July 8th, 2008
This is a photo from last summer, but it still resides as one my favourites. The photo was taken out near Caroline, Alberta. It was taken in the pouring rain which always makes for a great shot!
I kept this one fairly simple. I just basically just darkened the corners a bit and added the myjeeptj.com logo. For the 16×9 resolutions I just did a little copying and darkening for the sides to make up the extra screen space.
My friend Alex (thinko) took the photo, so a thank you needs to go out to him! He also took an amazing shot of Barry’s YJ, and even though it’s not a TJ I’m tempted to make a background out of it anyway! …Those with a keen eye will notice I used this same photo for one of the rotating banner images at the top…
Choose a size below.
(ie: right click -> save as) (firefox: right click -> save link as)
16:9 widescreen
1920×1200
1680×1050
1440×900
4:3 fullscreen
1600×1200
1280×960
1152×864
1024×768
5:4 fullscreen
1280×1024
If you have a *really* good image of your TJ or other jeep, please leave a comment on this post with a link to a high resolution shot and I can make a background out of it as well! (3 megapixel or 2048×1536 at least please)
- Davin (Raskull)
No Comments
July 6th, 2008
| Your unit bearings are the main bearing that keeps your wheels turning on the outer part of your axle. They will need to be replaced once in a while. The time frame for this will depend on how often you wheel, the mileage on your Jeep TJ, and many other factors like how often you see mud, etc. when it comes to replacing them you will need a little grunt work, but it’s generally a job anyone with basic tools can do. You will save yourself some time (likely, depending on your time to get to/from the mechanic), and some money. Ok, enough babbling, on to the install! |
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Tools:
Ratchet
13mm 12 point socket
13mm wrench
3/4″ deep socket
Breaker bar
36mm 6 point socket
1/4″ 12 point wrench
Pliers or Needle nose pliers
BFH (big f’in hammer)
Metal chisel
Floor jack or bottle jack
Jack stands (at least one, two is better)
Parts:
Unit bearing(s)
Bearing grease
Time:
1-1.5 hours
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 1: Park your Jeep TJ, leave it in gear and put on the e-brake. Chock your rear tires. Crack the lug nuts on the side you intend to work on first. Jack the tire up off the ground by your axle and place a jack stand under it. Remove the tire and place it underneath the axle. |
 2: Remove the two caliper bolts from the back of the caliper with a 13mm wrench. Once you crack them they should turn out by hand as they are greased (or should be). Keep them clean and set them aside. You can then grab the top of the caliper and pivot it outwards to remove it from the rotor. Try not to leave it hang by the brake line.. you can set it on the tire, grab a wood block to set it on, tie it up with zip ties to something.. whatever you can find. |
| 3: Remove the rotor. Check the wheel studs for retaining clips. If there are still some on there you can remove them with some pliers or side cutters. The rotor should just pull off by hand, but it might not. If you are having troubles getting it off by hand, some taps on the face of it (in between the studs not where the brake pads touch) with a hammer should do the trick to break loose the rust holding it on. |
 4: Remove the cotter pin that holds in the slotted retainer. Careful not to lose the spring behind the retainer when you remove it. You can now remove the axle nut. These are torqued down to 175ft lbs, so you will need that 36mm 6 point socket and a breaker bar. You also might need a little more leverage on the breaker bar.. a piece of tubing of a hi-lift handle works well. If you need a way to keep the axle shaft from spinning while you break it, I’ve got two simple methods for you. If you have a front locker, put it in 4wd and lock the front. That will allow the traction of the rear tires touching the ground to keep the front from spinning. The second method is to place a pry bar through your u-joint yoke so it will hit on the axle knucle stopping it from spinning. Once it’s cracked remove it and the washer behind it. |
 5: Turn your attention to the back of the steering knuckle. There are three 12pt 13mm bolts that hold the unit bearing on. Remove these… they are usually very tight from the factory. It says 75 ft lbs in the service manual, but I don’t believe it. I used a 12 point wrench and another larger wrench (box end) on the end of that one as leverage. Probably not something that’s *good* for the wrenches.. but it works good! |
 6: You can then remove the unit bearing. It might come off by hand depending on the age of your Jeep TJ and the type of wheeling you do. If not, I’ve got three methods that will hopefully help you out.
