Build Thread 1986 CJ7 Rebuild - Chasing my youth

[Basod]

Couple things on the hub c-clip. Spindle spacer in backwards radius should be inwards. Second could be the inner hub race is not fully seated or some debris on the seating surface. The inner hub seal should be flush. Also excessive rtv on the hub to spindle seal

 

[Masscj7]

I’m not sure on spindle seating. Bolts were torqued to spec. I was paying attention to the spindle washer, but I may have inadvertently flipped it. That’s a good thought. Used same same sealant on both sides, was real thin, so doubt that. Gonna try to take it all apart in the next day or two.


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[Masscj7]

Ok, so stripped the whole assembly down tonight and everything. Seemed right. Changer on plastic spacer for sounder had radius toward axle tube, made sure everything seated as should be. Even took a very small chip off plastic washer to see if that was issue, maybe a bad mold. Still no go.

I did seem to think that the back bearing on the rotor seemed to rock a lot in the race. I know bearings cannot be reversed as they won’t fit over the spindle, but anyone know if the inner races can be interchanged? Same OD, so would press in fine, but different ID preventing the bearing from fully seating?


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[Masscj7]

Exactly as I thought. The rear/inner bearing race is roughly .620 in height and the front/outer race is roughly .570 in height. OD is same. So rear bearing wasn’t seating all the way in the shorter cup

Feels good to wrap that up! Now on to the one piece rear install.





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[TexasBlues]

beauty!

super clean and enviable work...

 

[gert]

Sweet


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[Ultrunner]

Your front axle looks awesome! I’m about to start on mine. What kind of brake rotors did you put on?


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[Masscj7]

they're Crown. I'm going to give them a shot. They're cheap enough for initial build and better quality ones are cheap enough compared to other things I've purchased. I'm not building a hardcore wheeler, so I'm not overly reluctant to use some of their parts. Many of their bearing sets are Timkens, so can't be overly bad. And contrary to what others have said, I haven't had any fit or figment issues with their parts. Plus it allows me to spend what I save from Crown at Summit!!

 

[Masscj7]

And speaking about spending money, I've probably spent more money at Fastenal then most, never mind everywhere else, so it was a no brainer to spend $120 for a Lifetime Membership to support this unbelievable wealth of information and people on this site. Support the site folks, we have thousands in our rides, yet very few site supporters.

 

[Masscj7]

Last couple days were par for the course. Couple steps forward, couple steps back.

Started with machining wrong side of the one piece bearing spacers for my G2 one piece set up. Highlighting again reread your instruction always. But wasn’t an issue other than waiting a day for my machinist buddy to take the adjustment off the front side

Then pressing bearings on the one piece shafts somehow managed to have one the outer races fall apart.


Argg, but find out that these one piece set ups are same as 87-89 YJ’s so local auto parts store had in stock. Perfect. New one pressed in fine and we’re golden.

Then it was time for new stoppers.





Two steps forward!

Move on to priming and lubing up motor before bagging it up for probably another year. She primes up fine. With some not so cheap oil.




Come out to garage this morning and find she’s leakin that expensive oil out either the front pan seal or the timing chain cover. Grrrrr. One step back. I left it for the rest of my holiday, wasn’t going to wreck my extra day off.


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[Ultrunner]

Is that a Chevy 350? Just asking b/c that’s what I’m building for mine. Sorry about the leak, I keep checking my Transfer Case and Transmission expecting one day to see fluids liberated all over the garage floor.


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[Masscj7]

Yes. 1973 4 bolt with 69 Fuelie heads.


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[Masscj7]

Been plugging away. To start off, decided to play with more fluids and temp the leak Gods.


Been a week and no puddles front and rear.

Next, I picked up some Eastwood products.



Specifically I wanted some of their brake fluid resistant paint for my calipers and steering box. I had been using POR15 top coat and had been very disappointed. Doesn’t seem to fully cure and will wipe right of with brake cleaner.

Well, super impressed with this stuff!! Great coverage, I painted on, not sprayed and seriously impressive shine. And even better, two days later, I spilled some power steering fluid on the box and no effect on the paint!




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[Masscj7]

Tonight was back to a little bit of frustration. I thought mounting the steering box would have been piece of cake. Wrong. What a damn debacle. I had bolted the brackets in temporary when I installed the new BDS spring hangers and spacers. Everything lined up with no box. As soon as the box was to go in, did not want to fit worth a damn. Hitting front of crossmember, bottom frame mounts wouldn’t line up, hitting the sway bar mount. Wtf! I don’t remember it coming out tough, seemed to just unbolt. Would have been easier if I could have left the upper box mounts and brackets loose, but then you can’t get to them to tighten once the outer bracket goes on.

I finally got it after an hour and half, but to me it seems like it should been that tough and it seems to me that the box’s shaft is pointing at the frame rail. Thoughts? Tough to give proper perspective though pics, but tried.



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[Ultrunner]

Been plugging away. To start off, decided to play with more fluids and temp the leak Gods.


Been a week and no puddles front and rear.

Next, I picked up some Eastwood products.



Specifically I wanted some of their brake fluid resistant paint for my calipers and steering box. I had been using POR15 top coat and had been very disappointed. Doesn’t seem to fully cure and will wipe right of with brake cleaner.

Well, super impressed with this stuff!! Great coverage, I painted on, not sprayed and seriously impressive shine. And even better, two days later, I spilled some power steering fluid on the box and no effect on the paint!




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Where did you get your brake calipers? With what brand did you go?


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[Masscj7]

They’re stock calipers.


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[Masscj7]

Been kind of in a rut last couple weeks. Seem to be spending a good amount of time in the garage, but not able to really complete anything significant. Little frustrating. Nothing really photoreffic either. Finally got around to draining oil out of motor, just haven’t had a chance to rotate and pull the pan and try to find my oil leak.

I did get new tank and skid plate in. Started scuffing the skid to shoot it with a rubber undercoating.


Also got my tranny and Transfer Case back from a health check, they say that from a high level without full tear down they look good. So started the dirty work of cleaning up the case.


Hopefully can build some momentum next week.



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[Ultrunner]

Good to hear, tearing down the Transfer Case was a big deal for me. Lots of learning along the way. Happy yours is in good shape.

Patience right? I’m kind of in the same spot with my axle rebuild. Lots of little jobs getting done, nothing really looking like it’s coming together.


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[gert]

Man it’s cool to see someone getting so much progress on theirs


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[Hoover]

Yep, X2^^^ Great work! Livings vicariously until I can get back out to the shop.