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troys96xj · 09-03-2010, 12:29 AM

I have a 96 XJ that I'm tired of fixing all the time from wheeling.In the last 12 months I've put over $4100 into parts alone. And thats just the reciepts I can find. It seems like I break it every time I take it out.It's only got 83k original on it.I still want an XJ but can't keep dumping money into it like I have been.What do you think?Should I sell it,trade for a stock XJ or selll all the mods and put it back to stock?

**CT99XJ** · 09-03-2010, 12:34 AM

Stats? there might be some stuff you can replace to keep it from breaking every time.

troys96xj · 09-03-2010, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT99XJ

Stats? there might be some stuff you can replace to keep it from breaking every time.

It has a 3in RC with coils and shocks,rear s-10 bastard pack,RC discos and so on.These are not the parts breaking,it's the hub units,wheel cylinders,calipers,alternator,sway bar,pads,shoes,brake lines,rocker panels,motor,exhaust,rear bumper,gas tank,starter,and the list goes on.I'm getting very frustrated with fixing it all the time.I love to work on Jeeps but not every time I wheel it for days after and sometimes weeks after wheeling.

shortbus · 09-03-2010, 12:48 AM

well hubs, and brake parts seem to fall under normal maintenance correct me if im wrong, rear bumper? what happens? theres no moving parts... breaks, weld it. free fix. sway bar? is buying a thicker one an option or are the mounts busting? brake lines, are you running braided lines or stock? exhaust again can be welded, gas tank, go to your local auto wrecker, starter and alternator, again local auto wrecker, rocker panels, buy rock sliders.

**CT99XJ** · 09-03-2010, 12:52 AM

Honestly? Not judging your wheeling style, but why not try easier lines? Once I started getting smart about the lines I took, things stopped breaking. As to the hubs, if you run spacers or you've got a really low BS to kick the rim out, that will cause extra stress, especially with 33's. If you're getting cheap bearings, they'll do what cheap bearings do and become doorstops and paperweights.

If your brake lines broke under flex, extend them. YJ brake lines are perfect for 3-4" of lift in the front.

Pads/shoes will go after 3,000 miles or even less if you go through mud all the time. If you want to keep going through big mud pits, take the time to pull the wheel off and spray some Brakleen in there to clean out the drums and calipers.

Rocker panels- It's an XJ.

Gas tank- ZJ stock skid, 25 bucks all day long at a junkyard.

Alternator/starter: stop going through mud.

If you feel like doing a little work, there's ways to relocate the alternator to where the A/C compressor usually is. I know YJ's have the alternator up high. If you don't feel like doing that, fork over the extra cash and get a Mean Green sealed alternator.

If it was all old stock stuff, then it's really no surprise you had to replace it, even without mud. Just gotta be smart when you buy, fork over the little bit of extra cash for the better part and the warranty.

troys96xj · 09-03-2010, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shortbus

well hubs, and brake parts seem to fall under normal maintenance correct me if im wrong, rear bumper? what happens? theres no moving parts... breaks, weld it. free fix. sway bar? is buying a thicker one an option or are the mounts busting? brake lines, are you running braided lines or stock? exhaust again can be welded, gas tank, go to your local auto wrecker, starter and alternator, again local auto wrecker, rocker panels, buy rock sliders.

I don't know how to weld and all this stuff isn't free.The motor wasn't free nor are the 5 alternators I've burned up this year so far or starter ond so on.Also the 7.1mpg that I get is not the best.Mpg is killing me on the money end.I used to get 15 to 18 mpg.

shortbus · 09-03-2010, 12:56 AM

well whats changed since that mpg? or are you meaning that was when it was stock?

and mig welding is fairly easy, and being into 4 wheeling you MUST know someone who can weld and help you out dont you?

**CT99XJ** · 09-03-2010, 12:58 AM

Em Pee Gees are an easy fix.

Run some Seafoam or ATF through your manifold. Giggle like a little kid at the cloud of white smoke that comes out. Put some Marvel Mystery Oil in your crankcase, check your tranny fluid, and drop a little Marvel in your gas tank to clean out your injectors. Check your plugs to make sure they're not fouled. Swap to a 99 intake, they're more free-flowing.

In the end, it's a shoebox on mud tires. A Prius, it ain't.

troys96xj · 09-03-2010, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT99XJ

Honestly? Not judging your wheeling style, but why not try easier lines? Once I started getting smart about the lines I took, things stopped breaking. As to the hubs, if you run spacers or you've got a really low BS to kick the rim out, that will cause extra stress, especially with 33's. If you're getting cheap bearings, they'll do what cheap bearings do and become doorstops and paperweights.

If your brake lines broke under flex, extend them. YJ brake lines are perfect for 3-4" of lift in the front.

Pads/shoes will go after 3,000 miles or even less if you go through mud all the time. If you want to keep going through big mud pits, take the time to pull the wheel off and spray some Brakleen in there to clean out the drums and calipers.

Rocker panels- It's an XJ.

Gas tank- ZJ stock skid, 25 bucks all day long at a junkyard.

Alternator/starter: stop going through mud.

If you feel like doing a little work, there's ways to relocate the alternator to where the A/C compressor usually is. I know YJ's have the alternator up high. If you don't feel like doing that, fork over the extra cash and get a Mean Green sealed alternator.

