Steven's '93 YJ

[Steve-O]

Starting a thread to document maintenance/mods on the Little Red Wagon (stock '93 YJ w/5spd and 4 banger). This will serve as a maintenance record for me and hopefully someone else new can learn something. I only started working on my own cars since picking up the YJ this May, so the learning curve will be apparent. Looking forward to your suggestions/advice as I go along.

A list of projects that will hopefully be started in the next year or so:

Replace transfer case extension housing and seal *complete*
Convert rear pinion yoke from "straps" to "U bolts" *complete*
Install rock sliders
Replace shocks *complete*
Replace ball joints
Replace U joints
Replace transmission mount
Chase down rough idle issue *ongoing*
Fix passenger door lock cylinder connection *complete*
Replace engine valve cover gasket *complete*
Some body work/fixing rust patches *ongoing*
New tires
Install air conditioning (probably)
Install sway bar quick disconnect *complete*
Install hand throttle


:cheers:

[tirefoamcan]

Looking forward to hearing your experience on modding and maintaining your YJ!

[Steve-O]

Hey everybody, I had some free time and have been able to get after some projects. TL;DR I attempted a small mod, it went a little haywire, and I made a questionable fix, looking for feedback.

PART 1
Those at the trail clean-up probably heard me whining about my transfer case extension housing seal leaking all over the place (softball size puddles of ATF on the ground after 1 week...). I had previously replaced the seal itself twice before to no avail. Here you can see some ATF piling up at the bottom edge of the seal against the slip yoke. Also you can see some ancient RTV hanging down from the base of the extension housing, and on the right you can barely see some of the ATF that was slung onto my muffler. There was much more than that...


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I read on another forum that there is a bushing inside the extension housing, and that if it gets worn out that can be the root cause of the leak. I grabbed the slip yoke and, sure enough, was able to wiggle it quite a bit side to side. There are some videos on how to replace the bushing, but they require a bench vice and a bit of precision, neither of which I possess. I opted to buy a whole new extension housing with the bushing in it. $40 amazon prime to my door in 2 days. Nice! Bought another seal, tapped that in there with help from the ol' Linear Persuasion Tool (rubber mallet), and sealed up the edge with some RTV.

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Took off the old extension housing, the old RTV was basically gone and the whole thing dang near fell off. Got the mating surface nice and clean and inspected the output shaft...good shape!

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Put some RTV on the new extension housing, blue threadlocker on the three bolts, a little grease on the inside of the new seal, let it all set before putting the driveshaft back in. It's been over a week of driving and I haven't seen one drip out of it! Hallelujah!

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PART 2
While I had the rear driveshaft out, I chose to mod my U joint restraints on the pinion yoke from the strap/screw style to the U-bolt style. One of the screw threads for one of the straps had been completed crossthreaded by the PO, and I was worried about its strength (on what I've read can be a part prone to epic failure). Before picture:

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A bit of research online made it seem pretty easy: drill out of the holes with 5/16 bit, throw in the U-bolts. I bought a DrillBlock to help me drill straight. Highly recommend this product.

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One hole down, 3 to go!

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And now to throw in the new U bolts (Dorman part #81004)

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Uh oh, that's about as far as I could get them to go down at first. Upon some deep googling (and a frantic DM to David @JandDGreens), apparently having to do some grinding is not uncommon. The size of the U joint, and therefore their caps, varies in the early 90s Wranglers. My '93 has the smaller U joint with 1.026 inch caps. It turns out the mod guides I read were for the larger U joints 1.125 inch caps. Dorman makes another U bolt kit for the 1.026 inch caps, but the legs of those bolts would not be wide enough for the holes I just drilled. Great :bang: So I got to work gently drilling out of the holes a little more and grinding down the sides of the U bolts so they would fit in.

