'98 Sahara build: "Staying the Course"

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 than it 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. ;)
 
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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. ;)
Good save....Ive done something similar when I'm thinking 2 steps ahead and then miss one of those simple steps.:rolleyes:
 
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This one's for you, @Chris...
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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. (y)
 
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:
View attachment 99535View attachment 99536View attachment 99537View attachment 99538

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. (y)
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!
 
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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
 
Nice going! I pulled over yesterday to look at this TJ. Looks good from far

View attachment 99589

But turned out far from good.

View attachment 99586
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
I think I would be sick if mine had turned out to be like that...
 
Really digging the color choices on the under goodies brah! Like the offset.
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. ;)
 
Spent about three and a half hours continuing with cleaning/vacuuming out the frame rails today. I'm telling ya, that heater hose/Shop Vac set-up is the bomb! Not only did it get the sand and rust flakes outta there, it also retrieved the broken t-case skid nutsert! (y) Seriously, I couldn't be more pleased with being able to get all that crap out of the rails. I got it down to where no matter how I twisted the hose, or how far in I plunged it, there was no more coming through. It wasn't necessarily easy to do, but it wasn't horrible, either. I still plan on using a pressure washer with a modified wand/hose set-up when I get the chance, but for now, I'm really satisfied with the results. I probably could do the Fluid Film now if I wanted, but like I said...pressure washer.

Anyways, progress... :)
 
Got to spend 7.5 hours in the garage today working on the TJ. Still nothing glamorous to speak of, but I enjoyed the time on it. I removed the back bumper, and the body mount bolts, save for the very front one, which I just loosened. I had to grind the heads off the rearmost ones, and then cut access holes to get the large nuts and what remained of the bolts out. The two that connect to the rear crossmember where the shocks are mounted came out easily. Moving forward, the next two at the back of the torque boxes came out fine, but the middle one on the passenger side snapped. The driver's side one came out surprisingly well, considering that the torque box is rusted around where the body mount is, and will need to be repaired. I felt certain that if any of them would give me fits, it'd be that one. Anyways, the rest removed fairly easily, though the bolts are fairly heavily damaged by rust. I'll be looking for new/used body mount bolts, so if anyone has some nice ones remaining after doing a body lift, I'd love to acquire them from you. Just PM me with what you have and what you need to get for them. Thanks!

I also removed the driver's side inner fender well liner, as well as the flare. All this was done (removing the bolts) so that I can lift the body up off the frame for better access to the top of the frame rails for cleaning and painting. Also, knowing that the torque box will have to be repaired on the driver's side, I figured I'd be doing all this eventually, so I just decided to take the plunge while I had a garage day. Oh yeah, and I still have the two broken shock mount bolts to contend with, so maybe the extra room will come in handy.

If I remember correctly, all told, there are 11 body bolts. I was trying to look back at what @Mike_H had said he did, and I couldn't remember if he said he loosened three front bolts, or just one, to the grill area. I only saw the one center bolt, and I believe the other two on either side of the grill are just rubber spacers/snubbers, of sorts. I tried looking it up, but my computer has been acting up all week, being extremely slow to load anything, and even freezing up, so I couldn't find what I needed. In fact, I even have a real concern that after all this typing, I won't be able to post it. Damn computer, anyway...

Anyways, it was a great day!
 
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Glad to hear you have been getting my Jeep time in the garage. :)
Thanks, LR. I appreciate the support. ;)
After re-reading my post, it sure doesn't sound like I accomplished much for the length of time I was out there. However, I assure you, there was no slacking off. It took what it took, I guess. The last 45 minutes was all clean-up, though. I found it's so much easier for the next round when you start off with a clean area. Safer, too. Not tripping over stuff.
 
Sometimes it is nice to see improvement. Even small changes. It inspires the rest of us or maybe I can't speak for everyone, but it inspires me to get off my butt and start working on my pig. Even the little things. Maybe I read that you rebuilt or put new bearings in your axle, and I see an awesome clean picture and get slightly jealous, so it inspires me to go out and wash mine.

Don't be ashamed at how small or big the project, we are all rooting for you, and looking for inspiration to do something to our own. Keep up the good work! Don't forget we like pictures!!