The lady got me a Roadkill Garage sticker for Christmas that says "Don't Get it Right, Just Get it Running" so that's what I've been trying to do - I'm for the moment ignoring most of the rust, the front control arms, the driveline vibrations, and the body/door issues and just trying to get it to have functioning brakes and fresh tires so I can get it to pass inspection and be my winter Jeep again (the last time I remember, the heat works in this thing and it currently does not in my other Jeep).

I got the front brakes put back on some crusty axles and have rebuilt the passenger-side drum brake already. I had to install a new brake line for the driver side and then ran out of time to finish the last drum rebuild (why I keep doing this instead of swapping over to discs is unknown).







I promise to one day soon fix all the body/rust issues but for now, I just want to drive it again for a season.

 

Looks good !! Nothing wrong with doing what you need to get it up and running again.. I love to watch Frieburger, Finnagan and Dulcich get them running just to take them out and break them...

 

Whelp - I did it - I didn't get it completely right but I did get it running! Got the last drum brake rebuilt, bled the brakes, threw on the new tires, dropped in a fresh battery, and changed out the oil. It's amazing what all those things can do to mask all the other little problems this has haha!







This little Jeep is just awesome! It's such a "feel good" machine and makes me happy - even though it still has issues and the rust is way worse than I really want to admit. There is no rot per say, but there's flaky metal almost everywhere underneath now and the rear quarter panels will need to be replaced. I think the rocker panels will need to be replaced too. I think I may just buy some of the replacement panels this year so I can have them just in case they go out of production if I wait too long.

I really want a shop that's closer to me, i.e. in my backyard (I have to drive about 20-30 mins to get to mine) and with enough house power to get a decent welder now that I feel comfortable enough to MIG and Stick my way to glory... ish. Until then, I'm basking in the basic simplicity of a mostly stock XJ with good working heat haha.

Oh, I couldn't leave without sharing the other "feel good" vehicle in our fleet. These two can cure depression:





Now, talk about magnificence!



For anyone that cares to know, it's a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL (R107) that my lady bought herself in the summer. It's her fair-weather daily driver.

 

That's a good looking model... It appears to be in great shape... I bet she enjoys cruising in that during the summer...

 

Been going all-out on this thing since the last update. After it got its tires, brakes, and battery, I brought it back home so I could work on it after work (I work from home) and on weekends easier. I wanted to make sure it would pass state inspection because it needed to be re-registered (you have to pass state inspection here in NC before you can renew) and I'm getting too old to rock expired registration. The Jeep was definitely going to fail for its tires and brakes, but it was also going to fail because the rear license plate light and third brake light didn't work... little did I know they didn't work because of this:



This obviously turned into "a thing" as I'm sure it has for numerous other XJ owners. First, I decided to just cut out all the broken wires and butt-splice them back together, just to test if this was the only break in the harness. After confirming that to be the case, I bought high-quality insulated butt splices from McMasterCarr and various high-quality, appropriately gauged wire with tracer colors, and made a new section of wiring harness to take the place of the extra long, folded up factory stuff. I did not do the "cross over" fix and just routed the harness the way the factory did it. My original boots were ripped up so I managed to track down a good set off a guy from bookface. Paired that with a new hatch seal and viola - everything in the back hatch works again!


^^^ A sampling of how I did the final harness fix - shown here is the defogger harness, the general measurements of each replacement, and the butt splices

^^^ My guide for the new harness section if I ever need to repair it.

Once those issues were taken care of, I had the front windshield and windshield replaced due to it leaking (the resulting rust wasn't terrible and the windshield guy did a great job cleaning and sealing/painting the rusty parts of the frame), swapped out the Rampage headlights for Hella H4s (one of my Rampages got a crack and would fog up), put in new wiper blades, refreshed the K&N drop-in filter, reconnected the horns, and bam - passed inspection with flying colors!


^^^ Hella on the left, Rampage on the right

With all that taken care off, all that was left was some fresh AC refrigerant and a used Yakima roof box and ol' RJ was ready for its big vacation out to the Outer Banks!





The Jeep ran great for the entire trip! The lady and I even brought our cats with us - we had the back all setup with soft blankets and secure spots for them to rest out in the open, which meant the person driving really really really had to concentrate on being super safe and smooth but when loaded down with stuff, this thing is a slow but smooth creampuff! The cats traveled better in this than any other vehicle I've had them travel in.

