My Jeep Problems

[gmbtj]

Well, mechanically, my Jeep has been through quite a number of problems. Right now, it is sitting in a shop getting fixed. The calipers are being replaced, along with the hoses. When they put it on a lift, they noticed the hub assembly (right side) is on its last leg and needs to be replaced. I am looking at about 600 in repairs. What I am gonna do is get it fixed (unless someone out there has a Dana 30 or better axle with 4.10 gears in it), and put on flat fenders and trail corners and SELL the whole Jeep and leave the Jeeping world, at least for a good while. I love my Jeep, and I am so glad I got to own one, but lately I have been wanting to get rid of it and buy another car because of the money that I have lost in my Jeep. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif


And Im being completely serious, it has had so many problems that I just need to sell it and get something better that suits my needs, since I do a lot of highway driving.

[Tomster]

Patrick:

What have you been smokin'???? You ain't sellin' your Jeep. You love your Jeep and you love wheelin' too much, and if you go doing something stupid, you will regret it BIG TIME.

Tom

[Landon]

Trust me Patrick, you will regret it hugely if you sell your Jeep! I know cuz' I've done it. Everytime you see another one, you will be reminded of how much fun you had with it. You know you love it, and you love wheelin'. Try to look at things in perspective, and don't get so discouraged...remember the fun you have with your Jeep when you're out wheeling...

[mudholebound]

you got to do what you got to do but i sure hate to see you jeepless /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif if yours is more headache /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/furious.gif than you want and your gonna buy somthin else anyway maybe just trade it in on a new/newer one that is some what stock maybe it will travel better and you can still get dirty when ya want /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif

just my opinion /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smashfreakB.gif

[gmbtj]

Well Yeah I definitely love my Jeep and its capabilities, but I just wanna be able to have a Daily Driver that doesnt cost so much to keep running. This Jeep has cost me well over 1600 in getting fixed. That is too much for just a year and half, and all of that has actually happened within the last 10 months. I may not sell it as I would have lost to much money by doing so, but I do seriously doubt that it will ever go back to Turkey Bay or any other type of OHV park, except for trailoring my Dirt Bike.

[Tomster]

[ QUOTE ]
I may not sell it as I would have lost to much money by doing so, but I do seriously doubt that it will ever go back to Turkey Bay or any other type of OHV park, except for trailoring my Dirt Bike.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/36_12_6[1].gif

Yeah, folks, and if you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn and some swamp land in Florida I would like to talk to you about.

[gmbtj]

Im not trying to BS you Tom, Im telling you the truth. It is too much of an expensive sport, and I just dont have the money for it anymore. I actually had to borrow 350 bucks from my grandmother this morning for the new calipers and right side hub assembly, because I only had 250 bucks myself. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[gmbtj]

where from?

[mullins87]

Patrick old buddy, I hate to see ya' even thinking of leaving us. I understand your predicament and have been there myself. My F-350 is a prime example. Everytime I see one, I wish I still had mine. But then again, I wouldn't have the XJ and I DO enjoy it.

Don't sell your TJ. They are wonderfully simple, easy to maintain vehicles. The repairs you are doing are typical maintenance on any vehicle. However wheeling does tend to speed up the maintenance schedule. Take a more conservative approach to wheeling and you can still enjoy your Jeep without breaking your budget.

I'm sure that the work is being done in a professional garage by the price you quoted. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you don't feel confident enough to attempt those repairs yourself, you should let a professional do it. Brakes and hubs are extremely important repairs that HAVE to be done right the first time. Very seldom will you get a second chance if you mess that up. But, if you feel you can do it yourself, then Fred is right. You should have been able to do those repairs yourself for that $250 you had. I can't imagine the hubs being over $75 each and the calipers, after the core charge, shouldn't be over $25 each. Heck, I put rebuilt calipers on an old Lincoln once for $10 each, after the core charge.

You know anyone of us would be willing to lend a hand in wrenching. If you were closer, I would love to help you. Good luck. I hope you don't sell your Jeep, but whatever you have to do, we understand.

[gmbtj]

the calipers and there hoses were 179, and the right Hub assembly was 249. the rest (bout 150 to 180, cant remember) is in labor.

[BillM]

If he charged you 249 for a hub assy then you paid DOUBLE. I replaced both hub assy on Cjones' first Jeep and he paid $125 a piece for them. But Patrick I understand how you feel. But you should talk to Cjones about it. He sold his big green Sahara and bought a 350Z. Had that for about 9 months and now he is back with a TJ. There are alot of reasons why but he could have traded that car for anything he wanted and he went with a new TJ Sport that his wife drives. SO talk to him on that whole thing before you get rid of it. I, like everyone else, hate to see you go and before I could wheel with you even. Good luck in your decision, and if there is anything I can do for you just let me know buddy.

