Time to catch up:
A few weeks ago, changed all 4 brakes to pass inspection. While in there, replaced unit bearings, replaced one side's ball joints (also to pass inspection), and replaced front axle shafts with Grand Cherokee CV shafts (I know they're not as strong, but they were pretty much the same price as new u-joints, and they make sense with my 99+% daily driver usage).
Today, started the radiator and water pump replacement.
What happened: Saturday I had flushed the coolant and replaced the weak radiator cap. Wednesday I drove it for the first time to take my son to school, and when I got back I opened the hood to see if I could see any leaks (smelled faint whiffs of coolant). Within a few seconds, there was a loud bang, followed by a wall of boiling water arcing over the engine to the hood. Seems the top plastic piece decided to split. After everything cooled down, I noticed the water pump was leaking about a drop every 2-3 seconds.
Lasted at least 140K miles, I'm satisfied.