What did you do to your jeep today?

[KJowner]

Today I mostly lost my rag with the flippy floppy wing mirror.
Is there a quick and easy bodge to hold it open?

Mine have stripped/broken the fold in gear, I've put a thick black tywrap on to hold them still. It was a temporary fix 2 years ago...

 

[tommudd]

Thanks! I'll do that and see how it works.
I've already planned a good bit of reinforcement for the plate, which I started today; I'm hoping to finish it up tomorrow and I'll post final pictures for y'all. I don't really plan to high-center my kj in a rock garden, but I'm dead sure not going to take the risk

Even on the main hiways its good to have
I have hit ladders, transmissions and other junk that would of taken out my transmission if not for a sjid plate

 

[lfhoward]

Even on the main hiways its good to have
I have hit ladders, transmissions and other junk that would of taken out my transmission if not for a sjid plate

I have personally hit a muffler and a driveshaft on highways, and skid plates have saved the day. Both fell off their respective pickup trucks right in front of me and there was no chance to avoid them.

 

[Btownpreacher]

Alrighty, skid plate is finished! The ground clearance on my liberty is 10" at the front of the plate and 12" in the back. I'm going to do some more drilling on it for drainage and I might eventually coat it or something. I tested it with the floor jack, raised the body about 3" without hitting the transmission; I'm satisfied with that. Here's the final pictures:

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[lfhoward]

Nice work, Btownpreacher! That thing looks beefy.

I would go with your gut and drill some drainage holes though. This is what’s left of my Mopar gas tank skid, installed 10 years ago new. It did not have sufficient drainage.

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I have a fix for this on deck: a stock gas tank hanger + ASFIR gas tank skid. Just need the time, good weather, and low fuel level in the tank to all come together on a weekend!

 

[Erskine]

Alrighty, skid plate is finished! The ground clearance on my liberty is 10" at the front of the plate and 12" in the back. I'm going to do some more drilling on it for drainage and I might eventually coat it or something. I tested it with the floor jack, raised the body about 3" without hitting the transmission; I'm satisfied with that. Here's the final pictures:

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Nice Job!

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Picking up where I left off last weekend: collected the KJ up from its new secure weekday parking place, 1st time I've driven it straight after the XJ & was surprised at how leisurely it felt, even more that the steering felt heavy (I'm sure others would say it has more feel, or that the XJ is over assisted). Anyway thinking about that for the 10 minutes or so the journey took, I completely missed the brake warning light on the dash going out. Why, I've no idea - but then I don't know what triggered it in the 1st place.

Re-fitted the air box & filter, nothing like the pantomime I made of it before, once I realised that the 3 locating pegs aren't on the bottom or, rather, that they aren't perpendicular.
Next was to shorten the bolt on the +ive battery terminal, so that the handle would fold down (Euro batteries have quite different cases to US ones, the terminals to not protrude above the top & there is a rigid plastic handle between them, which folds flat). Took the opportunity to clamp the terminal clamps together for a few minutes, which had the desired effect of extinguishing the CEL; unfortunately, almost as soon as I started driving a bit later, as opposed to letting it idle, it came back on again. If I can knock out the ABS light I might invest some money in it - otherwise the scrapyard beckons, & the hunt for another XJ begins.

 

[KJowner]

Mine has an intermittent ABS light, think it's a front sensor.

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Mine came on when I destroyed the sensor trying to remove it when I was replacing the axleshaft (yes I know we call it a 1/2-shaft but most people who might be reading this don't - when in Rome . . . ).

So I drilled the remains out - very carefully - & fitted a new one but the light's still on! Beginning to think maybe I'm a victim of an el cheapo FleaBay purchase, so might get another, as cheaper than diagnostics - even at mate's rates.

It occurred to me that the CEL and loud exhaust note might be connected & sure enough the clamp on the right manifold/downpipe isn't seated properly. Wouldn't have been enough time today after it cooled down enough - so that's something to look forward to next weekend.

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Just ordered the cheapest ABS sensor i could find (£14 on FleaBay, of course). If that does the trick I really ought to try & find the invoice/delivery not for the other one, so I can have a winge (won't do me any good, except make me feel better). If it doesn't, those scrapyard gates are looming ever closer.

b-t-w, does anyone know how/why left & right ones are different?

