Double Dingo's 1991 Jeep Cherokee

[SirRobyn0]

@DoubleDingo @squaredeal91 I think there are a couple things going against sealed beams. First of all I like them for there simplicity. I see people with modern vehicles sometimes spend more than $500 to get new housings because the plastic is cracked, or the lenses are yellowed, or there is moisture in the housing.

For me the sealed beams were fine on the county roads with little traffic, but with a lot of oncoming traffic especially at speed the lights of modern vehicles are so much brighter they just totally overwhelmed the sealed beams. Add rain in and it's unsafe. The one caveat I'll add is I'm getting older and my nightvision is slipping some, glare in the rain is hard for me.

Blue does suck. In most states anything with a color temperature past a certain point is illegal, needless to say that would be anything past clear white, so blue would be against the law. The reason is blue headlight are blinding to other drivers, not to mention that here at least the only vehicles allow to have blue lights of any kind are police. But around here the police no longer seem to be interested in ticketing for blue headlight or noise violations aka loud exhaust.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

@DoubleDingo @squaredeal91 I think there are a couple things going against sealed beams. First of all I like them for there simplicity. I see people with modern vehicles sometimes spend more than $500 to get new housings because the plastic is cracked, or the lenses are yellowed, or there is moisture in the housing.

For me the sealed beams were fine on the county roads with little traffic, but with a lot of oncoming traffic especially at speed the lights of modern vehicles are so much brighter they just totally overwhelmed the sealed beams. Add rain in and it's unsafe. The one caveat I'll add is I'm getting older and my nightvision is slipping some, glare in the rain is hard for me.

Blue does suck. In most states anything with a color temperature past a certain point is illegal, needless to say that would be anything past clear white, so blue would be against the law. The reason is blue headlight are blinding to other drivers, not to mention that here at least the only vehicles allow to have blue lights of any kind are police. But around here the police no longer seem to be interested in ticketing for blue headlight or noise violations aka loud exhaust.

I don't think that's just there... there's hardly anything resembling a "traffic/vehicle having illegal equipment" stop in the greater Houston, Texas area anymore. Especially when so many traffic stops end up being pursuits, cause idiots wanna get on the news. Recently we had a smart guy in a late model charger, going 100+ in residential areas and on the Gulf Freeway during rush hour, driving on the shoulder. He tagged a later model Chevy CCLB, and spun him around a couple times besides tearing the side off it.

 

[SirRobyn0]

I don't think that's just there... there's hardly anything resembling a "traffic/vehicle having illegal equipment" stop in the greater Houston, Texas area anymore. Especially when so many traffic stops end up being pursuits, cause idiots wanna get on the news. Recently we had a smart guy in a late model charger, going 100+ in residential areas and on the Gulf Freeway during rush hour, driving on the shoulder. He tagged a later model Chevy CCLB, and spun him around a couple times besides tearing the side off it.

Unfortunately I'm quite sure your right. I just had a discussion with a couple of the guys at the shop and we have noticed more and more vehicles with expired tabs, one guy has noticed his room mate who never wears his seat belt has stopped getting tickets for that the last few years, and I've noticed all the hot spots for speed traps that use to be along the route to the farm, I haven't see a cop speed trapping along that road in number of years.

Sorry about the off topic derailment @DoubleDingo

 

[DoubleDingo]

Ordered some Old Man Emu shocks today so I can have a matched suspension system again. The OME shocks work extremely well with the OME springs. They used to be $84 each. Now they're $127...OUCH! It'll ride a lot better with the OME shocks than it will with the Ranchos I put on a year or two back.

 

[bucket]

Dang. Didn't Old Man Emu used to be one of the budget brands for Jeep stuff?

 

[DoubleDingo]

Dang. Didn't Old Man Emu used to be one of the budget brands for Jeep stuff?

If it was, it was before I bought my kit in 2003-2004. Back then springs and shocks plus shipping was around $900, and the leaf packs didn't come with bushings, had to source those locally. For years the shocks held steady at $84 each. The dempanic plandemic, along with everything else, also raised the prices of the OME shocks. They have been at $127 for at least two-three years now, which is why I went with Rancho. The OME shocks I replaced with the ranchos were easily 18 years old and had close to 110k on them. They weren't bad, but the new ranchos were better, yet the ranchos still aren't as good as OME shocks.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Installed the OME shocks on Saturday, man I forgot how surefooted and agile the Jeep is with this suspension. Such an improvement over the Ranchos. Amazing how quality shocks can make a vehicle ride so smooth, and corner so well, especially if said shocks are designed vehicle-specific and also to match the suspension system. I won't be cheaping out again when these shocks need to be replaced. Old Man Emu all the way, and for the win!...lol...

 

[squaredeal91]

So... where's the photos?
I've never even seen your XJ

 

[DoubleDingo]

So... where's the photos?

Didn't take any, but I can always crawl under there and snap a couple

 

[DoubleDingo]

Next on my to-do for the Jeep is the steering gear. I bought a new Lares unit. I was planning to do it over the weekend, and I was certain I had bought a pitman arm puller years ago, but the only thing I could find was the tie-rod end separator, and ball joint pickle fork. So, on Monday, I went to the parts store to pick up the rear wiper blade I left there on Saturday, and picked up a Lisle Pitman Arm puller. It's a good thing my '56, and well, every old vehicle I drove in high school and beyond, had sloppy steering, because it's second nature to drive a vehicle like that. It'll be nice to have a tighter steering gear, though. I do not like driving on twisty mountain roads with sloppy steering anymore.

 

[squaredeal91]

Have you thought about bracing your box while you're there? A few years ago I helped a friend on his jeep. We used an exhaust clamp and some steel. I'm sure there's lots of information on it by now.

 

[DoubleDingo]

.....I've never even seen your XJ

I haven't taken any new photos of it, but there are a lot in the first posts. If conditions are good, can take some photos of it in its element this weekend.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Have you thought about bracing your box while you're there? A few years ago I helped a friend on his jeep. We used an exhaust clamp and some steel. I'm sure there's lots of information on it by now.

I did consider it, but I think it's okay. I may regret not doing it, but if it does need it down the road, I can buy the brace if they're still available. I don't run big tires or tall lift, I kept it at 2" higher than stock, swapped the gears to 3.73 from the 3.55 so I could run the same rpms down the road at highway speeds. At one point I bought new rims for it, Outlaw II's if I remember correctly, but I didn't like the offset/backspacing, so I had the new tires remounted on the stock rims. I didn't want the tires sticking out, and I didn't see any options to get different offset/backspacing when I ordered them. It's not a glamorous rig, but it sure has been a good one.

 

[Turbo4whl]

So... where's the photos?
I've never even seen your XJ

Didn't take any, but I can always crawl under there and snap a couple

I haven't taken any new photos of it, but there are a lot in the first posts. If conditions are good, can take some photos of it in its element this weekend.

Here is DD's:

You must be registered for see images attach

I bought one of these in 1986 for the Cinchouse. Her's was blue w/the engine from he!!.

 

[squaredeal91]

Here is DD's:

You must be registered for see images attach

I bought one of these in 1986 for the Cinchouse. Her's was blue w/the engine from he!!.

2.8 lol