Jeep Tech: Jeep Repairs in 2017

I had managed to add a lot of miles onto the VagabondExpedition Jeep over the past few months and I knew it would only be a matter of time where the Jeep would need some repairs sooner than later.

Here’s a run down of a few of the things that needed done, and that we had done to prevent minor things from getting worse.

Driving down the highway, loaded with weight and at speed I was noticing the Jeep doing a “tail wagging the dog” type effect, not-unlike fishtailing.  I kind of assumed it was because of the weight I was carrying and simply adjusted accordingly.  At slower speeds, I was having a fairly loud “knocking” noise when going over bumps like curb cut outs, manholes, etc.  I’ve had a similar problem when my front sway bar links became loose and all they needed was tightened up.  Well, this time around, the problem was still a loose sway bar link – but it wasn’t as easy as wrenching it tighter.  The mounting hole had ‘ovaled’ out and I had to have a shop weld in a piece of steel and drill in a new hole.  Noise solved and even the swaying down the road was solved.  I was quite surprised that such a small elongation of the mount was creating such big problems with handling.

I know what a brake squealer sounds like, but this time around it was changing with the Jeep bouncing on ruts and holes in the road. Even small bumps and curb cuts were triggering this noise.   I stopped into an actual Jeep dealer for a “brake inspection”.  The checkup was passed with “flying colors” and I was told it’s likely just a small stone lodged and it’d work its way out in a day or two.  Not satisfied, I went to another shop.  An independently owned and operator run shop.  The brake inspection there was a bit more thorough, and although the rear pads had lots of wear left, the right rear pretty much ‘fell apart’ as we pulled the caliper off the disc.   New rear brakes (and rotors) and problem solved.  I got my $50 back from the actual dealership.  Hopefully they reprimanded the mechanic that said my brakes were fine, even though they weren’t.  Turns out they were ‘saving money’ (ie making a higher profit) if they just look at the brake pads through the wheels instead of actually taking this off to look properly.

While at the ‘good mechanic’ above, I had him have a closer look over the Jeep to be certain things were running good.  I had a squeak that I was attributing to ‘normal squeaks’ in the Jeep and we discovered some front end components that needed replaced due to worn out bushings.  A new drag link and track bar were installed.  At this same time, I opted for longer rear sway bar links just to make my existing heavy-duty sway bar more effective.

Any significant work done on your Jeep –  or other vehicle should be tested out before any big adventure.  So, we head off to “Triangle Beach” (Richmond BC) to do a few minor hills and bumps before the next big trip.