BMB (Black Magic Brakes) body lift kit available now!

Steel City 06 said:
I'd skip the stainless. The problem with stainless bolts is that in the presence of an electrolyte (such as salt water or even moist salty air) it rapidly accelerates galvanic corrosion of the surrounding materials. The bolt itself won't rust, for sure, but it will accelerate the rate of corrosion of everything around it.

In the presence of an electrolyte, stainless fasteners are mostly only appropriate for stainless materials. When used with steel or aluminum, the significantly different galvanic potential creates a galvanic cell. You can actually measure the difference with a voltmeter in some situations.

A better solution is to focus on fasteners with a high quality zinc plating or galvanization. Even when some of the underlying steel is exposed, the fastener does not rust in the presence of an electrolyte, because the zinc sacrificially corrodes, thereby protecting the bolt itself and even the surrounding metal. However, once the zinc runs out, regular corrosion will begin on both the fastner and the base metal.

View attachment 421855
When coupled electrically, dissimilar metals create a galvanic cell, the intensity of which is driven by the difference in electopotential as shown in the above chart. More cathodic metals are protected by more anodic metals. The more anodic metals are eroded as a result.

This is the same reason boats have zinc blocks on the hull and your water heater has that one anode you have to replace every 5-10 years. It's a sacrificial anode designed to protect the surrounding metal. Zinc coated bolts have the same effect; though they aren't necessarily intended to protect a large amount of exposed metal around it. If you replaced those zinc items with stainless, sure they will last forever. But they will actually begin to accelerate corrosion of the metal around it.
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mrblaine said:
Not as funny as you may first think. We had a guy show up in JV who spent all his money on an Atlas and a 3" body lift for 35's. He managed to keep up with us just fine over several trails.
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Oh I’ve seen my share of 3” body lifts and big tires. I love it. Gets em on the trails. My first Jeep got a 3” homemade body lift with stainless hardware. Seems another thread just taught me why when removing said bolts my tub was mostly rotten only a few years after installing. 🤷🏼‍♂️ I’m learning all the time. 😁
 
freedom_in_4low said:
That's the same combo I went for, but now I'm imagining the potential for disappearing in fallen leaves, and the dirt here is red. I'll probably go for a blue next time around. Even the obnoxiously bright green could potentially camouflage itself in our intense foliage during the rainy season.
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This green color WILL NOT disappear in any season. If people can't find this on the ground, they need get their eyes checked :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

The green color is just phenomenal in person. @mrblaine great choice on the color!

It's a very rainy day in Portland, but here are a couple photos.

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macleanflood said:
@mrblaine now use this same awesome plastic and make us some new seat bushings!

-Mac
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Seat bushings as in for the flip forward seats?

At first I was thinking of seat risers for the later year TJs. One of the guys in my Jeep club here in Ontario is a shorter man who owns an '05 LJ. Being Canadian and wanting to see over his windshield, he found a bunch of used hockey pucks, drilled holes in them and used them for risers.

I'd always wondered if Delrin would make a great material in certain Jeep applications. We used it in one of my other hobbies, so I was familiar with it. I had wondered if it would hold up as a skid plate, maybe layered with aluminum. Would it slide over rocks a bit easier or chunk out?
 
TJosh02 said:
Seat bushings as in for the flip forward seats?

At first I was thinking of seat risers for the later year TJs. One of the guys in my Jeep club here in Ontario is a shorter man who owns an '05 LJ. Being Canadian and wanting to see over his windshield, he found a bunch of used hockey pucks, drilled holes in them and used them for risers.
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That is a poor use of material. Hockey pucks are a vulcanized rubber and keep compressing until they eventually fail. This is one I bolted together at close to the torque spec for the larger seat bolt for the seat belt corner and then tossed over in the corner. Close because it never really gets tight since it is too squishy.
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TJosh02 said:
I'd always wondered if Delrin would make a great material in certain Jeep applications. We used it in one of my other hobbies, so I was familiar with it. I had wondered if it would hold up as a skid plate, maybe layered with aluminum. Would it slide over rocks a bit easier or chunk out?
Click to expand...
It isn't as good of a skid material as something like UHMW which has a much higher level of inherent lubricity. It is also horridly expensive for that application. Acetal is used when you need very low creep (the hockey puck has very high creep), high strength, and good machineability.
 
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Steel City 06 said:
I'd skip the stainless. The problem with stainless bolts is that in the presence of an electrolyte (such as salt water or even moist salty air) it rapidly accelerates galvanic corrosion of the surrounding materials. The bolt itself won't rust, for sure, but it will accelerate the rate of corrosion of everything around it.

In the presence of an electrolyte, stainless fasteners are mostly only appropriate for stainless materials. When used with steel or aluminum, the significantly different galvanic potential creates a galvanic cell. You can actually measure the difference with a voltmeter in some situations.

A better solution is to focus on fasteners with a high quality zinc plating or galvanization. Even when some of the underlying steel is exposed, the fastener does not rust in the presence of an electrolyte, because the zinc sacrificially corrodes, thereby protecting the bolt itself and even the surrounding metal. However, once the zinc runs out, regular corrosion will begin on both the fastner and the base metal.

View attachment 421855
When coupled electrically, dissimilar metals create a galvanic cell, the intensity of which is driven by the difference in electopotential as shown in the above chart. More cathodic metals are protected by more anodic metals. The more anodic metals are eroded as a result.

This is the same reason boats have zinc blocks on the hull and your water heater has that one anode you have to replace every 5-10 years. It's a sacrificial anode designed to protect the surrounding metal. Zinc coated bolts have the same effect; though they aren't necessarily intended to protect a large amount of exposed metal around it. If you replaced those zinc items with stainless, sure they will last forever. But they will actually begin to accelerate corrosion of the metal around it.
Click to expand...

