Re: What did you do to your Grand today?
 

Yes its true most modern cars can be a pain in the bum to work on but the Grand Cherokee goes above and beyond that. Ive been turning spanners for over 25 years and most of the cars I work on have been built in the last 10 years, yet I've never had to remove the grill or radiator support to pull the damn radiator out. What really annoys me though is having to repair the timing chain tensioner on this thing after only 130000kms.:(

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Unfortunately that timing chain guide failure is an indication of lack of servicing, seen it many times before.

As for removing grille and radiator top panel, thats not just a Jeep thing, but its 6 clips and 4 bolts. Try pulling down the front end of a berlingo van......

Hi Timbotrog, do you mind telling how much the shaft was all up incl shipping? Cheers.

I haven't been around that long and most of the vehicles that I've worked on are newer ones and out of them all, my WJ and XJ have been the best to work on. I help my mates wrench on their 4wd's or work on my wife's car and they usually just annoy me with stupid little things that the manufacturer has done. Love the simplicity of the Jeeps (maybe not so much post in WJ models but IDK). Sometimes when I'm struggling with something and I end up googling it and find out that someone has done a write up of it and its actually a really simple job or there's some logic to getting it done that I wasn't smart enough to think of first!

However in saying all that, the only thing that I did find annoying when working on my WJ is removing the radiator! I've done it a couple of times now and can get it in and out in about an hour, but the first time took muuuch longer lol.

For me I love the styling of the WJ, I love the compact size (not a big 4wd), I love the 4.7v8 under the bonnet, and I love the massive radiator and massive cooling fans that comes in them stock. So I figure when you put all that together Jeep did quite well to package it all in and that personally makes me feel better about the rad removal process.

I bought it for all the above reasons, but if there is one thing I hate doing, it's working on my own cars in my time off. I finished stripping down the front of the engine, and have written a list of parts I require and emailed my local stealership for price and availibilty. I'm a bit OCD when I repair, so I'm going to replace all the chains, guides, tensioners etc so I never have to do it again (hopefully). I've found a few places on ebay in the states that can supply me with the parts I need in a kit, but can anyone recommend somebody in Aus (preferably Sydney) that can supply me the same kits at a reasonable price?? I want to get this thing going again asap. I don't need the car, but I just don't like it sitting in my driveway in a thousand pieces.

Get the correct freight
 

It was $363 for the double/single cardan shaft, (double on the t/case and single on the diff), that's with the sealed spicer unis that cost $25 extra and I paid about $176 for express shipping, 3-5 days to Melbourne. That includes yokes, pinion seal, crush sleeve and grease tool for the double cardan. It was about 1.5hrs labour at Poly 4X4 to do the install.

Someone goofed and sent it Priority international freight instead which is 6-10days and about $36 cheaper.

I spoke to the people at Carolina and they were terribly sorry for the goof and are refunding me the difference in freight.

Considering I got quoted $580+ GST to rebuild one end of my rezeppa shaft, and alternatively it was going to cost about $200 for both CV joints freighted to me, but knowing they would fail again I decided to do it properly.

Try changing a spark plug on a Smart car. Supposedly you have to remove the rear bumper.