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Quick opinions on the late model 4 door Jeep Wrangler Unlimiteds? My boss has one and I got a ride in it recently. I didn't expect to be grinning like a retard... How fast does the novelty wear off? They are pricey as poo poo!
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Oct 29, 2012 00:09
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Safetyland posted:Quick opinions on the late model 4 door Jeep Wrangler Unlimiteds? My boss has one and I got a ride in it recently. I didn't expect to be grinning like a retard... How fast does the novelty wear off? They are pricey as poo poo! I haven't driven one, but I know you can get a kit for it (which I understand is backed by Mopar so it won't ruin your warranty) to turn an Unlimited into a pick-up truck. But that'd probably be the only reason I'd get one.
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Oct 29, 2012 00:33
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The kit is like 20k on top of the vehicle and labor.
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Oct 29, 2012 02:21
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Godholio posted:The kit is like 20k on top of the vehicle and labor. It's $5499 and can be installed by anyone with basic hand tools, a drill and patience. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1063158_jeep-wrangler-unlimited-jk-8-pickup-conversion-package-priced-at-5499 Motronic fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Oct 29, 2012 |
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Oct 29, 2012 02:24
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Motronic posted:It's $5499 and can be installed by anyone with basic hand tools and patience. Holy poo poo...I've only seen it dealer-installed, so hello markup! 60k+ Buying it separately definitely seems to be the way to go.
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Oct 29, 2012 02:26
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I made a post in the A&T thread, looking to get a new car but the major factor/question with which to determine what car I want is pretty straightforward. "How much power is necessary to tow various things? I don't need to be able to pull a house, I'd think at the largest sometime in the future would be a boat or camper (one of those ones that collapses). Basically I want to know if I can get away with the good MPG/$$ of a less powerful engine and still tow what I need."
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Oct 29, 2012 04:36
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It comes down to how much the item weighs. Everything has a weight limit, and it's easily researchable online. For a lighter camper, any light truck will do it, but if you go with a 2-door Wrangler, for example, you're pushing the limit (the 4-door has a higher limit due to the longer wheelbase). Engine and transmission, vehicle wheelbase, braking capability are all factors in tow limits.
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Oct 29, 2012 06:27
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To chime in as well.. I would also like to say that buying a car with a longer wheelbase helps with towing in the stability aspect. Its basically the tail wagging the dog. Watch a small car tow a long trailer down the road. But if need be, buy a trailer sway control and that will help out.
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Oct 29, 2012 06:43
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How often should I replace the shocks on my car? My car has 97k miles on it and the same shocks. I'm also interested in replacing my rear brake shoes, as those are still the same stock ones almost 10 years later.
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Oct 29, 2012 10:55
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Mr. Heroes posted:How often should I replace the shocks on my car? My car has 97k miles on it and the same shocks. I'm also interested in replacing my rear brake shoes, as those are still the same stock ones almost 10 years later. As often as they need replacing. Lots of shops oversell shocks with their hard sale high pressure bullshit. Does your car feel like an old country wagon when it takes a bump in the road? Give it a solid downward shove and if it keeps bouncing then you probably need shocks. Monroe is running their goofy SHOCKTOBER promotion, so if you do in fact need them now is probably a good time. Shoes are a wear item and should be changed once they've worn down to around 10-15%.
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Oct 29, 2012 18:36
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DrPain posted:Shoes are a wear item and should be changed once they've worn down to around 10-15%. To chime in on this, age isn't really important, unless they're crumbling. 97k isn't a lot for rear shoes on some cars; the rear brakes do significantly less work than the fronts (since the weight of the car shifts forward when you brake, unloading the rear end), especially in FWD vehicles.
