AMS417 Joins the LJ Club

AMS417

"The Ayatollah of rock and rolla"
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Messages
2,227
Location
Springfield MO
Long day yesterday working until noon, and driving 6 hours across the wastelands of Kansas I finally arrived to inspect the LJ I have been eyeing. It has some shortcomings, it needs some dialing in and some attention to detail, but with only 50k actual miles and a mod list probably well north of $30K I negotiated a price I could live with and loaded it up. It was a close thing, at one point I was ready to go home with an empty trailer over $1000 difference of option. The seller caught me just in time with a "yes" to my demands. Time will tell if I made the right decision.

Here she is in all her vinyl covered glory. I hate stickers, I really mean it. Your Jeep you decision, I respect that. But for me, no stickers.

The roads really suck out in rural Kansas, and empty the trailer is no fun when the roads are bad. With the LJ on the back the ride home was much more pleasant, and we took a longer route on mostly 4 lane through Southern KC.


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I didn't take many pictures today, since I spent pretty much the whole day peeling stickers and cleaning off adhesive. My son helped me for a while and made parts runs to get adhesive remover and a new piece of tubing for the front diff vent. It was pinched almost in two, so I rerouted it and tidied up a little under the hood. Lots of wiring for lights, super charger computer, SPOD, etc. and I don't like the way they did any of it. Part of making it my own I guess.

Found both door locks inoperable, pulling the panels and lubing everything fixed 95% of the issues. The drivers door still does not like to lock occasionally from the inside but the key works 100%. Seems they froze up from not being used, PO said he never once locked it since it was always indoors. Soft top it came with is pretty ratty looking, but I will clean it up and see what's what. At least I have a frame if I want to use it.

Here she sits free from the shame of 100 stickers, next to the TJ while the wife's Grand Cherokee is outside in the rain. TJ gets detailed and readied for a new home next week. Next on the list will probably be a snorkel delete. Looks like he chopped the fender up to get it to fit. Will tinker as time allows. Wheeling next weekend, plan to find the weak links then.

I need a set of OEM hood latches if anyone has any. The alloy ones on the LJ are garbage.

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Congrats. Good job waiting it out to get it for the price you wanted. I’m convinced there is a lot of value in buying the mods if the work is quality.
 
Congrats. Good job waiting it out to get it for the price you wanted. I’m convinced there is a lot of value in buying the mods if the work is quality.
I agree, but some of the work is not quality. He had a two post lift and the we put the Jeep on it and looked it over from the bottom. The bolt on stuff all looks good, welding looks good, but most of the wiring is shit. If it was standing tall and 100% right I would have paid him and not complained. I had a cashiers check made out for the amount I wanted to pay (less than asking price but fair in my opinion) I ended up making the buyer give me $1000 back or I was taking my check and leaving empty. With what I saved I can probably sort it all out. It will never be perfect, but I want to know I can depend on it when I need to.
 
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Still tinkering and reading the stack of paper work that came with the Jeep, need to go to bed. This jeep has the Mishimoto radiator and big electric fan. Noticed fan does not work from the SPOD switch labeled "fan" and it not coming on while running 210. Tested fan using jumper wires into relay and it works fine. Seems off so I tested the SPOD relay and no 12V coming out. Found the fuse for fan switch circuit missing from SPOD. Why is the fuse missing? Installed fuse and fan works off switch now. Noticed RVT around temp sensor for cooling fan and a drop of coolant. Looks like the PO tried to drill and tap the thermostat housing instead of reading the damn instruction that were in the paper work he gave me. The sensor is finger tight and the drill / taped hole is stripped or oversized so he glued it in with RVT. I can fix it for $30 and maybe an hour of time. Just frustrating that little shit like this need to be fixed but I keep finding stuff.

Derale trans cooler was mounted too high on the condenser for the secondary hood latch to fit, so they took it off. Will remount the cooler a little lower and put the latch back on, order one from eBay for $20. WTF people? I don't roll like this. I don't always do it by the book, but when I fix stuff it pretty much stays fixed. We are dealing with a hack.

Lucky for me all the big stuff, lift kit, shock outboard, ATS trans install, Rubicrawler install, armor install were all done by shops and not the PO. I really like the Jeep, just have to fight through all the PO's half assed work.

End rant - bed time.
 
It already looks so much better sans stickers. If you highline it you can fix your latch and metal cloak problem at same time! 😉
 
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Nice! I remember looking at that one on BAT. Has some real nice mods. Too bad about the wiring. I don't understand why people just don't do wiring properly. It's pretty simple...voltage flows in, and voltage flows out. Don't let the wires move against stuff. Use the same color wire the whole length of the run. make sure it has a fuse. Pretty basic.
 
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Now you know what it’s like TJ have two in your garage at the same time, haha. I had to do that for a while when I had my last TJ and my current TJ simultaneously!
 
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Very nice. I went back to the post that had the listing and re-read the description.
Sounds like all kinds of fun!

Love that wheel and tire combo too!

