Wrangler Sport / Mostly Stock / 1997 Wrangler / Almost a Classic
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- Start date
Replaced my front drivers side Dana 30 u-joint. The jeep steering was jerking when i turned while in 2wd. I jacked up the front axle and manually rotated each wheel with the wheels turned to one direction. One wheel, drivers side, turned about 1/4 rotation, and then got really hard to rotate, then easy, then hard... Locked up u-joint? I sprayed them with wd40 and the issue went away so i knew i had a bad ujoint.
Replaced it last night. The 36mm nut was a PIA. Breaker bar did nothing so I went with impact wrench (had to use my pneumatic one). Then even more hard was getting the unit bearing to disassemble from the axle. Threaded in the three bolts and hitting them with a hammer was my solution.
Coated everything with anti-seize and reassembled. All good again. Not too bad.. but I tweaked my back in the process.
Replaced it last night. The 36mm nut was a PIA. Breaker bar did nothing so I went with impact wrench (had to use my pneumatic one). Then even more hard was getting the unit bearing to disassemble from the axle. Threaded in the three bolts and hitting them with a hammer was my solution.
Coated everything with anti-seize and reassembled. All good again. Not too bad.. but I tweaked my back in the process.
Half Rebuilding a NP231J due to suspecting odd noises. Transfer case
Symptoms that led me to rebuild:
Total time to do this repair: Under 5 hours
General steps:
Raised jeep on jack stands, supported transmission with jack, removed transmission mount bolts, supported skid plate with jack, removed skid plate, removed front and rear drive shaft, supported front shaft to keep out of way, removed two electrical plugs, removed rubber vent tube, disconnected Tcase selector, removed transmission mount plate, drained t-case fluid, supported t-case with transmission jack, removed the bolts holding the t-case to the transmission, removed t-case, watched some fluid leak out of transmission.
Put t-case on bench, realized the dust cover is something I didn’t plan for, removed speedo gear, removed bolts from housing, cracked case using special screw driver slots, tried to remove dust cover again, then figured out I would remove the front output yoke, but I didn’t have the 1.25” socket, but I did have a 32mm, got it off easy with an impact wrench, pulled the case apart.
Inspected everything, looked amazing, removed the input shaft cover and found RTV over everything including the bearing, removed the snap ring and then found the bogus bearing. The input shaft bearing was not lubricated as RTV filled the lube hole.
Videos can be seen here:
Sound of T-Case Outside of Jeep
Sound of T-Case in the Jeep
Bad Bearing (Input shaft)
Replaced the seal, replaced the bearing, RTV’d it back up. Noticed the output bearing on the front yoke looked bad so I replaced that too. All other bearings looked great. Chain seemed fine, but I replaced it anyway.
Getting it back together wasn’t too bad, but it was harder due to not disassembling the rear output shaft. I put the rtv on, then secured the chain in the rear housing along with the front out put shaft in the top half, and finessed it onto the lower half. I then prayed it went together correctly. It did. I tested it by shifting and spinning shafts.
Then i had to repair some nut-serts in the frame, used the transmission jack to lift it back into place, re-connected all and test drove.
So many sounds are gone!
Tips:
I purchased the chain and rebuild kit from:
Rebuild Kit NP231J
Chain NP231j
Amazon Parts:
Pliers
Bearing Driver
I needed to have a way to get the dust cover off. (fail on my part)
Ratcheting wrenches are the best thing ever invented.
Symptoms that led me to rebuild:
- Cycling Woosh sound: Mostly in 4hi and 2lo during acceleration
- Cycling Woosh sound while coasting sometimes.
- Loud grinding noise while decelerating in 2nd gear. (engine braking)
- Input shaft on t-case was leaking atf
Total time to do this repair: Under 5 hours
General steps:
Raised jeep on jack stands, supported transmission with jack, removed transmission mount bolts, supported skid plate with jack, removed skid plate, removed front and rear drive shaft, supported front shaft to keep out of way, removed two electrical plugs, removed rubber vent tube, disconnected Tcase selector, removed transmission mount plate, drained t-case fluid, supported t-case with transmission jack, removed the bolts holding the t-case to the transmission, removed t-case, watched some fluid leak out of transmission.
Put t-case on bench, realized the dust cover is something I didn’t plan for, removed speedo gear, removed bolts from housing, cracked case using special screw driver slots, tried to remove dust cover again, then figured out I would remove the front output yoke, but I didn’t have the 1.25” socket, but I did have a 32mm, got it off easy with an impact wrench, pulled the case apart.
Inspected everything, looked amazing, removed the input shaft cover and found RTV over everything including the bearing, removed the snap ring and then found the bogus bearing. The input shaft bearing was not lubricated as RTV filled the lube hole.
Videos can be seen here:
Sound of T-Case Outside of Jeep
Sound of T-Case in the Jeep
Bad Bearing (Input shaft)
Replaced the seal, replaced the bearing, RTV’d it back up. Noticed the output bearing on the front yoke looked bad so I replaced that too. All other bearings looked great. Chain seemed fine, but I replaced it anyway.
