hi -

i made a thread a while ago about my jeep, it's here: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/98...e-pics-226379/

i haven't followed through on the lift yet, and decided in the end to go with a 3" full on kit and get 31s next spring when the gf and I plan to move home to Minnesota from NYC. Thinking I'll use the Zone standard 3" kit with full leafs.

annnyway, I've gotta drive this thing to Minnesota this winter and want to take care of a few things that'll hopefully increase my chances of making it. heh.

i've got 3 things i was going to attempt to do before the trip...

1- Injectors. The engine never starts on the first attempt and I'm hoping this will help. It turns over repeatedly for 5 seconds, then I stop, and on the 2nd key turn it starts right up. This I would try to do myself on the side of the street in Brooklyn some weekend. I ordered the "703s" (these)

2- Rotted right motor mount. When turning over the motor audibly rattles and I'm wondering if this rotted mount is why. Got some pics of it today, I'd probably take this to a 4x4 shop.


This is the left mount that's not rotting, would it make sense to replace this one too?


This is the here's the nasty one


Rot

3- Front end bushings/steering. I'm at a loss here as I'm very new to working on cars. But I've got rotted bushings galore under the front end of this thing. I've read a lot about the V8 ZJ upgrade. Never been to a junkyard though! Not sure I'm so confident working on these parts myself (on the side of the road).


Wide shot of the front end. #nofilter


Rotted as F, squishy to the touch


Same story

Anyone have any idea what those bushings are and if there's anything else I should be looking at under there?

And how ugly is shop labor on motor mounts / steering work. Woof.

thank you in advance for any thoughts!

 

Fuel pump, not injectors.


Yes, all that you mention is a matter of maintenance, yours is over due.


Shop hours...........you are in NY, ask around.

 

1- Injectors. The engine never starts on the first attempt and I'm hoping this will help. It turns over repeatedly for 5 seconds, then I stop, and on the 2nd key turn it starts right up. This I would try to do myself on the side of the street in Brooklyn some weekend. I ordered the "703s" (these)
Fuel pump

2- Rotted right motor mount. When turning over the motor audibly rattles and I'm wondering if this rotted mount is why. Got some pics of it today, I'd probably take this to a 4x4 shop.
Doesn't have to be a 4x4 shop but replace both engine mounts/bolts and the transmission mount.

3- Front end bushings/steering. I'm at a loss here as I'm very new to working on cars. But I've got rotted bushings galore under the front end of this thing. I've read a lot about the V8 ZJ upgrade. Never been to a junkyard though! Not sure I'm so confident working on these parts myself (on the side of the road).
Any loose/rotted parts must always be replaced before any lift is even considered.

 

thanks

will look into fuel pump

re: bushings, i have no idea what those parts are. without a proper jack etc is this best left to a shop?

 

Motor mounts, yes replace all of them at the same time.

The pictures of the steering linkages are not bushings, they are grease boots over the ends of the joints. Even new they are squishy. Yours look to be covered in crud. Caused by pumping too much grease into the joint and not cleaning up the excess. Chances are the rubber boots are rotted too, but just wipe away the crud to see the rubber boot.
A boot in good condition would look like the one on the right.


It is just rubber bellow that keeps grease in and dirt and grime out of the joints.

If your motor mounts are rotted you should check out your control arm bushings as well.

 

Awesome thanks. I'll wipe it down and see how it looks

 

Pretty much sums it up. I'd like to add that your jeep seems it could use a good "once-over" by a qualified tech. Chances are there are other things that need attention other than the obvious. That hard part here is finding a tech that doesn't want to bend you over for it.

 

Yeah I agree. Worried that i'll walk out several thousand poorer

this is why I was going to call a 4x4 shop as I reckon they'll have quite a bit of XJ know how.

 

This can be hit or miss depending on the shop. Some specialty 4x4 shops will charge more for being just that, a specialty shop. Your XJ is a stock rig and there's really no reason to need a specialty shop. There are thousands of xj's out there. Most shops have worked on them lol. I know I have had my fair share of them and I was lead tech at a specialty off-road shop. They're simple to work on as far as their suspension systems go. Rust is the enemy here which would jack labor rates up for causing extra time to be needed.

We're here to help if you need it. I also have a 98 SE. The basic white girl of the XJ's that year. Only power option was the mirrors!

 

NICE. Love my power mirrors!!

mine was an ex-red cross jeep. and some melvin deleted the A/C so I am sweating my *** off all summer.

noted on the 4x4 shop, that makes sense. on suspension... I can't decide if i'm going to try and do some of this myself or what... It's apparent that I need to take care of a lot of this before lifting. I just don't want to pay some brooklyn mechanic to do it!

here's some more pics of the undercarriage: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/98...e-pics-226379/

 

Having lived in NY, I can say for certain that XJ hasn't seen much road time...not nearly enough rust! I have seen cars rust almost apart inside 5 years. This one looks pretty good! Appears to me that the old girl has some dry-rot issues from being parked though.

 

Ah, dry rot on the rubber/bushings and what not? if dry rot is what I think it is...

and yes, the lack of rust is why I bought it !