[BrandNew]

do you have any complaints about your top?

[87warrior]

Originally Posted by BrandNew

do you have any complaints about your top?

I have no complaints with the Viking top, only how the bestop header fits. My top is the original style Viking with glued seams. I fixed a seam that was pulling apart with gorilla glue and magnets.

[87warrior]

After 2-3 years of "nothing exciting" happening to my Rubi, I decided to start giving it some love while the Comanche is at the body shop.



The list of stuff to be done:
1. Remove stock steering, brakes, knuckles and axle shafts
2. Remove ball joints and install new ball joints
3. Install axle tube seals
4. Install new Axle Shafts
5. Install 16" Vanco Brake kit and knuckles
6. Install U turn steering system I picked up from Phillip
7. Replace heim joint on RE ATB

It came apart slowly, yet easily, even pressing out the ball joints. Installing the new ball joints was uneventful just a slow and tedious job. I clean the axle tubes out and push on the seals. I notice one of the zerks look cracked and sure enough it was. Luckily the axle going into the MJ has the same seals so I stole a good zerk and installed it. While I was dealing with Zerks I figure I should install them in the new ball joints. Straight forward and simple, right? 1, 2,3 go in... The the passenger side lower, #4, decides to play hard ball...and SNAP. The head of the zerk breaks off leaving the threads in the joint. 6 hours later the threads come out. It looks like the wrong zerk was sent with that ball joint and was too long allowing it to bottom out.

Tired of looking at the pasenger side I decide to start on the driver side brakes. Knuckle goes on, shaft goes in, unit bearing is ground down, rotor/caliper bracket/ caliper goes on, then I go to attach the brake line. Won't fit, the end of the Jeep line is a bit different than the Ford caliper. Massage the end and get it to fit. Torque the U-turn driver side bracket and attach the rod end at the Pitman arm.

Vanco Brakes installed:


And the U-turn:


New radiator arrived!


Just by holding the unit and looking it over, it is clearly a very well constructed piece of art work. Almost a shame it will go in my Jeep....almost


Then I installed the 2 row Griffin Radiator. This was surprisingly easy. The fan shroud required a hole to be drilled on the top driver side, about 1" up. Luckily, I already had this hole drilled.

[87warrior]

Just got back from a week long Jeepin' trip in Colorado. The Jeep drove 12 hours, ran 600 miles of trails, then drove 12 more hours back home! The brakes worked great, the U-Turn performs much better than the stock inverted y, the Currie front track bar was quiet, the Griffin radiator kept it at 210 all day and the Moog Ball joints kept it going straight.



I did manage to sheer off the rear UCA/Trackbar bracket on Tincup Pass. Limped it down the mountain and hauled into Gunnison for a local welder to repair. Now I am seriously considering a 4 link long arm upgrade. The research begins!

[honda250ex]

Originally Posted by 87warrior

Just got back from a week long Jeepin' trip in Colorado. The Jeep drove 12 hours, ran 600 miles of trails, then drove 12 more hours back home! The brakes worked great, the U-Turn performs much better than the stock inverted y, the Currie front track bar was quiet, the Griffin radiator kept it at 210 all day and the Moog Ball joints kept it going straight.



I did manage to sheer off the rear UCA/Trackbar bracket on Tincup Pass. Limped it down the mountain and hauled into Gunnison for a local welder to repair. Now I am seriously considering a 4 link long arm upgrade. The research begins!

Good to hear the jeep ran good during the trip, you have any more pictures from you're trip?

[tlgraham]

Beautiful. That sits almost exactly how I want my Jeep to look. I've ridden over Tincup Pass and it is the trail that convinced me to buy a Wrangler.

Also, Greetings from the OP.

[87warrior]

Originally Posted by honda250ex

Good to hear the jeep ran good during the trip, you have any more pictures from you're trip?

We have over 1000 total pics.... Here are the few I have online:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/87Warrior/Colorado%202011/

Originally Posted by tlgraham

Beautiful. That sits almost exactly how I want my Jeep to look. I've ridden over Tincup Pass and it is the trail that convinced me to buy a Wrangler.

Also, Greetings from the OP.

Thanks Good to hear other Midwesterner's are getting to experience the Taylor Park area.