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Louie4's YJ

352K views 3K replies 156 participants last post by  Skerr 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, I figured I would make a "build" thread. I have had my YJ for nearly 10 years and have been doing mods here and there so I won't have a lot of pics of the entire process.

I got my '93 YJ when I turned 16. I paid $1500 at the time which was a steal. I can't find any stock pictures but I have some of the earlier versions.

Some specs as of today:

-3.5" Black Diamond lift springs
-Stock TJ alloy wheels
-Worn out Aurora 31" x 10.5" M/T's (cheap)
-Detroit EZ locker in the rear
-Lock-Right in the front
-Yukon 4.10's front and rear (Yes I still have the D35 and I regeared it:thumbdown:)
-Some kind of hack 'n' tap SYE and a Tom Woods rear driveshaft from a wrecked '95 YJ
-Currie boomerang shackles front and rear
-Herculined Tub


Here's some pics from Tellico when I had 2" double military wrapped springs (complete crap), Liberty all-terrain 30" x 9.5" cheapo tires. I can't remember if I had my rear locker in or not.

I got my SYE from a buddy that worked at the old shop I used to work for.
I had to get the driveshaft shortened because the '95 YJ it came off of was a SOA. Took about 2" out of the center section.


I'm sure a lot of you have had this problem with the rear shock mounts on your Dana 35. I backed into a rock and after a year of on road driving it finally gave out. I replaced them this past April with some generic ones I got from a 4WD shop I rode past. I'll post the new ones up later.
Also, this was the first break. I got my neighbor to weld the piece back on one time and it broke again another year later.


This doesn't show the entire process but it shows some of the gear pattern pics of when I was re-gearing my front and rear axle. I rebuilt both axles replacing all the bearings. I set everything up myself. It was my first gear install and they haven't torn up yet so that's a good sign. I don't know if I would do it again just because of the hassle factor. I don't have all the tools a machine shop has but I have more than the average backyard mechanic. The most important tool I bought was an in-lb torque wrench. I got it from Amazon from a bike shop.


Some of the D30. I had to take the ring gear off to put the locker in. I wasn't thinking and forgot to put it in.



After I re-geared my rpm's went up and vibrations from my front driveshaft were becoming very noticeable on the road. I had originally got a ZJ front driveshaft planning on putting that on the front. I took it to the driveshaft shop and the guy there wouldn't warranty the ZJ one because going to a length of 43" with an O.D. of 1.75" he said it would fail at 3000 rpm's. I was surprised because my stock front driveshaft was that length and I have been running it for a long time. He said he would have to go to a 3" O.D. to warranty it. Well, I ended up spending $50 to have my stock one straightened and balanced. I still have a few vibes but not as bad. Here's some pics of the ZJ front driveshaft and the one I put in.
 

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#2,217 ·
Dang, I missed that!

I got a couple new U-bolts for my Destaco latch. The part number for it is on their website.

Glad I bought the replacement.


So now my alternator (I'm pretty sure) is starting to have a more consistent low level squeal to it. It still charges the battery but I think the bearings are starting to fail. I need to decide if I should go ahead and fix it or just let the alternator fail. I drive my Jeep to work every day now but once my in-laws leave March 1st, it will just sit.

Some other things I plan to do are: Install my horn. I removed it for the ARB pump and never put it back in. I find myself needing it in Phoenix. I also have a credit on my Q-Tec account so I may buy a TJ 4WD indicator switch for the t-case. Not sure what else to get.

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#2,219 ·
Dang, I missed that!

I got a couple new U-bolts for my Destaco latch. The part number for it is on their website.

Glad I bought the replacement.

So now my alternator (I'm pretty sure) is starting to have a more consistent low level squeal to it. It still charges the battery but I think the bearings are starting to fail. I need to decide if I should go ahead and fix it or just let the alternator fail. I drive my Jeep to work every day now but once my in-laws leave March 1st, it will just sit.

Some other things I plan to do are: Install my horn. I removed it for the ARB pump and never put it back in. I find myself needing it in Phoenix. I also have a credit on my Q-Tec account so I may buy a TJ 4WD indicator switch for the t-case. Not sure what else to get.

