JT4x4
The Mud Pit => General => Topic started by: lancer8xt on March 28, 2011, 06:42:29 PM
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Hey everyone,
just making a quick thread to drop in and introduce myself. my name's ben, I grew up in ledyard and currently live over in Norwich. Last October I bought myself an 01 Wrangler sport, 130k miles young with the 4.0 and 5 speed. Since then I've been hoping to get into wheeling, but had to wait till it got nicer out to do some mods to make it finally trail-worthy. I went to high school with BlacXjeep (andy), and saw some pics of his XJ on facebook, so i dropped him a line and he referred me here.
last weekend I finally got around to turning some wrenches (or rather busting out my dad's torch and sawzall) and got my old bumpers off and mounted some new ones with recovery points, dropped in a CB and antenna, put a steering box skid up front, and mounted my hi-lift on the hood. the only thing left for me to do is find a used 32" tire somewhere or sell and arm and a leg to buy a new one.
I'm at work so i'll have to put up pictures later tonight, but as my jeep sits now, I'm on 32" A/T's with a budget boost and hockey puck body lift. in the near future, I'm hoping to have an aussie up front and get some better backspaced wheels since I rub a little, then get nice skids on everything. SYE eventually, but in an attempt to put in a new muffler, I managed to strip all 6 nutserts so the exhaust is sitting in my apartment until i feel like tackling that project. long term, i want to end up on a real suspension lift and 35's but thats a long way away.
for now, just saying hi, and i'll try to make it out the 16th and 31st, if you dont mind towing out a guy on at's with open diffs. ;)
oh, and if anyone knows of someone trying to get rid of a 32r15, i'll be first in line, i've been scouring craigslist and JF for weeks to no avail
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welcome to the club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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for now, just saying hi, and i'll try to make it out the 16th and 31st, if you dont mind towing out a guy on at's with open diffs. ;)
Welcome Ben, I ran 33" AT's for almost two years and rarely needed to get pulled, you just have to have a little more momentum than most!
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welcome buddy
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Welcome aboard. Good to see you here. I ran open/open in my XJ when I first started with the club and conquered most things before I even through the locked rear end in it. Most important mod you can do is armor it to protect from rocks and other things that seem to jump out at you from the trail.
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Alright, got a chance to upload some pics.
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG_1007.jpg)
before, with the rusted out tube bumper and sad little 1,000lb atv winch that the PO had burned up
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG_1011.jpg)
before, just the back of a TJ. nothing special here
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG00051-20110320-1659.jpg)
my jeep in my driveway as my dad and I go to work on it
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG00052-20110322-1833.jpg)
i just took a quick comparison shot when i put in my black headlight bezels. I could have spray painted the chrome ones, but i was worried about rock chips and such (oh, and I'm lazy ;D)
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG00054-20110328-1907.jpg)
after, with the stock front bumper (no caps), hooks, hi-lift, and steering box skid peeking out from under
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG00055-20110328-1908.jpg)
back, with the new swingout carrier and my CB antenna that i still have yet to hook up. No idea what make the bumper and carrier are. I think they may be a one off, but the welds are solid and these things are wayyyy overbuilt. the recovery points are through welded which i was very impressed with and the entire assembly was about 80lbs. I think it should hold up to everything i throw at it, especially since i got the rokmen kit to tie it in to the frame.
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww163/badams12588/IMG00056-20110328-1908.jpg)
just a side shot
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nice jeep man
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welcome!
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do yourself a favor and take off those side steps. they only get in the way :P
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yeah ive been told to take those off, but the 5'0 girlfriend disagrees... I guess i'll have to just wait until i get some sliders that have the rails on them (or until i rip these off on the trail)
as far as mods go, it is a sad realization when you finally 'get' that skids and armor are way more important than big fun shiny things like light bars and huge lifts, but you gotta do what you gotta do. what do you all recommend first after a steering box skid? SYE and tummy tuck? or something cheaper and easier to install like sliders or a gas tank skid?
