Ok, so this really isn't a 'Mod' per-se, but the work took easily 8 hours so I thought it was worth posting the pictures & describing the madness.
Since I got my XJ friday, I assumed the maintenance was historically sub par and that I'd need to change the oil, oil filter, air filter right off the bat. And the brakes were shot, so they needed to be replaced too. So after discussing which brakes I needed with Jerry (rear is a ford 8.8) a trip to Autozone yielded oil, oil filter, air filter, all new rotors & brake pads. Unfortunately for us (and we didn't find this out until 5 hours into the project @ 12AM at night) the clerk who sold me the rotors did not know the difference between Full-Cast & Composite rotors. Apparantly the difference is hub height, and if you get ones that are to deep (like we did by accident) the wheels don't turn when you tighten them.....
Anyway, the brake system was massively rusted, rotors probably haven't been changed in 2+ years. Had a hell of a time getting stuff off. I had to beat the old rotor with a hammer (hard) to get it off the hub. Didn't find out till late sat night that we had the wrong rotors so we had to finish up sunday morning. Didn't find out till we were on the last brake that there is a device called a 'brake pad seperator'(?) that makes what we were doing much much easier. But at least now we know...
[img width=500]http://images19.fotki.com/v358…8/4242958/IMG_1878-vi.jpg[/img]
It's such a lovely shade of rust....
[img width=500]http://images20.fotki.com/v355…8/4242958/IMG_1877-vi.jpg[/img]
[img width=500]http://images19.fotki.com/v358…8/4242958/IMG_1882-vi.jpg[/img]
[img width=500]http://images19.fotki.com/v358…8/4242958/IMG_1880-vi.jpg[/img]
much, much better
[img width=500]http://images20.fotki.com/v355…8/4242958/IMG_1883-vi.jpg[/img]
I think this has something to do with the non-existant parking brake on the Ford 8.8 in the rear)
[img width=500]http://images20.fotki.com/v357…8/4242958/IMG_1874-vi.jpg[/img]
the jeep is kinda tall; this is me standing on a step-ladder just to reach the oil filter)
[img width=500]http://images20.fotki.com/v355…8/4242958/IMG_1885-vi.jpg[/img]
In person it looks like the cherokee could eat my Z
I do have a request for some help though. In the process of replacing the front brakes we found out that the bolt/socket that holds the caliper to the (wheel?) has been somewhat stripped. After much discussion we think it would be the most reasonable to fill it with steel and re-tap it. If there is anyone in northern DE who could help me with that sometime, I would be most appreciative. It's not urgent, but I will have to do it eventually.
