TECHNICAL FORUMS => Project Builds => Topic started by: Raddadd on May 07, 2011, 08:02:58 PM
Title: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 07, 2011, 08:02:58 PM
This in no way compares to the builds shown here previously but thought it would be cool show my new stock JK getting some upgrades. This might take a year (or so)to complete...it\'s all about the cash. I got an awesome amount of feedback and leads from Finger Lakes 4x4 forum and it\'s members to help me \"get started\" Thanks to all !
So heres the \"stock\" before photos(again) to start.
Phase one =(current savings)
BFG KM2 285/75/16 (5 tires) Pro Comp 7089 Series 16x8 W/ 4.5 back spacing(5 wheels/lugs) Tera Flex 2.5 lift w/springs & shocks. Tera Flex Quick Disconnects. Aussie front locker.
Phase two: (later this year) Aussie Rear Locker. Rock rails. Additional skid plates. Front and rear bumpers. Wench / recovery gear Jack and mount. Tube doors.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 07, 2011, 08:14:42 PM
Heres where we stand as of tonight (05/07)...
Tires and wheels are in! Had them mounted and balanced today. Got that \"Lug Centric \" thing set and ordered new lug nuts that have the conical taper that matches the wheel (60 degrees). My stock ones didn\'t seem to sit well.
Lift Kit and discos will be here Tues and we plan on the install Saturday the 14th. (photos of rookie doing a lift to follow).
Will need to get the locker soon and find help with that install. Maybe Erik might have time.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Dragon on May 11, 2011, 08:48:52 AM
If he\'s still doing it, and has time, talk to Ryan with Blue Dog Jeep. He\'s the one who put the front locker in my JK and i can\'t recommend him enough!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 12, 2011, 10:42:19 AM
Thanks.....no luck with Ryan kinda busy these days with the little ones.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Ryan_25 on May 12, 2011, 12:33:06 PM
Thanks for thinking of me, but I dont do that anymore. I am happy to answer any questions you may have during the install.
If you can do the lift, you can do the locker.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 12, 2011, 12:38:07 PM
A new toy is on my desk ! Ready for some fun.
Thanks Ryan! I just feel a little intimitated breaking into the diff.
I\'m gonna try to get some help but if I have no luck I will go at it solo.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 14, 2011, 07:06:58 PM
Time to get started. Checked all parts and confirmed all tools needed were at hand. Shocks,springs,spacers,bump stops,links,brake and track bar brkts plus hardware bags.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 14, 2011, 07:18:29 PM
Some shots of rear end work.....didn\'t pick up the camera after that! Totally forgot. Everyone was right in saying this would be straight forward and fun. I had a blast...everything was easy to work on and all nuts anf bolts came right out. Air tools helped also.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 14, 2011, 08:11:32 PM
Took measurements before and was 36\" (bottom of fender) front and 36.5 back. Now were 38.5 front and 39 back. Good thing they sent the rear spacers (didn\'t know about them before the kit came in)cause it kept the slight rake. Would had a saggy rear I guess.
Have to address and issue with the front brake line ( need new line I think) as when at full flex the stock lower brake braket does not allow for the line to move. So I disconnected it and have it hanging along the back side of the shock. Now I can disconnect and at full flex have enough brack line. Can\'t get hung up on anything but the bracket will/is against the lower part of the shock. Any feedback on this ?
Rolled it out, checked it all, and headed directly to get the alignment done. That went very well. And while it was up I found a couple of control arms bolts that needed torqin.....argh.....
Had the computers\' TPMS system set to zero so no warning light and told it the new tire size.
So far she rides REAL nice and no clunkin or \"strange\" stuff going on. No warning lights! I\'ll get under her agian this week and re check everything.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me feedback and direction in the past months. I don\'t think I would be at this stage if not for your help!
......o yea....Aussie front locker goes in Monday.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: MrMindless on May 15, 2011, 10:15:10 AM
Sharp.
I\'d probably remove that support bracket and just make sure the brake line is tethered somewhere so as not to catch things. small bungee cords can work well.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 15, 2011, 09:15:46 PM
I\'ll try that. Saves me from dealing with brake lines.
Well here are some more rookie lessons learned:
Found out my computer was NOT adjusted for the tires as I got the TPMS light today.....took awhile. And while driving on the expressway the shifts points seemed wrong as I went uphill. Lost milage too. I am looking into the Procal Module to take care of these issues. ?
And.....when I had my tires mounted they put 50SPI in. It felt a little loose on the thruway in the rain!!! Gonna drop to 35# and go from there.
