New to the Forum

[Tattedpanda]

Hello,

New to this forum but not new to jeep. Currently I have a KJ, i use to have a WK and i miss it so much. I have so many questions and looking fwd to make some new friends.

 

[duderz7]

Welcome, I've always liked the white ones. Does that have anything to do with the Panda?

 

[Tattedpanda]

lol, no my wife loves white cars me not soo much. I was thinking of doing a panda theme but will see how it comes out.

 

[tommudd]

Welcome

Looks like someone already chopped it up for some reason

 

[Tattedpanda]

Welcome

Looks like someone already chopped it up for some reason

Yea that was me. I didn't like the way they looked so i started cutting.I love the pics of your jeep, where did you find that front and rear bumper?

 

[tommudd]

Yea that was me. I didn't like the way they looked so i started cutting.I love the pics of your jeep, where did you find that front and rear bumper?

Rear bumper is one of mine , made 10 sold them all but one years ago , so stuck it on the 03
I assume you are talking about the 03 ( green one )
front is a Matrix brush guard that was made and sold by JBA years ago

Looks like yours is going to throw mud and dirt back on the windshield now, plus fill up the holes in the inner fender

 

[CoupleOfTaytos]

Welcome, I'm new as well dude.

Your liberty looks great! Any mods or after market things you're looking to add to it?

-Taytos

 

[Tattedpanda]

Welcome, I'm new as well dude.

Your liberty looks great! Any mods or after market things you're looking to add to it?

-Taytos

This weekend, im working on replacing the uppers, lower controls arms, CV boot, new struts with a 2in lift. Also my fuel pump die today so, ill have to replace that too.

 

[tommudd]

This weekend, im working on replacing the uppers, lower controls arms, CV boot, new struts with a 2in lift. Also my fuel pump die today so, ill have to replace that too.

Coil over shock front suspension, struts are on cars without upper control arms
What lift are you using, don't say spacer please

 

[Tattedpanda]

Yes I did spacers.

 

[tommudd]

Well at least you'll know how to rebuild the front suspension again in a few months. spacer lifts are not KJ friendly at all

 

[Tattedpanda]

Why is that? Ive been researching the spacers for awhile. Nobody put up real proof as to why they are bad or why you shouldnt.

 

[tommudd]

Well to start stock springs are only rated at 310 lb in front, way too light duty for the weight/size of the KJ. Should of been 340-345 lb at least. I bought my 04 new , before I drove it 150 miles I was already researching which OME lift I was going to install due to the terrible suspension on the road
So running those springs will work them harder , reason why by 60-65000 they are already sagging way down. So with springs being weak, bouncing more then with stock junk shocks , they let the weak springs bounce even more, even wearing shocks more as well. So all of the extra wear going down a regular road along with the way the spacers are designed just creates more wear.
Some will say , well I bought new stock springs and shocks, plus the spacer lift, now you have spent as much as you would with a full spring lift and doing it right
NOW you can extend the life somewhat is you use the JBA UCAs, it will help some
I have removed quite a number of spacer lifts to install a good full spring lift like OME. Also had to almost completely rebuild the front suspension before lift could be installed . I have been approached about installing a spacer lift, but refuse the money simply due to the fact I want to have satisfied when they leave instead of upset on the ride and the rebuilding a few months later . I've seen enough junk over the years . I won't do or install that .
If you had researched enough you would of found many upset folks . Now on some other brands/ models they will work, but not KJs

 

[Tattedpanda]

Well to start stock springs are only rated at 310 lb in front, way too light duty for the weight/size of the KJ. Should of been 340-345 lb at least. I bought my 04 new , before I drove it 150 miles I was already researching which OME lift I was going to install due to the terrible suspension on the road
So running those springs will work them harder , reason why by 60-65000 they are already sagging way down. So with springs being weak, bouncing more then with stock junk shocks , they let the weak springs bounce even more, even wearing shocks more as well. So all of the extra wear going down a regular road along with the way the spacers are designed just creates more wear.
Some will say , well I bought new stock springs and shocks, plus the spacer lift, now you have spent as much as you would with a full spring lift and doing it right
NOW you can extend the life somewhat is you use the JBA UCAs, it will help some
I have removed quite a number of spacer lifts to install a good full spring lift like OME. Also had to almost completely rebuild the front suspension before lift could be installed . I have been approached about installing a spacer lift, but refuse the money simply due to the fact I want to have satisfied when they leave instead of upset on the ride and the rebuilding a few months later . I've seen enough junk over the years . I won't do or install that .
If you had researched enough you would of found many upset folks . Now on some other brands/ models they will work, but not KJs

I see, good to know. Thank you for the details. I haven't always had great experience in Jeep forum, mostly cause people come off like a55holes instead of respecting my choice in mods. But with the way you put it, i will keep that in mind and look for something better down the line. My KJ isn't my daily, its more of my weekend driver. Can i ask how much do you know about the vent system? Im having an issue with is not changing what direction i want the air flow. I know the **** motor seems fine but is there something else i should look for?

 

[Billwill]

The internal airflow...ie. directing the flow to defrost the windscreen or feed the footwells....is controlled by a rubber vacuum pipe. This come off the intake manifold on a Gasser and splits up to supply vacuum to the Brake Booster and to the interior panel that selects where you want the airflow to go. On a CRD there is a separate vacuum pump to supply this vacuum.
If this rubber pipe gets detached then the airflow goes only to the windscreen vents.