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Oct 29, 2012 18:40
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IIRC rear brakes do about 20% of the braking, so they last quite a while longer (unless your e-brake lever is messed up  )
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Oct 29, 2012 18:49
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I think this counts as a stupid question. I'm looking at a '95 Land Rover Discovery V8 as a step sideways from our '96 Ford Fairlane Sportsman V8. Is that a stupid idea? I'm not a huge fan of British engineering and I'm scared of the Prince of Darkness, but they are pretty evenly feature matched and both myself and the other party are looking for something more like what the other has. Bear in mind I'm in Australia so things don't devalue as easily here. a 4x4 would have saved my and others asses a few times, and a low slung LWB sedan can't really go where I want. I put the question here because I'm not after a huge debate. Just a few helpful comments from people that know them a little better than me. I knew a fanatic of all things Rover for years so that data can be thrown away as biased. Seriously if I could I'd be rocking a bare bones early Land Rover / Jeep / Toyota but they just don't exist at sane prices anymore.
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Oct 29, 2012 21:28
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General_Failure posted:I think this counts as a stupid question. I'm looking at a '95 Land Rover Discovery V8 as a step sideways from our '96 Ford Fairlane Sportsman V8. Is that a stupid idea? If your're reasonably handy it's not a bad idea. I assume they are common enough in your neck of the woods to have parts availability. 95 is a good year. Center differential lock and a stupid simple ignition system (still has a dizzy) with a distinct lack of stupid ancillary electronics. The ABS is terrifyingly bad, especially off road, but you're just one fuse away from fixing that. As with all of these things, the condition of the truck you are looking at makes all the difference. Specifically the maintenance that has been recently done. Look out for something with 100k or so miles on it that hasn't had head gaskets done (the factory ones were poo poo) or discount accordingly. Look for rust. Pick up the rear carpet (I refer to this area as "lake tetanus") and look in the door jambs. Rust hides pretty well on thes trucks because the body panels (save the roof) are aluminum. You need to get under it and check out door jambs, etc to find it. And it will be there. How much is the question.
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Oct 29, 2012 21:52
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Really? I thought Land Rovers were the worst vehicle out there in terms of reliability and maintenance.
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Oct 29, 2012 22:45
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daslog posted:Really? I thought Land Rovers were the worst vehicle out there in terms of reliability and maintenance. Saying "Land Rovers" is a pretty broad statement. He's talking about a very specific model and year. If he was talking about a P38 Range Rover my opinion would be vastly different. If he was talking about a Series I wouldn't have the slightest concern on reliability (other than what one would expect at that age) but whether he could stand driving something so crude, noisy, and uncomfortable for whatever and however long he intends to use it. Land Rovers have a well-earned reputation of not being reliable, but that's a more recent thing. The 2000's were not kind to them with the ownership turnovers, etc. Also keep in mind that many of their vehicles were/are now luxobarges. These come with the same reliability issues in unnecessary but nice features as a 7-series BMW, A8's etc. None of them have stellar reliability ratings either. It seems to be the nature of the beast when you pack something full of electronics and whiz bang luxury features. Motronic fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Oct 29, 2012 |
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Oct 29, 2012 22:56
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I've got a '63 Holden that sat for a few months over winter, only being started once a fortnight in an attempt to keep things lubricated. The first time I took it out this spring it ran fine, but I've now found that it splutters and dies whenever I try to rev it. It doesn't have a tacho, but using the RPM setting on my multimeter I've found that it'll run normally up to about 1000RPM before it starts this splutter. I've had the spark plugs out, and they have a dry, occasionally lumpy, black soot over the electrodes; it looks identical to pictures of carbon fouling I've found. Is what I'm experiencing likely to be the product of carbon fouling? The fact it'll idle and rev up to 1000RPM with no discernible difference to before is throwing me off
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Oct 30, 2012 00:37
