Jeep Cherokee Forum - Project Save A Life

Where to begin.......
1998 Jeep Cherokee Limited
6 cyl 4.0 4WD
202,408 miles at time of purchase

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And the story begins.........
Purchased at the end Feb 2013 blind for $750 with a front right shock mount snapped off. Towed to shop immediately. Shop calls next day and says its gunna be $500 between parts and labor to replace both sides. I accept, parts ordered and delivered in 3 days

http://www.rustysoffroad.com/builder...ock-mount.html

No word after another week. After constant calling and showing up for 2 weeks, work "begins" (wheels taken off)......After a total of 30 days i demand either work be completed or my vehicle returned. 2 days later work is "completed" and im told i can pick her up. At this point i'm over joyed as i am first time jeep owner and am already hooked and looking into goodies. I show up to pick my new toy up and am told i owe $775 rather than the agreed upon $500. (also installed a steering stablizer that i had no knowledge of) I pay even though i dont feel i should have to, and drive home. Get the kids and wife and decide to go for a ride. 10 miles later something breaks......I pull over and discover an absolute MESS!

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After calling the shop i head home to drop the wife and kids off and plan to head to the shop (which is located on my street). As soon as i pull in my driveway i see the shop owner leaving the shop. He stops at the end of my driveway and proceeds to SCREAM at me for "insulting his welds" claiming his welds are "pristine" and that he builds tube frame chassis for race cars. I respond with " Ed, im not happy, il be over in as soon as i get the kids out of the car." He proceeds to tell me to "F**k myself and burns out in front of my house. All said and done, he and his employees refuse to fix or refund. ( Next day his wife cuts me a check for the full amount and says he had no right taking on the job because he admittedly didnt know what he was doing)

At this point i head to another local shop (strictly XJ work) and they FLIP. Informing me not only were the wrong parts used but they were improperly installed and not a single weld penetrated and that my entire front end was shifted towards the drive side.

This is where the fun begins. I got under it myself and put together a solid list of needed replacements and am currently beginning the hunt for the new and used parts to save its life as its only at 202k and not even fully into adulthood.

So far here is what ive got on my list...
Used Front Differential - D30
New Rear Diff Cover and Gasket- D35
Oil Pan Gasket
Transmission Pan Gasket
Transmission Filter
Rough Country 3" lift kit with AAL and gas charged shocks
Brake Rotors
Brake Pads

Work begins tomorrow (3/30/2013) with gaskets and fluids while i wait for parts to come in. Will keep updated constantly

3/30/13
Started with the easy stuff today
Oil and Wix 51515 filter, oil pan gasket replaced
Transmission fluid drained, pan dropped, cleaned, gasket replaced and refilled with ATF+4 and Lucas Stop Slip
Rear Diff drained, cleaned out, inspected (looked good) cover painted with bed liner to protect, gasket replaced and refilled
Scheduled an appointment for Wednesday to have the front end re-welded by Flashback welding out of Winsted CT
Added "Stick figure family" stickers for overall coolness
Also discovered my wheel speed sensors were cut off when shop #1 "fixed" my shock mount.Thanks

4/2/13
Front Diff drained, cleaned,inspected (looked good) cover painted with bed liner to protect, RTV gasket made (couldn't find a gasket at the local shops) refilled
Picked up a set of lightly used rear leaf springs and front fender flares and mounts
Removed, Cleaned, Scuffed and Painted Rear Fender Flares with Bed Liner
Removed, Cleaned, Scuffed and Painted the Wood Grain Portion of the Radio Trim Panel with Bed Liner
Topped off Power Steering Fluid

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4/4/13
Front shocks done today. needed something to hold me over til i get the lift kit

4/8/13
Front brakes pads
100% front end brake fluid flush

4/17/13
Ashtray thing in front prep'd and painted with bedliner
Transmission Shifter bezel prep'd and painted with bedliner
Transfer Case Shifter bezel prep'd and painted with bedliner

Fog Lights installed, wired and working. Pics up soon.

Got really tired on the ****ty looking wheels. So prep'd and painted them black today ( fronts done need to do rears still). Didnt come out perfect but i only threw 30 mins a wheel into it so i got what i deserved. Liking them tho. A hell of alot better tho.

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