ElectricWizards 2000 TJ Sport Build

psrivats said:
I still don't have my Jeep back :( but I think I will order the tuffy in the next couple weeks, been wanting that for a while. Now is as good a time as any to add to the "waiting parts" stack in the garage :risas3: In the summer time I have the soft top on and it's down quite a bit of the time, so the Tuffy is a good addition for me and I think it fits the Jeep motto better.

Will certainly let you know once I have the factory console off.
Click to expand...

Certainly a shame to not have your Jeep back, but hey, the next best thing is building a nice pile of parts to add onto it ;). Definitely sounds like the Tuffy console is a good buy for you. I don't have anywhere even remotely convenient to store my hardtop, so it stays on year round for now. I would like to get the under seat Tuffy drawer though, they seem pretty awesome!
 
Today I braved the rain and got my front axle-shaft u-joints replaced. I got my Spicer 5-760X u-joints in today and rolled down to the auto parts store to rent a ball-joint press.

I decided to start on the passenger side as it was by far the worst of the two. I chose not to pull the diff cover as I had changed the fluid earlier this summer, so I only jacked up one side of the TJ at a time in order to limit the chance of any fluid coming out. Of course it started raining on me once I started pulling parts, but thankfully removing the brakes and unit-bearings was quick and simple, the plus side of the TJ being an Oregon native ;)

When I purchased the u-joints I had considered replacing my unit-bearings as I thoughtthey hadn't been replaced before, but now that I got them off I'm glad I hadn't purchased them just yet. They look just like the Timken ones and feel great without any play, I'm figuring the PO probably changed them at some point prior to selling the Jeep. Good enough for me!

34rvq61.jpg


Once I had the axle-shaft pulled out I mounted it up in my vise and started to pull the clips from the insides of the u-joint caps. I found it easiest to use a small punch to tap them free and then a angled pick to pull them out the rest of the way.

I then started with pressing off the stub-shaft side of the u-joint. It was easiest to mount the ball-joint press in the vise and then position the shaft in the press as needed. The stub-shaft side cups pressed out easily and still had grease and all their rollers. On the axle side of the u-joint the first cup came off easily but wasn't looking too good inside.

166hhco.jpg


The last cup was the one that was all sloppy in my video, and it truly wasn't happy coming out. I could tell the cap was already cracked from the wear, so I assumed it was likely going to break at some point. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened! The top half of the cap cracked and sheared off in the ears of the shaft. Scared the hell out of me! Luckily I was able to take a punch and tap around the rest of it and punch it out the bottom. This cap didn't have even a single piece of needle-bearing left inside!

o31pd.jpg

97qwbb.jpg


Reassembly was quick and simple. Since these u-joints are sealed and don't have a zirk I added some extra grease into the caps before assembly. For assembly I used a combination of lightly tapping the caps in with a soft hammer, and using the press slightly to get the clip slots lined up correctly. After that I just popped the clips in and it's done!

28txdsi.jpg


I then proceeded to put everything back together on the passenger-side and then moved onto the driver-side. Everything went even smoother that go around, and no horrific damage to the u-joint either, besides one caps needle-bearings being dry and rusty.

After I got all cleaned up and ate some dinner I drove the TJ down to the auto parts store to return the ball-joint press and the Jeep and me are both much happier now! :D. No more grinding sounds when turning and one less clunky noise to worry about.

Honestly, after seeing the condition of these u-joints, in particular the passenger-side one, I'm very lucky it didn't decide to grenade and take out my whole axle-shaft o_O. There have been plenty of horrid times they could've chosen to do that!
 
  • Like
Reactions: XISophos, Chris, rasband and 3 others
ElectricWizard said:
Today I braved the rain and got my front axle-shaft u-joints replaced. I got my Spicer 5-760X u-joints in today and rolled down to the auto parts store to rent a ball-joint press.

I decided to start on the passenger side as it was by far the worst of the two. I chose not to pull the diff cover as I had changed the fluid earlier this summer, so I only jacked up one side of the TJ at a time in order to limit the chance of any fluid coming out. Of course it started raining on me once I started pulling parts, but thankfully removing the brakes and unit-bearings was quick and simple, the plus side of the TJ being an Oregon native ;)

When I purchased the u-joints I had considered replacing my unit-bearings as I thoughtthey hadn't been replaced before, but now that I got them off I'm glad I hadn't purchased them just yet. They look just like the Timken ones and feel great without any play, I'm figuring the PO probably changed them at some point prior to selling the Jeep. Good enough for me!

View attachment 60388

Once I had the axle-shaft pulled out I mounted it up in my vise and started to pull the clips from the insides of the u-joint caps. I found it easiest to use a small punch to tap them free and then a angled pick to pull them out the rest of the way.

