05 Flame Red TJ Build

[JMT]

I can’t tell you how much better the steering and whole front end is. I knew the first seam I drove over 10 yards out of my driveway. It only got better on the highway.

I’d also been working on my pinion and shaft angles front and rear. I’ve been trying to work out the harmonic vibes. I’m up to about 75mph until I can detect them. They’re just slight now, almost livable. The fact I have 35’s with the 456 gears may be a contributing factor since the shaft is turning slower.

And a fun pic. I’ve been keeping up my driving. Every few days I hit some trails for 30 minutes to an hour.

 

[Wildman]

Your build is insane.

Look at the scratches on the tie rod. This is 1.5" DOM and I had 36.7" tires so my clearance is a lot higher with it flipped on both sides.

 

[JMT]

Look at the scratches on the tie rod. This is 1.5" DOM and I had 36.7" tires so my clearance is a lot higher with it flipped on both sides.

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I see a diff cover there too!

 

[Wildman]

I see a diff cover there too!

Yep I was limiting my up travel back then too.

 

[Sj's TJ]

I finally got around to installing the Currie Currectylinc Steering I bought from @sjalkian! I clearanced some around the drivers side perch on the sway bar axle mount. It looked like it would be fine, but better safe than sorry. This thing is beefy. I aligned it and took it for a drive. I honestly can’t believe it! It is so much better. Everything is more stable. It’s 100% better. Sooo glad I bought this!

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You can see in the pic below where I clearanced. The ZJ TB coupling has two lock rings. One of them can rub there if the nut end of the bolt sticks out toward it.

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So glad it worked out for. Looks awesome on there. Great job making it look new again. You think it’s good now, wait til you get in the rocks. That’s where the beef shines!!

 

[Irun]

No, there is insane, then there is Wildman's build! Whole next level.

I'll take a shot at summing up his build.....

 

[Mike_H]

I didn't wait to bend my tie rod...it was bent slightly when I got mine too, so I figured I may as well just flip it to start...be sure to cycle the suspension after the flip...it gets TIGHT up there when the driver's side is stuffed.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Don’t know what you boys are talking about. I haven’t bent a tie rod in well over a decade. In fact, I have not even scratched it on a rock…

 

[tworley]

There’s definitely no guarantee, so I’d say solve the problems you have (e.g. bend it a few times). But I gained about 2” with the flip.

Anecdotally, @tworley has had way more damage on his tie rod than any anyone I’m aware of and he’s not flipped yet (due to other aftermarket brackets being there). The rest of us have bent them, but usually not severely enough to need to deal with it until after getting home. I don’t know if it being moved up would have protected it in this situation but I think he just was in bad spots though, he came down hard on it last summer when we needed to run back to a tow rig to fix it.

Pretty proud of that one Not even 5 min into the trail.

Mine has been bent a handful of times. A 20-ton shop press makes it pretty easy to fix. I dont think a TRE flip would have made much of a difference here. FWIW--I do have the BMB sway links and the tapered insert fitting on hand, just need to cut off the Artec links. I have a laundry list of things I'd like to get done this winter.

 

[rasband]

Pretty proud of that one Not even 5 min into the trail.

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Mine has been bent a handful of times. A 20-ton shop press makes it pretty easy to fix. I dont think a TRE flip would have made much of a difference here. FWIW--I do have the BMB sway links and the tapered insert fitting on hand, just need to cut off the Artec links. I have a laundry list of things I'd like to get done this winter.

Yeah, that time was just bad luck coming down on a rock in the exact wrong spot. Any TR would have been toast (I guess other than @NashvilleTJ ’s with his setup).

 

[FarFire70]

There’s definitely no guarantee, so I’d say solve the problems you have (e.g. bend it a few times). But I gained about 2” with the flip.

Anecdotally, @tworley has had way more damage on his tie rod than any anyone I’m aware of and he’s not flipped yet (due to other aftermarket brackets being there). The rest of us have bent them, but usually not severely enough to need to deal with it until after getting home. I don’t know if it being moved up would have protected it in this situation but I think he just was in bad spots though, he came down hard on it last summer when we needed to run back to a tow rig to fix it.

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Creative solution! Good way to go when you don't have trees nearby.

I've thrown a snatch strap around a tree and unbent my ZJ tie rod myself a few times. Plenty to use here on the east coast. Once, half way home at a random office parking lot when the bumpsteer became too much.

 

[JMT]

Guy I've wheeled with several times from here in Spokane who went to Moab about the same time we did for Moab 2021. I think he took his TJ and his buggy. This is a video of his buggy on Pritchett. Tell me what you think went wrong.

 

[Apparition]

Guy I've wheeled with several times from here in Spokane who went to Moab about the same time we did for Moab 2021. I think he took his TJ and his buggy. This is a video of his buggy on Pritchett. Tell me what you think went wrong.

At least he can say he tried.

 

[Irun]

Wow. He also went from zero to nailing it. No testing the waters there!

 

[josb612]

Did he loose the front driveline?

 

[Apparition]

Did he loose the front driveline?

Looked like the front driveshaft fell out at the end.

Not a very suspenseful roll.

 

[JMT]

At least he can say he tried.

His first attempt is on another longer video. It was almost successful.

Did he loose the front driveline?

Yes.

 

[JMT]

Anyone else think he didn't air down or didn't air down enough? When he starts bouncing on his tires it seems quite apparent. Maybe I'm off, so I'm asking for correction if I just aren't seeing things correctly.

 

[Apparition]

Anyone else think he didn't air down or didn't air down enough? When he starts bouncing on his tires it seems quite apparent. Maybe I'm off, so I'm asking for correction if I just aren't seeing things correctly.

Agree, looks like he could have cut his tire pressure in half.

But that likely wouldn't help him for bellying it out like he did on that line.

 

[Wildman]

I can tell you since I've ran the TSL SX tires that you seriously have to be under about 6 PSI to get any flex out of the sidewalls.

Now remember that my TJ is a PIG and I was running 3 PSI in my tires at this time. And UNLESS you have dual beadlock wheels you aren't going to be doing that.

This is on Pritchett Canyon BTW.

Damn lookie here I have TWO legs...

Again 3 PSI

I think I'd taken them back up to 5 or 6 PSI here. And I weigh 5K lbs. Where I'd guess that this buggy is max 3K lbs?