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Motronic posted:If your're reasonably handy it's not a bad idea. I assume they are common enough in your neck of the woods to have parts availability. Thanks for the tips. especially on rust locations. It was a great reminder. Where I'm living things just plain don't rust ever. But i am looking elsewhere because small rural communities aren't exactly abundant in 4x4s for sale, whereas cities are. Heh. There was a '95 locally but it had overheated and the "head gasket needed to be replaced". Which I read as "cracked coolant galleries, possible dropped cylinder sleeves and oil starvation from relief valve jamming during the event.". No thanks. Implicitly answering your other post too, if I could find a LWB series 1 we'd all probably be more than happy with it especially with the canvas top. Noise, vibration and general crudeness don't bother me. Pretty much the opposite actually. I love machines but hate appliances. I don't mind doing work on things. You've seen my VW thread. But spending half a day pulling apart plastic panelling to fix some insignificant yet expensive part shits me to tears. I like field serviceable. It's pretty much a given that most of the ones for sale probably haven't had their HG's touched. If they were due I have no issue doing it. They are pushrod pumpers right? Easy poo poo. Just need a box of ziploc bags and a marker pen. daslog has doubts. I can understand why. They don't have a great rep in general but it is also in part to the way they have been used. One reason I'm looking at them is they are one of the cheapest proper 4x4s available and their drivetrain is pretty good as long as it has been cared for. Yes I have a family, and no I'm not one of those people that inexplicably buys a huge tank of a thing to haul their sprog and their stupid 3 wheel pram, never venturing further than the supermarket. I'm after something that can put up with long hauls over bad roads without complaining, trips off road, and being useful the next time it floods. An old series 1 or early 2 would be awesome still. I could cruise in style like Les Hiddins. But without the hat.
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Oct 30, 2012 00:43
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Probably. As engine speed goes up, the voltage needed to fire the plug increases. This can lead to misfires. If it's fuel fouled (like if you only drive it short distances in the winter) then that's when you can have difficulty starting the engine or idling. For an old engine like that, you should be able to get new plugs pretty cheaply, so you might as well just replace them anyway.
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Oct 30, 2012 00:46
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Trying to do the rear drum brakes on my 2003 Protege and the drums have these phillips head screws holding the drums in place, and of course they're seized/wont come out. I plan on drilling the screws out, but do these things serve any actual purpose? Do I need to worry about getting new screws in there afterwards? Ideally I can drill the screws out and call it a day.
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Oct 30, 2012 01:05
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General_Failure posted:Rover Chat Its a good 4x4. Yes Motronic is completely correct... avoid Range Rovers, or if you do, come chit chat with me before hand. But even P38's have solid drive trains, its just the rest of the poo poo that explodes around it. Once you fix the HG its pretty much a rock solid truck. I keep looking for either a Disco or a RR Classic. Just a warning though, once you start wrenching on them, you get addicted. They are pretty easy to work on, plus most of the engine bay is easy to get at.
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Oct 30, 2012 01:22
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Sounds like you pretty well know what you are getting into and are quite well equipped to do so. D1's are great trucks for a mix of a near perfect wheel base, center diff lock, flexible suspension, capable in stock trim, and comfortable without all of the electronics and every drat thing going through the body control module like on the P38 Rangies and Disco 2s. In the US they are dirt cheap making them a total bargain for people like us. I can't speak to their comparative economy near you obviously.
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Oct 30, 2012 01:31
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`Nemesis posted:Trying to do the rear drum brakes on my 2003 Protege and the drums have these phillips head screws holding the drums in place, and of course they're seized/wont come out. On most cars the screws are only there for assembly line reasons, once the wheel's on they're held on my the lug nuts. Should be no problem.
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Oct 30, 2012 02:42
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`Nemesis posted:Trying to do the rear drum brakes on my 2003 Protege and the drums have these phillips head screws holding the drums in place, and of course they're seized/wont come out. You need a hand impact driver. As shown : http://www.sears.com/craftsman-impact-driver/p-00947641000P Here's a video explaining how it works : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxQk7Pz_vfc
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Oct 30, 2012 03:23
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`Nemesis posted:
And like the previous poster said, don't worry in the slightest about putting them back in afterwards.
