Year: 2010

Posted on

Jeep Cherokee Rear Locker Installation Chrysler 8.25

Jeep Cherokee Rear Locker Installation Chrysler 8.25

In order to boost Jenny’s Jeeps off road abilities, I recently installed a Richmond Gear Lock Right locking differential. It is one of the few available for the Chrysler 8.25 that she has in her Jeep Cherokee.

I like the lock right for its simple and strong design. It simply works and works well. I found it surprisingly easy to install as well.

The installation manual that comes with it is very thorough and describes the exact procedure you need to use to install the locker in place of the spider gears. However, it was very confusing to me to read. I was confused because it covers so many different options like if c clip or not, thick gear or not that I got lost skipping from section to section. I think I read the manual about three times before I figured out I could skip three fourths of it.

First I coated my hands with Market America Clearshield.

I began by cleaning the cover and cover bolts of off road mud. I think I saw traces of Harlan, Aetna and Golden Mountain still on there. I used a wire brush to clean the bolt heads.

8.25 locker install Jeep cherokee
Cleaning bolts

With the cover bolts out, I pried off the cover and let the grease drain into a pan. Then I set the cover aside.

Jeep Cherokee Locker install 8.25
Draining the grease

Next I inspected the differential carrier and gears. There was some wear on the pinion from where the nut had backed off a while back but otherwise every thing looked good.

I then removed the bolt that secures the cross shaft. Then I removed the cross shaft and the two spider gears on it. Next I bumped in the axles and removed the C clips and the other two spider gears.

Jeep cherokee 8.25 Spider gears
Old parts out

I removed and inspected the thrust washers. I used some heavy grease to secure them on the appropriate new drive gears.

I then spent some time studying the locker parts and trying to figure out how it actually worked. By the time I had test fit all the pieces in place – making sure it was the right spline count etc.- I had completely assembled the locker. However, I had not installed the pins or springs along the way so I had to find the disassembly instructions and take it back apart to continue with the installation.

Lock Right parts
new lock right parts ready to go in

Next, I coated the parts in axle grease to glue them together. I assembled the concentric springs as described in the instructions and set them aside.

First I set in the ring gear side gears and installed the C clip. Then I set all the pins in place. Next I set the opposite side cog in place. I used a dental pick to fish the C clip into place through the slot in the gear. The instructions talk about making a tool but I did not need it for either installation or removal. The grease on the cogs held them firmly in place while I installed the clip.

8.25 lock rite locker install
New parts in

Next I installed the springs on top of the pins. Then I slid the cross shaft back in to place and tightened the securing bolt.

Lock right locker installation
All done

I was done before I knew it.

I rotated it all around to make sure I had not missed anything. Next I cleaned and replaced the cover. I used Black RTV for a seal. I then filled it with the recommended 85-140 gear oil.

I then took it out to the wide spot in the driveway and did a couple of doughnuts to prove that the rear was in fact locked. See the locker test video here.

[phpbay]Lockright locker, 10[/phpbay]

Posted on

Janice’s Heart Attack

women heart attack symptoms

When Janice asked me to call 911, I knew something was bad wrong. She never gets sick. She never goes to the doctor and she never asks for help. And, we never saw this coming.

It turns out that a woman’s heart attack symptoms are very different from what I learned in my years as a first aid responder. I was always taught to look for tingling in the left arm and pressure in the chest. She did not express any of that.

For a few weeks, she has been complaining of a sore wrist and both arms aching. We thought this was an injury from playing Wii sports. Her pain would usually go away by a simple massage or some tension on the wrist. The methods described on Lori Painter’s Inspire to act blog relieved the pain every time.

She also mentioned some middle back pain. Again this pain was relieved by massage.

I never realized that these were the known heart attack symptoms for women. When the ambulance driver told me she was having a hearty attack, I almost had one myself. It was the last thing I expected to hear.

When he said they were life flighting her to a trauma hospital, I was even more shocked. I realized it must be very serious.

She had already been at the hospital for 17 minutes by the time I got there according to the ER desk. I waited a bit but when I went to check on her, they had lost her int he computer system. Erlanger is a large hospital so it was impossible for me to find her without help.

A friend who works there suggested that she was probably in the Cath lab and told me where to go. I found a very helpful nurse along the way who was intrigued by the unusual name of Strawbridge. She was finally able to find Janice for me.

I got to see her for just a few seconds before she was whisked off to emergency bypass surgery. She had seven blockages that required three bypasses to correct.

I am going to have to learn more about how women present heart attack symptoms to that I will be more aware for the women in my life.

Posted on

The Spirituality of Driving

The Spirituality of Driving

Special Stage one Rally Tennessee 2005

In his book, The Power of Now, one of the examples Eckhart Tolle uses of people who naturally live in the moment are people who drive race cars. Being in the moment is how he defines a spiritual process.

