Any recs for a new radiator? Or is Mopar the only/best way to go? What about all aluminum radiators?
What did you do to your TJ today?
- Thread starter LJRubiconGuy
- Start date
I was told to stay away from all radiators and just go OEM I might still try an aluminum radiator
Mopar.
The others have shown a propensity to not cool as well or not hold up as well.
Chucky
New Member
I went with the crown automotive OEM style radiator. Put it in a few weeks ago and it blew up today. Left me stranded and stuck for about 2 hours till I could be rescued.
I did a complete cooling system refresh just over a year ago. I went with an all aluminum 3 row rad from ebay for about 130. I've read all the bad press these rads are getting but this rad is holding up well. Highway cruising runs 195*. Crawling around on trails no higher than 210*. For 130ish I have no complaints.
I'm only a sampling of one and I don't have a lot of miles in since doing the cooling system overhaul, but I went with a Denso unit. I despise bonded, plastic tank radiators, but from the posts here and on other Jeep boards it seems no one makes a consistently reliable aluminum tank rad.
Cleaned up the Smittybilt XRC8 winch, winch plate and fairlead that I took off when I got the Jeep and put it back on. Dropped the front end 1/2" and raised highway coolant temp 8-10 degrees. It's a raised winch plate, would a flat one help with the temp?
This photo kinda messed me up after reading about your circumstances…with the beautiful “he is risen” sky and crosses in the background. Repent!
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I heard you guys, you said more gladiator, more gladiator! You guys just can't help yourselves.
High capacity +700lb 3" AEV coils, plus a 1" spacer up front. All the better to tow the TJ with:
Going to have parking brakes on the TJ for the first time in a decade:
wow super servicable
Took a break to go get lunch
Cleaned the axle. Welded the mini truss. Did weld washers for the lower CA mounts. Flipped the calipers. Painted the axle. Ran new brake lines. Installed new brakes. Installed Revolution4340s 4140s.
Ditched my Flowmaster 50 df for a Magnaflow. I suspect it will be obnoxious.
Started mounting up
On all four again
High capacity +700lb 3" AEV coils, plus a 1" spacer up front. All the better to tow the TJ with:
Going to have parking brakes on the TJ for the first time in a decade:
wow super servicable
Took a break to go get lunch
Cleaned the axle. Welded the mini truss. Did weld washers for the lower CA mounts. Flipped the calipers. Painted the axle. Ran new brake lines. Installed new brakes. Installed Revolution
Ditched my Flowmaster 50 df for a Magnaflow. I suspect it will be obnoxious.
Started mounting up
On all four again
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I am so jealous, bluescapegoat. All I have to show for my build is a depleted bank account and a pile of parts collecting dust...
Oh, and you should cut 9 coils off those Gladiator springs. That's just dead weight...
Oh, and you should cut 9 coils off those Gladiator springs. That's just dead weight...
Got that spawn of Satan torx bolt out of the rear track bar only to find out that the bushing itself was rustwelded to the bracket. After trying to pull the trackbar out by hand with no success, I drilled a hole in the bracket so I could get it moving with a air hammer punch. That didn't get it to budge either. So, I sprayed Kroil and PB Blaster everywhere in that bracket I could get it into and left it to soak overnight.
Last night I got the idea of putting a bunch of odds and ends together to use as a puller to help the air hammer out by keeping pressure on the bushing from the other end. So, first thing this morning, I put this sketchy looking assortment of stuff out of my junk box together and started tightening it up. About the time it got tight, I felt it give a bit then tightened it up again and once it got tight, it gave some more and this I time I saw the track rod move in the out direction. So, I just used the "puller" to slowly get the track bar out.
The new track bar is loosely bolted up on the axle end now (with a new hex head bolt replacing the spawn of Satan) and tomorrow I'll bolt up the other end and tighten it all up. Here's a couple of pics of today's sketchyness.
Last night I got the idea of putting a bunch of odds and ends together to use as a puller to help the air hammer out by keeping pressure on the bushing from the other end. So, first thing this morning, I put this sketchy looking assortment of stuff out of my junk box together and started tightening it up. About the time it got tight, I felt it give a bit then tightened it up again and once it got tight, it gave some more and this I time I saw the track rod move in the out direction. So, I just used the "puller" to slowly get the track bar out.
The new track bar is loosely bolted up on the axle end now (with a new hex head bolt replacing the spawn of Satan) and tomorrow I'll bolt up the other end and tighten it all up. Here's a couple of pics of today's sketchyness.
