What was done to your rig this week?

Well here’s my after action report on the mounts that I installed a while back. For flag purposes I can definitely say these mounts will not work at hiway speeds. The bending started occurring at around 35-40mph. Pulled over and removed them as soon as the flex started.
For reference these flags are 2X3 feet.
Still I am very happy with the quality of the product and can attest to the fact that at parade and off-roading speeds they have held up wonderfully.
Can’t see needing to drive at hiway speeds with 2X3 flags anyway as you would be needing replace them frequently.
Cheers to a nice antennae/light pod/whip mount.IMG_9170.jpegIMG_9171.jpegIMG_9169.jpeg
 
Does this actually work? Can it be a replacement for sliders with actual steps?

How tall is SWAMBO?
SWAMBO is about 5’4” and has short legs. I had her work with me installing the tape where she needed it. We also applied grip tape to the door sill.

The answer is yes, it works. After trying it a few times, SWAMBO said the combination of the new rock sliders and grip tape makes it much easier for her to get in and out. Not as well as a step with grip tape, but better than a metal step without grip tape. I don’t know if it’s an adequate replacement for steps. The only way to find out is to try it. We’ll give this a go and see what happens. If it turns out SWAMBO needs a step, one can be welded to the rock sliders.

I still need to add another set of grab bars for her. There are grab bars attached to the overhead sport bar, but adding one to the windscreen support would help my wife a lot. Me, I’m tall enough I just step in and sit down, as long as the ground is fairly level. But SWAMBO has to pull herself up.
 
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I had just enough money set aside to either replace the Angry Bird grill, or the track bar. So I ordered a new OEM grill to stop the endless Grill Shaming from the Kool Kids of this forum.

Before-
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After-
EED741F1-F19C-4AA9-A8B3-02AA29F84556.jpeg

Just kidding! Installed a Rock Jock Johnny Joint track bar.
-Adjusted the track bar to center the axle
-Adjusted the drag link to center steering wheel

No more shimmy, no more Death Wobbles. I should have installed an upgraded track bar the day I bought the Jeep.
 
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The struggle to prevent my CJ5 from marking it's territory everywhere it goes continues. The Dana 18 transfer case has leaked non-stop. It's been rebuilt, new seals, and still leaks. Put a new Yoke on today in hopes it would stop it. Probably won't.. Went ahead and changed the gear oil in the rear diff and transmission too. Also, a weird electrical gremlin has been around for a while. One running light, one brake light, and one turn signal, all at different locations would intermittently not work. After going through and checking all the connections on the wiring harness, I think it was the ground of the turn signal to the steering column. Hopefully that is fixed now. PXL_20230430_195635991.jpg
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PXL_20230430_222653743.jpg
 
The struggle to prevent my CJ5 from marking it's territory everywhere it goes continues. The Dana 18 transfer case has leaked non-stop. It's been rebuilt, new seals, and still leaks. Put a new Yoke on today in hopes it would stop it. Probably won't.. Went ahead and changed the gear oil in the rear diff and transmission too. Also, a weird electrical gremlin has been around for a while. One running light, one brake light, and one turn signal, all at different locations would intermittently not work. After going through and checking all the connections on the wiring harness, I think it was the ground of the turn signal to the steering column. Hopefully that is fixed now. View attachment 388789
View attachment 388790
View attachment 388791
I hate to say it but... there's no stopping that leak 🤪

Love seeing pics of your CJ though :)
 
The struggle to prevent my CJ5 from marking it's territory everywhere it goes continues. The Dana 18 transfer case has leaked non-stop. It's been rebuilt, new seals, and still leaks. Put a new Yoke on today in hopes it would stop it. Probably won't.. Went ahead and changed the gear oil in the rear diff and transmission too. Also, a weird electrical gremlin has been around for a while. One running light, one brake light, and one turn signal, all at different locations would intermittently not work. After going through and checking all the connections on the wiring harness, I think it was the ground of the turn signal to the steering column. Hopefully that is fixed now. View attachment 388789
View attachment 388790
View attachment 388791
Make sure ALL the grounds have good clean contact. The front markers are grounded through the screws and the taillights if I remember correctly ground through the mounting screws.
 
