Adding the JKS 1.25" BL (and the MML if you want - it's pretty easy), is a great way to fit 33's. In fact, that is what I did.
I did not flat fender it and I still have plenty of room for flexing (4.25" BS on the wheels) my 33x12.5" tires.
If you want to even it out, you can add some spacers to the top of your springs and they'll hold them in place easily. I had to do this to compensate for my Warn winch and Jeeperman bumper in front.
With the BL and OME lift, I am sitting at 4.5" of lift.
Your setup sounds really nice. Would love to see pics of your rig!
If you want to go to 35's, a bit more will be involved. Namely, a bigger lift, which has more implications on your driveline, steering geometry, etc. Adjustable trackbars that work for shorter lifts like ours won't work for those larger lifts, so those would have to be replaced. You'd probably need to do a slip yoke eliminator (even on the longer Unlimited) and put on adjustable control arms to correct pinion angles to eliminate the driveline vibes. You could POSSIBLY need a drop pitman arm to keep steering geometry lined up (or replace the steering entirely with an aftermarket one). So it CAN get pricey if you want to do it right.
I find with the 33's and my lift, I can do all the challenges I want. I just have to deal with high-centering on occasion. I would LIKE to address that with a bellyup, like this one from 33 Engineering. This would require adjustable control arms and the SYE/DS as well, so I've really held off on doing it.
I have not fooled with the Mopar cruise control kit, bit I have done two kits on Fords. Each took about 3-4 hours and they worked great. As long as the instructions are clear, you should have no problem. Good luck and happy cruising.
Those are great pics...and it looks like you're getting some good flex from your suspension. Do you have your rear swaybar disconnected or removed? I've seen a lot of articles in which removing the rear swaybar is suggested because the front is primarily responsible for ride quality and roll rate in most situations. Is there really a big difference? It seems like removing it or disconnecting it would be the way to go. Anyone have any experiences with this one?
Thanks for the feedback and info. Looking at your rig makes me wonder...given the choice between easily fitting 33's and barely fitting 35's under the same lift, which setup will give you the more capable Jeep? The 35's will give you a little more clearance, but less uptravel and will probably be less "flexy" overall. Everything else being equal, is the suspension with more room to move going to be more capable than the suspension with the bigger tires? Or is less flex worth it to fit the big tires?
My vote is on the smaller tires and bigger flex. I guess this all depends on where you're taking your Jeep. I think that 33" is a great size to put on a 2.5 lift to ensure that you've got (in orthopedic terms) full range of motion. Use it or lose it right? Well if you're not using your nice suspension for articulation, then you should just installed a body lift...
Rear swaybar is ALWAYS connected. If you don't have it connected, you risk increased chances of flops when offcamber as your body leans a LOT more in turns and when offcamber, like I am in some of those shots.
Try driving w/o your front sway bar connected and take a turn at your normal speed. You'll see what I mean. Then magnify THAT feeling about 4x for no rear sway bar.
I'd stick with the 33's. 35's only will give you 1" more of clearance, and to me, I can fix that 1" of clearance simply by shifting my line as I go over stuff.
Plus with 35's, you have to consider your gearing in your differentials. So with the same diff ratios, your 35-equipped TJ is gonna feel slower and less powerful. So going to 35's involves more than just the lift.
If you want to increase clearance, get a belly up, as I mentioned before. The t-case will generally be your sticking point when going over obstacles as your line and how you place your tires/wheels will effectively get your axle over it.
Below is an obstacle I got hung up on. A guy came behind me with the same size tires, but had a belly up. He cruised right over it. I think he had a slightly different line too.
I definitely get a LOT of roll out of the front if I forget to re-connect the swaybar, but off-road, disconnecting the front seems to give more "full range" to the suspension. I haven't disconnected the rear to try it out, but figured it would be much the same. Maybe something like the Currie Anti-Rock would give me the range I'm looking for in the rear suspension, without actually disconnecting it.
I did ours but it was cold and had been rainy here. I live on a dirt road and was going to show off my jeep to my uncle. I wanted the mud that had been thrown up on it by daily driving washed off. The jeep survived intact and no leaks (hardtop) but the wash just did not do well with all the harder to clean areas on a Jeep than say my wife's car. If I were pressed for time or needed salt spray from driving A-1-A (which we do on trips to Fla), or other bad for the jeep road dirt washed off quick I would do it agian but even then when I got home a good hand washing is in order.
