The subject of my blog has by and large been about my dad’s IROC lately. It hasn’t been my intention, rather it’s been my saving grace in this dumpster fire of a world we are living in right now.
Due to that however, my Jeep got jealous. While driving to meet a friend who sells Amish vegetables I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting some deer. The brakes said that they were done, and starting then I had to pump the brakes and felt a constant but light grinding in the pedal.
The paint on my door hinges is bubbling up and peeling off, due to corrosion. I still don’t understand why FCA did this but the hinges are aluminum. They are placed directly on the steel body before it is painted. Overtime, they corrode.
I’ve also reached 100,000 miles. On this vehicle it essentially means it just needs a tune up. But what does that require? You must remove the upper portion of the intake manifold, called the plenum, to gain access to the left bank of spark plugs.
So, I’ve got a checklist of mechanical and appearance maintenance projects that I really need to do. This vehicle is my daily driver, I depend on it. It has been dependable to me, especially compared to the blue Jeep I had previously.
Over the weekend, I replaced the front brake pads and rotors. I don’t skimp on brake parts, as they are one of the primary safety features on a vehicle. I’ve been doing brakes on vehicles since I was just a kid. That said, this insanely hot and humid weather has been keeping me a prisoner inside. So I performed the task in my garage.
The Bosch QuietCast rotors are the best rotors I’ve ever found. They are sprayed with a coating that inhibits the typical rust that happens on rotors. They come with the longest warranty I think I’ve seen for a rotor.
The Wagner OEx brake pads are quite literally the best brake pads I’ve ever used on a vehicle before. I installed these on my last Jeep. They are ceramic and have a lifetime warranty. Need new brakes? You don’t have to buy another set of pads with these. How great is that?
The removal and installation went as expected, with no major hiccups. My suspicions were confirmed however. The pistons on the front brake calipers were extended about as far as they could. The passengers side caliper gave me some troubles compressing, due to how far the piston had extended.
Once I had cooled off I decided to “bed in” the brakes. I noticed an issue however. The pedal was still going to the floor. This meant the master cylinder was bad, as it’s job is to build up pressure in the system.
Here’s where the plot twist happens though, on my drive to work (my home) today, it did not act that way at all. It acted normal, with allowable pedal movement. I’ve already ordered a replacement master cylinder through RockAuto.com. I’m going to keep a close eye on it, and possibly return this part.
So, one thing off the list – many more to go. Here is the list, in no particular order:
- Replace Spark Plugs
- Oil Change
- Change Front & Rear Differential Fluid
- Paint Repair on 3 Door Hinges
- Rear Brake Replacement
- Summer Deep Clean and Detail
Funny how cars get jealous. I first encountered this strange phenomenon when I bought my second Corvette, a brand new one, in 2003. Not one month after bringing that one home and putting it in the garage, the engine in my 1989 Corvette, which I’d driven trouble free all over the country for the past ten years, blew up. There was some kind of mischievous magical hand involved; a tiny little set screw that held an aftermarket air intake in place, worked its way loose and down into one of the cylinders. My first Corvette never forgave me. A month after I got her a new engine block, which never ran right, the transmission went out. The engine builder blamed the transmission builder and the transmission builder blamed the engine builder. So I had to sell my “Cloud Nine”, an extremely rare 1989 Corvette, for lunch money. So I get it, my friend.