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Now that better weather is approaching, i can start ripping into my rust issues, which are a bit abnormal. Long story short with this creation, some high school kid was taking a welding class which somehow inspired him to chop the butt off this cherokee and put a small truck bed in it. It looks great from a distance, but from the moment you get up in there you start noticing serious issues. I'm now convinced that the makeshift bed is the reason i get inches of water in my floorboards every time weather hits. Let's dig in and see if i'm right. First i started tearing up the upholstery. Not too difficult just time consuming. The carpets were ripe enough they were growing moss, among other questionable stains. By the time i got the carpet out i realized the insulation was essentially acting like a sponge, keeping the floor wet for likely weeks after a storm would hit.   The final damage wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. Have a few small holes but even the sketchy areas held up to prodding with a screwdriver. The damage around the shifter was the most surprising.   Now off to the truck bed area. It was fabricated with diamond plate aluminum and plywood, with rivets holding it together, and duct tape and globs of silicone in the corners trying to pretend they are sealing something.  Here's the view of it from the inside.  And the outside, after getting the first chunk of aluminum off the back.  Close up view of the stellar job sealing the cab. When i got the bottom piece of the bed out, i discovered a truly brilliant feat of engineering. The kid that put this all together used the insulating material for the carpet to support the bottom of the truck bed. Despite making attempts to seal the corners of the bed, there was nothing sealing off the bottom aluminum plate, and this insulation. So with every storm, water entered this area freely.    Good stuff. Honestly not sure what they were thinking.  Here's a close up of the corner of the bed near the wheel. Though i'm not positive, i suspect that this area in particular (and it's twin on the right side) may be the cause of the gallons of water entering the cab. All in all, it looks bad, but the metal seems solid, and aside from a few pea sized holes on the driver side floor, everything seems alright. Action plan is to hit everything with some rust removal treatment to make life easier, then get to work with a wirebrush and sandpaper for any of the more problem areas. Once that's done i'll be repainting it with some funky heavy duty rust inhibitor stuff called POR-15, which is supposed to be pretty good, assuming you follow the 4 step process to the letter. Once that's done, then i get to figure out how to get it all back together again, the right way.
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Apr 17, 2021 13:40
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| # ? May 15, 2024 20:51 |
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"welding class" - insert a dozen pictures of a horrific silicone, OSB, diamondplate, and duct tape redneck abortion - Man, I don't envy you and the cleanup ahead.
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Apr 17, 2021 14:20
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kastein posted:"welding class" Yeah...What part of that was welded?! There are XJ floor patch panels available on Etsy. A friend installed a new driver’s floor last winter. His was bad enough the carpet was the only thing holding your feet in.
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Apr 17, 2021 16:44
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The jeep itself has quite the history, with about 4 owners between the kid who chopped it and me. Many strangers have come up to me and told me, "Hey, that's xxxxx's jeep!" and over time i got bits and pieces of the story. He was taking welding classes at a local tech school as a high school side class, and he fabricated his own bumpers, roof rack, and sliders. I'm not certain where he got the inspiration to chop it, but honestly, i don't hold it against him. He had big dreams and did the best he could with his skills at the time, which is a hell of a lot more than i could say for most people. In the end, he had a jeep that was, despite it's flaws, instantly recognizable and remembered through a large chunk of the valley. He's since moved on to the big city 2 hours south and is to my understanding working at a pretty high end body shop. So i'm assuming his skills have greatly improved since. At some point he must have sobered up to just exactly how poor of a job he did on his creation, and rumor has it he sold it to one of his high school friends. That friend put in a bunch of suspension work, installed lockers front and rear, and swapped the axels to what i want to say are dana 44's. There was a third owner after that (i ran into third owner's brother apparently) who said the suspension work had been done when he got it. This third owner threw some ebay lights on it (including red headlights, hello mister law man) and generally ran the hell out of it along the mountains without much maintenance. I also believe that he was responsible for the "high performance" fuel injectors that was giving me emission issues after i got it (more on that later). I bought it from a friend of mine that works at a steel factory and has more money than he knows what to do with. He bought it because