I then started with pressing off the stub-shaft side of the u-joint. It was easiest to mount the ball-joint press in the vise and then position the shaft in the press as needed. The stub-shaft side cups pressed out easily and still had grease and all their rollers. On the axle side of the u-joint the first cup came off easily but wasn't looking too good inside.

View attachment 60389

The last cup was the one that was all sloppy in my video, and it truly wasn't happy coming out. I could tell the cap was already cracked from the wear, so I assumed it was likely going to break at some point. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened! The top half of the cap cracked and sheared off in the ears of the shaft. Scared the hell out of me! Luckily I was able to take a punch and tap around the rest of it and punch it out the bottom. This cap didn't have even a single piece of needle-bearing left inside!

View attachment 60390
View attachment 60391

Reassembly was quick and simple. Since these u-joints are sealed and don't have a zirk I added some extra grease into the caps before assembly. For assembly I used a combination of lightly tapping the caps in with a soft hammer, and using the press slightly to get the clip slots lined up correctly. After that I just popped the clips in and it's done!

View attachment 60392

I then proceeded to put everything back together on the passenger-side and then moved onto the driver-side. Everything went even smoother that go around, and no horrific damage to the u-joint either, besides one caps needle-bearings being dry and rusty.

After I got all cleaned up and ate some dinner I drove the TJ down to the auto parts store to return the ball-joint press and the Jeep and me are both much happier now! :D. No more grinding sounds when turning and one less clunky noise to worry about.

Honestly, after seeing the condition of these u-joints, in particular the passenger-side one, I'm very lucky it didn't decide to grenade and take out my whole axle-shaft o_O. There have been plenty of horrid times they could've chosen to do that!
Click to expand...
Nice write up. It encourages me to do this myself when the time comes!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ElectricWizard
That's why I bought RCVs... so I wouldn't have to mess with the u-joints :risas3:

In all honesty though, they aren't that hard to do. I'm only kidding myself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ElectricWizard
Chris said:
That's why I bought RCVs... so I wouldn't have to mess with the u-joints :risas3:

In all honesty though, they aren't that hard to do. I'm only kidding myself.
Click to expand...

Hey, working on u-joints is a great time! :risas3:. Really though they are quite easy.

When it comes time to upgrade axle-shafts RCVs are certainly an option on my list!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
ElectricWizard said:
Hey, working on u-joints is a great time! :risas3:. Really though they are quite easy.

When it comes time to upgrade axle-shafts RCVs are certainly an option on my list!
Click to expand...

I know, they aren't bad at all, much simpler than some things! With the cost of the Revolution USA made front axle shafts only being a few hundred less than the RCV axles though, I figured I may as well just spend the extra and get the RCVs since the CV style joint is just one less u-joint I have to worry about / grease.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ElectricWizard
Yesterday during one of the many large squalls that came through I was able to see water leaking in from the top of the tailgate where the glass meets it.
I think my problem comes down to my tailgate hinges. I've mentioned recently I've noticed the tailgate being more squeaky and rattly while driving, and it definitely seems a bit more saggy when I go to close it.
I don't think the seals are 100% to blame, they seem to be in good enough shape, but I'll inspect them a bit more thoroughly for sure. Looks like I'll be accelerating my plans to purchase and install the MORryde hinges ;).

I also noticed I still get a small amount of water pooling up in the driver-side footwell up front. I had previously fixed a pretty bad leak there that was coming from the windshield cowl seal.
I'm not totally sure where it might be coming from, It seems like it might be a combination of issues. The inside edge of the door seal (which I've replaced before) is wet near the bottom, and I can also feel some water up under the dash where the OBDII plugs wires run into the harness. I suspect that leak could potentially be the windshield cowl seal again, but perhaps the tub side of it? Just my best guess at this point :confused:.


Just another one of those TJ charms :)
 
Last edited:
Nothing really new for the TJ!

Just been driving it around a bit and been cleaning up the leaks I mentioned in my previous post. I'm still thinking the leak up front has to be the windshield cowl seal as it is pretty consistent that water seems to drip down off the OBDII connection and it's wiring. What I really don't understand is that it'll leak one day, but not another, doesn't even seem to matter how much it actually rains :rolleyes:. The leaks in the back I hope to fix by purchasing a new seal and install it along with the MORryde hinges when I purchase them.

Technically I'm unemployed/laid off at the moment (been working with my buddies general contracting company and we're outta jobs!) so other than maintenance the TJ probably wont see much work, just some driving :)
 
Spent the yesterday driving around on some FS roads up in the Cascades. There hasn't been much snow up there yet, only saw traces at 5000ft, but there was plenty of ice to make for some fun! The mud had frozen and in some spots was soft like snow, but was hard as rock in others.

We drove up a steep icy road to the site of an old fire lookout which presented us with a breathtaking panoramic view of 6 Cascades volcanoes! Unfortunately it was a bit hazy and very sunny so it was quite tough to capture the moment. I was able to get a great picture of Mt Hood (right) and Mt Adams (left).

