Carrying out a major job on my 1998 Jeep Cherokee myself at home

There are many areas where I am very stuck, so I have been wondering whether to take on this job.

BHPian Jeroen I recently shared this with another enthusiast.

This morning I left home at 7:15 to drive to Cor de Jong, a friendly W123 expert.

The first thing I did was check what the CO was. Bear in mind I don’t have a CO analyzer and only tuned the carb by ear and idle RPM. It was running at 3.6% which isn’t bad all things considered !

But Coe messed around a bit more and we brought it down further. Below 2.5% the idle is a little harsh and the engine starts showing a very slight shudder again on acceleration.

This is a slightly cumbersome process. Adjust the CO by twisting the stop valve assembly, it takes 20-30 seconds for the CO to stabilize. So, when I was satisfied, I took a test drive. This usually leads to a further decrease in CO%. It’s fine for now. I think I’ll run a few hundred kilometers and try to adjust it again. I know enough garages with CO analyzers to make the adjustments myself now.

Next, I headed to Schaik to have the Jeep rims delivered to where they were sandblasted and powdercoated. I chose a very beautiful silver. Unfortunately I couldn’t powder coat the middle part of the rim as this is plastic.The problem with plastic is that it melts at high temperatures during curing. I’ve heard of another powder coating process that also works with plastics.

They take place on Saturday morning. I will pick you up and drive you home via Breda. Go to your usual auto paint store and make a similar can of spray paint. You’ll need to clean and prep these four centerpieces in the next few days.

When I got home, I decided to get in my Jeep Cherokee and do some big work. At his last MOT, it was noted that there was play in his universal his joint on the front drive shaft. Also, there was play in the steering knuckle ball joint. Its not enough to fail his MOT but it’s been almost a year and added almost 6000 KM to the watch!

I’ve been debating whether or not I should take on this job myself. The problem is that although it is a very simple task, various parts can get very, very bogged down.

Finally, I decided to try and see how far I could go! So let’s go.

This is what it looks like when assembled

First, remove the brake caliper. That is, unscrew her two bolts in the back and pry it off the disc.

Put the complete brake assembly, calipers and pads behind the springs and fully support them as you don’t want them hanging on the brake lines/hoses.

There are two ways to remove the driveshaft. The entire hub and bearing assembly is freed by removing the large nut on the axle or by removing the three bolts.

I chose the latter because I didn’t have a suitable socket for that large axle nut.

The three bolts are secured with similar bolts and also require special sockets. Luckily I have all the small sizes!

I soaked everything in penetrating oil. Still, everything stuck perfectly. I had to use an extender ratchet to remove these bolts. First, I hammered the correct socket into the bolt. Next I placed the trolley her jack supporting the socket extender and ratchet. I had to jump up and down to release it. Also repeat hammer for complete assembly.

Successfully overcome the first hurdle!

This is a complete drive shaft including bearing assembly. It was quite difficult to get out. After removing the three bolts, I left only a few mm of clearance. I then started moving the bolt with a very heavy hammer, pushing the bearing assembly out of the steering knuckle.

Let’s play with universal joints!! Therefore, replacement is required. Also, the wheel bearings don’t feel all that great. When you find it, compare it to the one on the right and decide what to do with it.

Next you have to remove the steering knuckle.

The two ball joints securing the steering knuckles have so-called castle nuts and are secured with cotter pins. It takes about 2 hours to remove 2 cotter pins!! I also used a special air hammer. Worked a treat!

The official procedure also requires the steering ball studs to be put back on. However, there is enough room/play to move the entire steering knuckle that remains attached to the steering bar, so I left it.

Then comes the really fun part. Push out the ball joint! I purchased a dedicated tool for W123. Replaced his one of the ball studs a few years ago.

This is a universal set. In other words, it’s not a perfect fit. So I had to make do with some sockets here too.

The ball stud on the top is pushed in from above! So you have to push it upwards. I had to play around with a few accessories and sockets to get the right setup for pushing it out.

Once you have all the different pipes, adapters, sockets and C-clamps, it’s time to start winding the main spindle. It is very hard work. Keep tightening until it doesn’t move anymore. Then start tapping around the steering knuckle stud. Moving it by about 1mm gives a very audible POP. Tighten the clamps and bang more for more POPs and more.

I was able to pull the top off without too much effort. Then the one below, same procedure, slightly different setup using C-clamps and bits.

It also came out relatively easy, but used a lot of power and a lot of slapping. If that’s not enough, consider attaching a large torch to the steering he knuckle. See if that helps.

Both ball studs have been removed. Very satisfied with myself!

here you are The bottom is completely gone! ! It will be replaced immediately.

aftermath:

It took me about 4-5 hours to put all of this back together. I hope it continues along similar lines. Once you have everything, make a list of the parts you need.

See BHPian’s comment for more insight and information.