WxNerd2015's Never Ending Build

[WxNerd2015]

Also had a few various travels and adventures throughout the summer months here, and got lucky for one of my work trips and managed to snag a Jeep Cherokee for my rental. I was actually pretty happy with it, at least for not being my Jeep, it wasn't too bad! And especially for a mostly highway trip to Canada and back, it definitely beat the other smaller car they were trying to give me! Haha!







Also had a fun trip down to Universal Studios in Orlando! And of coarse had to find the Jurassic Park Jeep!



And just having some good times driving the Jeep around! And having a second vehicle now, I am loving more top down days since the Jeep gets the garage! I can open the top up, and just park it in the garage on rainy days! A very nice benefit of having the truck now too!

 

[WxNerd2015]

In July this year I finally got enough to to take the Jeep out and actually enjoy it where it's meant to be, and definitely needed to as well as I was registered for DOA 2019 up on Drummond Island and wanted a good test run to shake everything down and make sure that all was good before an entire trip up there! And good thing I did! So we met up with the Wolverine Wheelers again and had a nice trip up to Rocks and Valleys ORV Park, and nothing was too hard this day, and tried to take it easy most of the time, but actually ended up being the start to a few good events for the Jeep.

However, before I get into the details on issues found, here some shots throughout the day of the Jeep having a blast! I am still so happy and impressed with this Jeep every time I get out wheelin' in it!








Also, here's a great video and a few pics of the hardest spot of the day, as I said, a relatively easy day, but the Unlimiteds were getting hung up and bottoming out on this climb, and I gave it a good bump, but made it up on the first try! SWB for the win on this one! Haha! And some good tires!

Anyways though, onto the start of all my issues that I found out...throughout the day, the Jeep started running warm, especially when I was using the A/C, and it has never done this before. I was able to manage it throughout day, but the drive home definitely pushes it much warmer than i would like. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive home on expressway on a near 90 degree day, and the temperature never passed the acceptable range, but it was definitely running warm! I managed it all the way home, and when I got home, the coolant in the reservoir bottle was actually boiling, so I let the Jeep cool down. When I checked later, the coolant reservoir bottle was empty and I could not see any coolant in the radiator, about 60%-70% of my coolant had actually boiled off! Ended up being mud packed between the A/C condenser and radiator that was preventing air flow to the engine, so i had to take the grill off and the upper radiator cover and spray a good bit of water down between there for a couple of days to get it all cleared out, but it did get all cleaned, and got the coolant filled back up and bled the system, and all was set there. I additionally changed the thermostat as well and installed a Ripp Superchargers 180* thermostat to keep the engine a little bit cooler.

When searching for the issue above, I actually found a new issue! When backing the Jeep out of the garage, there was a loud bang, and my passenger rear, inside brake pad came shooting out of my caliper. There are about 35000 miles on the rear brakes, but upon inspection of the pad, it seemed to have separated from the backing plate and just shot out. So i will cover the whole brake situation in another post, however, these issues started piling up, but i am glad i found this before Drummond, and while I was at my garage as home!

And lastly, I also snapped my CB antenna off on the trails at Rocks and Valleys. Just hung on a branch the wrong way, and after all this time, it finally decided to let go, but I believe I have had that antenna for 8 or 9 years, so I definitely got some good use out of it! But now time to find and decide on what the new antenna setup should be! Maybe a 102" Whip? Maybe! We shall see!

 

[WxNerd2015]

As mentioned above in the last post, I had an issue with the rear brakes in my Jeep after getting home from Rocks & Valleys ORV Park. I lost a rear brake pad out of the caliper. So, here we go with more expenses on the Jeep...since one came out, I decided it best to work on all 4 brakes as the rears were at 35000 miles, and the fronts had never been changed and were around 73000 miles. I purchased Duralast Gold Brake Rotors from Autozone and the EBC Greenstuff 6000 Series pads from Amazon.

Front Rotors - 53040DG - https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and-...95_195255_2708
Rear Rotors - 53041DG - https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and-...041dg/539296_0
Front Pads - DP61798 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rear Pads - DP61799 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



So I got all the parts and got to work. And starting with the passenger rear, the one that lost the brake pad, everything came off pretty nicely as it should, not too much of a hassle anywhere. Though when i really started looking for reasons as to why the pad might have fallen out, I did notice that on the inner pad, the upper brake hardware was missing (and for anyone who does get the same setup as me, there is not included brake hardware with this setup, you have to purchase the hardware separately). So I got some new clips and got the hardware back in there and reassembled the brake, once again, nice and smoothly with no issue.