If it was all old stock stuff, then it's really no surprise you had to replace it, even without mud. Just gotta be smart when you buy, fork over the little bit of extra cash for the better part and the warranty.

I buy everything I can with a lifetime warranty.I don't buy cheap parts cause I want them to last.Where I'm from there is nothing but mud to wheel in so its either mud or nothing.I have soft 8s with 4in bs and no wheel spacers.The parts I'm replacing are several times a year,some times per month.I wax and detail before and after wheeling.I also change the fluids and pull apart my brakes and clean them very well after wheeling every time I wheel.I've cleaned them 3 times this week.It's not a lack of maintenence cause I go overboard on that.

**CT99XJ** · 09-03-2010, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troys96xj

I buy everything I can with a lifetime warranty.I don't buy cheap parts cause I want them to last.Where I'm from there is nothing but mud to wheel in so its either mud or nothing.I have soft 8s with 4in bs and no wheel spacers.The parts I'm replacing are several times a year,some times per month.I wax and detail before and after wheeling.I also change the fluids and pull apart my brakes and clean them very well after wheeling every time I wheel.I've cleaned them 3 times this week.It's not a lack of maintenence cause I go overboard on that.

Just trying to cover bases, not trying to make you sound ignorant.

Do you know what's causing the breakage?

shortbus · 09-03-2010, 01:06 AM

maybe thats your problem with the brakes. could you possibly be not lining them up exactly properly each time when they go back together? again as ct99 there said, not trying to make you sound ignorant, just trying to help and get to the root of why your going threw parts at an abnormal rate.

troys96xj · 09-03-2010, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT99XJ

Just trying to cover bases, not trying to make you sound ignorant.

Do you know what's causing the breakage?

Mud and flexing?Alot of the holes I go in are in pretty bad shape and have bir rocks in them.You can't allways baby it through the holes.Some of the holes are up to my mirrors deep.This thing goes like hell when I wheel it.I'm not locked at all and I go through stuff that fully locked guys have to be winched through.I guess I'm just whinning right now.I'm supposed to go wheeling this weekend.I just hate going cause all I do is worry about breaking something else the whole time.My buds are counting on me to go .Maybe I'll give it another shot.If I break too much this time then I may give it up.Thanks for listening to my rant.

**CT99XJ** · 09-03-2010, 01:17 AM

you should listen in on my garage whenever my Jeep's parked in there. I threatened it with Cash for Clunkers on more than one occasion.

Honestly, try different lines and avoid the deepest of the pits if possible. You might find that being careful where you put the rubber fixes some of your problems.

**2000XJ** · 09-03-2010, 07:29 AM

Moved to the right section

I feel your pain, I kind of went through something similar in 2009 with my Trail Rig. I was out of work, and then got a job but was "underemployed." Long story short, I didn't have the cash to keep up with regular maintenance, kept wheeling the same hard lines I usually do, and it got to the point where I only got out 4 times in '09 and only twice (so far) in '10. I couldn't keep up, financially, with repairing the rig and getting out to wheel.

This year, I've spent my time bringing the rig back up to speed with maintenance, and addressing issues that were getting really annoying during the past two seasons. So far my two times out this year have been awesome, with no breakage, and I've wheeled some pretty hard stuff.

Keeping up with regular maintenance, paying the extra money for good parts upfront instead of the cheap parts at the autoparts store will make a BIG difference. Remember that DD'ing a trail rig means that you're putting stress on the vehicle EVERYDAY, not just on a trail days, and that having your rig pull/push around all that extra weight on a daily basis will wear out parts faster.

Balance the commitment in your mind. If you want to wheel, understand it's going to take more to keep it on the road... but if you think ahead, wheel trails/lines that are a bit easier, you will extend the life of your rig.

**muddeprived** · 09-03-2010, 07:46 AM

It's strange that you are breaking all this stuff and more than once. I been living in mud for as long as I've handled a steering wheel and none of my jeeps go through the breakage that yours is. I don't have issues with my brakes because I clean em up after the mud bath but you said you did that as well? Hub units usually fail when they are not torqued down properly. Are you putting them on at 175 ft lbs? I go through hubs about once a year, which is normal for a mudder. Buying good branded hubs, like timken or oem from the dealer will help em last longer. The alternator is down low so it's expected to get fouled when mudding. There's a modification you can do to raise the alternator up to the top of the engine bay. Might want to look into that.

How are you breaking pads and shoes?

What's up with the gas tank? Banging it or puncturing it? If so, stick on a gas tank skid and you'll be good to go.

Any rig longer than a TJ needs rocker guards or else you will suffer rocker damage.

How is the sway bar breaking? Aren't you supposed to be disconnecting it when off roading? I've never broken a sway bar before but I've worn out the main bar bushings from leaving it connected once but those are easy and cheap to replace.

Muddin is a more expensive style of wheeling than any other type so that should be kept in mind when dunking any rig in the mud puddle. It's basically putting your parts on a sanding belt. It'll wear stuff down pretty darn fast. I used to hit every single mud puddle i could find but as the years go by and wallet gets thinner I started to learn that I can still have a blast wheeling without having to hit all the mud puddles so these days I take detours around the deep stuff to save my rig and my wallet.