98 Cherokee SE - Advice *PICS*
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Model: Cherokee
98 Cherokee SE - Advice *PICS*
Last edited by uptownbill; 06-19-2016 at 10:51 PM.
#2
CF Veteran
Welcome, congrats, and may it serve you well!
Its in reasonably good shape as far as rust goes. Buying a few cans of Fluid Film will really help in those areas where it is starting to take off. I'm in central new york, and the salt up here is incredible! Fluid film really helps to keep the moisture and salt off the metal. I go through a ton of the stuff. I have a test spot on the jeep that is down to bare metal, and it has pretty much kept the rust off it indefinitely, when i wipe it with a rag, it is still clean shiny metal with no rust development. It will generally bring any existing rust patch to a halt.
Those rotted pieces are the jounce bumpers, often called "bump stops" that protect the axle from hitting the frame. They are pretty easy to find, and pretty easy to replace. Be gentle with the bolts coming out, they are pretty low quality metal, and will want to break on you. If you go easy on them, they will probably be fine.
I run 235's with a 1" lift. The stance is about perfect. 2" is about as high as you want to go before 235s start to look a little small (personal preference thing though).
You will need sway bar links and bushings. (cheap and fairly easy job).
The Jeep is a great vehicle to learn on. It is surprisingly simple compared to more modern vehicles. Things tend to be relatively easy to get to, to see, and to kind of understand what they do.
Like you, I got mine about 6 months ago, and have basically been "refreshing" everything underneath. Of course all fluids (oil, trans, tcase, differentials, coolant), Brakes, axle u-joints, front hubs, drive shafts, all u-joints, leaf springs, shackles, shocks, sway bar links, steering stabilizer (steering damper), bump stops, etc. Its been expensive in terms of time, but surprisingly affordable in terms of parts.
There are a million tips and tools I could recommend, but if I had to choose one thing to pass along first, it would be to know where your electrical ground locations are in your engine compartment, and to clean them up. As well as your battery terminals, clamps, and condition of cables. If these things are not clean, shiny, and tight, they lead to so many other random problems that can lead to a lot of wasted money and time.
The ground connection issue is so common, I finally made a youtube video about it so that I could link to the -many- forum posts that come up where it is likely implicated.
Its in reasonably good shape as far as rust goes. Buying a few cans of Fluid Film will really help in those areas where it is starting to take off. I'm in central new york, and the salt up here is incredible! Fluid film really helps to keep the moisture and salt off the metal. I go through a ton of the stuff. I have a test spot on the jeep that is down to bare metal, and it has pretty much kept the rust off it indefinitely, when i wipe it with a rag, it is still clean shiny metal with no rust development. It will generally bring any existing rust patch to a halt.
Those rotted pieces are the jounce bumpers, often called "bump stops" that protect the axle from hitting the frame. They are pretty easy to find, and pretty easy to replace. Be gentle with the bolts coming out, they are pretty low quality metal, and will want to break on you. If you go easy on them, they will probably be fine.
I run 235's with a 1" lift. The stance is about perfect. 2" is about as high as you want to go before 235s start to look a little small (personal preference thing though).
You will need sway bar links and bushings. (cheap and fairly easy job).
The Jeep is a great vehicle to learn on. It is surprisingly simple compared to more modern vehicles. Things tend to be relatively easy to get to, to see, and to kind of understand what they do.
Like you, I got mine about 6 months ago, and have basically been "refreshing" everything underneath. Of course all fluids (oil, trans, tcase, differentials, coolant), Brakes, axle u-joints, front hubs, drive shafts, all u-joints, leaf springs, shackles, shocks, sway bar links, steering stabilizer (steering damper), bump stops, etc. Its been expensive in terms of time, but surprisingly affordable in terms of parts.
There are a million tips and tools I could recommend, but if I had to choose one thing to pass along first, it would be to know where your electrical ground locations are in your engine compartment, and to clean them up. As well as your battery terminals, clamps, and condition of cables. If these things are not clean, shiny, and tight, they lead to so many other random problems that can lead to a lot of wasted money and time.
The ground connection issue is so common, I finally made a youtube video about it so that I could link to the -many- forum posts that come up where it is likely implicated.
