Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 08:13 am:
Nope. Have I done it.... nope. But I just had mine rebuilt a couple of months ago and the shop owner showed me how it was done. He had mine apart in about 10-15 minutes and told me he would have it ready to go in about 20-30 minutes.
He first removed the c-clips. Then he laid the cardan joint on a vise and beat it with a 2 lbs hammer right next to one of the bearings. I popped out about 1/4" and he pulled that bearing out. Turned it over and beat the other side and repeated that process until all the bearings had been removed.
Dude made it look easy and I will do my own next time.
Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 09:00 pm:
Just to keep myself spread too thin I recently acquired a Tahoe 2dr 4x4. It has a bad engine but is otherwise really clean and straight. I am building a short block to slide in there.
As things go I have four 4x4s right now. Not a one to drive on the street at this moment. I think I have painted myself into a corner, crap weather and no 4x4 to get around in. The Jeep could do in a pinch, but 16.5 wide 1/2 worn tires do not do well for snow and ice. Two are disassembled for repairs and the Scout that needs quite a bit of attention, has no roof.
One of these days I will get caught up again! It is hard to buy and flip these things with no team to fix them. Seems like they all wait for me though. None have fixed themselves.
Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 09:25 pm:
Wolf, the boots on both of mine are shot, but the ball on one looks pretty pitted and feels grittier than I'd like. Plus, I know it vibes like an SOB at higher angles. I watched some vids and saw pics and the joint itself looks pretty simple. Hardest part is just replacing the seal.
BTW - for those that don't know, if you get a new yoke for the rear output on the x-case you can run a stock XJ front DS in the rear. Needless to say I gotta a lot of U-joints on this thing haha
Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 11:48 pm:
I've been enjoying your pictures. Showed some to the wife and said I was going to do that to her new '12 Grand Cherokee. She didn't think that was funny.
We did have a ball out in Moab back in September with the Trailblazer.
Well now we have had a little break in the weather ending up with a nice Saturday afternoon. So I fired up the Scout and found out is has a posi rear end. Damn if it does not do some fun crankin' donuts out in the field!
.....and then I put the power steering belt back on!
Well I performed the ultimate Jeep upgrade...2014 Grand Cherokee Summit 3.0 EcoDiesel
Got it Saturday evening with 14 miles on it. Today (Thursday) it sits in my driveway with 1968 miles - already been driven from MD to FL and back Cruise control on 80, fresh motor, MPG is 27.7 average. If I set the cruise on 70...it jumped to 30+, but that was too slow for traffic (and for me, for an 700 mile solo trip - I wanted to GET THERE). And yet...if I set the cruise on 85...the Georgia State Police felt the need to give me an award / Christmas present. (shrug)
This thing is smooth, quiet (WOW is it quiet!!), powerful, comfortable, full of electronic toys and gadgets (it found me diesel for $3.50/gal in SC)...I'm lovin' it! Now, all I need is some snow to try out the QuadraDrive II system and the Quadra-Lift air suspension...hehe...
Yeah, advertisements are 28mpg for the 4x4 and 730 range. Tight, new engine, cruise set on 80...I'm already seeing 690 range.
I filled up in FL at 05:00 today. Stopped in SC for my $3.50 tank around 11am (wasn't empty, but stopped because of the price and because I needed coffee and a jon). Now in MD it sits in the driveway with about 1/3 tank in it. And that's FULL TIME 4x4.
If anyone needs/wants a '92 4.0/auto XJ....I think the WK2 has made it obsolete. 2" lift (front spacers/rear helpers), aluminum radiator, a/c deleted (by a deer; also a junkyard grille panel, driver fender, driver door, and a dented driver rear door). Newer brakes, did a headgasket and hi-volume oil pump myself about 20k ago, truck has right around 235k on it but the gauge reads 205 (I changed to the Limited gauges with oil pressure, temp, tach, etc). Needs a headliner. Daily driver...until last week. Awesome winter beater, 4x4 works like a champ, have a matching fifth wheel/tire (I do 5 tire rotations) but if someone has their own wheels/tires, I can swap these with the ones on my YJ (factory steelies and about-dead 31-10.50s) and I'll keep these.
The new 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine delivers clean-diesel technology with low CO2 emissions. The clean and refined powertrain delivers optimum efficiency with awe-inspiring performance. Combined with the advanced eight-speed automatic transmission, the 2014 Jeep® Grand Cherokee can attain up to 30 hwy mpg+, drive up to 730 miles on one tank+ and tow up to 7,400 pounds+ to fulfill whatever your nomadic heart desires.
