My world fell to ****, so I didn't get to make the parade - but at least I finally got my deadbeat tenants evicted!
Jeep-wise, I FINALLY fixed the ping in my TJ! This thing has had a massive detonation problem since I got it. I've checked injectors, fuel pressures, used injector cleaner ad nauseum, checked timing (can't really adjust it on the late 4.0s), looked for vacuum leaks....my dumb *** finally pulled the plugs. The closest gap was about 0.089"...and the worst was over 0.100". I think they were the original - 114k mile! - plugs. SEVERELY worn.
Spec is 0.035".
New plugs...runs like a champ, no pinging.
I also fixed my death wobble problem with 8 new control arms. Bushings were SHOT - they looked like muffin tops.
Next 2 steps to get it ready for my job after new years (work is sending me to Miami for 11 weeks - I'm taking my convertible!!) is a new catback- the muffler is separating at the seams pretty bad. It might last for 3 months...but I won't have a garage or most of my tools in Miami so I want to make sure it's good to go before I leave; and a decent soft top. I'm thinking either a Banks exhaust (always had good luck with their stuff; had a Banks on my old XJ and it sounded good without droning), or MBRP like Michelle has on hers. Hers sounds good, but I hate the angled corner-exit tip. I much prefer the rear-exit Banks setup. And, Michelle's is the "installer" series (aluminized); I want stainless. They make one in stainless, but apparently it's a different style muffler so I don't know if it would drone or not. Banks is stainless.
And for the top, I want a frameless (since I don't have a frame; my jeep just has a hard top). Michelle has a Bestop Trektop NX which is decent, and has a flip-open feature for the front seats that I LOVE, but the attachment is stupid - you have to remove the speaker pods, strap the top to the sport bar, then reinstall the speaker pods. MasterTop makes one that's similar, but instead of strapping to the sport bar it comes with one bow that goes across the roll cage at the rear of the flip-top portion, to hold the top in place. And, it's about $300 cheaper than the Bestop. I won't have anywhere to stow my hardtop down there, and I can't drive it from MD to FL in late December with just a bikini top on it...but the nice thing about these frameless tops is, you can pull the side and rear windows and just leave the top portion attached - like a bikini top - and still have the flip-front arrangement. Which is probably how it will live for 3 months - just the top panel installed, windows stored in the condo, and parked with my trail cover at night in case it rains. And if it gets wet...it's line-x'd inside, so oh well.
he bought just before I went to HS
