Thanks, everyone. I just can't understand why my wife doesn't recognize my brilliance as easily as you guys do...
I'm always looking for easy, cheap ways to do things, and I really prefer the simplest way to get things done. I see so much Jeep stuff for sale these days that is overdone, flashy, and often only minimally useful - form at the cost of function. I look for solutions that can be done on a garage workbench with basic hand tools - to me, a drill press is high tech! For example, I had to replace a gasket on the shift tower on my 6-speed tranny a few weeks ago. I totally destroyed the shift knob getting it off the cane, just being clumsy. I had also just purchased a straight transfer case lever to replace the one that lays down flat. Since I needed a knob for the TC lever as well as a new one for the tranny I dug out a couple of old knobs from my CJ-5 (from about 25 years ago, I keep stuff forever). The screw threads on the old knobs were too small for my cane, which was metric anyway (10mm threads). I drilled out the threads on the knobs to 1/2" and set 3/8x16 nutserts into the holes, gluing them in place with JB Weld (I love that stuff!). A few minutes with a buffer and the old knobs looked pretty good again. I then recut the shifter cane threads to 3/8x16 and screwed the new old knobs in place. About a half an hour's work, not counting waiting for the JB Weld to set, and essentially no money spent.
Instant retro, which goes well with my square mirrors and turn signals in the grille. When I'm rowing through the gears I can almost pretend I'm driving my old CJ, although I have to admit the LJ rides a whole lot better!
I'm always looking for easy, cheap ways to do things, and I really prefer the simplest way to get things done. I see so much Jeep stuff for sale these days that is overdone, flashy, and often only minimally useful - form at the cost of function. I look for solutions that can be done on a garage workbench with basic hand tools - to me, a drill press is high tech! For example, I had to replace a gasket on the shift tower on my 6-speed tranny a few weeks ago. I totally destroyed the shift knob getting it off the cane, just being clumsy. I had also just purchased a straight transfer case lever to replace the one that lays down flat. Since I needed a knob for the TC lever as well as a new one for the tranny I dug out a couple of old knobs from my CJ-5 (from about 25 years ago, I keep stuff forever). The screw threads on the old knobs were too small for my cane, which was metric anyway (10mm threads). I drilled out the threads on the knobs to 1/2" and set 3/8x16 nutserts into the holes, gluing them in place with JB Weld (I love that stuff!). A few minutes with a buffer and the old knobs looked pretty good again. I then recut the shifter cane threads to 3/8x16 and screwed the new old knobs in place. About a half an hour's work, not counting waiting for the JB Weld to set, and essentially no money spent.
Instant retro, which goes well with my square mirrors and turn signals in the grille. When I'm rowing through the gears I can almost pretend I'm driving my old CJ, although I have to admit the LJ rides a whole lot better!