So here's where it gets to the "I hope I didn't screw this up bad" point and I'd like to hear your feedback. I set those U-bolts as far down as I could after hours of grinding a little and checking, grinding a little and checking -- the bolts still weren't seated perfectly against the U joint caps. They seemed to make contact in some areas and not others, which was strange. I ended up smearing a thin layer of RTV on the inside face of the U bolt, *let it dry completely*, and then put them in and tightened it down. They now make snug contact with the U joint caps. I am going to keep an eye on them to make sure the RTV doesn't become dislodged and come flying out. The picture makes it look like there is a ton of RTV in there -- there really isn't, it's just a thin layer.

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Thanks for reading :thunb: comments welcome! Tomorrow I will be fixing the passenger door lock and posting that, hopefully that will go smoother :wrench:

[Brian]

If you haven't already, take it for a spin and see if you picked up any vibes. If you decide you don't like the results you can always replace the yoke. Otherwise keep up the good work! :thumb:

[FINOCJ]

If it where me, and I can easily see myself making that mistake and learning about the different sized u joints the hard way, I would replace the yoke and get the proper ujoints for it.

[Steve-O]

@Brian I've been driving it around, no vibes (at least no more than were there to start with :lmao:) and the RTV is still holding on. Despite this, I think James is probably right. I still have one trick up my sleeve. Bought one of these girdle-style U joint straps that should solve the issue I'm having. Fingers crossed :rolleyes:
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[tirefoamcan]

Those look much better than the other ones.

[Steve-O]

Had some more time to work on the Jeep, opted for an indoor project because of all the smoke. The passenger door lock cylinder wasn't working so I decided to get after it. I suspected the rod connecting the cylinder to the lock assembly had come undone at one or both ends. I know it's not tremendously secure when you drive a soft top vehicle, but I like things to work. All the christmas tree clips on the door panel needed replacing anyway.

PART1
Remove door handle, pop out window retainer inserts, remove door panel using trim removal tool or screwdriver with a rag around it.

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Remove e-clip on the lock cylinder. This one is halfway off when I thought "oh I should take a picture". Arm piece under the e-clip slides off.

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This is the other end of the rod in the previous picture. Clearly the plastic clip broke off at the lock assembly end. After replacing the clip (Dorman sells an assortment of Door Lock Rod Clips), I couldn't get that end into the assembly without seeing what I was doing or where it went. Decided to take out the assembly and take the opportunity to clean and lubricate it.

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Next to disconnect the rest of the rods that connect to the lock assembly. This one for the exterior door handle was easier to detach at the lock assembly end. The other two that connect to the interior door handle are easier to disconnect at the door handle end (not pictured).

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Undo the three screws holding the assembly in, one is hiding under the weatherstrip.

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I couldn't get the lock assembly around the exterior door handle and it's rod, so out it went. Pulled out the assembly (with it's two long rods that connect to the interior door handle), hit it with some brake cleaner and a wire brush. Re-lubed and reassembled and works great! Put new christmas tree clips on the door panel so that doesn't rattle anymore. Did the same for the driver's side the next day. I have about 20 of those christmas tree clips left if anybody needs them (compatible with CJ7/8 and YJ).

PART 2

I also decided to get after the center console lock cylinder. It doesn't work with any of the keys that the PO gave me, which is bizarre, and needed to be rekeyed. Also I've already had one pair of mechanic's gloves stolen out of the YJ, so I'd like some place relatively safe to put things like that (obviously I don't leave any valuables in it).

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Lock cylinder housing can be removed from the center console cover by taking out the screw in the bottom, and pulling the two pieces of the housing apart (shown back together in the above photo). Now for the fun part, getting the lock cylinder out of the housing. Above you can see a small hole. Sticking a pin or a paper clip in this hole allows you to press down on a spring-loaded retainer that holds the cylinder in. You need to simultaneously press it down and turn the cylinder, key-in, counterclockwise in order to remove it.
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It's a lot easier if you have a key that works for the lock :lmao: Fortunately, all Jeep keys are similar enough to wear I was able to jiggle the tumblers like crazy while pressing the retainer down with a paperclip -- out it came!

