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Originally posted by Wagoneer Taylor
Originally posted by bluehwy
That's funny!!! 
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I have been traveling a lot and the son been driving it a lot so tasks have been lining up.
1) First on the docket, the tailgate window came out of the cross bar. That means it is a PITA to open/close the tailgate and I can hear the cross bar banging inside the tailgate when driving. I also saw a Dirt Everyday Extra where Fred Williams put his Wagoneer tailgate window down, then up, and I was in awe at how fast his window moved. Time for a motor rebuild. I gathered the spacers, lithium grease, and lift bar end knubs like Driftwood did in his awesome how-to:
Driftwood's Tailgate electrical/mechanical repair thread
It went exactly like his so I am only going to post my carnage pics. When I opened the gear box, it looked like someone went in and lubed it with some moly recently (not me).
Then I opened it up further and found this dumpster fire!
HAHAHAHA!!! Cleaned it all up with some alcohol and break-clean, lubed it up with lithium, and put it all back together. I also hit my electrical contacts with some emery cloth.
Moved on to the knubs at the end of the lift arms. Again, did it just like Driftwood. Here are mine:
I threw the lift mechanism back in the tailgate.
I also ordered some window adhesive since the brand new rubber gasket thing in the lift channel did not hold my glass in the lift channel. I ordered this stuff:
Amazon Beta Seal Glass Adhesive
That stuff is GNARLY. Using an old school hand caulking gun to push it into the channel SUCKED because it is so thick and you really have to squeeze hard. I let the window dry overnight and hope to install it today.
2) Next, installing lift springs I bought on Craigslist a few months ago. They are Rancho 44044 and are supposed to be 2.5" springs. First thing I did was pressure wash them and hit them with a quick wire wheel.Then I sprayed them with some high gloss black.
I let them dry for a few months (really was waiting on back ordered U-Bolts) then lubed them up. I did this by driving a chisel between the leafs, pulling out the anti-squeak pad, coating it in grease and sticking it back in.
Yes, I greased both sides. Threw them under my truck without much drama.
Before
After
Before
After
They netted me about 3.75" of lift. I am hoping the will setting a good inch over the next couple months. I need to have my front driveshaft lengthened now, too. My front shocks also now interfere with the shock tower. I will probably cut the shroud off the shock and put a rubber boot on instead. Pictures in the next post.
3) Next up: Son got pulled over for driving with passengers (in CA you can;t have passengers for the first year you drive when under the age of 18) and he was on a dirt road he should not have been. Luckily my registration was expired (face palm). Since I have had so much travel and COVID craziness, I have not smogged it yet. So that starts now. I paid the registration in April but it is not complete until I smog it. I am 2 weeks late. I am hoping if I walk in to court with the receipt showing I paid it and a successful smog check, he will write the registration ticket off.
To get through smog=exhaust manifolds back on, Duraspark back on, hide the 401 badge on the grill (my truck is supposed to have a 360), open element air cleaner instead of the dual snorkel, and stock 2.5" Y-pipe. That's alot more work than it sounds like. it's also going to cost me $75 cuz I had to buy an open element air cleaner and will need to order another set of Remflex header gaskets. This is will be the last time I need to smog it becuae next time, I will be living in Idaho!
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