method 1: Put the tire back one and use a large breaker bar to pry the tire off. You can pry from anything you need, like a lower control arm, etc. Be careful and make sure you are prying on something strong!
method 2: Use a hammer and a steel chisel to tap around the edge of the unit bearing. It does take some effort, and it will likely scar up your dust plate a little bit.. but it works great.
method 3: I cannot take credit for this one. I found this method over on Stu Olsen’s site, and he gives credit to his friend Blaine (mrblaine on jeepforum). So, thanks to both of you! Find an appropriate size nut and bolt (grade 8 is better). Place one side of the bolt on the inside of the steering knuckle right beside where the axle shaft disappears into the axle tube. The other side should be resting on the outer axle shaft yoke that holds the u-joint. You can adjust the bolt length with the nut to get it to rest in there. You can then turn the steering wheel to force outwards pressure on the yoke, which will unseat the unit bearing. If you are having troubles visualizing what I mean, click the fullsize version of the image above.
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 7: You can then pull the unit bearing out. This will require holding the axle shaft in while you pull it out to separate it from the shaft. You can just leave the shaft and dust sheild hanging for now. Grab your new unit bearing and grease the contact point a little bit so it won’t sieze up with rust for next time! Grease up your axle shaft splines as well, and put the new one on. Line up the splines, and the dust plate and put the three bolts back in that hold it to the knuckle and tighten them to 75 ft lbs. |
 8: I’m not going to write too much about putting it all back together because you’ve just learned how all this stuff works! Put your large washer, and axle nut (175 ft lbs) back on. Next is the spring washer and slotted retainer with cotter pin. Then you can put your rotor and brake caliper back on. The brake caliper should be placed on the downside first, then swung upwards.. the exact opposite of taking it off. You then put the two 13mm bolts back in and torque them to only 11 ft lbs. Reinstall your tire and tighten up the lug nuts a bit (criss-cross pattern) just so the rim is seated properly. Put your jeep back on all fours, and tighten the lug nuts to 95 ft lbs using a criss cross pattern as well. |
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Congratulations, you’re a pro; you’re ready to do the other side now! Aside from a couple hitches (like getting the damned unit bearing off) this was a pretty straight forward and easy install. Unit bearings can be had brand new for about $80-$100, and I would hazard a guess that the labour alone to take a job like this to a shop would be more than that.. so pat yourself on the back and have a beer! Hopefully your jeep’s nasty noise has gone away.
For a little extra entertainment.. have a look at my before and after videos of the bearings. :P
Please leave a comment if you used this article for your Jeep TJ. Leave a comment with any findings you discovered that I did not talk about as well. I would love to hear from you, good or bad!
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-Davin (Raskull)
7 Comments
June 30th, 2008
I’ve updated the links at the top to better clarify where things are. The “Tech” link is now gone, and it’s content has been placed inside the newly redone “Write-ups” section. The new Write-ups section is broken down into categories so you can easily have a look at all that has been written here and find what you need.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for or have a question please ask in the new forums! I check them frequently each day and will get back to you soon.
I had a chance to go wheeling this weekend to test out the locker. I’ve added a quick 1st impression of the Detroit EZ Locker at the bottom of the write-up for the installation. Have a look!
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June 29th, 2008
Gallery link: http://myjeeptj.com/wpg2?g2_itemId=11051
Where: Alberta Safari Park
When: June 28 2008
Who: Edmonton Jeep Club – Chad ( Chado), Ian ( mystere1), Kyle ( Cyborg), Kyle ( o-min), Mark ( Mark_93YJ), Mike ( FSJCherokee79), Octavian ( JK-Boy), Steve (ysk), Tim ( BiTMAP), Travis ( imbezol), and I (Davin ( raskull)).
