Peepers 2023

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I have the axle shaft blues...

Also the basis of this post looking for help: https://www.wranglerforum.com/threads/front-axle-shaft-wont-slide-in-2010-jk-rubicon.2455499/
So got back to installing the new axles today. Passenger side slid right in, haven't buttoned it up until I know the drivers side is in and that I don't for some reason need to disassemble the diff.



So first up on the passenger side...ran into an issue that beyond the end cap rag that did a good job keeping dust out when had put in a paper towel and plastic bag (bubble wrap?) to keep the oil inside the diff :D



Finally after about an hour I realized just what I needed was a plumbing rooter router thing...and also remembered I own one :D




Grrrr...not going in.

Had this happen when I replaced u-joints and since it was going to Sorel's anyway had them fix it.

But I replaced the diff seals and had no issue sliding the shafts back in :/



So I scoped it, looks like a seal to me.




So then it was time to measure (you know high tech before low tech :D )...
The 12" measure is along the tube side and my interpretation is that is the seal.

The 17" is in the center, and that is about where the oil slinger at the end of the axle shaft should be.

Overall I think I'm about 1" maybe 1.5" shy of where I need to be, but there is 2" of splines so they must be getting partially engaged? This is basic math right?






Bonus! Look at the diff to see if I could see anything and saw some Helicoil looking things backing out so I'll have to research that.

Finally back working on the Jeep!

Last Sunday...garage is a mess. Time to clean up. It's now back into the low 40s, but with the big (but loud) propane heater I was down to a tee shirt for a time:



Splurged on a new off-road rated floor jack. Certainly not much I couldn't fix on the road with this even if I have to crawl my ample girth underneath.



So we're upgrading to Carbon Offroad (Hurricane, UT) chrome molly axles.

Jeep JK Rubicon 2007-2018 4340 Chromoly Front Axle Kit Dana 44 CF155

Uses large 1350 Series Spicer 5-7166X U-Joint
Planning to pickup a couple spare U-Joints -- hopefully won't break one again, but if I do hopefully trail fix it. If I don't need them, they're not greasable so I'm thinking you just treat them as a wear item and replace every few years proactively.



Got back out there this morning (the following Sunday)

Picked up a couple new bearings to replace the existing ones proactively -- literally have all the labor into at this point, as best as I can recall I've never replaced them.



Bearings came with new ABS sensors. Took them off, hopefully I'll put them somewhere I can find them if I need a new sensor in the future :D




Pure decadence is using the Mr. Heater Buddy with the door open :D. Was actually a bit cooler in the garage than outside by the afternoon (mid-40s outside). First time I used that heater, it sure took the chill out of the immediate work area without me running the big one. Originally bought it because when it is cold outside I've noticed it's really cold working on the corners of the Jeep away from the big heater so figured this would help and I think after how much it helped today it'll do well.

I do have a hose kit to use it with a big propane bottle...but I need to go fill up one of my 20# and another is already on the big heater.



Everything is off.

But my shoulder was starting to bark that was enough for today. I really haven't done a lot over the winter in some combination of deliberately resting it and being afraid to aggravate it. Not as bad as I thought it would be.



Somehow the parts are growing...

MAPP Gas Dilemas...

While I don't use it too often, I've always really liked MAPP gas for losening things up on cars...

Was looking at getting a small torch to keep in the Jeep and realized MAPP was discontinued in 2008 in North America (the only plant closed).

There seems to be some wide discrepancies in the reported flame temps, but these numbers seem to be the rough consensus:

Propane + Air = 2250°
MAPP + Air = 3670°
Propane + Oxygen = 4600°
MAPP + Oxygen = 5300°
Acetylene + Oxygen = 5720°

Looks like a propane & oxygen kit may be in my future, since a small OxyAcetylene set up is much more expensive and I still don't fully trust myself with that much power (I've only cut a couple things with it in the past, under direct supervision :) )

Reddit Copypasta

1)

When these threads come up, folks often "If only we could compare" or "But you can't compare"

Well...indeed we can.
|
Purchaing Power Parity is designed to buy the same basket of goods and services, and includes things like education and healthcare.

