Longtime lurker, first time caller... Or something.
I was given an 05 Liberty Rubicon about 4 years ago. Long story short, my neighbor works at the local hospital, and one of the doctors was retiring back to NJ. He bought this jeep in 05, to use as a runabout back and forth from a golf resort community (Wild Dunes in Mt Pleasant SC to downtown Charleston). He didn't need it anymore and asked her if she knew anyone who would like it. She immediately thought of me since I'm the neighborhood gear head and Jeep guy. I was figuring he'd want too much for it, but went to talk to him. It had been sitting a long time judging by the bird shit, pollen and leaves on it, needed a right rear window motor and a battery. I asked what he wanted for it, he signed it over and said enjoy it.
I've done a few things to her. Replaced both front window regulators. 3" spacer lift. 31" AT tires. Rear arm recall. Aftermarket upper front arms (to get easily replaceable, superior ball joints). Front lower ball joint recall. Replaced the hoses, radiator, water pump. Cooling fan clutch delete with flex-fan and spacer. Added/adding commo, and a roof basket my son scored off a junker traded in at the dealership he works at. Oh, to top it all off? - I have all the service records, the jeep was bought and serviced at my son's dealership (granted, when he was 5, but that's kinda cool)...
Recently (September 2024) I and my son did a teardown of the engine to the block, in-situ, taking everything off the block. This was due to having severely overheated the motor due to a cascading failure (CHECK THOSE HEATER HOSES AND RADIATOR RESERVOIRS!). Resurfaced the heads, replaced the lifters and timing set (one of the guides was minorly broken in bank 1, pass side guide for the balancer was laying in the bottom of the timing cover). All back together and running well... And now I'm getting grinding sounds out of the rear end, and VSS has gone absent. We were in the axle earlier this year and found the LSD started chewing up the spiders. I plan to drop back to an open diff (via axle swap), and put an Aussie locker in it early next year. Then I'm possibly going to put this axle in my wife 94 ZJ. (No, it will not bolt right in.. But it shouldn't be too difficult, either)
I am not a certified mechanic, but I know things. I've had certified mechanics ask me for advice numerous times... And I even still manage to teach the kid a few things along the way. (I've also learned a lot from him such as when I was rounding heads off the transfer case skid on my 97 Tacoma with a regular-length (proper size I might add) combination wrench (yes the circular end) and he said I needed aonger wrench. (Now seriously, how will a longer wrench result in not rounding off fasteners, all else being the same). Argument ensues, he hands me an identical (but longer) wrench and asks me to try it. Damn if it didn't release. But I digress..)
I tend to do strange builds. Things the factory never sent out the door (like an 89 S10 Blazer on 35s, with Dana 44s, a 5.7SBC, hydroboost brakes, etc). Not quite Mad Max level... But hey, a ring-mounted CROWS would be cool....
I'm a veteran, but not of the GWoT. I have had a part to play in a support role, though.
Somewhere along the way, I went and got old. Blood pressure is a concern. I work on stuff because it relaxes me... Until it doesn't. Then it's best I walk away.
TONS of interests. If it involves burning electrons, I can probably do something with it. I'm a voracious reader. Bit of a writer. I love to make people laugh, even if it's just because I'm funny looking. I like long walks.... Oh wait, wrong site...
I have to get a few other things back on the road first, but I keep looking at how easily the entire front suspension can basically unbolt from the unibody. Sure seems like a leaf-sprung SFA would be a snap to build. Primitive, yes but airbags over leafs... Could get really interesting x really fast. Minor mods to the rear to go longarm, with bags in lieu of cools.... Imagine being able to adjust ride height on the fly. Kind of like a low rider laying frame to park (except, just lowering to the bump stops, for easy entry). Jack it up 5" or so for low speed stuff, then drop it to 2" or so for the highway....
This is why I don't buy new vehicles. I can't leave ANYTHING alone.
I was given an 05 Liberty Rubicon about 4 years ago. Long story short, my neighbor works at the local hospital, and one of the doctors was retiring back to NJ. He bought this jeep in 05, to use as a runabout back and forth from a golf resort community (Wild Dunes in Mt Pleasant SC to downtown Charleston). He didn't need it anymore and asked her if she knew anyone who would like it. She immediately thought of me since I'm the neighborhood gear head and Jeep guy. I was figuring he'd want too much for it, but went to talk to him. It had been sitting a long time judging by the bird shit, pollen and leaves on it, needed a right rear window motor and a battery. I asked what he wanted for it, he signed it over and said enjoy it.
I've done a few things to her. Replaced both front window regulators. 3" spacer lift. 31" AT tires. Rear arm recall. Aftermarket upper front arms (to get easily replaceable, superior ball joints). Front lower ball joint recall. Replaced the hoses, radiator, water pump. Cooling fan clutch delete with flex-fan and spacer. Added/adding commo, and a roof basket my son scored off a junker traded in at the dealership he works at. Oh, to top it all off? - I have all the service records, the jeep was bought and serviced at my son's dealership (granted, when he was 5, but that's kinda cool)...
Recently (September 2024) I and my son did a teardown of the engine to the block, in-situ, taking everything off the block. This was due to having severely overheated the motor due to a cascading failure (CHECK THOSE HEATER HOSES AND RADIATOR RESERVOIRS!). Resurfaced the heads, replaced the lifters and timing set (one of the guides was minorly broken in bank 1, pass side guide for the balancer was laying in the bottom of the timing cover). All back together and running well... And now I'm getting grinding sounds out of the rear end, and VSS has gone absent. We were in the axle earlier this year and found the LSD started chewing up the spiders. I plan to drop back to an open diff (via axle swap), and put an Aussie locker in it early next year. Then I'm possibly going to put this axle in my wife 94 ZJ. (No, it will not bolt right in.. But it shouldn't be too difficult, either)
I am not a certified mechanic, but I know things. I've had certified mechanics ask me for advice numerous times... And I even still manage to teach the kid a few things along the way. (I've also learned a lot from him such as when I was rounding heads off the transfer case skid on my 97 Tacoma with a regular-length (proper size I might add) combination wrench (yes the circular end) and he said I needed aonger wrench. (Now seriously, how will a longer wrench result in not rounding off fasteners, all else being the same). Argument ensues, he hands me an identical (but longer) wrench and asks me to try it. Damn if it didn't release. But I digress..)
I tend to do strange builds. Things the factory never sent out the door (like an 89 S10 Blazer on 35s, with Dana 44s, a 5.7SBC, hydroboost brakes, etc). Not quite Mad Max level... But hey, a ring-mounted CROWS would be cool....
I'm a veteran, but not of the GWoT. I have had a part to play in a support role, though.
Somewhere along the way, I went and got old. Blood pressure is a concern. I work on stuff because it relaxes me... Until it doesn't. Then it's best I walk away.
TONS of interests. If it involves burning electrons, I can probably do something with it. I'm a voracious reader. Bit of a writer. I love to make people laugh, even if it's just because I'm funny looking. I like long walks.... Oh wait, wrong site...
I have to get a few other things back on the road first, but I keep looking at how easily the entire front suspension can basically unbolt from the unibody. Sure seems like a leaf-sprung SFA would be a snap to build. Primitive, yes but airbags over leafs... Could get really interesting x really fast. Minor mods to the rear to go longarm, with bags in lieu of cools.... Imagine being able to adjust ride height on the fly. Kind of like a low rider laying frame to park (except, just lowering to the bump stops, for easy entry). Jack it up 5" or so for low speed stuff, then drop it to 2" or so for the highway....
This is why I don't buy new vehicles. I can't leave ANYTHING alone.
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