I then went around to do the driver side rear, and when disassembling the caliper and removing it from the rotor, the inside pad fell apart and right out and was separated from it's backing as well! So it was only a matter of time on both of the rear brakes before something happened, so I was lucky that I only had this issue at my garage. Anyways, upon closer inspection, the upper inside pad brake hardware was also missing, like a mirror image of the passenger side! So I am thinking that the shop who did my brakes last time forgot part of the hardware, and due to the increased friction of sliding in the upper part of the brake, the brake pressure on the pad was changed slightly and basically caused the pad to separate that way. I could be wrong, but that is what makes sense from what I saw and experienced here!

So anyways, I went ahead and buttoned everything back up, and finished up the front end as well. It took about 4 hours, but that was with a parts trip and taking a bit of extra time, along with this being the first time I did my own brake job, so not too bad, but nothing else too exciting to note at this point with the brakes! Now to just break them in!

 

[WxNerd2015]

One last post before the Drummond Island trip as well here, I actually needed to grab a few new pieces for the Jeep, as well as install some sway bar discos that I have had sitting around a while and my oil pan skid plate! So, I am not covering it in any great detail, however I will breeze over each of the components!

First Up! I had gotten the Steinjager Sway bar Disconnects back when I got the Rock Sliders, but hadn't gotten around to getting them installed yet. The install was fairly easy overall, just make sure you get the correct order of nuts and washers and bolts on the sway bar and the end links to make sure everything is seated correctly, but overall, very straight forward. I also love the function of this disconnects, as the bottom is basically like an air tool quick disconnect where you just lift the collar and the end link sliders off a ball stud at the bottom. It's a pretty quick process to disconnect, and no worrying about bolts or pins to remove and replace. Only thing really to note with these end links is that they do rattle at slower speeds when they are connected. It is not too bad, and what's another rattle in the Jeep at this point? However, if rattles bother you, these are not the disconnects for you!





Additionally, here's a video on the function of these disconnects as well:

Next up was the Rancho Oil Pan Skid! This install was also very straight forward and I am very happy with the result! The Skid basically just slides over the oil pan where it is now, no removing it and is mainly secured with silicone to the existing oil pan. There is also one bolt on the front of the pan which you remove, and then secure a small mounting tab to the oil pan, however that is the only thing you need any tools for. Start by wiping down the oil pan very good to remove all contaminants and make a good mating surface for the silicone. Then apply the silicone and give it a few minutes to dry a little bit and become more tacky. Then raise the skid onto the pan and compress it on the pan. Then support it and give it 24 hours to fully seat! And that's it!




Then, I also had snagged a Crawltek Pyro Lower Front Bumper Skidplate from Unlimited Offroad that I wanted to remove the lower aid dam and replace it with this skid. The guys at the shop were pretty sure it would work but hadn't tested it with the stock bumper yet, so this was definitely a new procedure, but they managed to get it seated on the Jeep nicely! And I absolutely love the look! And getting rid of that plastic airdam was great also!






I will spread into a second post on the last minute upgrades for the electronic and interior upgrades before the trip too though! So Stay tuned and read below!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Next, on to the Interior/Electronic Mods as of late!

First up was a new CB antenna as I had snapped mine earlier in July at Rocks and Valley. I decided instead of going with another 4' Firestik, I would upgrade to a 102" (8 1/2') Whip Antenna! It is more flexible, better range, more of an ideal setup for the CB, and my hope was also that I could mount the antenna and then not half to always take the antenna on and off all the time going in and out of the garage! And it definitely worked! I got a HUSTLER IC56 102″ (8 1/2 FT.) STAINLESS STEEL CB WHIP ANTENNA along with a HUSTLER SSM3 STAINLESS STEEL HEAVY DUTY SPRING FOR ANTENNAS. The setup was easy to install, looks great, and functions as expected!






I also purchased a dash cam, as nowadays it seems like you need one just to protect yourself, but it will also be great for capturing stuff on the trail as we go too! I went with the Garmin Dash Cam Mini. I liked the small profile of the Camera, and the fact that it was easy to remove, so I can actually switch it between my truck and Jeep depending on which I am driving! I also purchased the Parking Mode hardwired kit, but I haven't gotten around to installing that yet, so right now, I am just using the temporary cord plugged into the 12V Outlet. To this point i have been very happy with, and for such a small camera, it packs some great features in there!







I also needed to get a fire extinguisher for the Jeep for DOA 2019 but was struggling to find a good mount that I liked, was within reach of the driver, and didn't interfere with the soft top. I finally came across a great mount from Atomic Monkey Industries that mounts to the headrest posts and keeps the mount within the reach of the driver for a quick grab if needed! It simply installed by removing the headrest, sliding the posts through the rings on the mount, reattach the headrest and attach the extinguisher! It hold very securely, but it still allows the extinguisher to be slid out with a bit of force for use! It was exactly what I was looking for and I am very happy with!

