2004 LJ Camp and Crawl Build

Yesterday was productive. Swapped out the track bar, tie rod and draglink. Then went to the rear and changed out the worn out spring spacers and bump stops.

Track bar was toasted.

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As were the spacers and bump stops!

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With the rear spring out, I got a solid measurement of free spring height and at 12.25", I'm thinking this is stock height, but maybe a greater spring rate resulting in less compression when installed?

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After I got it back on the ground and buttoned up, I got a message back about a softop. I was messaging the guy about a Supertop, and he said he also had a fastback style but didn't know what brand it was. I did though, and managed to pick up a Trektop for $300. We love it!

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Oh yeah, I pulled the flares off Friday and honestly like no flares more than THOSE flares, so off they stay for now. The plus side is the wife said she doesn't like the no flare look and it has her totally on board with a replacement (GenRight, I'm looking in your direction...)

Now I gotta figure out how to get those damn flare extensions off without going through the spinning nutsert hassle. Any tips there? I couldn't seem to figure out how to access the back side for the extension sections.
 
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Also, measuring before and after rear the spacer swap, I netted a ~1" increase in rear height. Starting to get a street rod look with that and the fastback! :LOL:
 
So yesterday I spent some time cleaning the engine bay and setting toe and straightening the steering wheel after the parts swap. The family wanted to go for a test drive, and my dear wife wanted to give it a first drive.

We started down the street and I noticed a clunking/clattering on the passenger side somewhere middle to front end. Just what you want to hear after spending the weekend laying in the driveway in 100° weather! I drove us a couple miles down the road and after feeling good about the steering, I pulled into a parking lot to give her a turn. We drove around town a few miles, and with me in the passenger seat I got a better listen to the sound coming from the starboard side of our craft.

The wife wants to give the highway a go to let it open up! So away we go. Make it about 1/4 mile and hit a bump and -CLUNK- *BVVVRRRR*. No shuddering, no engine light, just lots of noise noise noise! We take the next exit, our exit, and pull into the neighborhood around the corner from us. As I suspected, the rear half of the exhaust fell off and was hanging from the rear hanger and laying in the transfer case skid. Shoddy weld finally gave I guess!

So here's to hoping that's what all that clattering was about!

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So I guess we're adding exhaust to the list. I'll tack this back together in the meantime to get us by until I decide what to do with the exhaust system that I haven't been considering at all. Tummy tuck is in the future I think, so I might start preparing for that eventuality.
 
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Ordered stock Moog control arms the other day, should be here tomorrow. I had been on the fence trying to decide if I was going to spring for Saavy/Curry arms and figured right now the money is better spent other places like the cooling system, full fluid and filter changes, etc. Just dump a good chunk of available change into general maintenance and PM. So the stock control arms fit the bill since the bushings are shot on the arms it has now.

I've also decided I'm going to shoot for 2-3" total lift. I do think I'll do a tummy tuck down the road, so I'm going with 2" springs and eventually the JKS 1.25" BL. Gonna pick up Rancho RS55240/55128 and leaning towards swapping the springs and 2" spacers out for BDS +2" springs. Kind of leaning towards 2" rear and 3" front to try and correct the rake a bit and because I will eventually be putting a winch on. Kicking myself for selling the 9.5TI in the spring that had been sitting on a shelf for a couple years, but that's how it goes I guess. Something else will 'come along'.

Planning out the cooling system freshen-up and going to do pulleys along with it. Then it's oil/trans/diffs/brakes and their respective fluid/filters/pads. Any other suggestions for general PM for a 112k mi tune up?
 
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So I have a couple error codes! Yay!

First is P0432 which has come and gone and is back again. With the mid and rear exhaust needing replaced I think I'll probably just get a new exhaust from manifold back. Looking at a cheap fleabay downpipe and Y as I'm not dropping the coin on a Magnaflow.

Second is P0442 which showed up last week. I filled the tank yesterday and noticed a heavy gas smell around the tank when I got home. Looked and saw fresh gas around the fill neck at the tank and settled onto the tank seam. Filler hose from neck to tank is old and a bit crumbly. Ordered a new one today so hopefully that is the fix there, although the evap boot at the can is looking a bit aged as well.

Saw this yesterday while working on the control arms. Doesn't look kosher to me. Not sure which line that is yet.

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