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The lock had three tumbler wafers in it and four slots. Wafers were pretty grimy and took some pushing on the underside to get them out. Be sure not to lose the little springs. I didn't buy any extra wafers because they, as far as I've seen, only come in large packs; so all I was able to do was rearrange them to work for my key -- the #1 wafer shown above did not fit anywhere so he got left out. Obviously, when the key is in all the wafers should be flush so the cylinder can turn. The one you see sticking up is the retaining tumbler (the one you need to press down with the paper clip) and is not affected by the key, so there is not an issue on reassembly.

*If anybody has any extra #1-4 tumbler wafers like the one shown above (they're the same for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, etc.) I would be interested!*:thunb:

[Brian]

Nice write up!

[Steve-O]

Put some new shocks on the YJ! Went with Rancho RS5000X series shocks, I'm not a hard-core wheeler and got a great deal on them. Two of the old ones were rust welded on, so I'm the proud owner of an angle grinder/cutoff tool (oh, and an impact gun but that was a long time coming). As you can see, the shocks were in rough shape, I could compress them easily with one hand. They're definitely OEM, I wonder if they are actually the original 27 y/o shocks....:eek: new Ranchos look purdy and I can tell the difference already!

[Jim]

Good to have that done - before the weather chills down too!

[derf]

I've run Rancho RSX shocks a couple of times on my XJs. They are a decent basic shock.

[Steve-O]

More projects! I wanted to replace the lugs on my battery cables. The positive lug was beat to hell and the negative lug had had a cheap fix done to it by the PO which left copper wire exposed. I bought a Fastronix kit on Amazon (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X36RILW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and am very happy with the quality. The kit comes with everything you need to upgrade your battery cables including marine shrink-wrap and durable terminal covers. Here's the old ones:

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And the new:

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Love the clean look!

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Secondly, I've been experiencing a bit of a rough idle. Things are best when first starting the Jeep, it idles around 850-900 RPM and sounds smooth. After driving and having the engine warm up, it will idle lower, maybe around 600 RPM and it sounds and feels like it is surging a bit, though the tach stays constant. After some research I decided to try cleaning the throttle body and IAC valve.

Before the TB cleaning, definitely thought it would be worse:

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Before cleaning the IAC valve:

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After the cleaning. The end piece still looks pretty tarnished...

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Unfortunately the improvement to the rough idle was negligible. I'm wondering if I should replace the IAC (and possibly the TPS and MAP sensor while I'm at it?) :confused:

[Java]

Terminals look good. :thumb: I'd replace the IAC for sure, you're right there and they are not expensive. None of the sensors are expensive either, and with the age of the vehicle it kind of makes sense just to avoid future issues with them.

[Steve-O]

I've had a pretty good leak coming out of the front of the valve cover for a while, finally had time to replace the gasket. Here's what the leaky area looked like:

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Took a lot of time to clean that up while not getting gunk on the belt and everywhere else. Unhooked the throttle line to get that out of the way and removed a couple hoses, a few taps with a rubber mallet and the valve cover came off without much of a fight.

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Scraped up the old cork casket and RTV with a plastic scraper and did my best to clean both mating surfaces. I bought a molded rubber gasket (Omix-Ada part #17477.14). Took some fussing to get it lined up under the valve cover, then torqued it down to 55 in lbs, starting from the center of the cover and working out.

PART 2

Replaced IAC valve and cleaned out the area of the throttle body that it goes into. No improvement to the rough idle after getting up to operating temp. For that reason it makes me think there might be something wrong with the Coolant Temperature Sensor. Maybe it's sending a bad reading to the ECU? I looked at the pigtail coming out of it, and lo and behold one of the wires is striped down and rusting (you can actually see this in my first photo). Going to replace the pigtail and see what happens. Also, there is a screw under the throttle lever that I can adjust to increase the idle speed (I wouldn't mind it idling a little higher at low temp as well). Is there any caution against doing this?

