Nsg370

[6DoF]

get a nice 3" dual rate coil ... but the air bumps can be SUPER nice when you use them at speed.

[wrath]

What are your suggestions? I haven't looked at such things in years.

[bbaCJ8]

I know I'm biased, but the AEV 2.5" is a great setup for improving ride, handling, and load capacity. I'd recommend adding the front geometry correction brackets too, and I'd also suggest using that guy you know who can get you 20% off.

[6DoF]

[wrath]

If it were entirely up to me, I'd have asked that guy for an invoice a couple weeks ago. I was going to ask if the 2.5XT for a 2 door would make the lift less for a 4 door and still be suitable for driving but thought maybe it'd be a Bad Idea(TM).


With the 33s on it, it is easy to get in and out of it right now. Basically like getting in and out of a Tahoe, but your pantlegs get dirty on the "sliders". 35s wouldn't make much difference. A lift would probably make it harder to get in with the sills being thick and my wife would definitely complain. And it's supposed to be a third vehicle for us to let my inlaws drive so they quit destroying our Equinox when driving by Braille.


I originally was looking for 2012 MW3 slushbox Jeeps because they came with AEV bumpers on them already and an AEV lift would be the perfect match. Nice looking bumpers to stop the Braille damage and a lift that keeps it driving nice.

[bbaCJ8]

No, don't run the 2 door setup on the 4 door. Bad idea would apply. The 2.5" is already fairly soft compared to the 3.5" and 4.5" that were targeted for the full upfit packages with all the heavy accessories.

You could always throw some 1" spacers on the top springs if you just want a little bit more height without going all the way down the rabbit hole.....but it's a Jeep so what fun would that be?

[Jeepin Jason]

Ditto to everything that Sean has said. It might sound contradictory, but if it's a bit taller it might actually be slightly easier to get in/out of because you'd be more apt to use those side rails as step rails. I actually find it easier to get in/out of my JKUR with 3.5" and 35s than our stock JLU, due to using those Hard Rock side rails as step rails. The JLU door sills are a slightly wider than the JK's though, so that plays into it.

[wrath]

I don't really want any more height. It's about the right height for stumpy little leg people like me and gimpy people... and my dog with short legs. Maybe 2" more would be OK, but I'd rather that was in tire than lift.

I'm old, fat, and slow with stumpy legs and size 14 shoes. About all the rock rails give me is a dirty pantleg.

When I was sitting there with a straight edge between the balljoints you run out of frame to wheel balljoint centerline rapidly. If my math is right, it looks like you'd run out of tire to frame distance about the same time you'd hit 37s and (if my math is right, focusing on scrub radius)... you can barely fit 37s with no lift if you go to some kind of fender that doesn't go below the fender flare support (Metalcloak?). I'd rather have little to no lift and bigger tires while maintaining a decent scrub radius.

[wrath]

I have 3 projects going (YJ, JK, motorhome) and was expecting to be done with the damn YJ by now. I need to do paint before bug season and I am running out of time.

The YJ has turned into a workbench for everything else.

[wrath]

Nobody told me that it was going to be such a PITA fighting with the gas tank skid to get the crossmember to drop enough to get the donut out.

The Dorman shifter is kind of a piece of ****. It is mostly precision cast out of warmed drillpress shavings and cleaned up by a busload of deaf/blind/mute/quadriplegic cheap labor using die grinders. It's not milled flat, so it comes with a gasket. #winning.

Since I had to tear apart more than I planned, I'm waiting on an order from RockAuto that arrives tomorrow before putting it back together. Haven't driven it since I drove it off the trailer a few weeks ago.

If it weren't for the fact that I know the B&M is a true short throw, I would have rather bought it for 50% more.