 

[JRB]

Just ordered the cheapest ABS sensor i could find (£14 on FleaBay, of course). If that does the trick I really ought to try & find the invoice/delivery not for the other one, so I can have a winge (won't do me any good, except make me feel better). If it doesn't, those scrapyard gates are looming ever closer.

b-t-w, does anyone know how/why left & right ones are different?

left and right are no different other than length. when my drivers wheel bearing went, I went with amazon china wheel bearings with sensors and are universal since they were both made the longer length for which ever side needed it (I don't recall off hand). I think I paid $80 for the pair.

the problem I believe lies with the oem or quality tone rings and cheap sensors. Since the tone rings in mine were sort of made for their sensors, they worked well for me going strong over 2 years now, and i still have the extra one if the cheap china or other oem fails I have a backup.

Granted, you should always go with the highest quality part when possible, but $150+ wheel bearing and sensor only had a 1 year warranty when I was shopping, and lately for me american parts have done a great job at failing 1-2 months out of warranty, or sooner and them just not honoring the warranty. I guess the engineers are doing their jobs perfectly lol.

 

[CherokeeLiberty]

Just ordered the cheapest ABS sensor i could find (£14 on FleaBay, of course). If that does the trick I really ought to try & find the invoice/delivery not for the other one, so I can have a winge (won't do me any good, except make me feel better). If it doesn't, those scrapyard gates are looming ever closer.

b-t-w, does anyone know how/why left & right ones are different?

NTK/NGK I believe makes a lot of the electronics for the KJ’s, and that sensor is less than $40. Buy once, cry once.

 

[sleazy rider]

NTK/NGK I believe makes a lot of the electronics for the KJ’s, and that sensor is less than $40. Buy once, cry once.

UK pricing is unlike our somewhat reasonable US costs.

 

[Garryk]

I'm about to change the rear calipers, rear springs, rear shocks,and rear brake discs along with new park brake shoes then bleed the system through, other than that II'm not doing much today......

 

[sleazy rider]

I put new, un-sunbleached and deteriorated hood latches on the Wrangler. JL styled! While they were off, the surfaces underneath got a good clean and polish coat.

 

[Deb'nKJ]

left and right are no different other than length. when my drivers wheel bearing went, I went with amazon china wheel bearings with sensors and are universal since they were both made the longer length for which ever side needed it (I don't recall off hand). I think I paid $80 for the pair.

the problem I believe lies with the oem or quality tone rings and cheap sensors. Since the tone rings in mine were sort of made for their sensors, they worked well for me going strong over 2 years now, and i still have the extra one if the cheap china or other oem fails I have a backup.

Granted, you should always go with the highest quality part when possible, but $150+ wheel bearing and sensor only had a 1 year warranty when I was shopping, and lately for me american parts have done a great job at failing 1-2 months out of warranty, or sooner and them just not honoring the warranty. I guess the engineers are doing their jobs perfectly lol.

Thanks for that, although odd that they're different lengths as they're routed the same - the socket must be in a different place. (mind you, the 1st replacement is at least 4" too long). Also strange that the sensors are handed but hubs + sensors aren't.

If you're right about the root cause, then it probably is scrap, because the only branded ones I can recall seeing are brands I don't know, so still wouldn't know if they were good OEM replacements - & the prices start at twice what I paid!

 

[Deb'nKJ]

I'm about to change the rear calipers, rear springs, rear shocks,and rear brake discs along with new park brake shoes then bleed the system through, other than that II'm not doing much today......

Good Luck with that. If my experience of doing a complete rear brake job on a WJ is anything to go by, that's quite enough for one weekend, never mind the springs & shox!

 

[Deb'nKJ]

UK pricing is unlike our somewhat reasonable US costs.

NGK is, now, a leading brand of spark plug, I'd no more buy anything else of theirs (except, possibly, glow plugs) than I would, e.g. a Champion oil filter - not that they're available here.

Actually I don't think I saw any as expensive as $40 equivalent - but, if branded, none that I recognised.

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Fitted the el cheapo ABS sensor but, surprise, surprise, it didn't fix the issue, so that can go back (the plug doesn't click in the socket so that's a good enough reason). Seems like a job for my friend, the local mobile mechanic.

Started, on the exhaust blow but, due to poor access, it was a little while before I realised the problem is the the 2 flanges don't meet all the way round. So - it's a bit more of a job than I'd allowed time for. Oh well, there's always next weekend, but, have to say, my interest, & patience, is starting to wain.

 

[sleazy rider]

Hooked a 5x8 U-Haul trailer to it. Made one trip to the storage locker and winter apartment is 85% empty. Tomorrow, the last bed and living room tv join the other stay here stuff.

Trailer gets packed after for departure on Tuesday morning. YAY!