[WJ60]

Are you saying the rubbing occurs after the sway bars are disconnected? Asking for a friend.....:smile2:

 

[GmanWJ]

Are you saying the rubbing occurs after the sway bars are disconnected? Asking for a friend.....:smile2:

No, sway bar still connected. Before the spacers, the inner sidewall of the tire would rub on the disco pins, so I added spacers to stop that. But doing so increased the outboard distance from the ball joints (steering rotation axis) to the tire center. Now when I turn the steering wheel, the tires sweep a larger arc and the tread contacts the bottom edge splash shield on the back of the front bumper ... the thin plastic sheet covering the windshield washer reservoir:

I am almost at full lock when this rub occurs, but it is there and is an issue. Looks like I will have to move forward with moving the reservoir and getting a bumper!

 

[GmanWJ]

Sneak peek: wiring diagram for exterior lights.

Edit: updated diagram, little cleaner now.

Edit2: more revisions, conceptualizing bundles and connectors

Edit3: wire color changes, bundling

 

[GmanWJ]

Minor update: installed an axle breather bellows thanks to @Golden-Arm's influence. Original breather tube right behind it, not attached to anything.

Oh, and the zip-tie is temporary until I can get a real clamp

 

[three_jeeps]

interesting....Why is there an axle breather tube? where did the original tube go to??
Thanks
J

 

[GmanWJ]

It goes up, Ray -- behind the bumper somewhere. I guess the breather relieves pressure when the axle gets hot.

 

[GmanWJ]

Sneak peek: wiring diagram for exterior lights.

Edit3: wire color changes, bundling

It's official: I overthink things. I have puzzled my puzzler sore, and I keep circling around the same solution. :idea: Pretty certain I know how I am going to tackle this mod. I have been acquiring the parts.

Power Center
Rough Country MLC-6: ($200) (acquired)
A relay bank in a box. This nifty unit comes with all the wires, switches, relays, and fuses needed to control 6 separate auxiliary circuits. (Aux wires not included). Run battery power to it, flip a switch to activate a relay to run the light circuit. I may not use some of the wires and switches, but the relay box itself is very handy. I am going to mount it in the factory CD changer location and power it from my auxiliary battery back there. Ordered it from Poly Performance.

Wiring Harnesses (MLC6 Output)
Sherco Auto and Marine: ($150) striped tracer wire (ordered)
4RCustomsWire: ($200) Deutsch DT environmental connectors (acquired)
I will install the lights in stages, so the wiring harness must allow a modular design. DT connectors will provide this function and keep things dry and tight; adding the lights should just be a matter of building a short connector harness and plugging it in. The lights I want have low-power colored backlights or accent lights, which means that each light needs two power inputs (and one ground). The wiring harness will be built with this in mind, with 3-pin DT connectors. Striped tracer wire will make it easier to identify the wires in the harness. There will be at least two harnesses, one that goes to the lights in front, one to the rear. I will likely build a third for the switch wires. I already have the DT connectors, have not yet ordered wire.

In case you were not keeping track ... That's $550 worth of stuff and I do not have any lights yet. Those DT connectors add up quick.

Lights
The plan is for lights by Rigid Industries. I cannot help myself, I must have the bling to satisfy my red neck. The SR bars have 7 different selectable backlight colors or a rotating feature. The SR-L lights have more modest colored accent rings. I cannot explain why I need these; it just must be, because there ain't no party like a redneck party. My wife does not get it either.

• Radiance Plus SR 40-inch: ($950) roof bar, oof that's expensive.
• Radiance Plus SR 10-inch: ($300) front bumper bar, between the headlights.
• SR-L Spreader Flush Mount: ($260) outboard front bumper, like fog lights only more!
• SR-L Spreader Flush Mount: ($260) rear bumper, like backup lights only more!
• SR-L Spreader Surface Mount: ($280) rear roof area illumination for parking the camper and nighttime BBQs.

I wish I could figure a way to flush mount the roof SRLs, (say on the liftgate) but I just do not see enough room anywhere.

Switches
Mostly obvious how these work, except for the rear area and the backlight circuits.

• Backlight: One switch/relay will control all the back/accent lights. When it's time to get funky, get funky all the way around.
• Rear Area: A pair of SRLs mounted on the roof rails on the back corners will light the area. Each light will be independently powered by a relay hiding behind the interior trim on the D-pillar, separate from the MLC6. A DPST switch on the dash will activate both relays and both lights. There will also be a SPST switch mounted to the trim on the D-pillar for each relay; flip one of these, and only the light on that corner comes on.

Plan
So many dollars ... I have to stage this install to make it easier to swallow.

1. $$ MLC6 power center & main harness to set the foundation.
2. $$$ Roof SR bar. Do the expensive one first.
3. $ Rear area SRLs. Do the most useful pair second.
4. $$$ Front bumper. Need a bumper to mount the front lights.
5. $ Front SR bar and front SRLs
6. $$$$ Rear bumper. I still do not know what I am going to do here.
7. $ Backup SRLs.

