Posts by Tonka

Its pretty easy. Use a puller as it makes the job nice and easy. If your arm has never been of squirt the bolt with some wd the night before you start the job and it might help you out if the nut is seized at all. I just did mine a few months ago. I would recomend not using the harbor frieght puller though. It might work for a while but eventually it will break and although they may replace it for free that ussually means that you are half way through a job and your rig is out of commision at the time when you now need to go to the store and return it (thats exactly what happened to me). An auto shop will carry them for about 25-30 and you can see the strength difference in the metals. Im not sure about yj's but I know on the TJ you can upgrade to a durango box and it gives you a little more turning power and less turns.

They are safe provided you loctite them and torgue correctly. I initially installed them years ago on my tj and since it said to retorque them after 200 miles I figured I would wait to loctite them untill I retorqued. Long story short, 50 or so miles later my front drivers wheel came off coming up to an intersection. Nobody was hurt but I thrashed a rotor and fender flare. Plus my wife wouldent get in the jeep for about a month. I put them back on correctly and ran them for another 6 months with no issues untill I could get wheels with the correct backspacing. I wouldent run them again only because it would be a pain to change out axle shafts on the trail with the additional lugs, plus I had to torch mine to get them loose when I finally did take them off because I went a little crazy with the loctite on round 2. I have friends that run them with no issues though. Im not bashing them by any means, just sharing my (user error) experience.

I finally sent my application and Dues so Ill probably come out and meet you guys for this.

I think I ended up paying $700. I did buy the cat seperate so thats not included but summit has them for around $60 for the universal fit cats. I know thats steep but that included all stainless 3" mandrel bent pipe, all new hangers, new o2 sensor, the tip, plus notching the tub and boring the exit hole. Plus my tummy tuck is a custom built one and its completely flush with the rails so space is tricky under there. Might be cheaper now that they have figured out how to do it though, I imagine extra time went into this since it was the first one they had done like this. Plus if your cat is not bad then that cuts the cost of tubing. He will also do a non stainless for less but the stainless will last much longer.

Quote from astape

I can help, but not until the end of sept. Just got too much on my plate till then.

Aaron

That works for me! Ill remind you later next month. I dont have any wheeling planned right now anyway so Im no rush.

Does anyone in or close to the wilmington area weld and would be willing to help me out? I have some hairline cracks in the sides of my rear upper control arm mounts on the frame sides. Ive been waiting to get them fixed because I really wanted to learn to weld so I can fix things like this myself......but I still havent learned. Anyway, I would have them sanded down and ready to go and Im not planning to reinforce them since eventually ill be cutting them off to do a 4 link, so I think its just a matter of drilling holes were the cracks end and welding along the cracks. If anybody would be interested let me know and shoot me a price and or amount of beer nessisary, Im also happy to pay you pack in labor on any jeep mods you may need help on if that would be of interest. If anyone would feel so inclined as to teach me to weld or get me started that would be especially awesome!! I was planning on picking up a welder in the near future.

Thanks guys! Id been messing around with this idea for close to 2 years before I finally pulled the trigger on it. No issues, in fact I had more issues with exhaust fumes in the cab with the stock pipe when my rear window was open with the top up, it seemed to get sucked inside. Then after I did my sye the whole pipe wouldent fit so I cut it off and had a turn down pipe right after the muffler, that was awfull for vibes and the fumes would come right through the floor when I wasent moving. With the new setup its been good, the panel doesent get hot either but there is also a doubled tip on the exhaust pipe so even the tip doesent get hot. Originally I put exhaust wrap on it but the first time I took it wheeling like that It all tore off. When the tire is fully stuffed it just barely touches the pipe but not enough to cause any issues. The original design was to run the pipe along the top contour of the frame rail wich would have prevented any contact but when I went to pick ip up it was run straight next to the rail.

You have to remember that you can see the stock brake lights from the side so they consider that a rear side marker. Inspectors can but wont always fail you for a flush mounted light with no side marker (my experience is more from va and pa but they did mention it on my de inspection) To be safe, when doing flush rear brake lights, just do the same on the side corners. You can get 2" amber lights at napa for about $5 each. The pain is that you have to splice into the front side marker lights and run the wires all the way back otherwise if you go off of the rear youll pick up the brake signal as well. at least thats what I ended up doing. They look nice though and I like haveing a side marker on the highway anyway, less chance of getting cuttoff while changing lanes.

http://www.delawareja.com/forum/index.php?topic=37718.0
I had put one up on my introduction thread. I have more but they arent on photobucket. I could probably post some later. It came out nice though. I have a flush rail to rail t-case skid so Ive had issues with my exhaust since I put that and the sye on, the exhaust used to hit and vibrate. Plus Ive pinched the exhaust pipe shut wheeling and ended up with a turn down after the mufler wich is just loud and annoying. Anyway he did all new hangers and it came out great. To get the pipe over the frame rail you need at least an inch body lift, enough wheel backspacing and you have to loose the plastic inner fender and also notch the tub a little bit. Could be an issue with years that have the charcoal canister if you wanna go out of the fender also.

