About half way through my day at Rausch Creek on the 7th, I developed a sever clunking noise combined with major thumping. The YJ has been in the shope since Monday, and they can find nothing new that needs fixed. In their opinion, the lift kit that was put on last April puts to much of a strain on my drive shaft. So I bit the bullet and ordered a SYE kit and custom Tom Woods CV drive shaft from Truck Stuff N More.

The garage is putting my Wrangler back together so that I can take it to Skid Row on Monday to have my new rocker panel guards with side rails installed. Then it will be back to the garage to have the SYE installed. They then have to measure the necessary drvie shaft angle and length to give to Tom Woods to build the new shaft. They might also be installing some pinion shims.

So . . . it looks like my Grandson, Grant, will not be able to "Ride Jeep" till the end of the month. We'll both have a bad case of Jeep withdrawl.

Darn, is Eric at Skid Row good or what? I took the YJ up to Skid Row's new location today to have my rocker panel guards put on and hoped to have it back to Mike Washington tomorrow to fix the vibration/drive shaft problems. I just got a call from Eric telling me that my transfer case skid plate is so dented up that it's got the transfer case itself pushed up an inch or two higher than it normally would be. This is causing the sever drive shaft angle. Eric also said that the thumping I'm getting is the drive shaft actually hitting the floorboards. If I had taken the Jeep back to have the SYE kit and CV shaft installed before fixing the transfer case, I'd have a custom built CV shaft that wouldn't solve the problem and wouldn't fit after the problem was solved.

If Skid Row were located closer to Middletown, I wouldn't take my Jeep anywhere else for anything!

great news Ed!! Mine is a little dented also... I still have not figured out how it happened.

Everything is not as easy as it seems. Eric mounted the first rocker panel and when he went to lower the body back onto the frame, the rear end wouldn't go down. Seems my gas tank and skid are so dented up (which I've known for a long time) that it pushes up on the body.

Since it will be necessary to drop the skid and gas tank to re-shape them, I figured I'd bite the bullet and get a heavy duty gas tank skid and have Eric make the modifications to change my 14 gallon capacity tank to the full 20 gallon capacity that it was made for.

Trouble is that Eric doesn't make a gas tank skid for a YJ. Kilby does, but delivery time from California is 5 days (free shipping, however). AtoZ makes one comparable to Kilby and at a comparable price. He may even give a discount to RC patrons. However, he was closed when I found out I needed one and I won't know till tomorrow morning if he has one in stock. If he does, I'll drive over and get it.

Several other issues were discovered by Eric: When the lift kit was installed last April, the U-bolts for the springs were way too long. I cut then off, but was told to leave at least one inch protruding. I left about 3/4 inch. Eric said that was still way too long; one of my front U- bolts is nearly sheared off from rock damage. Another potential problem involving the gas tank is that there is some bolt (don't ask me to say which one) that is too long and is protruding into the gas tank. No damage yet, but there could be if left go.

Needless to say, the $250 social security stimulus check that the saviour, i mean president, will be sending me will only cover the tip of the iceberg.

I might be able to wheel sooner than expected, but I'll be afraid to because of breaking something else.

My poor wife is so frustrated at me and my Jeep expenses that she didn't even yell at me this time; she just talked to me with a defeatist attitude. She didn't even ask me her usual question: "When will it end?" I've got to take her on a great vacation soon and be sure that I don't mention that four letter word, J**p, the whole time.