"Pacing myself" build

Ok, so moving on, my first summer with the Jeep was approaching. Top was coming off. Summers here can be brutal, so I decided to pick up some Spidy shade goodness, duster/windjammer combo. Also picked up an Olympic rear bumper with hitch receiver so I can tow my utility trailer.
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My wife is vertically challenged, so you'll also spy some Warrior rocker steps in this pic.
My wife too ! So I built some detachable steps for my rockers. Happy wife/Happy Jeep life

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Ok, so moving on, my first summer with the Jeep was approaching. Top was coming off. Summers here can be brutal, so I decided to pick up some Spidy shade goodness, duster/windjammer combo. Also picked up an Olympic rear bumper with hitch receiver so I can tow my utility trailer.
View attachment 11402

My wife is vertically challenged, so you'll also spy some Warrior rocker steps in this pic.
 
My jeep got jealous of your broken AC and decided to join the party. 😅

I'm guessing I caused the issue when moving the lines to clear the intake...
 
My jeep got jealous of your broken AC and decided to join the party. 😅

I'm guessing I caused the issue when moving the lines to clear the intake...
Take a good look at your condenser when you start your search, especially the corners of it. It's 104* here today, so I'm thankful I finally fixed mine.
 
Take a good look at your condenser when you start your search, especially the corners of it. It's 104* here today, so I'm thankful I finally fixed mine.
I just went out to look at it. The compressor was not clicking on. I pulled the relay and was able to make it work by jumping it. I then swapped the horn relay and A/C and it worked again. Looks like I need a new relay.

I love easy fixes.
 
Why can't I have those easy fixes? I done someone wrong somewhere!

My starter has been sounding different at startup lately. Tested the battery and it was fine. Amp draw test good. Checked grounds and cable connections. Cable going to the solenoid felt loose, so I tightened the nut and the whole plastic guts of the solenoid rotated within the housing 1/8" or so. That's not right. After fussing with it, the starter sounded normal again, so I'm guessing something internally in the solenoid is patiently waiting to fail at the worst possible moment. Solenoid is on order with the Amazon gods.
 
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Solenoid is in stock. It's starting fine for now, so i'll get around to replacing it eventually. Main focus for now is to tackle the rear diff noise. Just need to find the time to tear it apart. If I have to end up rebuiding the rear diff (for the 3rd time), some serious reflection of my build will be happening.
 
Welp, in typical fashion the starter solenoid shit the bed and left me stranded in the Safeway parking lot. A nice fellow gave me a push and got it started and back to work. Guess I know what I'm doing after work tonight.
Technically, it didn't leave you stranded. This is a case where your manual transmission saved you! ;)
 
I hope its not the type of reflection that gets bigger as the jeep nears the surface of the reservoir...

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It's crossed my mind more than once, sadly. If it's just a bearing gone bad prematurely, I can deal with that, but if the ring/pinion is junk, 4.10's and 31's may be going back on.
 
The starter fiasco is resolved. The solenoid was defective, so I returned it and purchased a new starter. Opened up the rear diff to inspect it. Ring/pinion look good. Pinion bearings are toast. You can hear the grinding noise by just spinning the wheel. So, where's the best place to get replacement pinion bearings? I'd like to go with Timken, but open to suggestion.
Will I have to redo the setup on the gears? Everything in that diff is setup with shims, so as long as I keep all the shims in the same orientation can't I just remove the carrier, pull the pinion shaft, replace the pinion bearings/races, then put it all back together and torque to spec?
 
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