What did you do to your TJ today?

if this continues, I don't know if I can still save the TJ. Today, the worst-case scenario occurred for me.
The rear axle has to be completely removed, I haven't done anything like this until now.
I have not yet decided whether I can get a used axle (used parts are difficult to find here)
or whether I can repair the axle.



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Can you order a new lower spring mount, and then maybe find someone to weld it on?
 
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if this continues, I don't know if I can still save the TJ. Today, the worst-case scenario occurred for me.
The rear axle has to be completely removed, I haven't done anything like this until now.
I have not yet decided whether I can get a used axle (used parts are difficult to find here)
or whether I can repair the axle.



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View attachment 160484
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https://www.summitracing.com/parts/REX-RE9979http://www.summitracing.com/parts/REX-RE9978/
 
There's been a ticking going (intermittently) coming from the front of my Jeep. At first I thought it was the throwout bearing, as the clutch pedal would make it go away. Then I thought it was lifter tick. Then it got really loud, like it was knocking a rod. Inspected that in a Kroger parking lot, realized the ticking was timed with vibrations coming from the OPDA. Fortunately had a crown OPDA sitting around for this exact moment.

Replaced my OPDA, fixing the knocking so far, verdict is still in the air if it fixed my hesitation in acceleration after shifting into 2nd and 3rd. Throwout bearing is still bad and lifter tick is... well... still there.

Old OPDA:
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There's been a ticking going (intermittently) coming from the front of my Jeep. At first I thought it was the throwout bearing, as the clutch pedal would make it go away. Then I thought it was lifter tick. Then it got really loud, like it was knocking a rod. Inspected that in a Kroger parking lot, realized the ticking was timed with vibrations coming from the OPDA. Fortunately had a crown OPDA sitting around for this exact moment.

Replaced my OPDA, fixing the knocking so far, verdict is still in the air if it fixed my hesitation in acceleration after shifting into 2nd and 3rd. Throwout bearing is still bad and lifter tick is... well... still there.

Old OPDA:
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I had a ticking noise like that for a long time. Turns out it was all my throwout bearing. A ball bearing had dropped out and the ticking noise was the other ball bearings running into eachother. Throwout bearing went out last week after a few months of the ticking, replaced it, and no more noise. I also thought it was a lifter tick, but it was just the throwout bearing the whole time.
 
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Oh, almost forgot a pic!
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The shop wasn’t able to do the track bar install. The mechanic told me that the owner got weirded out about having to drill out the mounts. So I’m gonna bring it to a guy who owns a small Jeep/Off-road suspension shop and have him get rid of the dropped track bar mount and install this bad boy! But until then, here’s a pic of the Currie/Rock Jock CE-9120TJJ in all of its pre-installation glory 😍
Oil pan is one of the upgrades I want to do next. Wishing Moroso units weren't so expensive though. Stock NOS it is
 
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if this continues, I don't know if I can still save the TJ. Today, the worst-case scenario occurred for me.
The rear axle has to be completely removed, I haven't done anything like this until now.
I have not yet decided whether I can get a used axle (used parts are difficult to find here)
or whether I can repair the axle.



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View attachment 160484
View attachment 160487
The perches aren't too expensive even with export and tarif. I cannot see the perches plus a shop welding them being more expensive than sourcing a dana 35 in EU.
 
Took it to the alignment shop. I don't know how to read this but the guy told me it was pretty bad. He said it would have definitely wore the tires wrong.

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Hubby brought home a set of steps. These are the same as the one that was on that Jeep at PnP. I'm not sure how they will do. I think I will use a pair of vise grips to hold it in place and see how hard it will to bet my foot up on it. May not be worth putting holes in the tub for. LOL

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Hubby brought home a set of steps. These are the same as the one that was on that Jeep at PnP. I'm not sure how they will do. I think I will use a pair of vise grips to hold it in place and see how hard it will to bet my foot up on it. May not be worth putting holes in the tub for. LOL

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Put them in the front up higher to put your foot when the doors are off ;)
 
Took it to the alignment shop. I don't know how to read this but the guy told me it was pretty bad. He said it would have definitely wore the tires wrong.

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Your "Total Toe" was pretty bad at half of an inch of "toe in" (fronts of the tires pointed towards the middle of the Jeep) That's why it was highlighted in red in the before column. The camber highlighted in red for the front is pretty close to factory spec and nothing to worry about at this point, unless something is loose. If that was the case they would have mentioned it (should have anyway).

