Quarantine '04 Rubi

PhillyJake

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 22, 2020
Messages
106
Location
Philadelphia
I've been working from home since March and my home office looks directly into my neighbor's driveway, where he parks a 2004 Khaki Metallic Rubicon w/ 160k miles (rarely driven). I spent a lot of time fantasizing about it, so when I heard he was selling, I jumped. A quick pre-purchase inspection revealed a need for new brakes and shocks, a small amount of superficial rust, no frame rust, and a little oil leak. But it came with all sorts of goodies including a 4" Zone lift kit, various armor components, and other refreshed or replaced OEM parts (he's a lifetime Jeep owner and this is his 5th, so he put some time and money into it).

That was 6 weeks ago. Since then, the Jeep has become a gathering point for my dad, my brother, and me on a weekly basis, spending every Saturday figuring out what needs to be fixed and how to fix it, breaking things just so we can fix them, and watching youtube videos about how to fix things. Our collective toolbox has expanded as we take on new and different projects on the Jeep and plan for future aspirational projects. So far, we've worked on:
  • new rotors, pads, and calipers at all four corners. Turns out you can put calipers on upside-down 😒
  • new ignition switch and actuator. I think I might be able to hotwire a TJ if I had to now.
  • new exterior door pulls on both sides. I've never cursed more in a 48 hour period.
  • various personalizations to make the Jeep uniquely ours (trim, decals, grab bars, etc.)
We’re looking forward to:
  • Oil change! Never done it, want to know-how.
  • New wheels and tires: it came with 33s on 17" rims, but I'd like to size down the rims eventually
  • New shocks all around: one is leaking, I have no idea how old they are
  • refreshing all fluids
  • repairing the HVAC system that only sort of works right now
  • Check engine light is on, related to o2 sensor or cats, so maybe a new exhaust!
  • bumpers, lights, armor, oh my!
As a first time wrencher, this forum has been incredible - so much great advice, so many great people, so many expensive ideas! My hope is that as we continue to build, I can contribute to the community, and maybe someone can learn from my mistakes (there have been so many).

Thanks to all! I’ll update the thread as we update the Jeep!
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I find the more I do to the jeep, the more I want to do. It's a weird and addictive feeling being able to maintain, improve and enhance on my own. Pretty thrilling stuff!

For now, projects that require immediate attention (like brakes) are done, so I'm sitting on my hands and trying to save up some money for the next project. Specifically, I'd like to upgrade the interior. Here's what I'm thinking:
  • full sound deadening according to this thread
  • new carpeting over the sound deadening- pulled out mine a few weeks ago b/c it was filthy and wreaked and there was nothing underneath, so now she's even louder than before (which I didn't think was possible). I'm thinking of going with BedRug kit based on this thread
  • all-new stereo components: double din with CarPlay, replace the factory sub, new speakers all around - I want my audiobooks to slap - going to go through Crutchfield since they include all the install tools and instructions for free or at a reduced cost
In the meantime, it's little things to keep me busy and constantly improve her look and feel. So far I've done:
  • Full wash, polish, and wax. Makes a huge difference, she looks awesome (see pics) and I didn't realize how "sparkly" the Metallic Khaki color is :)
  • Plastidip! I'm going nuts with this stuff: I've already done the front fenders and the side view mirrors, this weekend's going to be the rear fenders and maybe the rear bumper. $5 a spray can makes a huge difference aesthetically
  • Replaced the exterior door pulls. they look good and (mostly) work now! Huge pain in the butt though
  • going to start doing some basic maintenance in preparation for the winter based on this thread
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This is the list of maintenance activities that I plan on tackling (in no particular order):
  • Check for fluid leaks - done. fluids are leaking.
  • Oil change - PO did this before I bought it, so this can wait
  • Transmission fluid change
  • Brake fluid exchange - changed all the brakes, rotors, calipers, and fluid
  • Inspect brakes - ditto
  • Front and rear differential oil change
  • Replace spark plugs (I don’t think 2005 has wires?)
  • Inspect all u-joints
  • Inspect front hubs
  • Coolant flush
  • Inspect radiator and hoses
  • Replace air filter
  • Check/clean Idler Air Controller valve- this weekend!
  • Check/clean throttle body - this weekend!
As I do these various activities, I'm going to update this list to report how it goes
 
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The addiction continues! Being able to do these little things to the jeep myself is a great feeling :)

This weekend I tackled three small thing: changing the transmission fluid, tightening the parking brake, and fixing a chip in the windshield. One went well, one went ok, one went poorly.