33ttmwm.jpg



That's about all for the TJ for now. Hoping we'll get some real snow in the mountains soon! Dying to get out for a winter camping trip.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EJD, tomtaylz, rasband and 1 other person
Ghetto fix Sunday!


On Friday I went up to Mt Hood to play around with my TJ in the first major snowfall of the season. I had a blast, but unfortunately didn't take any pictures. However, on the drive back into town the rain was coming down like it was a hurricane. Apparently all that water was too much for my poor TJ and by the time I was home I had accumulated a lake in my passenger side floorboards.

In some of my previous posts I had mentioned I was having issues with leaks from the windshield-cowl seal. Previously this summer I tried to remedy the problem by folding down the windshield and running a bead of RTV silicone along the bottom edge of the windshield frame. That seemed to work until the rains returned. The tipping point for me was the drive on Friday; previously I've never had any issue with water getting in while driving, only while parked.

Today was the last dry day for at least a week or two according to the forecast, so I wanted to see if I could fix the problem.

20v18w0.jpg


Once I got the windshield down I set to inspect the top and bottom sides of the gasket, particularly in the corners. The bottom side of the corners of the gasket were damp and had some grime underneath so I figured that was likely where the water was getting in. This was the case on both sides of the Jeep. The corners of the gasket aren't exactly solid but are somewhat open due to the way they were molded, and it seemed water was able to work its way under the gasket and inside the Jeep. I didn't think the shape of the gasket would have sealed well if I had used RTV, so instead I tried adding some additional foam under the gasket.

mh6kg0.jpg


I had some thick 3M foam tubing leftover from my Omix-Ada Hardtop Seal Kit I installed a year ago. My thought was it would create a dam of foam underneath the existing gasket, and hopefully the foam will fill in some of the voids on the bottom side of the gasket when it's compressed.

It did take a little bit more effort to set and screw the windshield back into place, but nothing major at all. I'm hoping this will work until I can replace the gasket with a new one. Even then I'm skeptical that the new one won't leak in the same spot.


I've also been having a leak in the back corner which I'm thinking is from my hardtop glass seal on the passenger-side. Last year I fixed a similar leak on the driver-side with RTV, and at the time applied the fix to the passenger-side as well, but I must've not done a great job since it's leaking again..

I pulled the seal back from the hardtop and cleaned all the dirt and old RTV from the area. I don't think the previous RTV stuck well since it pulled off pretty easily and the area did feel a bit oily. Once I was happy with how it felt and looked I slathered some RTV onto the hardtop and gasket where they meet.

2u88dxd.jpg

wwdlwh.jpg



I'm also wondering if anyone else has gaps between the glass and the seal? It's present the same on both sides. From what I can tell water doesn't get inside from those gaps, but I'd still like them sealed up. I might try attaching some pieces of foam to the gasket to fill the gap.

2nqsmcl.jpg



I certainly hope these fixes help slow down the leaks. I don't have anywhere else to park the TJ other than the driveway and cleaning up the lakes is getting quite old :(. I'll know in the next few days..
 
Chasing leaks can be as frustrating as chasing vibes. I had a passenger side leak, and after pulling the cowl and cleaning that, I ended up doing similar to you and dropped the windshield and ran a big bead of RTV all along the gasket. Fixed it for me. Rear still leaks a bit at the glass corners during a hard rain. I have a similar gap. A new gasket back there didn't solve it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ElectricWizard
bobthetj03 said:
I ended up doing similar to you and dropped the windshield and ran a big bead of RTV all along the gasket. Fixed it for me..
Click to expand...

Did you run your bead on the top of the gasket, bottom, or both? This summer I ran a bead along the entire top side, which solved some of the issue, but apparently not all of it. From what I saw today I'm pretty confident it was still leaking on the bottom side of the gasket.
 
ElectricWizard said:
Did you run your bead on the top of the gasket, bottom, or both? This summer I ran a bead along the entire top side, which solved some of the issue, but apparently not all of it. From what I saw today I'm pretty confident it was still leaking on the bottom side of the gasket.
Click to expand...

Just the top of the gasket. A big ole bead from corner to corner. I let the RTV setup for 20 mins or so, then sinched it down.
 
bobthetj03 said:
Just the top of the gasket. A big ole bead from corner to corner. I let the RTV setup for 20 mins or so, then sinched it down.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did this summer. I'm guessing the gasket is just degraded since it was still leaking under it. Hopefully a new one will solve my problem.

You're certainly right about leaks being frustrating! I thought I had most of the leaks buttoned up until this event. :rolleyes:
 
Chris said:
My rear hardtop glass has the same gap, but it doesn't leak at all!
Click to expand...

I wonder why Jeep designed it that way? I also find it funny how our Jeeps leak from dozens of other spots yet a literal gap in a seal poses no problems!
 
Top Bottom
Back