Getting it back together wasn’t too bad, but it was harder due to not disassembling the rear output shaft. I put the rtv on, then secured the chain in the rear housing along with the front out put shaft in the top half, and finessed it onto the lower half. I then prayed it went together correctly. It did. I tested it by shifting and spinning shafts.
Then i had to repair some nut-serts in the frame, used the transmission jack to lift it back into place, re-connected all and test drove.
So many sounds are gone!
Tips:
I purchased the chain and rebuild kit from:
Rebuild Kit NP231J
Chain NP231j
Amazon Parts:
Pliers
Bearing Driver
I needed to have a way to get the dust cover off. (fail on my part)
Ratcheting wrenches are the best thing ever invented.
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So, I wanted to document some recovery gear. But where I live, its very hard to do anything off road with your jeep. There are clubs, and there are a couple areas about 45 min north of me, but its mostly dirt roads. My local ski hill has an event twice a year. Its mud fest for sure. But the point is, I am mostly a daily driver clocking in around 8500 miles per year.
Currently I keep with me in the summer:
20 ft kinetic rope
20 ft recovery strap
2 large shackles
1 Pin for rear hitch tow point
Bag of tools
In the winter I add a snow shovel.
I can't justify a winch. Not because of the cost, but because the Michigan weather would destroy it as it sits there never being used. For a few times a year, I hate to see it rust away. I like the wyeth scott power puller but its $400 and it would take up a ton of space.
So, as I take the jeep off road more, but knowing its rare here is what I am thinking:
Purchase:
Air compressor
Tire deflater's
Maybe generic max trax?
CB Radio and Antenna (to maybe join a local club)
Currently I keep with me in the summer:
20 ft kinetic rope
20 ft recovery strap
2 large shackles
1 Pin for rear hitch tow point
Bag of tools
In the winter I add a snow shovel.
I can't justify a winch. Not because of the cost, but because the Michigan weather would destroy it as it sits there never being used. For a few times a year, I hate to see it rust away. I like the wyeth scott power puller but its $400 and it would take up a ton of space.
So, as I take the jeep off road more, but knowing its rare here is what I am thinking:
Purchase:
Air compressor
Tire deflater's
Maybe generic max trax?
CB Radio and Antenna (to maybe join a local club)
Yes, we have skiing. Not like skiing in Colorado and Utah, but we have decent hills, especially in northern Michigan.
Finally ventured 50 min north of Kzoo today to Yankee Springs. Never off-roaded up there. Was pretty fun actually. Used Ramblr to find a trail head. Now I started my own google map of the area as far as I can tell. Will update it as I figure it all out.
If you know any cool things in the Yankee Springs area, I would love it if you could drop some points on my map. Just let me know.
Stayed away from everyone!
If you know any cool things in the Yankee Springs area, I would love it if you could drop some points on my map. Just let me know.
Stayed away from everyone!
Changed the LED's in my interior. The 1997 is different than other TJ's
5 # 74's in the Instrument Cluster
2 # 74's in the HVAC
2 #89's in the Under Dash Lights
1 # 194 in the Sound Bar
But... it didn't go as great as I think it could be....
The 89's and 194 are amazing. They are crazy bright and incredible.
The 74's behave odd. The instrument cluster only turns on when the engine is on. When I used incandescent, they turned on even with the engine off. Also, they are not so bright.
The 74's in the HVAC didn't do anything special either.
So, I kinda wish i just did new incandescent bulbs in the instrument and HVAC.
I tried to take pictures, but the camera adjusts the light level, so its hard to tell.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
5 # 74's in the Instrument Cluster
2 # 74's in the HVAC
2 #89's in the Under Dash Lights
1 # 194 in the Sound Bar
But... it didn't go as great as I think it could be....
The 89's and 194 are amazing. They are crazy bright and incredible.
The 74's behave odd. The instrument cluster only turns on when the engine is on. When I used incandescent, they turned on even with the engine off. Also, they are not so bright.
The 74's in the HVAC didn't do anything special either.
So, I kinda wish i just did new incandescent bulbs in the instrument and HVAC.
I tried to take pictures, but the camera adjusts the light level, so its hard to tell.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
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What are your thoughts on those tires? I have been looking at getting the same ones but couldn’t find much in the way of reviews on them.
Love the looks of them in combination with the lower cost.
I run a soft top all of the time but didn't notice any increase in noise initially when I switched from a stock sized All Season. I think after 10K miles, they are a bit louder, but its not like my buddy running BFG MT's. Not even close, his are stupid loud even with a hardtop.
I just rotated them. The front are wearing even, but its feels like they are wearing fast. The lugs were noticeably more worn (but even) than the back. I fear the life won't be great on these.
I guess, with 10K miles on them I am happy, especially for the price. Off road... I don't really know.. I did quite a bit of mud and didn't get stuck but probably cause i was playing it safe.
If you want, I can go measure the wear...
