u/merc4815162342

2001 XJ with a 2" lift. Would I be safe swapping to high pinion Dana 30 in the front, or am I going to be battling exhaust clearance issues constantly?

2001 XJ in Silverstone Metallic (PS5) paint. Due to previous owner accident damage it needed a new fender and header panel. I sourced good used ones from a junkyard 2000 60th anniversary XJ, but as you can see it doesn't quite match. Not the end of the world, but it annoys me. I tried getting OEM color match paint from Eastwood and tested on the old fender, it was an even worse match. Should I just live with it?

Lately it's been difficult to find a suitable replacement bearing if yours fails. The OMIX one seems to be poor quality and likely to fail. The best replacement out there was the NSK 665325, but it is discontinued and unobtanium now. Some people recommend the NSK 885586, but the shaft is too long and will have to be cut down. Turns out the John Deere JD9212 bearing race and shaft are the correct outer diameter to work. The shaft is 5mm longer than OEM, but the fan clutch still fits over it. John Deere has it for about $30 right now: https://shop.deere.com/us/product/JD9212%3A-Water-Pump-Shaft-Bearing/p/JD9212

Ok so shock bolts snapped, no big deal I knew that would happen. I'll just knock the welded nuts loose with an air hammer. But despite plenty of air hammering, and even trying a chisel with a 5lb sledge I cannot for the life of me knock those welded nuts loose inside the unibody. My next move I suppose is to try drilling them out, anyone have any other suggestions? Kind of lost on what to do next.