In other words, stainless when used in a coated or raw ferrous rust prone enviroment promotes corrosion of the surrounding metal.

My only question is how they get coupled electrically in a vehicle like the TJ? Boats and water heaters I understand.
 
BMB body lift arrived! The quality of this kit is exactly what you would expect from a black magic brakes product. Everything down to the smallest detail is well thought out, neat, and clean.

IMG_0572.jpeg


The machine work on the pucks is top notch. Giving it a high quality appearance.

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As mentioned earlier, there are some additional benefits to the acetal material over aluminum. A few things I’ve noticed.

-Black material, no scuff or scratches to worry about when handling and installing.

-No bent skirts. (I’ve installed a few savvy kits, at least one puck in every kit had a dented skirt upon arrival.)

-Blue loctite included, this will act as a sealant for threads to keep corrosion out.

-Specific bolt lengths for the areas where it’s critical. No more tub dimples.

I’m excited to get this body lift installed. I’ve currently been running the JKS lift for about 2years. In the last picture you can see just how much the JKS puck squished. It’s only been getting worse since it installed.


IMG_0573.jpeg
 
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Sunny Side Up said:
BMB body lift arrived! The quality of this kit is exactly what you would expect from a black magic brakes product. Everything down to the smallest detail is well thought out, neat, and clean.

View attachment 422200

The machine work on the pucks is top notch. Giving it a high quality appearance.

View attachment 422201


As mentioned earlier, there are some additional benefits to the acetal material over aluminum. A few things I’ve noticed.

-Black material, no scuff or scratches to worry about when handling and installing.

-No bent skirts. (I’ve installed a few savvy kits, at least one puck in every kit had a dented skirt upon arrival.)

-Blue loctite included, this will act as a sealant for threads to keep corrosion out.

-Specific bolt lengths for the areas where it’s critical. No more tub dimples.

I’m excited to get this body lift installed. I’ve currently been running the JKS lift for about 2years. In the last picture you can see just how much the JKS puck squished. It’s only been getting worse since it installed.


View attachment 422204
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I did miss one detail but we are still debating whether it is a miss or not. The easiest way to install the snubber extensions is to pull the headlight bezel, unplug the head lamp connector, and then remove the 3 nuts off off the studs that hold the bucket in from the back side of the grill. That way you don't have to worry about readjusting the head lamp, or messing with the lamp retainer ring and screws. My position is I trust my customers to be smarter than average. My help insists I am not as smart as I think I am.

He wanted a picture that shows the puck goes on top. I explained that full comprehension when reading will actually tell you that.
 
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mrblaine said:
In other words, stainless when used in a coated or raw ferrous rust prone enviroment promotes corrosion of the surrounding metal.

My only question is how they get coupled electrically in a vehicle like the TJ? Boats and water heaters I understand.
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That pretty much sums it up in a sentence.

Quite simply, they are electrically coupled at the point of thread contact. The circuit is completed by the electrolyte. In areas with high salt water content, continuous spray creates a film of water on the underside of the car. The film itself is somewhat conductive, and creates a galvanic cell.

In some cases, even air can be an electrolyte, especially if it has humidity and certain pollutants, or salt particles. Salt particles become airborne when ocean (or road spray) evaporates, leaving behind a microscopic salt crystal that can stay aloft for quite some time. (Ocean salt spray is actually a well-known source of particulate matter that can be measured with an air particulate monitor.)

Undercoatings like fluid film and oil sprays not only work by encapsulating metal, but also by causing the water to bead up. When it beads up, it breaks the electrical continuity, thereby decreasing the possible extent of a galvanic cell.

Try taking a random rough steel plate with a bit of surface corrosion. Throughly rinse it with a solvent to rid it of any oils. Soak it in some salty water, the dirtier the better. Note that the water forms a film on it after being pulled out. If you were to tap a hole in it and thread a bolt in, any of that wetted area can become part of the galvanic cell. But if you spray it with an oil coating first, notice the water beads up. The largest galvanic cell that can be created is the size of one of those droplets, and it has to contact both the bolt and the plate.
 
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Steel City 06 said:
That pretty much sums it up in a sentence.

Quite simply, they are electrically coupled at the point of thread contact. The circuit is completed by the electrolyte. In areas with high salt water content, continuous spray creates a film of water on the underside of the car. The film itself is somewhat conductive, and creates a galvanic cell.

In some cases, even air can be an electrolyte, especially if it has humidity and certain pollutants, or salt particles. Salt particles become airborne when ocean (or road spray) evaporates, leaving behind a microscopic salt crystal that can stay aloft for quite some time. (Ocean salt spray is actually a well-known source of particulate matter that can be measured with an air particulate monitor.)

Undercoatings like fluid film and oil sprays not only work by encapsulating metal, but also by causing the water to bead up. When it beads up, it breaks the electrical continuity, thereby decreasing the possible extent of a galvanic cell.

Try taking a random rough steel plate with a bit of surface corrosion. Throughly rinse it with a solvent to rid it of any oils. Dip it in some salty water, the dirtier the better. Note that the water forms a film on it. If you were to tap a hole in it and thread a bolt in, any of that wetted area can become part of the galvanic cell. But if you spray it with an oil coating first, notice the water beads up. The largest galvanic cell that can be created is the size of one of those droplets, and it has to contact both the bolt and the plate.
Click to expand...

I know how circuits work, I don't know where the electrical side is coming from.
 
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