he wanted a jeep and liked the uniqueness of it. Once he got it, it was having transmission issues and would not pass emissions, among many smaller problems. Eventually he ended up buying a classic land cruiser for him to dump money on, and at some point his wife was giving him poo poo that he needed to get rid of some of his toys (he had like 7 project vehicles packed bumper to bumper into a small back yard). So he picked his favorite two and made plans to sell the rest. He knew i was looking for a jeep and made me an offer. $2k for the jeep with brand new 33" tires and rims. I bought it and the problems became mine. I had no mechanic experience and saw it as a learning experience, but holy gently caress did i have no idea what i was getting myself into. It's a 1989 cherokee, and has no OBDII. I spent around 18 months trying to get it to pass emissions, replacing all sensors, vacuum lines, plugs, ECU, distributor, fuel pump etc. A local mechanic heard about my issues and made an offer to fix it at a discount just out of curiosity of what was wrong. He had it for 3 weeks, before we discovered the fuel injectors, though brand new, were dumping excessive amounts of fuel. We tried tracking down the part number online and ended up at a listing on alibaba that was no longer available. Problem solved, and a year and a half after buying it i had a plate and registration. He also tracked down my transmission issues as a faulty TCU. He fixed both issues with junkyard parts for $200, and i owe him the world for everything he did to help me out. It's been about 3 years now that i've had it, and i've continued to fix it up and learn along the way. Some fixes include rebuilding the whole cooling system, starter, alternator, valve cover seal, leaking transmission pan, all u-joints, tracking down ground issues in the wiring harness, and new speakers and stereo (why not?). It's ran great all winter, and with the coming of spring we're moving on to body work and rust removal. Future plans include new paint, a properly welded bumper, and a moderately large battery bank behind the rear seats.
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Apr 17, 2021 18:17
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I should also throw these pictures in here. I managed to start treating the rust on the driver side before the temperature dipped down again. The driver side is treated in comparison to the passenger side. in the second picture is the worst part of the floor below the pedals. you can also see where the friend i bought the jeep from drilled a hole in the floor pan to deal with the water issue. It's in the bottom left corner below the yellow wire. It looks bad, but honestly i think i's gonna be alright. 
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Apr 17, 2021 18:36
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The details are horrific, but I kinda dig the overall look.
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Apr 17, 2021 19:15
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It's a good jeep, just needed someone who's going to care for it right and not run it into the ground. I see too many cherokee's that are basically considered second class citizen's in the jeep world, and people off-road and bang them up like it. It's not about what you drive, it's about what you got. So take care of your car. Will post updates as weather allows.
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Apr 17, 2021 20:24
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Not An Arsonist posted:It's a 1989 cherokee, and has no OBDII. You might already be familiar with this, but a kid named Nick reverse engineered the primitive RENIX computer in the pre-OBD jeeps and designed/builds/sells a reader that will show you simple readouts for the things/sensors that are monitored. Game changer for trouble shooting emissions crap. https://nickintimedesign.com/product/renix-engine-monitor-ii/
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Apr 17, 2021 20:25
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Yes i did know about it, i just didn't know about it until AFTER we resolved the emission issues. Definitely going to be getting his REM module and the AW4 trans plugin once it's out of prototype. There's no way i'm playing in the dark again next time i got issues with a renix.
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Apr 17, 2021 20:30
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I think I want that shift controller - kastein, is that thing a bad idea? I like the idea of it not requiring cutting, and of using the factory shifter. Flip a switch off-road and be able to select gears directly without a dial or buttons everywhere. Also the cruisin’ USA shifter, but I’m not going to actually do that lol
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Apr 17, 2021 21:20
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Nick is a drat smart guy even not considering the fact that he's only in high school or college IIRC. He is going places and I recommend his products. I'd have a REM myself if I hadn't bought a snapon mt2500 with the RENIX and obd1 adapters before he came out with it. I bet those are the well known "k suspension upgrade injectors". Everyone worth a poo poo who tunes jeeps wants nothing to do with them because they're crap, but the highschooler mud basher XJ crew swear they improve everything from idle to fuel economy and throttle response.
