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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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shop owners love Jeep owners.
Did a research project some years ago. What is most prone to break on various 4x4's in harsh conditions. Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, Jeep, Suzuki etc etc.
And they all have certain weak areas. Their owners know exactly what.
It was hard to pinpoint on the Jeeps. So I asked shop owners in addition to the owners. What breaks?
One shop owner put it in a short sentence - "Everything but the wiper blades"
Harald Pietschmann
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Location: Riverside, CA
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Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  | shop owners love Jeep owners.
One shop owner put it in a short sentence - "Everything but the wiper blades" |
I have done most of my own work. The rear shock hanger is cracked and needs to be welded. The shock hanger is an aftermarket one. I have a favorite
welding shop where the owner is a, " Fired-up Donald Trump supporter". I get my Jeep welded and entertained all at the same time!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64851
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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As a former (recovering?) Jeep owner, that is a true phrase!
The wiper blades did not fail... just every else (it seemed).
There was more, but this is what I still remember...
This was a brand new Jeep, as well... I owned from 1975 to 1977... In two years, and not a lot of miles (I was a student at a local high school and
college during the time):
Rear window motor weld connection fail (never was properly fixed under warranty)
Side window crank handle snapped
The rest all just after the 12,000-mile warranty:
Water pump leak
Radiator leak
Automatic transmission (GMC Turbo 400) fail $$$
Low Range selector fail
1975-1/2 model Jeep Cherokee Chief (with Quadra Trac)
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TMW
Select Nomad
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In the late 70s, 80s and early 90s when I worked in San Diego the company had three standard 4x4 Jeep Cherokees with the I-6 engine. They saw very
little dirt. Used to go to mountain sites on paved roads and parts runs. I don't recall having any problems with them.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: Originally posted by TMW | | In the late 70s, 80s and early 90s when I worked in San Diego the company had three standard 4x4 Jeep Cherokees with the I-6 engine. They saw very
little dirt. Used to go to mountain sites on paved roads and parts runs. I don't recall having any problems with them. |
When the Cherokee got smaller in 1984, they became super popular and maybe were built better? Mine was the larger Wagoneer size, and the Chief Package
used J-10 Jeep Truck axles, so it was wider and had larger wheel wells than the standard Cherokee. Mine had the 401 V-8 with the automatic and
full-time 4WD.
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ehall
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Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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[Edited on 5-22-2016 by ehall]
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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well, we need to give Jeep some credit
with the 1998 Wrangler the quality improved dramatically
and when Mercedes bought Chrysler, the Wrangler even got lockers (Rubicon version)
I had 3 Wranglers for the Rubicon Trail and loved their performance, most failing parts were aftermarket items
I still have 3 Grand Cherokee in my fleet and I am quite pleased
they cost almost nothing used and hold up quite well
Harald Pietschmann
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Martin's business card for his mobile regearing business.
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David K
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Jeep began the 4WD fun and family car craze and the term SUV was born with the 1974 introduction of the new Jeep Cherokee that year. However, the
Jeepster Commando and CJ-5 was all fun too!
After WWII the Jeep was the most recognized vehicle and brand name in the world. Willys-Overland, Kaiser, AMC, and now Chrysler have made Jeeps.
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AKgringo
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And now Fiat is making a Jeep! How about it folks, is anyone on this board driving a Renegade?
I know it is a bit early for reliability reports, but how about a report on it's performance, and/or fun factor?
About the only things that intrigue me about it is that it has a low range capability, and should be fairly fuel efficient.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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David K
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There are several of them around here. My concern is that they are so low and have such small tires. I think a Subaru has more ground clearance than a
Renegade now has?
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Steering upgrades that didn't work!
In May, I purchased a new trackbar from MetalCloak. Made of SOLID Chromoly steel, the thing is a beast. I ditched my Rancho monotube MT7000 steering
stabilizer which tightened my steering, but caused my Jeep to pull slightly to the left. I also changed out the wheel bearing unit to quality Timken
unit bearings for better steering response.
THE PROBLEM? 
My steering geometry (as pointed out by 4x4ABC) is a complete mess. Steep angles due to stacked lift kits have made my steering response twitchy, the
handling of my Jeep squirrely (thanks to an effectively shorter wheelbase/higher lift height).
THE SOLUTION? 
As a birthday present to myself, I decided to Just Empty Every Pocket and have the entire suspension replaced. With a budget of just under $6,000.00
the Jeep should perform the way I had intended when I purchased it back in 2003.
Rubicon Owners of California club member Jason L. had his first Rubicon set up (in 2004) similar to the way my Jeep will be set up (in 2016). David K
took us to Mano Canyon where Jason was able to flex his stuff on this large rock/small boulder.
After the work is complete, these steering angles will not be quite so steep. I can't wait. Please stay tuned!!
[Edited on 7-9-2016 by Ken Cooke]
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fishbuck
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A little off topic. What causes "Death Wobble" in 4 x 4s?
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Ken Cooke
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On a vehicle with coil springs and a straight axle, worn and/or loose components cause death wobble. Its a common theme with Jeeps, Ford Super Duty
trucks, and Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks. It is a shimmy that causes the driver to lose control/steering input of vehicle - typically from 45 - 65 mph.
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fishbuck
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I have a 2008 F-350 and it's starting to get it a little. I felt it some but my girl came home really scared from it. Hit a patch across the freeway
like an expansion joint and almost ripped the wheel out of her hands.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck | | I have a 2008 F-350 and it's starting to get it a little. I felt it some but my girl came home really scared from it. Hit a patch across the freeway
like an expansion joint and almost ripped the wheel out of her hands. |
That's Death Wobble. Your lower track bar mount/bolt might just be loose. That has been my problem before buying my MetalCloak track bar. Worn
u-joints, bent wheels, out of balance tires, blown shocks - but mainly loose components.
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
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Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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My front end works pretty well
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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That crossover steering system has great angles!
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4289
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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many Jeep owners have death wobble, but have no clue why
bear with me
wheels of all cars have an invisible line go through them vertically
from king pin bearing to king pin bearing (ball joints)
the angle is about the same as the angle of the fork of a bicycle or motorcycle
engineers call it caster angle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle
once you install a lift (most Jeep owners do) the caster angle moves towards zero
caster moves forward to zero because the taller springs will make the control arms move downward around the pivot point at the frame
you all know this from those little caster wheels on the supermarket shopping cart - once a tad out of alignment, they shake like crazy
now imagine a Jeep at 65mph on the freeway experiencing this. Not funny. very dangerous.
To maintain a proper caster angle, the entire axle would need to be cut apart, realigned and welded back together. If you simply rotate the axle back,
your driveline angle at the diff would increase and cause vibration there.
If done right, your Jeep will drive better than factory.
But why would Jeep owners care.
Harald Pietschmann
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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My control arms are double adjustable and within factory specifications. The caster angle is roughly 5deg.(I think)
Going from a 15" to a 36" control arm should help with this. Running a 35" tire on a Jeep has been more complicated than I thought it would be.
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