Mistakes you've made while working on your Jeep

I installed my rear upper control arms backwards (back to front) on our '14 Sahara. During driving, the bends in the arms were lightly rubbing the frame rails and grazing the paint off, otherwise I might not have even noticed. Sitting still, there was clearance between the arm and the frame and they never made a noise while driving. Given that the lift was the first time I had really turned a wrench in over 10 years, I was glad I didn't make a bigger mistake.
 
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After putting a buddy's 2.5" Teraflex lift on his JK one night, we took it for a test drive and everything seemed normal. He complained later that night that on the way home he had a slight "clunking" sound coming from his rear end. I told him everything was good, we re-checked everything. That next morning we were getting ready to head up to Wisner, NE (about 2 hrs away). All of a sudden it hit me, we forgot to tighten/torque the rear track bar. I called him immediately and told him I was on my way with my torque wrench. Low and behold, the rear track bar was loose and just dangling there with the bolt just barely threaded in. That could have been bad!!

Another time, while working on my friend's YJ on 46s, the only thing that will lift it is a hi-lift jack. Someone forgot to grab the handle of the hi-lift and when the lever was flipped it ratcheted itself down and slammed him with the handle in the side of the face twice. That was not a good time...

Another not so bright moment was when I bedlined the tub on the inside of my TJ while it was cold out. I had to keep the garage door shut to keep it warm enough to paint...let's just say, I got a little loopy :crazyeyes:
 
Two non-jeep stories, cause my jeep babies are too precious to dish!

Time to change the brakes on my girls MASSIVE 2001 F350 Triton V10 6.8L (Better mileage then her dads new F250 V8!),
Only had a small cement pad to work on, Jack up the offending wheel and get it all apart.
The other three wheels are on grass, and a slight decline... Slip!
all fixed and good, go on a test drive, smoke billowing out the rear!
Freaking calipers were seized up, the old pads were burnt into a rock like state and kept it from grabbing for so long.

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Three engines through my old DD, 2004 Mitsubishi Ralliart 2.4L (bigger than the EVOs, Potential!),
Did you know some intersections flood during high tide in Hawaii?
Took me all afternoon and some sensors to get two gallons of seawater out of the intake on the side of the road,
A month later, a piston decided to divorce its connecting rod, new vented engine block!
It sounded like a tin can full of nails. Got the ONLY BLOCK ON THE ISLAND, and a week before moving to the mainland.

Years later it strands me on the side of the road. Nice day and no plans to ruin,
turns out my BUDGET timing belt replacement wasn't the smartest idea, gotta love interference engines.
Reputable shop guy reams me for every last penny! i know, because i took the paperwork work and old parts to a a mechanic family member for an estimate.
Ah, the innocence of youth and the blind love of ones first car crush.

Edit: Oh, and that shop guy replaced my idler pulley wrong. Good thing i tore it all apart to check, The belt was rubbing on a stuck bearing and almost blew up again!
 
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So it's the little things that get me while doing rebuilds / upgrades. I blew my 4.0 a couple years ago. It took me a while to get the $ for the rebuild, but once I got it rebuilt in back in the jeep I was itching to get it back on the road. The problem that I had was I took the front driver tire off while removing/ installing the exhaust components and during the reassembly of everything the tire was thrown on with a couple lug nut just to have it in place. While on the test drive at about 45 mph the tire decided to go left while I was in a slight right turn. Luckily it didn't exit the jeep it just rode on the brake rotor, tearing up the inner bead of the tire n rim. The positive of that is I have a dedicated spare now.


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That_1_TJ said:
So it's the little things that get me while doing rebuilds / upgrades. I blew my 4.0 a couple years ago. It took me a while to get the $ for the rebuild, but once I got it rebuilt in back in the jeep I was itching to get it back on the road. The problem that I had was I took the front driver tire off while removing/ installing the exhaust components and during the reassembly of everything the tire was thrown on with a couple lug nut just to have it in place. While on the test drive at about 45 mph the tire decided to go left while I was in a slight right turn. Luckily it didn't exit the jeep it just rode on the brake rotor, tearing up the inner bead of the tire n rim. The positive of that is I have a dedicated spare now.


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I remember that day! Scared the crap out of me! Heres the pics i tookIMG_1616.jpegIMG_1618.jpeg

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I have a pretty good one.
Was wheeling with a friend in a 4runner when he blew a coolant line. No big deal, but we had no coolant or water.
Being that it's Canada, we made use of the snow and managed to get the radiator full. So we began bleeding the system with the cap off.
While its running, my friend manages to knock the cap off the top of the rad, it falls directly into the clutch fan which in turn throws it right through the radiator.
Needless to say, it was a fun tow for 20+ miles back to the road.
 
Sweet thread WJCO!! Umm broke a tail light recently put some nice scratches in the paint. I'm pretty sure I have more but can't think of them right now aha.