I run a soft top all of the time but didn't notice any increase in noise initially when I switched from a stock sized All Season. I think after 10K miles, they are a bit louder, but its not like my buddy running BFG MT's. Not even close, his are stupid loud even with a hardtop.
I just rotated them. The front are wearing even, but its feels like they are wearing fast. The lugs were noticeably more worn (but even) than the back. I fear the life won't be great on these.
I guess, with 10K miles on them I am happy, especially for the price. Off road... I don't really know.. I did quite a bit of mud and didn't get stuck but probably cause i was playing it safe.
If you want, I can go measure the wear...
Thanks that is great info. If you get a chance I would be interested in how much they have worn down in the miles you have had them.
Right now ours is not a daily driver, its a weekend and nice weather toy. We don’t put anywhere 10K miles on it a year so they probably would get old and dry out before they would wear out.
Replacing my head light switch did nothing to increase the brightness of my instrument cluster... Just updating.
The deepest lug from the rear tire was 0.475"
The deepest lug from the front tire was 0.347"
So the front lugs wore about 0.128 more than the back.
The website says 18/32" is the original depth. The wear bar seems to be at .065"
If the warranty is 45000 miles...
.5625" (org) - .065" (end) = .4975 (usable tread)
.4975 / 45000 = .000011" of tire wear per mile
My mileage is 9000 miles
9000* .000011 = .099" of wear (should be)
I should have 0.099" of wear, but I have 0.1335" so its wearing out faster than it should. This would give me an estimated life of 34,000 miles.
Note, i had the top off yesterday. They are pretty quiet tires...
How do you like the HF Rack? Now that it’s assembled how much weight would you feel comfortable loading on it for a trip? Looks like a great place to put a good size cooler.
ToddDerrArtist
TJ Enthusiast
I had the same Harbor Freight basket on my first TJ. Those things are great, and I found all sorts of good uses for it. Sort of served as the trunk the TJ never had.
Went back to incandescent bulbs. Tested the wire harness and its getting 12 volts. Tried to take apart the circuit board instrument cluster but figured it would be a dead end. Cleaned the harness terminals and used di-electric grease. Seems brighter. But who knows.
I am considering driving this north about 365 miles to Drummond Island. I usually keep the jeep within 2 hours of home. Jeep can run 70 mph no problem. But I have never done this before.
Risk Analysis for a 6 hour road trip:
What could go wrong?
Flat Tire- Have a really old spare. Solution: Should get that spare tire replaced and add a tire repair kit to my tool kit with air compressor. Make sure I have something to put under the factory jack to compensate for my 2" lift.
Heat in the engine compartment- Could result in a fire. A 5 hour drive may generate more heat that my jeep has ever seen? Solution: Bring a fire extinguisher.
Engine Overheats: Failure in cooling system. Solution: Just installed new idlers, belt, water pump, radiator is only a couple years old. Hoses could fail? Should be good. Duct tape would get me to an auto parts store.
Drive Train Failure: Engine, trans, t-case, would fail slow I think. New fluids, new t-case belt, new clutch, new master/slave. No reason to suspect diff's. Not sure if the rear bearings were ever replaced? U joints have all been replaced by me and can be inspected. Bring extra u-joint? Rear bearings are unknown?
Electrical: New battery installed. Alternator could go bad? Starter could fail (but usually fail slowly). Computer failure? Can't do much.
Bolt falls out? Inspect before? Bring some random bolts?
Brakes: Brakes are working phenomenal. Only things not replaced is the front calipers and all brake lines. This could be an issue?
Fuel: Pump could go bad. Seems like a gradual failure? No reason to suspect? Bring replacement pump? Pro-actively replace it?
Risk Analysis for a 6 hour road trip:
What could go wrong?
Flat Tire- Have a really old spare. Solution: Should get that spare tire replaced and add a tire repair kit to my tool kit with air compressor. Make sure I have something to put under the factory jack to compensate for my 2" lift.
Heat in the engine compartment- Could result in a fire. A 5 hour drive may generate more heat that my jeep has ever seen? Solution: Bring a fire extinguisher.
Engine Overheats: Failure in cooling system. Solution: Just installed new idlers, belt, water pump, radiator is only a couple years old. Hoses could fail? Should be good. Duct tape would get me to an auto parts store.
Drive Train Failure: Engine, trans, t-case, would fail slow I think. New fluids, new t-case belt, new clutch, new master/slave. No reason to suspect diff's. Not sure if the rear bearings were ever replaced? U joints have all been replaced by me and can be inspected. Bring extra u-joint? Rear bearings are unknown?
Electrical: New battery installed. Alternator could go bad? Starter could fail (but usually fail slowly). Computer failure? Can't do much.
Bolt falls out? Inspect before? Bring some random bolts?
Brakes: Brakes are working phenomenal. Only things not replaced is the front calipers and all brake lines. This could be an issue?
Fuel: Pump could go bad. Seems like a gradual failure? No reason to suspect? Bring replacement pump? Pro-actively replace it?