So many bases to cover when you lift and mod a vehicle! Hopefully I get them all covered without costing me my other arm and leg!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: MrMindless on May 16, 2011, 08:51:19 AM
50psi???
nuts.
set your pressure right before you wear the tires in too far. either chalk or paint the tire, or use a spotty wet parking lot. start with high pressure and drop in small increments until you see good contact from the shoulder tread blocks. 2-3psi below that is where you\'ll get the best treadwear.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 16, 2011, 09:08:31 PM
Took the air down to 35psi and WOW what a difference. Softer ride , much better handling. I\'m guessin 32 will be the magic number. As soon as this monsoon ends I\'ll find a dry spot and find out.
Cool tip.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 16, 2011, 09:11:12 PM
Well I got the help I needed getting my Aussie locker in...
Out with the old.......
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 16, 2011, 09:31:22 PM
and in with the new ! This was a awesome project to do! I definitely was greatful to have a experienced and knowledgeable coach to walk me through it and to insure it was done correctly. Not having knowledge of the parts in the diff would have made this real tough (as it states in the instructions)but once you have done it ......real nice and easy. Very clever design !
So now I\'m tapped out and was able to do what I need to have some fun. I\'ll be keeping my eye on phase two later in the year. And keeping my ear to the tracks for the NEW JK REAR AUSSIE LOCKER !.....now were talkin traction !
More on the AEV Procal Module when that comes in.
Till then I\'m going to get out there and enjoy it.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Wingman on May 17, 2011, 06:28:04 AM
Nice! Kudos for not being afraid to do it, too!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 18, 2011, 08:07:25 PM
Thanks !:-D
Got the Procal Mod today. Took care of ALL computer related issues. No TPMS lights, mileage and shifting got much better. Shes back ! running well and much smoother with less air in them tires. I take her out on Saturday to the farm and woods to get a feel for the tires,suspension and mostly the locker. Now to see if she moves as good as she looks (not that I have anything to \"compare\" with). Cant wait !!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: AWL4928 on May 19, 2011, 12:19:46 PM
Hey I just put in the same lift in mine as well last week. How did your alignment go? My caster was way off and I was going to purchase lower control arms. Did you run into the same issue?
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 19, 2011, 01:07:54 PM
I had no problems with the alignment. Dont know about the difference between the 2 and 4 door (if any) and what effect lifts have on alignment. Some on JK forum / Project JK say you dont need to align with a small lift.....with that said I had it checked anyway..(cashed in a favor due)...guess it\'s about what makes you feel good or good for your Jeep. :-?
I\'m sure someone here can give more experienced feedback.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 19, 2011, 01:37:14 PM
This is what Project-JK says about this....for whatever it\'s worth....
Thanks to the new steering design on the Jeep JK Wrangler, very little is needed to have the front end aligned after the installation of a small to moderate suspension lift (2\" to maybe 3\" of lift). In fact, if you’re just running 33\" tires, all that’s really required at this height is for you to re-center your steering wheel to prevent the ESP from thinking you are in a slide and activating unnecessarily.
Having said that, at 3\" and up, it is highly recommended that you install an adjustable front track bar so that you can re-center your axle as well as adjustable upper and lower front control arms so that you can dial in your caster. And, if you are running 35\"-37\" tires, adjusting your toe-in might be something you’ll want to consider as well as it will help to compensate for the bigger diameter and footprint.
So, do you really need to have a professional do an alignment for you? Not necessarily. Certainly, re-centering your steering wheel is very easy to do, requires little more than a 15mm wrench and about 5 minutes of your time. Need I say, if you’ve just installed a 2\"-3\" lift, please, do yourself a favor, follow the simple instruction below, save your money and do this yourself. And, if you’ve just installed a 3\" or taller lift and have adjustable suspension components, this write-up should be able to help you to set all of them as well.
Dont know why it got out of wack?
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: jACeL86 on May 20, 2011, 06:33:47 AM
I\'ll take a looky Alex, and see how far it was out again. Maybe it\'s on the close edge of acceptable and my tech\'s were just trying to dial it in to as close to perfect as they could??? I know when I put mine way in the air, they went right away from numbers and said run max/min tolerances for toe/camber/caster.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: AWL4928 on May 21, 2011, 03:34:14 PM
Thanks I will see what jared finds out from the mechanic who did it. I\'m going to let it go for now and maybe just fix it later if i need have the money and need to do it. Did the procal make much of a difference in getting rid of the computer issues?
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on May 21, 2011, 09:12:20 PM
Yes.....well worth the $150. Check out the features....it works great. You got any pics of your jeep w/ the lift???
