Waggy broke my back!!!! Literally!!!

[banjoguy]

Spent all day Tuesday working on my 87 GW doing some much needed repairs. Finally fixed the tailgate latch so it can open and close for the first time since I've owned it in 9 months. Also changed spark plugs + plug wires, which was a major chore. It was the first time I've ever did a plug change on a AMC motor and I'd like to say the AMC engineers in the late 80's were High!!! That was tighter than a subaru!!!

But the problems came this morning when I woke up. I couldn't get out of bed. When I finally fell on the floor my hip felt like there was a lightning bolt shooting down through it into my knee and a hot knife stabbed into my lower back. Being a young 31 yrs old, I figured it would go away and I just slept funny, so I got ready for work. 3 hours into my shift I felt like I was going to die and told my dispatchers I was going home. Parked the truck and went straight to the doctor.
So thanks to fighting with AMC's fancy placement of the brake booster and heater core, I'm stuck on the couch for the next week all hopped up on Vicoden and muscle relaxers. Plus got a shot in the rear at the doc's office.
Pretty much sucks. I'm mad at my Jeep but I still love her.

Sean

[Gurinski]

Thats the jeep gods way of thanking you by giving u a week off and being able to get high legally. lol!

[jaber]

Its also your back telling you your getting old and you dont exercise enough...

Am there, feeling that.

[bigun]

It is easier to get those plugs out from the bottom rather than the top! Meh wait till you get older I feel that way every morning!

[will e]

It is easier to get those plugs out from the bottom rather than the top!

And you can nap a little while you are down there.
THere is an optimum 'lift' for this. I notice that no lift is a little tight getting under the truck. A SOA/SF make the reach a little too far. 4" spring lift is my recommendation for optimum spark plug changes.

Sorry about your pain... is your back actually broken?

[CutterN55]

That sucks. Get better and take it easy. I'm 27 and 8 years in the Corps of "working harder, not smarter" has taken it's toll. A few months back, I bent over to reach in the fridge and grab a beer after work and went down to my knees. My wife walked in the kitchen and found me laying on the floor and it even hurt to breath.

Also happened a while back on a road trip. I was coming off the highway pretty fast on a short off ramp and I hit the brakes slowing quickly and then I sneezed. I don't know how but I hurt myself and I was hugging the wheel pulling into the gas station and I could barely stand upright to pump gas.

maybe I should see a Chiropractor

[banjoguy]

@Gurinski, I never thought of it that way. lol

@jaber, I work out at the gym 4 days a week. I think my problem is that I've been workin 70hrs/week since June to save up for my 6" lift from BJ's.

@bigun, I did half the plugs from under and the other half from under the hood. Might be where I screwed my back.

@will e, hopefully I will have my lift kit before I have to change my plugs again. No, the back isn't broken but I either pinched a nerve or pulled a muscle. Taking vicodine and muscle relaxers until Saturday when I go see the doc again. He says that if the pain continues by Saturday then it's probably a pinched nerve and we'll do more tests from there.

@CutterN55, I hear ya about Harder, not Smarter. That's exactly how I work. Been burning the candle at both ends with my job and I think I finally reached the breakin point.

[jeeper54]

Wait until you're 56, Have 3 forms of arthritis, a bad back from a "in the line of duty-thank you now go away" injury and a worn out knee and work a 50-55 hr week with 2 grand kids and a wife with disabilities to help take care of at home. And I get depressed that I can't afford to nor find the time to fix my waggy.
Seriously though, Been there and I seriously advise you to take it easy and follow the doctors advice. Take care of yourself and take it easy.

[91G-Dub]

Take the advise of an "Old Guy" with a very bad back. Learn your limits, do what the Drs tell you to and 30 years from now you'll be just like me.

[Gambler68]

you can buy a special wobble spark plug socket wrench that can get on the back plug very easily. They aren't expensive.

Good luck on a speedy recovery..crank up the xbox and enjoy the rest and the vicodins

[710 Burner]

Take the advise of an "Old Guy" with a very bad back. Learn your limits, do what the Drs tell you to and 30 years from now you'll be just like me.

Good advise. As a not so old guy with a bad back, I can tell you that working out in the gym is not enough. You need to be doing specific exercises that keep you limber and do lots of stretching. If the doctor gives you exercises to do, do them, no matter how silly they seem. They are designed to do just what I said. I have finally reached a point where I don't wake up every day in pain....just every other day, but I can still put my palms on the floor without bending my knees and kick someone in the head (if required, and they are not taller than me).

[newtojeeps]

stretching exorcizes keeps the back pain away for me most of the time. I'm almost 60 I walk,lift and stretch as often as possible. I haven't been to a doctor in about 12 years. I stopped when they ask you for money then treat.

[mud89]

Sorry for you
Try to Keep your back straight when you work on the jeep, and to be helped for the heavy loads : i put off the cast heads of a 304 from the engine bay without help lately and my back didn't like it

[Billygoat]

Sorry guys but I put a 360 in a CJ, and I have to tell you the plugs in a FSJ are a breeze to change, I would put #8 at a mild anoyence. I also changed a 4.3 on my buddy's blazer, now that is a TIGHT engine bay!

Sorry about your back, take it easy, work it back in slow, I hurt my shoveling snow 10 years ago and it will still twinge now and then...

[Josh D]

Since everyone else has thrown in their advice, I'll throw in mine.

Since you're already a gym rat, dedicate some of that time to core/abs exercises. Once you get the front and sides strong, it takes some of the load off the back. There are a lot of good exercises using the inflatable balls and bosu.

I do an abs/core blaster class once a week for the last year and a half and I don't have near the amount of back pain/issues I used to have.