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Apr 18, 2021 03:56
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Good enough for me, order placed. I'll post about it when it gets here and I get to install, but I'm already excited!
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Apr 18, 2021 04:17
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kastein posted:I bet those are the well known "k suspension upgrade injectors". Nah not the same. The main reason people go for the "k-suspension" upgrade is the injectors are 4 port instead of a single. All 6 of mine were single port. Theory is that it vaporizes the fuel better than the singe port, kinda like the difference between the squirt and mist settings on a spray bottle. I've honestly considered swapping to them since who knows how long the scrapyard injectors have left before acting up. Everything i've heard about them has been pretty solid, what's the gripe about them?
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Apr 18, 2021 17:02
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Send away scrapyard injectors to be cleaned. They function like new for about $20/injector.
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Apr 18, 2021 17:10
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I put some of the orange plastic 4-port injectors in and they work fine. I noticed zero difference.
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Apr 19, 2021 01:51
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Not An Arsonist posted:Nah not the same. The main reason people go for the "k-suspension" upgrade is the injectors are 4 port instead of a single. All 6 of mine were single port. Theory is that it vaporizes the fuel better than the singe port, kinda like the difference between the squirt and mist settings on a spray bottle. I've honestly considered swapping to them since who knows how long the scrapyard injectors have left before acting up. Everything i've heard about them has been pretty solid, what's the gripe about them? The dozens of people I've seen post on FB or NAXJA with lovely running engines who then found out that their ksuspension injectors were the cause of it. Replacing them with decent injectors or yes, even junkyard stock ones usually makes it run right again. The other thing is that yeah, sure, they atomize better, but 4 hole injectors were available to OEMs for most of the XJ run and if they actually improved things noticeably in any way they would have put them in at the factory, they don't cost a significantly different amount. The funniest part is that the 12 port ones he sells are intended for a 2 intake valve, 1 port engine so they have 2 groups of nozzles, and as a result when put in an XJ manifold and intake, a good half of them spray directly on the port wall instead of at the valve. But people still line up to buy em... And claim they make things better, because it's easier than admitting they can't tell or wasted money on snake oil.
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Apr 19, 2021 03:54
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Hello Jeep people. I come seeking guidance. While I had always thought Cherokees were the right SUV to get unless one needed a suburban, I still drive a sedan and I had never really considered getting a real Jeep before this year. I have admired Jeeps with no tops on them in the summer before, but I never thought I actually wanted to buy one. My 6 year old has actually been trying to convince me to buy one for like 3 years now. Last weekend it got warm here and I went to the drive-in with my family where I saw a bitchin' vintage lifted jeep with cool graphics on it and the roof off. My son of course loudly insisted I should buy one, and something clicked over in my head. I feel like I need a Jeep now. It might have passed, but the next day My son brought it up again in the car with my wife. I said, Yeah, I have been thinking a Jeep with a stick shift sounds like a lot of fun, actually. My wife said she had been thinking the same thing, and that if I wanted to buy one I could, as long as I also buy a cheap pickup for yard debris (the previous plan had been to buy a truck). I don't like how the ones made after the TJ look, so I am thinking TJ or YJ, or possibly a CJ. I do not commute, so it will be used mostly on the weekend. I do not plan to heavily mod it or do serious off-roading. The worst I would do would be fire roads, dirt roads, stuff like that. I would like to be able to get whatever jeep buy up to 70 on the highway, but I will generally not be driving super long distances in it. Would going with a 4 cylinder be a terrible Idea? How much will I hate myself if I get a CJ? Do the soft tops let a lot of water in and cause rust? I live in Oregon s we don't salt the roads, but water intrusion can be a thing here.
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Apr 24, 2021 05:36
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You only want to buy a four cylinder Jeep if you're planning on driving it straight into the garage and LS swapping it before you drive any further.
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Apr 24, 2021 06:40
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I had a 4cyl YJ for a while. It was cheap and really light weight, the drat thing felt like it was bouncing down the road. A lot of fun. It absolutely suffered on the highway though -- once in Kentucky I had to downshift into third and climb a mountain at 40mph in the right lane with the truckers. Get a 6cyl if you can find it, but don't be afraid of a 4cyl if it's just going to be a fun bang-around-town jeep.
