Jeep Performance Improvement Ideas
Synchronicity
Lately I have been noticing more and more synchronicities in my life. Carl Jung says that we should pay attention to synchronicity as it is a message from your subconscious. I have tried to pay more attention to synchronicity to see what message my subconscious is trying to send.
So I am starting a log of Synchronicities to see what I can find. The log will be updated at the synchronicity page.
Stone Door
I have wanted to visit The Stone Door for years. I was never quite sure where it was although I had seen the brown signs many times as I traveled to Middle Tennessee. One very cold day I decided to go.
The Stone Door is located in the Savage Gulf wilderness area. The entrance is in Beersheba Springs, TN. Once you find Beersheba Springs, just follow the brown signs.
There is a very nice Ranger Station at the entrance with large clean heated restrooms. There is a large parking area so I suspect that this place gets crowded in the summer. We pretty much had the place to ourselves on this cold December day.
We loaded my dog Smash in the back of Bertha our GMC Suburban. There had been snow a few days before but we found the roads clear. Jennifer brought along her boys Hunter and Caleb, and she and Janice packed us a picnic lunch.
I managed to make one wrong turn along the way and followed a sign to Savage gulf instead of waiting for the sign to Stone Door. That lead us to another nice picnic spot that I will revisit when it is warmer. There is a trail to a waterfall there. We simply used their restroom facilities and let Smash get a drink. Then we headed to the other side of the gulf to find the Stone door.
Right behind the ranger station is a very pretty waterfall called Laurel falls. It drops off an under cut rock. Due to the extreme cold there were lots of very pretty icicles hanging off the rocks. We did not spend a lot of time here; just enough to see the falls. There was ice on the trail that made walking hazardous and we were concerned that the two young boys were getting a bit close to the edge. The trail makes a loop that returns to the ranger station.
Next we took the trail to the Stone Door. That is what I came to see. The trail begins as a narrow paved walkway. There is what looks like an old Jeep trial that runs parallel to the trail. Smash and I hiked part of the Jeep trail and really wished they would let us drive on it.
Smash was very excited to be there and seemed to forget some of his leash training. He wanted to run ahead of every one and tugged on the leash a bit. After a few reminders, he clamed down and behaved. He still did not like it if one of the boys tried to walk in front of him. He preferred being the lead dog.
We traded out who held the leash and it seemed whomever had it always ended up out walking the rest of the group. But we managed to stay close together. The pavement ends at a beautiful overlook of the gulf. We could hear the water rushing in the creek below. The view of the cliffs and the lush forest was breathtaking. So was the cold wind so we did not stay much longer than required to take a few pictures. Smash was also very impatient.
The trail winds through the woods along the edge of the gulf. There was one very interesting gnarly old pine tree along the way. Smash gave it a sniff and continued on along the trail.
Eventually we reached the Stone Door. It did not seem like much at first then I stepped in between the rocks and realized the magnitude of it. The Doorway is a very narrow passage between two rocks that tower at least 100 feet above the canyon below.
There is a narrow staircase formed form rocks leading down to the valley below. Icicles hung from the cliffs above and ice coated many of the steps. I had to be very careful walking and holding Smash’s leash. He was in a huge hurry to get to the bottom and I did not want either of us to fall.
Once we made it safely to the bottom and looked up, I saw how truly amazing the place is. The tall rocks seem to dwarf the narrow staircase.
Once every one made it down we took some time to explore the ledge below the cliff. There were some interesting overhangs and little caves in the cliff walls. There were more stairs leading to the valley even further below but we did not continue down. The boys had fun exploring the rocks and ledges and breaking off icicles.
We finally decided to hike back up and out. Hiking up the slippery steps was actually easier than going down.
At the top I explored the rocks that I had ignored on the way down. There is an interesting gap between the main mountain and the edge of the cliff. It looks like the cliff edge has slid off some creating a gap. There was also a very interesting looking sinkhole that Smash sniffed.
Once back on the trail Hunter lost some interest in hiking and decided he was tired. He is only five. But when I told him he had to look out for bears and growled behind him he took off running back toward the ranger station.
Back at the Suburban, we unpacked our picnic and commandeered a table. We dined on sandwiches and chips and pork rinds. Smash enjoyed a few snacks as well.
We ate briskly due to the very cold temperature. We were all very happy to be back in the warmth of the Suburban for the trip home.
Cat Back Exhaust for Jeep Cherokee XJ
My old exhaust was crumbling apart. The tip had fallen off behind the holder and the muffler had a huge crack in the bottom. It rattled and rumbled.
