Posts by Chief57

  • Tracking problem on 98 TJ

    On the way home from work a half hour ago, a guy who was behind me for a mile or two pulled up beside me at a light and told me that my 1998 TJ is not tracking straight down the road. It's crabbing a little. I'd like to take some measurements to verify his claim. Can someone please tell me 1) where I should measure, and 2) what is the common culprit. (Aaron 18 months or so ago you told me that I probably have the wrong size bolt in one of my rear lower control arms, causing some play. I never did anything about it. Could this be the culprit?) If anyone in the Dover area has expertise with this, I'll come to you for the lesson.

  • **DEJA Poker Run/Early Summer Bash @ Schaefer's Canal House June 10 '17**

  • TJ listing to starboard

    Thanks Jerry. It'll be hard to measure from the center of the wheel, because of the nature of the MT Classic II wheels. The cap is recessed back a fair amount, so it's not a straight line measurement. For the body mount measurements, I'll do that, but just making a visual inspection they seemed to be the same all the way around.


    Since my last post, Fabtech did just offer to sell me four new springs for $150 plus shipping. I don't have money to blow, but I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to replace my 8-year-old springs with new ones for around $200 (allowing $50 for shipping). Anyone have an opinion on that? Or should I simply swap the DS and PS springs that I already have? Or, option 3, should I just live with the slight lean that now exists (now that I have the tires properly inflated)?

  • TJ listing to starboard

    Slowpoke and Deadfeat both make excellent points! I will commence working on the driver's weight right away! Actually, I'm embarrassed to say that I did not think about the tire pressure. I run 33" tires. I put a gauge on the PS rear tire, and sure enough it was low at 22psi. I brought it back to 33psi, and of course that had an impact -- the difference went from 1 1/4" to just 1/2".


    Slimer, I hopefully measured correctly as you suggested. I'm not sure I did exactly what you had in mind, but the measurements were about the same from DS to PS. So, to figure out what accounts for the remaining 1/2" of lean, am back to the springs and the body mounts.


    I've heard before that TJs leaning to PS is a fairly normal thing, but I don't get it. Why would that be?

  • TJ listing to starboard

    I've known for some time now that my 98 TJ has had a very slight lean to it; the passenger side is lower. Well, that difference has become pronounced. Measuring from my AtoZ rock rails just in front of the rear tires, there's about 1 1/4" difference -- huge! I know this might not capture it, but here's a picture from the rear:



    In 2008 I installed a Fabtech 4" suspension lift. The major weight additions are the front and rear bumpers, the AtoZ side armor, and the winch. I called Fabtech about this, thinking that one or two springs are the issue, and the best they'll do is give me a discount on purchasing new springs. (Springs are not covered under the lifetime warranty.) So, questions......


    Do any other DEJA TJ owners have this issue?
    If not the springs, what is the common cause of leaning to the passenger side? More important, what is the fix?
    Can coil springs be reconditioned to restore their original size/strength? If so, is that cost effective?


    Any other thoughts on this are appreciated. Unless you're on a sailboat, listing to starboard stinks!!

  • Chief's offroad trailer build

    Quote from quadna

    Good update, Jim. How about capping the top of it at that seam? Have Drew use his brake to bend up a "C" channel cap that you slide over the top.

    Actually, that sounds like a pretty good idea. It'll add a little extra weight to the trailer, but since it already weighs more than a Sherman tank I won't worry about it.


    Jeremy, I did not use the steel sheet I already had, since it was super heavy. I used sheet metal Drew already had handy in his shop -- I just bought it from him. For the floor, I only know at this point that it'll be wood. Might be marine-grade plywood, but I"m also mulling over tongue and groove hardwood flooring.

  • "Mountain" Climbing

    I'm sorry that I'm coming to this thread so late, but I just wanted to chime in about my recent experience. A few years ago I decided I wanted to do some sort of memorable adventure with my teenage son, and I set upon a long-term plan to hike the highest peak in each of the Northeast states. By design, we've knocked out one climb per year. Four years ago it was Mount Washington (NH), then Mount Greylock (MA), then Mount Katahdin (ME), and then last year Mount Mansfield (VT). We knocked out Jerimoth HIll in Rhode Island during the Katahdin trip, and you can do that in your flip flops if you like. This year we hope to take on Mount Marcy (NY).


    With most of these peaks, there is the opportunity to do a little bouldering along the way if that's your cup of tea. Each experience has been a little different. (We did climb in Connecticut. That state is a little funky, because the highest "point" in the state is actually on the side of a mountain that peaks in Massachusetts.) I made sure to take plenty of pictures, not so much for myself, but for Michael so that he could show his kids one day.


    In my opinion, even though Washington has the greatest vertical ascent, Katahdin has been the most difficult trip thus far -- not because it's the farthest, but because the mountain is remote and because access to it is restricted. It's also a tough climb, and it cost me some minor knee surgery. Now I'm 60 and he's 18, and I'm hoping my health and his interest will allow us to continue our adventure for at least a couple of more years.


    Deadfeat, I'm sure people would like to hear about your Mount Fuji climb!

  • Chief's offroad trailer build

    Much, much, much overdue update on this build, which has been dormant for some time. The trailer-from-hell has been sitting in my friend Drew's machine shop in Cheswold for way too long, truly testing our friendship! With help from Drew and his many machine shop toys, I started cutting and shaping the skin.



