What are you doing to your rig - the continuing saga

[Fred]

Spent a day in El Presidente's garage. Plan was to remove front axle, remove knuckles, remove lower control arm mounts, weld on Ruff stuff control arm mounts, put in new ball joints with lower adjustable to get some castor back, put axle back in jeep. put on newer 90-96 knuckles(more options for brake parts), put in new alloy axles, put in new bearings, put on new loaded calipers, and drive away early evening. BWA-HA-HA.

Ruff Stuff control arm mounts did not fit correctly, Mr. Flores had some TNT's around that did. The balljoints weren't real cooperative, but eventually went on. We get the axle half-way back in, and start putting on the parts. Alloy axles were 1/4" too long, bound up the steering. Put the old axles back in. Went to put the brakes on, one of the loaded Raybestos calipers had an incorrect brake shoe in it. Replace that, find out, the passenger knuckle brake shoe mount was just bent enough, the brake shoe wouldn't fit on it. Oh, and the lower adjustable ball joints had to be twisted to no adjustment, because they interfered with the steering. At least, I no longer have ball joints that were toast. It's amazing that I didn't have death wobble all the time.

Just another day working on the jeep. It always demonstrates Murphy's law exactly. Borrowed Flores's jeep and drove home. Back tomorrow for a different knuckle.

 

[eflores]

Well i guess that means you and Jenny made it home ok then. Your jeep is out in the driveway, im cleaning the explosion up and waiting on you grandpa

 

[Fred]

And it's home, again. Finishing the assembly yesterday, I discovered my replacement knuckle didn't have a taper in it. While I'm familiar with drilling a knuckle for heims, or putting in a tapered sleeve, didn't know there were inserts that took the taper out. So I ended up going to Burt's, where the machinist took one look with a bright light, and knocked taper out, just about the same time, Flores called me to say he knocked the taper out of the other knuckle. Well, now I know, but I don't get why someone would do that to a D-30 knuckle.

Forgot to mention that bottom adjustable balljoints don't work. When set to add castor, which I desperately needed, the steering range was effected negatively.

And I had death wobble driving home. Forgot to put the nut on the steering stabilizer mount. Feels much better with that tightened down.

 

[md21722]

I'm finishing up R/R of the head. While the head was out at the head shop, I decided to do the timing cover gasket and rear main seal which led to replacing the timing set and cleaning up tons of P.O. oil crud from leaky valve cover gasket, head gasket, and oil filter o-rings. Didn't know we had Mitsubishi starters until I scraped off at least 1/8" of crud. My first time ever, on any vehicle, pulling an oil pan and doing an RMS. Done timing belts, pulled apart transfer cases, and rebuild axles, but pulling an oil pan is a first for me. Its been a little nerve racking. I hope it don't leak when its back on the road!

 

[Kittrell]

And I had death wobble driving home. Forgot to put the nut on the steering stabilizer mount. Feels much better with that tightened down.

Fred, you should not be getting death wobble from a loose stabilizer nut. If your steering is good to go you should be able to drive around town with no stabilizer. You will definitely notice smoother steering using one, but should not get something as serious as DW without. Usually a new stabilizer "fixing" DW is just the tighter shock actually masking the actual problem. Things to think about.

 

[in4aride]

Fred, you should not be getting death wobble from a loose stabilizer nut. If your steering is good to go you should be able to drive around town with no stabilizer. You will definitely notice smoother steering using one, but should not get something as serious as DW without. Usually a new stabilizer "fixing" DW is just the tighter shock actually masking the actual problem. Things to think about.

X2

 

[Fred]

No shit Sherlock.

 

[Kittrell]

No shit Sherlock.

Just checking, I know you are getting on in years........

 

[Fred]

Well, I am half blind, and deaf, and definitely not as smart as I once was, the old brain has slowed down, but I have been reading about and dealing with death wobble for a long time. My 1966 VW bug had death wobble(beam axle). The shocks were loose.

 

[SteveT]

I thought your death wobble was caused by bad knees when you walk.

 

[Fred]

I don't have bad knees, but my balance isn't what it was.

 

[ROKRWLR]

So, I was not so smart and started a whole bunch of projects simultaneously. Continuing saga is definitely the right label for this. Re-work hydro mount, stretch front end, rebuild front spring and shock mounts, rebuild arms, redo exhaust, relocate alternator, dual electric fans, gut all old wiring out of harnesses, build custom dash and console, new seat mounts, "buggy sides" for the cage, build some H1 wheels..... Too much for one round of changes!

It's been about 2 years now that the xj has been ripped apart (including a house move and remodel in the process). It's now getting close enough to done that I can show pictures.

Finished up the new dash and center console, but still need to hook up all of the wiring. And this weekend, finished the passenger side tube work (minus a mirror mount).

I can't wait to drive this thing again! So close, but so far. To light a fire under my ass, I signed up for the STF Offroad event in June. I figure putting some $$ on the line will motivate me.

 

[Fred]

Wow. Nice dash.

 

[md21722]

Got the Jeep back together after the head work, oil pan gasket, rear main seal, and timing cover gasket. Next up is the distributor which was probably most of the mid/rear engine leak anyway.

 

[notamos]

Installed a Boostwerks tcase linkage, Brown Dog motor mounts and a HD crossmember. Getting it ready for the season.

 

[Hypoid]

Next step, uninstall the XJs primary driver...

 

[freerider15]

So, I was not so smart and started a whole bunch of projects simultaneously. Continuing saga is definitely the right label for this. Re-work hydro mount, stretch front end, rebuild front spring and shock mounts, rebuild arms, redo exhaust, relocate alternator, dual electric fans, gut all old wiring out of harnesses, build custom dash and console, new seat mounts, "buggy sides" for the cage, build some H1 wheels..... Too much for one round of changes!

It's been about 2 years now that the xj has been ripped apart (including a house move and remodel in the process). It's now getting close enough to done that I can show pictures.

Finished up the new dash and center console, but still need to hook up all of the wiring. And this weekend, finished the passenger side tube work (minus a mirror mount).

I can't wait to drive this thing again! So close, but so far. To light a fire under my ass, I signed up for the STF Offroad event in June. I figure putting some $$ on the line will motivate me.

1.) Good gawd looks like you're having wiring fun as well :laugh: Luckily for me I'm 90% done.

2.) You really need to come to COFest so I have someone else that will run Carnage

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Next step, uninstall the XJs primary driver...

Finally got the wifey her new daily driver huh? :thumbup:

Ya shoulda taken pics of it BEFORE you had the wifey take sexy pics of you sprawled across the hood....... that thing is wavy as a water bed now....... :laugh:

 

[Hypoid]

Finally got the wifey her new daily driver huh? :thumbup:

Ya shoulda taken pics of it BEFORE you had the wifey take sexy pics of you sprawled across the hood....... that thing is wavy as a water bed now....... :laugh:

Yup, I told her that would leave a mark.

I saw pretty much the same car on a junkyard run, just one year older. Since the VECCI labels are stuck to the hood, I wonder how much difference that would make at emissions, or if I should blot them out.

 

[proracedriver616]

You can buy underhood labels at the dealership pretty cheap