Not a post in 10 days, this is the longest that I can remember, hope that this is not the beginning of the end. I know that I don’t post very often but I must say that I have enjoyed reading the wrangler message board over the past 9 or 10 years Also Eugene my 98 has turn 250K last week with out any work on the drive line. I did have to replace the Radiator at 75K and had some A/C work done around 180K.
I've been doing some mods to my Jeep since Xmas, so I'll post up what I've been doing.
- I have added a JKS rear adjustable trackbar. This is the version that will work with a SYE setup should I go down that road for a belly up and changed pinion angles.
- I changed my stock tie rod to a stock tie rod out of a ZJ (Grand Cherokee) with a V8 engine. It is MUCH beefier!
- I added OBA (Co2 tank) and am working on a design to incorporate it into my rear tire carrier (like Jeeperman's)
- I added a second switch bezel after removing the ashtray. This gives me 3 more switch positions to run my aux lights (perhaps rock lights down the road/trail). Here's what it looks like.
The switches are the exact same as the ARB switches, and made by Carling (Carling #V1D1J66B) and the blue lenses work the exact same way, but w/o the ARB labels. The most fun was determining which leads were for what on the back of each switch.
When I got my switches from www.offroadtoystore.com, one was defective/broken. They sent me a new one right away and I can't praise them and their prices enough. I was about to throw the bad one away, but with me being a geek, I thought I'd play with it and see how they worked inside. I messed with it for 20 minutes, and actually got it fixed and working. It is now my spare switch for testing.
Here it is at night...
Hopefully going wheeling this weekend - we'll have to see how that goes.
Was the JKS adjustable trackbar an easy fit? Were you able to use the trackbar relocation bracket that came with your OME lift or did you have to remove it? Still holding off on the belly up? The extra length of the Unlimited is great, but makes getting high-centered much easier. I like the idea of getting rid of the big skid plate hanging down in the middle of my rig...but I'm not yet ready to add the body lift, SYE, CV driveshaft and adjustable control arms that go with a belly up or tummy tucker style skid. Have you seen the "stinger" that nth degree sells to replace the upper control arms?
Well, I'll say the JKS was SUPPOSED to be an easy fit. But it wasn't, but it was 100% my fault...
Rewind tape...
I was about to go on a wheeling trip when I noticed a squeak in the back of the Jeep. Thinking I needed to grease a fitting, I look and find my trackbar and OME bracket handing there, detached from my axle. So, I reattached it, but w/o using the spacer that filled the gap where the old TB attached to the axle. I overtorqued it and bent stuff a bit. Once I tried to put the JKS bar on a month or so later, it wouldn't fit. Beating the heck out of the old TB and putting it back in it's place made the gap big enough to install the JKS.
Back to the present...
I got the JKS version that will work with the SYE/pinion angle changes should I go the bellyup route in the future. I did NOT want to buy it twice.
I've seen the Nth stuff, but prefer the JKS stuff.
I really wish I could have even half of the fun you had. I started installed Warn rock sliders during Christmas. It is said this is a 3-hour job. Well, it took me roughly 4 weeks to complete. Here is why:
1) The package does not say anything about the using backing material(to avoid metal to metal contact). I really cound not justify spending another $30 just for that. Any way, it took me a while to find a good backing materil from Homedepot for about $15. I personally dont think us silcon is a good alternative since this will make taking it off at a later time very difficult without damaging the paint job.
2) I lost a painted bolt whicn you can't find it in local Homedepot or OSH. Had to wait about 1 week for Warn to send the replacement.
3)Some of the bottom bolts are too long and some of the buttom spacer tubes dont fit either. Another home depot trip for these.
4)Due to the faily thick backing material I used, the rear end of the slider which did not come with the hole, showed an annoying gap which could only be eliminated by bolting it up which required drilling a hole to the rock slider and a 1-1/4 hole from the back of "double sided" area right in front of the seat belt. Needless say, another trip to Home depot for the hole saw. Oh no, I did not notice the first hole saw I picked was for wood and guess when did I find that out?
5)Since drilling the 1 1/4 requires removing the seat belt, I accidently "shortened" the seat belt to a point of no return, literally speaking. Eventually, I had to order a new seat belt.