[6DoF]

return junk and buy better?

that sux they are so complicated

[wrath]

There is basically:
Factory
Dorman 697-024 (400+tax)
B&M 45195 (600+tax + donut if you need it)

The factory one is fine-ish when not worn out. I have driven a few low mile 3.6L JKUs with them and was neither impressed nor disappointed. Most seem to be toast around the 50,000 mile mark.
The Dorman one is supposed to feel like a new factory one, but a marginally shorter throw, and easier to get into 5/6/R.
The B&M one is definitely nice, but it's a short throw shifter. I have driven several 3.8L JKs with them. I do not really care for it. The throw in the gates is so narrow that with rubber/sloppy transmission and engine mounts, you can miss gears when driving hard.




I bought another Dorman one, going to ship the first one back. Maybe the second one will be nicer.

[wrath]

So the second one came today.

The box actually has a label on it:



The machining isn't that great, but it's almost flat. I didn't use the gasket and used Yamabond #4 instead. It also came with a better donut shape to the tub and housing... and had a dessicant packet in the box. I wonder, even though the box was identical (except the label) and the donut was a smidge different... everything was packaged the same, similar markings on the tower, if it was actually a gray market item or something. Or destined for another market. I don't know.

The new inner shift boot came also (the old one had actually worn through). The inner shift boot was a made in usa mopar but it was bent a little I think from bouncing around in the parts bin for years.


I find it really irritating that the dropshippers Rockauto uses send sparkplugs loose in the box with heavy **** like shocks.

Speaking of spark plugs, I'd like to use this opportunity to make fun of Chrysler for having to take the intake off to change the spark plugs.

[wrath]

Decided to do spark plugs and boots since I think it'd been a while. Pretty sure the heads have been off it before as when I looked at it there were a ton of Christmas trees not plugged in to the appropriate holes, but dealerships aren't known to replace things early.

Someone forgot to run intake bolt #7 in, furthering my belief someone has had the top of the motor apart:


.086" is a reasonable gap, no?


When I bought it, it had no lights on the dash and other than codes related to a stalled wiper motor in the past and the amplifiers complaining about no speakers... no other codes. Well, I had most of the interior tore apart running new wire. I got an airbag light last night. So after messing about, I decided it must be the hall effect sensor in the passenger seatbelt because sure as **** it tests bad. And I can't find a replacement without buying the whole seatbelt buckle assembly for $150 used or $350 new. So after testing it with a scope, I'm going to try a 4kohm resistor when I feel like working under the seat again, maybe tonight. Safety first!


Anyway, I drove it about 8 miles yesterday and I only hit reverse twice while driving down the road and 6th maybe 10 times when trying to back up. Definitely shifts nicer and is more positive. Can barely get the tires to spin going into second, but the tires only have 25psi in them and are pretty grippy.

Found now that the HVAC controls are replaced and actually work, it must have wore out the blend actuator with all of its cycles so I ordered a new one. I will say that Jscan was worth buying last night just for testing HVAC. Hopefully it doesn't suck to replace.

The brake pedal started squeaking near the end of the drive, so I assume the booster must be bad. Next thing to investigate.

Been trying to find a cheap place to get Maximus3 parts but they don't seem to exist. Last piece to get it ready to be a toad is some way to hook my tow bar to it.

[6DoF]

damn, she's a little bit of a basket case ... would have been similar work to just get a 200,000mi XJ

[wrath]

But then it'd be a POS 200,000 mile XJ! Plus I don't fit in a XJ.

I kind of knew it'd need some stuff going into it being high miles at a wholesale lot. But I wanted something without rust and one owner/no accident... and I wanted either a MW3, X, HR, or Recon (or a leather Rubicon which seems rare without the other aforementioned packages). I also wanted something that had been a mall crawler mostly with some kind of service history. This one only had scratches on the transfer case skid and mostly went to a repair shop for everything. I think the guy gave up on it because it was nickel and diming him. I'm guessing he got a quote for $1200 or so for the heater controls issue and decided to trade it in. I know he got a new JL Rubicant because I saw the trade paperwork at the dealership.

Rust-free under 100k you're looking at the $20k+ range. Light rust (no visible body, but rust where you'll need a blue wrench) and 150k you're in the $15k range. I can put a ton of money into it and still not hit $15k, and it still has no rust.