Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

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Maddening
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

Hi Guys, long time lurker, first time poster. I have a '77 J10, Built 360, TH400, Quadratrac, 92k original miles. Mostly restored, frame off, only paint job not professionally done, poor Maaco style job. I wanted a nice classic I could drive in winter if I wanted since I also have a '47 Chevy Sport Coupe, '71 El Camino, and '84 Grand National none of which really useable 7 months out of the year here in Alaska!

I have had it since June, about 175 miles driven so far, really just all miles considered shakedown drives still... In that few of miles it has left me stranded once at 1 am (a breaker where fusible link would be made that an easy fix), and then now at night it has left me driving to work with flickering headlights/dashlight/taillights (headlight switch I assume, which is on the way). I expect the guy who restored it before me did not drive it too much in recent years before I bought it. Anyway, long time reading these forums, well before I bought this J10 I was doing the research.
AK_J10_1.jpg
AK_J10_2.jpg
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1977 J10 - It's BLUE.
2017 JK Rubicon - It's GREEN

will e
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by will e »

That looks good! Welcome to the board. Thanks for joining!
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jsinajeep
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by jsinajeep »

That is a nice looking J truck.
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Chubbinius
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Chubbinius »

That blue pops on there with the chrome; a very nice truck!
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
-Custom Special
-Dauntless 350 V8
-D27 front/D44 rear
2006 XK (65th Ann Edition)-DD
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fulsizjeep
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by fulsizjeep »

Welcome to the madness. The floor mounted dimmer switch is also a common cause for flickering lights. Check the grounds to while you are at it.
Flint Boardman
88 GW, 401/727/208, 5" lift, D44s/4.10s/locked up, 35s
https://jubileejeeps.org/quadratrac
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Topic author
Maddening
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

fulsizjeep wrote:Welcome to the madness. The floor mounted dimmer switch is also a common cause for flickering lights. Check the grounds to while you are at it.
Thanks, I also ordered the dimmer and dimmer pigtail when I bought the HL switch. Never can have too many new parts! :-bd
1977 J10 - It's BLUE.
2017 JK Rubicon - It's GREEN

KJ Ryu
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by KJ Ryu »

I was going to suggest the dimmer switch, as well. Had to replace it in both of my J10s.
Ron

2005 KJ, Hit-n-Run, 2am 6-17-2012, Totaled. :mad:
1977 SJ J10, 4v360, T18, D20, 37x14s, SOA & SF on tons, still ugly.
1978 SJ Wagoneer, 4v360, QT, 33x12.5s, lift by Sawzall :-bd NOT Running :(
1977 SJ J10, SniperEFI 401, QT, D44s, 31X10.5s :fsj:
2006 KJ
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Maddening
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

Ran a little test last night, started up the truck and turned on the lights then just waited, after about ten mins it seemed like something heated and the random flckering on and off started, all exterior lights and instrument panel, even the dome light which I had turned on with the HL switch... Today I went a little nuts at the auto parts store, so I now have new LED lights in every exterior bulb possible, the Grote LED HL seem really nice BTW, I hope anyway. It took the amperage draw on that circuit down from around 14A to 5A when all lights are on. I also changed the headlight switch and the dimmer switch at the same time I put in all the LED. Well, I started her up and went for a night drive, no better way to test than in the field... :lol: One hour and not a single flicker on/off. Crossing my fingers I wiped this one out. Not the best pics, but all the lights are now insanely bright, hopefully I have the headlights adjusted about right now, spent some time working on that on a dark street, don't want to be flashed. I also put all my new lenses on everything, that helped a bit, the old were all hazed and cracked. Oh, and new big mirrors too, think they came off a '96 or so Dodge, I forget, much better than the old ones, those things shook like mad on the highway.
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1977 J10 - It's BLUE.
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Chubbinius
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Chubbinius »

That really looks nice! I had the same issue happen 2 weeks ago on my 1970 Wagoneer. I replaced the headlight switch in under 5 minutes and it was good to go.
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
-Custom Special
-Dauntless 350 V8
-D27 front/D44 rear
2006 XK (65th Ann Edition)-DD
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Maddening
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