This is not all, but I think I know why my blood preasure is high now.
I use Tough Stuff gasket guard on my rockers to keep metal/metal contact to zero. I even used them on my side sliders and corners - not that I'll be taking them off though. VERY good stuff and not too thick.
My mods may look easy, but even the simplest of installations can be a PITA for me too. I AM lucky in that I have had ZERO siezed/broken bolts, no rust issues, etc. My Jeep is a 97, but it was a soCal high desert Jeep (no humidity or salt AT ALL). Now, in Alabama, I'm having to deal with it a bit more, but all in all, it is still in really good shape!
It appears that they have accomplished what they tried to do a couple of months back and segregated the forum into so many categories that they have become less enticing for "family" style communication.
Anyway, despite all the mod frustration thus far, I am still thinking about my next step, the lift. I am leaning toward the "stage 1" setup with 2" spacers and 31" mud tires. From all I can see, the drive line vibe is probably and hopefully not gonna happen. So I am hoping I wont need to do any mod over that area. Now What about track bars? It seems to me both the front and rear track bars' position will be changed due to the 2" lift but non of the lift instructions or wirte-ups mentions anything about this. ?? Will the axels be off center if the track bars are not changed accordingly?
Haven't posted in a while, but I read daily. In case you didn't see it, Spike TV's Xtreme 4x4 took a new 4dr JK through 2 Quadratec "stages". Pretty interesting show. The following link lists an encore showing. Enjoy.
As for a 2" Budget Boost (Stage I) as you put it, I don't think an adj track bar would be needed, esp if you only have 31" tires. Yeah, your axles will be off a tiny but, but you should still be okay at full turn. If not, you can adjust the steering stops and fix that.
My OME lift (3") shifted the front a bit more (had the OME bracket in back until recently), so I did need that front track bar to straighten things out, especially since my tires are 33x12.5's. Now all is good.
I did the rear only because the rear OME bracket came off (probably due to my bad mechanics). IT WAS NOT OME's FAULT - it was the operator error.
I like that show normally because I get to see them do things I can't do (fabricate/weld/etc). But the Q-tec buildup seems like nothing more than a pimping of Q-tec's stuff. Having said that, it IS nice to see what they can do for a JK and how easy it is to build up something from stock.
I do think they should have started with a Rubicon so they wouldn't have to do a 4:1 ratio setup (as the Rubi already has that), but I guess that is one more opportunity to show what kind of stuff Q-tec sells.
No doubt it definitely was a Quadratec commercial. I was willing to overlook that to see a 4dr Jk modified.
When the time comes, I'll probably look pretty hard at buying a 4dr JK. The first thing I would do is take those giant wide flares off. I'm not sure how everyone else feels, but I think they're hideous. I'd rather have a slimmer flare similar to previous models.
Anyone read about GM in talks with Daimler about buying Chrysler....I dought it happens but IF it did i wonder how or if it would effect the jeep brand.....
I hope not! Maybe we'll see an LT1 engine available as a Wrangler option? It's been done many times with the standard Corvette engine, but a retuned version bringing the torque in lower down would make for a fun machine!
i just bought an 02 TJ and absolutely love it. ive been a big fan of jeeps for years and just recently remembered a an episode of trucks on spike tv. stacey david was the host, so it was atleast a year and a half ago they modded a white x model tj. i was wondering if anyone knew more about that episode or that mod.
I remember that one. It belonged to a kid. They did a 4" susp. lift, New seats with racing harnesses, winch, exhaust, the whole nine yards. Was looking at mine today and said to my girl, this sure is a good looking ride. Hey bren3 welcome to the family :shades:
I need a Cat-back system for my YJ. I want it to sound decent, but also be affordable. I was looking at a flowmaster super 40 muffler and a new tailpipe. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Yep, it was an X. With the mods they did, they failed to mention if they completed the work. With the size tires and lift that was on the Jeep, certain things were not considered: 1. driveline angles 1a. t-case drop 1b. SYE (with adj control arms) 2. Regearing for those huge tires
I agree that it looked great (and I'd LOVE to have the Warn lights they put on it!), but would have like to see them do armor and such as well.
Hey, hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their wranglers!