I ordered the Dynomax system from Summit Racing through their Ebay store. It arrived in just a couple of days after I ordered. I had to laugh at the UPS man struggling with the huge box coming in my office door.
I began by lifting my Jeep and using a reciprocating saw to cut the muffler loose from the catalytic converter. There were a lot of old welds here so it was pretty messy. I cut the muffler to get room to work to clean it up.
The clamp at the rear hanger broke when I tried to unbolt it. I just twisted it out of the way. With both ends loose I was able to remove the muffler and tail pie as a unit from over the axle.
I used a variety of metal working tools to clean up the end of the cat. I cut off the bulk of the old pipes and weld beads with a torch. Then I used a 7 inch grinder to clean up the slag. I finished with my 4 ½ inch grinder fitted with a flap disk.
When I finished the reducer include in the kit slipped smoothly and snugly into place on the cat. There was a small hole in the pipe coming out of the cat so I elected to weld this joint closed rather than use the included clamp.
Next I slipped the muffler into place. I supported it on a stand while I fit up the tail pipe. It took some wiggling to get the tip to line up where I wanted it between the spring and the trailer hitch. When I finally got it in place I used a ratchet strap to hold it in position while I put a tack weld between the muffler and the tail pipe.
To get the rubber donut to connect properly with the hanger welded to the tail pipe, I removed the two bots that hold the hanger to the body. Then I slipped the donut over the hanger on the pipe and then I reattached the hanger using the bolts. This seemed easier than wrestling with the heavy rubber, which was cold and inflexible.
I then tightened the clamp on the rear hanger making sure the pipe was still positioned where I wanted it. I then installed the clamps at each end of the muffler. I rotated them so that the base of the clamp would face to the side. This gives maximum ground clearance and protects the ends of the bolts from damage.
With all the clamps in place, I removed the support and gave it a good shake to make sure it was positioned where I wanted it. I then lowed the Jeep and started the engine. I raised it back up and checked for leaks. Finding none, I was ready for a test drive.
The Dynomax system has a nice throaty rumble without being loud. I am very happy to have my exhaust gasses exiting from behind the Jeep again instead of from underneath.
[phpbay]jeep cherokee exhaust, 10[/phpbay]
Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement – Jeep Cherokee Dana 35
Janice’s 1999 Jeep Cherokee has had a roar in the rear axel for a while now. I finally got around to checking on last week.
I ordered new bearings and seals from Crown Automotive. Since her rear differential is the Jeep Trac Loc, I had to have the friction modifier compound for the grease. I found that at Advance Auto.
I began by lifting the Jeep and removing the rear wheels and brake drums. These had never been off and still had the little clips from the assembly line on two of the lugs. I cut those off with dikes.
Next I let Janice remove the cover. Janice dropped it in the bucket of grease that made quite a mess.
Next I used a 1/4 inch 12 point box end wrench to remove the bolt from the cross pin. I had been concerned that pulling the axles on a Trac Loc diff would be more difficult but it was exactly the same as any other stock Jeep Carrier. I just removed the pin and slipped in the axle to release the C clip.
I removed the left side axle first as it seemed the noisiest. I had a little trouble getting the seal out because the brake shoes were in the way of getting a chisel in like I wanted to. But using a combination of the chisel, vise grips and a seal puller, I eventually popped it out.
I then used an axle bearing puller attachment on my slide hammer to pull the bearing. It takes quite an impact on the slide hammer to get the bearing to move. I have done this job on other Jeeps so I knew to hit it hard. The bearing came out smoothly once it stated to move.
The new bearing seems a very tight fit. I had trouble getting it to start straight in the axle tube. I did not have a bearing driver quite the right size and in trying different ones I somehow damaged the bearing. I noticed some of the rollers missing when I got it in place. So I had to use the slide hammer and pull the new damaged bearing.
I was more careful with the second bearing and got it in with no problem. I put a small amount of Permatex on the outside of the seal and drove it in place. I put a little gear oil on the seal to prelube it.
As I was wiping down the axle shaft to reinstall it, I noticed that there was checking in the bearing race on the shaft. Shaft will have to be replaced. I checked for spares but the only one I had was from a ZJ and the ABS tone ring was different. I replaced the original shaft temporarily.
I slipped it in place and reattached the C clip. I pulled the other shaft and noticed it had some wear as well. I will have to get two replacement shafts along with another bearing to complete the job. I reinstalled the other axle and C clip and coated the cover flange with Black RTV.