PART 3

What I believe is my power steering (and not another part of the steering linkage) has gotten very noisy. I'm sure it's always been this way, but maybe more pronounced now in the cold. It makes a considerable groan/whine. I tried flushing the PS fluid (lazy turkey baster method), bleeding the system, and tightening up the hose clamps. No dice. Here's what it sounds like, I'm turning the wheel back and forth in the video, faster towards the end (you can see part of the steering column rotating in the bottom right of the screen). Should I be worried? Any suggestions? Does the PS pump need to be replaced?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6960OOgxc&ab_channel=StevenBall

All that plus an oil change and my day was done! :cheers:

[Java]

I'd wait until the repair is done before raising the idle, then see if you need it. I doubt a little adjustment there would hurt anything, it is what the screw is for. Sounds like your PS pump is old but functioning, personally I'd put it on my list and replace it whenever the opportunity hits. A rebuilt one is pretty cheap, not too hard to replace.

[Steve-O]

Had an interesting encounter today. Wanted to take advantage of this nice weather and take the Wrangler to the self wash. I get in and it barely starts after having no problems all weekend :eek: RPMs were extremely low and it shuddered as it tried to start, had to give it some gas to get the engine going. The RPMs then settled around 800 like normal. It started like this multiple times before I decided to stop. I had replaced the IAC on Saturday and the pigtail for the CTS on Sunday (with no improvement to the rough idle btw), but I figured it had to be an issue with the former. Fortunately I'm a klepto and held onto the old IAC I had taken off. Popped the old one back in and the truck started up just fine like before.*Phew* I suspect the new IAC valve already broke was not retracting when the engine was turned off. Guess you get what you pay for with a $8 Chinese IAC valve off of ebay :lmao: It does make me nervous about the MAPS, CTS, and TPS that I bought from the same source...I'm probably just going to adjust the idle screw and be done with this...

[Java]

Have you checked your fuel filter? A semi clogged filter will give you similar results until the system pressurizes. Just a thought.

[Steve-O]

I replaced the fuel filter sometime over the summer. But I smelled fuel after stopping the engine a couple months ago, the fuel line going into the filter had gotten lose. I tightened them all down but should probably check again.

[Jim]

Steven - if you ever need to get to the fuel pump / top of the fuel tank - I heartily recommend a permanent mod of cutting an access panel in the back floor of the jeep. I can show you how I did mine (it's quite nice to be able to access fuel pump & in-tank filter w/o dropping the tank).

[FINOCJ]

I heartily recommend a permanent mod of cutting an access panel in the back floor of the jeep.

:bang: functional for sure....but it just makes me cringe....:D

[Steve-O]

:bang: functional for sure....but it just makes me cringe....:D

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

Jim -- I'll have to check it out when I see you next!

On another note, noticed some oil on my air filter today. Google taught me about engine blow-by so I went to check out my PCV valves. The metal one near the front of the valve cover was almost completely blocked with gunk. Cleaned it out and gave the air filter a 180 so I can clearly see if any more oil gets on it (new air filter on order). While I had the hoses off I decided to take off the throttle body and mess with the idle screw. 1/2 turn increase and the 4 banger now purrs happily just around 900 rpm at idle instead of rumbling along and shaking :thumb: I might dial the screw back just a tick but overall very happy with the result :woot:

[Jim]

Cringe, well yes, I understand your thinking... that full flow of hot metal sparks at the gasket area to the fuel tank while cutting - I understand the cringe factor you're thinking of. Fire extinguisher at the ready and all is good.

or, wait, you're not thinking of a permanent mod to an old-er vehicle, no? ;)

Steven and I are in a ?slightly? different era (and yet are 27+ years old). I am in the function over form world (though I'm nowhere near the "Grampa's Jeep" world)...