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I hate to say it but... there's no stopping that leak 🤪

Love seeing pics of your CJ though :)
Thanks! Yea, I have heard from some old timers they leaked on the showroom floor back in the day LOL!

Make sure ALL the grounds have good clean contact. The front markers are grounded through the screws and the taillights if I remember correctly geound through the mounting screws.
I checked everything and found some grounds that I thought were the issue, cleaned them up. Then about an hour later one of them stopped working again, then another one again... Hopefully its all good now! Thanks! I might go through and check the screws that mount the turn signal housings to the grille though after thinking about it now.
 
Finally fixed exhaust leaks on the JKU, I had the manifolds and catalytic converter installed before my knee surgery and haven't driven it much since. When I finally got around to driving it the exhaust smell was too much; thought I had cracked exhaust manifold but on closer inspection the aftermarket exhaust manifolds and Magnaflow catalytic converter flanges did not match up. Since too much time has passed since I paid to have it installed, I was relieved no manifold cracks, but was pissed and disappointed that they didn't notify me or at least make an attempt to fix the misalignment.
both sides looked like this, bottomed out on one side, leaking like a bastard on the other:
CatalyicConverter.jpg

Loosened all the clamps on the cats but no twisting or prying was making them line up. Thought about using pipe flange donut gaskets but don't know how to measure to get the right size for a proper seal. After a few words not safe for neighbors, I remembered I had exhaust wrap left from the header experiment, put a strip of around the exhaust manifold mating flange, also rotated the flanges on the cats (they had a slight bend) leaks sealed.

Replaced the crap clamps they used with some I saved from another exhaust; don't throw reusable parts away, they've sat on my spare parts shelf for at least 6 years lol but saved the day and $$ today.

I could have taken it to a muffler shop, paid to have them cut the pipes, and get everything fixed but calling around they wanted $125+ per hour plus materials... nahh

FYI, removing the passenger side tire and inner liner made it much easier to access the manifold/cat flange, trying to do it from underneath works but you can't tell if it's seated properly.

Tip for those needing to do the same: Trick I learned years ago from my brother-in-law's dad, use a shop vac, put the hose on the exhaust of the vac to blow out, put the other end of the hose in the tail pipe and using soapy water spray everywhere you think there might be a leak. There is enough pressure from the vacuum to create bubbles where the leaks are, and you don't have to work on a hot exhaust.

I intended to take more pics but after the 1st one I got pissed at the shitty work I paid for, got focused on getting this shit done and well, you get 1 pic. It's a janky repair but got the job done.
 
After dealing with some severe wandering above 35 MPH with my CJ5 I added some 6 ° steel shims to add caster to the front end so it should come out to about 7.2° total. Test drive went very well and held steady where it would get squrirrely but it is harder to steer when not moving. Moving down to 31" tires should help with that. I also replaced the U-bolts.
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Yesterday, I finally got The Duk back from being regeared and having the rear axle beefed up. I had an ARB 35 spline locker installed, paired with Carbon Offroad rear axle shafts and Carbon Offroad Ring and pinion gears.

Now that the weather is nice, I get to rack up 500 miles of easy driving in short spurts of time. Wake up, take a nice drive along the river, hang out at the park, drive home catch up on Wayalife. Take the dog to the dog park, try and wear her out playing fetch.
 
Added new tire$, wheel$ and a front facing camera this week. Can’t test it out as no money for gas!

Nitto Ridge Grapplers 37x12.5R17 D mounted to KMC Tank 17”x 9” wheels with 3.5” Backspacing. Grey with black ring and bolts. The spare fits fine underneath but you have to air it down first.

The front camera was an $80 RED WOLF Front View Camera that I mounted on my bumper brush guard. I can see full width of the drive line but lose the obstacles when the tire contact patch gets within 30”. Still better than nothing. May mount underneath for Moab. Used the TaZer Mini to activate the Cargo Camera. Works great.
 

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