[Tomster]

[ QUOTE ]
the calipers and there hoses were 179, and the right Hub assembly was 249. the rest (bout 150 to 180, cant remember) is in labor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Patrick:

When you gave them that $249 for the hub assembly and then turned and walked away, did you feel something hit you in the ***? That would have been your change.

I paid $139.95 for mine at NAPA, and it came with a lifetime warranty. Dealership started out wanting about $300 or something like that. They came down as far as they could, but that still left them WAY above what I paid at NAPA.

This stuff is crazy, but the exact same part with the exact same part number is sold at different prices! If you ask for a hub assembly for a TJ, it will cost much more than the VERY SAME part (part number and all) for an XJ!!! That's the way it was for that hub assembly I got.

Tomster

[mullins87]

Well, seems I'm a little off on hub prices. I'm lucky, I haven't had to buy any yet. $125 to $140 still isn't bad. I was estimating prices based on my BIL's Dakota. Eventhough it's a 2wd, it still has a hub assembly up front similar to what's on our Jeeps. The only difference I could tell is that his didn't have the mounting tabs on the back and the hole where the axle stub(or in his case the spindle) went through was smooth, rather than having teeth to engage the axle stub.

Amazing what three little mounting tabs and teeth will cost you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

[BobA]

All I can tell you is what everyone else has.DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Find a tech school nearby and learn to do these repairs or If I'm around I'd be glad to help you.I don't know alot about jeeps but with tools and a manual I'm sure we could do it and save alot on labor charges.

[azjeeper]

Patrick lemmie tell ya i had a *****in old jeep that would go anywhere and do anything .All my buddies turned to muscle cars and i though well sounds like they are having more fun than i am .Turns out i was wrong .And talk about repair bills big blocks are much more to play with .
Fastforward a bit i find a 71 cammando and trade my 3 wheeler and a lil green and i am back into the jeep thing yet again .I enjoyed that ride for years .Then had 3 guys offer me cash for the comando at my yard sale , i kept telling these guys it was not for sale .The forth guy said how much i came up w/ a silly figure and he came back in 8 mins w/ the cash . JEEPLESS AGAIN .
Now i get my 05 unlimited rubi and i gotta tell ya I HAVE LEARNED and i will not go jeepless again .I use this to haul a trailer for my biz ,daily driver , recreational vehicle ,and general all around fun ride .I could have made a fast 5K on this jeep already , some guy looking for what i had offered me 5K over what i paid for it cuz no dealership around has one .I turned him down cold .
Sounds like you will regret your sale just like i did a couple of times prior .If you really need a daily highway drive save some cash , wait , and buy a cheap honda ,toyota , etc and keep your jeep . Just my view , and its yer life , but sounds like its not just a jeep its a lifestyle .
best wishes and good luck what ever you decide .

[Don]

Patrick, this Web site hasn't been right for a while at my end of the wires, so I am just seeing this thread for the first time. Everyone has to decide what is "right" for them. Whatever you decide, we will support you 110% !! However, since the Jeep TJ's are a fairly easy vehicle to work on, you may want to keep the TJ, invest in some tools and learn to do the repairs like brakes and hub assemblies yourself for a fraction of the cost of going to a shop.
I own 4 vehicles. The TJ is by far the easiest of my vehicles to work on because it doesn't have all that fancy crap that you find on other vehicles. You could save major $$ doing the work yourself. Example, that hub assembly is a one piece unit, there is no way to repair it, you simply pull the old one off, and replace it with a new one. The hub assembly is about $120.00, plus you may need help from a machine shop (extra $20.00). How much did shop charge ya?
Brake rotors are probably in the $30.00 range, you have to disconnect (unbolt) the calipers to get rotors off. Once the calipers are off, you might as well replace the disc brake pads as they are sitting right there (disc brake pads are $20.00, maybe less depending upon brand and kind). There are different "How to" books that will guide you though repairs, plus I am sure that there are people on this list that would be glad to help you out on a repair.
I am just tossing some ideas out here. Like I said, whatever you decide we will support you 110%. BTW, if you never come back to TB, even if you just visit with us, or you come to be a co-pilot in another Jeep, we will hunt you down like a dog /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[IndyXJ]

Patrick-I did the same repair recently and yes, it is costly. However, it probably would of happened, wheeled or not.
Playing Devil's advocate, I can see where you are coming from for sure, especially if that is your daily driver. Only you know what your $$ situation is and sometimes you have to pick practicality over emotion. Good luck!