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Model: Cherokee
Welcome, congrats, and may it serve you well!
Its in reasonably good shape as far as rust goes. Buying a few cans of Fluid Film will really help in those areas where it is starting to take off. I'm in central new york, and the salt up here is incredible! Fluid film really helps to keep the moisture and salt off the metal. I go through a ton of the stuff. I have a test spot on the jeep that is down to bare metal, and it has pretty much kept the rust off it indefinitely, when i wipe it with a rag, it is still clean shiny metal with no rust development. It will generally bring any existing rust patch to a halt.
Those rotted pieces are the jounce bumpers, often called "bump stops" that protect the axle from hitting the frame. They are pretty easy to find, and pretty easy to replace. Be gentle with the bolts coming out, they are pretty low quality metal, and will want to break on you. If you go easy on them, they will probably be fine.
I run 235's with a 1" lift. The stance is about perfect. 2" is about as high as you want to go before 235s start to look a little small (personal preference thing though).
You will need sway bar links and bushings. (cheap and fairly easy job).
The Jeep is a great vehicle to learn on. It is surprisingly simple compared to more modern vehicles. Things tend to be relatively easy to get to, to see, and to kind of understand what they do.
Like you, I got mine about 6 months ago, and have basically been "refreshing" everything underneath. Of course all fluids (oil, trans, tcase, differentials, coolant), Brakes, axle u-joints, front hubs, drive shafts, all u-joints, leaf springs, shackles, shocks, sway bar links, steering stabilizer (steering damper), bump stops, etc. Its been expensive in terms of time, but surprisingly affordable in terms of parts.
There are a million tips and tools I could recommend, but if I had to choose one thing to pass along first, it would be to know where your electrical ground locations are in your engine compartment, and to clean them up. As well as your battery terminals, clamps, and condition of cables. If these things are not clean, shiny, and tight, they lead to so many other random problems that can lead to a lot of wasted money and time.
The ground connection issue is so common, I finally made a youtube video about it so that I could link to the -many- forum posts that come up where it is likely implicated.
Jeep XJ Starting Problems - Check Your Grounds - YouTube
Its in reasonably good shape as far as rust goes. Buying a few cans of Fluid Film will really help in those areas where it is starting to take off. I'm in central new york, and the salt up here is incredible! Fluid film really helps to keep the moisture and salt off the metal. I go through a ton of the stuff. I have a test spot on the jeep that is down to bare metal, and it has pretty much kept the rust off it indefinitely, when i wipe it with a rag, it is still clean shiny metal with no rust development. It will generally bring any existing rust patch to a halt.
Those rotted pieces are the jounce bumpers, often called "bump stops" that protect the axle from hitting the frame. They are pretty easy to find, and pretty easy to replace. Be gentle with the bolts coming out, they are pretty low quality metal, and will want to break on you. If you go easy on them, they will probably be fine.
I run 235's with a 1" lift. The stance is about perfect. 2" is about as high as you want to go before 235s start to look a little small (personal preference thing though).
You will need sway bar links and bushings. (cheap and fairly easy job).
The Jeep is a great vehicle to learn on. It is surprisingly simple compared to more modern vehicles. Things tend to be relatively easy to get to, to see, and to kind of understand what they do.
Like you, I got mine about 6 months ago, and have basically been "refreshing" everything underneath. Of course all fluids (oil, trans, tcase, differentials, coolant), Brakes, axle u-joints, front hubs, drive shafts, all u-joints, leaf springs, shackles, shocks, sway bar links, steering stabilizer (steering damper), bump stops, etc. Its been expensive in terms of time, but surprisingly affordable in terms of parts.
There are a million tips and tools I could recommend, but if I had to choose one thing to pass along first, it would be to know where your electrical ground locations are in your engine compartment, and to clean them up. As well as your battery terminals, clamps, and condition of cables. If these things are not clean, shiny, and tight, they lead to so many other random problems that can lead to a lot of wasted money and time.
The ground connection issue is so common, I finally made a youtube video about it so that I could link to the -many- forum posts that come up where it is likely implicated.
Jeep XJ Starting Problems - Check Your Grounds - YouTube
will def check the grounds
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)