On the beach, the Jeep is perfect just as it was the last time I took it out on the soft sand. It can do fine in high range 1st and 2nd gear, but I preferred driving in low range 4th and 5th. On the last day, getting out of the beach was the biggest challenge as the sand was getting really hot and soft/deep on the exit/entrance ramps (we saw a newer RAV4 stuck trying to leave) - but nothing that third gear low range and a little right foot couldn't deal with!

I think the next big job will be fixing the door hinges/gap. The new windshield and seal definitely helped cut down on wind noise, but the door gap still doesn't help.

 

Here's a little EOY update on ol' RJ. Since the last post, I...

Fixed & upgraded the stereo. The headunit - a used factory CD/Tape combo unit (the original stereo was just a tape and the tape player died) - started cutting in and out. Everything functioned, it just wouldn't play sound. Either there was a broken speaker wire or the headunit was just going dead. I bought a rebuilt factory headunit (same CD/tape/fader combo) with an aftermarket bluetooth hookup installed off eBay, and some Kicker speakers for the front and rear. There were no damaged wires and now I have a fully functioning stereo system again (CDs, tapes, radio, and bluetooth all with a factory-fresh look).


I don't like that I replaced USA-made originals with some Chinese-made speakers, but I like having music again. I think the original speakers are probably fine - I may add them back in one day just because. Probably on a future July 4th.




Sometime in September, the voltage gauge dropped to 9 and the Check Gauges light came on during a pretty heavy rain storm. When it stayed that way after the rain passed, I realized I have a bad alternator. Tested it and yep - bad. After fighting with the parts store with parts that didn't fit at first and then finding the right "new" alternator, I finally got it all replaced and still no charging...

After chasing down the wiring, I came across the aftermarket fuse blown and the plastic case melted.





Got some advice from a dude on bookface and installed a new fuse in the "factory position" where the old fuseable link was - tucked right by the fuse box. All is well again and charging!




I then almost immediately threw it to the wolves to go rescue the lady's grandmother's old Triumph from the garage it's been sitting in since 1991. That was fun! We had to move it a mile or so down the road to a storage unit so the estate could be cleared. I didn't really want to do this, but... I used the Jeep to flat tow the Triumph! It did incredibly well - even managed to "bang shift it" into low range (I was maybe going 1/2 a mile an hour) to pull the Triumph up the gravel incline into the storage unit parking lot haha.



Oh, and did I mention the Triumph was 500 miles away from us?

The Jeep's been putting in work this year! After that trip, the lady and I went to the OBX with the cats again. Similar setup as earlier this year - threw the "dirty stuff" in the roof box (tools, recovery gear, camping stuff, etc.) and keep the inside wide open for living stuff. It worked really well - the Jeep likes the added weight and rides so much better - the driveline vibrations are much less pronounced. I'm also getting better at doing my job from the passenger seat.



Took it out on the beach a bunch this time - spent a couple of days exploring Kill Devil Hills, running up and down the 5-6 mile stretch of beach. The Jeep crushed it! It's such a good beach buggy - you can go fast and it soaks it up, it can carve around dunes with ease, and has enough power to get out of the soft stuff.







The beach was mostly easy driving as long as pressures were around 15 psi. There was one point where I wanted to try 20 psi and almost instantly regretted it - I realized I could not stop unless I was in a good stopping point or I would get stuck in the soft/wet stuff. While crossing a particularly sketchy section of beach, the Jeep started bogging down while in 4th gear low range. I downshifted to 3rd and gave it a boot-full - rpms shot right up to 4k and I could feel the momentum building back up but it still wasn't easy - I had to stay in it for a good bit until we hit harder sand. Once settled, the lady looked at me and said "you were sh*ting bricks for a moment there, weren't you?"

I was, actually. I seriously thought it was going down for a moment but man, this thing always surprises me! I'd rather deal with 15 psi on the roads in between the beach access points than 20 psi on the beach.

It's going to need ball joints sooner than later, and u-joints most likely. Plus, I've had to adjust the parking brake three times since I rebuilt the brakes - I'm getting kind of over it and would really like to disk brake swap it.

One day...

