04 Rubi RustBelt project

Mon0cle

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Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
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53
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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So thats the new animal. I have to start off by thanking you all for all the feedback. Many hours i spent on these forums doing research before i made a final decision. Hats off to what you all have built here. So what i have to start with...
-04 Rubi w/118k mls 4.0 5spd
-new clutch and master cylinder @ 108k w/receipt ( but didn't change the throwout bearing...ass)
-2" BDS lift (coils and shocks)
-quick disconnects
-new tie rod & ends (zj conversion)
-adjustable track bar and stabilizer

Other then that shes pretty stock. ALL the fluids have been changed in the last 20k mls, he even changed the plugs every 30k mls,... with receipts. He inspected it the day before i picked it up, nice guy. New calipers, pads, rotors up front and new pads/rotors in back. U guys never told me these things have discs in the rear!!! Noob surprise!!! But yea 2017 Tacoma, rear drums are best for off-road :rolleyes:. Bla Bla he maintained it.

So first todos:
-I wanna take the grinder with a wire head and make sure that frame stays tip top. Ill take any suggestions on what to coat it with once i clear some of that surface rust.
-that damn RMS, the pans got some rust as well so i figure i might as well change that out as well.Saw your wright up on that Chris. Thanks for that.
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-deal with that rear bumper( thanks who ever powdered that one)
-rusted handles for new ones
-headlights, oooooooo those factory headlights
-i don't need a 3rd brake light right?:D
-reverse lights just stopped working, not sure bout that one yet
-fan only works on high
-dif cover?
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- And a new stereo w/speakers and sub, because as we all know, like a giant wing on a civic makes it go faster, a solid stereo on a jeep makes it way more off road capable. Hay, i love my tunes.

Its going to be a daily driver with Rubi capable off road fun on the reg. i know what shes made for, if i wanted more, i would have gone non-Rubi and really built her up. This will scratch the itch i'm looking for....for now.

Please chime in with anything, i'm all ears...one eye, but all ears.
Thanks again all...
 
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Take the belly pan down and look for rusted out attachement bolts or holes eaten through the frame where moisture and dirt were trapped where they meet. Check the rear track bar frame mount area and behind the bend in the frame for the axle. Check the rear coil spring buckets between the tops and the frame where they are welded for rot and check the brake lines really really well. ALL OF THEM very carefully for any bubbly rust blisters that can rupture and cause total brake system failure in a panic high pressure stop. Pay special attention to the lines clipped along the frame above the skid plate pan and under the booster/proportioning valve area. There is a member on here and videos on YouTube showing just how bad brake line rot can really get in the rust belt. Brake fluid helps rust brake lines out because is what's called "hydroscopic" which means it actually attracts moisture. Should there be any bad brake lines, you can order all new pre-bent to fit real nice and they come plated or in stainless to last a bit longer. TJ Jeep frames like to rust from the inside out and these points are where the road salt soaked water sits for long periods causing certain cancer of the frame. The brake lines will rot but on later TJ's (2003-2006) many left the factory with coated plastic lines to prevent rot at least for the first 10 years give or take. Earlier TJ's had wire coils over the brake lines and will rot inside this coil. I would also remove all that diamond plate body armor to reveal just how bad cancer has eaten the tub. It may have been installed to hide rust blisters if the rear bumper and oil pan are any indication......

Great project base though, you won't be able to call out for snow days cause that RUBY will get you through!
 
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Take the belly pan down and look for rusted out attachement bolts or holes eaten through the frame where moisture and dirt were trapped where they meet. Check the rear track bar frame mount area and behind the bend in the frame for the axle. Check the rear coil spring buckets between the tops and the frame where they are welded for rot and check the brake lines really really well. ALL OF THEM very carefully for any bubbly rust blisters that can rupture and cause total brake system failure in a panic high pressure stop. Pay special attention to the lines clipped along the frame above the skid plate pan and under the booster/proportioning valve area. There is a member on here and videos on YouTube showing just how bad brake line rot can really get in the rust belt. Brake fluid helps rust brake lines out because is what's called "hydroscopic" which means it actually attracts moisture. Should there be any bad brake lines, you can order all new pre-bent to fit real nice and they come plated or in stainless to last a bit longer. TJ Jeep frames like to rust from the inside out and these points are where the road salt soaked water sits for long periods causing certain cancer of the frame. The brake lines will rot but on later TJ's (2003-2006) many left the factory with coated plastic lines to prevent rot at least for the first 10 years give or take. Earlier TJ's had wire coils over the brake lines and will rot inside this coil. I would also remove all that diamond plate body armor to reveal just how bad cancer has eaten the tub. It may have been installed to hide rust blisters if the rear bumper and oil pan are any indication......

Great project base though, you won't be able to call out for snow days cause that RUBY will get you through!
Ty for the science sir, I'll be doing just that. And yea, I think I'll just do an entire stainless upgrade to the lines while I'm under there.
 
Ok, had some time to get some stuff done. Heater was only working on high. I was hoping it was the switch since it looked like this
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I know I didn't have to change the whole thing, but I liked making it all new. It was the Heater Blower Motor Resistor
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Back to 4 fan settings:aplastao:. It's the simple things. Also dropped in the Truck-Light knock-offs
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P.S. Thanks for that trend on that one. Yea, I know I'm missing an "N", it was partially off and is now giving me an excuse to update the vinyls. Serpentine belt and rusted out handles are tomorrow...

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Living in the rust belt myself that thing looks like it's in great shape from the photos.

And the fan on high should be a resistor right? Mines the same way. Hell my as doesn't blow thru the dash at all and I don't have the time to tear apart dash to find the leak.

Looks great man. Oil pan is typical from what I've seen. Mine looks the same

Edit: somehow I missed an entire section of your post where you talk about replacing the resistor. My bad.
 
Coming along nicely, I really dig the headlights!
Thanks, this year is going to be routine maintenance, a little bit of fun, and fluid film, next spring I'll dive into the madness underneath.
Living in the rust belt myself that thing looks like it's in great shape from the photos.

And the fan on high should be a resistor right? Mines the same way. Hell my as doesn't blow thru the dash at all and I don't have the time to tear apart dash to find the leak.

Looks great man. Oil pan is typical from what I've seen. Mine looks the same

Edit: somehow I missed an entire section of your post where you talk about replacing the resistor. My bad.
Thanks, the previous owner did fluid film for the past 5 years, so fer living in Western Pennsylvania it's whole life it's not too bad at all. I'm thinking after I do some undercarriage things that I want to do, I may go this route...
http://www.rustrepairinc.com , it makes it a PITA working on it after it's done, but us rust belters do have to go to the extreme. One thing I really like about them, once a year for seven years after the initial undercoating, they put it on the rack and touch up anything that needs hit for free. On that note, I'll take any opinions on this petroleum-based undercoating. Thanks
 
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Well I should probably document the mileage when I'm doing this stuff, so 120k. Did the serpentine belt and got reverse lights. (Switch that's on the transmission) put in some led bulbs as well.
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Then I decided to give the little girls a step, myself a lil more protection, and I gotta admit I do think they look sexy. As a bonus, I'm finding it even more comfortable then footpegs when the doors come off.
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I dig the construction, but they do sit about and inch lower then the frame, we'll see if that becomes an annoyance off-road. Then I gave the old girl some black cerakote eyeliner while changing all those screws to stainless.
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Considering it was the only crome left I felt it had to be done.
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I'm debating on how I feel about the orange. This reminds me, I got a flip the fog lights and spotters. :facepalm:, and people wonder why these things hold their value so well, it's the ridiculous amount of time and money we dump into them.