LUNAT1C's 2016 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara - Hydro Blue Pearl

[paintballdude05]

Are you going to buy the FF in bulk and apply or are you going to use cans?

[InfernoLime]

^^post some pics of the lights!!

[LUNAT1C]

Cans. If I like it, I might look into a sprayer for easier application.

I don't have close ups of the foglights. Not much to them. Black bezels and a rectangular lens.




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[InfernoLime]

They look really good! The colour also pops well

[sparky99]

man, that jeep sure would look neat with the fenders/flares off, trimmed out the back a little and stuffed with 36 inch pitbull rockers, and a full cage... just saying....

ok, maybe 2 inches of lift.....

[LUNAT1C]

man, that jeep sure would look neat with the fenders/flares off, trimmed out the back a little and stuffed with 36 inch pitbull rockers, and a full cage... just saying....

ok, maybe 2 inches of lift.....

Lol! I'm not cutting the flares. The plan is to maybe get a set of plastic textured flares to slap on for wheeling adventures and keep my painted ones pristine. It will eventually get a 2.5" lift and 33s or 35s, and either ARB or AEV bumpers, depending on available funds when the time comes. Couple years away for all of that. Need to figure out buying a house first. Adulting sucks...

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[beespecial]

... depending on available funds when the time comes. Couple years away for all of that. Need to figure out buying a house first. Adulting sucks...

Ah, welcome to adulthood.

[sparky99]

man, that jeep sure would look neat with the fenders/flares off, trimmed out the back a little and stuffed with 36 inch pitbull rockers, and a full cage... just saying....

ok, maybe 2 inches of lift.....

Lol! I'm not cutting the flares. The plan is to maybe get a set of plastic textured flares to slap on for wheeling adventures and keep my painted ones pristine. It will eventually get a 2.5" lift and 33s or 35s, and either ARB or AEV bumpers, depending on available funds when the time comes. Couple years away for all of that. Need to figure out buying a house first. Adulting sucks...

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Oh, the fenders/flares would be gone.... I'm talking body trimming... Lol

[LUNAT1C]

Been a bit busy with the Jeep. New parts, new trips, new memories.

I added ACE Sliders in place of the factory running boards to have some protection against wayward rocks on the trails. I also switched out the painted wheel flares for black plastic ones to keep them from getting terribly scratched. Went to the Huron National Forest in St. Helen, MI and had a blast getting Big Blue dirty.



It was great seeing what the Jeep can do with stock tires and suspension, but I decided afterward to go ahead and give it some growth pills. This weekend installed the 2.5" lift and geometry correction brackets from American Expedition Vehicles. I also have a Teraflex HD tire carrier hinge waiting to be installed in anticipation of 35" tires. The lift was needed to get the tires to clear in the Jeep. The geo brackets help bring the steering back into factory spec. And the carrier takes the weight is the spare off of the tailgate, very necessary for the heavy new tires. Once the wheels are in stock and delivered to me, I'll get the tires. For now I'll stick to factory.

Before:


After:


Since I don't have heavy steel bumpers, a winch, or other heavy accessories, I probably got around 3" of lift. Back to West Branch this coming weekend!

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[LUNAT1C]

Speaking of 35s... I did a thing last Tuesday while still on vacation.



315/70/17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs on AEV Pintlers in Argent. The wheels are discontinued, so to find them with nearly new 35" tires and tpms sensors for the price of the tires alone is a unicorn. They were only 3 hours away.

Yesterday we went to dinner with a friend on mainstreet in town and I had to parallel park. Someone watching from a nearby bench called it a Tonka truck squeezing between two close together cars lol.

Tonight I should have the adjustable carrier and third brake light bracket to go with the HD hinge I installed for the tailgate, then the spare can go on and clear my bumper instead of riding in the back. Then I'll be done modding for a while until my wallet can breathe. I also have a set of front splash guards on order to protect the body from chips and might order some grille mesh to protect the radiator from salt rocks on the highway. With some fluid film applied, I'll be ready for winter. Hoping to go wheeling in a couple weeks to see how much improvement the tires provide.



