May have spoke too soon and jinxed myself

[Paddletrucker]

So how's this? I sit down a while ago and posted about how much fun I was having with my newly acquired XJ. I literally finished that post, cleaned up to leave on my nightly haul and left the house to go jump in my big truck. I get a mile and a half from where I load out and it all of a sudden sounds like I'm dragging a dozen shovels and skillets underneath the rear of my Jeep. I'm REALLY hoping I've got some thing going wrong with the brakes on the rear. The only other thing I think it could be would have to be the axle or rear end. I've never had a problem on a rear or axle before in anything, so I wouldn't be able to guess what that's like.
I'm thinking I would have felt it in the rear end, rather than only hear it.
I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that it's something funky in a brake drum. I'll have to wait to check it out until I get back from Dallas in the morning.

Oh well. I can probably part it out and get most of my money back. Hopefully, whatever the fudge it is doesn't render the Jeep financially unfeasible to fix.

Ah, what the hell? It's only sheet metal and money, right?

[4.3LXJ]

Man, tough break. I wouldn't write if off to soon though. There are lots of wrecking yard parts that can be used cheap. Better find out what it is first

[prerunner1982]

Maybe your muffler/exhaust just fell off.... easy fix time for a Flowmaster or Magnaflow.

[JENSSEN]

Turn the radio up until the noise goes away ;)

[XJ4IV]

Time for new muffler bearings!
Its probably just a driveshaft u joint... sometimes they make a TON of noise when the crap out but USUALLY not too loud
did mine yesterday for the 8th time this year... not joking either!

[Paddletrucker]

Y'all are too funny. Another problem is that it has a hole in the dash where the stereo USED to be. LOL

I'm pretty sure it's in my passenger rear brake drum. It scared the crap outta me, though, when it very suddenly started sounding like a midget was doing sone shopwork under my Jeep.

Looks like I get to teat down some (insert expletive here) drum brakes tomorrow.

[Paddletrucker]

So, I bring my XJ home this morning, ready to tear into the hated drum brakes on the rear. Squeeeeeak Squeeeeak Squeeeak, along with some grinding and rattling with every turn of the wheel.

Turned onto my road and it quit. Perfectly quiet. I can't feel any difference in braking power, and the brakes feel just fine.

Any chance something, maybe a spring or other small part, just came loose and is floating around in there. Maybe it worked it's way into a place that made a hell of a lot of noise, and then this morning, it worked it's way to a place where it's not touching anything?

Who knows. As soon as I can, I'll tear into it and see WTF is going on.

[Mudderoy]

So, I bring my XJ home this morning, ready to tear into the hated drum brakes on the rear. Squeeeeeak Squeeeeak Squeeeak, along with some grinding and rattling with every turn of the wheel.

Turned onto my road and it quit. Perfectly quiet. I can't feel any difference in braking power, and the brakes feel just fine.

Any chance something, maybe a spring or other small part, just came loose and is floating around in there. Maybe it worked it's way into a place that made a hell of a lot of noise, and then this morning, it worked it's way to a place where it's not touching anything?

Who knows. As soon as I can, I'll tear into it and see WTF is going on.

This is really strange. A good mystery. :popcorn:

[4.3LXJ]

Metallic squeak? If it is, I would be checking those U joints.

[oderdene]

don't go away from your road, only there she can be quiet :)

[Paddletrucker]

Well.....I've been driving her ever since. No noise whatsoever. Brakes stop just fine. Jeep runs great. Getting good fuel mileage. Driving good. Fun as hell to drive. Loving the 5-Speed.

I'm going to put it in the shop Aug. 2nd. My local mechanic isn't too expensive and does a really good job.

He's going to give her a good once over. I'm no mechanic. I've done quite a bit of work to my semi on my own, and I'm pretty good on survival ownership mechanics of big diesel engine powered trucks, but these little gas burners are not my deal.

He's going to fix lots of little stuff, check her out front to rear, give me a call so that we can decide what I'll do at home and what he's gonna do, then I'll probably have him install the lift. I should (hopefully) have one chosen and bought by then. I just don't have a good place to tear it down right now. I'll have him do the rear brakes, because I HATE drum brakes with a seething rage. I'll do the fronts here in the yard. Probably U-joints, too, if needed. My main reason for taking it to him is to get the front end totally 100%. It drives GREAT, but I'm not wanting to go ahead with the lift if there are any front end parts that are worn beyond being acceptable. So, before we start adding lift parts, I want everything up there to be 105% and he's a pretty darn good front end guy.

I'd go ahead and tackle it all on my own, but I have no place to work on it right now, as my barn/shop is full of an airplane I'm supposedly working on. That thing, A 1947 Cessna 140, just cost me too much to leave outside and work on the Jeep. It's just too damned hot to do anything in the yard right now and the only building I have is covered up in airplane parts. Plus, I am enjoying driving the XJ so much, that I just hate to park it and work on it only when I have time. I'll do some of the stuff myself, but I want to keep driving it and I know I'd be too slow to do too many mods myself.