I have a question about the legality of smoking out turn signals. I live in North Carolina and was wondering if anybody knew if this broke any laws or guidelines. I figure I will probably use the VHT smoke spray. This just blacks out or "smokes" out the blinkers which I find looks really sweet on a black Jeep Wrangler (as that is what I have).
If this does happen to be legal for me to do, this will be my very first "mod" on my '06 Jeep Wrangler X. haha pretty sad I know, but its the only thing I can afford at this time. Plus I'm still waitin on the warranty to run out on my car before I do anything major!
Everyone take care, and I look forward to your replies as always!
Not sure about legality, but my take is that by smoking them out, they become harder to see when they are in use.
I know an all-black Jeep looks incredible, but in this case, I'd probably keep the lenses the same or get clears for a TINY bit of contrast. Clears with an all black Jeep would look great too.
how in the heck do you replace either of the 2 O2 sensors on a Jeep wrangler '00 sport? does anyone have a clue so that I don't have to pay a mechanic?
It's not much different from changing a spark plug. A special socket with a slot in the side for the wiring connector is required, but it's easily available.
The regular Sport has two sensors, one before and one after the main cat under the vehicle. The California spec has four, two before and two after the small cats on the header in the engine compartment.
Unplug the wiring connector, unscrew the old sensor, screw in the new sensor, tighten to 22 ft/lbs, reconnect the wiring.
The O2 sensors can sometimes be resistant to being unscrewed. Just keep moving them counterclockwise and clockwise over and over and they will come right out without much trouble.
Is a "Locker" installed in the front axle always Locked or only when in 4WD? If I install a limited slip (like a Detroit TrueTrac) in the front axle, will it always act as a limited slip or only when in 4WD? Many different lockers advertise "great on road manners" in the front axles...is that because they're not really "locked" unless being driven in 4WD high or low? Does that mean the axle really acts more like an open differential when in 2WD and like a locker in 4WD?
Hmmmm...more background to my question... My Jeep is and will be my daily driver and my weekend warrior. I have a rear Dana 44 with a Limited Slip that seems to work very well off-road. What I would like to do is add a traction device to my front Dana 30 to make it more capable off-road. I don't live in a climate that requires 4WD on the road, so I'm 2WD 5 days a week and 4WD on the weekends (always off-road). Could I add a Detroit Locker to the front without sacrificing on road driveability? Could I gain all the benefits of the locker when in 4WD, but not sacrifice drivability when in 2WD? The selectable lockers (E-locker, ARB) are too pricey...and again, I'm either commuting during the week (2WD) or off-roading on the weekends in the dirt/sand (4WD).
The Detroit TrueTrac would be ideal for your application. It's a geared limited slip and it's easy on the axle components in operation. You won't know it's there until you engage 4wd but, like the the factory unit in your rear axle, it'll occasionally need an application of the brakes if both wheels on the same axle lose traction.
So...to be sure I've got it right... If I install a Limited Slip type device...it will be transparent during normal 2WD operation and work well while in 4WD. If I were to install any of the typical "locked" type differentials, they would act "locked" (make sure each wheel rotated equally all the time) whether actually being driven in 4WD or not?
You can use one of the cheaper 'lunchbox' type lockers in the front but it will be noisy and kick a little on sharp turns. Certainly don't use a regular Detroit Locker. An ARB or eLocker would be fine in the unlocked position.
IMHO, a TrueTrac would be ideal for your situation. It's made by Eaton, who also make Detroit and the E-Locker. This is from their FAQ:
"Can Truetrac be used in the front axles of full time 4 wheel drive jeeps and trucks? Yes, it can. You will find will find Truetrac differentials to be very smooth yet effective in either end of your vehicle."
I have a 2003 TJ and I purchased a 3 1/2" suspension lift, put it on, with 4 new nitro 9000 shocks, soon to find out that I got the "death wobble" at about 40 mph, bumps didn't help out either. Afterwards, I read some forums to fix it, and purchased and attached dual steering stabilizers, and an adjustable front track bar. I can go faster now, but when I hit big bumps at high speeds, 50+, the death wobble comes back. I've gotten up to about 70mph, but am afraid to go any higher. What can I do now to fix the problem that has arrised, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Steering stabilzers will NOT fix your death wobble - just mask it. But the look cool on there.
The best things to check, besides what mac said, are to check to make sure your tie rod ends are all tight and in good shape. If there is ANY play on either side, you have a problem.