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[LUNAT1C]

I should probably update this. I wouldn't necessarily say a lot has changed, but it never hurts.

The latest mods are as such:
- Katzkin leather interior - Amaretto Tuscany from the Red Rock edition Jeeps (swapped out "Red Rock" front seat backs for just "JEEP" embroidery)
- DirtyDog 4x4 Pet Barrier for JK Unlimited (military-style net wall)
- Teraflex adjustible tire carrier with 3rd brake light extension and CB radio antenna mount
- Tail light guards (unknown brand, picked up at Carlisle swap meet)
- CB Antenna spring
- Rubicon Hard Rock factory stamped-steel bumpers, front and rear with signature red tow hooks and tow hitch (different from my factory hitch)
- Rubicon Hard Rock front skid plate
- Full set of AEV all-weather and cargo mats

The bumpers came with Mopar LED fog lights, however my TIPM makes them into epilepsy machines. I could have the 5SX sales code flashed into it, and add anti-flicker harnesses, but it's cheaper to buy Hard Rock brackets and swap in my Morimoto LED foglights, then sell the Mopar fogs for more than the brackets cost. That's the plan.

In the future, sooner or later, the radio will be done. Looking at Kenwood satnavs equipped with Android auto, or without satnav and will get a cheap Garmin to keep when cell service is slim. Very possible in an overlanding build! Also looking at the Sony XAV-AX200, which can have two additional cameras above and beyond the dedicated reverse cam, and is very cheap at $500.

This year also had a surprise at Carlisle. This year and last year my Jeep attended only to serve as a support vehicle for Luna and the Club. This year, Big Blue must have made an impression, as it won 2nd place in the JK class!

Hosted on Fotki

[LUNAT1C]

I kind of forgot I had a separate thread for the Jeep, but I do finally have a big update. Today I spent the most important money I possibly could on it (without getting a Hemi crammed into it). The final payment! Paid it off a bit early... 6 year loan that I paid like a 5 year loan, and still paid it off in fewer than 5 years. Nick asked me the other night how long I plan to keep it, and quite honestly I'm not sure. Original plan was to get it to 200,000 miles, but then the torque converter raised the white flag at just under 60,000 miles and I saw some posts that it's not all that uncommon for the A580 to do that. If it goes again at 120,000, I just might send it on its way rather than settle into a 60,000 mile TCCI (torque converter change interval) at $1200+ a pop. We'll see, but at this point I don't even know what I would replace it with, as I'm not thrilled with the cost increase of a JL or a Gladiator, and sometimes I flirt with the idea of a solid bodied off-roady SUV or mid-size pickup. The market doesn't have many options that I like though, so I'm just going to enjoy it as long as I can.

Other than that, changes have been minimal.
- Rebuilt the front driveshaft with a high-angle Rzeppa joint at the TC end
- Replaced leaky radiator December 2019, the day before we drove it over 600 miles to the in-laws for our niece's first birthday and Xmas
- Replaced torque converter Octoberish 2019, at 59,960 miles (60,000 miles powertrain warranty covered it, by the skin of my teeth)
- Replaced tie rod and drag link with Yeti XD heavy duty steering components after the factory set got too much play
- Replaced all ball joints with Dynatrac HD units after the factory set got too much play
- Replaced the cyl 1 fuel injector after it failed
- Replaced the 315/70/17 Duratracs with 285/75/17 BFG KO2s - Slightly smaller, but a true 33" with the weight of the Jeep, and narrower for a more compliant drive and less noise. No more getting the wheel ripped out of my hands when I hit ruts. I got about 50,000 miles from the Duratracs, so I can't complain.
- Warn 9500 CTI-S winch installed with Maximus-3 classic grille hoop and winch and fairlead installation hardware. Winch sits between the framerails
- Northstar battery
- Morimoto Super7 headlights, uses the M-LED bi-LED projectors that are also in the old high beam portion of Luna's headlights
- Replaced door hinge liners with delrin units and sanded down the pins + lithium grease to get them opening and closing like new again. Much easier to remove now, so I may run the Jeep naked a few times this coming summer. The Jeep will be naked. Not me...