EDIT: It wouldn't be me if I didn't have pictures. I just put them up:
www.JimWilliamson.net/automobile/2013-09--tech--jeep-fuel-pump-access/ (https://www.jimwilliamson.net/automobile/2013-09--tech--jeep-fuel-pump-access/index.html)
.

[FINOCJ]

I don't love permanent mods to my tacoma sheet metal either....I am struggling with how many mods I am making to the 58 willys. If it didn't already have the sbc swap, I certainly wouldn't be doing what I am trying to do....and the project has certainly help me realize that I prefer a bit more classic 'original' vs modded. On newer stuff maybe its a bit different, but as they say, its only original once. Besides, if I want to access my fuel pump, its bolted on the engine and if I need to access the tank and sending unit, all I need to do is look under my seat in the cab.....of course, when i installed the rear tank, I had to guess a bit on 'calibrating' the fuel gauge float. Turns out it reads about 1/4 tank low and I have never found the energy to drop the skid, bumper and tank to access the sending unit and float to adjust.....

[Jim]

I hear ya. Mine was properly modified when I purchased it so I have no worries as to additional mods.

Steven might double-take on making mods - his Jeep seems to be stock. So Steven, any mods that can't be easily reversed on your jeep?



Now, if one wishes to watch this video, I can HEARTILY AGREE with the don't change it / don't touch it mentality:

"It's only original once, right?"

The Black Ghost: Street Racing Legend - 1970 Dodge Challenger 426 Hemi Documentary | Historic Vehicle Association
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd0io1zktqI

[Steve-O]

Steven might double-take on making mods - his Jeep seems to be stock. So Steven, any mods that can't be easily reversed on your jeep?

As far as I can tell, nothing major whatsoever was done by the PO. I guess the only thing that can't be "easily" reversed that I've done was the mod to the rear diff pinion yoke -- you would just have to install a new one. I like the idea of keeping anything I do reversible. Right now it's a balance between me liking being stock and not liking being the only one that gets stuck on a trail run :lmao:

I do have these rocker guards coming in the mail soon, I'm hoping they will bolt on well with grade 8 bolts and not have to be welded on.

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Speaking of welding, I need to fix up the front passenger fender. The lower 4 or 5 inches of it that stretches downwards and partially hides behind the plastic fender flare is completely rusted through (fortunately the rust does not extend onto the tub). From what I know, the area is far too large and in too bad of shape to put Bondo on it. I plan to cut off the bottom end of the fender, weld a small piece of sheet metal on there, smooth it out, and do a quick spray paint job. I will probably also need to tap a hole or two for part of the front fender flare to screw into. Once I take proper measurements, I will be asking the group if anybody has a spare piece of sheet metal lying around.

[Steve-O]

Trent 3D printed this radio holder for me. The hole for the radio clip is made for Baofeng radios, so the clip on my Motorola T600 was a little wide and didn't fit. I bought a Baofeng clip on Amazon for $5 and attached it to the back on my T600. Seems decently sturdy, we will see how it holds up while wheelin', thanks again to Trent!

[Steve-O]

Been doing a few projects on the truck when the weather is nice. Treated the surface rust spots on the back part of the frame near the rear wheels (both sides). Wire brush, coarse sand paper, grease and wax remover, then hit it with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. Nice product because you don't have to completely remove all the rust before spraying -- just get the loose stuff.

Before:
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And after:
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Was it necessary? Probably not, but I like it.

PART 2

With all the winter wheeling I needed some tow hooks for the front. Bought Smittybuilt tow hooks (#7605). The rear hole that lives under the plastic "Jeep" cover was pretty rusty and needed to be tapped. Stacked 3 washers on top of that hole (underneath the plastic cover) and 1 washer on top of the front hole in the bumper to even out the height. Was able to torque down the bolts without cracking the plastic :2thumbup: Quite happy with the look...

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As I continue to procrastinate the rock slider install, and the sway bar quick disconnects are lost in the ether of our mail system, the next project will be installing a hand throttle. Time to gather parts...

