SilicaRich's Overland TJ Rubicon Build

[SilicaRich]

Go Frogs! My wife graduated from there and I was up there every weekend for games and shenanigans all four years. Beautiful campus in the best city in Texas and a mascot that shoots blood out of its eyes. I mean that's kinda cool. lol Glad to hear the Jeep is continuing along too!

I've always been a fan of the Frogs and look forward to starting up this fall.

The Jeep...well it's being a pain in my ass. Terrible transmission noise comes now it heats up and is in neutral. Noise goes away with the clutch depressed. I'd say throwout bearing or pilot bearing but both literally replaced 3 days ago. I think it's something in the linkage causing something. Oh and as an added bonus, no AC! Hoping it just needs a recharge because I literally replaced my AC less than 2 years ago.

 

[AggieOE]

I've always been a fan of the Frogs and look forward to starting up this fall.

The Jeep...well it's being a pain in my ass. Terrible transmission noise comes now it heats up and is in neutral. Noise goes away with the clutch depressed. I'd say throwout bearing or pilot bearing but both literally replaced 3 days ago. I think it's something in the linkage causing something. Oh and as an added bonus, no AC! Hoping it just needs a recharge because I literally replaced my AC less than 2 years ago.

If it was just replaced... I would think whoever did it would take another look at it. AC wise... ugh. Been there done that enough times. If it needs a recharge... means it has a leak. There's a chance you may only need to replace one component though and not the whole thing if it's caught early enough. Worth having a quick diagnosing... I'd recommend by whoever replaced it since they should know the whole thing should need replaced again. Too soon for that to be a concern.

 

[BulldoginaJeepwithaColt]

1998 TJ here, owned since new and now I have 198K and I feel your pain.

Past three years I have had the misfortune of chasing down a lot of engine issues.

Defintely stick with MOPAR sensors!!! You can do NGK oxygen sensors since they made them for MOPAR, and a lot cheaper - but everything else sensor and sending unit wise ONLY MOPAR.

Before you spend a bunch of money, try cleaning your throttle body. Also be sure to check your fuel pressure - sometimes that causes issues when it is about to go bad.

If you end up needing a fuel pump buy only Bosch. The Aerotek etc are junk and wont last.

Also, clogged cats can cause your issues too...

Dealerships around me are offering up to 25% off parts due to the shutdown, maybe you could be so lucky too in the event you need something from MOPAR.

Do you have a decent scan tool?

Also check out the Jeep Forums, look for posts by Jerry Bransford and take his advice as gospel.

Good Luck!

 

[SilicaRich]

Jerry Bransford

I know the name. Him and waterdog (may he rest in peace) were the go to guys for help on anything TJ related. Those guys knew too much for their own good about TJs.

I've heard the horror stories of trying any sensors other than OEM so I have no intention of changing that. I have the NGK TPS ready to be installed and a Mopar throttle body sensor as well.

Dropped the Jeep back at the shop last week. The stuff being worked on listed:
-throttle issue (sensors, possibly harness)
-control arms (stuck with factory lowers but upgraded to Currie adjustable uppers)
-motor mounts
-AC (just needed a recharge, possibly has a tiny leak but there's a dye being used to track it if it's there)

The throwout bearing issue persists. I'm using the 1 year warranty to get the LUK bearing replaced however it is taking forever to get shipped. At this rate, I may bite the bullet and purchase a heavier duty aftermarket bearing.

My plans for other changes are now being halted due to the Jeep problems and also a large firearm purchase I made this month. The main modification I looking forward to doing was swapping to 16" retro steelies (color matched to paint color for a retro OG Jeep MB look) and bumping up to 255/85/16 (33"×10") tires. This would allow me to return to factory stud pattern and toss the .5" adapters I have. Oh well, I can't control the future.

Officially enrolling this month at TCU so I'll probably be moving to the Fort Worth area in 10-12 weeks. My thesis field area will likely be in northern California and should be teaching a Mineralogy lab this fall. Starting to really get excited for August.

 

[Desert Rider]

From a fellow geologist, good luck with your graduate program at TCU. I received my MS in Geology at WTSU (Canyon, TX) back in 1984. I work for the federal government, Dept. of Energy.

Were you happy with your purchase of the Winchester Model 1894 takedown? I want one, but I am having a hard time finding it...

 

[Zeep]

The tire size you listed, is the same size I went to.
Have a look at Cooper Dicoverer S/T's. I've been extremely happy with them on my Rubicon.

 

[SilicaRich]

From a fellow geologist, good luck with your graduate program at TCU. I received my MS in Geology at WTSU (Canyon, TX) back in 1984. I work for the federal government, Dept. of Energy.

Were you happy with your purchase of the Winchester Model 1894 takedown? I want one, but I am having a hard time finding it...

Sorry been MIA from forums for quite a minute.

I adore my '94 Takedown. My only slight regret is the caliber (.38-55) due to the price and difficulty to find but is a very easy cartridge to reload in a pinch.

Cheers fellow geo!

 

[SilicaRich]

The tire size you listed, is the same size I went to.
Have a look at Cooper Dicoverer S/T's. I've been extremely happy with them on my Rubicon.

Love my Coopers, they wear like iron and ride well. Currently have around 40k miles on them and probably still have ~40% tread.

 

[SilicaRich]

So guys, big updates.

First off, haven't been on forums in forever and just took a break since I was in no position to do any fun travels or what not.

Second off, I finished my M.S. in geology with a focus in igneous petrology and volcanology of the Pliocene volcanic debris-avalanche deposits near Lake Tahoe, California in December 2023.

I have most recently started at a junior exploration mining company in Arizona as a exploration geologist just last week. That same week I chose to buy a 2024 Ram 2500 but kept the Jeep and retiring it as more of a toy.

Anything moving forward in the next year or more will likely be done in the new truck. Planning to keep it very minimalistic and will probably begin a new thread in full-size trucks.

 

[AggieOE]

Congratulations on graduating, the new job, and the new truck! Those are some exciting changes. Some ATs will be plenty for one of those trucks. They already have so much ground clearance. Glad to hear you're keeping the TJ though. That's a hard one to let go of and not regret afterwards.

 

[SilicaRich]

Congratulations on graduating, the new job, and the new truck! Those are some exciting changes. Some ATs will be plenty for one of those trucks. They already have so much ground clearance. Glad to hear you're keeping the TJ though. That's a hard one to let go of and not regret afterwards.

Appreciate it man. I think I'll run the current tires for a bit but definitely plan to move to a true all terrain in the future, same tire size too. Probably will just go the KO2 route tbh.

And yeah, I was seriously considering parting with the TJ but with the emotional value and actual rarity of mine it would be impossible to replace. It just officially has earned the title of toy.