That brings me to another point. I'm thinking of finding and buying another XJ to build while driving this one. Or vice versa. On XJ #2, I was thinking of tearing it all down and building it back as to NOT be a daily driver. Chop the top off of it, put tires that are wayyyyy tooooo big on it, trim the living pi$$ out of the fenders, you know, make it a really scary beast of an outfit. A really nasty hummer eating machine! I don't want to do that with my little green XJ. It's just too much fun for me to park it and tear it apart!!

Is it safe to say the bug's bitten me on my big fat ass????

[4.3LXJ]

Is it safe to say the bug's bitten me on my big fat ass????

:ass: Both cheeks :p

[Mudderoy]

Well.....I've been driving her ever since. No noise whatsoever. Brakes stop just fine. Jeep runs great. Getting good fuel mileage. Driving good. Fun as hell to drive. Loving the 5-Speed.

I'm going to put it in the shop Aug. 2nd. My local mechanic isn't too expensive and does a really good job.

He's going to give her a good once over. I'm no mechanic. I've done quite a bit of work to my semi on my own, and I'm pretty good on survival ownership mechanics of big diesel engine powered trucks, but these little gas burners are not my deal.

He's going to fix lots of little stuff, check her out front to rear, give me a call so that we can decide what I'll do at home and what he's gonna do, then I'll probably have him install the lift. I should (hopefully) have one chosen and bought by then. I just don't have a good place to tear it down right now. I'll have him do the rear brakes, because I HATE drum brakes with a seething rage. I'll do the fronts here in the yard. Probably U-joints, too, if needed. My main reason for taking it to him is to get the front end totally 100%. It drives GREAT, but I'm not wanting to go ahead with the lift if there are any front end parts that are worn beyond being acceptable. So, before we start adding lift parts, I want everything up there to be 105% and he's a pretty darn good front end guy.

I'd go ahead and tackle it all on my own, but I have no place to work on it right now, as my barn/shop is full of an airplane I'm supposedly working on. That thing, A 1947 Cessna 140, just cost me too much to leave outside and work on the Jeep. It's just too damned hot to do anything in the yard right now and the only building I have is covered up in airplane parts. Plus, I am enjoying driving the XJ so much, that I just hate to park it and work on it only when I have time. I'll do some of the stuff myself, but I want to keep driving it and I know I'd be too slow to do too many mods myself.

That brings me to another point. I'm thinking of finding and buying another XJ to build while driving this one. Or vice versa. On XJ #2, I was thinking of tearing it all down and building it back as to NOT be a daily driver. Chop the top off of it, put tires that are wayyyyy tooooo big on it, trim the living pi$$ out of the fenders, you know, make it a really scary beast of an outfit. A really nasty hummer eating machine! I don't want to do that with my little green XJ. It's just too much fun for me to park it and tear it apart!!

Is it safe to say the bug's bitten me on my big fat ass????

I redid my front end after the lift, so I went in with all heavy duty off road parts. If you can wait for the lift then you can get the tie rod and track bar from IronMan4x4fab.com (http://www.ironman4x4fab.com) "Andy"

Rough Country makes good aftermarket stuff too, and we have several vendors here that sell Rough Country stuff. Personally I like Andy's stuff because it's super heavy duty. Ironman4x4fab is a xjtalk vendor.

[LizardRunner]

Yep the bug got you but good. if you go the second xj route, then you can use D60 axles and go full bore crawling demon machine.

[cantab27]

It scared the crap outta me, though, when it very suddenly started sounding like a midget was doing sone shopwork under my Jeep.



:mock:... nooooo, dont blame the midget.....:D:D:D

[bluedragon436]

Damn trunk monkey!!! LOL.. Nothing wrong with picking up another XJ to build up while yours is doing DD!! That was something I have been thinking about.. that way if it my second one gets damaged on the trails, my DD is still driveable...

[prerunner1982]

I found an nice 99 2 door 2wd 5 speed with A/C for $2500 on Craigslist.. looked clean and I think it had reasonable mileage. If I had the cash I would get it, lightly mod it, DD it and see just how many MPGs can be squeezed from a XJ... Though a 4 door would be better for me I just don't see many around with a manual trans.

[Paddletrucker]

I redid my front end after the lift, so I went in with all heavy duty off road parts. If you can wait for the lift then you can get the tie rod and track bar from IronMan4x4fab.com (http://www.ironman4x4fab.com) "Andy"

Rough Country makes good aftermarket stuff too, and we have several vendors here that sell Rough Country stuff. Personally I like Andy's stuff because it's super heavy duty. Ironman4x4fab is a xjtalk vendor.

