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What I did to my TJ today

4M views 43K replies 4K participants last post by  LowCountryLJ 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Please feel free to add your own vehicle wrenching / adventure stories to this Thread.
4502663
 

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#27,061 ·
Drove it to Lowe's and purchased a drill bit and punch to drill drain holes in the frame....



put it up in the air.....



Took a small coffee and smoke break....



Then got underneath there and started drilling......









Then I grabbed the punch I never used and the old steering gear I replaced and headed back to town and got my $5.00 for the punch and $80.00 for the core return!!!

 
#27,062 ·
Was trying to chase down a vac leak at around 2k rpm. Sprayed brake cleaner on all the vac lines and finally found that my brake booster check valve was cracked. Dealership didn't have any but advanced auto had it for ~$8!
Seems to have fixed about 50% of the leak.
 

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#27,064 ·
Installed my new steering stabilizer. Next on the list is to install my ZJ tie rod that's laying in the garage.



Hahahahahaha!!!!! I have the whole HD system, including the damper, in my garage waiting to go on since .....hmmmmmm, dang, has it ben since march? Along with a set of hubs and u-joints.
 
#27,065 ·
Stripped the interior

Vehicle Car Van Minivan Renault trafic


Found $4.16 under the 4x4 shift lever (subsequently, removing this fixed my 4WD issue)

Coin Necklace Wood Money Fashion accessory



Auto part Engine Fuel line Automotive engine part


Stripped, primed, taped, and Raptor lined the interior

Land vehicle Car Vehicle Automotive exterior Jeep wrangler



Vehicle Car Auto part City car


Got an owie

Finger Hand Joint Thumb Nail


Land vehicle Car Vehicle Off-road vehicle Automotive exterior


Decided to do the back door as well

Machine Automotive exterior


Vehicle Car Land rover defender Off-road vehicle Automotive exterior


Vehicle Car Land rover defender


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Off-road vehicle


And got a free BestTop bikini top and HiLift Jack for taking a break and fixing a buddy's TJ.

Tire Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Vehicle


In the process of putting the top back together, both back window zipper pull tabs snapped in half. Anyone know where I can order a set?
 
#27,068 ·
Stripped the interior

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Found $4.16 under the 4x4 shift lever (subsequently, removing this fixed my 4WD issue)

View attachment 1497065


View attachment 1497081

Stripped, primed, taped, and Raptor lined the interior

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View attachment 1497113

Got an owie

View attachment 1497121

View attachment 1497129

Decided to do the back door as well

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And got a free BestTop bikini top and HiLift Jack for taking a break and fixing a buddy's TJ.

View attachment 1497169

In the process of putting the top back together, both back window zipper pull tabs snapped in half. Anyone know where I can order a set?
Man that looks great!! Wish I wernt so damn lazy! OK OK OK ill get to it, some day.
 
#27,070 ·
Got my Detroit Truetrac in the mail today. Got bearings yesterday. Waiting on the open carrier for the front and then, put it all together with the gears I got over the weekend.
 

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#27,071 ·
^^^Looks GREAT!!!! I think I would use 550 cord for the zippers.
Sounds like a plan. Especially since my grab handles and door straps were made by a vendor here...

Man that looks great!! Wish I wernt so damn lazy! OK OK OK ill get to it, some day.
Ya, way more than I thought I was taking on. It took me 8 days total since I only worked on it from 4pm till about 11pm every eve. There was so much involved. I figured, sand, clean, repeat, tape, prime, paint...HA! Seat bracket bolts were a b!tch. The carpet hadn't been removed in over 10 years! There was so much caked on crap...the driver and passenger floorboard had serious surface rust, etc...labeled every bolt and part removed, also cleaned every bolt and part removed...
When all was said and done, took just over an hour to reinstall everything. But, I think it was well worth it. Now I just need to cut out that rust spot under the license plate, weld in a patch, then I'm Raptor lining the corners instead of buying corner guards. If I take her back out on the trails next spring, the corner guards may be revisited.
 
#27,073 ·
Changed oil/filter, transfer case fluid, speedometer gear. Also discovered that my lower rear control am bracket is ready to tear off of the frame. Was going to coat the inside of the frame Saturday! Guess I've got some more patch work to do first, autorust.com here i come.
At this point, I almost wonder if a frame swap is worth the extra trouble.
 
#27,077 ·
Finished wiring my backup lights. They illuminate pretty well; not as bright as i had in mind. Though what do you expect from $26 Advance Auto fogs? I was a little worried that the light wouldn't shine *below* the bumper very well, but it actually does. With some bending of the chintzy metal bracket, i was able to get the beam to aim roughly front and center. Though the lights don't sit perfectly in the hole cut-outs in the bumper. Not too concerned about that; functionality over fashion :cool:




I'll probably find myself backing into the driveway at night now for the fun of it.
 
#27,078 ·
Last night/this morning after much cursing cuts bruises help and beer got my intake and manifold off. Re welded it after cleaning up and braced it so it won't crack again. New gaskets all reconnected and hooked up. Much better no little ticking when throttling. Lots of work to scratch a small itch :). Happy with it though.


Blue
 
#27,079 ·
Gave it a wash (first one in a month or so), pulled the glass out of my full doors and pulled off the pre cut tint I got off eBay (it had a brownish tint to it like factory glass and was cut too small... it didn't match my windshield strip) replaced the tint with 20% Gila tint from auto zone, then cleaned the dust off the full doors and installed them.
 
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