After letting the RTV set up for a minute or two, I reinstalled the cover and tightened the bolts in a crisscross manner. Janice refilled the diff with gear oil and the tube of friction modifier.
I later pulled the ZJ axles and looked at how to remove the tone rings. My bearing puller was not long enough to reach. I knew I could use my Dad’s press but I did not want to make the drive to his house.
I did some research on the internet and found a forum post that suggested that the rings would come off easily if heated. Since it was very cold out, I decided it would be a good time to try. The forum post had indicated that the tone ring was aluminum so I was being very careful not to crack it.
I put the axle shaft in the vise and began heating the ring with my acetylene torch. Soon I was able to pry the ring of the seat. I dropped it on the floor to cool. I noticed that it did not sound like aluminum.
I took a magnet to it and found it was indeed magnetic. That made sense to me since the tone ring is used to generate a magnetic field for the sensor to rear the wheel speed. It had to be steel. I was more aggressive with the heat on the second one and it slid off easily without any prying.
These shafts had no visible wear on the bearing races and look like they will make fine replacements. I just have to get more gear oil and another bearing and then find time to do the job again.
UPDATE: I have the spare axle shafts ready to go in but so far the old axles are running quietly. I will just let them run for a while.
[phpbay]dana 35 axle, 10[/phpbay]
The Blizzard of 2011-01-11
Snow in Tennessee
We thought we might get a little snow. Our snow always comes from the south. If it comes from the west it looses all its moisture crossing the plateau and by the time it backs up against the Appalachians, it is just cold or rain. The weather models called for three to five inches of snow and more south of us as the jet stream brought cold air south from Canada and moist air north from the Gulf of Mexico.
At midnight there was still no snow. There was a dusting early in the morning and Jennifer took a snapshot of the deck when it first turned white to preserve the memory is case that was all we got. I slept quietly in the down stairs room oblivious to the weather outside.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a big drift in the crotch of the tree visible from the window. I was surprised how the snow had collected there. Then I stepped to the window and looked at the ground. Everything was covered. There was a deep layer of powder covering the woods and yard.
I bundled up and took Smash outside. He loved romping in the deep powder. Getting snow at all in Southeast Tennessee is rare. Normally we get slush and it melts quickly so you have to get out early to see any of it.
So Smash and I headed for the creek. Only one unknown animal had crossed the path that morning. We left the first tracks in the snow. I stood and looked out at the ice on the fast flowing Cohulla Creek. The small branch that flows across my property was covered in a thin layer of ice. Smash wanted to go on his normal rounds in the woods but he decided to turn back and follow me.
Just as we were heading back to the house, Smash suggested one trail and I was returning on another, we heard noises from above. Jennifer and Caleb were making their way down to the creek. Janice had wisely elected to stay warm and thankfully make us pancakes.
I waited for them to make it down to the creek and we enjoyed the stillness of the forest draped in white. We hiked back up the hill to the house.
After some warm pancakes, I decided to get Scuffy out of the barn and go for a ride in the snow. I plowed through the snow easily and after a circle around the driveway, I decided to go see how the main road looked. There was a good eight to ten inches every where. There must have been some deeper drifts in the driveway because in some places you could see where the diff had drug in the center between the tracks of the Maxxis Buckshots.
Janice and Jennifer squeezed into the passenger racing bucket seat together and we drove out to the road. Scuffy climbed the hill easily but the engine was running really rough. Thinking back to the last time I got gas I realized it was on the way to Harlan for the fall crawl. So it could be that the low fuel light actually meant something this time. The big engine sputtered a few times but we made it to the road and back. It looked like only one of my neighbors had ventured out. Keith Valley road was still completely covered in snow.
Since Scuffy was running so poorly, I put him back in the barn before I got stranded. We then took Jennifer’s Jeep Princess out for a romp in the snow. Her Dick Cepek Crushers did well in the snow too.
Out at the main road I popped the transfer case into two wheel drive for a moment and spun a 180 to head back to the house. I put it back into 4wd just to be safe.
With Princess safely back on the porch, we decided to try the sled. The snow was too deep and fluffy for my steel runner style sled to go down. It kept getting buried in the snow. It looked like it would be an all day job to use the shovel and pack down a path for the sled. So Jennifer suggested that I use Princess to pack the snow.
I drove around the driveway and then pointed her Jeep up our sled run. It climbed easily to the top. I lost traction briefly near the crest but I just let the tires turn slowly until they got grip again so as not to spin out all our snow.