 

I've been driving the "road rigs" most of the summer (Saabaru and Mercedes) and spending money on the other Jeep, so this one has been pretty idle most of the year. But, now that summer is coming to an end and temps are dropping, it's about time to put this thing to work again. I started it for the first time in a month yesterday and drove it around for a bit - it always makes me feel happy. I also swapped out the shift ***** (the older style one just came apart as the glue holding the **** to the threaded sleave failed and the **** would just pop off in your hand with every shift.) It took FOREVER to get these MOPAR parts shipped to me but all-in-all, it's a much better upgrade.





Next up will be the "front end" rebuild. We're going back to OBX in November and I want to take this again.

 

Sharing some slow progress pictures. I'm assuming this is the first time since it was first assembled 27 years ago that the knuckle has been removed. i had to drill out the upper ball joint cotter pin and bash on the knuckle HARD to get it off, but it's off. The lower ball joint has tons of play in it (I can easily wiggle it around) but the upper one is still stiffish.



I bought a supposedly "good" ball joint press and a Dodge/Jeep 4x4 adaptor set to hopefully make my life a little easier when it comes to actually pressing these things out and getting the new ones in. Time will tell... I also ordered all-new Moog tie-rod and drag-link ends. I've got a "new" steering box waiting to be installed too.

 

Got the drivers' side ball joints out! Spending all that money on an Astro ball joint press and then an OTC Dodge/Jeep 4x4 adapter kit paid off as these came out with relative ease. I used an electric impact to get it tight and then a breaker bar to slowly finish the rest. Each ball joint "popped" 2-3 times before just falling out.





I had bought a set of Alloy USA HD ball joints (the same that I have in the trail rig) but only this weekend actually looked at them... Quadratec shipped me the wrong part (the XJ part number is 11801 - I got 11802 which is meant for a CJ7/8). I also noticed they're knurled and ones I pulled our are not. I don't want to force myself to only buy knurled ball joints so I snagged a set of Spicer 706944X off Summit (better total price than Rock Auto) which should be here on Thursday. I've started disassembling the passenger side in the meantime.

 

I got more of the Jeep torn apart - the passenger side upper ball joint separated when removing the knuckle with a pickle fork...




The ball joints still came out with relative ease using the press adapter kit.


I also pulled the sway bar and steering off. I broke one pitman arm puller and then damaged O'Reilly's rental one that I used instead, but got that thing off. I'll be replacing the steering box as well as the pitman arm, drag link, and tire-rod/tie-rod ends, as well as the sway bar.

 

Well, I had intentions of having this done by now but then Helene decided to show her ugly mug and up-end my life. Ultimately, myself, the wife, the cats, and the Jeeps are all fine. My Saabaru though has been partially ruined (front-end cosmetic damage, hyrdrolocked engine, and interior water damage) while the wife's Mercedes proved to be the most heroic vehicle ever conceived apparently by just putting up with being our only car for the first 5 days of dealing with no power, internet, or running water. The interior got wet and who knows what the undercarriage was exposed to but it made it!

Back to ol' RJ though - it was sitting exactly where it was the last time I updated this and fortunately, my storage unit is located in a different town that wasn't as heavily impacted as Asheville. It remained safe and dry! I spent most of the past month dealing with life and everything and haven't had time to return to this job until recently. Here are some updates from the past weekend!

The wife and some buddies pitched in to help me make up for the time lost. Only one of them has "wrenching" experience though but everyone was good sports about it. Him and I got the ball joints pressed in with relative ease (freezing them and storing them in a cooler definitely helped), the axle shafts hopefully put together (more on that later), and the steering knuckles/hubs installed & torqued. Prior to him showing up, we also managed to get the new steering box and hoses installed (fingers crossed and knock on wood about the clock spring...).








My hope is to finish up the rest (pitman arm, steering linkage, sway bar, gear oil, power steering fluid refill/bleeding) and get it aligned in the next two weeks so we can take it to OBX.

Also - about the axle shafts. Some keen eyes can probably point out my mistake that I'm really hoping I can nurse along instead of having to fix RIGHT NOW. I totally spaced about the snap rings for the u-joint caps. Those things really feel like they're pressed in (we used the ball joint press and a vice) but I'm worried about the long-term integrity of them without those clips. The only off-roading I do with this really is beach driving (and driving in the snow if it snows this winter) so I don't know...

 

Glad to hear you're OK... That was an ugly few weeks for you I'm sure.... You might be able to pop the snap rings on yet... Or you could go to plan B and hit it with a quick tack weld... Not talking about welding and melting the grease.. Just a quick tack on the outside cap to keep it from walking...But I'd try real hard to get the rings on there if possible...You've got too much time in it to have a cap fly out and ruin your new parts...