[open_circuit]

As I continue to procrastinate the rock slider install, and the sway bar quick disconnects are lost in the ether of our mail system, the next project will be installing a hand throttle. Time to gather parts...

I love my hand throttle. I hope you enjoy yours!

[xaza]

If you didn't clean up that frame before painting, it will most likely continue to rust from underneath paint.

[Java]

Looks good! :thumb:

[DaveO]

My friend in high school (early 80s) had a 71 Road Runner 440 6pak 4 speed - his Uncle helped add a nitrous kit (not easy with the three carbs). Fastest thing around until he used the nitrous and it was running too lean... Probably lucky we all lived with the stupid stuff we did in our cars back then (my folks let me drive our rusted out POS '73 Olds Omega with a 455 - if they only knew how much I raced that thing!). But the "baddest" car in town (that never raced) was a '70 GTX with a hemi. The '72 Olds 442 that my Step-Dad and I restored, for my HS graduation, was no slouch but it wasn't near as quick as a lot of other muscle cars around our little town of Wahpeton ND.

Thanks for the video!


The Black Ghost: Street Racing Legend - 1970 Dodge Challenger 426 Hemi Documentary | Historic Vehicle Association
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd0io1zktqI

[derf]

My friend in high school (early 80s) had a 71 Road Runner 440 6pak 4 speed - his Uncle helped add a nitrous kit (not easy with the three carbs). Fastest thing around until he used the nitrous and it was running too lean... Probably lucky we all lived with the stupid stuff we did in our cars back then (my folks let me drive our rusted out POS '73 Olds Omega with a 455 - if they only knew how much I raced that thing!). But the "baddest" car in town (that never raced) was a '70 GTX with a hemi. The '72 Olds 442 that my Step-Dad and I restored, for my HS graduation, was no slouch but it wasn't near as quick as a lot of other muscle cars around our little town of Wahpeton ND.

Thanks for the video!

Huh. I've actually been through Whapeton a few times. My mother grew up in Litchville just outside Valley City. We'd sometimes take the scenic drive instead of the interstate when visiting. I still have some family up that way and get out there every couple of years.

[Steve-O]

lol did I miss something with these last two posts? Different thread perhaps? (although they are interesting!)

[Jim]

They are referring to the somewhat related concept of how much to permanently modify your older, mostly stock, vehicle.

James, I think, made a post or two. I made at least one... post #25 talking about an old totally stock rare car;
https://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?28303-Steven-s-93-YJ&p=340364#post340364

[Steve-O]

Yup, don't mind me...just a little slow this morning haha :p

[Steve-O]

Sway bar quick disconnects finally arrived just in time for this nice weekend! Getting the OEM sway bar links off was a challenge (I thought getting my old shocks off was hard, that was nothing compared to this) The nuts came off easy as I had soaked the whole thing in PB blaster for a couple days, but the tapered bolt at the top of the link was a bear. So after spending almost as much on tools as I did on the discos, and wailing on a big pickle fork with a 3 lb sledge countless times after applying heat, they finally popped out.
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The rest of the assembly was easy. They are Zone Offroad J5021 discos and seem to be nice quality. The top part is a heim joint that allows you to swing them up once disconnected. I like that they came with a bracket to tuck them up under the fender when disconnected. We will see how easy they are to get back on when they're covered in mud haha.

[Tom]

THose ought to work

[Jim]

And another item gets checked off of the list!

[Steve-O]

Currently overhauling the rear drum brakes. New shoes, hardware, drums, wheel cylinders, and park brake cables. Got the driver side all pretty, passenger side has a problem. No matter what I adjust, fiddle with, I CANNOT get the self adjuster lever to sit in contact with the star wheel :bang: It sits maybe an 1/8 in low, it also seems easy to wiggle in and out compared to the drivers side one. After googling, I made sure the self adjuster cable guide is flush with the trailing shoe, and tried rotating it both ways with no luck. I don't suspect it's a parts issue, as the drivers side is perfect and star wheel clicks strongly, but I think I need to order a new hardware kit to rule that out. Has anybody else encountered this/know any tricks? Overall, doing drum brakes for the first time has gone well, just very slow.

