2002 Bella Blue, WJ Build

GmanWJ said:

I bought it in July 2002 for $33k.

Click to expand...

I bought my WJ new in 2002 as well. I think I paid about 28K. It's like an old friend. Hard to believe I have had it for 18 years. 4.0 I6. Paint held up quite well. Original 42RE transmission and engine still working fine. I changed the transmission fluid every 30K and run Rotella T5 at 5K intervals. I did add a clutch fan because of the infamous self-destructing e-fan relay. The stock original rims started peeling so I put some 17" JK take off rims on the WJ. The original driver's seat sagged and the foam needed to be rebuilt. Have had the Jeep so long the incandescent bulbs in the instrument cluster and HVAC head unit died so replaced them with LEDs. Stock radio died and replaced it with aftermarket / bluetooth. Kind of funny to no longer need to bring CDs in the car.

With all the new electronics, I wonder if a new WK2 or JL 3.6 would last as long as a good old WJ. Every time I think about buying a new FCA Wrangler JL, I read the JL forum issues summary that people are having (steering drift, ESS malfunctions, peeling paint, defective welds, clutches catching on fire, sudden turn off, etc) and think -- "No thanks FCA, I'll stick with my old WJ a little longer..."

Decided that I want Core 4x4 control arms. Advertised set is shown on top, what I received on the bottom. Sent an email to ask about the difference, waiting on a response.

Nothing is ever easy, is it?

Bella got a spirit animal embellishment today. I'm a bit of a dork sometimes, but at least it's fun.

GmanWJ said:

Returned them, Core is building a new set with a different color. Hot tip: if you order these and want to choose your own color, Core will use any color in the Prismatic Powders spectrum. Just tell them what color you want and they will order the powder.
I asked for Sail Blue, they say they have the powder: https://www.prismaticpowders.com/shop/powder-coating-colors/PSS-4510/sail-blue

Click to expand...

Received the replacement arms in my chosen color (meh, good enough) and installed them. The forks on the axle side of the uppers were tapered so that the tips were more narrow than the base. They did not properly fit over the bushings. It is hard to see but:


I did get them installed, but had to file the axle bushing inner sleeves. Called Core 4x4 to ask if this was normal; they said no, it sounds like they are out of tolerance. Since they still have some of the blue powder, they are going to build and ship ANOTHER set of uppers. That's good, I won't have to modify the new bushings I have on the way.

2002 WJ Grand Cherokee, Adjustable Upper Control Arm Installation

I have installed adjustable control arms from Core 4x4. Both uppers and lowers in the front, lowers in the rear (Core does not make an adjustable rear upper for the WJ). In this post, I will step through the process for installing the front uppers. Installing the lowers is similar, but easier.

Frankly, this process is going to look a lot like a standard front UCA install. But my previous post about this topic (#31 above) did not really satisfy and I do have a couple things to say specific to adjustables. There will be mostly pics to show the process.

Why adjustables?
The last time I had my caster angle measured (November 2019, post #58) it was +5.2°/5.4°. Spec value is 6.0°-7.5° for standard suspension, 5.7°-7.2° for Up Country package. I read this to mean 5.7°-7.5° is the desired range.

I would like my caster to be in the 6.5°-7.0° range. To get this, I need adjustable control arms. I probably only need adjustables on the front uppers to hit my caster target. BUT Bella has had poor road manners since I lifted, which can be downright alarming when I am towing the camper. After trying several things and seeing improvements that eventually degrade, I decided to replace all control arms with heavy duty adjustables. If this does not work, I quit trying.

Note: I found a dead UCA bushing on the axle in this process, so replaced both sides. A pic of dead bushing is in this thread: (Wind Buffeting)

PARTS LIST

Core 4x4 Tier 2 Adjustable Control Arms Complete Set (website)
(2) Crown control arm bushings 52088214
​

TOOLS LIST

Sockets: 13mm deep, 15, 17, 18, 21mm, 3/4" (3/8" and 1/2" drive), T50
Wrenches: 15, 17, 18, 21mm
Ratchets: 3/8", 1/2", 1/2" torque
Extensions: Get a few. A 6-inch with a locking tip is very useful.
Floor jack(s), bottle jack(s)
​

1) Raise and support
Loosen the front wheel lugnuts, 3/4" socket. Jack up the vehicle and support the frame on jack stands. Remove wheels. Place a suitable jack under the axle differential to hold in place. We will be using this jack to raise/lower the axle, NOT the vehicle.


2) Loosen suspension components
The axle needs to move freely. So everything needs to be loose, some things need to be removed, and some need to be disconnected.
Remove springs


Not a requirement ... but disconnect and/or remove shocks. I just disconnected the lower mounts and let them hang. 13mm socket.


Loosen the track bar, disconnecting probably not needed. I do this any time I am messing with the front suspension to avoid damaging the bushings. 15mm for the lower axle mount, 18mm for the upper body mount.



Disconnect the sway bar, do not just loosen. 18mm.


Loosen lower control arms, both ends, both sides. 21mm


Loosen upper control arms, both ends, both sides. Access the body mount behind the plug in the fender well.


The bolt has a long 13mm head. Recommend a deep socket for this and the locking tip extension. If no locking tip, use black electrical tape to hold the socket to the extension. You do not want to drop the socket inside the fender void.


