Hey man just read your whole thread bored in a hotel room

Great progress i'm learning as I go also so we are pretty much in the same route.
Everything looks great! It's great to see the maintenance and care you put into the jeep.

Also x2 on the scripture

You should come up this way one summer and go to rausche with us.

Will continue to follow keep up the great work!

 

well... took her out today.. and she did GREAT!

the bumpstops worked well but the inner fender in the back needs to be trimmed... i only got a slight amount of body damage (thats good) and it was a great day..

BUT i really didnt get a chance to check the bumpstops because me and my DUMBness didnt remember to remove the front sway bar links.... hmmm....

the day ended when i looked under the jeep and the rear shock was danglin down? somehow i guess the bolts loosened themselves or something... i also did something to the rear hatch because it wont close now?

anyway, enough with the jibberish... heres some pics:

 

well i think i may have figured out my hatch problem...

i tweaked my body..

its hard to catch on the camera but theres a bulge next to the window on the C and D pillers

C piller bulge:


D bulge (much bigger)


quarter pallel damage (folded under):


my theory is that when all that ^ happened it tweaked everything and moved the hatch around a bit mabey tweaking the system. (everything lines up fine so thats not the problem...)

but there is a problem with my theory and that is that when i was on the trip, after i had done the damage to the quarter pannel, i opened my hatch to get some drinks out and it closed just fine... the next time i opened it was to get some tools and it has never closed again. so i really dont know whats going on with it... i took the latching mechinism out and the thing that clicks over the hoop is stuck, cant move it.

 

anyone have any thoughts on this?
thanks

 

Loosen, but do not remove, the hatch hinge bolts. Close it and latch it, then tighten the bolts back up. May take several tries with minor adjustments to get it right.

The invest in beefier crossmembers and/or frame stiffeners.

 

i cant even get the pin on the latch to move... so i think my problem might be a little tricker than that...

i think what im gunna do is get a new latch from the junkyard...

 

Sounds to me like your latch siezed up. Try a new latch...and the frame stiffeners are a good idea, andmaybe a tied in cage in the rear of some sort. (that is what I am planning with my 91 to keep everything straight when I hit SHHHH....Stuff.

 

Woah I have never seen anything like that pretty crazy.

 

well you might wanna go check your jeep...

I dont think its to uncommon, heres a pic i found of eric zappes jeep:

 

Nice!

 

I too have a similar tweek and yes mine came from comming down on the rear quarter. I dont think the hatch is related to this though. Just bad timming. My latch did the same thing a year before any quarter damage.

 

When are we going to have an Alabama meet and greet?

 

When you opened the first time it was just that amount in twist that it opened fine, then you opened the second time on flat pavement and it wouldn't close.

 

heres a fun vid me and my sis made today... starring... the jeep!

 

i wouldnt be airing that with a stock dana 30 housing