Oso Build Thread

[LAJK]

Great build!

 

[dchew]

My ESC started kicking in randomly while driving, then the warning lights came on and stayed on. I thought it might be a bad speed sensor. The steering wheel has been centered with no problems for 30k miles so I was sure it wasn't that. Then looking at the front my right wheel looked as if the C was drastically bent. Weird given the welds on the C-braces were fine. It was also toed out a bit. So I lifted the front. Sure enough I could move the wheel back and forth by hand probably 2".

Bad bearing. And the speed sensor was rusted in place; had to break it. So off to the dealership tomorrow for some parts! Good news is a bearing and sensor are a lot cheaper than upgrading to a ProRock 44. Bad news is, there goes my justification for upgrading to a ProRock 44.


Dave

 

[MTG]

Hey Dave. Haven't seen you on in a while, or maybe I missed it? Bummer about the issues, glad it's an easy fix. Or maybe I have that backwards?

 

[dchew]

Hey Dave. Haven't seen you on in a while, or maybe I missed it? Bummer about the issues, glad it's an easy fix. Or maybe I have that backwards?

Hey there! Yeah your right. New job, traveling constantly so not much time for the Jeep let alone WAYALIFE. I trust everyone here is doing well...

I've been jones'n for a PR 44 as you can tell. I'm guessing if I work with ORE they can set it up for my coil overs so it is a straight swap?

My problem has been rust. We had a bad winter and everything I worked on looks like hell even though I primed well and painted two coats. Even the EVO sliders and skins had to be redone. There is a lot of technology in factory paint, that's for sure. I'm seriously thinking about buying a beater this fall for winter driving.

Regardless, if I ever go PR 44 I want it install-ready so I don't have to repaint. Cuz obviously I suck at that!


Dave

 

[dchew]

$200 bearing and sensor. Parts will be at the dealer early afternoon!

:thumb:

 

[dchew]

Spring cleaning long overdue. Got some lift time back at my buddy's garage.



Every place I primed and painted looks awful. Don't anyone hire me to paint anything.







Some of these long arms are going to take some creative coercion to remove.



I was afraid the joints would be a mess after 40k miles and two winters. While they need some care they look mechanically fine. Font upper CA:





Believe it or not I cleaned up the coil overs last spring. But they look pretty bad.





These machine bolts that mount the shock to the upper bracket are nasty. I've tried just about everything, including what seems like a quart of PB Blaster



Yesterday was frustrating. I hate road salt. Today will be better!

Dave

 

[dchew]

Despite my wishful thinking, yesterday was no better. There are three bolts used to mount the top of the coil overs: Two machine bolts that go up vertically through the shock bracket into the original stock nuts and through the EVO reinforcement bracket, and one that holds the shock in place horizontally through the bracket. The machine bolts at the top were frozen solid. I then took the nut off the horizontal shock bolt, and that bolt spun fine but would not budge to come out through the shock. Those sleeves that hold the shock must be rusted solid. Tried everything. Went back to the machine bolts and stripped the hex head out of one. Now I'm stuck. Can't get the shock off without doing some destruction I will not be able to recover from.

So I gave up and went to the front. I was going to do some small adjustments to the CA's (turn them out to be just a little longer). The adjustment for the upper passenger CA won't budge. Even with lots of heat. It is either bent or galled up in there. Time to call ORE for a new upper CA. That's not going to be cheap to ship fast. :icon_crazy:

Then I took off the bearings and one speed sensor would not come out. Had to break it off and take it out with an easy out. Well that didn't work either. The bottom part of the sensor fell into the bearing and can't get it out. New bearing time?? I have a spare speed sensor, but I'm guessing I cannot have a piece of the old one rolling around in there...

All this has pushed me over the edge. Gotta buy a beater for winter driving. Also found a guy who does painting on restorations. He is looking for a small job, so in about a month I will drive over there and he will do the paint clean up. That's about the time I'm getting new axles and rear EVO Lever DTD. I will drill out those pesky upper shock bolts then.

"Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes your the bug" - Dire Straits

Yesterday I was the bug.

Dave

 

[piginajeep]

I'm guessing you didn't anti seize anything ?

And I'm so glad I don't live in the rust belt any longer. I wouldn't not spend that kinda money on my jeep, or I would park it in the winter.

