Varg In Jeep's Clothing

They’re temporary.
I wanted to make sure this idea was going to work before I spent any more money on it. I’ll get some thin 2” clamshell clamps eventually.

 

I’m surprised nobody commented on the mint Scout II in the background.

 

I'm glad you said what we've all been thinking

 

I treated the jeep to a spa day today.



She’s been overdue for a tire rotation and re-balance. While I had her in the air, I wanted to see if I could address the few issues she’s developed. She’s been gradually developing a pull to the right under braking, and while braking, the handling has become a white-knuckle experience.

The pulling is the brakes, I’ll address that when I get the funds. The sketchy handling was due to some very worn out bushings in the radius arms. The worn bushings were allowing the axle to rotate forward under braking, canceling any/all caster. During articulation, these bushings take the abuse; most of the front axle flex happens in these bushings.



I cut new bushings for all four sleeves, and a few for new sway bar bushings too…



…they’ve also taken quite the hammering.



She still pulls to the right, but at least now she’s completely predictable and controllable. I’ll get new calipers, rotors and pads ordered up eventually.

 

She’s back home!
The move is finally complete, the garage finally has room, and the roads were finally dry enough to tow her home from the storage unit today. I gave my GF’s Explorer a trial run in flat towing. It did pretty well.



I’ll be pulling the t-case out soon to replace that stupid adapter once again.

 

Ryan, isn’t this the 3rd time you had to fix this issue? Can you redesign to make it a stronger design, so this won’t happen again? …or was this a purposely designed fuse so something else didn’t break?

 

First one sheared splines in Moab, and I swapped it out with my spare. The spare was never intended to be in for very long because I didn’t like trusting welds on a critical part like that, but it never failed. I swapped it out last year when I thought I’d come up with a better design, but now that one is making noise. I’ve since beefed up the spare one, and I trust it more, so I’ll put that back in as preventative maintenance. I’ll keep the noisy one as the spare.

I have the plans drawn to have one machined out of chromoly, but it’s always such a low priority, I’m not sure I’ll ever get around to it. I have the parts to build a 2.48:1 reduction box that would replace the adapter in this, so if I did anything, it would be that before spending the money on a custom made shaft.

 

Checking the adapter on the trail.

 

My Flex is the same platform... did surprisingly well across town but front wheel drive no tow package and 3.31 gears. I don't want to cook the transmission any more towing our camper.
That one is gonna be a bit easier if it is v6 4x4 with tow package. Something like 3.73 gears for final drive. I don't know enough about the 4cyl but get the powerstop truck and tow brakes for her if you need to ever service the brakes.


Just don't ever try passing at full throttle up hill with anything in tow. Absolutely destroyed the front suspension and bushings on mine when it crossed a centerline rumble strip.

 

I’ve been having a rough idle issue. I tore into the idle air control valve to see if it was clean and working as it should. During the tear down, with the fender off, I found the inlet hose coming off the intake tube had left the chat.



I ran to oriellys and asked to go in the back to pick out a similar hose. Closest one was this 90° bend that is apparently lined with gold.



$25 later, IAC valve is cleaned and operational, and everything is buttoned up. Idle is still a little rough, but it’s better than it was. It is in horrible need of a tuneup, but that’s a pile of money I don’t have ATM.

While I was in there, I found one of the set screws on the steering shaft u-joints was loose, the alternator belt needed tightened and a bolt was loose on the adjuster arm, there was a loose bolt on the power steering pump, and that belt also needed to be tightened.

She should be good to go to start making the 55 mile round trip commute to work if the weather ever breaks.