 

Update time. The Jeep is still currently our main winter daily. The rocker panel rust is getting worrisome each new day with this salt and what not, but I try not to think about it too much. Regardless, it rocks! I've been putting a bunch of miles on it since the last update. An OBX trip and lots of holiday travel.

The front-end rebuild continued on after my last post but not without frustration. The Crown steering box I bought, which was brand new and not remanufactured, turned out to be aligned perfectly upside down straight from Crown. I found other Jeep forum posts and even reviews from other people that experienced the same thing - the only way to achieve proper alignment with the steering box centered left the steering wheel 180 degrees upside down. It would drive straight and true, but with an upside steering wheel. Adjusting the drag link to correct the wheel would just limit my turning radius one way. My wife, my buddy and I racked our brains for an entire weekend trying to get the alignment right to only discover the snafu with the box.



Instead of removing the new steering box and installing a different one, I disconnected the steering shaft at both ends, pulled it apart, rotated the steering wheel (at the risk of the clock spring) and slid the steering shaft back together. I know it's not truly "right" but hey, it works and is aligned perfectly!

After that, I got the Jeep to pass inspection with flying colors and loaded it down to head out to the outer banks. I didn't take the roof box this time and it was perfectly fine. I hit the beach a few times while I was out there and like always, it did amazing! There was one super sketchy high-tide stormy section that I should not have driven, but momentum, 15 psi, and 3rd gear low range got me through. Every time I drive this thing out there, I want to move there - it's perfection.








The only issue I had during the trip was the oil pressure reading. I started getting super unreliable readings that made me think either the sending unit was bad, or the engine was about to spin a bearing and throw a rod into outer space. It would go from 35 psi under load to 5 and back up to 35 before dropping again. Unplugging and re-plugging it back in would usually cause it to be more consistent. So, when I got back from OBX, if finally just swapped out the sending unit/sensor (which I had swapped out shortly after I bought it in 2017). I was very pleased to find out my ear isn't wrong - this thing has perfectly fine oil pressure! Normal specs are constant now and 40-50 psi is a regular thing now, which it almost never was in recent years.

It needs engine and trans mounts and driveshaft u-joints still. The ADDCO sway bar bushings I installed are polyurethane and are pretty loud in certain conditions, which sucks but the handling improvement is noticeable. That and I think the front end work that completely ignored the 186K mile, 28-year-old control arm bushings has really put a magnifying glass on them. Oh, and I think I should replace the steering shaft itself. There's still some on center play even with the new steering box.

Other than that, it's just gas-and-go 20th century motoring!

 

It's that time of year again! Time for me to throw money at this thing to keep it going.

My steering pump starting leaking pretty badly recently. It ran completely dry at one point before I even checked/noticed issues. The play in the steering shaft has gotten even worse too. I put some stop leak in there and it made the steering feel even worse worse. Now, it's honestly kind of dangerous to drive at highway speeds with how much dead play it has.

So, I'm going to try and fix it with money. While the Crown box isn't leaking, I have never liked how it's clocked upside down and how my stock steering shaft is flipped. I bought a Redhead unit, a Borgeson shaft, and a NEW NAPA pump. Fingers crossed, this will be THE LAST steering setup I'll run in this thing.

 

Around this time last year, the Jeep was blown apart for steering issues. Nothing has changed!


Earlier in the year and in a desperate attempt not to replace the steering box, I replaced the power steering pump (NAPA) and steering shaft (Borgeson) and the on center play was still there. I took it on a trip and my shoulders were fatigued from having to constantly keep the steering straight. This progressed to the point where the Jeep became genuinely dangerous to drive.

So, goodbye crappy, upside down Crown steering box and weirdly crappy Borgeson shaft, and hopefully hello Redhead box and OEM shaft.




The Crown box developed so much free play that the Jeep was borderline undriveable. The Borgeson shaft had more play in its ujoints than the stock shaft too and left a gap in the firewall that caused me to hear the engine from inside.


I was also able to remove the pitman arm with my hands... it was a little concerning. I'm thinking I didn't get it fully seated the first time. I'm curious how this new install goes because I'm getting similar seating issues just trying to mesh the pitman arm to the gear box. I still need to tighten everything down though, so we'll see...