That is a nice little kit. Seems like something I need to get myself!

 

Yeah, it came nicely boxed all together. I was surprised. I'll do the tune-up this weekend. I've got a dead Saturn to pull out of the garage, then I can get the Jeep in there.

(Useless info: My 2002 Saturn Vue AWD died at 124k - the 99 Cherokee w/ 255k is still going strong...)

Now I need to get going on the suspension - I know the lower driver side ball joint is toast. I might as well do both ball joints - no - I might as well do ALL the ball joints. And I have to remove the hubs - so I might as well replace those as well.

Ball Joint Replacement List:
- TOOLS[LIST][*]32mm socket for hub nut and lower ball joint nut[*]22mm socket for upper ball joint nut[*]Torque Wrench[*]Grease Gun

- PARTS

• Replacement bolts for Hubs x 6
• Upper ball joints x 2
• Lower Ball Joints x 2
• Wheel Hubs x 2

 

Your Vue has a 2.2 Ecotec in it right? Was the the motor that died? If so, that is a short life for sure. Those things are normally bullet proof. But at the same time, mine died in 400 miles. My issue was that those 400 miles were spent between 6-8200 rpms, 12 psi boost and making 3 times the power it was designed to do haha. Hopefully the next one will make it 500 miles. If you need any Ecotec parts, let me know. I got a ton of them laying around and filling up my garage.

 

Here are some pictures I took at the 2017 Cleveland Auto Show. To be honest, I'm getting bored with the show. Aside from the big displays, you can see all this stuff in your local car dealership showroom.

Shout out to Toyota for bringing it with their trucks and SUVs - every single one was decked out for camping/overlanding/exploring. Very nice.

Another shout out to Mercedes - double thick carpet and underlayer in their section. That soft, plushy floor was a relief after walking around that big building for a few hours.

Here are some pictures. (again, nothing you can't see in your local new car dealership.)

 

Yes, the 2.2L ecotec, and it runs super quiet and smooth. It's the CVT transmission that gave up the ghost. Apparently this Saturn was a very early adopter of the CVT tranny, and it is garbage, and is prone to failure at just over 100k miles. Google it, there was a big recall/replacement SNAFU with GM - they ended up having to pay for half the replacement cost of getting a new transmission installed. Not on mine, I bought mine used, two years ago, and it never had the new/updated transmission installed.

(Also, I made it exactly 14 miles before the transmission died. I bought it at Toyota of Bedford, in Bedford, Ohio. I drove it home from the dealership on Wednesday evening, and the transmission died on the way home from work the next day. 14 miles. The stealership offered to have their tow truck bring the Saturn back for them to look at it - but I would have to pay for the tow. It sits dead in my garage. **** that place.)

(Since I'm bashing one dealership - lemme prop up another. I went to Motorcars Toyota of Cleveland Heights that weekend and went home with a very nice little car, for a fair price. They treated me with respect, and the sales manager let me keep my bicycle in his office over the weekend. I had to ride my bike to the dealership to purchase the car.)

I'm thinking I'll trade the Saturn to a local wrecking yard for credit on XJ parts. Maybe. Scrap value on an all-plastic Saturn is pretty low. Or gut it and use it as a trailer. Use it as a greenhouse like in The Martian (great book. Amazing.)

Whatever.

 

I'm diggin' that TRD

 

Yeah, Toyota was in it to win it.

 

Thought I'd stop and snap a photo of this local gem I see every morning. I've seen it around town, plowing during blizzards - but this appears to be it's natural habitat.

I chatted with the owner, Kevin about it. (Actually, he "caught" me taking a photo and came outside to see what was going on...)

It's a 1999, Cherokee Sport. He's replaced "pretty much everything" except the original motor. All he did to that was upgrade to 4-hole injectors.

This is his 3rd Cherokee, so he knew what he wanted and what to do with it. He bought this beauty cheap because it needed new axles and transfer case - but at 200,000 miles the body is still pristine. No rocker or floor pan rust. None.

He tinted the lenses with spray-on tint (and they look killer. I thought they were aftermarket lenses.) Added hitch, backup alarm, rear camera (that feeds to the aftermarket head unit with a screen), big HID lights up top.

I was running late for work so I had to cut out conversation short. I'll go back on another day and get more photos and info.



Kevin's 1999 Cherokee Sport<br/>`

 

OMG,

The More and More you post about thing, the more work I see. But for $200 that is not a bad deal. At least you are one person that is trying to bring this jeep back from the dead.

Keep up the work.

 

Man. Tha'ts a really nice stocker! Every time someone talks crap about unibodies I like to show them a picture of snow-plow Jeeps in action. They don't usually have much logical to say after that.

 

Hmm, these look awful tempting: https://cleveland.craigslist.org/wto/6018920390.html

(text from the ad: Complete set of 5 Jeep Wrangler JK wheels and tires off of 2013 Wrangler unlimited. Complete with tire pressure sensors still installed and center caps. Tires are fair with life left and wheels are in perfect condition with zero curb rash, scuffs or blemishes at all. Pics show tire tread of best and worst tire , one tire nearly new. $350 obo. Need them gone ASAP)

I love the look of the Wrangler wheels on XJs. I like the wheel/tire edges all lined up with the outside of the XJ. Looks boxier, sexier.

I think I just need a set of wheel adapters and I can run these. Maybe something like this?

 

You like those rims? Im not fond of those, I prefer the others off a rubicon. I also don't lIke spacers or adapters. The shop I work at will not install them. Just dangerous. But many here run them so. But I wouldn't run anything but spider trax if you do. Just be sure to torque them properly and check them frequently.

 

I do like those rims...BUT...I'm not super duper familiar with all of the Wrangler family wheel options. I just know that my heart flutters when I see an XJ with Wrangler wheels.

I like the big, heavy spokes, and the fact that the wheel face is flush/flat. I think it looks better on the boxy XJ.

And there is no rush on this purchase. I did a quick CL search and came up with three similar ads for similar money. Used wrangler wheels and tires are everywhere, apparently.

(EDIT: You mean Rubicon wheels like these? https://www.rubitrux.com/factory-jee...els-tires.html I think they are ugly and I hate them.)

 

Go for it! Love my moabs and get lots of compliments on them. I'm running synergy 1.5" hub-centric adaptors. Have near 30k miles with plenty of trail abuse and have had zero issues. Just be sure to buy quality hub-centric adaptors and not some eBay crap.

 

I was just going to say that ^^^ well, about the spacers. I don't mind the JK wheels, but if you're going to run spacers (or in your case, adapters), Spidertrax or Alloy USA or NOTHING. Don't cheap out on the spacers man. You might end up really regretting it. Whatever spacers (adapters) you decide on, make sure they're hubcentric as well.

Hub centric keep the WEIGHT of the wheel centered primarily on the center portion of the spacer (hub). The lugs then have less vertical (load-bearing) stress on them and are there to primarily keep the wheel mated to the mounting surface. Lug-centric put undue stress on the lugs because they end up bearing the weight load AND mating the wheel to the mounting surface.... which is why so many wheels end up snapping off.