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Bad day

I was working on 1960 m151 army jeep that I learned to drive in when I was 10 years old. Trying to get it running after years of sitting in a barn. Finally ready to try starting after completely going through fuel system, wiring, tune-up and I dropped a 1/2" wrench while cleaning tools from the engine bay. I looked for 20 minutes and couldn't find it. So I stepped on the starter button and it fired right up and threw the lost wrench through the middle of radiator. Luckily we had a spare. Swapped it out and went for a drive. Running great until I noticed that I forgot to secure the front tow hitch. Almost at the same moment the hitch fell forward and pole vaulted the front of the jeep up and sheered off the front bumper mounts all at the same time. I love that jeep.
 
hmm

Double o-ring on oil filter... dumped all the oil in just a couple mins....

Underdrive pullies on a mustang...cross threaded the bolt on the crank...drilled, tapped, helicoil and new bolt installed....

I'm sure there are plenty I just need to think of them all!
 
I had my AEV Procal upside down when I set my switches. I got bigger tires. The Jeep rode like shit and I could hear a clicking sound while in neutral. A real bonehead move on my part. I immediately restored to factory settings and all good now.


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When changing the PCV valve on my 3.6 I had to remove the intake plenum to reach the top bolt. Basically air box, intake, sensors, and mounts all have to come off. I reassembled everything and forgot the foam piece that sits between the plenum and engine. Had to do it all over lol. One of many mistakes...5149141AFIMG_2140.jpgIMG_2141.jpg


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After installing my lift while putting the last tire back on I was so excited to finish and get it on the ground I stripped a lug. Luckily it was just a slight setback but it was silly non the less


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Installed extended brake lines. Asked the wife to pump the brakes so I could bleed the system. Didn't know she was going to use both feet and smash the pedal to the floor, over and over until she blew the seal out of the master cylinder! $600 later the dealer had the brakes bleed.

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Okay, how many times are you guys going to make me admit this. Me and another female Jeeper were putting on the ORFAB tire carrier on my TJ and we drilled a hole through the evap canister. It wouldn't pass smog the second time around and after the shop smoke the system and the shop, and showed me canister with the perfectly drilled hole, I knew what happened. Sucked!
 
Ive been pretty good with the jeep so far... I broke 1 of the little blue plastic lock clips when taking out the gas tank, I worried a LOT about that for a while but It hasn't been a problem yet, so its probably fine. :idontknow:

I did catch the wiring harness running down the passenger side of the frame with the touch when cutting off the stock upper control arm mount, but I was quick to notice (THANKFULLY) and it only burned up the sleeve. The wire insulation was unharmed. :eek: nothing some electrical tape couldn't "fix"

While welding in the front C-gussets, I didn't notice that I somehow bent the speed sensor wire mount on the driverside... I put everything back together only to have the ABS/TCS freak out on the way to work a few days later. Luckily, it had just rubbed the axle CV long enough to eat though the plastic coating on the harness, causing it to short on the axle shaft, and not damage the wire... I bent the flimsy bracket back up and wrapped the exposed line with some electrical tape... problem solved... but I still worry about it when fording anything axle deep or more :doh:

I don't know how it happened, but one of the lock bolts on passenger side rear upper control arm had seized, I had to impact it off, trashed the nut and the bolt...

I over greased the JJ on the driverside rear lower, and pushed the rubber out of the joint on one side trying to grease it (First time EVER using a numatic gun):doh: and it happened 3 days before the "unofficial WAL run" here in Texas. I called Currie, but they couldn't sell it to me direct, called Drew (Offroad Evolution), he had them, but it was +~$50 to expedite shipping... Thank goodness for Amazon prime. I just happened to get the joint Friday morning, swapped it out, and left the house JUST in time to meet up with Jackal01, tdougherty81, PROJKUR, and a few others for the convoy out of Houston.

I ran into the garage door frame with the passenger front tire in the new house... The garage is 2 car, but the door is split with the pillar in the middle... guess I was just a little to far over... Ripped the whole right side of the garage frame off the studs, obliterated the drywall behind it, bent the garage door trac, and pushed the whole thing back about 2"... I don't know what I was thinking but its fixed now :dont_tell:

Now, as far as vehicles BEFORE the jeep... don't even get me started...
 
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One that I am really ashamed of. I was putting a CB antenna bracket on the tire carrier and had to remove the tire carrier and when it came to put everything back together, I tightened down one of the bolts too tight(not sure how as 1. I'm a lady and 2 it wasn't that tight) and the head broke off so now there is a piece of a bolt sticking out of the bolt that is screwed into the tire carrier. :blush:
 
jeff_in_rc said:
Well you went and said it so now I HAVE to ask, what was the vehicle and what did you do? :blush:
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Haha which one?
The sti was OVERALL pretty nice, but I did make a few stupid mistakes...

My DSM was a nightmare though! [emoji34] stresses me out just thinking about that POS... lol

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