My 2nd trip out to the Alberta Safari Park. Last time I was out was a couple years ago, and in the winter.. so this was a different experience for sure. We got into lots and lots of deep mud, everyone got stuck at least once, and it served as a great shake-down run for o-min’s new lift and my new locker (it performed amazingly!). The weather was scorchin’ around the 30′s (celsius), so we all got a bit sun burned I think.. I did for sure.
First off I’d like to thank Lee for having us at his park. It’s always a treat to chat with Lee. He’s always very accommodating to the wheelers on his land. He offered us a newly sharpened chain saw to cut up some fire wood, free camping for the weekend, leg of lamb for dinner, two canoes for putzing around on the big pond, and the thickest mud you can find in Alberta! He’s got a Unimog that he plays around with, but he hid it this time (how the hell do you hide a Unimog?) so Steve wouldn’t steal it again. Steve and Lee are good friends, so don’t take that “stealing” the wrong way. :P
Ian was the first to get himself in trouble. We went along the right-most path just past Bill’s Gate where the RTI ramp resides. Along side that there is a trail they not-so-appropriately named the Ant Hills. The hills are as big as a jeep, and the mud holes in between the hills are about 3-4 feet deep right now. They will change with the weather of course, and it’s very dry out at the park right now. He dropped off the ledge into the first hole and found himself stuck before he even got to level ground, headlight deep. I *really* encourage you to check out the recovery video of this one.. Octavian pulled way too hard on him and would have caused him to roll if he had not kept pulling. It was pretty funny to watch Ian’s face!!
We puttered around the park for a while on the green trails. Funny thing about that though, the “green” trails are so muddy right now that only a couple of the jeeps were able to get through them without winching. I guess that’s what happens when you get a little rain, lots of traffic and good shade from the surrounding trees to prevent drying. Kyle (Cyborg) made it through ok with a few attempts, but I didn’t have the same luck. I dove into the first hole and my skidplate and diffs brought me to a halt real quick. From there I couldn’t move forward of backward and was winched the rest of the way. This budget boost of mine simply is not tall enough for these well-worn trails. They are broken in by rigs on 33′s to 37′s and up all summer.
We followed the green trails all the around the park to the two toughest hills at the park. One is called Widow Hill, and the other much tougher one is Lee’s Loss. Widow hill is fairly steep, but it’s a straight shot right now, not chewed up and dry.. so our whole group made it up without recoveries. Lee’s Loss is a little different story however. It’s basically impassible right now due to the way it throws your rig off to the side. Eric (Brink_) did a real nasty backwards roll there a few months back on his custom linked/stretched TJ on 42′s. Check out that link to his summer upgrades thread. :P
A little later we came up to Rocky Canyon (I think that’s what it’s called). It’s a short technical wash-out section that has lots of off camber climbing. A spotter is a great help, and due to it’s dry nature right now I was able to crawl through it down and back up. The new locker performed amazing and really shines in this type of terrain. With one wheel off the ground quite often, it’s nice to know you will still move when you want to. The one low part of this section had a little bit of mud in it, and after quite a few of us taking this optional course it was worn down enough that Steve in spite of his 35″ boggers was not able to get out. He pulled a winch line and was out in a jiffy. There is a nice filming platform about 7 feet above the area that was built for Lee’s yearly Tough Trail Challenge (Not to be confused with the Top Truck Challenge put on by four wheeler mag each year). The platform netted me a few cool videos of the obstacle.
We headed back to camp for a bite to eat and a beer or two. A few of us got fired up about trying Bill’s Gate and headed out to give it a shot. Three of us ran it down first because that’s easier.. once we had got that out of the way we figured we needed to go the much more difficult way, up. Steve was first and got through the first flexy part, over the big logs, around the off camber turn, and up to the last obstacle. The last part is a huge jeep-wide, 12 foot high V with a little mud at the start to slick up your tires. I hopped in his jeep for this part and he immediately says with a grin on his face over the sound of the air conditioning running full blast “Just let me know if it’s to cold for you”. We had some troubles straddling the V because the entrance to the last hill is muddy and flexy. It wants to toss you to the right side, passenger side down. It puts the jeep basically on it’s side with the passenger side window a few inches from the ground. We tried a few times, and got the jeep to go the other way, with the same results on the driver’s side. We ended up winching out.