 

[dchew]

Yup guessed right. I did on the big ones but not these little ones. Cutting corners always bites me. No excuse either because these specific bots are in coated Machine bolts. Should have known.

 

[DA RUNT]

On a side note, your buddy has some sweet rides in his shop :thumb:

 

[piginajeep]

Whatever you do, do not use any kind of cleaner on those heims. It'll ruin the liner. Use #0000 steel whool

 

[olram30]

Borrow the viper while the jeep is getting worked on

 

[dchew]

Borrow the viper while the jeep is getting worked on

You picked it. He added a supercharger to that. I swear that thing is faster that the '55 pro street you can see in the background.

When he sells some of this stuff, that's the one I want. And apparently their value is not all that pumped up like some other cars.

 

[dchew]

Whatever you do, do not use any kind of cleaner on those heims. It'll ruin the liner. Use #0000 steel whool

Will do, thanks! Actually they look bad but mechanically feel great, so a little steel wool should be perfect.

On a side note, your buddy has some sweet rides in his shop :thumb:

You have no idea... The jet boat is in another garage, and I gotta get the Jeep out of there in a few days because his '66 Fairlane is coming back. :yup:

He restored that '67 GTO from the ground up. I have a picture of him sitting on a bare frame in 1989. He finished that restoration in 1991, and it still looks great. And that is lacquer paint.

He keeps poking me to do an LS swap. But not until I quit driving in the winter.

 

[dchew]

I got the winch all fixed. One disadvantage of a synthetic rope is it gets wet and stays wet in the winter. Of course around here that means wet with brine. The Zeon drum is aluminum. No match for today's road salt.



Couldn't remove the puck, and since I decided to replace the drum I cut off the rope.



Of course me being the dumbass engineer I pulled out the drum brake without instructions which ended in a yard sale of parts. Warn helped a lot here; I ended up ordering a few repair kits. Drum, brake kit, and top buss connection kit. All in with the new rope it was $500. Almost half the cost of a new Zeon. But warn helped me re-assemble the old brake so I at least have a bunch of usable spare parts. I also now have the nerdy neoprene cover. I suspect it will also stay soaked, but it should be cheaper and easier to repaint the exterior vs new drums. All back together yesterday, mounted and tested.

Now for the new plans:
Rear EVO Lever
Rear DTD
Rear semi-float 60
Front PR44
ARB lockers
Big brake kit
On board air





Sometime down the trail I will convert the front from bolt-on to DTD. I spent way too much time debating between PR60/FF60 and the lesser PR44/Semi above. In the end it came down to not needing the extra strength, cost and wanting to keep my 5 lug wheels. I may at some point swap motors, but not before I stop using this as my DD and especially no more winter driving. The air was free with the two lockers, so I will have that along with the portable Viar as a backup and for friends to use for airing up.

It will be a while before I can start all this given my travel schedule, but I want to be done and dialed in for an October trip to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Durango and Moab. Thinking I will ship the Jeep out then drive it back.

 

[dchew]

And now back to the slowest rebuild thread ever. Crippledpetey will have 1000 miles on his LS3 before I finish an axle swap.

It is finally weld day:




And so far I like the Dynatrac big breaks because they are so easy to install. No getting into the lines at all.





Oh, and I guess I needed rear brakes anyway, eh?


Cue MTG's rust comments...

 

[SaddleTramp]

Congrats of the upgrades Dave, great to see you knocking the rust off both literally and figuratively! :beer:

 

[WJCO]

I got the winch all fixed. One disadvantage of a synthetic rope is it gets wet and stays wet in the winter. Of course around here that means wet with brine. The Zeon drum is aluminum. No match for today's road salt.

Late here, but I assume you weren't running a cover on that? If not, would a cover have even helped? I have the same winch and put in on at the beginning of the summer. I don't want to have to deal with that crap. I've been thinking about getting a cover anyway.

 

[dchew]

I was not running a cover. But I am now! The problem is the synthetic line soaks up brine and holds it. Rain just won't rinse it off as you drive. I took the old line off and hosed the crap out of it and salty water was still coming off. Could never rinse it all out.

 

[dchew]

Congrats of the upgrades Dave, great to see you knocking the rust off both literally and figuratively! :beer:

Thanks. Starting to get excited. I hope I have it all together before snow flies so I can get to Southington for a few test runs.