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Quadratec does sell alternators......
 
#2,220 ·
Local alternator shop did bearings and brushes in my dirtkar alternator for $30 or $40. Do you have a local rebuilder?
Plus you can put a new bando belt on at the same time:)

(Your civic duty is to drive your YJ to work once/week and at least once on your day off)
 
#2,221 ·
Ha! I just looked at my thread!

So I did take the easy way out and bought a rebuild kit for $20. It gets here Saturday. I figured I would get some flack for it but like I said, it will not be driven much after February.


On the other hand, I had a $25 Amazon gift card and bought crimpers, cutters, and tinned lugs for building my own battery cables.



Just preparing for a higher amp one day and relocating the winch solenoids.

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#2,222 ·
I also wanted to mention mg Gladiator had two bad batteries. I noticed the auto stop/start hadn’t worked for a couple months. Not that I like that feature really but I noticed it wasn’t ready because it was charging the battery all the time. I took it to the dealer and they replaced both batteries under warranty.


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#2,224 ·
I also wanted to mention mg Gladiator had two bad batteries. I noticed the auto stop/start hadn't worked for a couple months. Not that I like that feature really but I noticed it wasn't ready because it was charging the battery all the time. I took it to the dealer and they replaced both batteries under warranty.

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I read an article where a lady had the same problem you describe and the dealer wouldn't cover it under warranty because she had previously done damage to her Jeep by using it off road. Went mudding as described in the article. Looks like it is a common JT problem, not caused by mudding. I don't have a lot of confidence in the "fix". What is causing the batteries to go bad so quickly?
 
#2,225 ·
I have yet to any real off-roading in the Gladiator so they could not really hold that against me. The dealer I got the truck from has treated me really well and fixed any issues. My other issues have been sun visors falling off.

But yes, the battery failure has been common and as we all know, when one goes, they both go.


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#2,228 ·
Hangin’ in there, good sir. My days are spent working and taking care of two kiddos with a little Jeep maintenance peppered in.

The rebuild was easy. Would have been easier if I had more time and a better work bench. There’s only two things to replace: bearings and brushes. I’ll put the alternator back in tomorrow and see what happens. If it doesn’t work out; I’m out $22.


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#2,229 ·
So I bought a pressure testing kit for the cooling system. This may be a defining moment in my overheating saga. I will put the alternator back in later today.


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#2,230 ·
Pressure tester hasn’t yielded much insight. Pressure dropped overnight but might have been due to cooling temps outside. I left it on during the day from morning to afternoon and pressure increased. This tells me I don’t have a leak with a cold engine.


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#2,231 ·
I bought a lug crimper off Amazon and tried it out. I had #2 sitting around that I finally used. I replaced my starter motor cable and was going to replace the cable to the PDC but saw it was a two hole lug.

I plan to buy some 1/0 black and red cable at some point.




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#2,232 ·
I bought a lug crimper off Amazon and tried it out. I had #2 sitting around that I finally used. I replaced my starter motor cable and was going to replace the cable to the PDC but saw it was a two hole lug.

I plan to buy some 1/0 black and red cable at some point.


Sent it
That looks fine. Very fine! It will survive salty, slushy roads and dampness very well. 🙂
 
#2,235 ·
Bwahaha! Just had several days of rain and lots of snow up north. I think I-40 was shut down at Kingman from a massive pile up.

Speaking of rain, my wipers are very slow. They now have speeds of super slow and regular slow. Years ago they worked just fine. Haven’t used them a lot since moving to the desert and since it’s not a primary vehicle.

This is in spite of all my electrical upgrades. I think I’ll pull the motor out and clean it and check for voltage at the plug.


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#2,242 ·
I pulled my wiper motor off. I turned the motor on to see how it spins. Doesn't seem to spin that fast even not connected to the linkage. I moved that top plate off and looked inside. The grease was still greasy and looked ok.

Maybe my motor is just wearing out?



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#2,244 ·
What you see is how I removed it. Since I have my Q-Tec credit, I went ahead and ordered a $60 motor, two wiper blades, and a TJ 4WD switch.

Should be here in 2-5 days. I figured the stock motor has served me well since 1993 and can be retired.


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