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My Baby Has Grown ...


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#1 Sip

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Posted 22 March 2004 - 05:21 PM



The shop I was working with got all the work done on Thursday. The planning took me nearly 3 years and the work took 4 full days at the shop. All I can say is WOW. The lift is the 6" Full Traction long arm kit with a 4-link in the front and a 3-link in the back. Wheels are 15x8, 4.25" BS Unique 252s with 35x12.5 Goodyear MTRs (stock were close to 31") and Rancho RS9000X 9-way adjustable shocks. It needed a complete exhaust reroute and a new custom rear CV driveshaft.

I wouldn't have believed it but other than the obviously higher center of gravity and diminished ability to corner at high speeds, this thing actually rides and feels better than factory!!! Turning radius is about the same. On the freeway it rides very smooth and there is almost no bump- or break-steer. The 4.10 gears in the axles are going to be upgraded next when I can save up the money again because it really starts to bog down in 5th gear but 1st gear is much more usable than before. For now, I am very happy with the outcome though haven't had a chance to really wheel it other than the pics below.


(click for bigger)

My home-made RTI ramp. I didn't have too much time to retry the backing up one wink.gif biggrin.gif


(click for bigger)

Edited by Sip, 06 February 2005 - 02:21 PM.


#2 Sip

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Posted 22 March 2004 - 05:21 PM

And a few pictures of me playing around on some dirt piles ...


Edited by Sip, 06 February 2005 - 09:04 AM.


#3 gevo27

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    Its one of the most beautiful sights... now i have to go see it.

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Posted 22 March 2004 - 07:18 PM

all that work and you kept an old school steering system?

lol.. you could have done much better with the hydroulic ram types..
Your steering rods, seems like lotta custom configurations on it, but they are open to the obstacles..

but the rest is kewl.. i like the drivshaft and union joints.. lol.. hope you dont break em too much smile.gif

oh.. btw: let thos peopole taht would like to do this to there vehicles know how much it cost you, as this crap is expensive as heck!!!!

#4 Sip

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Posted 22 March 2004 - 07:45 PM

QUOTE (gevo27 @ Mar 22 2004, 07:18 PM)
all that work and you kept an old school steering system?

lol.. you could have done much better with the hydroulic ram types..

A hydraulic what type? Sorry I didn't understand what you meant. Do you mean a steering stabalizer? Like you see on big trucks that looks like a horizontally mounted shock absorber?

I will probably upgrade the tie rod and the tie rod ends at some point when I have the money but I am pretty happy with the steering. It is very well built and as I said, there is basically no bump steer and I didn't notice too much of a break steer. It uses the stock tie rod which is probably too weak for the 35" tires but this is still not a finished project.


QUOTE
but the rest is kewl.. i like the drivshaft and union joints.. lol.. hope you dont break em too much smile.gif


Thanks! The shaft is pretty strong ... they used almost all dana spicer parts except something about the yoke they had to get from full traction so that it wouldn't vibrate.

QUOTE
oh.. btw: let thos peopole taht would like to do this to there vehicles know how much it cost you, as this crap is expensive as heck!!!!


My advice to whoever wants to do something like this is to research things carefully and consider everything including price (but not just price). Cheap could literally mean death (if not worse) in this case. The 6" long arm kit is about $2300 not including shocks. The rest will depend on what exactly you get, how you have the work done, who does it etc etc but I would budget something around $5K total for a pro job. Note that exhaust mods and things like a custom drive shaft must be considered... of course tires and wheels if you are upgrading and things like a spare tire carrier since you can't put 35" tires on the stock carrier. For mine, I made my own bracket for now for about $6 of home depot parts. But I'll be changing the rear bumper at some point in the future so the spare carrier will be included in that project.