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Oct 30, 2012 03:37
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Never mind, completely beaten
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Oct 30, 2012 04:42
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Pulling the trigger as it used to be said. Or more precisely agreed to the swap. Apparently it should be pretty easy to roadworthy, and once I do according to market value it's a relative upgrade. Wrenching on a car... oh no! Ahahahahaha. Motronic pretty much confirms what I thought so I feel relatively comfortable with the swap, even if it is a registered for an unregistered vehicle. Looks as though there are a few small details to work out with the transaction still but it should all be good. Confirm / deny: The '95 Discovery has a 40L fuel tank. If so that's bloody tiny and I'm glad it has dual LPG tanks too.
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Oct 30, 2012 05:26
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General_Failure posted:Confirm / deny: The '95 Discovery has a 40L fuel tank. If so that's bloody tiny and I'm glad it has dual LPG tanks too. I think its 23 gallons... So like 80 something for metric?
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Oct 30, 2012 05:28
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General_Failure posted:Confirm / deny: The '95 Discovery has a 40L fuel tank. If so that's bloody tiny and I'm glad it has dual LPG tanks too. I can't say if it has LPG fitted, but stock is 23 US gallons/89 liters. Also, you'll be needing this: http://macassemble.com/lrm/ Yes, it's down right now. Because of the hurricane I'm currently sitting in the middle of. But that's all the factory service manuals and electrical diagrams.
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Oct 30, 2012 05:33
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I think its 23 gallons... So like 80 something for metric? Did some more searching and confirmed what you said. Thanks. That's a reasonable size. About the same as my old ZL Fairlane had. Combined with the LPG tanks and it should be possible to go on a decent drive without needing a fill up. Yes I am sure I could use all that up in a day and then some. Done it more times than I want to remember. Not a whole lot but so many drat hours driving it's best forgotten. edit: much appreciated Motronic. Assuming the seller ...err other party is okay with me wanting to keep our respective electric brake controllers I don't foresee any transactional issues. It's a Tekonsha Prodigy. it cost a bloody lot and I don't want to part with it. General_Failure fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Oct 30, 2012 |
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Oct 30, 2012 05:36
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I think its 23 gallons... So like 80 something for metric? And I just put 22.6 gallons of fuel in my wife's Rover yesterday. What part of "fill it before it gets below 1/4 tank" and "it's not your goddamn Eclipse, stop driving a 2.5 ton wrecking machine like it's a sports car" is so hard to understand?
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Oct 30, 2012 05:46
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Motronic posted:And I just put 22.6 gallons of fuel in my wife's Rover yesterday. What part of "fill it before it gets below 1/4 tank" and "it's not your goddamn Eclipse, stop driving a 2.5 ton wrecking machine like it's a sports car" is so hard to understand? In all fairness, I do have a hard time adjusting from driving the E60, which is a god drat rocket ship to my RR. But with prices high, I just keep the pedal easy, which has translated into better MPG's in my E60 as well. v  v
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Oct 30, 2012 06:19
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BrokenKnucklez posted:In all fairness, I do have a hard time adjusting from driving the E60, which is a god drat rocket ship to my RR. She's had 6 years to adjust. She's just a road terror. Whatever. She get away with anything she wants and knows it.
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Oct 30, 2012 06:42
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I'm learning to mess with(or mess up idk) my car and wanted some tips. For reference, my car is a 1999 Toyota Celica GT convertible 5speed. 1. When my radiator still had a crack(fixed with jb weld after 3rd application), it would spray water(I never refilled it with coolant, just water), and the water has left brown stains all over my engine. A friend suggested this is evidence of rust inside the radiator. If this sounds right, how can I derust my radiator? If not, what might be the source of the brown? I read a recommendation on some fordmustang site to use vinegar? And another to use citric acid? The citric acid recommendation suggests cleaning the radiator with dishwashing powder to "de oil it" which sounds ridiculous but I don't know what I'm doing so I'm open to suggestions. 2. I use a spray bottle with water to clean my engine, and I'm starting to think that is a terrible idea with metal that can rust, and a battery. Is there some kind of spray I can use that doesn't rust? Some chemical? 3. When I am cleaning my engine, with the car completely turned off, is the battery a risk? I know I've read somewhere that you should disconnect your battery when...well some people say before you do absolutely anything under the hood. Is that the case? What do I need to do? Unclamp the positive? Both? Or is it fine unless I am actually doing something with the battery?