Its 10 minutes past wilmington in aston PA but Mighty Muffler is awesome! especially for custom work. I got a custom cat back magnaflow system there thats all high clearance with the pipe going over the frame rail and out of the rear quarter panel. They prefer to do stainless pipe and its all mandrel bends done in house. Ask for Nelson if you check it out, he's the owner.

I hard wired an Iphone charger. Then I went to firestone and had them take my tires off of the rims. We beat the dents out of the lip of the rims and then put bean bag wheel weights in to balance the wheels.

Passed Inspection yesterday. DE has the greatest inspection! I think that was the first state Ive ever passed on the first go-around.........well aside from having to run down to pep boys and grab a stock sounding horn. But that only took 5 minutes to swap and run back thru. After reading the state regualations I thought I was gonna be screwed!

Track bar is nice and tight along with the rest of my steering components. I rotated the tires last night and aired up to 30psi. The tire that I think was causing the issues was down to 24psi while the rest were at 28psi and the rim is noticably bent from wheeling in fact im getting a slight vibe from the rear were it is at now. Anyway, I got no dw this morning so hopefully its good now. I do need new wheels and tires but for now Ill just get them balanced.

No, its the real deal. This is the first time Ive experienced it and its scary. Yesterday was the worst its been, it happened on 95 and I had to slow to about 20mph to get it to stop. The cars around me that could see my front end actually looked scared. With my doors off I can see the tires violently turning back and forth. It seems to be triggered by bumps in the road, almost like a bump steer reaction except without the bump steer. Im going to rotate the tires and try to do the alignment again tonight. Ill check presure as well. I may run it up to pep boys for a balance also. Ive replaced ball joints and a wallowed passenger knuckle so far. My steering is nice and tight and ive checked all of my bushings and control arms/track bar for slop. I actually did rotate about a month ago and this started shortly after so maybe I have a bent rim?

Ive been battling a case of Death Wobble for about a month now. I thought I had it narrowed down to Ball Joints but I replaced those last night and my problem wasent cured. Everything is tight and bushings are good. I havent had my tires balanced and Im starting to think Im not doing the alignment as well as I need it to be. Does anyone have any recomendations for shops in the area that handle lifted jeeps and aftermarket steering setups? (Im in North Wilmington)

I love my BFG KM2's! They seem to have lasted forever and Ive got some deep sidewall gashes that never punctured or gave out. Good on the rocks too. I ran Toyo open country's before that, they sucked and wore really really fast. I wheeled with guys running Micky's and they seem to get sidewall punctures way to easy, in fact one guy had multiple patches in every tire when he finally retired them recently. The guys I know that run MTR's seem to be happy though but they are all relatively new so I can say they wheel good but Im not sure about wear as of yet.

Quote from 2000sahara

They will plug the vehicle into their computer and see if it throws any codes. I dont think the Airbags will throw any codes, however I have had them look at my dash for misc. lights lit up, right after they start the vehicle and unplug their computer. I have a factory steering wheel and an airbag from a TJ if you need one, not sure if i have a good clock spring laying around or not.

I pulled the light out of the cluster so no problem there although with the stock setup it does go on and turn off upon starting, Im not sure either if it throws a code? I have my good wheel and airbag but I destroyed my clockspring trying to modify it to work with my grant wheel. Ill try inspection as is first but If I fail I might be begging someone to lend me a clockspring, those things are pricey!!

Well anyway Im not concerned with having one or not having one. I just wanna pass inspection. Plus after years of riding a motorcycle with no helmet (I wear one now) an airbag just seems like overkill. Plus there have got to be some yj and cj drivers here......no airbags there and Im sure those guys still drive their rigs on the street. Plus I have a full frame tied in cage wich keeps my mind at ease.

I need to get inspected for DE in the next three weeks and Im a little nervous about it. Im putting in a new windsheild tomarrow since mine is cracked along with some rear side marker lights since I have flush mounted tail lights. Biggest concerns are no airbag due to a grant steering wheel and bent to hell wheels from rock rash. I also have some gashes in my tires, nothing dangerous but there not pretty. O and the DE dmv states no Ooooga horns so I need to swap that also. Im around an inch of no tire coverage with the 6" flares so I think Im fine on that. Anybody know if they check for the airbag light to go on and off?

Quote from moshjarcus

Welcome. I'm just down the road from you in the northern part of Wilmington. Just before deploying I joined the Brandywine Hundred Fire Company.

I just saw your jeep, I'm on grandveiw wich is only a block over and a block back from the station.