Kiwi TJ
I don't suffer from insanity I enjoy every minute
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Thats not being 'Sketchy' that's called
Tore apart the front axle...mostly. Still have to get the pinion out, and the spindles are free from the ball joints, just supported by one of the old nuts. It's getting new ball joints, axle u-joints, and wheel bearings while I setup the gears and put in a lunchbox. The tie rod is in the way making setting up the gears kind of a pain, so I can either leave the driver spindle dangling and tie it to the top of the wheel well, or disconnect the tie rod and do the ZJ swap while I'm there, because why not?? (Freaking Jeep logic...haha)
Y'all think the ZJ upgrade is enough for wheeling on 33s? My plan was a Currectlync setup but I'm thinking I may not need that till later.
Y'all think the ZJ upgrade is enough for wheeling on 33s? My plan was a Currectlync setup but I'm thinking I may not need that till later.
No, but cleaning the cooling system might.
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I went with Fox 2.0 remote reservoir with DCS adjusters. They are expensive, but light years better than the Ranchos I replaced. The Ranchos lasted about a year and then quickly began to degrade. I have had many concerns in the past few years and so I was ready to invest in a good long term solution. It is not easy for me to spend this much money on something that will only be enjoyed by me rather than the whole family, but I was so sick of driving under 10 mph on trails and constantly scanning for rocks over two inches tall and pot holes. Being fearful of bottoming out and possibly breaking something in the middle of the woods sucks a lot of fun out of the experience.
Anytime we have purchased a used TJ or XJ, we replace every part that is connected to the cooling system all at once. It is not that I am a genius and all knowing. It is because I learned that I do not like spending multiple weekends removing the same parts and hoses and swimming in antifreeze because the next part down the line has failed after replacing one component. By assuming that every part is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at the most inconvenient time, I have improved my quality of life by a gazillion.
Students showed up for classes this week. Very stressful four days for me. Driving the TJ really truly helps lower the stress levels. Already confronted by kids in two separate incidents where they were angry with me for politely requesting they follow an administrator's instructions.
I was looking forward to to driving the rig with the new shocks installed. Of course what do you do to get an idea of how it is going to handle? Maybe hit every rail road track crossing you know of at 30, then 40, then 50 mph? I must say I was disappointed. The suspension literally felt like each corner was pulling or pushing in a separate direction. While letting the oil drain I checked each shock and realized that each one was set on a different setting. I switched them all to the "fastest" setting and the ride was phenomenal. Too soft for my liking, but very responsive and predictable. I left it that way for four days to make sure I had a good feeling of how that setting performed. Two days ago I set it to the "slowest" setting and the ride is very stout. After two days I can say that it is too stiff for daily driving.
Obviously day to day driving happiness is somewhere in between. That is the beauty of these shocks. I can experiment and find the best setting for me and enjoy a ride that is better than the one offered in my wife's 2022 JLU Rubicon.
I will also be able to find a setting that will allow me more stability, control, and comfort off road. Sometimes I spend six hours on gravel roads, sometimes it's ten hours on technical rocky terrain. When it is loaded up with camping gear and weighs over 5,000 pounds I really need to know how it is going to behave.
After dinner with friends last night my wife said, "So when are you and the boys going camping again so you can try out your new shocks?"
Life is indeed good.
I was looking forward to to driving the rig with the new shocks installed. Of course what do you do to get an idea of how it is going to handle? Maybe hit every rail road track crossing you know of at 30, then 40, then 50 mph? I must say I was disappointed. The suspension literally felt like each corner was pulling or pushing in a separate direction. While letting the oil drain I checked each shock and realized that each one was set on a different setting. I switched them all to the "fastest" setting and the ride was phenomenal. Too soft for my liking, but very responsive and predictable. I left it that way for four days to make sure I had a good feeling of how that setting performed. Two days ago I set it to the "slowest" setting and the ride is very stout. After two days I can say that it is too stiff for daily driving.
Obviously day to day driving happiness is somewhere in between. That is the beauty of these shocks. I can experiment and find the best setting for me and enjoy a ride that is better than the one offered in my wife's 2022 JLU Rubicon.
I will also be able to find a setting that will allow me more stability, control, and comfort off road. Sometimes I spend six hours on gravel roads, sometimes it's ten hours on technical rocky terrain. When it is loaded up with camping gear and weighs over 5,000 pounds I really need to know how it is going to behave.
After dinner with friends last night my wife said, "So when are you and the boys going camping again so you can try out your new shocks?"
Life is indeed good.
I've replaced the water pump, t-stat, t-stat housing, and radiator hoses. I'm replacing the radiator today. I will eventually replace the heater core but for now, I have bypassed the heater core.
Any other cooling system pieces I should replace?
Fan clutch + New belt/idler/tensioner while you’re in there and have the room isn’t a bad idea
Maybe replace the rust in the system?
I can’t recall, have you given it a good flush?