Having driven in automobile races and rallies, I understand what he is saying. In order to be competitive and to drive safely, you need to have your mind clearly focused on the task at hand when driving a race car. If you are thinking about what you did last week, or what you plan to do after the race, you will loose time on the track and in the worst case, you will crash the car.

I have also found that driving off road makes me focus on the moment almost as much as racing. While the time pressure is not always there in the off road environment, the need to be clearly alert to my surroundings is. I have to know where my tires are at all times and be keenly aware of the amount of traction available. I can’t do any of that if my mind is distracted or focused elsewhere.

Often as we drive our daily commutes, we do not have this keen focus to the task of driving. We sometimes put driving on mental auto pilot and allow our minds to wander through all sorts of thoughts – some that make us happy and others that bring us grief.

We can however choose to use any time behind the wheel as a deeply spiritual time. By simply focusing on driving the car and paying attention to the surroundings, we can bring our focus in to the eternal now and block out thoughts of past and future.

Often it is easier to bring back attention to driving by taking a different route. For example, instead of taking the interstate, take the old US highway that parallels it. It may take a few minutes longer but just notice the feeling of release that you feel as you look at the scenery and focus on the details of driving the car.

Even a familiar road can bring release if you focus on feeling the contact of the wheels to the pavement through the steering wheel. Listen to the sounds of the engine and the whirr of the gears turning making the car go forward.

I like driving my Jeep because it gives me a great feeling of being in contact with the road. A quieter car does not give me this same feeling of connectedness. I also get this feeling form driving sports cars whose stiff suspension keeps me in touch with the road surface.

It is easy to make driving a spiritual experience. Just focus on the things that are happening right now in the moment. Forget about all the things in the past that you are driving away from. Stop worrying about the potential future that may or may not happen when you get there. Just focus your attention to driving the car right now where you are.

Posted on

Jeep Cherokee Transmission mount repair

New Transmission mount

The BA 10 transmission uses a different mount than the other transmissions. For a long time these mounts were hard to get after Chrysler discontinued them and there were no after market part available. However, now Crown Automotive makes a replacement. Part number 8350 5567.

Years ago when mine broke, I repaired it by placing a bolt in the center to hold the two halve together. This was meant to
be a temporary repair but has been in place for several years now. The bolt had begin to loosen and more wear had allowed the mount to move around under load.

Old worn jeep transmission mount

So tonight I replaced it with the Crown part.

I began by supporting the transfer case on my transmission jack. I then removed the four 13 mm nuts that hold the cross member to the mount. Next I removed the four 15 mm bolts that hold the cross member to the Jeep. Next I removed the four 5/8″ bolts that hold the mount to the transmission. This is different from other Jeep transmission that only have two bolts holding the mount. The mount also holds the exhaust but that just slips out.

To install the new mount I first warmed up the rubber that holds the exhaust as it was very cold in the shop. This heating allowed the hanger to slip easily into the mount. Next I installed the four bolts that hold the mount to the transmission.

Next, I lowered the transmission slightly on the jack and attached the cross member to the mount using the four nuts. As often happens when the mount is worn or broken, the cross member was offset form its mounting holes while on the jack. I used a pry bar to move it into place and started the first bolt.

I jacked the transmission back up into place and I then started the other three before tightening them all down. I then lowered the jack and checked the torque on all the bolts.

[phpbay]Jeep Transmission mount, 10[/phpbay]

Posted on

Loose Pinion Nut

Yesterday Jenny showed up at church saying her Jeep was making a funny noise. It sounded like it was from the drive shaft.

I drove it back to my shop and noticed that it only made noise on deceleration. Even the slightest load from the engine made it quieten down.

I guessed it had something to do with the pinion as that is the only thing that would move around depending on load. Her Jeep Cherokee has the Chrysler 8.25 rear end.

At the shop, her Jeep would hardly back up but went forward just fine. I used 4wd to back up to pull into the shop.

Once on the lift, I inspected the drive shaft first by feeling of the U joints to see if either was hot. Then I felt the differential and noticed it warmer than normal. I suspected a pinion bearing.

I pushed on the rear of the drive shaft ans saw the pinion move. There was a lot of movement so knowing this is a tapered bearing, I suspected it must be loose.

I quickly dropped the drives haft and soon saw the trouble. The pinion nut had backed off. I guess if it had not been for interference with the u joint it would have come completely off.

I remembered that a couple of years ago when I replaced the pinion yoke that I did not use lock tight on the threads. This time I did.

The punch marks I made before were still visible, so I put the nut back to align the marks and the preload felt about right by hand. So I left it there for the lock tight to dry.

A test drive indicated that the noise was completely gone. I guess we caught it in time before th ring gear was damaged.

[phpbay]jeep axle, 10[/phpbay]