Seems to have done the trick in my case too. I work nights, so have driven it a few hours worth of night time now with no issues. It was embarassing driving down the street and the people oncoming think you are flashing them, lol! It has to have been the HL switch, or maybe dimmer, I did both same time, the switch I replaced looked new, but that doesn't mean it was good, and the dimmer wasn't corroded or anything either, but you could tell it was old.
1977 J10 - It's BLUE.
2017 JK Rubicon - It's GREEN
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Maddening
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

Bored at work on a Saturday when I'd rather be out wheelin' my JK... no reason not to get in some extreme off-camber! :lol:

It kinda looks like the logo actually!
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1977 J10 - It's BLUE.
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Chubbinius
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Chubbinius »

Nice! Headlights look crisp and clear too. My worry before replacing the switch was that a police officer was going to ticket me for mine flashing, haha.
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
-Custom Special
-Dauntless 350 V8
-D27 front/D44 rear
2006 XK (65th Ann Edition)-DD
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Maddening
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

Me too, once it started doing it I didn't drive it at night, but the first night I had not much choice, I got lucky that the only cop I passed that night the lights miraculously stayed on constant for 45 seconds just long enough to get by as he turned the other way... haha!
1977 J10 - It's BLUE.
2017 JK Rubicon - It's GREEN
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Chubbinius
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Chubbinius »

Maddening wrote:... just long enough to get by as he turned the other way... haha!
Nice! :D
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
-Custom Special
-Dauntless 350 V8
-D27 front/D44 rear
2006 XK (65th Ann Edition)-DD
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Chubbinius
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Chubbinius »

Hoping you are alright after the quake.
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
-Custom Special
-Dauntless 350 V8
-D27 front/D44 rear
2006 XK (65th Ann Edition)-DD
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Topic author
Maddening
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Maddening »

Thanks! Yup, everything is A-OK! I had been moving house so luckily most everything of mine was in boxes! My parents lost a few little sculpture things but not much else either. I was scheduled to be at work that day at 12:30 pm, but at 8:30 am it hit. That was the most amazing alarm clock ever, only about 4 hours sleep since I got home at about 3 am, but I was UP! :o I got the day off, (and lost a days pay) :( because the highway collapsed and was closed. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2018/12 ... -congress/

My little cabin did OK, and my J10 didn't even flinch.
45631596_1807693506026469_1060653499575959552_n.jpg
Next t the Knik River, nothing to do with the quake, just liked the shot. :D
J10_Knik.jpg
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Fast79Chief
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Fast79Chief »

Nice J truck!!
1979 Cherokee Chief S, V8, MSD Pro Billet Distributor with New Factory Ignition Box (are these 2 even supposed to work together?), HEI Wires, Edelbrock 1406, Edelbrock Performer manifold, 3.54 gears, Tru-Trac Locker in the rear, Turbo 400, New Quadratrac, Dual gas tanks, new 32 x 11.50's, Big 9000 winch, Homemade 2.5" full length exhaust, Custom Headlight Harness, Custom front bumper working, Custom Rear Swing-out Bumper, Class V receiver hitch ... and a lot of work to do yet. :)
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Chubbinius
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Chubbinius »

Glad to hear that you were unscathed, Maddening. That Blue J truck looks great in front of the red cabin and the white snow. Hopefully most folks were as lucky as you with the center being a bit outside of Anchorage.
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
-Custom Special
-Dauntless 350 V8
-D27 front/D44 rear
2006 XK (65th Ann Edition)-DD
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Stuka
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Stuka »

Really like the color!

Glad you were ok in the quake. The damage done to some of the roads there rivals what we have had here in California.
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Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ
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Renodemona
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Re: Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster in Alaska

Post by Renodemona »

Welcome, late to the party, and glad you are OK from the quake. Also glad to see the "Last Frontier" plate style. The other one with white and silver and blue is really ugly to me.
"Wait, what's on fire!?" KJ7TCT
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1976 Cherokee w/t 'Susan' 401/TH400/QT(PT)
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