#5 Sip

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Posted 22 March 2004 - 07:49 PM

By the way, even after all this the Jeep is still a LOT cheaper than almost all the fancy new European cars that you see running around in Glendale (and definitely a lot more capable wink.gif and fun to drive wub.gif). And I still have a LOT of plans for it artist.gif

#6 Accelerated

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Posted 22 March 2004 - 11:59 PM

Sip, your hideous contraption is an affront to the performance car gods. tongue.gif biggrin.gif

O mighty Turbo! smite the unbeliever with all your power! laugh.gif

#7 vava

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Posted 23 March 2004 - 08:33 AM

Congrats Sip! Looks great! thumbup.gif Maybe one day you"ll drive right over whatever Juggy's driving wink.gif

#8 gevo27

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    Its one of the most beautiful sights... now i have to go see it.

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Posted 23 March 2004 - 01:20 PM

QUOTE (Sip @ Mar 22 2004, 07:45 PM)
A hydraulic what type? Sorry I didn't understand what you meant. Do you mean a steering stabalizer? Like you see on big trucks that looks like a horizontally mounted shock absorber?

I will probably upgrade the tie rod and the tie rod ends at some point when I have the money but I am pretty happy with the steering. It is very well built and as I said, there is basically no bump steer and I didn't notice too much of a break steer. It uses the stock tie rod which is probably too weak for the 35" tires but this is still not a finished project.




Thanks! The shaft is pretty strong ... they used almost all dana spicer parts except something about the yoke they had to get from full traction so that it wouldn't vibrate.



My advice to whoever wants to do something like this is to research things carefully and consider everything including price (but not just price). Cheap could literally mean death (if not worse) in this case. The 6" long arm kit is about $2300 not including shocks. The rest will depend on what exactly you get, how you have the work done, who does it etc etc but I would budget something around $5K total for a pro job. Note that exhaust mods and things like a custom drive shaft must be considered... of course tires and wheels if you are upgrading and things like a spare tire carrier since you can't put 35" tires on the stock carrier. For mine, I made my own bracket for now for about $6 of home depot parts. But I'll be changing the rear bumper at some point in the future so the spare carrier will be included in that project.

LOL.. ok,no check this out... im not talking about a damper rod in a rack and pinion steering system.. im talking about a full out real "hydraulicram" based steering, which will require as modification of the steeringpump, and ull need a hydraulic pump.. this is what it ends up to look like.. more or less...

hydraulic steering

its not as costly as you might think, this guy did it himeslef to his old ranger..

Hydro- Info
ask around se how much itll cost.. this is a beautiful way to control your steering, very precise, there are limited spline joints and or U joints, and you have lotta power ... and i looove the feel of it.. lol..

a\oh btw:: Sip, you are using love smileys for your car.. ones that have hearts and all.. now... bud, that just might be too far.. u should try girls wink.gif .. lol...

#9 Sip

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Posted 23 March 2004 - 01:40 PM

That's an awesome setup gevo! I like it thumbsup.gif I have not seen too many jeeps running around like that on streets and I will look into it. My #1 concern is always safety. I am not good enough to make a system like that myself ... I neither have the time, the tools, nor the knowledge.

The steering that the jeep has right now is ok. As I said the tie rod and the ends are still stock and a bit weak but with the way I wheel, they should hold up fine. I will upgrade them sooner or later. One step at a time smile.gif ... but I don't think I will do such an extreme change to the steering ... I want to keep the jeep streetable and not an offroad-only rig. I will probably be driving it out to Utah in a couple of months cool.gif

Oh and as far as the lovey dovey smilies ... do you know any girls that will let me treat them like I treat the jeep? wink.gif rolleyes.gif biggrin.gif

#10 Sip

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Posted 23 March 2004 - 01:43 PM

QUOTE
With this system you will loose the road feel you get with a mechanical system. I would not recomend this for the person who drives their rig to work every day. You must pay attention to the road at all times with this steering. But if you are a serious rock crawler you may want to consider a system like this.


From the hydraulic steering guy ... sounds like pretty dangerous for driving on the freeway unsure.gif

#11 gevo27

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    Its one of the most beautiful sights... now i have to go see it.

