What was done to YOUR rig(XJ/MJ) today MECHANICALY????

[iluv83vettes]

I get mine from oreillys


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[IslanderOffRoad]

I get mine from oreillys


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They do loaners too?

 

[Crusher16]

Yep, I used Oreilly's tools do my ball joints as well.

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Yep, I used Oreilly's tools do my ball joints as well.

Comes with the right adapters?

 

[dan1977p]

Comes with the right adapters?

I keep hearing folks say they need adapters separate from what's in the box. I never needed anything other than what was in the ball joint kit they have.

 

[Crusher16]

I don't recall needing adapters either, but I have slept since then.

 

[Ecomike]

Anyone have the proper ball joint tools?

Autozone is out of loaners

I found and tried $350 of rental kits, 5 in all, from 4 stores that were all missing (they were not part of the kit, even a 50 lbs master kit did not have them) the perfect fit adapter sockets needed for the jeep ball joints.

The c-clamp Ball Joint Press tool set from any of the stores, Advanced Auto, O'Reily's and Autozone, and I think NAPA? (I think they rent tools too? Not sure) have everything but the 4WD, 4 adapter sockets you need for our jeeps. Then you need to find the special 4 socket 4WD adapter kit as well. I found one finally at an O'Reily's in the S-Houston-Pasadena area. There are about 10-12 stores between Advanced, O'reilys and Autozone in the Pasadena Gulfgate mall, So-Houston, Almeda Mall area, my side of town.

Check out my thread on it from earlier this year:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1126893

Note from one of my comments in that thread:
"O'Reily's claims their #67048 is the same in their rental tools as the OTC 7894,, and I found a local store with it on hand. They call it a 4wd drive adapter set."

So that is the adapter set that I finally used and it worked well. It has just 4 socket-adapter cups in it that fit our ball joints perfectly. They are the only ones that will not damage the new joints, that fit right. One guy says he bought the harbur freight set up and claims it works too. Good luck.

I hope I never have to do one of those again. Sad to say I did those and the entire front end this year, on the now totaled and rolled 89 jeep May she RIP. Many of her parts will get reused, but the body is toast.

 

[Crusher16]

So a sad day has come with a new baby coming soon, and moving in the spring I think it is time to sell the jeep. The plan is to get a new rig in a year or sa, a new xj, mj, or even lj. But with all the rust on my I will not be able to do what I want, and it is just getting worse sitting where it is. Now the only question, can I get anywhere near what I want for it.... Probably not.

Gotta rust proof whatever you do get

 

[Ecomike]

I keep hearing folks say they need adapters separate from what's in the box. I never needed anything other than what was in the ball joint kit they have.

The 5-10 adapters I tried in 5 kits were too loose, but mine are Renix 87-89 jeeps. Perhaps the HO rig ball joints are slightly larger in diameter, but I doubt it.

 

[Ecomike]

They do loaners too?

O'reilys, Advanced-auto and Autozone all have free rentals. I think NAPA may being doing it too now? Not sure.

 

[dan1977p]

The 5-10 adapters I tried in 5 kits were too loose, but mine are Renix 87-89 jeeps. Perhaps the HO rig ball joints are slightly larger in diameter, but I doubt it.

Yeah, I doubt it too, but the ball joints were super easy to install and I didn't notice anything out of sorts once done. Been a year and they are still holding up well. Now using the c-clamp press to do the upper control arm bushings was a freaking nightmare.

 

[Ecomike]

Well folks, after about 12-14 years of having my 87 Wagoneer, (NO I AM NOT SELLING HER LOL), I finally discovered one of the reasons it had so little power. My new to me, used Snap-on Scanner MT-2500 that allows me to scan the Renix ECU and sensor data reveiled to me that I was getting wide open throttle sensor TPS data to the ECU. Tried 3 diferent brand new sensors and finally learned it was a bent rod between the throttle linkage and the throttle body that has dogged me for over 12 years now.

I think I found that the Mopar TPS (one I bought years ago, NOS) gave me a higher WOT reading than the Standard products ones I bought from Rock auto on close out in the past 10 years, and the Standard products TPS was about the same (I think) as the brand new ones I bought off ebay 3 weeks ago. But none of them came close to fixing my very low WOT % throttle readings.

