[Orange77CJ7]

Oh, Where to begin, My wallet is empty, My GF complains she never sees me, My house has greasy hand prints on all the doors,......

[junglejeep]

Sounds like a typical CJ to me

Tell ya what, I'll trade you mine even. I've got about the same amount in mine and it's no where close to as nice as yours.

Really though it doesn't sound that bad to me. New master cylinder maybe, straighten out the steering(worn parts check alignment which may be the problem) and work out the wiring gremlins.

Then ride out.

[CjinPA]

Click free view









First of all that is one nice looking jeep. I really like the orange color.

By the pics I would guess a 4" spring lift and 1" or 2" body lift.

As for the wobble, the first thing I would do is have someone turn the steering wheel as you look under the front on the jeep. Also look at the joints in the steering shaft as someone turns the wheel. I would also jack the front of the jeep off the ground and grab the tire at the 12 and 6 position and try to wiggle the tire. If they move then you have some bad ball joints. Is the steering box bracket the thin stock one? With 35" tires I would suggest a heavy-duty steering box bracket or a steering box brace.

I can't help with the Painless kit, I never installed one but I feel you pain with dead end wires.
Good luck

[jeepdaddy2000]

hate to sound negative, but your list isn't bad. Things like spongy brakes and steering problems are CJ norms. Remember that to a mechanic these things are minor repairs. Spongy brakes: check for any leakage and replace. Inspect all brake soft lines for ballooning. Adjust all brakes. If this doesn't do it, then a new MC is probablly in order. Plug all vacuum ports. Buy a test light and trace the wiper problem. Insure the steering box is centered. Inspect all components while someone wiggles the wheel back and forth. Replace/adjust all loose componants. Have the castor checked at a local front end shop. the rewire job will be painfull(contrary to the name of the loom) and time consuming. It can be done though. Patience is the byword. As for ho much you have invested, well, welcome to Jeeps. Anytime you pay a premium price for a non stock jeep, you do it with the idea that it will continue to cost you money. Good luck.

[dvbum]

Welcome to the Just Empty Every Pocket world of hard work & Fun! I agree with the other Jeep owners, your "new" Jeep is a great example of "before" on a twenty-five year old jeep.

You are on the right trail to rebuilt and have a outstandindg Jeep.

I would install the Painless wiring upgrade. I installed one on my 82 CJ5. Just read the instruction several times before you start. Plan your routes, do not rush. You may need to replace the switches, headlight, heater, & wiper. Do search on this forum for "Painless" for some more great advice.

On your brake problem, replace your Master cylinder, & wheel cylinders if needed.
Braking is more important than going in a Jeep.

Your Jeep sounds like the cousin of mine before my restoration. Take your time, learn about Jeeps and have FUN plus read the Jeepforum often.

[John Strenk]

Simple things to check on the brakes is to check the shoes are adjusted properly. If the automatic adjusters are not working then you may need to adjust them your self. If it's out of adjustment then you would need a couple of pumps to bring it back in contact before you feel anything. THe next question is the pedal firm then or still spongey. Or can you pump it up and it's firm or not.

[Sfisher]

I'd have to agree with everyone else. You've got a CJ alright. They wander on the street, barely stop and always leak oil, have vacuum problems and basically always want your attention. But that's really part of the fun. I know on my '86 CJ I needed to get a new steering shaft, tighten up the wheel bearings and through on a new AGR steering box for good measure. Helped out a bunch. But again you have 35's so it's not going to be a slot racer. Speaking of your 35's they aren't gonna help your brakes either. I know when I threw my 33's on from stock, the braking went down the toilet. I've done everything but swapped them out for bigger, newer brakes. I did install a Painless kit in my Jeep and let me tell you they do a great job with instructions and labeling the kit. I hate wiring and I found it easy. It replaces everything and looks all stock so there no question of where things go. It took me a decent weekend of time to install. You could do in one day if you wanted though. Hope this helps!

[Blthomas]

Everybody else chimed in on your issue's.

I'm just here cause' I have wood for your Jeep.

[DanJeep21]

I just finished a painless install on my 84 CJ7. It was straight foward except for an extra jumper that painless threw into the box. I figured that out and all was good. I also thought that grounding the tailights to the body was good enough, Wrong. The ground wire on the harness needs to be used. I spent 3-4 nights working on the wiring. the engine compartment is the hardest part. That took two nights to do.

Brakes are a safety issue. If you think there might be an issue with a specific part, replace it. I replaced every brake part on my CJ recently. Replacing all my safety related parts ran me 1000 over budget. but I can stop now.

As far as your steering is concrened. I'm running 35's as well and can feel some play in the steering. I'll be buying a new steering box mount later this summer. If you have that much play in your steering you really need to check your front end out. ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rod ends, steering box mount, steering box. My box was leaking like a sive last year so I decided to just replace it with new unit. Your box might just need some adjustment.

The one bad thing about buying a clean CJ is the unkown. I knew when I bought my Ugly POS last July, that the body was shot and would go to the scrape pile. The fuel and brake lines needed replaced, New Master cylinder, etc, etc etc. I was able to focus on looking at the mechanical part of the Jeep to see if it was worth buying, and it was.

[brc75654]

Wish my CJ looked that good

[Orange77CJ7]

I jumped into the wiring kit today. It hasn't been too bad so far. I spent a good hour or so, removing my dash, and cutting out the old wiring. I'm takin plenty of time and doing it right the first time. I'll keep everyone posted on the progress. Thanks for all the good advice and positive criticism. You guys are great!

PS- CjinPA, thanks for posting my pics

[ChrisG1964]

One thing I'd try before I go replacing the master cylinder would be replace the brake fluid.

DOT3 and DOT4 are glycol-based fluids, which absorb water. DOT5 is a silicone-based fluid and does not absorb water. The main difference is that DOT3 and DOT4 absorb water, while DOT5 doesn't. Most cars use DOT 3 fluid from the factory.

Two things can go wrong with your brake fluid. The first thing is moisture (water) and the second is particulate contamination.When moisture is introduced into the brake fluid, the boiling point of this fluid is lowered. When this occurs a phenomenon called "brake fade" happens. When this happens, no matter how hard you push on the brake pedal, you can't stop the vehicle. This can be mild to severe and is always dangerous. Now, you might ask how moisture gets into your brake fluid. Brake fluid is "hydroscopic", this means it readily absorbs H2O (water). Brake fluid reservoirs are exposed to air. Air has a relative humidity, that is to say there is H2O in the air, the brake fluid extracts H2O from the air due to its hydroscopic properties - it is an unavoidable natural process.

The second type, particulate contamination, is when solid matter forms in the brake fluid. This solid matter, when concentrated, resembles mud. It starts to form in wheel cylinders and disc brake calipers. It does this when the fluid is repeatedly heated and cooled. This contamination will migrate throughout the system and leave a dark film on surfaces. Brake fluid is naturally very light in color and when it becomes contaminated it gets very dark. This particulate matter is abrasive and will wear components that have moving parts.

ATE Super Blue Dot 4 is about $11 for a one liter bottle. (~33 ounces)

Dot 5 is about $11 for 8 oz

Considering the age of your CJ, and realizing most people just top off brake fluid as needed, I'd give it a shot.

[Iceman_RNR]

that's a good looking CJ alright ... now for the little quirks and issues -> welcome to the CJ-world like mentioned before

make sure you get to the brakes and the steering first ... like said ->stopping is more important than getting going