finally got my RC 4.5" lift installed

 

put new tires on the jeep

 

started building my rack for the storage area. and busted the rear handel part that opens the hatch so there goes about 100 bucks but at least when it comes in i will finally be able to open the rear hatch with out trying for 5 minutes

 

Today I went to a friends house to get some steel to make my rear bumper. Went in to have a cold drink since it was 9000* out. When we came out my XJ was spewing coolant all over his driveway. It had been running at 210 consistently since I bought it. Once I had 9 layers of shop rags to insulate my hands to open the hood I came to find that my heater hose AND upper rad hose has bursted. We cut the broken ends out and filled her up. I went to the auto parts store near his house and spent the $86 for ALL new hoses, t-stat, and 50/50 coolant. I considered a flat head screw driver and a set of pliers but decided Vatozone tools are crap marked up to feces. I proceeded to drive the 24 miles home in bumper to bumper traffic. Mind you it was 97 degrees out and I had to keep the heater on full blast to keep it at 210. I had to stick my head out the window with the washer fluid spewing to keep from passing out. Sooooo I get home and get started. Heater hoses easy. T stat kinda a pita. The lower bolt is right behind the damn belt. Had to deflect the belt to get it out or cuss for 30 minutes to get at the alternator bolts. Upper rad hose easy. Lower rad hose was a m'fer! Take air box out to get at rad lower hose upper clamp and no problem. Engine part of lower hose requires a baby hand with 400 ft lbs tq. It is relatively impossible to remove that if the previous a**hole had baby hands and wanted to make the next person to change it cry. I finally got it off. Putting it back on with the new hose just needed a 1/4 ratchet with long extension and floppy joint thing. Used a new 180* tstat and a new 13psi rad cap. Filled her up and took her for a drive. Drove for 20 minutes with the AC on full blast and she barely got to within a 1/4" of the 210 mark. Im guessing 180-190. So I decided to crank the stereo and beat the crap out of her. I was on a closed course of course. Kinda like a rally. Basically there were 10 miles of 1 mile long "Stages" with red heaxagonal "Stage" finish signs between them. I went from dead stop to speedo buried only letting off the gas to stop for the red "Stage" end sign and then buried again to best my time from the previous "Stage". After all said and done she just barely peaked over 210* on the decel part of each "stage". Right at 210 on the accel part of each "Stage". Tomorrow I will drive her easy and see what temp she is at.

 

Seriously, I did paragraph that. Editor no worky

 

flexed it cause my friend was testing out the new long arms on his zj



his 35s were rubbing like crazy so he swapped on his old 28s and heres a zj on 7" of lift and 28s..bwahahaha






got pulled over for my tail lights too..got a new set on order tho, both of mine are cracked..ill slightly tint them but not much at all..

 

that's the new style though lots of travel and small tires its the new low riding offroaders. jk looks like he just needs to get the bump stops figured out

 

yeah hes gonna add about 3" to each

 

picked up my new flowmaster 50 series from my local off road shop again, they ordered the wrong one the first time. looks to be made out of much beefier material then I expected which makes me quite happy. Hopefully if will sound better and last longer then my dynocrap

puttin it on when i get out of work

 

Worked on my fold down tire carrier. Have more pics of the build if there is any interest.

 

Actually yesterday ... pulled my driveshaft to replace the ujoints. I found that removing the caps is really tough without a shop vise to break the corrosion. So that is on my list of things todo today. Note: C-Clamps and wood vises do not work for s&%@! I have also discovered that I am a lightweight when it comes to working in a garage that is 105 degrees.

Oh yeah - Also found that both my parking break cables are busted inside the break housing.

-- KC

 

Went to a friends farm with my brother so we could do a little flexing on the rocks. Ended up breaking the rear u-joint and destroying the yoke. Went to get parts and had his girlfriend follow us in her new XJ and she snags a tree limb on the rear axle and rips off the rubber fuel lines.

Getting a little air under the tire. I left the sway bar connected and did not flex enough.


Snapped the head off of all 4 bolts on the u-joint straps and damaged the rear yoke.


My brother stuffing his 33s.


Where my brother spends most of his time.

 

drove around town,ohh and failed smogg, haha you could taste the exhast in the air!!

 

Finally passed my emissions test. All it took was a new cat and CPS. That was an expensive PITA.

 

Finally put a new radiator in the XJ because I was tired of driving in 80-90* temps witht he heat on full blast to keep it around 210...and thats with a 180 t-stat in it.

new radiator went in very easily, and now she barely hits 190 in the heat with the AC on and running her hard.