Enjoy!!! 🍻
 
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It already looks so much better sans stickers. If you highline it you can fix your latch and metal cloak problem at same time! 😉
I don't "need" to highline it, yet. I cant fix the latch pretty easy, just need to get my ass out in the garage and do it.
Nice! I remember looking at that one on BAT. Has some real nice mods. Too bad about the wiring. I don't understand why people just don't do wiring properly. It's pretty simple...voltage flows in, and voltage flows out. Don't let the wires move against stuff. Use the same color wire the whole length of the run. make sure it has a fuse. Pretty basic.
Yeah, this guy broke all the normal "rules". Wires not in loom, wires not secured, wires routed poorly, colors spliced together. Plus this Jeep has like 20 lights on it, all Rigid too, not cheap. Will slowly address each item, critical stuff first. Needs to be ready for a shake down run this weekend so I am making a list of "priorities".
 
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Did the PO he still have a built up TJ? PO posted on Facebook that he was selling a TJ on tons. I want to keep mine mild and have one that’s for the wild.
 
Did the PO he still have a built up TJ? PO posted on Facebook that he was selling a TJ on tons. I want to keep mine mild and have one that’s for the wild.
Not that I am aware of. He has a JK on tons and had a YJ he sold a few years ago. Never saw an ad with this guy for a TJ and no TJ’s at his shop. He gave me all his TJ/LJ parts too. Might be a different guys?
 
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Nice! Have seen your posts about getting into an Unlimited for a while. Will be keeping my eye on this. Mod list to come?
 
Yeah, this guy broke all the normal "rules". Wires not in loom, wires not secured, wires routed poorly, colors spliced together.
Oh shit there are rules for wiring!?! I have done all the above on my jeep. When I first started I had no clue or skills and hacked stuff together now I actually care that things are done right and look good but haven't gone back to redo all my wiring. Post up your clean wiring so it will inspire me!
 
Oh shit there are rules for wiring!?! I have done all the above on my jeep. When I first started I had no clue or skills and hacked stuff together now I actually care that things are done right and look good but haven't gone back to redo all my wiring. Post up your clean wiring so it will inspire me!
You're not alone. Cleaning up my lazy wiring is in the to do list.
 
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Oh shit there are rules for wiring!?! I have done all the above on my jeep. When I first started I had no clue or skills and hacked stuff together now I actually care that things are done right and look good but haven't gone back to redo all my wiring. Post up your clean wiring so it will inspire me!
Ha, give me a year or two and it might be “fixed”. Spend most of the day pulling the fan, rad, t-stat housing and fixing a bunch of little stuff. Still need to figure out how I’m going to deal with the thermal switch for the fan.
 
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OK, here is the list of "fixes" so far:

1. Replaced drilled and tapped t-stat housing due to the tapped hole being stripped out where they mounted the thermal switch for fan. Added a temp probe to the radiator for relay activation for auto cooling fan. Has adjustable temp settings.
2. Removed and remounted trans cooler so secondary latch could be reinstalled on the hood.
3 Rewired fan circuit so that the fan kicks on at temp, and with the manual switch on the SPOD.
4. Add fan bypass switch for deep water. Electric fans don't like to move water.
5. Cleaned up loose wires with loom and zip ties.
6. Rerouted winch leads to battery, PO had them interfering with the fit of the condenser causing contact with the radiator.
7. Hooked up the already installed rock lights. Two were just installed and not wired in.
8. Installed stereo and speakers. Amp later, no time.
9. Replaced noisy belt tensioner.
10 Found and fixed like 6 vacuum leaks. Runs much better.
11. Removed redneck snorkel air filter. It was literally the size of the air filter in my vacuum cleaner. Way too small and super dirty. Pics below.
12. Built a temporary cold air intake out of the pieces from the snorkel and a 6" cone filter. Will fix properly later. Need to wheel this weekend.
13. Checked all fluids and greased all joints.

Still need to do:

1. Fix PSC ram mount. Not proper, needs a proper mount to drag link installed.
2. Install amp for Kicker in factory console box.
3. Find some roll cage padding that works with Rock Hard Sport Cage.
4. Wheel the piss out of it and see what else needs fixed.

Snorkel filter left, after I blew it out with compressed air. Could be causing some of my full throttle CEL codes.

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Mid stereo install. Wiring in all the amp stuff for later.

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Thermal switch controller for fan.

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Well, first weekend camping in the trailer and wheeling the LJ went pretty well. Nothing broke, but I debeaded two tires both driver rear inside bead. Seems these Treps like some pressure due to the stiff sidewall. Increased the PSI from 10 to 14 and no more issues. Still thinking of selling them and getting a traditional MT but boy do they grip. Didn't take many pics but I ran some obstacles I would have never attempted in the TJ and made it up them all but one. Fixed a lot of other peoples Jeeps, 5 flats, installed 2 valve stems, fixed a missing track bar bolt (I had spare bolts) and a couple blown fuses / wiring issues with a buddies e locker, fixed a rock buggies charging system. Getting a good rep as a trail mechanic. I had on my pink Golden Girls T-Shirt too.

Here are some highlights from my one failed obstacle. Slick wet muddy rock kicked me sideways into the bank and we teetered on the brink for a couple minutes until our buddies could slide down the hill to help. It felt a lot worse from the cab than it shows in the pictures. As much as my wife wanted to get out, I needed her for ballast.

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Wish you weren’t so far away. I’ve been thinking about getting a set of Treps