? The torque spec of the bolt is ~110ft/lbs... Will I end up stripping the threads I tapped in the output shaft?
If all else fails, you can always retap with a different size. maybe a LH thread so it is less likely to back out?
As far as RTV, balck or "The right stuff" should help/work.
 
I always just cranked on mine good and it seemed fine. I always RTVD in there good too for fun. no idea what really worked. red loctite too. LHD bolt is not bad idea.
 
Yeah i would crank down harder than 35lb's for sure. When i ran a h&t i just cranked it down really effen tight with loctite and it never came loose.
 
I guess ill give that a try then. If anybody has some input of what to try torqueing (sp?) it to, please let me know. At this point, I'm gonna shoot for 74-100 ft/lbs and if it strips ill drill and tap it to the next size.
 
Ill torque it down nice and good if I get a chance tomorrow.

Ill be heading up to lake alpine for the weekend. If anyone's going to be in the area let me know. Ill be wheeling SlickRock a few times probably and fishing Alpine/Union/Utica lakes.
 
Well all of the rod ends in my steering are shot. Talked to Dan at ruffstuff and he is replacing all of them under warranty.

He offered to upgrade me to 7/8 heims for the cost of new bungs (like $60). Should I do it? I'm not sure if I want to spend the time redoing all my steering but I may end up going that route. It would require drilling out my knuckles/pitman arm again and I'd have to cut up my current tie rod and drag link for new bungs. New alignment too. I guess I'm just getting lazy.
 
Well all of the rod ends in my steering are shot. Talked to Dan at ruffstuff and he is replacing all of them under warranty.

He offered to upgrade me to 7/8 heims for the cost of new bungs (like $60). Should I do it? I'm not sure if I want to spend the time redoing all my steering but I may end up going that route. It would require drilling out my knuckles/pitman arm again and I'd have to cut up my current tie rod and drag link for new bungs. New alignment too. I guess I'm just getting lazy.

Buy more tube, build your links with the new/larger joints and donate your old steering links to me, or sell them.. ha.
 
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