Also, make sure that all steering components, including that new track bar, are all secure and the holes are not too big. Make sure your alignment is correct too.
mac24 my old friend for about a week. You were a godsend on a whole lot of levels when it was time to discuss detailed problems with my 2000 wrangler 1 1/2 years ago. Together, we figured it out and is purring still to this day. Today I have a bad problem that sounds fairly simple at first glance on my 06 dodge ram that we (myself and the dealer) added factory heated seats to. Are you the guru with the big dodges as with the wranglers sir? If not, would you know someone? I would so appreciate some help here, I'm pulling what little hair I have left out. Soon, there won't be any left...Thank you so much. My post is under dodge ram 2500 esmith.
Comments
Adding the JKS 1.25" BL (and the MML if you want - it's pretty easy), is a great way to fit 33's. In fact, that is what I did.
I did not flat fender it and I still have plenty of room for flexing (4.25" BS on the wheels) my 33x12.5" tires.
If you want to even it out, you can add some spacers to the top of your springs and they'll hold them in place easily. I had to do this to compensate for my Warn winch and Jeeperman bumper in front.
With the BL and OME lift, I am sitting at 4.5" of lift.
Your setup sounds really nice. Would love to see pics of your rig!
If you want to go to 35's, a bit more will be involved. Namely, a bigger lift, which has more implications on your driveline, steering geometry, etc. Adjustable trackbars that work for shorter lifts like ours won't work for those larger lifts, so those would have to be replaced. You'd probably need to do a slip yoke eliminator (even on the longer Unlimited) and put on adjustable control arms to correct pinion angles to eliminate the driveline vibes. You could POSSIBLY need a drop pitman arm to keep steering geometry lined up (or replace the steering entirely with an aftermarket one). So it CAN get pricey if you want to do it right.
I find with the 33's and my lift, I can do all the challenges I want. I just have to deal with high-centering on occasion. I would LIKE to address that with a bellyup, like this one from 33 Engineering. This would require adjustable control arms and the SYE/DS as well, so I've really held off on doing it.
-Paul
I've seen a lot of articles in which removing the rear swaybar is suggested because the front is primarily responsible for ride quality and roll rate in most situations.
Is there really a big difference? It seems like removing it or disconnecting it would be the way to go.
Anyone have any experiences with this one?
Everything else being equal, is the suspension with more room to move going to be more capable than the suspension with the bigger tires? Or is less flex worth it to fit the big tires?
My vote is on the smaller tires and bigger flex. I guess this all depends on where you're taking your Jeep. I think that 33" is a great size to put on a 2.5 lift to ensure that you've got (in orthopedic terms) full range of motion. Use it or lose it right? Well if you're not using your nice suspension for articulation, then you should just installed a body lift...
my .02 cents
Diego
Miami, FL (North Cuba)
Try driving w/o your front sway bar connected and take a turn at your normal speed. You'll see what I mean. Then magnify THAT feeling about 4x for no rear sway bar.
-Paul
Plus with 35's, you have to consider your gearing in your differentials. So with the same diff ratios, your 35-equipped TJ is gonna feel slower and less powerful. So going to 35's involves more than just the lift.
If you want to increase clearance, get a belly up, as I mentioned before. The t-case will generally be your sticking point when going over obstacles as your line and how you place your tires/wheels will effectively get your axle over it.
Below is an obstacle I got hung up on. A guy came behind me with the same size tires, but had a belly up. He cruised right over it. I think he had a slightly different line too.
-Paul
Also Eugene my 98 has turn 250K last week with out any work on the drive line. I did have to replace the Radiator at 75K and had some A/C work done around 180K.
Walt
- I have added a JKS rear adjustable trackbar. This is the version that will work with a SYE setup should I go down that road for a belly up and changed pinion angles.
- I changed my stock tie rod to a stock tie rod out of a ZJ (Grand Cherokee) with a V8 engine. It is MUCH beefier!
- I added OBA (Co2 tank) and am working on a design to incorporate it into my rear tire carrier (like Jeeperman's)
- I added a second switch bezel after removing the ashtray. This gives me 3 more switch positions to run my aux lights (perhaps rock lights down the road/trail). Here's what it looks like.