I need a full leaf pack, as my springs are trash. I'm definitely leaning toward Rough COuntry. Lotsa good stuff said about them. I got some friends really trying to sway me toward Old Man Emu, but that RC price is a lot better. Why do I need to wait for the lift to to get Iron man Andy's tie rod and track bar? I like ultra super heavy duty!

[Mudderoy]

I need a full leaf pack, as my springs are trash. I'm definitely leaning toward Rough COuntry. Lotsa good stuff said about them. I got some friends really trying to sway me toward Old Man Emu, but that RC price is a lot better. Why do I need to wait for the lift to to get Iron man Andy's tie rod and track bar? I like ultra super heavy duty!

The tie rod should be fine, but the track bar is made for a lifted XJ, so you can get it but you need to wait to install it until after the lift. Same with the RC track bar.

Personally I would order the RC coils and RC leaf springs and a dropped pitman arm, shocks, and longer brake lines (stainless). Then the track bar from Andy (Ironman) along with the adjustable upper and lower control arms.

It will cost more but in the long run it would have been cheaper for me. I need two shocks and a set of coil springs and I'll have ever thing I need for a 2nd 4.5" lift. rofl

[Paddletrucker]

The tie rod should be fine, but the track bar is made for a lifted XJ, so you can get it but you need to wait to install it until after the lift. Same with the RC track bar.

Personally I would order the RC coils and RC leaf springs and a dropped pitman arm, shocks, and longer brake lines (stainless). Then the track bar from Andy (Ironman) along with the adjustable upper and lower control arms.

It will cost more but in the long run it would have been cheaper for me. I need two shocks and a set of coil springs and I'll have ever thing I need for a 2nd 4.5" lift. rofl

Thanks. SInce this is all new to me, I'm not too sure what exactly I need and what comes in a kit. I've searched all the forums and spent a good amount of time trying to learn as much as I can, but their is tons of info, and opinions are even more abundant. It can be a little overwhelming, even when you're trying to search and research.

I've about decided that I'm just going to get a kit, so that I can hold all those parts in my grubby little hands, and start learning from there what I need to go further. I'm pretty well set on a 3" lift and 31" tires, but I suppose even that could change.

I did know about the trac bar, and that it couldn't be put on until the lift was done. I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying something like wait till you get the lift done THEN order the trac bar. I hadn't slept in a while:D:D

I'd like to go with the heavier Ironman stuff. I won't say that money is no object here, it certainly is, but at the same time I'll spend more money if I can as long as I think it's of value. It looks as if Andy's trac bar and control arms would be a really good way to go. It doesn't look as if RC's control arms are adjustable. Is that right?

[Mudderoy]

Thanks. SInce this is all new to me, I'm not too sure what exactly I need and what comes in a kit. I've searched all the forums and spent a good amount of time trying to learn as much as I can, but their is tons of info, and opinions are even more abundant. It can be a little overwhelming, even when you're trying to search and research.

I've about decided that I'm just going to get a kit, so that I can hold all those parts in my grubby little hands, and start learning from there what I need to go further. I'm pretty well set on a 3" lift and 31" tires, but I suppose even that could change.

I did know about the trac bar, and that it couldn't be put on until the lift was done. I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying something like wait till you get the lift done THEN order the trac bar. I hadn't slept in a while:D:D

I'd like to go with the heavier Ironman stuff. I won't say that money is no object here, it certainly is, but at the same time I'll spend more money if I can as long as I think it's of value. It looks as if Andy's trac bar and control arms would be a really good way to go. It doesn't look as if RC's control arms are adjustable. Is that right?

They sell adjustable control arms, and I believe they sell a kit with them in it. I bent the RC heavy duty track bar. They replaced it with only a request of a picture of it after they confirmed my purchase. I had the replacement that week. Even though it was bent I didn't figure it out for 4 months. So they make good stuff, but it bothers me that I bent it. Basically that tells me I need something stronger. :D

Andy's stuff is major tough.

[bluedragon436]

If I were to pick it all up and build again.. I would pick up a lift kit from Rough Country.. like has been said before on here, we have a few vendors that offer some awesome deals on their kits... Most of my kit is a RC anyways.. but have def. never heard anything wrong or felt anything I didn't like about the handling on and offroad of the RC lifts..

[4.3LXJ]

I have had track bar woes too and finally got tired of it. I should have my new one in a couple of weeks. That seems to be one area where the stock design just does not cut it. BDS and Rustys have had their tack bar design woes too.

[bluedragon436]

I am sure that every company has had their woes at some point in time on different parts of their lifts.. I haven't had any issues thus far with my RC track bar.. but I still want to pick up my upgraded front end parts from Andy, after I take care of my SYE and control arms...