Hasn't been offroad since this weekend last year, when we put in an offer on the house we now own. Currently has 72,500 miles.

[LUNAT1C]

Not much to report in 7 months (I suppose that's a good thing). No new mods, though I did remove the rusty the ACE sliders and Maximus-3 winch guard hoop. Eventually I will scrape and sand them down and hit them with some kind of durable black textured coating that can take impacts from normal driving.

The Jeep has been on three separate cross country trips this year. Once to Virginia for a funeral, which somehow involved the Jeep going off road with our niece in the backseat to go to a family civil war era cabin and the driver of the Jeep thought 4-low was necessary (it almost never is) and tried to engage it while firmly sitting still on the brake... so guess who had to drive into town stuck in 4-hi to get the transfer case manually knocked back into 2-hi because the transfer case shift cable broke. That was an interesting phone call while I was back in Michigan.

Second trip was to Ocean City, MD for a family vacation, this time with no off-roading or parts breaking. Then finally we took it to Sabillasville, MD for my cousin's wedding, which as it turns out is next to Camp David. From the house we all stayed in on the farm, literally walk up the road and some Marines will politely, yet firmly, tell you to turn back.

Overall the Jeep has had a good year other than needing to replace the transfer case cable. I also finally got around to replacing two of the yellow AEV Bison logo center caps that had lost their protective coating and faded, since enough miles were put on this year to rotate the tires.

I also finally fixed a knock noise that has been irritating me for a few years. When I put the Rubicon sliders on to protect the pinch welds from rocks and debris, the Jeep developed a solid crack noise when going over bumps, almost always while turning. I checked everything in the suspension and front end. All control arms and the track bars were properly torqued (and had been loosened when lifting it, as required). Geometry brackets were torqued. Sway bar links were fine and tight. Tie rod and drag link ball joints were all worn out, along with the knuckle ball joints, from having the heavy 35s on it. So I replaced those with a Yeti HD tie rod and drag link set, and Teraflex HD serviceable ball joints. The dealer also replaced the front axle u-joints when I was still having trouble with this after replacing the steering components. Still cracking!

Thought maybe it was a broken body captive nut... but removing that body bolt changed nothing. Took off the ACE sliders since it started when I combined them with the Rubi sliders. No change.

Nick said it sounded like it was coming from the upper corner of the windshield. Sport bar tie-ins to the windshield were tight, all components were fine... but the Grab Bars I installed way back in 2016 were loose.

Tightened them up... noise gone! Go figure. Good thing all components that I replaced were actually in need of replacement thanks to the tires, otherwise I'd be awful mad about spending all that money and time on those parts. But just like the tapping noise Luna had that turned out to be a spark plug that worked its way loose, or the whistle noise that turned out to be a clogged IAC valve... it was simple!

Right now it has a whine noise around 3000 RPM when cold. I replaced the idler pulleys and belt, which helped. I think the tensioner might also be due, but I'll wait for the noise to become more pronounced, since that part is $150+.

81,200 miles now, and I still occasionally peruse the Jeep and Ram vehicle configurators, looking at Wranglers, Gladiators, Big Horns, and Laramies. Wish I could swing a Limited. Then I consider what having two car payments would be like and realize I have a perfectly well functioning vehicle and don't need that headache lmao. Would be nice having that bed though, or the 8-speed.

[LUNAT1C]

Spoke too soon on the Jeep having a good year. Exactly one year after I replaced the bad fuel injector, it started misfiring again. Threw a code for cylinder 4 misfire with no specific information this time around. At 82,000 miles I figured it wasn't unreasonable to need a tune-up, though unusual to be misfiring if the plugs were just worn. Cylinders 2-4-6 on the Pentastar require removal of the plenum assembly, so I elected to replace all 6 plugs. Made no sense to go to that trouble for just one. While I was in there, I swapped the #4 coil to #3, just in case the coil was the culprit and I could have easier access. Misfire went away, but I had some stumbling going on at idle. During the holiday break the CEL started flashing under heavy load, so I swapped in a new Carquest coil. Purring like a kitten again, for now.