Travis tried and had the same troubles. He was real close to getting out and ended up pulling up mostly past the tough part but a tire dropped into the V near the top. This chucked the passenger front tire into the air and he was unable to move. We pulled him out from there. I decided I better give it a shot because Travis and Steve were open front/rear. I got into the same spot as Steve and Travis near the end and blew a bead on my first attempt at it. I started out the day 1t 8 PSI and lost a little somewhere and likely around 3-4. Definitely too low for obstacles that require a little ramming. It was a little disappointing because I really wanted to see if I would be able to get the right line with the locker in the rear. While being pulled out with my blown bead my passenger side dug in a little too much and it bent my passenger side fender downward. Not a real big deal I guess because I plan on flat fendering it later.. but it’s a cosmetic thing that kind of sucks for now. *shrug*
We headed back to camp and spent a few hours in the sun. We had a keg for the event, and cooked hotdogs. A few of us headed home that night (me included) and the rest stayed over night. There is guys from the club wheeling again out there tonight, but I figure a badly pushed up t-case skid plate, a bent fender, and a blown bead is enough for one weekend.
I heard tales of people going out onto the pond later in the canoes and tipping eachother over, but I won’t confirm those allegations. :) Thanks EJC for a great time, and thanks again Lee for having us! Travis just got back from the car wash as I write this.. he says he just spent $50 and the jeep is still not very clean. I told you it was the thickest mud in Alberta! Have a peek at the Alberta Safari site, and make a point of going out there if you live close enough and haven’t been yet. It’s well worth the small amount he charges.
Ian: Two blown beads (man you are a pro at that these days!)
Davin: Pushed up t-case skid, bent passenger fender, blown bead
-Davin (Raskull)
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2 Comments
June 23rd, 2008
The myjeeptj.com forum is up! It’s a TJ oriented forum for obvious reasons, although there is a “other jeeps” section. I’ve got my build thread up there, and a bunch of good tech info in the TJ Tech section.
Nothing too much to boast about here yet, the theme is temporary until I can come up with something or modify one to fit the theme of myjeeptj.com. No time tonight, gotta be up in 6 hours to go to work.
Have a look-see for yourself!
- Davin (Raskull)
No Comments
June 16th, 2008
Just a real quick post. Wanted to share (show off) the aluminum gas can holders I made for my brother a while back.
They are 1/4″ x 1.5″ aluminum flat bar. I formed them in the brake press at work, cut and drilled the tabs for the straps, then had a friend at work weld them up. They weigh next to nothing and are very strong.
  
There is a “tall-thin” style of gas can that we like, and I made them so they would fit that particular one snugly. They can be had at Canadian Tire for about $20 or so. Then you use a rubber strap through the handle of the gas can to the tabs to hold them down. Just need to fab up a mount for the tire carrier, and we’re all set!