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Welcome. I ran 32" tires on my old YJ worked great, but not very popular. Everyone runs 31's or 33's. For me, my sliders get used more then my belly up skid and I only am running the stock gasd tank skid.
Another cheep upgrade is to cut down the front bumper to allow for better approaches to rocks.
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with the club rules saying a full size spare, would it be 'good nuff' to run with a 31 or 33, since they do seem to be everywhere?
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yeah ive been told to take those off, but the 5'0 girlfriend disagrees... I guess i'll have to just wait until i get some sliders that have the rails on them (or until i rip these off on the trail)
as far as mods go, it is a sad realization when you finally 'get' that skids and armor are way more important than big fun shiny things like light bars and huge lifts, but you gotta do what you gotta do. what do you all recommend first after a steering box skid? SYE and tummy tuck? or something cheaper and easier to install like sliders or a gas tank skid?
I ripped mine off (on a rock) day one with the rubicon. Wasn't fun to take it off after it had been all bent up over the bolt head. Maybe consider taking them off on trail days and reinstalling the passenger one for the gf other times? lol
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This is my personnal list of skids in order of importance (at least to me)...
1) Oil Pan/Transmission Skid - All other skids you'll need can wait. Bang up your tub, mess up your gas tank... Those can be fixed with little trouble. Put a hole in yout oil pan and blow the engine. Enough Said.
2) Steering Box Skid - What use is it to have a belly up or rock sliders if you can't steer?
3) Rock Sliders - Get the ones that bolt to the tub and tie into the body mounts. They offer the most protection with no loss of ground clearance. If your already doing it, get the ones with tubes on them and use roll on bed liner on the tube. They can get slick in the rain/snow. My wife is only 5'3" and uses them everytime she gets into or out of the Jeep. No need to slip and fall when a simple cheap can of roll on herculiner gives you a little grip in a few hours.
4) Belly Up/Tummy Tucker - Its already been mentioned on the forum before, but Undercover Fab makes a nice one and at a good price. Unless you need it already, don't do a body lift when doing this. Use the Undercover Fab low profile transmission mount and their original belly up skid. They offer a ultra high clearance skid that can be used with their low pro mount and a body lift, but why do more then you need. Call it good with the standard belly up and you'll be happy. This will also keep your center of gravity lower.
5) Upgraded Differental Covers - Drive smart and avoid banging your diffs if possible until you get these. Until then, keep a hammer and enough gear oil to fill them back from empty with you when you wheel. Also, keep some RTV gasket maker too. This way if you do crack one open you can hammer it straight (or kind of straight), RTV it to seal it in place again, and fill your differental back up to make it home. Not ideal, but it'll get you home. Just clean up your old oil if you ever actually need to do this. Also, hope you don't cut a hole in one. Then your really in for fun.
6) Upgraded Steering - Not really a skid, but you'll want a stronger steering set up. If you don't upgrade, grab an old set up off someone who upgraded for a trail spare. Otherwise, upgrade your current set up and keep the old for a spare.
7) Gas tank skid. I used the stock one and yes, its bent up. That being said, it held in place and I never got a fuel leak. I know other use the stock one as well. Get one once you have the other skids in place.
Most of these items can be found used. Search pirate4x4.com and jeepforum.com. Both have a classified section where you can find stuff all the time way cheaper then buying it new. I have built a good part of my TJ from stuff other people bought and never used or took off. Ebay and craigslist can also net some gems from time to time. I got my front long arms off ebay used for $300.00.
Others may disagree with me on this list, but it is just what I feel is important and the order I would do it all in if I was starting over. Good luck and see you on the trail soon.
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with the club rules saying a full size spare, would it be 'good nuff' to run with a 31 or 33, since they do seem to be everywhere?
http://worcester.craigslist.org/pts/2290075119.html
You'll have to drive a bit to get them, but there is your spares and for a decent price too.
To answer the original question, most people say +/- 1" is fine for a spare. You'd be best to run it on the front while not in 4wd if you ever need it though. If you have to run 4wd and your offroad, put the odd size tire in the rear. It'll help save your Dana 30 shafts and u joints.