83,600 miles.

[LUNAT1C]

Not much to report on the Jeep. Over 86,000 miles, I just ordered some parts and materials for the M's maintenance round and included a cabin air filter and oil filter for the Jeep. I bought oil for both on sale at Meijer a month ago and the oil life monitor is nearing 10%. I'll let it drop to 5% and then change the oil/rotate the tires.

A couple months ago I started smelling coolant from the front again and worried the new radiator I installed December 2019 was going out, but I saw some dried coolant residue on the bleeder valve of the thermostat assembly (brand new, installed same time as rad and hoses). I used my large pliers to tighten it and haven't smelled it since.

I do have a new smell, though. I noticed after fillups a fuel smell coming from the rear/passenger side. Nick smelled it too and lifted the hood while I was futzing with a noisy garage door, but the smell is around the passenger rear door. Incidentally that's where the fuel tank is. I did some googling and searching at WranglerForum, doesn't seem to be a common issue, but some have reported the gasket for the fuel pump can degrade and offers a fuel smell after a fillup. Usual symptom is that smell, which goes away when getting under 3/4 tank. Sure enough, smell went away under 3/4 tank. It's not a pressing issue, but I suppose I'll be ordering a new pump gasket and lock ring and planning this summer to run the tank almost dry, and drop the 21.5 gallon tank (with heavy skid plate). It'll be a two floor jack job... and I'll have to be careful because the evap connection at the tank is brittle. Sometimes it can be repaired, but when it can't the fix is a shiny new $800 fuel tank, not a serviceable item.

[LUNAT1C]

The Jeep is really testing my patience...

About a month ago, I got the Jeep down to gasping for fuel, and dropped the tank. What I found was about 879.6 lbs of dirt, sand, mud encasing the top of the fuel pump. Overall the job took about 4 hours from pulling the pump fuse to run the lines dry (which weren't really dry, had to catch fuel from the lines in front still), to driving out to the fuel station, and half of that was just cleaning up the off-roading mud/sand, and banging away on the lock ring.

Once cleaned, I found that the lock ring was fairly rusty. Took lots of banging with my long screwdriver and deadblow hammer, and some PB blaster, to get it to loosen. Once I got it off and got the pump out, I looked for signs of leaking... and honestly didn't find anything obvious. The lock ring looked like it was still sealing and the seal looked new. Also did not see cracks in the pump housing or in the fuel tank flange. No signs of fuel leaking from the Evap lines high up on the rear of the tank, or up at the front at the unserviceable ports. Lines everywhere looked fine. I replaced the pump gasket and lockring and put it all back together.

After this, seemed like the conditions changed. I wasn't smelling fuel much anymore, but still from time to time I could smell it now from the rear, near the spare tire.

I bought a smoke machine, and fed it into the valve lines near the battery. Couldn't see smoke anywhere in the Jeep. Someone said to do it when the tank is full so you aren't trying to pressurize an empty tank and fill it with smoke... but still nothing.

The other night after filling it up we saw a puddle of gas right where it was leaking before, only now it's worse. I got on the creeper and rolled around under the Jeep, all I could find anywhere was wet fuel around the top of the fuel pump, and only when the tank is full. The way it's shaped, I suspect "full tank" has fuel fully surrounding the pump and the level is higher than the pump seal position. So whatever is the leak point, leaks when the Jeep is running. I have to close the air vents so I don't smell it while driving.

Plan now is to wait until after Myrtle Beach, then order a new pump with new seal and another new lock ring, and do the job again.

Failing that, it's time for a new tank, which according to Rock Auto is out of stock.