This is how incorrect toe can wear a tire. (feathering of the tread)
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Your "Total Toe" was pretty bad at half of an inch of "toe in" (fronts of the tires pointed towards the middle of the Jeep) That's why it was highlighted in red in the before column. The camber highlighted in red for the front is pretty close to factory spec and nothing to worry about at this point, unless something is loose. If that was the case they would have mentioned it (should have anyway).

This is how incorrect toe can wear a tire. (feathering of the tread)
View attachment 160576

Ok, thanks now I kind of understand it. :D

Now I have another issue and it may just be my parinora. When I took it down the road I live off of, I hit a lot of put holes and such. All that was fine and felt normal, well as normal as I can tell for only driving it twice since the lift. LOL But when I hit this bump that I normally avoid, my steering will kind of wobbled a bit. Nothing major but noticeable. The Jeep didn't feel like it was wobbling, just the steering wheel. I decided to take down the freeway like I normally do to go to work and it was fine the whole way. Even did fine hitting other little bumps but they weren't as big as the first bump I mentioned. I'm hoping I didn't just open a hole can of worms with doing this lift and now have the dreaded death wobble.

Like I say, it may just be that I am being paranoid because it is all new to me. I will keep an eye on it and hopefully it was just a fluke with everything still settling in.
 
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Package arrived with some mirrors so I can take my doors off. I need to find a better solution to my dome light vs pulling the fuse. I'm sure y'all know of something.

Made a drive up the Ocoee Gorge(pavement) to the pulloff for Goforth Creek. It's a short hike along a beautiful shade filled tributary full of sweet cascades and waterfalls. Got in one quick painting today.

Waiting on the rest of my parts to replace hoses and such on the cooling system. Not had any issues, but 100,000+ mile maintenance. I'm trying to not be like my dad (God love'm) and wait until something breaks to fix it. New jounce bumpers on the replace list too, since they are nonexistent on my Jeep right now. Eventually new springs and shocks. I've had good luck with BDS in the past with my XJ. Just going 2" max....I know, that's what we all say. :p

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Here are my painting picks from today.

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Here's a little video I put together:

 
Ok, thanks now I kind of understand it. :D

Now I have another issue and it may just be my parinora. When I took it down the road I live off of, I hit a lot of put holes and such. All that was fine and felt normal, well as normal as I can tell for only driving it twice since the lift. LOL But when I hit this bump that I normally avoid, my steering will kind of wobbled a bit. Nothing major but noticeable. The Jeep didn't feel like it was wobbling, just the steering wheel. I decided to take down the freeway like I normally do to go to work and it was fine the whole way. Even did fine hitting other little bumps but they weren't as big as the first bump I mentioned. I'm hoping I didn't just open a hole can of worms with doing this lift and now have the dreaded death wobble.

Like I say, it may just be that I am being paranoid because it is all new to me. I will keep an eye on it and hopefully it was just a fluke with everything still settling in.
Caster is a little lower because of the lift but not much, not enough that it's anything to worry about. To give you a little piece of mind double check all the steering joints, ball joints and track bar connection points, for looseness. Those are the areas that would allow wobble when you hit a bump.

It may as you say be normal and you're not used to feeling a little shake from a bump because of how much toe in you had before. If it doesn't shake to the point you have to slow down to near stopping it's not "death wobble" 😉
 
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Caster is a little lower because of the lift but not much, not enough that it's anything to worry about. To give you a little piece of mind double check all the steering joints, ball joints and track bar connection points, for looseness. Those are the areas that would allow wobble when you hit a bump.

It may as you say be normal and you're not used to feeling a little shake from a bump because of how much toe in you had before. If it doesn't shake to the point you have to slow down to near stopping it's not "death wobble" 😉

Yah, when I hit a different bump on my way home, that would sometimes kind of make the Jeep jump over a bit, it didn't do anything per say. It just hit the bump and kept going, no wobble.

I will double check the torque on things tomorrow, just to rule that out.
 
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Not today, but over the last week,
Pulled the interior
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Got the sound proofing down (that's an awful lot of rolling....)
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While I had the console out, I went ahead and installed and wired up the trans temp gauge:

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And then today, my SAVVY arms came back from powder coat, we got lucky they match the patriot blue almost perfect. It's a shame they will be buried under the TJ...

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