[pizzaman3872]

My Km2"s are great tires, But like any mud tire, They are a rougher ride and noisier than a good AT tire. I am looking at 32" Pro-Comp extreme AT radials.

I had reg pro comp ats and got 100k on a set on my old wrangler 33 12.50 15. I would buy for another jeep they are just way to much now

 

[KrazyInKamo]

A bit confused now. Something new to me about the xj. The passenger door hits the rain gutters when you open it. Anyone ever have this problem? I can open it by jerking it and squeaking it by the rain gutters but i don't remember ever having a problem with that door. Frame stiffeners? I didn't have much time to look at it this evening but trying to figure out why and how to fix it.. (my first instinct is to hammer it back.. )

 

[Gluckmysock]

Check the hinge pins. the bushings could be worn. Or, Or you have a structural failure allowing the body to tweak.

 

[4.3L XJ]

Usually the door goes down from wear on the hinge pin area. But after you do a little more figuring on this, there are shims I believe on the rear door just like the front. Loosen the hinge bolts and remove a shim and check that. Repeat until satisfied. Wait, I didn't say that

 

[KrazyInKamo]

Check the hinge pins. the bushings could be worn. Or, Or you have a structural failure allowing the body to tweak.

Well, before frame stiffeners i had no problems. After, it rubs. How close is the rain gutter suppose to be with the top of the door? Ill check the hinge pins this weekend most likely.

 

[4.3L XJ]

How hot did you get the underside when welding?

 

[KrazyInKamo]

How hot did you get the underside when welding?

I didn't do the welding, so I'm not sure if they cycled every 6 inches or just did a line. I doubt it's the pins bc the door doesn't droop but i could be wrong or missing something. Sooo.. hammer the gutter up?

 

[4.3L XJ]

I don't think it is the pins either. I am not there to see it, but I think they got the underside a little hot

 

[JandDGreens]

They should have welded about an inch and then moved to a location far enough away that it wouldn't get to hot, going back and forth, but I can't see an experienced welder not doing it that way. You did say that you had a crack somewhere in the door jam? If your vehicle was not level when the work was done it, they may have welded it with a little tweak on the frame. I know that if I am on uneven ground and my disconnects are still connected and I open my hatch it won't shut well at all. Our XJ's frames are designed to flex a little, Just with the abuse on the trails they weren't designed for that much flexing.

 

[KrazyInKamo]

They should have welded about an inch and then moved to a location far enough away that it wouldn't get to hot, going back and forth, but I can't see an experienced welder not doing it that way. You did say that you had a crack somewhere in the door jam? If your vehicle was not level when the work was done it, they may have welded it with a little tweak on the frame. I know that if I am on uneven ground and my disconnects are still connected and I open my hatch it won't shut well at all. Our XJ's frames are designed to flex a little, Just with the abuse on the trails they weren't designed for that much flexing.

The drivers side had the cracks on the b pillar. The passenger side now has issues opening and closing. I'm thinking hammer the gutter up a lil unless yall have a better idea?

Looking at door jambs and all that just now reminds me of that electrical problem in the drivers door i have yet to fix..(no door ajar switch on drivers door. Power locks, cabin lights and power mirrors don't work and pops fuse when opening the drivers door but not passengers.)

 

[JandDGreens]

We had to repair the door hinges on my sons XJ. I should have removed all the electrical, dah. so I fried the switches for the light and key alarm. Oh well live and learn.

 

[KrazyInKamo]

This is the gap at top. Should i just leave it be? I dont think the rain gutter is goin anywhere except off (seperated and loose at the front) and it could be rubbing the body in the corner shown in the picture.

Other news.. i might be an idiot. So last time i played with the the driver door electric problem, i kept thinking that it was shorting somewhere but didnt even think about the door sensor not operating the lights. I cant remember if it popped the fuse or not. I thought it had but my memory is scattered. Dang CRS.. so i popped in the fuse, used the locks, mirrors and opened both doors. Works fine. No fuse popped. I'll leave it like that and see if it sticks. It could still be the wires in the drivers door shorting when opened and closed and it just didn't touch a ground like last time.

