Good save....Ive done something similar when I'm thinking 2 steps ahead and then miss one of those simple steps.Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the kind words. Like I said, I really wanted to have more time on the TJ, but I had so many things going on that I knew it wouldn't happen. Still, pretty happy with what I got accomplished.
I want to share a rookie mistake with you. I was putting in the drivers side axle, and it would not line up. That is to say, as the bearing approached the pocket where the race settles in on the end of the axle housing, the bearing was sitting about 1/4" too low, and I couldn't get it to move up into place. I removed and attempted to get things lined up four or five times, but no-go. As I'm staring at the housing, wondering what the hell is going on, it dawns on me that when I was cleaning up and painting the housing, I had removed the vent tube that passes through the brake distribution block (for lack of a better term). When I had temporarily reinstalled the tube, I threaded it in way deeper that in would actually be when fully assembled, and it was pressing against the axle, not allowing the axle shaft to align into position. Doh! Backed the tube out, and all was right with the world once again.
Glad to here you got some more Jeep time in. A little here and a little there.Spent about seven hours out in the garage today. Started the day by pressing some bearings onto a buddy's Yukon locker for his Chevy truck. Man, every time I use that little press, I love it more. It has paid for itself several times over.
So, I decided that I just had to know what kind of condition the frame of my TJ is in where the transfer case skid plate bolts up. I successfully removed 5 of the 6 bolts, but of course the last one had to give me grief. The nutsert was broken, and just spinning. However, I was able to wedge a prybar between the frame and the skid plate, and put enough pressure on the nutsert to hold it in place while I backed out the bolt. The frame looked solid. I mean, it ain't "Arizona pretty", but it looked solid. At least now I know, and I can clean it up when I get to that stage. I'll deal with the nutsert when the time comes.
One of the things I wanted to do was to clean out the inside of my frame rails. The vehicle spent about five years in Michigan, and I've already seen some of the damage those five years did. There's a lot of sand and rust flakes inside, so I came up with a way to vacuum out the majority of it. I did a combination of blasting it with an air hose, and vacuuming. Here's what I did for the vacuuming part:
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I took a mayonnaise jar lid and cut a hole just big enough to force a section of heater hose into it. Then I duct taped the lid to the end of the hose of my Shop Vac. All I had was a length of new heater hose, so it was pretty stiff, and it takes some manhandling to get it started, but after it's been run through there a few times, it gets quite a bit more flexible. You would be surprised at just how well this works. I got the majority of the passenger side frame rail cleaned out, although my bore scope shows some remains right where the nutserts are for the TC skid plate. I'll eventually blast that toward the rear with a pressure washer, but that's a long way off. For the time being, I'm really pleased to know that I got rid of the majority of the loose stuff. It did my heart good to hear it passing through the hose. Now I need to do the driver's side.
Anyways, it was a great day to be in the garage.
Thanks, Chief. I enjoyed the day, for sure!Glad to here you got some more Jeep time in. A little here and a little there.
Good job in converting your shop vac into a frame vac!
I think I would be sick if mine had turned out to be like that...Nice going! I pulled over yesterday to look at this TJ. Looks good from far
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But turned out far from good.
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That orange stuff is the frame literally just loose sitting there like a mud clod at the TCase skid. Wanted $7850, a Sport with the Dana 44
Better the devil you know...as the saying goesI think I would be sick if mine had turned out to be like that...
Thanks, brother. I gotta admit, I'm kinda diggin' it, myself. However, it's a fine line between looking good, and going too far. I might repaint the Rancho shocks the same color, but that's where it'll end.Really digging the color choices on the under goodies brah! Like the offset.
Thanks, LR. I appreciate the support.Glad to hear you have been getting my Jeep time in the garage.