So I bought a 1988 Larado 4.0 and it seemed fine but as I drove my first 1000 miles I discovered many small problems. I'll list the problems individually. I'm not really sure whats going to be the most pertinent and would like some insight.

Brakes: My brakes work fine for stopping and slowing my jeep but I get a hissing noise at 3/4 pedal movement. I have read up and figure it is the booster going bad. From what I understand the problem will continue to get worse until I have only manual brakes. I also suspect that my MC may be leaking and could have caused the booster to fail. I checked the fluid last night and the MC has two sections, the front section (closer to the front wheels {which I believe is the rear reservoir}) is low, I'll fill it tomorrow. As low as it is, and with no visible leaks I can only guess it is leaking into the booster. This would mean I need both a booster and a MC right? I have not removed the MC to check for fluid behind it yet though. The brake light on the dash is also on constantly. Despite this I have not noticed any irregular breaking or difference in pressure. I've heard bad things about rebuilt MC's so what are my options?

Fuel pump: I first noticed a problem with my fuel system when I looked into my long cranks before firing. It takes quite a few turns to get her to fire. I traced this to a bad check valve allowing all of my fuel to run back to the tank rather than stay inline. This didn't bother me much but once I got past a half tank a noticed a whine or noise from my fuel pump that has not gone away sense. The noise is annoying and I take it as a sign of a failing pump. The check valve didn't both me until it got a little colder and started taking a little longer to fire up. I have heard bad things about the airtex or what ever pumps and will be going with a complete bosch unit when I do replace it. What is the life expectancy of my current pump and how bad is it for my starter and battery given the extra long turn over time?

Rear end noise: Not sure whats going on here but when I let off the gas and coast I can hear a grinding noise coming from the rear end. It does not catch or slow me down extra that I can tell. From what I have found out and searched it could be a dust cover that's bent, or a noisy diff or a bad diff or a couple of other things. I have not gotten around to pulling the diff cover to inspect it yet. I know any real diagnosis will require that to find anything more out.

Death Wobble: I get the death wobble around 65-70 MPH but at times it is dead solid. My steering pulls to the right noticeably. I have read into the death wobble but I am not sure what to do about it. Looks like an alignment and bushings/tie rod ends might be in order. But I have also noted that there are a lot of different causes of the wobble and plenty of people have attempted to fix their wobble with less than desired results. going around town (most of my driving) it's absolutly fine though.

Smaller problems:

My seat is broken, what years are a direct replacement?

My washer fluid got low and froze and I added more but I'm still not getting any front or rear. is there a rear fluid reservoir?

My door card (drivers) had to come off because I broke the rod clips. I lost a couple of screws too for the door handle area. Will I have any trouble finding replacements?

All of the electronic door locks and even manual locks are really sticky. Sometimes the rear doors wont unlock either manually or electronically. Also my windows are often slow going up. Would there be a root cause to this or are things just sticky and gummed up? Not even sure where to start with this.

My steering column was broken ar one point and is covered with tape. My turn signal stock was also broken then and sort of works sort of doesn't. I also have no hazard light switch. I'd like to fix this but again, not sure where to start with it or whats available in the aftermarket.

Along with my broken steering column is a broken drivers side door key hole. Its been gauged out and I use a blunt knife to lock and unlock it. I'd like to really be able to lock my Jeep so i can leave stuff in it. I see that I can get replacement locks. How hard is it to replace them and can I get a full set so my rear hatch doors and ignition are all the same?

My tires are all 5 different and range from 10-15 years old. Only one has any visible cracking. I'm a little concerned but honestly I would hate to have one of those major problems get worse while I roll around on new tires. Thinking maybe a set of used or something? Not sure if its even an issue.

The horn doesn't work. Probably the least of my worries but still annoying. Have not been able to take a look at it. My horn button does depress and come back up and my horn relay and fuse look fine. The relay is bright white and definitely looks newer than other things in the same area. This leaves me thinking it is the horn it self or the wiring.