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Apr 24, 2021 14:09
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therobit posted:Hello Jeep people. I come seeking guidance. Don't get a 4 cylinder, and don't get a truck too. Get a 4.0, skip the truck and get a small flatbed trailer for $500 and put a hitch on the jeep.
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Apr 24, 2021 14:48
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Can I recommend a nice Comanche here or what
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Apr 24, 2021 15:36
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kastein posted:Can I recommend a nice Comanche here or what The Jeep Comanche is cool a small pickups go, but does not scratch my itch for a Jeep Wrangler or CJ. The pickup just needs to be a little beater pickup for hauling stuff to the dump or the wood recycling place, and will be had for 1500 or less. It's really a non-issue for me to get one of those. I'm more interested in what I need to know about buying TJs, CJs and YJs. There are videos on Youtube, but they all seem to be geared towards people who want to do rock crawling and poo poo. I am not really interested in rock crawling. I mean it sounds kind of fun, but I read one too many of your posts, Kastein, about driving into the woods and wailing on your jeep until something breaks and then replacing parts and doing it again the next weekend. I am not interested in doing that much work! I am glad to have that answered about 4cl being a no-go. I am not wanting to do an LS swap. Can anyone speak to soft tops and if they are a bad idea in the PNW?
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Apr 24, 2021 18:16
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therobit posted:I am glad to have that answered about 4cl being a no-go. I am not wanting to do an LS swap. Can anyone speak to soft tops and if they are a bad idea in the PNW? I bought the cheapest aftermarket top available for my TJ and it seems to keep the water out. Of course, I live in the desert so this doesn't get tested often. I don't think the hard tops are that much better because it's not like anything TJ or earlier actually seals well anywhere around the tub.
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Apr 24, 2021 18:29
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IOwnCalculus posted:I bought the cheapest aftermarket top available for my TJ and it seems to keep the water out. Of course, I live in the desert so this doesn't get tested often. I don't think the hard tops are that much better because it's not like anything TJ or earlier actually seals well anywhere around the tub. Sitting in my buddies brand new hard top JL Rubicon, you can see light through the door seals. Jeeps are not for staying dry.
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Apr 24, 2021 21:50
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This makes me feel a little about my XJ, because they’re the same. I’m still going to redo the door seals in the hope of making it better, but oof
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Apr 24, 2021 22:32
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My TJ is better against water intrusion than my Ranger, but that's because the latter had a completely failed seal around either the third brake / cargo light, or the rear window seal itself. It also had a headliner that would then get waterlogged. It's not like you're going to get soaked driving one in a rainstorm top up, or get into a squishy wet seat, but I wouldn't consider the interior of a TJ to be a "closed" space.
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Apr 25, 2021 02:36
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I don’t see anything wrong with 4 cylinders if they’re geared right and you’re not planning to slog a mud pit with them. If this is a fun toy it doesn’t need a ton of power - a 4 cylinder jeep is comparable to a Toyota pickup and they still sell those with 4 cylinders. That said, a 6 cylinder LJ with a hitch would do you well. For ease of wrenching an OBDII engine is probably best so you’re looking at a TJ or LJ. Of course, if you’re okay working on weird fuel injection setups or carburetors a YJ or CJ would be awesome. A 4.2 YJ with a CJ front clip (which could be a father/son project way down the road) would be way up my list, personally. And as said above, get a cheap dump run trailer.
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Apr 26, 2021 01:14
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Going to have to agree. The YJ 4L I6 is a great engine but it struggles up mountain passes at 65mph. You can go 50--55, or 75mph, but not 65 unless you want to be burning it up in 4th gear. I can't imagine a four cylinder being happy over 60mph.
