What did you do to your TJ today?

AndyG said:
Saturday I noticed my '06 was a little busy on the highway and it had a creaking noise that I've been trying to pin down for a while... When we got out on the trail about went crazy when I started paying attention to it.

It wouldn't do it if you got out and pushed up and down on the Jeep but if you went over anything on the trail moved the front suspension it would do it.

Sunday a guy came over and I had him look underneath while I turned the wheel and he said man that part is moving pretty bad at your pitman arm... Well it made me feel good that he knew what a pitman arm was... Sure enough I had a bad ES 3096 L drag link end.... And I also noticed my track bar had a substantial jump in the joint at the frame end.

I had a new end on hand so I changed that out and drove the Jeep and really liked the improvement.... And I was like okay.... If it's this good now I cannot wait to change the track bar.

Today I was able to move some things around and hook up with @Hog at his place at the lake.... He was putting in a sweet set of seats he bought and then let me tackle my track bar in the garage

It was one of those deals where we barely had the tools we needed... And thank God we had a ball joint press because I had to change out one of the bushings... This was due to the fact that I had drilled mine out to run a 12 mm bolt at the axle.

In the process I realized the difference in a Moog stock track bar bushing and the stock track bar bushing in a rough country track bar (which is what got me upgrading bushings to start with)....You can tell the quality difference just by looking at the detail of the machining and rubber molding. Your bushings are your connections.... Don't take the quality of them lightly.

So we put the track bar in and test drove it and centered the wheel.

I could not be happier with what I've got in this Jeep and what it is. Not only does it drive fantastic... But it is amazing how much different it feels.... I'm having trouble finding the words but there was a harshness in the steering that is gone. All this and it has a set of tires on it that I really wouldn't even consider putting on one... It's a d range Mickey Thompson mud tire on a 16-in wheel... Just bear in mind the vehicles got 78,000 mi and I paid $9,800... And it was just a side project. It would be really sweet with a good set of all terrains.

I walked away with two things...

A TJ is designed to drive nicer than its predecessors.... If it doesn't.... You need to check it out.

Secondly it amazed me just how much one meaningful improvement changed the way you're thinking about a vehicle.... I played with the idea of selling this thing... Making it more of an extreme build with 35s... And keeping it about like it is...right now I'm thinking about putting the wheels and tires from my '03 onto it and seeing how the wheels on it look with my white one.

On a closing note I want to say something way more important...

Today I lost a very good friend and one of the best employees I had ever had the pleasure to know. He was really a business partner, he my administrative assistant.... his name was Al... He was 42 and had hereditary kidney disease , this ultimately led to dialysis and then a transplant and he just never got back to the level of health he had before ..... he had a stroke last Monday and died today. 42.

I really appreciate Hog letting me come hang out with him tonight.... It was just what I needed.

The point all this is stop, take time this week to think about how short of a time we are all really here.... And what really matters.

Spread all the kindness you can.... I'm not trying to be heavy... But remember there are people all the time going through harder things then a bad day at work or a part for your jeep that came in wrong.

All of my employees decided to forgo all or part of their Christmas bonus to give to his wife and daughter. He had two college teaching degrees and never could make his way into the school system with his age and health ... He was very good baseball coach and spent a lot of time training local ball players.

Thanks for reading this... I enjoy being here with you guys. It really is an outlet for me.
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Here's to good friends!!

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My Jeep starting making a chirping noise while turning at full lock. It sounded like you were driving in an indoor parking garage at speed. My guess from previous experience was the axle u-joints were going bad. I was confused and happy to see that my tires were lightly rubbing the lower control arms. Never had that happen with 10" wide wheels with 4" backspacing. Two washers and 5 minutes later my problem was solved.
 
TheBoogieman said:
My Jeep starting making a chirping noise while turning at full lock. It sounded like you were driving in an indoor parking garage at speed. My guess from previous experience was the axle u-joints were going bad. I was confused and happy to see that my tires were lightly rubbing the lower control arms. Never had that happen with 10" wide wheels with 4" backspacing. Two washers and 5 minutes later my problem was solved.
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Gotta love those easy fixes!!
 
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4 years ago, I had a rebuilt engine put in the old Mercedes. Unfortunately, the otherwise reputable engine rebuilder did an "old trick" and drilled the thermostat. Doesn't make any difference in the summertime, but in the winter the engine never gets up to full temp. Gonna replace the t-stat at next coolant change.
 
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Zorba said:
4 years ago, I had a rebuilt engine put in the old Mercedes. Unfortunately, the otherwise reputable engine rebuilder did an "old trick" and drilled the thermostat. Doesn't make any difference in the summertime, but in the winter the engine never gets up to full temp. Gonna replace the t-stat at next coolant change.
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I really like the Mercedes vehicles. Would get one I I could afford it. Which one you got?
 
Fixed the drivers seat back release cable. Did the passenger a few weeks ago and the metal part had snapped. I was hoping for same issue today, but of course not. The plastic piece that holds each cable in place had bent, allowing the entire cable to shift up and the seat won’t release. A few zip ties later the seat works, start placing bets on how long that holds!
 
Fonz54 said:
That is a beauty! I have had three Mercedes and loved them all. Latest is a 2013 C250 with the Sport Package. Fun to drive but I feel like I am sitting in a sardine can. It is the wife's car. Previous ones were E320s.
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This is the third one I've been involved with, and the 2nd that I personally have owned. I learned to drive on my parent's '71 220D, then owned a '74 240D that had bad cancer. Then I got this one - and you know me - it has ENTIRELY too much luxury crap on it. I liked MBZ when they were a basic, but very well engineered car. My dream would be a W108 (such as the 280 SEL) with the 300SD engine in it - I *loved* the W108 body style, last of the high grille cars.
 
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Went from:
125.jpg

... when I first put it on, to:
1ac.jpg

When I couldn't get the original to stop seeping, to:
253.jpg

This one just today. Seems to be slightly larger diameter as it fits tighter than the identical looking original and won't get knocked off!

I'm not too thrilled with Teraflex's paint job in this thing either, I should have sprayed another couple of coats on it before installation.
 
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