    Before welding the pieces to the frame, I took them home and did two things. I drilled holes that lined up with the frame so that I could make some rosette welds, and I slapped on a coat of primer.


    Drew and I posed with the masterpiece.


    The side walls will actually be in two overlapping pieces. I have to decide what I want to do about the long edge that runs along the top rail of the trailer. Do I tack weld it every few inches, or do I attempt to run a weld the entire length of the edge? I'm leaning toward periodic spot welds. I'm just concerned about water running down between the skin and the frame.


    The next phase will be the front wall. Compared to the side walls, it'll really be tricky.

  • Online article about various winch brands

    The emailed Four Wheeler Newsletter I received this morning featured a review of several winch brands, some of which I never knew. Even though the article isn't really detailed, I thought it was worth sharing with the gang:


    http://www.fourwheeler.com/fea…-here-are-18-to-consider/


    BTW, my own winch isn't even mentioned in the article. It's a Champion, with a pretty unimpressive list of specifications.....but it's gotten me out of a jam or two.

  • TJ headlight adjustment screws

    My 1998 TJ uses T15 torx screws to both hold the headlight housing to the frame, and also to hold the chrome bezel that surrounds the housing. I've lost some of those screws, and, almost unbelievably, the local Jeep dealer can't get them for me. Can anyone recommend a substitute screw? Perhaps a sheet metal screw of some sort? (I'm guessing these are readily available at the usual hardware stores.) Thanks.

  • Considering a welder

    My Lincoln Pro MIG 180, which is 220VAC, has served me well. Truthfully, the welder (machine) is much better than the welder (person), but I'm hoping to grow into it. One key factor is the portability of 110VAC. It's nice to be able to grab your welding stuff and run over to a friend's house to help him one afternoon. Everybody has 110. With a 220, you're more limited. In my case, I made a nice 220 circuit in my garage, and I invested in an extension cord that gives me plenty of wiggle room.

  • DEJA Meeting & Jeeps for Joy Wish List Drive - 12/10 Pike Creek

    Quote from Imarammr

    We're game. We live in Middletown, we will slide in from the Odessa side of Rt1 or Rt13. Toll doesn't matter for us.

    I think I misread the original post, so I think my timing is off by an hour. If the objective is to be there for a 1:00 p.m. meeting, we'd need to depart the north Dover Wawa at 12:00 noon sharp. So, I'll be there around 11:45 or so, with tires rolling at 12:00. If there are a few in the convoy, let's take Route 1 for the sake of keeping together. Otherwise, I think it's a ripoff on weekends and would just as soon take Route 13.

  • LED headlights

    Pulled the trigger yesterday! Got the regular (not Stealth) version of the Q-tec lights for $269.99 and free shipping. That wasn't a Black Friday deal -- anyone with the club discount should be able to get that price.

  • LED headlights

    FWIW, according to the Qtec rep I chatted with online, the Qtec LEDs are the same lumens as the TruckLites. May be worth double checking, but that's what I was told.

  • DEJA Meeting & Jeeps for Joy Wish List Drive - 12/10 Pike Creek

    Usually there's some interest in a southern Delaware convoy to this event. So, I'll suggest a rendezvous at the north Dover Wawa, with a departure from there set for 12:30. That'll get us there slightly before 2:00. How's that sound?


    That said, assuming there's interest in a convoy, we should consider whether or not to take the toll road ($3.00 on a weekend) or shoot up Route 13. I can go either way.

  • LED headlights

    The Quadratec Stealth 7" LED headlight are rated at 1169 lumens on highbeam, and 619 on lowbeam. Just so I can sort of quantify the difference, can anyone tell me the lumens that the OEM headlights put out? How about halogen headlights? (I think I'm using halogens I got from Quadna.) Aside from the cool look and all that, I'd like to be able to do an "apples to apples" comparison on the light that that will be thrown out ahead of my TJ. Any other metrics I should consider?


    I see that the Stealth headlight has dropped in price by about $75! The install seems fairly easy (read: idiot-proof). Thinking of pulling the ol' trigger. Thanks.

  • **DEJA Free Member Post-Holiday Appreciation Party Sat Jan 7 2017**

    1. Stafford
    2. Whatevah +1 adult
    3. Imarammr +1 adult
    4. Captain II
    5. clendaniel +1 child
    6. jc1121 +1 child
    7. quadna
    8. Icky
    9. Kuntryboy816 +1 adult, maybe 2 kids (?)
    10.ForMud
    11. Spedly +1 adult and 1 child
    12. Keith.eric +1 adult
    13. JKGray10
    14. AEZ
    15. Deadfeat
    16. JBates
    17. KBates
    18. ABates
    19. Flutterby
    20. Woody
    21. Slimer + Guest
    22. Hagar the Horrible
    23. JKGirl
    24. 2000sahara
    25. Jcab
    26. Chief57 + 2

  • INVITATION to 1st ANNUAL SANSONE COMPETITION & CUSTOM JEEP SHOW

    As chief of the Grammar Police, I feel it's my sworn duty to inform the citizenry that there is no such thing as a "First Annual" anything. An event can only be considered "annual" after the first one is held. More properly, it could be called "inaugural" or "first ever." As this is her first offense, I'll just issue a warning. Don't hate me. :spinrhead:


    Looks like a cool event!