Here's the links to the Fire Extinguisher Mount and the Fire Extinguisher that I Purchased.



And lastly, we added in some new radios to the Jeep as well. We purchased a few Baofeng UV-5R and UV-5RHPs to start utilizing the HAM radio frequencies when wheelin' as well. These were also optional for DOA 2019, at least to listen on the trails, but the wife and I are both working on getting our HAM licenses soon so we will be legal, but these are definitely some great radios and the kits you get with them are great vaule for the money! They are definitely not the highest powered or best radios! But at the price point, they are perfect! And we got a few of them so we can always lend someone in the group one if needed, or if you are running an obstacle, I can give one to the spotter so they don't have to shout! Also, as a side note, I am using HamRadioPrep.com for studying for the Technicians exam and it really is a great way to study with great material and practice tests and stuff! So I think i would recommend this is you are looking to get into the HAM radio scene too! I might also consider an external antenna mounted on the Jeep for the Baofeng, but we'll see how the handheld itself handles for a little while!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Next Up, in August, we had a blast up on Drummond Island for DOA 2019 put on by Mud Sweat and Gears 4x4. We went up with the Wolverine Wheelers club and had a nice long weekend and a good few days of wheelin! Our group was also lead by an awesome 54 Willys M170 with a big lift and a great sounding V8! I will split this into a few posts just for picture purposes! This is the first day of wheelin! The most notable obstacle that we went through this day was Log Jam (The deep river bed you drive up for a bit! Also, not all of the pictures are mine, as some of them are collected from other club members as well!

 

[WxNerd2015]

 

[WxNerd2015]

And then for day 2! Day 2's most notable obstacle was The Steps at Marble Head! The trail was also one of Jeep's Badge of Honor Trails! Though this day also included some very challenging slick mud pits which slowed us down a good bit, but we all made it through with no straps or winches, just some good driving!

 

[WxNerd2015]

 

[WxNerd2015]

I however did not make it out of Drummond without some issues...

First off, on the trip up, I had an issue with the Passenger Front Brake Caliper, that after around 4 hours of driving, it would just lock up and not release pressure on the rotors. Once it cooled down, it released enough to drive the rest of the way to Drummond. We took it apart at the camp ground and could not find anything wrong! The piston reset nice and easily into caliper and I wheeled the rest of the weekend with no issues! But it did the same thing again on the drive home and heated the rotor up so much it actually turned it permanently blue in spots. Once cooled again (after an hour and a half), it released and drove the rest of the way home no issue.





I took the Jeep into Midas and basically found out that basically something went very wrong in the caliper and caused the piston to completely lock in place. I ended up needing two new calipers in the front, as well as some new lower brake lines. But on top of that, the issue caused my brand new rotors to warp and my new pads to crack...but luckily the shop worked with my to get the rotors replaced under warranty, and I just got the Midas lifetime pads put in.





Additionally, I also had issues with two tires. My Driver's side rear tires when i went to air up wouldn't hold full pressure. I let the air down very low and tried to clear the bead out as much as I could, but when i tried to air back up, it wouldn't hold any air. Turned out that this one had a rock in the bead, so i had to change out a tire to drive home. Unfortunately, I discovered that my Driver's Side front tire also had a huge chunk of wood stuck in the bead and had a slow leak. So this would have to be managed to drive home, but luckily, once the mud dried, no more air leaked out of this tire for the drive home! Both were easy fixes once home!



But, on a much happier note! I got my first Badge of Honor! Arrived only a week after the trip! But not I have to decide what i will do with it! Put it on the Jeep, or make a board of these elsewhere? Hmmmm....

 

[WxNerd2015]

Also put together a video of the group going up and down The Steps at Marble Head! Enjoy!

 

[WxNerd2015]

After Drummond, the Jeep was definitely pretty dang dirty...inside and out! We had fun! And the best part was that I had a free inside and outside detailing from Szott's M-59 Jeep dealer! So I didn't actually have to clean anything up this time! Don't get me wrong, i enjoy the cleaning process on the Jeep too, but it was nice to not have to do it for once! The Jeep came out great! And they even redyed the seats in a few spots were mud had actually stained them! They did a very good job and I am very happy! And without further ado...here's the finished product!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Finally Added on a hood decal as well to TWSTR! Used the Air Force Stencil Font and number is the number in which my JK rolled off the assembly line. So my Jeep is the 639038th JK to roll off the line. And the 0 is front if for over 1000000 JKs.






Plus a photo-bomb of the pup! And a few more shots of her around the Jeep too!