- Davin (Raskull)
No Comments
June 15th, 2008
| For those of you that are into wheeling (and I expect that you are if you’re at this site reading about Jeeps), you probably already know the importance a locker can play in your off-road adventures. I wasn’t planning on locking my dana 35 rear axle, but a deal came a long I couldn’t pass up. A local jeeper was selling a Detroit EZ-Locker for a d35 for $200 CDN cash. I quickly snapped up the deal, and went home to see how I made out. I went to the detroit website to get a parts listing of the unit. If I was as smart as I like to think I am I would have done this before giving the guy my money. Turns out the locker was missing the small springs and caps, and I could not install it. After several attempts at getting in touch with him (he was clearly screening my calls and avoiding me), I gave up and looked at other options. I talked to my buddy Moe from the jeep club who works at Alberta Driveline. He was able to order a service kit for the locker for $10! SCORE! It took a couple weeks to come in, and I got it installed yesterday. |
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Tools:
Ratchet
13mm socket
Gasket scraper
1/4″ 12 point wrench
Pliers or Needle nose pliers
BFH (big f’in hammer)
Steel Chisel
Pick tool (small long flathead screwdriver works)
Catch pan
Funnel
Fluid pump (for refilling your diff)
Locker Parts:
2x Side gears
2x Clutch gears
2x Spacers
4x Pins
4x Springs
4x Spring Caps
Parts:
Assembly or automotive grease
Gear oil (2L)
RTV gasket maker
Time:
2-3 hours
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 1: Start off by checking your locker for all its parts, and ensure you have the consumables (gear oil, rtv, grease) and tools you will need. Park your jeep on level ground, chock your front tires and crack the rear lugnuts. Jack up the rear end of the jeep and place jack stands under the frame just high enough to get the back tires off the ground. I say under the frame because it will allow your axle to droop so your pumpkin isn’t hiding behind the gas tank. Remove the rear tires. |
 2: Place a catch pan under your rear differential, loosen the top bolt, and remove all the other bolts holding your diff cover on. Use your BFH (big f’in hammer) and a chisel to tap around the edges of the cover until it breaks free of the gasket. This will spill fluid (into your catch pan I hope). You can then remove the last bolt and pull the cover off by hand to let the fluid completely drain. |
 3: If you can see the 1/4″ bolt that holds the carrier shaft in place go ahead and remove it. If you cannot see it, you will need to turn the carrier so you can get access to it. This can be done two ways. The easy way is by simply turning your jeep on and letting the rear axle turn half a turn (or as much as you need) by “driving” it while it’s on the jack stands. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a very safe thing to do, so make sure you are safe in doing it. Make sure no one is in front or under the vehicle. Make sure you do not let it run more than a rotation or as much as needed (remember there’s no oil in there). I do not take responsibility for any damage you case by doing it this way. The hard way is by rotating the carrier by hand. You will need to use a pry bar or something similar to move it. You could also turn the driveshaft by hand with a clamp on the u-joint yoke or possibly a good filter wrench around the shaft. Once the 1/4″ bolt is removed the carrier shaft will slide out. |
 4: With your carrier shaft out you can then turn your wheels by hand and the spider gears will fall out. Make sure you get the washer for each spider gear out of there too. Your spider gears are the top and bottom gears in that group of four gears.
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 5: Go to one of your drums and push inward on the wheel mounting surface. This should push your axle shaft inwards allowing the c-clip that holds in the axle shafts to drop into the differential. If it doesn’t drop in you can push in and turn it at the same time. Repeat for the other side. Now that the c-clips are out, you can push outward on the axle shaft from inside your differential and the side gears should come out. On the outside of the side gears there are two washers. They are called thrust washers. Make sure you don’t lose these, as you *will need* to use them in the locker install.
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 6: Now that we’ve got your D35 all torn apart, you’re ready to install the locker! Leave your axle shafts hanging out a bit so they are not protruding into the carrier. Apply a liberal amount of grease to one of the side gears on the locker. Place a thrust washer on it, and put some more grease on top of the washer. Grease the splines of the side gear as well.
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 7: Insert the side gear into the ring side (driver’s side) of the carrier. It will sit in place on it’s own. Now you can push the axle shaft back in slowly and turn the side gear by hand to intersect the splines. A friend helps for this. Once the side gear is on the axle shaft, and it is pushed all the way in, you can install the c-clip back on the shaft. Sharply pull out on the axle shaft and it will seat the c-clip in it’s place. Grease up your other side gear and thrust washer and insert it the same way. Do not push the 2nd axle shaft in or install the c-clip yet.
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 8: We’re moving along now, but it gets a little trickier from here on. Grease up a clutch gear and place a spacer inside it. The clutch gears are the other (inner) large gears, and the spacers are the round parts that fit inside it. Place two pins in the two deeper slots that will hold the springs. If you’ve done this correctly the pins will sink right into the clutch gear so nothing is protruding the inner edge. This is important because there is not enough room inside the carrier to insert the last clutch gear if the pins are protruding. Do the same with the other side. If all is going well your locker should be “fully” in the carrier with an axle shaft and c-clip installed on the *ring side only*. Like so: Thrust washer -> Side gear -> Clutch w/ spacer and pins -> 2nd Clutch w/ spacer and pins -> 2nd Side gear -> Thrust washer. Everything should already be greased of course.
