MajD
New member
So I'm finally cleaned up after being covered in grease and I wanted to share my story. I bought a used 2007 JK 2D Rubicon and I did the noob thing of not verifying the lockers and sway-bar worked before the purchase.
Luckily the lockers work, the sway-bar disconnect on the other and did nothing when I pushed the button, light would not turn on. I decided to check the DC motor so I pulled the wring harness off and the three bolts that hold it on and what I found was horrible. The entire case was full of old water that poured out as I took the motor out. The circuit board on the motor had been submerged for probably over a decade and was completely rusted and corroded, a complete loss. This Jeep had likely forded some water in it's past. The wiring assembly had also been completely burned up and would have to be replaced as well. I Looked at prices for new DC motors online and found they were between $1,800 to 2400 and said fuck that. Watched Eddie's video on the EVO No limits Sway bar manual disconnect and immediately purchased one.
Couple days later my shinny new mechanical knob shows up. I install the new knob and perform the test by disconnecting the drivers size sway-bar link (while finding the bushing on the swaybar links are shot and need replaced....ordered new adjustable Synergy sway bar links) well the test fails the swaybar will not unlock. Next I find myself disassembling the entire swaybar assembly from the jeep and opening it up. I had to pound the shit out of it to get the gears to disengage as they were rusted together. All of the grease inside of the unit had turned to sand and all of the gears and the inside of the housing were covered in solid rust. (probably from the water and the failed seal). I spent the next six hours wire brushing all of the components and scraping out harden shit on the gears that looked like built up carbon in a rifle. I had to clean out old grease, re-greasing, testing the mechanical knob and adjusting the spring size and re-sealed with RCV (couldn't find a new gasket kit and didn't want to make my own) and re-assembling into the Jeep. Discovered the button on the dash had been programmed off by the previous owner.
Everything is working now and I know and I know I'm a better person for doing it. I learned some things along the way...but my god is the JK's swaybar motor a piece of shit design.
/endrant
Luckily the lockers work, the sway-bar disconnect on the other and did nothing when I pushed the button, light would not turn on. I decided to check the DC motor so I pulled the wring harness off and the three bolts that hold it on and what I found was horrible. The entire case was full of old water that poured out as I took the motor out. The circuit board on the motor had been submerged for probably over a decade and was completely rusted and corroded, a complete loss. This Jeep had likely forded some water in it's past. The wiring assembly had also been completely burned up and would have to be replaced as well. I Looked at prices for new DC motors online and found they were between $1,800 to 2400 and said fuck that. Watched Eddie's video on the EVO No limits Sway bar manual disconnect and immediately purchased one.
Couple days later my shinny new mechanical knob shows up. I install the new knob and perform the test by disconnecting the drivers size sway-bar link (while finding the bushing on the swaybar links are shot and need replaced....ordered new adjustable Synergy sway bar links) well the test fails the swaybar will not unlock. Next I find myself disassembling the entire swaybar assembly from the jeep and opening it up. I had to pound the shit out of it to get the gears to disengage as they were rusted together. All of the grease inside of the unit had turned to sand and all of the gears and the inside of the housing were covered in solid rust. (probably from the water and the failed seal). I spent the next six hours wire brushing all of the components and scraping out harden shit on the gears that looked like built up carbon in a rifle. I had to clean out old grease, re-greasing, testing the mechanical knob and adjusting the spring size and re-sealed with RCV (couldn't find a new gasket kit and didn't want to make my own) and re-assembling into the Jeep. Discovered the button on the dash had been programmed off by the previous owner.
Everything is working now and I know and I know I'm a better person for doing it. I learned some things along the way...but my god is the JK's swaybar motor a piece of shit design.
/endrant
