Well now I've gone and done it...

[Soundy]

Welp, finally got around to taking off the passenger side door panel so I could find out what jammed the lock after getting punched... turned out half the lock barrel fell into the mechanism and was blocking it. Decided to take the driver's side door panel off while I was at it, to see what was wrong with that lock - looks like the ring that attaches the rod to the back of the lock is gone. So I left it like that and I'll just make do with going through the back to unlock (or just clean it out and leave it unlocked) until I get the actuators in.

Thinking of leaving the door panels off until I can either find replacements, or MAKE replacements... something out of thin wood that I can mount some speakers in for better bottom end. Wanna come up with some sort of quick-connect for the wiring to the doors too, to make for ready removal.

[nabs]

this is really encouraging to buy my own offroad truck.

[murd0c]

Cute Jeep soundtrack, you will love it in the summer with the top off of it. You should sign up to bcjeepclub you will get a lot of ideas and a decent deal on parts down the road.

[Soundy]

Will do that. I'm already on jeepforum.com, wranglerforum.com and BC4x4 - one more can't hurt

At the moment I'm mostly interested in getting the stock version fully "up to snuff" (still have to deal with the Death Wobble and some twitchiness in the steering, and assorted other little things).

First "upgrade" will likely be the alarm and power locks, then probably some better speakers than the little in-dash 4x6es. When I had my '80 GLC, I replaced the cardboard door panels with 1/4" MDF - the improved baffle gave me really good bass out of my 6.5" door speakers. Thinking something similar is in order here, since the stock panels are just flat cardboard. Amp and small sub might come later.

[Soundy]

Welp, solved the death wobble: replaced that bagged shock bushing, and she now pushes past 110 without feeling like she's gonna drive herself off the road.

There IS a speed shake after 110 that now feels like an unbalanced wheel - thinking that was probably kicking in before and the effect was being exacerbated by the bad bushing. Gonna replace the bushing on the other side just because they're cheap and easy to do

Tempted to wait on the balancing until I can check around for some better tires though - I now have a left-rear that's same tread but one size smaller, and a right-front that's a different tread, and a completely dead spare.

There is some definite play in the steering that gets more pronounced at speed, that's probably a worn steering knuckle or a related bushing, but it's not a show-stopper right now.

[RRxtar]

The thing with jeeps, is before you replace anything OEM, take a look at what some aftermarket stuff is worth. Its generally cheeper, and far better. Also, you dont need to run the track bars or sway bars on a YJ since they are leaf sprung. pull that crap out and be amazed at how relatively well the leafs can work.

BCjeepclub is good, there is always tons of guys selling YJ parts stock and aftermarket.

Welcome to Jeep ownership. No matter what you tell yourself, your jeep will be twice as modded as you plan in half the time.

cheap 4" lift, 33s and a pair of aussie or spartan lockers, and you'll go everywhere you want to go and a bunch of places you didnt think you could. or do a spring over axle swap and run 35s

[Soundy]

Hahaha, I don't doubt that the mods could come fast and furious... but the ol' bank account has other ideas right now

[Soundy]

Woohoo, new rubber! Well, okay, not NEW new... but a full set of four with pretty good tread left, $125/pair from Pick-A-Part Definitely seems to ride straighter now that I don't have one rear tire smaller than the rest. Despite being the same size rating as the old ones, my wife insists the whole thing is a bit taller now (being 5'2" she has to really climb up!).

[Soundy]

FML... got the new brake pads in last night, took it for a spin... and found a buncha steam coming in from the heater core. BLARGH. If it ain't one thing, it's another.

[Phil@rise]

Its a jeep thing

[T4RAWR]

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

O|||||O

[Soundy]

Little bit of Stop Leak seems to have done the trick (for now, anyway). I've changed heater cores before, on cars with way more cramped dashes... how bad can it be?

I'm really wanting the weather to clear up so I can take my doors off and take them into the shop to make my custom speaker panels. I found some 6.5" marine two-way speakers at Princess Auto for $30 - sure, they're no Alpines, but they'll be a damn sight better than the 4x6s in the dash

[Phil@rise]

Put a couple packets worth of pepper in the rad if its not a gushing leak it will work for a long time. I've used it many times on my own vehicles.

[Soundy]

Interesting... will remember that if it starts up again. Not gushing, no... just spewed out enough steam to fog up the windows after the engine warmed up, but not enough that the coolant level dropped at all, since I could barely get a tablespoon of the Stop Leak junk into the rad (although that seems to have done the trick for now).

For some reason, the whole idea made me think of the MacGyver episode where he needs to get a Jeep running that has a bunch of bullet holes through the rad... so he cracks a bunch of eggs into it and then tops of the water, and off they go.

[rust1d]

Originally Posted by ?uestlove

Anything that's loose (tie rods, ball joints, u bolts, shackle bolts, worn out steering box etc etc) can cause death wobble. Your jeeps not lifted so it's most likely not a caster angle problem. I don't know if that's what the problem is with your jeep though..
Posted via RS Mobile

Lol i first heard that term on truckin.

[jeffh]

yj's are sweet

[jeffh]

i found the best way to cure death wobble, was to build a 109" wheelbased full hydro one tonned monster.

ymmv

but have fun jeepin

[Soundy]

Haven't updated this in a while...

Since then "Eugene" has received 2" springs and 1" shackles (for about 2.5" lift), some nice Silent Armor 31s on TJ rims, some armor with custom sliders, a 12,000lb winch, 20" light bar, various electronics (new stereo, CB and VHF), sound bar, bikini top... I've also added a stock-type AC pump set up for onboard air, which is very slick.

Also just put a new (to me) muffler - pipes are just clamped for now and need a bit of welding, but it's so much quieter than with the old one... and in the last week or two, picked up screaming deals on a soft top and half doors.

In the near future, I'm putting in a new transfer case with SYE, new u-joints for the front prop shaft, and replacing a squeaky idler pulley.

[Tegra_Devil]

looking good!

im still trying to hunt down a decent 12K winch...so difficult

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by Tegra_Devil

looking good!

im still trying to hunt down a decent 12K winch...so difficult

Got this one: 12000 lb. Off-Road Vehicle Electric Winch with Automatic Load-Holding Brake

[underscore]

Looking good! Half doors + soft top are the greatest thing ever, though rather loud on the highway (especially after a 6 hour drive from Coquitlam to Kelowna taking the long way...don't ask me how I know).

[Soundy]

I survived two Interior road trips with my old Magnaflow muffler on it, trust me, after that thing droning away from Abby to Kelowna, then Kelowna to 100 Mile... and back again... anything else is whisper-quiet.

[Tegra_Devil]

Originally Posted by Soundy

Got this one: 12000 lb. Off-Road Vehicle Electric Winch with Automatic Load-Holding Brake

i was looking at those badland winches...need a reason to go down to the states I guess to grab one. Ive seen those 12Ks go on sale for 299 occasionally