I feel like I am missing something but that's all I have for now. The smaller problems are really not problems so much as an annoyance but something I'll be working out with time. Money is and is not an issue, I have the savings to take care of everything at once but currently do not have an income as I just moved last week to a new state, I'd like to be as thrifty as I can. I do NOT want to be redoing any of this next year because I bought cheap parts though. So what of the above is my biggest concern, the most dangerous, or most probably to cause or wreck or leave me stranded? I bought this thing for $1500 in Las Vegas and drove it to Colorado without issue but I'd like to get on top of maintenance before something bad happens. If you guys could help me out and let me know where to start it'd be greatly appreciated. I am pretty mechanical but I have limited tools with me. I'd be able to tackle some small jobs but the rear diff and front end are beyond my tools and available space for the time being. Also, it seems around the grand junction area there are no U-pull yards but I have seen an ad or two for people parting out XJ's. What years are going to be compatible? I know there were some changes from AMC to Renix to Dodge.

Again, Thanks
Sean

 

Your Jeep is 28 years old and is showing its age. Fix the safety issues first. Death wobble, old bad mismatched tires, brakes.

Address the minor issues later after you get the Jeep safe. If you are so worried about it now that you won't spend the money for a set of tires, get rid of it and take some of the money you say you have and get something newer.

 

It's an issue. You should be a lot concerned. Old bad mismatched tires can kill you. That's probably part of your death wobble.

Like Firestone said, it's old, it needs work. Some problems, like the death wobble, may be like peeling an onion. You do one thing, and then find there's another layer of problem underneath. Likely it needs basic suspension work like ball joints, etc.

Decide if you want to keep it, then get to work on those safety items first. That would be the brakes and tires, then the suspension.

 

Well I've already decided to keep it and I obviously am more concerned with the big issues. Those of course will be taken care of first. I'll take your guy's advice and get some new rubber and balance and an alignment this week. See what that does for the death wobble. I'll also check behind the MC to see what the situation there is and how I should proceed with getting them up to scratch.

 

Well the title to your post said "Where To Start?" so we told you.

 

And that's exactly why I asked. I would have left the tires for probably 2-3 months. Now I'm getting them right away.

 

Good. Tires that old can bust even without "visible cracks".

 

Ooohhhhh, yeah! Kaboom.


And new OR old, mismatched tires can really mess up your handling and braking. If you've got different rubber on each side, hitting the brakes hard can suddenly turn your life around, but not in a good way!


I bought a pickup from a friend of mine years ago, and it had semi-off road radial tires on the rear (decent tires), some cheap bias ply junk on one side of the front, and some cheap other kind (don't remember what) on the other side of the front. It was hard to keep that thing going in a straight line unless it was on perfectly smooth pavement.

Got new tires all around and it was like a new vehicle.

Have fun, and welcome!

 

Tires are a great place to start. Can't really align a vehicle properly or start diagnosing front end issues without good rubber. Old tires not only pop, but they harden drastically after only a few years. Paul Walker of fast and furious fame died when his professional race car driver friend took a rarely driven early 00's Porsche out on original tires. They were high performance tires with very little wear, but they hardened from age and not being driven on.

Also, it might be a long shot, but having drastically mismatched tires in the rear is bad for your differential. Could be contributing to your grinding sound.

You could start by getting a grease gun and going to town on all your fittings. While you're down there inspect bushings, tie rod ends, and ball joints. Take a look at your track bar axle side bushing. That's a common cause for death wobble. Also check your slip yoke on the back of the transfer case. It's the shaft that your rear driveshaft connects to. A lot of times they need grease pretty badly and can cause clunking, vibrations and noise. Just gotta open up the boot and pack some grease in.

My recommendation in order would be

Tires
Brakes
Death wobble
Change all (all!!) your fluids
Address minor issues.

 

What the OP describes as death wobble sounds like out of balance tires and veering off to one direction sounds like a bad alignment. I would replace the tires and get an alignment first. I'd also consider rebuilding the front end while I was at it. Hopefully, the OP can do this work himself.

 

Actually, one or more separated tires would cause all that.

 

Agreed. Replacing the tires and getting an alignment should be his first order of business.

 

Yes when he gets that done they should tell him what all is worn in the front end and needs replaced.