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Dragon on June 03, 2011, 08:11:38 AM
I\'d recommend the Adjustable Trackbar only because it helps to prevent the computer from going crazy on fast corners, such as Interstate on-ramps. I would also recommend the adjustable lower control arms as your caster is now slightly out of whack. you won\'t notice it as much now, but in 4-wheel drive, especially with the locker, you will get thrown all over the road (depending on which tire actually has the traction).
Neither of these pieces are that expensive, and adding them is as easy as what you\'ve done already.
When I added the trackbar, I just used a tape measure to center the axle. For the control arms, there was some info on the JK forums as to what length to set it to based on your lift.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: AWL4928 on June 04, 2011, 10:01:26 AM
I just ordered the procal a few days ago and I have track bar from Rusty\'s. It drives fine for now but I will be doing the control arms soon enough. Probably when I do the front locker. Dodge offers cam bolts but I don\'t want to do them.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on June 09, 2011, 06:19:22 PM
Another fun project !
Oh if you could have seen the look on my wife\'s face when I brought the saw zaw out and told her I was cutting up the bumper!.....priceless.
$49 bucks and 40 mins gets ya a new bumper. Can\'t tell ya how much fun it was cutting up my new toy.....it\'s a sickness......and none of you warned me?? haha
I can reach in and get to the links. Now it\'s a \"quick disconnect\" instead of a pain in the ars.!
ps....thanks for tire painting tip Mike. Got that done right after 4x4 101 and am down to 31psi.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Wingman on June 09, 2011, 07:33:08 PM
End caps, too? That\'s high class and should keep her happy!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: jACeL86 on June 10, 2011, 07:46:33 AM
Very nice indeed! Better get Alex on board for a pair too :-P
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Callelle on June 10, 2011, 10:49:37 AM
Nice, it definitely looks a lot better. I\'m in the process of finally putting my Hanson bumper on my Cherokee. I\'m just to lazy to make a build thread.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on June 13, 2011, 08:16:31 AM
thanks :-)
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on July 04, 2011, 06:20:25 PM
Here we go again !...... :hack:
A little fender work on the forth of July.
Took about one hour with a cost of $12 (for edge trim). Got to play with my fav tool :hack: .
Cool thing is they are not ridgid, designed to flex...haha...so no worries about them bumping into trees and pushing in the body panel. Another cool benefit is that there is no marker light to break and I have to put 35\'s on now to full in the space.... ;-)
Not sure if I\'m gonna replace the mud guards in the front ....kinda like it this way.
Rear fenders will meet the same fate soon!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: MrMindless on July 04, 2011, 10:38:30 PM
looks awesome!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on July 05, 2011, 02:33:10 PM
Today I ordered new rear control arm/shock brackets.
I need to cut down the old ones by 2\" then install and weld these on. They have skids on the bottom to protect shocks and cntrl arms.
They should give me some additional clearence when done.
Is it time for 35\'s yet???
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: carchameleon on July 05, 2011, 10:48:56 PM
good stuff what\'d you do with the light that was on the fender?
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on July 06, 2011, 07:41:14 AM
I still have the marker lights.....lookin for a mod for those but nothing to be found. Did you need them???
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: xjh3 on July 08, 2011, 04:36:22 PM
Maybe something like this mounted on top to replace them? http://www.chromeglow.com/catalog.asp?prodid=649476&showprevnext=1
Saw you pull off of Lee Rd. the other day. Lookin\' badass. 8-)
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on July 09, 2011, 07:14:23 PM
good idea , maybe I can mount from underneath only showing the top of the light......mmmmmmm? Got me thinking.
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: MrMindless on July 10, 2011, 09:16:13 PM
This sucker looks and works tip-top!
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: Raddadd on July 12, 2011, 09:05:13 PM
Thanks man, I\'m loving it !
Figured out a home for the marker light and finished the rear fenders.
Still waitin on Cntrl Arm Brkts....argh.
DAMM THIS THING NEEDS 35\'s !! :crazy:
Title: Re: 2011 \"JKPROJECT\" (entry level)
Post by: AWL4928 on July 13, 2011, 09:39:28 AM
Looks good. Hope they hold up well with trees I know mine did not fair to well. Then again I didn\'t cut them. I like the cut rears. I may do that instead of doing tube for the time being.
Title: Re: 2011
Post by: Raddadd on March 27, 2012, 09:18:02 AM
we got the control arm/shock re-location brackets put in last night....Thanks Mike! no more concern about damage to lower shock mounts or control arm brackets! Ready for the rocks!
