[saha6818]

Regarding my off-center steering wheel (after off-road adventure), it doesn't look like the steering rack on the WK can just slide around willy nilly, and I can't find any other possible causes (maybe a collar slipped?), and might just take it in for an alignment. It's always a feeling of defeat when I have to pay my way out of problems.

 

[Ian517]

Fixed my blend door issues last night...

Congrats! I did a similar repair myself a few days ago. My passenger side was stuck on cold and my recirculation was without control. Broken adapter on passenger side temp and stripped gear inside the recirculation actuator. Replacing the actuator, I discovered that the job had already been done in the past and the actuator was not original haha. Anyway, now I've got full temperature control and the gremlin banging a hammer inside the dash has been silenced

 

[Sosruko]

Replaced the front propeller shaft. Again. The last one (a Cardone from RockAuto) only lasted 5 months before the rubber boot on the transfer case side failed and let all the magic grease out (and the dust from the gravel roads in).

 

[Ian517]

Replaced the front propeller shaft. Again. The last one (a Cardone from RockAuto) only lasted 5 months before the rubber boot on the transfer case side failed and let all the magic grease out (and the dust from the gravel roads in).

Bummer, fingers crossed I'm 800 miles into the same model. Don't they have something like a 12 month warranty? If you want to bother.

 

[Sosruko]

They do have a 12 month warranty. This one was a warranty replacement - the first one gave out in the same way 11 in. I am about to embark on a long trip, so I ended up with one from the local parts store. I'll probably make a warranty claim, and keep the replacement on the shelf as a just in case...

 

[Ian517]

Installed a salvage Light Rain Sensor Module. Confusingly my WK (2010 Limited) was missing the sensor when I bought it a year ago...I'm guessing at some point the windshield was replaced and for whatever reason, the LRSM didn't make it back onto the windshield. My auto lights and auto wipers of course never worked and it took me a while to determine the reason. Luckily the cable was whole, tucked under the headliner. Glad nobody cut it!

New units are ~$200. I found this one on ebay for ~$50 shipped from an salvage yard in the UK. Slim domestic listings for these which is odd, but lots from Europe. Another choice would be to find one at a local pick a part yard for even cheaper. This listing included the tinted lens element for which there is no part number...it's just included with proper new windshields. IDK how essential that element is but I was glad to find it.

How the Jeep came to me:

What I received from UK ebay seller:

Progress!

The seller described the unit as being pulled from a 2009 Chrysler 300. It works! TBD if functionally is 100% but throwing a towel over it triggers the headlights and spraying water at it triggers the wipers. For installation I cleaned up the unit and windshield, then used a roughly "OE" size piece of 3M clear VHB tape to stick it on. The air bubbles I got into the tape don't seem to be a problem.

 

[theLeviathan]

While finishing up my lift kit install, I managed to break a jack stand. Pittsburgh #62392 which is not listed in the Harbor Freight recall. If you have this, it is worth considering a replacement.

 

[nvrdone1]

hope you are ok. that could have been serious. I'd take it back to HF and have a conversation.

 

[theLeviathan]

hope you are ok. that could have been serious. I'd take it back to HF and have a conversation.

Thanks for your concern. Luckily I wasn't underneath when that happened.

 

[GRAND420]

Glad you're okay. I usually have four failsafes under there if I have to crawl underneath. I know someone whose brother died from failed jackstands.

 

[theLeviathan]

Glad you're okay. I usually have four failsafes under there if I have to crawl underneath. I know someone whose brother died from failed jackstands.

Thanks, yeah I usually leave the tire underneath but haven't really considered a jack stand as something I couldn't rely on before. This was sobering for sure.

 

[99sajeep]

My WK took a hit early in the morning around 2 am from some drunk...

Will have to wait a couple days for a completed police report before I find out a name and if he had insurance.

PSA for anyone with First Chicago Insurance...

TLDR : Don't get them, they're unresponsive, they only take your money and then don't ever want to talk with you again.

Long version:
I have State Farm for my insurance. The drunk driver of the pickup that hit my WK 4 weeks ago has First Chicago Insurance (according to the police report). I called and spoke with someone (got a call-back within about 30 minutes of my initial phone call) and filed a claim against his policy. Seemed straightforward at the time. They said an adjuster would contact me typically within 24 hrs to start the process. That was the morning of 2/21/23. After many, many phone calls to their only phone number listed online throughout the week, on 2/27/23 I finally received a return call at about 6 pm and was given the name of the adjuster assigned to my claim along with a phone number. No apology for the delay. I called the next day 5 separate times and each time left a message for the adjuster. As of today, 3/3/23, I still have not been able to speak with the adjuster or anyone else with this company. Starting to see a sign here...

Then my wife sends me this link showing hundreds of reviews over many years about this crappy company and how they treat their own customers, along with anyone else that tries to file a claim with them:
First Chicago Insurance customer reviews

This is just from this one website. There's plenty more to see online. If you have them as your insurance company, you really need to make sure that your policy is still active, as they most likely could have cancelled it on you (read thru the above website reviews...)! Bunch of pathetic scabs on this Earth, if you ask me.

Sorry, just have to vent a little. FWIW, I'm dealing with a couple issues with my own insurance. Seems that somehow my Comprehensive/Collision coverage was deleted off my policy for the WK a couple years ago, even though I never asked nor requested that to be done. I have copies of policy declarations showing that coverage as part of the original policy stretching all the way back to 2014 when we bought the Jeep. My issue is getting SF to reinstate and honor those coverages as I will most likely need them to get the Jeep fixed now. I'll know more about that next week.