It will be a while yet before I get started on this, I am going camping first.

Edit: interesting finds
roof rack mounting tabs: 4x4 Fabworks ($55)
roof rack cross rails: Just for Jeeps ($300)
safari rack: KOR ($700)

 

[GmanWJ]

Right rear wheel inner bearing race gave up on me on the way back from camping. Rollers were not pitted. Glitter in the differential. Cleaned it out.

Old bearing was a National, I think I got it from O'Reilly. Installed new Timken bearing I had in the garage, filled with gear oil. Going to drive it around a little and dump the new fluid to flush the axle.

Removed the 1.5" Synergy wheel spacers I had. Suspect they killed the bearing.

 

[underscore]

If wheel spacers killed the bearing then the bearing was already on its way out.

 

[three_jeeps]

If wheel spacers killed the bearing then the bearing was already on its way out.

Really? Not sure about this..wheel spacers add an additional length lever arm that will exert more force on the bearings than if the wheels are closer to the bearing.
That extra force may be more than the axial loads the bearing was chosen for.

From my previous dealings with mechanical engineers for various systems, they usually preferred timkin...
Good luck

 

[underscore]

Really? Not sure about this..wheel spacers add an additional length lever arm that will exert more force on the bearings than if the wheels are closer to the bearing.
That extra force may be more than the axial loads the bearing was chosen for.

It's no different from running the equivalent offset rims, which people also do all the time. I would think the increase in weight from larger tires would have more of an impact on the total torque on the bearing than just scooching it out more but I haven't done the math on that. If the increase from a bit of a change in offset actually made the difference in whether the bearing lived or died then that bearing wasn't going to survive much more than stock wheels and tires.

 

[GmanWJ]

Sneak peek. Lights are starting to come together. I know I am slow but that's what happens when you don't know what you are doing.

 

[WJ60]

Humboldt---Redwoods.
Having grown up in Cave Junction,OR I know both well.

 

[GmanWJ]

Humboldt---Redwoods.
Having grown up in Cave Junction,OR I know both well.

My favorite scenery in the world. Spent my first 18 years there.

 

[GmanWJ]

Took a huge step today and just had to share. I have electrical harness outside now! Lights are imminent. I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve. Pay no mind to the temporary zip tie.

 

[ironjawz61]

"I know I am slow but that's what happens when you don't know what you are doing."

For not knowing what you're doing you do a damned good job of it. Wait... you know what I mean, right? Kidding aside, you've really done and continue to do a great thing here with this thread. It's very impressive and I just want to tell you, "Thanks and Well done."

 

[LelandGray]

Heading to work on Monday morning, a passing Wrangler kicked up a rock that hit edge of the windshield. After work came out to find a nice long crack in the windshield.

I do not do windows. I would probably break them or screw up terribly. Called a local shop yesterday afternoon, they have done work for me before on a different vehicle, repeat business is good. They said they could replace it today, and they could send the guys to me, so I hired them.

Been wanting a new WS for a long time, mine was old and pitted and scratched. This was just the excuse I needed to get a new one.

What did the new one cost you? Mine has been cracked for awhile and it's finally reached across the entire windshield. I've been getting quotes from $160 to $210 for a new windshield, with the $160 being from a guy working out of his trunk with no warranty, etc., and $210 with a warranty.

 

[GmanWJ]

What did the new one cost you? Mine has been cracked for awhile and it's finally reached across the entire windshield. I've been getting quotes from $160 to $210 for a new windshield, with the $160 being from a guy working out of his trunk with no warranty, etc., and $210 with a warranty.

It cost me $280 to have somebody else replace my glass.

 

[GmanWJ]

"I know I am slow but that's what happens when you don't know what you are doing."

For not knowing what you're doing you do a damned good job of it. Wait... you know what I mean, right? Kidding aside, you've really done and continue to do a great thing here with this thread. It's very impressive and I just want to tell you, "Thanks and Well done."

Thanks, Jeep brother. I appreciate it. I have to think about things far too much before I move forward, trying to anticipate the complications. Sometimes you just have to quit thinking and start doing, because something will always pop up anyway.

 

[GmanWJ]

2002 WJ Exterior Auxiliary Lights

It has been a long time coming, but I finally got some exterior auxiliary lights running. I did not want to just throw it together, so I puzzled it for a long time. Ended up having to remove all the seats to run new wires under the carpet, but it gave me a chance for a thorough cleaning!

I multi-staged the project.

• Stage 0: Circuit Diagram
• Stage 1: Wiring
• Stage 2: Controller, Connectors, Switches
• Stage 3: Roof Rack and Mounts
• Stage 4: Lights

Stage 0: Circuit Diagram
Final version of my diagram. I made up most of the symbols but I think it gets the message across. I gotta have a diagram when planning stuff like this. Not as clean as I wanted but it does reflect the final build.