The switches are the exact same as the ARB switches, and made by Carling (Carling #V1D1J66B) and the blue lenses work the exact same way, but w/o the ARB labels. The most fun was determining which leads were for what on the back of each switch.
When I got my switches from www.offroadtoystore.com, one was defective/broken. They sent me a new one right away and I can't praise them and their prices enough. I was about to throw the bad one away, but with me being a geek, I thought I'd play with it and see how they worked inside. I messed with it for 20 minutes, and actually got it fixed and working. It is now my spare switch for testing.
Here it is at night...
Hopefully going wheeling this weekend - we'll have to see how that goes.
Still holding off on the belly up?
The extra length of the Unlimited is great, but makes getting high-centered much easier. I like the idea of getting rid of the big skid plate hanging down in the middle of my rig...but I'm not yet ready to add the body lift, SYE, CV driveshaft and adjustable control arms that go with a belly up or tummy tucker style skid. Have you seen the "stinger" that nth degree sells to replace the upper control arms?
Rewind tape...
I was about to go on a wheeling trip when I noticed a squeak in the back of the Jeep. Thinking I needed to grease a fitting, I look and find my trackbar and OME bracket handing there, detached from my axle. So, I reattached it, but w/o using the spacer that filled the gap where the old TB attached to the axle. I overtorqued it and bent stuff a bit. Once I tried to put the JKS bar on a month or so later, it wouldn't fit. Beating the heck out of the old TB and putting it back in it's place made the gap big enough to install the JKS.
Back to the present...
I got the JKS version that will work with the SYE/pinion angle changes should I go the bellyup route in the future. I did NOT want to buy it twice.
I've seen the Nth stuff, but prefer the JKS stuff.
-Paul
1) The package does not say anything about the using backing material(to avoid metal to metal contact). I really cound not justify spending another $30 just for that. Any way, it took me a while to find a good backing materil from Homedepot for about $15. I personally dont think us silcon is a good alternative since this will make taking it off at a later time very difficult without damaging the paint job.
2) I lost a painted bolt whicn you can't find it in local Homedepot or OSH. Had to wait about 1 week for Warn to send the replacement.
3)Some of the bottom bolts are too long and some of the buttom spacer tubes dont fit either. Another home depot trip for these.
4)Due to the faily thick backing material I used, the rear end of the slider which did not come with the hole, showed an annoying gap which could only be eliminated by bolting it up which required drilling a hole to the rock slider and a 1-1/4 hole from the back of "double sided" area right in front of the seat belt. Needless say, another trip to Home depot for the hole saw. Oh no, I did not notice the first hole saw I picked was for wood and guess when did I find that out?
5)Since drilling the 1 1/4 requires removing the seat belt, I accidently "shortened" the seat belt to a point of no return, literally speaking. Eventually, I had to order a new seat belt.
This is not all, but I think I know why my blood preasure is high now.
I use Tough Stuff gasket guard on my rockers to keep metal/metal contact to zero. I even used them on my side sliders and corners - not that I'll be taking them off though. VERY good stuff and not too thick.
My mods may look easy, but even the simplest of installations can be a PITA for me too.
-Paul
-Paul
It does make me feel a litter better.
Anyway, despite all the mod frustration thus far, I am still thinking about my next step, the lift. I am leaning toward the "stage 1" setup with 2" spacers and 31" mud tires. From all I can see, the drive line vibe is probably and hopefully not gonna happen. So I am hoping I wont need to do any mod over that area. Now What about track bars? It seems to me both the front and rear track bars' position will be changed due to the 2" lift but non of the lift instructions or wirte-ups mentions anything about this. ?? Will the axels be off center if the track bars are not changed accordingly?
Haven't posted in a while, but I read daily.
In case you didn't see it, Spike TV's Xtreme 4x4 took a new 4dr JK through 2 Quadratec "stages". Pretty interesting show. The following link lists an encore showing. Enjoy.
http://www.quadratec.com/Showcases/rtm_4x4_xtreme/
-Dan
As for a 2" Budget Boost (Stage I) as you put it, I don't think an adj track bar would be needed, esp if you only have 31" tires. Yeah, your axles will be off a tiny but, but you should still be okay at full turn. If not, you can adjust the steering stops and fix that.
My OME lift (3") shifted the front a bit more (had the OME bracket in back until recently), so I did need that front track bar to straighten things out, especially since my tires are 33x12.5's. Now all is good.