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 9: Do a quick check of your remaining parts.. you should only have a c-clip, and springs/caps left to install. This next part is kind of a pain in the ass, but you can manage. You will need to adjust both spacers so they are towards the ring side as much as possible. It will take some wedging of your fingers and a small screwdriver will help. Once you have both spacers towards the ring side as much as they will go, you can go ahead and get the axle shaft into the splines on the remaining side gear. Once again a friend helps here, but make sure he doesn’t pinch your fingers as you line up the side gear. Trust me.. it doesn’t feel good. :)
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 10: Now it’s time to install that last c-clip. Rotate the left axle shaft until you can see the “c-clip install slot”. This can easily be done by hand by just rotating the left side of the locker. You can open up that slot a little extra by pushing the clutch gear away from the side gear. Then you will need to line up the axle shaft so you can see the slot that holds the c-clip through that slot. A picture is worth a thousand words I guess, have a look at the photo here to see. Install the c-clip then pull outward sharply on the shaft from the wheel mounting surface to seat it.
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 11: Seat the clutch gear back on the side gear so your gap is in the middle of the clutch gears. Insert the caps into the springs. Make sure your clutch gears have their “c-clip install slot” on the same side, then choose one of the four pins and use a pick tool or another pointy object (I used a small flat head screwdriver and it worked well) to move it from the “spring side” to it’s home in the other side of the opposite clutch gear. Insert one of the springs with the cap towards the inside in the slot that the pin you just moved was. Use your pointy tool to push in and fully insert the spring into it’s home. Rotate the locker by hand and repeat this step for all four pins. |
 12: Almost done! With all four pins/springs installed you just need to get your carrier shaft back in. To do this you need to move the spacers apart again so one is on each side, leaving a gap in the middle. This is a little tricky. Like street tires in the mud, they will be all greased up and slippery, and there’s not much room to get your fingers in there. With the spacers in their permanent home, you can go ahead and insert the carrier shaft and re-install the 1/4″ 12 point bolt that holds it in place. Now is a good time to make sure everything is installed correctly. You should be able to turn an axle by hand backwards from the drum and the other side should turn as well. If you go forwards however the locker should disengage and click forwards on it’s own. If it does not disengage don’t worry too much about it. There is currently no resistance on the other wheel so it might not disengage. A good test for this would be to install a tire on one side, get it of the jack stand so the tire sits on the ground, then turn the drum on the other side forward. With the other tire on the ground you should be able to disengage the locker by hand and hear it click forwards.
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 13: Place a rag inside and around your gears to keep the gunk and debris from getting in there. Grab your gasket scraper and clean up the mounting surface on the diff, and the cover itself. |
 14: Grab your RTV Gasket maker and apply a liberal bead to the mounting surface of your diff cover. Spread it around with your finger and make sure you have RTV on both sides of each bolt hole. The packaging for my RTV says to use a 1/16″ to 1/4″ thick bead. Put the diff cover in it’s place and finger tighten each bolt until you can see the RTV start to squeeze out a bit. You will need to let it sit like this for one hour to “set”.
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 15: Get a beer and BBQ yourself a steak for a job well done. Mine was friggin’ delicious! Nurse your skinned knuckles and pinched fingers while you wait for the RTV to set… Once the hour is up tighten the bolts on your diff cover to 55 ft lbs, and fill it with gear oil. Reinstall your fill plug, tires, and get that jeep off it’s jack stands! |
 16: Check to make sure you’re not running over anything (like the catch pan), then take it for a test drive. The differential will be solidly locked when moving straight forward, and you will likely notice immediately that it feels very different. Take a sharp corner at a low speed with a tiny bit of throttle, and you will feel the locker disengage. You will be able to hear the locker ratchet forward as the outer tire free-wheels faster. You are now locked and ready to rock! I bought the locker without packaging so I didn’t get a sticker… but I did grab a detroit locker sticker from a jeep show a couple years back so that had to get installed under the hood with the rest. I know it’s not a “EZ Locker” sticker, but it will do!