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Posted 23 March 2004 - 02:25 PM

oh yeah bt: i failed to etnion that the actuator type steering system is not like a conventional power steer.. lol.. it will not go back to its original position, it is solid when you let the wheel go, it does not steer on its own.. lol. thus it is dngerous on the freeway.. hahha... lol... its for rigs that only see the pavement on a trailer.. lol..

and.. well.. sip, i think girls like to be handled the way you like to handle your jeep... its a matter of staying with one of em.. tongue.gif tongue.gif lol.. but i wouldnt know.. i dont have a girlfriend... wink.gif

ok.. actually i do know.. lol..

#12 Sip

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 10:59 PM

Movses, in case you are interested, I'm posting a few more pics of my setup here:




(click for bigger)

Top row: Rear looking from the back, then different angles from the passenger side.
Bottom row: looking from the driver side, zoom at the top joint, steering, and closeup of the joint at the axle.

Edited by Sip, 06 February 2005 - 02:22 PM.


#13 Sip

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:01 PM

And a couple of close ups of the CV shaft at the transfer case. I had to get a custom shaft after the lift since with 6" lift, the stock shaft will vibrate.

shaft 1
shaft 2
shaft 3

Edited by Sip, 06 February 2005 - 02:23 PM.


#14 MosJan

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:23 PM

Seap du you fix yrou car or you getthis don at the shop ?

#15 Sip

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:37 PM

The lift was done by fourxdoctor in burbank. They are next to costco on victory right by I5. They are VERY good but not that cheap.

They did the lift, exhaust work, and driveshaft ... the lift is the 6" full traction long arm kit. Definitely not cheap but VERY good. I have been very happy with it and it performs very well both on road and offroad. With this lift, the exhaust has to be completely rerouted.

To do the long arm lift, the stock suspension mounts get cut from the frame. The kit pretty much replaces everything and does a 3 link in the back (4-link in the front) so it's a pretty complicated process.

Actually, someone just gave me this magazine with a full write up on how to install this lift and it's more than 8 pages full of step by step pictures! I'm going to try to scan it soon.

Next, I'm going to do the steering ... either offroad only "u-turn" or toys-by-troy hi-steer. But for now, I have to save money for it and lot of it! Oh and if you get a chance, check out the offroad only Airock air suspension. It's AWESOME!!!! I may actually do that in the future when I have about $2500 extra laying around tongue.gif

Edited by Seapahn, 12 November 2004 - 11:39 PM.


#16 Sip

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:41 PM



Here are a couple of pictures from the toys by troy steering kit ... man it's a nice kit! By the way, Movses, now that you have a Jeep, do you know what it stands for?

#17 MosJan

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:43 PM

ok i guess it's good + on offroad
haw is it wan going 65 ~75 on freeway ???

your is not growen smile.gif it's overgrown smile.gif

#18 MosJan

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:44 PM

QUOTE (Sip @ Nov 12 2004, 10:41 PM)
[img]
By the way, Movses, now that you have a Jeep, do you know what it stands for?



nop smile.gif don;t

Edited by Sip, 06 February 2005 - 09:05 AM.


#19 Sip

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:46 PM

Excellent!!! I did from LA to Madison going 85-90 and I could even go faster if it wasn't for the 13 miles per gallon I was getting. Actually, with this kit and the 35" tires it drives better and smoother on the freeway than it did stock with the short arms and 31" tires.

My shocks are rancho RS9000's that are 9-way adjustable. I usually put them on 1 (softest). On this trip, the jeep was really loaded down and also had the hard top so I had to put the rears on 3. I actually just ordered the in-cab control module that lets you select the front and rear shock settings by pressing a button in the cab! I can't wait for it to come so I can install it.

#20 Sip

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Posted 12 November 2004 - 11:46 PM

QUOTE (MosJan @ Nov 12 2004, 11:44 PM)
nop smile.gif  don;t


JEEP: Just Empty Every Pocket biggrin.gif




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