 

[Elroy231]

Jeep is looking real sharp![emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G965U using WAYALIFE mobile app

 

[WxNerd2015]

Jeep is looking real sharp![emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G965U using WAYALIFE mobile app

Thanks! Appreciate it!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Next up in build order was a few more interior changes after Drummond! After a few days on the trail using multiple radios and such, I decided I wanted a dual radio mount and the wife decided she needed something better in front of her to hold her phone and some other stuff out on the trail to keep it within better reach for her! So we ended up getting a few JeepUniq mounts and a Warn Epic Trail Bag!

Both installs were pretty simple, so not going into much detail on them, but I will start with the JeepUniq mounts! I got the 11-18 JK Grab Bar Dual Mount for the Baofeng UV-5R Handheld and Cobra 75WX and the single Clip-On Mount for Baofeng BF-S112 Handheld Mic. Since I already had a CB grab bar mount, I first went ahead and disassembled the grab bar which just included popping the silver trim piece off, and then removing the bolt on the driver's side. And just loosen the bolt on the passenger side. Line up the dual mount the proper way, reinstall bolt and tighten bolt up and replace the trim! Simple as that! And then the clip on is just that simple, just find where you want it to sit on the grab handle and clip it on! The final product will look like the images below!









Overall, I have been using this setup for over a year at this point now and I have been extremely happy with it! Everything is within reach nicely and it is all attached and contained so that when I am bouncing down a trail, I can easily find the right mic/radio and I can hear everything clearly at all times! I highly recommend this setup! It is definitely a little pricey, but the quality is very high on these! Additionally, they appear to be 3D printed, and the way they are created, they are module, so that if you switch radios, you can actually swap out pieces and not the entire mount to continue to evolve with your radio setup!

Next up was the Warn Epic Trail Bag! I actually got mine off of Amazon because it was just a few dollars cheaper, but the same bag! This ended up working out great to be a little flexible in position to work with the clip on JeepUniq mount. It just has 3 Velcro straps which hold it on, and if you tighten them right, it holds the bag very securely, even with a bunch on the pouch!











Once again, we have used this setup over a year and have loved it! The bungee mesh pouch in the front has been perfect for holding a phone and some other small stuff, while we keep Drone pieces, a tablet, and a few other things in the pouch and it holds everything very securely and within reach nicely! And the pouch doesn't flap around at all which is really nice out on the trail!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Then TWSTR got to have some fun in the St. Helen area up north in Michigan on the Wolverine Wheelers Fall Color tour! Nothing too complicated, a few good washouts, a little bit of rocks, and some tight twisties, but a fun day for sure!

























Here's a shot of me with TWSTR going through the rocks!

 

[WxNerd2015]

TWSTR got to have some fun after the fall color tour playing around at Rocks & Valleys ORV Park with the Wolverine Wheelers too! Found some good mud and some steep angles that day!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Then for Christmas, I got a nice setup for the dash from my wife from 67 Designs and Ram Mounts! I got the 2 ball base with the carbon fiber arms and the Dam Adapters for Ram Mounts from 67d and 2 Ram Mounts X Grips, one for my cellphone and one for my tablet! Once again, install was super smooth and simple, with removing the rubber pad in the dash try on top of the dash, then removing the bolt. line the 67d mount up with the hole and utilizing the 3M tape, stick the mount down and then reinstall the screw and it is done!







Once the mount is secure, and make sure to let the 3M tape settle for a few minutes, and then you can install the arms and your desired mounts! I went with the cell mount close to me so I can use that for normal navigation and on a regular basis as needed, and the tablet over to the passenger side so that my co-pilot can do more navigation on that when needed and out on the trials with the Gaia GPS. Plus, if the Tablet was closer it would block my view too much of other things on the dash!







I have been using this setup since Christmas 2019 and I have been very impressed with how stable everything is! The mount is extremely secure, has not budged, and there is no warping or cracking in the dash tray or anywhere around there that would signal any fatigue! And the arms and Ram mounts have really impressed me as my devices remain extremely stable and have not budged once, even on some very bumpy/bouncy trails! And that is including a Samsung tablet in an Otter Box case! Which is not a light setup! But it hasn't failed me yet and it has been perfect for keeping everything where I need it to quickly navigate where we are and locate trails, as well as my devices in the Jeep and keeps everything nice and secure!

 

[WxNerd2015]

Then me and a couple other Jeep from Wolverine Wheelers went out in January and did some scouting for our Snow Flurry run in February! We ran a few trails like Tin Cup Springs and Little Manistee and then made a run up north of Cadillac to some of those trails the next day as well! It was a snowy weekend for sure, but we had a good time! Trickiest part was the ice that was under a good layer of snow making some of the hills tricky as well as some of the hidden mud puddles of which some of us had some trouble with as you can see in the pics! Had no clue that they were there until you were falling through em!