My wife and I have decided that a Wrangler will always be part of our family. I have had 2 Wranglers previous to this. My first was a 2000 Se auto and the second was a 2001 Sport auto. My children have decided that when I sold the Sport (the only one they knew) they loved the ride as well. I started on a hunt to find another TJ to replace the fun of our last one. This is my third TJ and hopefully the best of the bunch.
It is a complete work in progress that I am working through on the discovery stages at the moment. It was trailered home 400 miles by my Dad and I am working through the list of items it needs. The focus is mechanical soundness first and then all other extras. I could really use the advice and expertise of the collective group (used many times in the past to better my past rides) on this build to make a complete and dependable daily driver and trail rig.
The plan of action is to do the majority of work myself and not outsource. I have had many vehicles and worked on all of them. I have the time, tools and patience to tackle most projects. There is a sense of personal accomplishment and enjoyment that will come from this project.
First the good….
Frame is a sound rust free West Texas Jeep. The motor and transmission are sound. The interior is in good shape other than the driver seat foam and fabric. The air conditioner is in good working order as well. I am finally starting with a Rubicon for a build.
The bad….
Transmission bushing appears to be worn (clunks when engaging driveline). The driver rear lower control arm is worn. There is play in u joints for front and rear drive shaft. There is about a half an inch of play in the front and rear driveshafts to pinion engagement. The rear track bar has play. The sway bar end links and frame mounts in the rear are loose. There is signs of rear axle seal leakage on the backside of the rear brake shields. There is a known leak on the passenger front knuckle as well.
Plan of action…..
Based on the unknown lift setup in rear, the thought is to redo the whole rear end control arms and track bar maintaining the springs and shocks. Replace all 3 u joints on the rear drive shaft as well. Also replace the sway bar in the rear. Run the vehicle and determine if the differentials and gears need to be looked at.
Up front, the steering linkages are sloppy and a complete replacement is in order. The sway bar setup is not quick disconnect but also appears to have wear. The pitman arm is dropped as well as the relocation of the front track bar. The geometry appears to be in the same arc and should not cause a bump steer problem.
The main focus at this time is to tighten up the rear end and transmission mounts and take it for another spin. After the rear is tightened up, the front will receive some attention (this is not a daily driver right now).
I am all ears to what y’all think for products and plan of attack.
Joe
It is a complete work in progress that I am working through on the discovery stages at the moment. It was trailered home 400 miles by my Dad and I am working through the list of items it needs. The focus is mechanical soundness first and then all other extras. I could really use the advice and expertise of the collective group (used many times in the past to better my past rides) on this build to make a complete and dependable daily driver and trail rig.
The plan of action is to do the majority of work myself and not outsource. I have had many vehicles and worked on all of them. I have the time, tools and patience to tackle most projects. There is a sense of personal accomplishment and enjoyment that will come from this project.
First the good….
Frame is a sound rust free West Texas Jeep. The motor and transmission are sound. The interior is in good shape other than the driver seat foam and fabric. The air conditioner is in good working order as well. I am finally starting with a Rubicon for a build.
The bad….
Transmission bushing appears to be worn (clunks when engaging driveline). The driver rear lower control arm is worn. There is play in u joints for front and rear drive shaft. There is about a half an inch of play in the front and rear driveshafts to pinion engagement. The rear track bar has play. The sway bar end links and frame mounts in the rear are loose. There is signs of rear axle seal leakage on the backside of the rear brake shields. There is a known leak on the passenger front knuckle as well.
Plan of action…..
Based on the unknown lift setup in rear, the thought is to redo the whole rear end control arms and track bar maintaining the springs and shocks. Replace all 3 u joints on the rear drive shaft as well. Also replace the sway bar in the rear. Run the vehicle and determine if the differentials and gears need to be looked at.
Up front, the steering linkages are sloppy and a complete replacement is in order. The sway bar setup is not quick disconnect but also appears to have wear. The pitman arm is dropped as well as the relocation of the front track bar. The geometry appears to be in the same arc and should not cause a bump steer problem.
The main focus at this time is to tighten up the rear end and transmission mounts and take it for another spin. After the rear is tightened up, the front will receive some attention (this is not a daily driver right now).
I am all ears to what y’all think for products and plan of attack.
Joe
