98' XJ Sport.. Another XJ Thread

[Goodspeed]

Also, in about the 2 years I've owned this thing I finally tackled the front speakers not working.. Common problem for the XJ's is the door/speaker harness wires pass between the door and the body via a rubber grommet. Over time, as the door continously opens and closes the poor little wires eventually just snap and everything goes to hell. Yanked the passenger door card and repaired the wiring. WAHLA! I have sound!

I'm having the same issue, but I can't understand why speaker wires would crack while all the other wires would be fine? From what I can see, I pulled back the cover under the hinge of the door (ribbed rubber gator thing) and from what I could see they looked fine - where yours cracked behind the actual door panels?

It may be something else with mine though. The balance F/R, L/R always seems to be changing so maybe my H/U is taking a dump, or it may just be bad contacts on the back of the speakers. Though the door speakers will do the odd trick of playing when open but not closed (sometimes vice versa) and randomly cutting it when sitting in traffic.

[V1GiLaNtE]

It's not just the speaker wires.. Eventually ALL the wires will give way. And then you'll likely loose power window, power lock, and mirror function.

Mine were broken right inside the rubber boot thingy. Sounds like you've got a wire that's on it's way out if you're getting them to play with the door open/closed...

[V1GiLaNtE]

So this past weekend was spent adding a few bits and pieces to the XJ and some maintenance item.

Kaan and I started with all this.



Replaced both axle u joints with minty spicers.









One of these is not like the others...




Also threw in a Solid diff cover with lube locker and a new Monroe "magnum" steering stabilizer.




Steering feels a lot better and anxious to see the improvement when the Clayton Trackbar goes in this weekend.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Haven't driven to work in awhile...

[Kaan]

what no pictures of the custom set up and/or story of the headache of using the "easy" press method vs. the wood block? WEAK

[V1GiLaNtE]

what no pictures of the custom set up and/or story of the headache of using the "easy" press method vs. the wood block? WEAK

I don't think I took any pictures of that.. :mrgreen: Nor do I think most people really care about the shadetree mechanics used on an XJ. :roll:

Alas, apparently the "best" way to remove and install ujoints is a press. HURRAY! UNCA KAAN has one of those. Well children, it's not..

I think we spent more time cursing over getting the socket lined up to punch out the u joint caps then we actually did any good. I would say "I" and not blame Kaan, may have gotten a little overzealous and ended up tweaking the "ears" of the axle shafts for the passenger side which did not let us properly install the first u joint. Yes, I said first.

That one came out with a sawzall.. :twisted: Well Kaan and I ultimately were able to remove that u joint, ever so slighly "massage" the bent axle shaft ear back to straight, clean up our burrs and mess and install new u joints.. using.. a scrap piece of ass shitty plywood roughly 4"x2" in dimensions.. I have deemed it the XJ u joint install tool and will forever no longer use a press when doing this installs.

It was painfully hilarious to watch myself and Kaan, with ease, tap in the new u joint caps and finish them on the press. It took us about 3 hours for what should be a 20 minute press job. Can you guess how long the driver side took?

20 minutes.

I fail. I weak. :dunno:

[V1GiLaNtE]

Oh, and might be picking up a set of Bilsteins tonight.

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[V1GiLaNtE]

Went on a Craigslist bender Friday and grabbed those bilsteins and a JCR offroad deluxe bumper and unibody tie-in kit. The unibody tie-in kit helps distribute the weight and any potential stress, ie a front recovery, evenly across the front unibody without fear of ripping your bumper off

I got the bumper for about half of what it retails and it was in good condition so I considered that a very good deal.

No real pains installing the bumper. Just your usual annoyance of a bolt or nut being in an awkward place.

This thing is some serious beef and should be able to take any hits on the trail. Helped improve my approach angle by being much higher as well.







Clayton Offroad HD Double Sheer Trackbar.
Holy god in heaven this thing is a monster. With a 2.5" serviceable Johnny joint on the frame side, it's just pure beef.






The front axle is now well centered under the body and the whole jeep feels much tighter and solid while driving at high speeds.

We had a bitch of a time with trying to remove the bar pins in the Bilsteins. We used a press, sockets and vise, pure man strength, drilling one out, but these things proved to get the better of us so sadly they weren't able to go in this weekend. The bar pin simply wouldn't budge out of the bushing without the fear of pressing the whole bushing out.



I'm going to see if I can find a local shop to press them out for me unless anyone has any other suggestions.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Any suggestions on a shop in around Fairfax to do the work? Or one of you BMW/Honda gurus have a technique/press to do it?

[ibjeepin95]

The reason they won't separate is because Bilstein thinks it's a good idea to mold the bushing to the bar pin. You'll have to push the whole thing out and get new bushings from Clayton. That's what I did to run bolts instead of bar pins.

[Kaan]

that freaking explains a lot. we have done the bar pin eliminators on two sets of JK rubi shocks with just the vise... and the press wasnt even working on these bilsteins.

[V1GiLaNtE]

The reason they won't separate is because Bilstein thinks it's a good idea to mold the bushing to the bar pin. You'll have to push the whole thing out and get new bushings from Clayton. That's what I did to run bolts instead of bar pins.

Jesus titty fucking christ. That explains everything.
Are these them ther?

[V1GiLaNtE]

that freaking explains a lot. we have done the bar pin eliminators on two sets of JK rubi shocks with just the vise... and the press wasnt even working on these bilsteins.

I don't feel like such a failure now.. Guess I'll order up some bushings. :thumbup:

[ibjeepin95]

Hahaha.....Are you planning to run BPE's? Maybe I missed it....

[V1GiLaNtE]

Hahaha.....Are you planning to run BPE's? Maybe I missed it....

Yap. Been running BPE's since my first XJ hence why I was hoping for an easy swap this past weekend...Look above.. Those the right bushings?

[Kaan]

and here i thought it was user error this whole time.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Looks like I can buy them 1/2 the price from Summit.

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[ibjeepin95]

With no picture, it looks promising.

[V1GiLaNtE]

With no picture, it looks promising.

Exact same part number from Clayton? :dunno:

[ibjeepin95]

You good then. I didn't check that....