I did the rear only because the rear OME bracket came off (probably due to my bad mechanics). IT WAS NOT OME's FAULT - it was the operator error.
-Paul
I do think they should have started with a Rubicon so they wouldn't have to do a 4:1 ratio setup (as the Rubi already has that), but I guess that is one more opportunity to show what kind of stuff Q-tec sells.
-Paul
I was willing to overlook that to see a 4dr Jk modified.
When the time comes, I'll probably look pretty hard at buying a 4dr JK. The first thing I would do is take those giant wide flares off. I'm not sure how everyone else feels, but I think they're hideous. I'd rather have a slimmer flare similar to previous models.
-Dan
The term "stage 1" actully came from Quadratec's catalog.
Do you mean it is ok to have off-centered axels(from the small 2" lift)? This can definitely save me a lot of headache.
-Paul
1. driveline angles
1a. t-case drop
1b. SYE (with adj control arms)
2. Regearing for those huge tires
I agree that it looked great (and I'd LOVE to have the Warn lights they put on it!), but would have like to see them do armor and such as well.
-Paul
I have a question about the legality of smoking out turn signals. I live in North Carolina and was wondering if anybody knew if this broke any laws or guidelines. I figure I will probably use the VHT smoke spray. This just blacks out or "smokes" out the blinkers which I find looks really sweet on a black Jeep Wrangler (as that is what I have).
If this does happen to be legal for me to do, this will be my very first "mod" on my '06 Jeep Wrangler X. haha pretty sad I know, but its the only thing I can afford at this time. Plus I'm still waitin on the warranty to run out on my car before I do anything major!
Everyone take care, and I look forward to your replies as always!
I know an all-black Jeep looks incredible, but in this case, I'd probably keep the lenses the same or get clears for a TINY bit of contrast. Clears with an all black Jeep would look great too.
-Paul
The regular Sport has two sensors, one before and one after the main cat under the vehicle. The California spec has four, two before and two after the small cats on the header in the engine compartment.
Unplug the wiring connector, unscrew the old sensor, screw in the new sensor, tighten to 22 ft/lbs, reconnect the wiring.
If I install a limited slip (like a Detroit TrueTrac) in the front axle, will it always act as a limited slip or only when in 4WD?
Many different lockers advertise "great on road manners" in the front axles...is that because they're not really "locked" unless being driven in 4WD high or low?
Does that mean the axle really acts more like an open differential when in 2WD and like a locker in 4WD?
The short answer is yes, unless it's a clutched LSD or a true locker like an ARB or an Eaton eLocker.
My Jeep is and will be my daily driver and my weekend warrior. I have a rear Dana 44 with a Limited Slip that seems to work very well off-road. What I would like to do is add a traction device to my front Dana 30 to make it more capable off-road.
I don't live in a climate that requires 4WD on the road, so I'm 2WD 5 days a week and 4WD on the weekends (always off-road).
Could I add a Detroit Locker to the front without sacrificing on road driveability? Could I gain all the benefits of the locker when in 4WD, but not sacrifice drivability when in 2WD?
The selectable lockers (E-locker, ARB) are too pricey...and again, I'm either commuting during the week (2WD) or off-roading on the weekends in the dirt/sand (4WD).
If I install a Limited Slip type device...it will be transparent during normal 2WD operation and work well while in 4WD.
If I were to install any of the typical "locked" type differentials, they would act "locked" (make sure each wheel rotated equally all the time) whether actually being driven in 4WD or not?
You can use one of the cheaper 'lunchbox' type lockers in the front but it will be noisy and kick a little on sharp turns. Certainly don't use a regular Detroit Locker. An ARB or eLocker would be fine in the unlocked position.
IMHO, a TrueTrac would be ideal for your situation. It's made by Eaton, who also make Detroit and the E-Locker. This is from their FAQ:
"Can Truetrac be used in the front axles of full time 4 wheel drive jeeps and trucks?
Yes, it can. You will find will find Truetrac differentials to be very smooth yet effective in either end of your vehicle."
The best things to check, besides what mac said, are to check to make sure your tie rod ends are all tight and in good shape. If there is ANY play on either side, you have a problem.
Also, make sure that all steering components, including that new track bar, are all secure and the holes are not too big. Make sure your alignment is correct too.
-Paul