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Keep in mind that the detroit is known for it’s not-great manners on the road and it will want to sometimes jerk a little bit while it disengages at the start of a corner. When it does this it’s natural to want to jam in the clutch and slow down or stop to prevent damage. I have learned however that if you “stick with it” and keep driving normally around the corner it will only jerk once then immediately disengage as it should. You also need to make sure you do not give the jeep a bunch of throttle while cornering. Your front tires will be steering your jeep, while the back tires will lock up and want to go the direction they are currently facing instead of around the corner. This effect can be felt in a small dose on purpose, but I can assure you it would not be good for the jeep or differential to really give’er. I’m sure that each install will act a little different, and it will definitely take some getting used to on the road, but despite my rantings, it is quite live-able. Really though, if you’re not willing to put up with a little bit of noise and your jeep acting different on the street this locker is not for you. I have yet to use it off-road, (only had it for one day as of this writing), but I am sure I will be very pleased with it’s performance. I did test out the “donut-making” abilities of it in a gravel parking lot, and it brought a wicked smile to my face. I can’t wait to get it out on the trails, and I will be reporting back here when I do, so keep an eye out for that.
UPDATE! I had a chance to go out wheeling this weekend in some great test-worthy terrain. We found *lots* of mud, some really great wash-out/technical stuff and a little tricky hill climb. The locker was almost completely invisible on the trail as far as noise, and handling of the jeep is concerned. I did notice my turning radius on slick terrain to be slightly-but-notably wider. It *did* however perform way beyond my expectations. I purposefully chose a couple optional loops that I knew would get me into trouble, and to my surprise I got through all but one with my near-to-stock jeep. I had a rear tire in the air at least a couple times, and it was a new experience being able to move out under my own power in a situation like that. In mud it’s just… awesome. You can pull through mud holes with less effort and speed than normal, and it gives you confidence to get into worse trouble if you are like me. :)
For a first impression overall.. I say it’s the best $200 modification I have done to date hands down. I still don’t like it on the street much.. but I am getting better and better at driving with it, and I can definitely put up with some noises for the traction gained off-road. I hope that helps!
Please leave a comment if you used this article for your Jeep. Leave a comment with any findings you discovered that I did not talk about as well. I would love to hear from you, good or bad!
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-Davin (Raskull)
16 Comments
June 15th, 2008
I have a build thread going on jeepforum.com. I posted an image of the wheeling trip out to Big Bear somewhere in the thread, and I got so many comments on the picture I decided I need to make a background out of it. You’ll have to pick one and take a closer look because the thumbnail really doesn’t do the photo justice.
Choose a size below.
(ie: right click -> save as) (firefox: right click -> save link as)
16:9 widescreen
1920×1200
1680×1050
1440×900
4:3 fullscreen
1600×1200
1280×960
1152×864
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5:4 fullscreen
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If you have a *really* good image of your TJ or other jeep, please leave a comment on this post with a link to a high resolution shot and I can make a background out of it as well! (3 megapixel or 2048×1536 at least please)
- Davin (Raskull)
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June 14th, 2008
Installed a Detroit EZ Locker in the D35 today. Install went smooth, and it makes for real easy donuts on gravel. :P Keep and eye out for an installation write-up soon, and once I wheel it I’ll post up a review too.
The install took about 2 1/2 hours, but I wasn’t in a hurry at all. If I did it again now I’m sure I could do it in an hour.
Normally I wouldn’t bother locking the D35 because of the imminent 8.8 upgrade and the fact that it’s not really a great idea.. but I couldn’t resist. I picked up the locker from a fellow jeeper brand new for $200 CDN cash.