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Oct 30, 2012 06:43
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darwinnerd posted:1. When my radiator still had a crack(fixed with jb weld after 3rd application), it would spray water(I never refilled it with coolant, just water), and the water has left brown stains all over my engine. A friend suggested this is evidence of rust inside the radiator. If this sounds right, how can I derust my radiator? If not, what might be the source of the brown? Flush it. Drain the coolant, fill with water and run to temperature. Let it cool off. Drain the water. Still look like poo poo? Do it again. Until it doesn't. Then fill it with an appropriate mix of antifreeze and distilled water at a 50/50 ratio. Sure, you can use some vinegar or a commercial product to help. But it may not even be necessary. Also, replace your drat radiator while your at it. A JB Weld fix is temporary at best. And overheating on the highway after you JB puke your coolant out leads to an engine that is economically unfeasible to repair. darwinnerd posted:2. I use a spray bottle with water to clean my engine, and I'm starting to think that is a terrible idea with metal that can rust, and a battery. Is there some kind of spray I can use that doesn't rust? Some chemical? It's a terrible idea because it's basically ineffective. Use some degreaser and then rinse it off. You motor gets wet ALL THE TIME when you drive in the rain. It's designed for this. Just don't get crazy with high pressure water on electrical components or filling up your air box/filter. The less you use as the lightest pressure the better unless you know what you're spraying at. darwinnerd posted:3. When I am cleaning my engine, with the car completely turned off, is the battery a risk? I know I've read somewhere that you should disconnect your battery when...well some people say before you do absolutely anything under the hood. Is that the case? What do I need to do? Unclamp the positive? Both? Or is it fine unless I am actually doing something with the battery? Unless you are working on the car, especially the electrical system or welding on it somewhere this is mostly nonsense. The negative cable is sufficient in these cases.
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Oct 30, 2012 06:56
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darwinnerd posted:I'm learning to mess with(or mess up idk) my car and wanted some tips. For reference, my car is a 1999 Toyota Celica GT convertible 5speed. Most radiators are made of Aluminum and don't have a brown oxidation, it's a dull grey/silver. Citric Acid would probably work best since it's a [way] stronger acid than Acetic acid. Honestly I'd just flush it and save the effort I sprayed Purple Power all over my engine compartment after covering my fuse box, alternator, and intake. This degreased it after sitting about 20 minutes then I lightly sprayed it off with a garden hose. You'll want to cover the battery just to be safe but it should be fine on its own. My battery is in the trunk next to my spare so that made my life a little easier You shouldn't have to unhook it if you just cover it in a plastic bag.