 

[KrazyInKamo]

Nope, definitely a short in the drivers door. I disconnected the door ajar wires from inside bc i thought maybe PO just cut wires and was grounding it out. Opened the door slowly and nothing happened. Slightly lifted up on door and heard the fuse pop. Frick. So maybe I'm not an idiot. Haha. Popped 3 or 4 fuses finding this out. Needin more fuses now.

I also think i found the source to the wondering in steering. Is this popping normal when changing directions in the steering box?

https://youtu.be/daL3qyNH-EI

Is this something that can be adjusted out or replacement?

 

[Gluckmysock]

Unless it a mini fuse, user a circuit breaker instead of fuses. Saves a ton of money when hunting down shorts.
That popping definitely sounds bad. Not sure if you can adjust that out. :dunno:

 

[KrazyInKamo]

The under the hood one is a mini fuse but i can move the popping to another fuse
that is a normal size fuse. (The in cab fuse had a 15 instead of 10, i replaced it with a 10, popped it then went back to the 15 bc i didn't have another 10 to blow..)
I dont know if the popping is from gap in the worm gear and tightening it would take up that gap and remove the popping is my thought. Not sure I wanna deal with the pitman arm and forking out money for a reman without adjusting it first, ya know?

 

[Gluckmysock]

Here is a write-up on fixing a leaky steering box, with adjustments. May help: fixing-leaky-steering-box

 

[JandDGreens]

I had problems with my dash lights fuse blowing after I installed my new radio. Found that there was a hot wire for the rear window defroster that wasn't on my XJ. The wire was grounding against the dash frame. So a little shrink tape and problem solved.

 

[KrazyInKamo]

Here is a write-up on fixing a leaky steering box, with adjustments. May help: fixing-leaky-steering-box

Thanks for the link. I think its the bearings or seal on the worm gear shaft (sound right?). I got under it today and had the wife seesaw the steering and could see the splined shaft shift instead of just pivoting. I grabbed the splined pitman arm shaft and jerked it back and forth a little bit and heard the popping that's in the video.. i dont think adjusting the box will help with that movement so i didnt bother messing with it.

The wife said nothing else money wise on the jeep for a while.. i guess it gives me time to think of a plan of attack. If i do it myself (rebuild) i think its 40-50 bucks? Borrow a pitman arm puller from autozone.. Not sure how much to have it rebuilt here at a shop that specializes in boxes.. thoughts? Recommendations on the steering box?

 

[Gluckmysock]

Money is always an issue. Just have to know how to get the most bang for your buck. My box is leaking, and my front end has a shimmy. And I am going to Jeep Bantam Heritage Festival in a little over a month. Warm weather has given rise to too many yard projects. And no jeep projects. So to my point, finally, When I finally look at my box, if its just a leak and nothing more, may pull it, rebuild the seals, and a new box brace, and reinstall it. If the wear is into the bearings, I will swap an S10 or Dakota box from a PnP into it. Just my .02 cents.

 

[JandDGreens]

Thanks for the link. I think its the bearings or seal on the worm gear shaft (sound right?). I got under it today and had the wife seesaw the steering and could see the splined shaft shift instead of just pivoting. I grabbed the splined pitman arm shaft and jerked it back and forth a little bit and heard the popping that's in the video.. i dont think adjusting the box will help with that movement so i didnt bother messing with it.

The wife said nothing else money wise on the jeep for a while.. i guess it gives me time to think of a plan of attack. If i do it myself (rebuild) i think its 40-50 bucks? Borrow a pitman arm puller from autozone.. Not sure how much to have it rebuilt here at a shop that specializes in boxes.. thoughts? Recommendations on the steering box?

It might be better to wait till you can afford the same box I bought from an E-bay dealer. It ran me about $138 (it is now $175) http://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-1999-D...BOX-/150975156505?hash=item2326d21119&vxp=mtr and bolted right in. It is working perfectly. I wish you lived out here, I have a spare steering box from my son's 94 XJ, shipping cost for private party would cost to much to ship. But these guys are selling the same one for $135, http://www.partsgeek.com/g9l4fg8-do...hoppingCom&fp=pp&utm_term=Dodge+Steering+Gear Mine is working like new. I wished the E-bay seller was still selling it for what I bought it for No core charge on mine.

But if you are good at re-building one the re-build kit would be a good option.