[Steve-O]

Anybody out there?

Last photo you can see the lever just barely not in contact with the star wheel. Anybody see anything wrong with my assembly?

[Schmitty]

Hey Steve-o, It looks like that ratchet is extended a bit. what if you wind it all the way down then see if it engages? I remember doing the rear drums on my old Forester and something like this kept me from finishing the job until I made an adjustment like that and things "clicked" into place.

[FINOCJ]

Also keep in mind that the star wheel adjusters and locking lever are different based on driver/passenger....make sure you you have them matched correctly and on the correct side of the vehicle.
Is this the passenger rear?

EDIT - from a quick review of later jeep drum brakes, looks like you are good....I think the self-adjusting lever won't move into contact with the star wheel and set-itself until you activate the brakes in reverse?

[Steve-O]

Schmitty: good eye. That's the only thing that was a little weird about the assembly of this passenger side versus the driver side (which went smoothly). If I screw in the star wheel/self adjuster any more, its feet won't contact the shoes securely and it would be able to wiggle around. For whatever reason I can't get the shoes any closer to close that gap, those hold-down springs don't want to let them move farther in. May be the source (or related to) whatever issue I'm having. Maybe I just need to put a little elbow grease on it to get the shoes closer together with the self adjuster screwed all the way in...

James: This is the passenger rear. I thought the brakes-in-reverse final adjustment wouldn't work *unless* the lever was in contact with the star wheel. I'll read my Haynes manual closer when I get home. That would also be interesting because on the drivers side it *is* in contact and appears to be working how I think it should be.

Another great piece of advice I saw online was "tear it all down and do it again" :lmao:

[FINOCJ]

I had issues when redoing the brakes on my cj5 a few years ago....I ended up filing the grooves on the ends of the adjusters to allow the shoes to move inward a bit, but in my case, the star adjuster was all the way in and there was no other options to bring the shoes in closer so the drum wouldn't fit over. In your case, it sounds like the opposite and the adjuster will shorten, and the lever will come in contact to star wheel, but the shoes won't stay in contact with the adjuster pins....if so, that is when I would put the drum on, and try activating the self-adjustment. You could even try putting the drum on, pumping the brakes to force the shoes out and get all the little pieces to 'settle in' or align themselves and squeeze the shoes to keep them in contact with the adjuster pins even when the star wheel is turned all the way in? FWIW, partially because the old willys uses manual adjustment (no new fangled star adjuster like on the 70cj5 or on your set-up), it is require to put the drum/wheel/tire on and spin it by hand and have someone step on the brake hard. This centers the shoes and wheel cylinder pistons and various springs etc and allows for proper manual adjustment, otherwise only one shoe maybe adjusted properly. Finally, maybe grab both shoes on the outside bottom and try pushing them back and forth to see if 'centering' them a bit can help get them working - or take a look at the wheel cylinder pins and see if they are about equal....wondering if one side is not pushed out (thus why stepping on the brake pedal can help push it out), the shoe isn't pivoting quite right.

[Java]

I think I have the same jackstands as you and I've stopped using them until I can exchange them https://images.harborfreight.com/hftweb/recalls/Jack-Stand-Recall-56371_61196_61197.pdf

[Schmitty]

"tear it all down and do it again"

This is sometimes the reality. I deal with this on a regular basis working in IT when "**** goes south". :rolleyes:

Good luck man.

