Picked Up A Traitor Jeep (tj)

These are the backup light bulbs I used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W7HQPZF?th=1

These are the "fog" lights I used. They are really more super bright flood lights: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVQ4SJF3?th=1

And since I'm posting stuff, here's an air compressor switch that fits in the remaining blank in my factory switch panel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGYRYPY

 

Guess I'll be doing some shopping!

 

Glad you were able to get a OEM airbox. With the information avaliable now about how poor K&N style filters work I'm suprised anyone runs them anymore.

 

We did a very similar setup on the wife’s tj. I ordered a pair of connectors that plug into the factory harness from eBay I think. Then bought these
HELLA 358117171 ValueFit 500 LED Driving Lamp Kit, 2 Pack, Black https://a.co/d/hQvDfVW
could have saved some money and just bought just the lights since I didn’t use any of the relay or hella harness. The stock tj headlights are terrible but those driving lights are killer for going up and down our mountain. They’re really neat in the snow.

 

Ya might look at the Currie anti rock bar. It made a nice difference in the wife’s tj. It’s a torsion bar so no more messing with quick connect and really helps control suspension unloading coming off of obstacles. There’s still body roll on the road but it’s very controlled even in the most soft setting.

 

Those look nice!

That may be in the future. This was mostly to replace the completely worn out existing links.

 

First day of the road trip was up over Lolo pass and down to Hamilton Mt.

At the top of Lolo. Good Lord, that is a windy drive. Leaving Kooskia, ID, the sign says "Winding road next 99 miles" and it's not kidding. I never get carsick, but after a solid hour and a half of that, it felt really good to get out and walk around the nature trail:


At the motel after about 300 miles and sixish hours driving for the day:


I know I'm a wuss, but this thing was sure comfortable today. I can't imagine the same trip in the '71.

 

Today was old mines:


An annoying problem has developed. The radio that has been working great for the last several months has decided to randomly switch inputs and sometimes reboot. First when hitting bumps, but now all the time. So when you're using the navigation and listening to your own music, it switches to bluetooth, AV input, Radio, ...whatever, making it useless. It seems like a solder connection or two have shaken loose internally. SPent a lot of time driving in silence today and finally just put the phone with the GPS on the dash.

Of course it's happening right at the front of a week long trip.

I stopped for Chinese tonight and this was my fortune:


Heck yeah! I've got tools in the Jeep. I can swap a radio. Went to Walmart, bought a Sony this time along with an adapter harness. This is my hobby project in the hotel room tonight:


All done. I'll find a nice quiet pull-out somewhere tomorrow morning and swap the radio out.


I'll redo it with better connectors when I get home.

 

This looks like a nice place to swap a radio:


In process:


Success! Makes me glad I brought the toolbox along:


The new radio works great and it was on to other adventures:

 

So jealous…

 

This thread makes me miss my TJ rubicon.

 

Here it is on the east foothills of the Tobacco Root Mountains:


And at another old mine near there:

 

Today was the Bridger Mountains with James (finocj), John (duffer) in the blue Jeep, and Dene (long time friend of John's).

On Flathead pass:


On the way to Ferry lake on the East side of the Bridgers:


Airing the tires back up at the hotel. Had them down to 18psi yesterday and today to take the edge off the bumpy trails but still be streetable. Tomorrow is 400 road miles, so they are back up to 30psi:

 

Back on the East side of the Bridger Mountians on the way North today:

On Belt Creek after passing through the Little Belt Mountains:


At the Rocky Mountain Front Ranger near Bynum, MT:

 

Today was the last day of the big Montana trip. Catch up on things are home tomorrow and back to work on Monday.

TJ Shadow at sunise:


At the old flour mill in Oaksdale, WA:


And back home:


It'll get a wash job and tidied-up radio wiring tomorrow.

After spending a week in it, I have to say I'm very happy with this thing. Capable offroad, but comfortable doing 70-80mph down the freeway for hours. The perfect rig for my type of vacation.

 

Well, I didn't get to the radio wiring, but I did get it washed today:

 

That looks like so much fun!!! It’s an awesome looking jeep!!!!

 

Thanks! Ive really been enjoying this thing.

 

Used the TJ and the Bantam trailer to take the whole family on a week's vacation in Kettle Falls:


It was a great rig for the daily activities:




However, it lunched the throwout bearing in traffic in Coeur d’Alene about 100 miles from home. The clutch felt funny when I pushed it in, and then it started screeching terribly anytime the pedal was depressed. So I got it moving and shifted without the clutch for the next hour and forty five minutes. I had two stop at two traffic lights in Moscow, ID where I needed to briefly use the clutch to get moving again, but that was it. The rest of the stop lights I managed to time and roll through. I was getting pretty good at floating the gears up and down by the time we got home.

I guess I'll be dropping the transmission some time in the next week.

 

Love your Dirt Every Day adventure. Thanks for posting it. Good luck with the T/O bearing.