So the poor WK is sitting in the driveway all bruised up without a scheduled plan for getting repaired. It hurts to look at her just sitting there everyday, but I am going to start finding parts this weekend so that she can at least be driven legally on the road.

I just want to move past this...

 

[badgerwithhands]

I just want to move past this...

Man I'm sorry to hear that. You've got my number if you need anything.

 

[99sajeep]

Thanks. I appreciate it!

 

[Ian517]

Received and fit a pair of Laclede Alpine Sport chains. We've had some wild snow in Socal these past weeks. Figured I might as well pick up some chains for mountain driving...more for legality than actual use. In "chain control conditions" it's rare that 4x4 + Snow rated tires aren't exempt from running chains, but by the letter of the law you're still supposed to carry them. That said maybe they'll actually help some day haha. Now since I got these, Socal wont see heavy snow for another 5 years.

Picked them up used on Facebook Marketplace for ~3/5ths price. Chains seem like the kind of thing many people would purchase and then never use.

I considered getting some V-bar heavy off-road chains...found some on sale in my size...but then realized if I ever flexed out, the chains would chew up my fenders lol. Maybe someday.

 

[99sajeep]

PSA for anyone with First Chicago Insurance...

TLDR : Don't get them, they're unresponsive, they only take your money and then don't ever want to talk with you again.

Have since found out that First Chicago Insurance does not have their own claims dept. They farm that out to a "sister" company called LoneStar MGA (Managing General Agency), who also coincidently does their own insurance. But their claims dept is just as bad as I described above. So basically, I'm still nowhere close to getting the Jeep fixed....yet. 😕

 

[Mainsail]

Received and fit a pair of Laclede Alpine Sport chains. We've had some wild snow in Socal these past weeks. Figured I might as well pick up some chains for mountain driving...more for legality than actual use. In "chain control conditions" it's rare that 4x4 + Snow rated tires aren't exempt from running chains, but by the letter of the law you're still supposed to carry them. That said maybe they'll actually help some day haha. Now since I got these, Socal wont see heavy snow for another 5 years.

Picked them up used on Facebook Marketplace for ~3/5ths price. Chains seem like the kind of thing many people would purchase and then never use.

I considered getting some V-bar heavy off-road chains...found some on sale in my size...but then realized if I ever flexed out, the chains would chew up my fenders lol. Maybe someday.

I remember reading somewhere, the owners manual perhaps, that chains should not be used on the WK. I always assumed it was due to the UCA bolt being so close to the tire.

 

[Ian517]

I remember reading somewhere, the owners manual perhaps, that chains should not be used on the WK. I always assumed it was due to the UCA bolt being so close to the tire.

Good thinking. I also wonder what the QT2/QD2 systems would make of chains. But anyway, I just checked the owner's manual and it says:

TIRE CHAINS
Certain models have sufficient tire-to-body clearance to
allow use of tire chains. Install chains on rear tires only.
Follow these recommendations to guard against damage
and excessive tire and chain wear:

Do not install tire chains or traction devices on vehicles
with larger than P235/65R17 tires. Tires larger
than this may not provide sufficient body clearance
with chains or other traction devices.
• Use SAE class “S” tire chains or traction devices only.
• Follow tire chain manufacturer’s instructions for
mounting chains.
• Install chains snugly and tighten after 0.5 mile (1 km)
of driving.
• Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h), unless otherwise
specified by the chain manufacturer.
• Drive cautiously, avoiding large bumps, potholes and
extreme driving maneuvers.

I wonder if it says rear-only again for clearance issues. I'd been taught to in general, put chains on the front of a 4x4 if you only have two chains.

 

[nwoods]

I made some camping improvements to my 2006 Jeep WK recently. First off, I got a Wilco Hitchgate spare tire carrier with a Front Runner fold down camp table on the interior side. Truly awesome to have. I also bought the very inexpensive magnetic paper towel roll holder from Harbor Freight, that mounts under the tire carrier. Secondly, I bought a KC HiLite "Cyclone" LED light, and using their flush mount kit, I installed it on the passenger side of the lift gate, directly opposite the factory courtesy light that is on the left side. Its perplexing why Jeep only put one light back there, and offset it, but now I have two, and that Cyclone throws a nice area of light on my fold down table. Nice! Thirdly, I bought the KC HiLite under hood dual Cyclone kit. This inexpensive kit comes with two Cyclone LED puck lights, mounting hardware, a wire harness, loom, and a toggle switch. Super easy to install under hood and now my engine bay is really brightly lit. Great for airing up at night, or messing about with the engine should that be necessary. Fourthly, this week I replaced my radiator after my OEM unit gave up at around 165k miles. What a PIA that job is, thanks to the hydraulic fan on the 2006 5.7L version. Ugh!

Photos would be nice. I just realized I don't have any! Lame!
Here is an install video for the underhood lights:

 

[GRAND420]

Today I installed a 6.1 power steering pump, reservoir, and pressure line for my 5.7 hydraulic fan conversion. I still have to trim the beauty cover because of the new reservoir. I also installed an AFE intake that I got for 50 bucks on craigslist. It was impossible for me to pass that one up.