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Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

xL8 APEKSx

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Garden Grove, CA
Oh my god...no vehicle in my life has ever tested my patience like this big red pile of trash in my driveway. She has just about broken me. Here's what it looked like today...

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I thought it was gonna be a quick and easy day of bleeding the brakes, trimming the fenders, and taking a quick shakedown run around the block to see what kinks need to be worked out. HA! I should have known better!

After getting her up in the air, I realized that when we relocated the front brake hardline brackets, they were rubbing up against the shocks:

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We had relocated them before the shocks were put in. So, I had to move these back to the stock location for the time being. Then I went around and made sure the brake lines were tight, and started to bleed. The back went OK, but the front was another story.

The bleeder nipple on the front pass side is seized in the caliper, and will NOT come out. I used penetrant, wrenches, vise grips, hammers, a blowtorch...to no avail. Now it's stripped so I can't get a wrench on it anymore. I figure I have two options.

1), weld a nut on to the end of the nipple and twist it off properly.

2), buy another caliper.

That's the most crucial thing I still have left to do. My other concern was that with the front axle dropped, it looks like the springs are catching on the bumpstop tunnels...is it supposed to look like this?! Isn't the spring gonna majorly catch on the bumpstop tunnel?!

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I'm so close to being done, but the enjoyment is totally gone now. A week ago, I couldn't wait to wrench on this thing. But now, after 7 days, 1 broken finger, and who knows how many THOUSAND dollars in parts - it makes me sick to my stomach to even look at the thing. I'm gonna be scared to drive it even after it gets finished, because I won't want to fix anything else if something else goes wrong. :flame::smsoap::flame:

Ok, enough of that. I have 1 week to get this thing running well before I have to drive it to NorCal.

If anyone could please come over and help me get these last few things sorted out, I would be forever in your debt!

1), Bring a welder or a replacement caliper so i can get my brakes bled! Also, need to weld up a hole I cut in the floor.
2), Fender trim
3), Mount upper disconnect pins for the RE Gen2 disco's
4), Double check track bar alignment

Please...help me before I kill this POS Jeep, or it kills me! :rattle:
 
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Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

I have a spare caliper from a 97, but you'd have to come out here and get it. Leaving for the night run in a little bit, so maybe in the morning.
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

JohnX said:
I have a spare caliper from a 97, but you'd have to come out here and get it. Leaving for the night run in a little bit, so maybe in the morning.

Pass side? And it's the same size as the '01 I take it? If so, I would be more than happy to come get it. Shoot me your number and I'll give you a ring!
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

calm down, its a jeep, everything that is happening is normal.

for the bleeder get a new one and then clamp down really hard on the siezed one with a pair of vice grips, and turn it out. if that doesnt work get a new caliper, they can be had pretty cheap from your local napa let me know and i'll get you a part number. dont get fooled into buying the "good" calipers if they offer you 2 different types, its the same parts in the box as far as calipers go (i work at napa so i know.)

yes its normal for the bumpstop cans to contact the springs at full droop, and it makes a hell of a popping "doiiiing" noise when you come back down. it wont hurt anything, but you can grind a bit off the front of the bumpstop can if it really bothers you.

go drink a few beers, you are almost done! the first time you lift your jeep is the hardest, it gets easier to wrench on after this :D
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Yep, was just going to agree that the coil springs are looking normal. When you drop the axle it swings backward a little. freaked me out on mine at first too.
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Relax!! its a Jeep!
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Yeah if this makes you that crazy you might want to get a different vehicle. If you plan on wheeling it you Will be working on it and most times it will go just the way you are describing. She looks good and you are almost there. If you like the outdoors and wheeling then she will pay you back several times over. Hang in there and good luck!
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

hardest part in a new build is fixing all the inital problems after that its not bad
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

you should stop now! I will come over with a tow and $500 and take it off your hands and relieve you of all that trouble... LOL

Welcome to wonderful world of Jeeps!

Remove the springs and grind the piss out of the bumpstop mount. Move the brakelines about 2" down from the factory location ,straightening them out a little. Pinch the piss out of the bleeder valve and get a new one. If that does not work, get a new caliper. If you need a different one, I have a couple in my garage. I am located down in Lake Forest and you will have to come pick them up. I can't drive for a week due to surgery.

Give me a call tomorrow AM, after 9:00 AM and I will give you directions.

You can also take a peek at my bumpstop mounts and see how much I cutoff.

My cell # is 714-319-7135
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Sorry Sean. Guess we should've put the shocks on before moving the brake lines.

But I see that you got the trackbar in and got those lower swaybar studs out.

It's almost done. Don't think I can make it Monday for the fender trimming. I'll be changing the head gasket on the Protege.
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Thanks guys. My experience with other brands of 4x4's has been...well...more pleasant at this stage in the game. lol. So all this extra work is a little new to me. ;)

I hope to be able to pick up a replacement caliper tomorrow or Monday. If the brakes end up bleeding out OK, then I should be able to drive it soon. Here's hoping!
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

JohnX said:
I have a spare caliper from a 97, but you'd have to come out here and get it. Leaving for the night run in a little bit, so maybe in the morning.
Shit.. if I caught it earlier, I'd have told you to bring it with ya and give it to me. I'm more or less one city over from him.
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

xL8 APEKSx said:
Oh my god...no vehicle in my life has ever tested my patience like this big red pile of trash in my driveway.
welcome to the darkside young Skywalker.
you got a pm
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Well I have two welders and they both are not portable.. If you can drive the jeep to me later after the new year, I can buzz pretty much anything as long as you clean and grind it first...
 
Re: Today's (lack of) progress pics, & I need a welder - can anyone bring one over?

Thanks so much guys. Didn't get the early start I hoped today, woke up sick at 4am and now I'm at work. I'm hoping to grab Robert's calipers in a little while (John...he was the closest bidder! haha! But thank you!).

I should have her running and driveable on Monday afternoon if the rest of the bleed goes well. I will post pics and updates!
 
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