[Steve-O]

Paul: I checked my serial numbers and I’m good (allegedly). Don’t worry, I have a whole other set (Husky brand) under the frame right now haha. I appreciate you sending that along :thumb:

[Steve-O]

Well well well guys…I went to advance auto and bought a $5 self-adjuster kit and starting comparing the parts, what was on the Jeep vs what I bought in the bag and eyeballing them for differences. Auto-adjuster/star wheel — same. Self adjuster cable — same length. Lever — same shape/notch positions. Lever spring…..not the same! The lever spring that came with my original parts purchase (colored red in the picture above) was noticeably more straight than the one that came in my $5 baggie — that one had a more dramatic bend in it. It’s highly likely that I bent that first spring a little while trying to figure out the best way to get it around and over the lever. Swapped it out for the new spring, lever clicked right into the star wheel. Beautiful! Time to bleed the brakes, adjust the shoes, adjust the park brake……

As always, I appreciate all your thoughts and advice!

:frontrange4x4:

[Steve-O]

Well guys, it's time for me to sell my beloved YJ. It's getting cold and I want to put my daily driver in the garage :lmao: if you know anybody who would be interested in a almost completely stock '93 that runs like a top and has a jacked up paint job, let me know. Probably going to ask $5,500, willing to haggle

[Java]

Wish I could, it's a cool Jeep and an unmodified YJ is pretty rare. It would make a perfect "toad" for an RV.

[Steve-O]

Well I've had a terrible time trying to sell this thing, bunch of clowns offering $2-3000 for it. If you do a nationwide search on autotrader for a YJ, you won't find one in any condition for under $8000, so I think I'm being reasonable.

Anyway all this crap makes me want to just hold on to it and turn it into a toad some day (definitely want to buy an RV eventually). If anybody has any barn/lot/field space I could store it in let me know. Willing to pay a little bit each month.

[Java]

PM sent

[Steve-O]

Well a college kid is driving up from Albuqueque and said he has a cashiers check for $6,000 in hand. So this is either going to be great or I'm going to get mugged haha. Either way the YJ will be leaving today :frown:

[open_circuit]

F

[Jim]

NO CASHIER'S CHECK

Don't risk it!

CASH ONLY

Have him get cash instead of that check.

I've been involved in a cashier's check transaction - going in believing it would be a scam - it was. The check "looked" proper. Bank ran it - scam.

$6K in cash is easy to carry.

[Steve-O]

I appreciate you looking out for me Jim! He offered cash and I asked for a cashier's check as I'm an online bank guy (no way to deposit cash). Already got the check deposited :2thumbup:

[Jim]

That does put me on edge. I'm trusting it works out. More space in the garage!

[FINOCJ]

More space in the garage!

Are you implying 2 jeeps is too many....I am planning on just getting more garages....

[Java]

Congratulations! :thumb: That's a good price! "Deposit Cash"... I don't think I've ever seen or used that phrase before. :lmao:

[Steve-O]

So to close out this thread, about a month after I sold it I got a phone call from the buyer. “Hey can I get your cell phone number?”…”uhh…yea probably, but why?”…”well… the YJ got stolen and my insurance wants to talk to you…”

THIS KID GOT MY (his) YJ STOLEN AFTER HAVING IT FOR JUST 5 WEEKS! RIP, F, pour one out, etc. for the YJ.

[Jim]

`sorry to hear anyone get burned - just happy you didn't get burned.

If insurance was involved - the kid had comprehensive on a $6K jeep?

A YJ - I can't imagine it getting stolen for chop-shop parts resale. Someone wanted to joy ride the thing? Stolen vehicle resale in a rural / rugged community? Hmmm...

[Steve-O]

Hey, the check cleared so that’s all I care about :lmao:

I mean, I had comprehensive on the YJ, I think it was like $16/month or something with USAA. But yea there’s a debate to be had there

And I’m not sure about a chop shop either. He said it was stolen right off the streets of Albuquerque near his dorm. Just a target of opportunity I guess? I mean it doesn’t get any easier to steal that thing. Cut the soft top and it probably would have started with a screwdriver jammed in the ignition :lmao: