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Most of my parts are here. Waiting on 3 brake lines and a slide hammer for the bearings ! Should start on it Monday morning maybe Tuesday ? Haven't been kicking very high lately. The heat here has been rough !!! I've had several things I could have done already, just not able...
Well, it would appear that Inline Tube messed up my order. They sent the wrong part. But thankfully they worked well with me to correct it. So, once again, I'm stuck waiting for parts ! I went with a complete preformed sstl set. I ordered 21" flexible braided sstl with clear poly coating for the front lines to the calipers. For the rear center line, a matching 21". For the rear, I haven't quite decided how I'm going to route the two outer flexible lines. The hard OEM XJ lines run straight to the wheel cylinders at the backing plate. Most people doing this swap, just bend the existing line 90 degrees and go with the OEM 93-98 ZJ rubber flexible lines. The Inline Tube ZJ rear axle lines are also bent 90 degrees. I could see if they would swap out the XJ lines for the ZJ rear axle lines. Technically, for this swap, that would be correct. Or, I may bend the new ones I have like the ZJs. Inline tube also make some really nice banjo fittings. Straight long and short ones, some bent 30 degrees, and also a 90 degree model ! So there are several options ! So whichever route I take, I'm going to try to keep the flex lines as close to the backing plates as possible, with no big loop to catch sticks or roots !!! I'm seriously considering just buying a nice Blue Point / Snap-On double flaring kit and cutting the lines that came with the kit. Really leaning towards the 90 degree banjo fittings and running straight out the axle! Then connections at the caipers will be 8" matching braided sstl like up front ! Securing the lines to the axle tube with heavy black zipties ! I think this will look great and have a fairly low profile ! When I get it done, I'll post pics with all the part numbers !!! Meanwhile,,, I could have been doing other stuff. I have new transmission gasket and filter to do, my ball joints and front driveshaft u-joints, ZJ tie rod upgrade, new steering stabilizer, new valve cover torque spacer grommets, The Autopal Euro-lights upgrade with new harness, XJWONDERS heavy duty battery cable upgrade ! I just haven't felt up to much wrench turning lately,,, They're calling for somewhat cooler weather and rain all week, so don't know if I'll get a whole lot done? Also, my used wheel purchase hasn't turned out like I expected. I assumed that they were all good to go. I ordered new centercaps and lugnuts. Went out to clean them up and have them balanced. One wheel has three wallered out stud holes and 9 wheel weights!!! One of the tires is pretty much shot Has a deep cut, all the way around, clear down past the tread !!! I wouldn't even consider it for a spare. I bought them from a seller here in the forums. Waiting to hear back from him, hoping he'll make it right !!! One step forward, two steps back !!! That should be called the Jeep Two-Step !!! Anyway, I have more than enough on my plate for now. Maybe this month, I won't have to spend as much money !!! But I do plan on buying at least one item to keep stuff coming. Want to get my exhaust and tranny/engine mounts done hopefully by next months end. Then time for the lift, finally !!!
Last edited by CRLAMBERTJR; 07-22-2018 at 11:30 AM.
Reason: Error
This seems to be a common occurrence with Jeepers !!! Here's some pics of my parts piles ! This is just the little stuff ! No big bumpers or anything huge,,, yet !!! I got a lot of work to do !!! I think I'm going to stop buying, until all of this is done ! Only get what I may need to get these projects finished ! Is it ever done ??? The pile goes clear to the wall. Most of it stacked neatly. There's another couple of stacks behind the chair and another in front of the small air compressor. Just haven't had the urge to get started, just wears me out anymore !!!
Last edited by CRLAMBERTJR; 07-26-2018 at 07:11 AM.
Gotta pick up some banjo fittings and new bolts for the backing plates. Plus still waiting for one more braided SSTL brake line. Pick up dome brake fluid and transmission fluid then get started. Also ordering 2 more new tires and one new wheel and centercaps. Not buying anything else till everything I have is installed and done ! Will update as I make progress. Next phase, will be the exhaust. Last on the list is the lift. May try to get my A/C fixed before that ? Fall coming on fast,,, may skip the A/C till next spring. I'm dying to move on to the headliner, interior and STEREO!
So today I finally felt up to turnin' some wrenches! Despite getting a late start, 11am, and having to stop for the heat ! I was having to put the tools in the shade, you couldn't pick them up ! I started feeling dizzy and quit around 2pm for a cool down. I got her up on stands, disassembled the left side down to removing the drag tie rod end and removing the knuckle. Everything came apart easily due to my being in there recently and using anti-sieze. I am planning on reducing the torque specs by 30% on reassembly. So I did discover that the other axle u-joint was bad too. I wasn't surprised, and planned to replace them both anyway and bought them ahead. I replaced the steering damper with a new Monroe Magnum SC2928, compliments of ebay @ $27.**
Monroe Magnum SC2928 steering damper. I honestly believe that the old one was the original when new !
So next, I removed the flimsy little steering tie rod tube, to make way for the much beefier ZJ upgrade! This is nice and solid, just like the drag link, plus the threaded ends of the rods are thicker ! Both of these jobs were gravy with my new front end service tool kit. Nice to have the right tool !!!
Fron End Service Tool Kit ebay @ $40 and worth every penny today !!!
So, I took a nap,,, 3hrs, with intentions of doing more work as it cooled off, but had to put everything away due to rain ! So tomorrow should be a pretty good day. I look to get a lot done. May take me a couple more days, due to painting, cleaning and rebuilding the front calipers. I bought VHT grey primer, red, and clear coat. Going to paint the splash shield and knuckes black. Also going to paint the ends of the axle till I get some POR15. On tomorrow's list, replace the steering tie rod, I also have the short tie rod end of the drag link. Going to may wait on it, haven't decided yet. Just as soon get the other long end and do it all at the same time. Though, I don't feel any play in it ? I'll probably do it too. Want to get the knuckles off, and replace the ball joints. Then use the car to push the pistons out of the calipers, to inspect them before thier rebuild. Try to get everything painted , cleaned up and back together. Next will be replacing all of the brake lines with Inline Tube SSTL. Replace the tranny fluid, gasket and filter. Grease up the front end, then on to the rear ZJ disc brake swap and Aussie Lokka and new rear axle bearings and seals! Here's a couple of pics. Check out the sway bar, looks bent to me ?
Passenger side. New JK shocks !
Driver side.
Check out the arc on the sway bar. I have them positioned pretty much parallel to show it. Looks like the passenger side is not as curved ?
I'll post more updates tomorrow night. Trying to start taking a lot more pictures as I go.
So today I finally felt up to turnin' some wrenches! Despite getting a late start, 11am, and having to stop for the heat ! I was having to put the tools in the shade, you couldn't pick them up ! I started feeling dizzy and quit around 2pm for a cool down. I got her up on stands, disassembled the left side down to removing the drag tie rod end and removing the knuckle. Everything came apart easily due to my being in there recently and using anti-sieze. I am planning on reducing the torque specs by 30% on reassembly. So I did discover that the other axle u-joint was bad too. I wasn't surprised, and planned to replace them both anyway and bought them ahead. I replaced the steering damper with a new Monroe Magnum SC2928, compliments of ebay @ $27.**
Monroe Magnum SC2928 steering damper. I honestly believe that the old one was the original when new !
So next, I removed the flimsy little steering tie rod tube, to make way for the much beefier ZJ upgrade! This is nice and solid, just like the drag link, plus the threaded ends of the rods are thicker ! Both of these jobs were gravy with my new front end service tool kit. Nice to have the right tool !!!
Fron End Service Tool Kit ebay @ $40 and worth every penny today !!!
So, I took a nap,,, 3hrs, with intentions of doing more work as it cooled off, but had to put everything away due to rain ! So tomorrow should be a pretty good day. I look to get a lot done. May take me a couple more days, due to painting, cleaning and rebuilding the front calipers. I bought VHT grey primer, red, and clear coat. Going to paint the splash shield and knuckes black. Also going to paint the ends of the axle till I get some POR15. On tomorrow's list, replace the steering tie rod, I also have the short tie rod end of the drag link. Going to may wait on it, haven't decided yet. Just as soon get the other long end and do it all at the same time. Though, I don't feel any play in it ? I'll probably do it too. Want to get the knuckles off, and replace the ball joints. Then use the car to push the pistons out of the calipers, to inspect them before thier rebuild. Try to get everything painted , cleaned up and back together. Next will be replacing all of the brake lines with Inline Tube SSTL. Replace the tranny fluid, gasket and filter. Grease up the front end, then on to the rear ZJ disc brake swap and Aussie Lokka and new rear axle bearings and seals! Here's a couple of pics. Check out the sway bar, looks bent to me ?
Passenger side. New JK shocks !
Driver side.
Check out the arc on the sway bar. I have them positioned pretty much parallel to show it. Looks like the passenger side is not as curved ?
I'll post more updates tomorrow night. Trying to start taking a lot more pictures as I go.
Well, didn't get near what I was thinking of accomplished! Basically just the two ball joints on the passenger side ! These dudes were tenacious ! No doubt both were original to the jeep. Both were rusted into the sockets !!! I had purchased a set of ball joint separator tools. Couldn't have done it without them! I had even sprayed Kryloil for two days. It took a 1/2 breaker bar with a cheater, plus a BFH tapping on it in between tightening. The knuckle was every bit as stubborn ! So much for just spinning it around and a couple whacks with a hammer ! If I'd kept beating on it, I'd had to replace it too. So I had to use a puller on it too, plus the BFH ! Well, I finally got them out ! I was worried that I was going pull the car off the jack stands, was literally pulling that hard ! I plan on putting it back together with anti-sieze. Tomorrow should be a little easier for me. Looking forward to it, just to get it over with !!! Will update each evening
Well, I finally had a fairly productive day, despite fighting it to the end ! I got all the ball joints out, all of the front axle u-joints removed. Pulled both front calipers and removed the pistons to inspect for a rebuild. Was surprised to find that I had phenolic resin pistons ! I was fully expecting pitted steel instead. The pistons look perfect ! I am planning on reusing them. I figure the calipers must have been replaced and they had the plastic pistons ? As for my cheap ebay front end service kit and ball joint separator tools, they didn't do well. The "C" clamp bent on the third ball joint. I stripped the threads in one of the puller yoked ! They pretty much lived up to my expectations! You get what you pay for ! They will be going back for a refund ! After all the tools broke, I did it how I was taught! We didn't have a vice when I was a kid. We just set them in the grass, take a big ball peen, use the peen side placed on the u-joint, strike the flat of the ball peen with a 3lb hammer. Works great, doesn't beat up the yokes. A lot fast than the cheap pullers ! Plus it doesn't bend the collar !!! Tomorrow should be interesting to see how much I get done. So,,, no more cheap ebay tools !!! I knew better. Curiosity got the better of me. I did pick up a really clean, complete Blackhawk double flaring tool set. Compliments of ebay ! $31 shipped !!! It's an original, New Brittain, Conn age tool, around early 70's I believe? Good stuff !!! Use to be up on the walls behind counters at auto parts stores Will update each evening
Phenolic Resin Pistons and new seals.
I think, I'm going to start the morning off with running the front brake lines. If it starts raining, I can move into the garage to work on other stuff .
Last edited by CRLAMBERTJR; 08-08-2018 at 06:51 PM.
I was chuggin along pretty good today. I started letting the tranny fluid drain. Cut the back flexible brake line to drain most of the brake fluid. Removed all of the old brake lines up front and installed the new SSTL hard lines. Was getting ready to tackle the long one, but was getting too hot out. So I decided to go into the shade of the 1/2 garage that I have left, to install my axle u-joints. First one, driver side, went smooth as exlax !!! Took less then 10 mins ! The second one went fast too ! So, I was admiring my handywork afterwards with my glasses on. And what the ??? One of the "C" clips isn't seated fully, just the ends ! So I immediately assumed that one of the flange ears is bent ! Not really sure wether I did it with pressing out the drivers side shaft with a cheap ebay tool that stripped, but thinking maybe it stripped because it was bent already ? The PO's kid, was backing into the driveway and smacked some railroad ties as he was cutting the wheel. I also believe that the swaybar was bent then too. I took it apart and checked with calipers, off 1/8" !!! So I attempted to straighten it, it's already messed up anyway ! I used another of the cheap tie rod separators to open it back up. Now I had them both within 1000th " , the not sure if they were concentric ? First cap went back easily, couldn't get the second one to start onto the joint easily ? I think I bulged the joint when driving it back out !!! Lookin at used ones on ebay ! It's always something !
Ok, so instead of wasting the money on another Spicer 5-760x ujoint. I went ahead and bought a used shaft, the whole thing with a good ball joint in it ! Got it for $50 shipped !!! Ebay strikes again !!! I've procured most of my parts there. Going to try to salvage the old one. Maybe stick a cheap ball joint in to use for a spare. Today will be better !
Started out the morning rerouting a front brake line. Then started cleaning parts. Two front XJ calipers, the dust shields, two ZJ calipers. Getting ready to rebuild them both. Going to do a write up with photos and all materials and part numbers used for the rebuild, brake lines, and ZJ rear disc swap. Tomorrow should be pretty interesting too. May start painting some parts ! Still have to clean the ZJ backing plates and the front knuckles. Will update tomorrow night !
07-09-2018, 12:37 AM