The factory hardware on the axle end of the UCA is 15mm nut and T50 head. Core provides longer 17mm bolts to fit their UCA.


3) Maneuver axle
Finding the right position for the axle can be tricky. At one point I was using two floor jacks and a bottle jack, but one floor jack and a bottle jack should be enough. Jack up the axle with the floor jack, testing the axle bolt on the UCA for binding. When it becomes easier to move, you are getting close. Use the bottle jack to even things up. I found three locations that are helpful.
Steering knuckle C mount (my unofficial made-up name)


Shock absorber mount to rotate the top of the axle toward the front


Sway bar mount to rotate the top of the axle toward the rear


4) Remove old upper control arm
Note: this process will allow setting the adjustable UCAs to the same length as the factory arms.
Use the jacks to remove all tension from the axle bolt on the UCA. This can be frustrating. Get it close enough, then remove the bolt. With the bolt out, it is easier to see what direction the axle needs to move. Use the jacks to line up the holes in the UCA with the sleeve in the bushing. Keep adjusting until the bolt slides in/out easily without binding. At this point, the UCA should easily swing up off the mount with no binding.


Remove the bolt in the body mount and drop out the UCA.

5) Install adjustable UCA
This process will set the adjustable UCAs to the factory length. Do not adjust the axle position during this process.
Install the new UCA into the body mount and insert the bolt. Ensure the grease fitting is pointing down so it can be serviced regularly. Swing the arm down and extend arm until the holes line up.


Snug up the jam nut to set the length of the arm. I had to remove the arm from the vehicle to fully tighten the jam nut using a bench vise and a 1-1/2" wrench.

Verify the axle has not moved. Put the old arm back in: insert bolt in the body side, verify the axle mount lines up by ensuring the bolt slides freely through the mount and bushing. Adjust axle if needed. Remove old arm and install new arm. If this was done correctly, the bolts should slide right into place.


If you want your arms to be a different length than factory then you will need to use the tips in (3) to maneuver the axle as needed to line things up. But factory length is a good place to start. Further adjustments can be made later.

6) Put it back together
Once the control arms are in:

• drop the axle to install the springs
• raise the axle to seat the springs in the isolators
• reconnect the shocks
• install wheels
• remove jack stands
• drop weight onto wheels, I use ramps for this step
• reconnect sway bar
• torque everything down

7) Lower control arm spacers
The Core LCAs require spacers to fit. I hear after market CAs are all like this ... cannot verify. This is what the rear LCAs look like when installed:
Right side spacers:



Left side spacers:



Front arms:


Rear arms:


Pinion angle measured at the yoke with front DS out was measured at 1.5° with factory control arms. With new CAs as close to factory length as I could get, pinion angle was 2.0°. See thread: (Noisy Front CAs)

Make sure to add grease where needed.
Happy Jeeping

2002 WJ Grand Cherokee Hood Emblem Replacement

The Jeep emblem on my hood was looking old and ratty. I knew these can be replaced, and it might be a little embarrassing to admit but I did not know how to do it and I have never seen any posts that show the details. So I decided to replace mine and post it for other people that might be in the same situation.

Bonus: Trail Rated badges because I wanted them!

PARTS LIST

Mopar 55157088AC Jeep Nameplate (from Quadratec) $70
(2) Mopar 55157317AB "Trail Rated 4x4" Badge (from Quadratec) $45​

TOOLS LIST

Scraper & Fingernails
Paint Surface Cleaner
Wax
Soft Cloths​

My hood emblem after 19 years:


1) Remove old letters
I used a rigid metal scraper. Obviously be careful of the paint, try not to gouge or scratch. Work it under the letters and slowly pry them up.


The letters are pliable and have a foam adhesive backing. Some of it may get left behind.


Remove the rest of the letters the same way.

2) Clean off old adhesive
I found my fingernails worked fairly well for removing bits of foam adhesive without marring the paint. Then used some Meguiar's Quik Detailer to clean the surface. Followed up with a layer of Meguiar's cleaner wax, and then a layer of Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus. Good enough:


3) Apply new emblem


Peel off the back film


Carefully position and then firmly press each letter into place. They bend a little to conform to the surface. Get it all stuck down firmly.


Remove top film and you are done. Easy!


4) Trail rated badges
Bella qualifies as trail rated! Lol I wanted them.

"1) Remove old letters
I used a rigid metal scraper. Obviously be careful of the paint, try not to gouge or scratch. Work it under the letters and slowly pry them up."

Yea, I was surprised how ratty the hood emblem got, but at $70 a pop to replace it, there were more urgent places to spend the money, especially on a jeep.

A better way to remove the emblems and eliminate the risk of scratching/gouging the paint is to use dental floss.
Get a piece of floss about a foot long, work it under a corner of the letter and with a sawing motion, move perpendicularly across the letters. It takes a little time.

I've done it on my other vehicles, but not the jeep (which has been retired and replaced).

I've also found that GooGone softens and removes the left over backing quite easily. Denatured alcohol also works.

it is also helpful to mark the corner locations of the original emblem with a grease pencil or a stencil so you can place the new emblem on the same location as the original.