With two compressed paths down the hill we were soon able to work out a nice sled run. Smash enjoyed chasing us up and down the hill. He also provided entertainment between runs by grabbing a mouthful of snow and then laying on his back with his feet in the air and wiggling around like he was making a snow angle. He did this several times and I laughed so hard I hurt every time he did it.
Eventually we tired of trekking up and down the hill and packed it in. Janice made us some yummy Carroll Shelby Chili.
I decided to brave the roads and go get some gas for Scuffy. I expected the main roads to be clear with the crews having all day to work on them. We all loaded up in Princess. Caleb did not understand why he needed to get dressed. He was sure that PJ pants and no shirt was plenty for a trip to town. We waited while his mom encouraged him to at least take warmer clothes with him.
When I reached Keith Valley I was surprised to see it looked much the same as it did on my earlier venture. There was a tiny strip of pavement visible in the oncoming lane but the rest of the road was covered in snow and slush. The worst part about driving on it was that most people who had gone ahead of us had driven near the center of the road. There was still deep snow near the shoulder making it difficult to see where the road ended and the deep ditch began.
I had no trouble driving in the snow, but meeting oncoming traffic was difficult due to having to move over into the deeper stuff. And occasionally the people coming toward me wanted to use part of my lane as well even though they had more room than I did.
I was expecting Spring Place Road to be clear because it is a State Highway and they usually run plows and salt trucks even when there is no snow. Boy was I surprised. I had noticed Jennifer getting a bit nervous each time I met someone so I asked her how she felt about my continuing on in her Jeep to the gas station. She bravely encouraged me to go on.
I did a fun drift out onto the Sate Highway and then settled back into what looked like my lane. The road was completely covered in snow at that point. However just over the hill, ruts in each lane made it down to the pavement.
About halfway into town, we met a road grader plowing in the opposite direction. The inbound lane I was using was still pretty slick but easily passable in 4wd.
The gas station did not look like it had seen much activity during the day as there were just a few tracks in their parking lot. I filled my gas can with 93 octane while Jennifer refueled Princess. I would have just stolen fuel from one of my other Jeeps but none of them had the 93 octane that Scuffy’s racing engine requires.
I was fully expecting to catch the road grader as we headed back home. I was using two wheel drive as I drove along now in the dark. Then, suddenly, not far from where we had met the grader on our way into town, we hit snow covered road again. I was happy for the shift on the fly capability of the 231 transfer case as I moved the lever to 4H just as we hit the edge of the snow and ice. I guess the Grader operator had reached the end of his shift but I did not notice where he parked it.
We drove on snow and ice back to the turn on Keith Valley. We could see flashing brake lights near the turn. It looked like some one had a stalled truck and was being serviced in the middle of the road. I guess you have to work on it where it dies but thankfully he was just past our turn off.
The return trip was not so bad because I was able to easily drive on my side of the road. I did have a little trouble with oncoming traffic not wanting to stay on their side but I could easily slow down and let them slip past. Having two tires on wet pavement and two in snow and ice made for much firmer footing. However the lock right locker did make a few unexpected disengagements and sudden reengagements.
I later went out a poured the fuel into Scuffy and made sure it ran OK. Then we used Princess to tow the trash can out to the road just in case the trash truck decided to brave the weather.
This morning I made a few more sled runs before pointing Scuffy toward town. Keith Valley was slushier than the night before and easier to stay on my side of the road. There were still some drifts on the northbound lane.
I switched into 2wd at Spring Place Road. It still did not look plowed or salted but it was more slush than ice or snow. I am not used to driving Scuffy on pavement and with the still aired down Maxxis Buckshots, it was a bit wiggly but 45 MPH was no problem.
I saw a snow plow on HWY 64 and I accelerated up to 55 to match traffic. I got the hang of the wiggles caused by aired down tires and no sway bars.
In town I was surprised that at the busy intersection of 25th and Keith St, there was still a lot of snow. I stayed in 2wd but that caused a little dance in the rear as I accelerated from the stop light.
Westside drive leading toward my office looked like it had been plowed and salted. But Norman Chapel road and the Adkisson Drive in front of the Cleveland State Campus looked worse than Keith Valley. I put my Jeep back in 4wd to get over the speed humps.
As I pulled into the office I was met by the UPS truck. She was trying to back up to one of the bay doors but not doing too well. She eventually gave up and turned around. She had no trouble going forward. There was only a couple of cars in the office parking lot and it has been very quiet here so far today.