dcp1992

Even though there isn't a lot of bondo on the cowl hood (lot less than we thought anyway) I still want to be extra careful not to crack what is on it... and with the stock hood prop it causes the hood to flex and twist when not only propped up but just lifted it. So I'm going to be putting gas shocks on the hood on both sides by using my mom's old and worn out 08 Trailblazer tailgate shocks. Just have to wait for my dad to get the new ones and I'll use the old ones.

I went ahead and got the L bracket studs I need from NAPA. Might try when I have free time to take my moms old ones off and fab them up to to make sure they will work and are not too worn out.

Here is the box and P/Ns. They come 2 to a box but you pay for them individually.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824170163/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824089995/
The brackets.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824103156/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824065934/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824103196/


Also I've had a Flag mount on my Jeep for a little over a year and I've never shown how I have it mounted or how I made it.

I started with some old stilts I had and I took the top part off and took the handle off.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824227773/
Then I took some 2x3 square U-bolts and bolted them to the uprights on the carrier.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824125284/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824150395/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824129084/
Then I drilled and extra hole under the hole that was already in it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824231003/
Took the bolts out of both stilts and that what I use to bolt the pole to the mount.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824232443/
Took and old copper pipe my dad used on his old RAM to roll up the tonneau cover and Cut it down so size.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824233283/
Drilled 2 holes on the copper pipe to match with the mount.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824160936/
Drilled a hole for the top and the bottom of the flag to mount.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824123244/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824146695/
The pole in the mount.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824145645/
Later on I smashed the mount so it wouldn't hit the liftgate as much.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824157896/
I take the pole everywhere. I roll it up with velcro straps.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824120104/
Then velcro one side to the back passenger corner over my subwoofer box on my rear rack.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824143045/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824142685/
Then the other side I put a rag on and velcro it to the front driver side.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824118514/
Flags mounted. A rebel flag, a University of Memphis flag, and eventually I'll get an American flag.... I have an American flag but I don't know if it'll survive being driven with.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824224563/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9824141365/

dcp1992

Well, it was raining all day friday (and still was) and the ground was really but my friend wanted to go back in the pines and just see how bad it was and see if we could make it all the way to the big ditch (the ditch in my wheeling videos). Needless to say we couldn't even get to the ditch, we got stopped on the washed out hill (also in my videos where I go wheeling all in the pines). We both tried, him first... which kinda sucked since he dug it all out with his 33" duratracs and all i had was some bald 31" General Grabbers... but they still surprised me, even at the wear bars i keep moving is some really sloppy mud, with no lockers or anything. I've been very impressed with the Grabbers over the 3 years I've had them and the only times I'd get stuck would be because I was high centered... witch this time was no different. I got stuck twice in my 15-20 minutes of trying to get up the hill but it was only because I was high centered. I did get farther than my friend though in his Z71.... If i had 33s i could've made it... also if i keep on the gas a couple of times where i let off.

Anyway, here was when I first got high centered and got pulled out (stayed in the Jeep the second times but I was at the top but couldn't continue since i was on my axles) You can see how sloppy the mud is, I'll be surprised if we'll be able to make it up at all when it's a little wet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902897234/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902896114/
Here is the aftermath.... Only downside of rock sliders is the fact they get CAKED with mud.... The mud resembles chocolate icing... or pudding...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902975293/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902895154/
Huge chunk of mud on my rear diff cover.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902877976/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902825295/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902977313/
Well, this could be a downside of having the exhaust coming out of the side behind the tire.... but not really, It's less in the way of it hitting something all tucked in on the side besides behind the back to get crushed getting off an object.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902875246/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902975893/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902974913/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/9902888884/

dcp1992

Well, last Tuesday on the way home from campus my XJ started to act a little funny about a block from the parking garage. It started stuttering a little where the RPMs would drop off but it keep running... a little... then it shut off. But I pulled over, started it back up, revved it a few times, and keep driving. Then about a mile later (maybe less) it happened again, this time I just shifted into neutral and tried to crank it... It didn't work, so i pulled over again and keep trying. Then I just got out and checked all the fuses and relays, checked to make sure i was getting fuel... at least from pump. Someone ended up stopping by that I knew and pulled me off the main road to a side street since I was pretty much blocking a way to get on the interstate. Keep trying to see what it was but I only had a limited about of tools but I pretty much pinpointed it was no spark and no injectors. Just crank and crank. So I was positive it was the CPS (Crankshaft Position Sensor). I mean, they do have a 100k-150k life expectancy and I had 179k on mine. So I called a friend I know that tows and had him come and pick me up.

Me on the side street.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025789243/
My XJ on the truck getting dropped off at my house. Sad sight....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025662424/
After that I couldn't really get a CPS that day because I had a lot of homework I needed to get done and I didn't have a ride to the dealership before they closed so later that night I got my grandmas GMC Sonoma and drove that Wed and Thursday, and since those were my long days, I couldn't get it either. Lucky my dad was able to go by the dealership by his work on Thursday and got the part. So when i got home Thursday night (after I ate) I changed the CPS and it worked great.

