Nate's 2002 TJ, Not so simple anymore by gst95dsm

10 minute(s) of a 391 minute read

I hope everyone is able to follow through with the MOAB plans. Myself included! An annual JF trip to somewhere would be a great tradition to start. Getting all you easterners to the Hammers would be quite the undertaking. The Hammers are however NOT a place you probably want to be in JUNE. But would be a welcome break in the winter for you cold weather folks. THANKSGIVING at the HAMMERS 2014!!!

2-25-2013

Gotta CONFESS something.... I usually don't have much time to post on here aside from updating my little build thread, or I'm so tired from life I just don't post and just read. But if anyone has noticed I've been posting A LOT the last few days. It''s been a fun distraction from a potentially serious time. I've been suffering from a pain for the last 3 weeks in my head, behind my left eye unlike any other pain I've ever experienced. 24hrs. a day. I'm on strong pain medicine, light duty at work, and very loopy. For a guy who doesn't drink, smoke or generally partake in anything that would alter ones natural state..... medicine effects me very severely. The pain is relieved though. I have a cat scan on my head scheduled for tomorrow to get some more answers..... I only bring it up to let you all know this could effect my MOAB trip, and that the conversation on here lately has really been helping keep my mind off of things so THANKS!

2-26-2013

Thanks man! Luckily our incomes are very stable. We don't make a lot of money but as a team we're pretty fortunate. In all honesty, the rental's we're considering are going to be several hundred less per month than our mortgage, and WAY more house so I'm kind of looking forward to it. MY only real requirement beyond making sure the neighborhood is better is to step up from my 2 car garage to a 3 car garage, haha! ON a side note..... here is my garage when I moved in.... I was so proud!  

I spent a ton on the tiles, but unfortunately they didn't hold up. I was dropping trannies, rebuilding motors.... doing a lot of REAL mechanic work, and they were more for just a showroom.... oh well they looked cool for a while!





PRE Jeep hobbies....

It was quite funny..... got my keys and went straight to work in the garage. Here is what I started with! I'm kind of a painter by trade though....

2-27-2013

Ok this is next! Not a real exciting install, but an exciting item to purchase and have. Big $'s so it's gonna have to be saved up for. But it'll be happening sooooon. My front axles are what I worry most about it seems like. Having tires wedged, and turned, and applying throttle get's a little scary. I was also on a run last year where a stock shaft let go.... destroying the unit bearing also after he had to drive it out. Don't want to be that guy....


http://www.rcvperformance.com/produc...aspx?sku=CVJ30

2-27-2013

The failure is still surprising to me. I would almost blame the U-joint being defective more so than the conditions it was being used. If anything, I was thinking you guys bent the housing, or knuckle, or C, just by hitting the whoops to hard or unexpectedly. Then I thought maybe you were bound up, turned, and opened up an ear on the axle and it was down hill from there. Interesting! Why would the U-joint break Mike?? Shock? I know it wasn't just simply worn out.... or was it?

I know the brake upgrade is very worthwhile, safer, and just down right a good idea. But I have just NEVER thought I needed more brake during my 5+ years and 50k with this rig, 1 year on 31's, 2 on 33's and now 2 on 35's.

My previous "fun" car was this.... A 2006 Lancer Evolution RS, with rather large Brembos, so I've experienced powerful braking, REALLY powerful braking actually. This car was regularly auto-crossed and drag raced.

Loved this car like no other....

So losing my ability to do the Vanco isn't really even on my radar, perhaps because of how I drive the Jeep..... like a 4cyl. Jeep.

So for me... it seems like RCV's will make me a happy dude, and give me a little more confidence to work the wheel a little more to gain some front traction in the rocks.

3-2-2013

Im ready! I think this is the longest i've gone in a while without spending some money on my Jeep. I've actually got some extra cash but am ALSO looking for one of these to restore...



AND, I just found out yesterday my Uncle was one of the first in the US to own (actually be partially sponsored by) Yamaha in 74 and be on one of the Canadian mono-shock YZ360's. Basically the FIRST monoshock MX bikesavailable = holy grail of MX bikes. I'm going to go out on a limb though and say those are pretty much unobtainable...

Haha, I don't know, this is the LONGEST i've not had a two wheeler in the garage in 10 years so I'm getting a little crazy. Another long term goal that I want to accomplish before 40 is BONNEVILLE, specifically going the magic 200mph on a bike. My grandpa did it in a GT40 when he worked for ford in the 60's doing R&D and it was a dream of his to do it again on a bike, but he never made it. He died at the age of 77 riding a 2002 GSXR1000. So anyways..... wheeling is a passion, but I've got this motorcycle thing also. 6 month Bonus is coming up in April, so I may be able to have it all, so to speak.  

And I usually shop hard on Pirate....... seems like I always find the best deal from someone on there.

3-3-2013

What's going to be interesting is that I take him so often wheeling with me, and since he has been riding quads and dirtbikes on a lot of these same trails since he was 4, he's a little jaded by the difficulty of what it takes to handle a full size rig. I think it'll be a wake up call, and then FUN for him as he realizes how many times he's been in the rig with me, we've just crawled up an obstacle that just seemed easy, and just how technical or challenging it actually is from the driver's seat. A lot of times, were doing a hard line, and he's reading a book of all things (loves to read), or maybe even napping!!!

I know this is JF and not Facebook, but just to update on my health problem I posted about earlier this week. They Scanned my head and the results came in. NO abnormalities found. So that's good. I just wanna know what the hell is causing these headaches now! Anyways at least I can relax a little about thinking about the worst case scenario. On a side note I'm on a new med, can't remember the name of course that knocked me the f-out last night..... haha.

3-4-2013

Ok, I thought up a little project just for me to try and get my **** together again without over doing it.... I just ordered up some BTF diff. covers, DIY style, cause I'm WAY cooler than Kate. Should be a fun little Saturday project. It's time to get a look inside those diffs to see what's going on anyways just as a preventive maintenance before the heavy wheeling season starts.  

So now while I wait for them to come... what's the BEST chrome paint???? for these babies???

http://www.bluetorchfab.com/Product/...r-DIY-Kit.aspx

3-5-2013

Gotta admit.... still love me some Plasti-dip. Got a little intense out there today when I ran out, Hopped in the HEMI RAM!!! haha sorry, and it was out of gas so I hopped in my wife's civic and headed to o'rielly and those dope's were out also.....so ALLLLL the way across town at 5pm during rush hour to Home Depot, luckily they had some. Barely made it home before I road raged myself into a ditch. Sprayed that last little bit I needed and now that huge project I took on today is DONE! Hey at least I did something Jeep related!



Oh hey Tate, thanks for the Thumbs up...

3-6-2013

A little weld therapy for me tonight..... much needed!!  

well this thing is just cute as can be.... I would highly recommend these as a fun little welding practice project. There's lot's of welding to be done on them lol, but it's easy going. They fit together just beautiful. I'm not gonna finish this one tonight but I got a good start on it.