-Davin (Raskull)
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June 11th, 2008
| Here’s a simple upgrade that you will love. Most of us that wheel our TJs have personally experienced or at least seen a bent tie rod on the trail. It’s a very common occurrence, because the stock tie rods are not that strong. They stick out in front of your differential, ready to be smacked on that rock, ledge or tree stump. When your tie rod gets bent, it will severely effect your alignment (toe-in), and you may not be able to drive your rig until it’s straightened. Many methods have been used on the trail to straighten them.. hook up a winch, jack it up from the bottom, etc etc. Once you have it straight enough to drive and get back home, you might want to check into a setup like this. |
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Tools:
Ratchet
19mm socket
17mm socket
5/16″ wrench
Plyers or Needle nose plyers
BFH (big f’in hammer)
Grease gun w/ grease
Parts:
1x ZJ tie rod w/ sleeve
2x Castle nuts
1x Rubber boot
1x Zerk fitting
2x Cotter pins
NAPA part numbers:
269-6085 (Tie rod)
269-2788 (Tie rod end)
ES2079S (Sleeve)
Time:
30 minutes
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 1: As always, make sure you’ve got all your parts and tools before you start! You will need to do a toe-in adjustment afterwards as well. You don’t need a tie rod puller for this, but it wouldn’t hurt. This install was done without one, and it went smoothly. Start off by removing the cotter pin that holds the castle nut in place on the driver’s side. Once that is out, loosen the castle nut a few turns, but do not remove it.
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 2: The ends of the tie rod are tapered. That means they are “pressed” into the tapered hole on the steering knuckle from tightening the castle nuts down. You can use a tie rod puller for this, but I find a BFH to be just as useful and much quicker. Grab your BFH (ok it doesn’t need to be that big really), and hit the top of the castle nut to pop the tapered end out of the steering knuckle. It might be easy, or it might take a few good hits depending on the amount of rust in that area, and how tight it’s in there. |
 3: Repeat steps one and two on the other side of the tie rod. Be careful with the hammer here as you don’t want to bend your drag link (the bar that goes from the steering box to the passenger side steering knuckle). Remove both castle nuts and you now have the old tie rod out and are ready to work on the new one.
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 4: Place both the tie rods on the workbench and smile at how awesome your new one is. Grip the new one and feel how beefy it is. Think up some way to bend it on the trail in spite of it’s strength. Now would be a good time to set the new tie rod to the same length as the old one to make your alignment afterwards a little easier. Adjust the sleeve on the driver’s side (the side with the zerk fitting) so it’s got equal thread on either side, and pull up the clamps onto the sleeve. Adjust the new tie rod so the bolts are facing the same direction as the old one for easy installation. Tighten the clamps just tight enough that it won’t be moving around on you while you handle it.
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 5: Install the rubber boot, then the zerk fitting on the driver’s side with a 5/16″ wrench. Don’t over tighten the zerk fitting, and a little loctite here wouldn’t hurt if you have it. Don’t grease it yet, we’ll do that once it’s installed.
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 6: Crawl back under your jeep and insert both ends of the new tie rod in their places. You might have to get a friend to get in the jeep and move the steering wheel a bit to get it in place. Put the castle nuts on and tighten them to 55 ft. lbs. You may have to use more or less than 55 ft lbs to get the castle nut to line up correctly for insertion of the cotter pins.
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 7: Insert the cotter pins and bend the ends back. Grease both ends of the tie rod until you can see the rubber boots start to bulge a little bit.
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 8: You now need to set your toe in and tighten up the clamps on the sleeve. Make sure when you set the position of your clamps they are in the “up” position as to not get knocked around. I don’t have a write-up for doing this yet, but it is very easy. Here’s a good write-up at 4x4xplor.com on doing so until I add one for myjeeptj.com.
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Now you have a beefy tie rod! My brother paid $180 for his brand new at NAPA, and I’m sure it could be had for much cheaper if you looked for a ZJ in the junkyard. The stock tie rod is a 7/8″ diameter hollow tube, and the ZJ tie rod is a 1″ solid rod. As you can probably imagine it’s a heck of a lot stronger. Good luck, and don’t try too hard to bend the new one!
UPDATE: This modification will also work for a Jeep TJ Rubicon. (Thanks Colin!)
Please leave a comment if you used this article for your Jeep. Leave a comment with any findings you discovered that I did not talk about as well. I would love to hear from you, good or bad!
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-Davin (Raskull)
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