What fixed it? Comparing parts on my Wagoneer throttle linkage to my other Renix rigs :sunshine:

The 90 degree bent, throttle rod with the black plastic snap on ends was bent and was causing the TPS and the throttle body both to not be able to get past about 60% of WOT. Right now with the Mopar TPS (NOS from 10 years ago) and a re-bent to match my other Renix jeeps, throttle rod attached to the throttle body, I am now seeing 91% :laugh3n the snap on MT-2500 scanner at WOT.:woohoo:

I will report my test drive results tomorrow once I have had the chance to get it out on the open road. But the throttle response in park is awesome. Maybe as good or better than my other 2 Renix rigs right now. It will be very interesting to see if my MPGs jump from 11 to 20 mpgs now

 

[Ecomike]

I need to replace the lower control arm or bushings on my 87 wagoneer 4x4, drivers side. Which route should I take? Is there an issue with the jack stand and vehicle support doing the lower control arm?

Now using the c-clamp press to do the upper control arm bushings was a freaking nightmare.

 

[iluv83vettes]

I need to replace the lower control arm or bushings on my 87 wagoneer 4x4, drivers side. Which route should I take? Is there an issue with the jack stand and vehicle support doing the lower control arm?

You can do the lower control arms with the wheels on the ground. Just do one at a time.


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[IslanderOffRoad]

I don't recall needing adapters either, but I have slept since then.

Last time I did them I used them and they made the job painless

I may buy them just so I have them

 

[dan1977p]

You can do the lower control arms with the wheels on the ground. Just do one at a time.


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Yeah, lowers weren't a problem as they are on the arms anyway. The specific problem I had was trying to wedge the clamp and sleeves/adapters into place and keep it square while maneuvering arms and tools around the pumpkin and inner c of the driver's side. Passenger side was cake.

 

[Ecomike]

Final update I think on the Wagoneer Renix Saga of Ecomike

I had to re-adjust the throttle body idle stop ear a wee bit today to solve a cold no start and low idle from yesterdays tweaking. I reset the TPS and test drove the beast. It is awesome the difference fixing that bent throttle rod made.

About 13 years ago when I bought the 87 Wagoneer it took 3 mins to get from 0-60 mph. At WOT it would upshift at 1250 RPM to the next gear and would be in 4th gear at 25 mphs, LOL, it was totally gut less. New Cats helped some. A new ground for both sides of the TPS and a new TPS helped a bunch, it then would up shift at 2500 rpm and was actually drivable the last 13 years or so.

Today after the final fine tuning, at WOT it upshifts at 4000 RPM (holy Sh*t)and drives like a bat out of hell!!!! All it took was 13 years of sleuthing followed by bending the throttle linkage ROD with the two black plastic QC snap on ends back to the factory shape like my other Renix jeeps have, and a new TPS sensor (Not sure now if the new TPS sensor did anything to help, I think reshaping the throttle rod did it all).

But the Snap on MT-2500 scanner made it so much easier to troubleshoot and to adjust the TPS.

I still have a wee bit of shakes sometimes (Nothing like before) only at about 50 mph.... during a gear shift I think, and at WOT, maybe the tire I robbed from the recently wrecked 89 Renix rig needs to be balanced again afterall.

Will be interesting to see if the MPGs now jump from 11 to 20 MPGs!!!! It just might!!!

Today was a good day for my 29 year old Wagoneer. party1:

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Ball joints done.

New axle ready to go in

Old one not cooperating on coming out. Unit bearing does not want to come out on one side

This is what I get for going to the mud park

 

[iluv83vettes]

You try the loosened unit bearing bolts and using the socket extension while turning the wheel?


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[Ecomike]

You try the loosened unit bearing bolts and using the socket extension while turning the wheel?


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That is the only way to do it. Hydraulic steering pressure proves that resistance is futile LOL. Nothing like the "using the steering system pressure, engine running as a hydraulic press" for clever ways of using your head ideas.