After that... it needs brakes at all four corners. I measured 3-4mm pad material left at all corners when I rotated the tires before Carlisle. Looking at big brake kits that replace the caliper bracket and fit larger diameter rotors, with factory style pads.

Rolled 89,000 miles driving to Detroit for NAIAS on Sunday.

[LUNAT1C]

89,600 miles noted yesterday after coming back from the office.

I ordered a new Delphi fuel pump and Mopar lock ring. I prefer all Mopar parts, especially for a vehicle under 10 years old and under 100k miles, but it was a $150 difference in cost. Shipped out yesterday, so I should have it from RockAuto in the next day or so. It's cold this week, but the weather prediction for Saturday is partly cloudy and 60s. Been only giving it enough fuel to get me where I need to go, hopefully will be empty again by then.

Also keeping my eye on new brake hardware. A lot of big rotor kits are out of stock right now, so hoping the Teraflex front and rear kits are still in stock in a few weeks. Brakes are squealing a lot more now.

[LUNAT1C]

Rolled 90,000 miles tonight heading to dinner. Hope I'm not premature in saying the fuel leak appears to be fixed. Filled up twice since the repair, no sign of fuel smell. Cracked pump housing was the culprit!

This time next week I'll be ordering big rotor kits for the front and rear, pads locally, and an adapter for my motive brake bleed pump system. Plan to upgrade the rotors and replace the pads and fluid Thanksgiving weekend. Rears were done at 50k, but the front brakes and fluid are factory original.

[LUNAT1C]

Few weeks later, I filled up again. Fuel leak appears to be gone. Hope that's the end of that and I don't need to drop the fuel tank again. It's not hard, just tedious and I don't like fighting with the evap connections - break one and then I get to drop $700-900 on a new tank.

But of course, I'm not allowed to be problem-free. I swear this Jeep WANTS me to roll in to the Ram dealer to replace it. The chip I got in the windshield spread, so there is a crack now reaching across 70% of it. I watched it spreading while sitting at a light this morning. Not sure exactly when I'll replace it, I might wait until the warm weather breaks next Spring. Factory windshield, 6.5 years, 90,250 miles. Some Jeep people need to change windshields like underwear, so I suppose I had a good run!

Also, CEL greeted me yesterday as I drove in to the office. Checking the vehicle diagnostic screen on my Kenwood radio, it's P0128. Something about coolant temperature being too cool, or not meeting some ratio threshold against the IAT.

Possible causes:
1. T-stat stuck open. I replaced this preventatively in 2018 when I did the radiator and hoses. Heat still works like a charm and both hoses were hot when I got home, so I'm ruling that out.
2. ECT (engine coolant temperature) sensor malfunction. My gauge is still operating normally and I don't see anything funny happening physically on the sensor, so I'm ruling that out for now. Seems reasonably OK to reach with a multi-meter if the problem persists.
3. Low coolant. I popped open the overflow bottle and wouldn't you know it, level was WAY below the MIN level. Drove home and added some of the leftover 50/50 OAT from that radiator job until it was a bit over the MIN line (engine was hot at that point after the 12 mile drive home). I went back into my radio's diagnostic menu and cleared the code. We'll see if it stays off. didn't come back on this morning.

I checked around the engine, under the Jeep, etc. No sign of coolant leaks anywhere. Checked dipstick just to be sure, no milkshake there. No idea where that coolant could have gone.

[LUNAT1C]

Been a few days, no return of that P0128. Hope it stays that way.

Spent yesterday servicing and upgrading the brakes. Doing the rear brakes helped me invent new words, as the parking brakes *really* wanted to keep the old rotors. I had to loosen them all the way and then retighten after replacing the rotors. Left side needed the sway bar link removed to do that.

But it's done. Both axles received the Teraflex Big Rotor kit, 13.5" rear solid rotors and 13.3" front vented rotors, and of course new caliper brackets. Along with new Wagner Thermoquiet pads.

I'll give it a hundred miles before doing a panic stop to see the improvement.

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