Posts

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Controlling all the things

I’ve been wanting to add some lights to the Jeep, and love the idea of the sPOD. But it’s just not in my budget. I like to make things, so over the last 5 or 6 months, I have been collecting parts, ordering stuff from eBay and Amazon and built my own box to hold the relays and fuses. I mounted it in the engine compartment on some homemade brackets from some scrap steel I had (I love having my own welder, even if my welding sucks!).

I have enough room for 5 relays, which is the same size as the switch panel I picked up (Daystar) and some OTRATTW switches. The bumper and windshield lights operate as normal. The Rock Lights and Rear Lights are a three way switch. When in the center, they are off. When up, they are on. When down, they are controlled by either the dome light or the reverse lights.

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Bantam Bargains

Forgot to mention, I picked up a HiLift jack at the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in Butler PA. I also picked up some cheap LED cube lights. They aren’t Rigid’s, which are not in the budget, but they are bright enough for what I need them. I mounted 2 spots on the windshield and 2 floods on the bumper.

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A leak!

This is how to park a JK with an axle seal leak!

Noticed a spot on the driveway. Took it to the dealer and they did the work under warranty.

When I went to pick it up, I walked up the the Jeep and there had to be a quart of gear oil sitting next to the passenger tire. Wish I had taken a picture.

By the time my ride had picked me up, she was already back in the lift and apart.

Knock on wood. Haven’t had any leaks since!

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EZ does it

Not really a modification to the Jeep, but it’s in it anyway!

I wanted to speed up the few times I use the turnpike when going on Jeep events. I live in Ohio, but I got these from the Massachusetts DOT. MassDOT does not charge a monthly fee, and you don’t have to pay for the device. You set up an account, they send these to you. If you’re account goes below a certain amount, the auto charge the card. The balance never expires.

I love those EZPass lanes!

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Repainting Rings

A while back I bought 5 wheel rings from my friend Jonny. They were painted Mango Tango orange, and that wasn’t going to work for me. I had painted them once, but I did a lousy job and it peeled and some orange was coming through and I couldn’t have that. I took a grinder and a flapper and made sure all of that paint was gone.

Waiting for a coat of POR 15 to dry before I prime and paint them the RIGHT color. Again.

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Front LCA Skids

My friend Andy was gracious enough to help me out once again with the welding portion of the front control arms skids. It’s amazing the quality of work you can get done for little more than a quality stout beer. 

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Rear LCA Skids

I went back and forth on what control arm skids to buy. I had decided on a set from one manufacturer, ordered them with the promise I would have them before the Friday before a wheeling trip to SOR. Not only did they not arrive, but the manufacturer lied to me in the process. I didn’t even open the box. Sent them back.

I ordered a set of Off Road Evolution EVO Rock Star Skids and a set of Artec front weld-on skids.

I installed the Rock Stars in my driveway. It was the first time I made such a permanent modification to the Jeep. The Rock Star skids raise the shock mount up 1.5″ (added ground clearance – yay!) but requires you to cut off the lower 1.5″ of the control arm bracket.

The first one took a while – probably more so because I needed to build up the guts to take a sawsall to the bracket. One thing I did find out, was that the rear control arm won’t go back in unless the axel is at normal ride height. If the axel is drooped at all, it won’t go into the frame side bracket.

BUT, not only do I get another 1.5″ of ground clearance, but another 1.5″ of rear droop!

The original bracket unaltered:

After cutting off the bottom of the bracket, the shock mount and the sway bar link tab:

After grinding off the old welds:

The finished product:

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Fixing Past Mistakes

When I put my lift on, I added exhaust spacers. While trying to make my life “easier” I decided to use a tap in the exhaust flange so the inserting of the new bolts would go smoother. That didn’t go so well, to say the least.

So I finally got around to taking it to my local mechanic who was able to take a torch to the exhaust flange, clear the hole, and properly mount the spacers for good this time.

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Summer Doors!

Installed these Bestop 2 piece soft doors over the weekend. They are super lightweight. The top separates from the bottom easy.

But they leak like a sewer grate! LOL!

I adjusted them as much as I could, but I think in any kind of reasonable rain, I’d get soaked. I’ll probably keep them anyway, because it’s cheap insurance. I’d rather run doors off all summer and have these in the back for the 20% chance of rain forecasts. I always put the doors back on just in case. Now I won’t.

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Engine Skid Update

I am still using it. Seems to be holding up well. I know for certain these bolts hit some big rocks at Southington this past trip.

I would rather have an exposed bolt head that I can use an extractor to get out than use those rounded over washers that recess the bolt head. I’ve seen some pictures of this washers so mangled by rocks that there was no way to get a socket into it to extract the bolt.