(Message edited by wolfridgerider on December 28, 2013)
Mark's got it. Mine's a 4x4 so the tow rating is 7200 / 720 tongue with weight distribution (the 7400/740 is 4x2).
240hp, 420 lb-ft, 5000 redline. Direct-injected 3.0 V6 turbocharged diesel with a variable-geometry ball-bearing turbo (oil and liquid cooled).
She's not fast - that's why I have the motorcyles. She's not a tow-machine - 7200 isn't bad, but if I need to yank something heavy I have my Cummins - but she's a damned nice car. I was also looking at Chrysler 300's, but given where I live (1500' elevation, western exposure, plenty of snow)...I wanted a 4x4. And the fuel economy was no small factor for me - if the diesel was available in the 300 here like it is in Europe, it would have been a tough decision - but this is going to be my new daily driver (at least, during non-MC weather). Anxious to see how many weeks I can go between fillups, commuting to work
...and a 3.0 EcoDiesel Limited took second place in the 4 Wheeler of the year test (second to a Land Rover Sport). Faster than a Hemi Durango (0-60 and 1/4 mile), better off-road, better approach/depart angles, and MUCH better MPG.
Awesome numbers though. I know they are comfortable quiet and smooth. Glad to hear that the diesel is not noisy.
I had a variable vane(geometry) turbo in an '04 F550 6.0 diesel crapper. It's turbo problem was a slotted iron disc that had to move and it is what the vanes were attached to. The slightest bit of rust and the vanes were no longer "variable". Most on the Ford forums showed they had this problem when the trucks would set for a couple of weeks at a time in a damp environment, or having been driven in rain. In a little over a year of ownership(40,000 miles) I had to remove, disassemble, and de-rust mine twice. The turbo had been replaced not long before I got the truck. I hope yours has stainless moving parts or something similar.
I'd have to research the build of the turbo, but I also own the first VNT used in a production car (1989 Shelby CSX-VNT, a 2.2L 4 cylinder turbo) and the only vane problems with those (a Garrett VNT25) are coking - you have to let them cool down before shutting off the oil circulation.
I could call it my 4x4 station wagon, if you prefer...
It is an SUV dammit! Wagon.....That's no fun.....you like wagons!
I had a mid 90's Passat 4 cy turbo that had very specific oil and change intervals due to coking probability in the oil passage to the turbo. Small diameter oiler tubing run as an "add on", rather than "engineered into the block" oil passages, like in a truck engine, I would bet are the problem. Once blocked it would kill the turbo quickly.
That thing made great smooth power, and would really haul ass for a 4 cyl mid size sedan. It was a well used car when I got it and fortunately the PO kept the oil clean. I could have sold the engine for more than the car was worth.
Turbos are fun and do a great job. I have had several diesel trucks with turbos including a Dodge like yours. Never had any issue with them at all.
What you said about letting them cool down a bit before shutting the engine down is important. My research into keeping that Ford that I had running, showed that they were going for: gas engine like throttle response - with the throttle plate and VVT turbo, lower emissions, better fuel mileage, less engine noise, more power, and more torque. It worked great except for it's down time for failed engine systems.....they choked the chicken too hard.
Your Jeep ought to be a great vehicle. Congrats on the happy 2,000 miles in a week or so!
I'm going wheeling this weekend.... WOOT! Heading down to the Hocking Hills for some winter wonder mud.
Now I have to put my Jeep back together... I removed everything so I could drop it off to have the roll cage done. The first guy fell thru and I have been on the hunt for someone else to do it. I have a appointment today with Holt Racing to get a quote. So far I like them. They said as long as my money was green and the ink was dry, they should be able to take care of me.
Good on ya Mark! Ice breaking through mud pits adds another challenge! I did one at Royal Blue several years ago that jambed my tie rods full of ice. Had no steering when I got out the other side and manually broke the ice out of it.
Roll cage = best money spent after you realize what you are going to be doing.
I just finished another bout of chocolate and glazed donuts in the back field with the Scout again. Homer Simpson has nothing on me for the love of donuts!
There is just something about throwing it sideways at about 25 mph and letting it go.....around.....around.....and around! This thing runs great!
front bumper showed up yesterday. It looks great. Now I just need to paint it. That may not happen being that we are about to be hit with a "Polar Vortex"
I didn't! The guy that hit it first took about 10 min. to get out of it. He broke up the ice and made it easy for the rest of us.... well almost all of us...