FAT32 SHAMER fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Oct 30, 2012 |
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Oct 30, 2012 06:59
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My stupid questions: 2001 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat (5.4 automatic if it matters). Just replaced the battery, now the one-touch down window on the drivers door isn't one-touch. I assume there's some reprogramming involved, as the window is controlled by the GEM - but trying to find info on Google turns up a lot of stuff for newer models. I don't have the owner's manual, so.. How do I reprogram the one touch down window? The gauges also all pegged at max every time it was started (for the past couple of days) before replacing the battery, and once after replacement. They're fine now. I assume this is to be expected when the battery can barely turn the engine over, and after replacement, right? darwinnerd posted:I'm learning to mess with(or mess up idk) my car and wanted some tips. For reference, my car is a 1999 Toyota Celica GT convertible 5speed. For #1, your radiator, as well as pretty much every radiator on a car made since the mid-late 80s, is aluminum and plastic. It can't rust. However, your engine has an iron block, with small passages for coolant, and likely a steel water pump - which certainly can rust, especially when you run water instead of coolant. You can get a bottle of Prestone cooling system flush and follow the instructions - that will help a bit, as will flushing the entire system with fresh water multiple times. Then refill with the proper 50/50 distilled water/antifreeze mixture. Someone else may chime in with a better way to do this, but that's how I would do it. The water pump is usually replaced with the timing belt, so if you didn't do this for too long, the pump should be fine until its next replacement. Rust inside the cooling system is a major issue because it tends to clog passages and cause the water pump impellers to turn into iron oxide - and of course, rust isn't going to carry heat nearly as well as a proper coolant/water mix. Also, just replace the radiator already. They're not that expensive (under $100 online), and really easy to replace. Usually 2 bolts and 2-3 hoses for a manual, 2 bolts and 4-5 hoses for an automatic, plus the fans. Shouldn't take more than an hour if you do it yourself, it's just a messy job. The existing one should have a small drain plug somewhere. #2 - rust on the outside of the engine isn't going to hurt anything, every surface is very thick. Just cover any electrical connectors and cover the coils. But a spray bottle? That's less than what splashes up into the engine bay when you hit a deep puddle, it's not going to do much of anything.. not even cleaning, really. #3 - just don't soak the battery, 12 volts won't conduct very well through water. If the water does wind up conducting anything at the battery terminals, it'll turn into steam before it can do much. But if you're going to disconnect a battery, disconnect the negative first. Getting it really wet is a bad idea more because you may be washing some nasty crap into the vents, which will reduce the battery life. And definitely don't soak the alternator. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:25 on Oct 30, 2012 |
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Oct 30, 2012 07:19
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Australia goons, I come seeking confirmation of my madness. I'm in Hobart, Tasmania for four months as part of an internship / foreign exchange thing in my PhD. Back home in Saskatchewan, Canada (the flat empty boring bit in the middle) I am in the habit of long, semi-aimless drives on the weekends, in my BMW e36. I want to buy a car while I'm here in Tassie and carry on with my Sunday Drives, and I thought for four months I could tolerate the faults of the most Australian car I could think of: a ute! I intend to dive into the Ford-vs.-Holden thing as an outsider, and with my budget of $5000 I find the local market has a fair abundance of mid-90s Ford Falcons and Holden Commodore VS. When I go looking at these vehicles, is there anything in particular I should watch out for? Head gaskets, suspension parts, body rust in very unfortunate places, service history lacking something? Alternative (and somehow topical) - there are also a few Land Rovers around in my budget, e.g. a 1997 Discovery (seller doesn't mention it on the ad, but I'm gussing it's the V8). Is Tasmania full of roads that a Disco could venture down but a family-sedan-with-the-back-chopped-down fear to tread? I want to get into the National Parks and other wilderness / semi-wilderness areas, but I don't feel the need to drive beyond the car park, which might be at the end of an unsealed road.
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Oct 30, 2012 08:00
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Not really sure if this belongs here but I figure one of you guys are qualified to answer this. After hurricane sandy rolled through I decided that it's time to have a generator of my own. I am looking for something moderately quiet but doesn't have to be honda quiet. Just something that isn't completely obnoxious if I decide to take it to a music festival or something. I am looking for something in the 2-3kw range. I know the usual go to is the honda EU line but they seem way expensive when you look at the competition. Another question/consideration what a good inverter that I could just keep in my jeep. A question on that note, if I would go that route how big can I go with a factor alternator? Is it inadvisable to run a vehicle just to power an inverter? edit: Nevermind, crunching the numbers on what an alternator can actually produce makes me realize that between the draw and the lack of airflow on a fixed idling vehicle I would wind up with a melted alternator right quick. Quarantini fucked around with this message at 10:32 on Oct 30, 2012 |
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Oct 30, 2012 10:19
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some texas redneck posted:My stupid questions: Check out a F-150 forum, there's probably a quick fix trick you have to perform. On my Mazda if you take the battery out you have to put each window all the way down, then hit down again until you hear a click, then put the window all the way back up in order to reactivate one touch down. Try that maybe?
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Oct 30, 2012 15:08
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