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Apr 26, 2021 01:23
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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:Going to have to agree. The YJ 4L I6 is a great engine but it struggles up mountain passes at 65mph. You can go 50--55, or 75mph, but not 65 unless you want to be burning it up in 4th gear. I can't imagine a four cylinder being happy over 60mph. Last time I had Jeepers (95 4cyl YJ on 31s) on a highway, it was in fifth, foot almost flat on the floor, and just about able to cruise at 60. It probably would have been flat-out at 65 or possibly 70. There is NO passing power. Highlights of the AMC 2.5 include: sounding vaguely like an MB with the L-head 4, and being nearly as bullet-proof as the 4.0. That’s about it. The thing is a lump. 
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Apr 26, 2021 16:47
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Jumping on the bandwagon for a trailer over a cheap pickup. Pretty much the cheapest trailer you can buy will have more space than a pickup bed and there is no maintenance aside from tires and greasing the axle every once in a while. Insurance and registration is a bunch cheaper as well. Also it takes up less space and is usually easier to load because it's lower to the ground.
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Apr 26, 2021 16:51
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One caveat with the trailer: unless you have a hard top for your Wrangler, you will have to buy your own trailer. UHaul won't rent to a soft-top Jeep. Also, my TJ on a 3" (cheap) lift and 33" tires is sketchy as gently caress on the freeway already, I wouldn't want to tow with it. A CJ/YJ with leaf springs might be a bit better in this regard.
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Apr 26, 2021 16:55
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IOwnCalculus posted:One caveat with the trailer: unless you have a hard top for your Wrangler, you will have to buy your own trailer. UHaul won't rent to a soft-top Jeep. You just gotta find a u-haul where they don't pay a lot of attention.
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Apr 26, 2021 16:57
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Wait, so there are u-hauls where they do pay attention? In unrelated news my Nifty Shifter Jr is out for delivery and I'm unreasonably excited.
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Apr 26, 2021 17:06
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My JK leaks water when it feels like it but its got seat covers, i pulled the carpet and bedlinered the whole floor, and I leave the drains out year round so gently caress it let it rain.
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Apr 29, 2021 23:29
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Krakkles posted:Wait, so there are u-hauls where they do pay attention? used to rent trailers on a regular from a local location (corporate store) in NJ, Bad neighborhood but awesome staff, their equipment was well maintained and the staff kicked rear end, talk about a rarity.
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Apr 30, 2021 15:27
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Update on the chopped abomination. It's about as empty as it can get, minus the dash and headboard. There's a few more holes i've noticed in the floor, but none larger than about the size of a pea. Considering some videos i've watched have twice as much carpet than floor, i'd say it's not that bad, and i got lucky it's held up as well as it did given the circumstances. Now that all damage is known, we can start the recovery process.
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May 2, 2021 15:54
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Nifty Shifter JR is installed, is also cool as hell.
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May 3, 2021 05:04
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Krakkles posted:Nifty Shifter JR is installed, is also cool as hell. Neat. What does it use for a switch? I was looking at the MontanaFab one which only requires like a single wire splice (I guess the connector they used to make it PnP went out of production).
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May 5, 2021 03:07
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Philip J Fry posted:Neat. What does it use for a switch? The factory shifter. Put it in manual mode, D becomes 3, D3 is 2, 1-2 is 1. Flip the overdrive switch (you can wire whatever you want for this, it includes a switch on the display), it bumps them each up a gear (so 4,3,2 instead of 3,2,1). They also support RADesigns Rails, and basically any kind of switch, including joysticks with momentary switches. (Apparently the Cruisin' USA shifter is an option, but eh, effort.) Some more details on my install: Krakkles posted:Installed a Nifty Shifter JR. Pretty painless to install, uses the factory shifter to allow manual control over forward gears, optionally includes a nice gear readout, and is completely reversible. Well, except for what I did, because ain't nothing on this Jeep getting reversed. All super simple wiring with an included ribbon cable - literally "attach this to one side of a switch, this to the other". Having driven it now, it works perfectly, and I'm going to wire up a relay to block TC Lockup in first and second gear, then not touch it all until I get to go wheeling again. Krakkles fucked around with this message at 03:44 on May 5, 2021 |
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May 5, 2021 03:39
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| # ? May 15, 2024 20:51 |
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 gently caress you you stupid POS jeep. Time for a new water pump 
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May 15, 2021 15:30
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