The new Mopar Crankshaft Position Sensor.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025725496/
The plug. I will be referring to the terminals in the posts below, they go in this order.
1...2...3
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025704995/
New CPS measurement from 1 to 2. 23.98MΩ
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025724196/
New CPS measurement from 2 to 3. 21.56kΩ
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025661034/
Old CPS measurement from 1 to 2. 32.59MΩ
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025784893/
Old CPS measurement from 2 to 3. 17.40MΩ (Bad measurement compared to the new one.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025703765/
Took the old one out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025786783/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025658804/
Put the new one in.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025785463/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025702205/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10025657154/
Here is a Video from after school friday of it running. (was an Instagram Video but I uploaded to YouTube so I could post it.)

Been driving all weekend and it'd been good. So I'm positive this was it.

JoeLentini

sweet build. metallic fern green is my favorite jeep color. i wish mine was it. might get it painted

dcp1992

Thanks! Yeah, I like it too... I didn't really know what to think of it when I first got it, but it's grown on me over time and I really, really, like it. Especially since you don't seen many XJs this color, it's rare.

JoeLentini

exactly, so many people have gun metal pearl coat

dcp1992

Well last Thursday I hit 180k on the Jeep, so that's a pretty good milestone... and also time to change the oil and rotate the tires.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580420576/
Then yesterday I was changing the oil and I broke the Oil pressure sending unit. That was fun... Oh well, replaced it with one from AutoZone since couldn't be bothered to drive an extra 30+ minutes for the dealer one which is almost the same price.

The broken sensor.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580420536/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580438494/
No oil pressure and check gauges.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580377765/
Inside of the switch.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580419526/
New and old. and just for refrance, the sidse is a 1 1/16",
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580419216/
All done, and have oil pressure again.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580418946/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580437384/

I also cleaned it (finally) last week.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10580788483/

Don't know of anything else I might do to the Jeep until christmas unless my friend gets my cowl hood done or I go wheeling or something.

cleenrob

Get some 33" s under there!!!

dcp1992

I would... If I had the money. I need tires (bad) and I'm getting them really soon (hopefully before the year is out), but they are going to be 31s again because I'm not getting 33s until I regear, which won't happen for a while.

But it really doesn't matter to me right now because I can flex really well with all the space that I wouldn't have if I had 33s.

cleenrob

Honestly 33s on stock gears aren't to bad

94XjSport94

Not too bad on the road. I drive in 3rd until I get up to highway speeds, then go into overdrive.

Off-road is kind of a *****. I can feel the under gearing in the rocks and I'm only on 33x10.5's.

cleenrob

X2 I run 3rd in the city up to 55 and hills kinda suck but its not un drivable. As long as you have a tranns cooler you'll be fine

dcp1992

Yeah I hear that all the time, but I just can't see it. I just got it to where it runs the 31s good. I was struggling at highway speeds and was getting horrible MPGs (12s) but after I put the 24lb cobra injectors in it, it fixed all of that. I can go 70 no problem and get around 16 MPG but can get an instant MPG of about 22+ depending on speed.

After I got the by 10 rims though it slugged a little on the road but not much... Offroad is a different story though, I can feel them a whole lot so I know 33s would suck without gearing.

To top it all off, I drive about an hour to and from collage Monday through Friday so I need to have an okay gas mileage and I know 33s would drop me back to the 12s to 13s without gearing and I can't really have that.

I mean I would love to have 33s, but I'd just want to be safe and stay with 31s until I can do it right with the right gearing and whatnot so I don't put any more strain on the drive train in 4 wheel drive than I already do.

Oh, a transmission cooler wouldn't be a problem. I tow a ton with this XJ, sometimes up to the weight of the thing itself. So I already installed a B&M 14,400 BTU cooler earlier in the build... Still don't have a transmission temperature censer yet though.

cleenrob

I've been gettiing between 14.5 and 16.5 with the 33s mostly highway

dcp1992

That's the thing though, mine will be mostly city/stop and go type traffic. I get a just under 17 MPG with the 31s now, and that's because of the stop and go (the Grabbers are heavy tires for 31s (55.1 lbs), 33s would be even more (even with me not getting Grabbers next)) if it was all highway I'd get 20 or so (going by my instant MPG). So I know 33s would drop me (like I said) back down to around 12-13) since any 33 I get would be 3 ply sidewalls like the MTZ & Grabbers. I'll never go back to just 2 ply sidewalls (unless money is tight), they flex too much for my liking after comparing my 31 Grabbers to my friends 31 Duratracs and also his new 33 Duratracs flex compared to 33 MTZs I've seen.

Anyway, I don't know. I still want to have gears before 33 just for the fact there are more things I want to do before I get 33 other then just gears. (HP30 and eventually RCV shafts or early 90s grand wagoneer 44 if I can find one)


Anyway, I went to Sugar Creek Saturday to ride four wheelers and while I was there I decided to just have a little fun and crawl on top of and park on a concrete slab. Didn't go all the way on it because the blocks were moving and I didn't feel like banging my 8.25 pinion on the slab when the blocks slip out from under the rear tires.

On top with my rear tires on the block
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675399916/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675399766/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675348245/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675669973/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675619693/
Backed down off the blocks and parked it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675413454/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675413204/http://www.flickr.com/photos/100936816@N02/10675618983/