Transmission Fluid: The Jeep's been grinding on the 1-2 shift once warm, and increasingly doing so during other upshifts. After some research, I learned two things that might help the tranny (5 spd manual on a 4.0): I could replace the synchros or replace the transmission fluid. Naturally, I opted for the latter. I read through this site and identified the most recommended fluid for the NV3550 (Redline MTL), got myself a 17mm hex bit (had to order online, no local hardware stores had one), and went to town. Start to finish, the whole thing probably took less than an hour (if you don't count my paranoid ass spraying the drain and fill plugs with 19 cans of PB Blaster just in case). Per online instructions, i removed the fill plug first to ensure that I could put more in before I drained it all, but from there, it was effortless. Based on the nearly black color of the old gear oil, i suspect this has not been done in some time, if ever, with 160,000 miles on the engine. the magnet on the plug has the little shavings that are to be expected, and other than 1 larger piece, nothing else noteworthy
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It's noticeably smoother to shift now, it's incredible the difference. I may drive for a few hundred miles then change it again, just to get anything that's shaken loose out. I'm going to continue to research what I can do to enhance the driving/shifting experience (e.g., flush the clutch, adjust the shift linkage, etc.). I'm open to suggestions!

Windshield Chip
. When I bought the jeep, there was a chip in the windshield right at eye level that looked like it was just itching to spiderweb across the entire glass. So I got one of those repair kits from RainX. Long story short, I've seen great results online, but for me, it doesn't seem to have worked. Not sure why. Plus, the closer I put my nose to the windshield to inspect my repair, the more chips I found elsewhere - might just be time for a new windshield before I have to get her inspected.

Parking Brake Adjustment. About a month ago I replaced rotors, calipers, and pads, including parking brake assemble. Now that the parking brake was broken in a bit, I wanted to adjust the cable since I still had to pull all the way up on the brake handle. It was pretty cruddy under there, so I hit with some PB and some rust dissolver. When I went to adjust it, this happened:IMG-0988.jpg
Oops. Ordered a new one for $20 off amazon, should come today.

For my next trick, I think I'll be replacing the shocks all around. I was reading through this site recently and found a note about how a TJ rides pre/post replacing the shocks. One thing the user mentioned was something to the effect of, "feeling like the jeep was going to rattle apart as it went over every little bump in the road." This pretty accurately reflects my current ride (having no sound deadening or carpeting in the cabin probably doesn't help). But every time i go over a speed bump i feel like i might bounce through the soft top. I was saving up to replace the stereo entirely (double din, new sub, new speakers all around), but ride quality is more important than sound quality (in my humble opinion) at this point. I searched around and a lot of folks on here seem to like the Rancho RS5000X Gas shocks, so I'm going with those. I'm not sure when the Zone lift that came with the jeep was installed, but it has the original shocks, and one of the rear shocks is leaking, so I think now's the time.

The party keeps on going! I love this thing!
 
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Had a fun little night last night! Turns out my battery was dead and it didn't take long to figure out that it was b/c my fog lights won't turn off unless i turn on the left turn signal (thanks @VirtualRussel from this great thread by @Chris, so thanks for that!)

anywho, took the whole thing apart, found the piece in question causing the problem - it was worn down pretty severally, did what I needed to so that the contact spot was built up, and I'm just waiting for it to cure! Better than spending $80 for a new multiswitch, that's for sure

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Hey Jake, I'm nearing the end on the total overhaul on my Corona Jeep. I'd highly suggest you get Kroil or CRC Freeze off and start hitting the top bolts on the shocks. Where are ya in Philly?
 
Hey Jake, I'm nearing the end on the total overhaul on my Corona Jeep. I'd highly suggest you get Kroil or CRC Freeze off and start hitting the top bolts on the shocks. Where are ya in Philly?
Always good to meet another Philly-area Jeep! I'm in Media, just south of the airport (Delaware County).

I've been hitting all the shock bolts with PB blaster for the past few days, was actually going to go out today and pick up more. I've never heard of Kroil or CRC, but reading Amazon reviews on CRC, it looks like it's pretty effective - any particular reason you prefer these over PB? Maybe I'll pop over to Pepboys and grab some and take it for a spin - it just breaks the rust, right? Doesn't damage the bolt itself?
 
I'm sure PB works fine. I used it but my Jeep is in my garage and the fumes were horrible. I've heard the CRC freeze helps make it more effective. I know Media well, I'm originally from Upper Darby.