It isn't perfect; folks in the US may end preferring to weight their spending towards larger cars and houses. Europeans may put more weight on spending on vacations (particularly since they usually have a few more weeks a year off to use the vacation time).

But it helps to get a relative idea what lifestyle a particular salary in a given country can afford compared to another.

It also doesn't show the often significant differences within a single European nation or an American state. I would expect your money to go much further in Buffalo, NY than in Brooklyn, NY.

Purchasing Power Parity:
Between OECD nations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity#OECD_comparative_price_levels
Between US states: https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series

To compare a salary to the overall median wage:
Between OECD nations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_wage
Between US States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_median_wage_and_mean_wage

So in this case:
Spain PPP 84 PPP
$40,000 / .84 = Live like someone earning $47,619 in the US in general (like Florida which is close to average)

In the very best case (money wise):
Mississippi
$47,619 / .83 = Live like someone earning $57,372 in the US in general.

2)

>is ocean waste one of those things like the ozone layer that once we started paying attention to we were able to mitigate the worst causes of, or is it just a shitshow free-for-all like global CO2 emissions?

If you want the sad history...CO2 got out of control partly (mostly?) due to political fatigue over sulfur dioxide (acid rain) and ozone cap-and-trade.

First you have to remember that George H. W. Bush was CIA Director when climate change first made it on to CIA assessments as a national security threat in the mid-70s. Curbing global warming was a Republican campaign plank in 1988. Democrats were still pro-coal and hadn't swung around on the issue yet (WV voted Democrat in the '76, '88, and '96 Presidential elections so they and other rural coal mining places were still a state in play for the Democrats)

But the more immediate threats were things like acid rain and the ozone layer which they tackled via Cap-and-Trade.

By the time CO2 came up, John H. Sununu (President Bush's Chief-of-Staff) was basically sick and tired of the political arm twisting he had been doing on those and a few other environmental issues and didn't want to pursue CO2 regulation further.

His son John E. would co-sponsor a bipartisan bill implementing cap-and-trade on CO2 among other things in 2007, though it didn't pass.

(And if fairness, all three Sununus including the son Chris who is the New Hampshire Governor) have vacillated over the years on climate change depending on the audience.)

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/david-doniger/rest-story-cap-and-trade

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-political-history-of-cap-and-trade-34711212/

http://outsideinradio.org/transcript-the-family-business

https://www.fosters.com/story/news/local/2007/04/21/sununu-throws-support-behind-democrat/63084886007/

I fought Old Florida Road...and Old Florida Won.

So...I tried Old Florida Road which is one of the best Jeep challenges in New England with the club...OFR won :)

This was back on 10 September. Today is 8 January o_O. Jeep hadn't moved since I got home and it wasn't quite 40 degrees out and it started up on it's own! Figured it would need to be jumped but didn't need it (barely); let it run for 45 minutes or so while I hauled firewood up to the deck.

The surprising thing is on a JK these aren't actually required to drive home.

Thanks to a bunch of the club members who helped remove it on the trail. Eric was with me which was good because in 2WD even going down hill we needed to winch to back to pavement. (It broke at the "gate keeper" so it was easiest to just turn around then continue on since there are a couple more challenging spots).

So I ordered parts (upgrading while I'm going to have to be in there). I had time and enthusiasm back in September...

Decided what to order on 9/20.

Given supply chains these days, weren't delivered until 10/22

Life, arthritis, weather, holidays...it was today 1/8 that I finally got the Jeep pulled into the garage. Weather should be mild next weekend so hopefully I'll get to work on it then. It actually isn't that "big" or even time consuming -- lots of unbolting, cleaning, bolting. (I should open up diff to change the fluid and clean the axle tube in case any dirt worked it's way in; so it is one where the repair is a lot more work than what we did trail side).

New Parts:

Carbon Offroad Jeep JK Rubicon 2007-2018 4340 Chromoly Front Axle Kit Dana 44 CF155

Bought along with it Spicer Unit Bearing as pre-emptive maintenance since I'll have all the labor in, might as well slap new ones on. Also picked up a Lube Locker gasket for the front diff, already have one on the rear.