Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Arizona Rock Crawler

starkey480 said:
I like it. I just don’t think I’m wide enough to stay driver and keep my passenger wheels on that ledge. These are the spots that I wish I was wider. I still can’t help but feel like if I can stay balanced between driver and passenger and just stay out of that hole that it’s doable. It’s really hard to capture the right perspective with photos. It’s a little wider than it looks. I should have pulled the TJ up to it and took some pics from the top to get a width reference for y’all
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I was thinking the TJ might be too skinny to stay out. If it was me I'd still probably try to start up on the driver wall and see if you can walk you pass tire up that first middle rock. It might climb given it has a lot of weight on it. Depends on rock traction. I like experimenting with diff lines and since it's a the beginning you can easily back out and try again. Be careful with Lockers on the rear and throttle. It's going to kick the rear end out if you can't climb.
 
B00mb00m said:
I was thinking the TJ might be too skinny to stay out. If it was me I'd still probably try to start up on the driver wall and see if you can walk you pass tire up that first middle rock. It might climb given it has a lot of weight on it. Depends on rock traction. I like experimenting with diff lines and since it's a the beginning you can easily back out and try again. Be careful with Lockers on the rear and throttle. It's going to kick the rear end out if you can't climb.
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This is about what I was thinking. My dimensions are probably off though
9A959A1C-1A4B-432B-B751-DC81CD6768C8.jpeg
 
starkey480 said:
This is about what I was thinking. My dimensions are probably off thoughView attachment 316113
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That is roughly the line but you can't stick it most likely. The reason that rig in the pic is all fucked up with the right side tire too far over is it wouldn't climb that straight up section to the left of your right side line at the bottom. The only way it would go up is to keep spinning until it slid over to the right and got up the less vertical section.

I'd try that line first, if it slid over to the right, back off it and go more to the left and force the right rear to get up that vertical edge and keep at it moving more and more left until you get the right rear up and stay straddle of the crack fairly evenly. If you can't do that, it is just going to suck and you're gonna tear up some shit you don't really want torn up.

You need eyes on what's going on as well.
 
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mrblaine said:
That is roughly the line but you can't stick it most likely. The reason that rig in the pic is all fucked up with the right side tire too far over is it wouldn't climb that straight up section to the left of your right side line at the bottom. The only way it would go up is to keep spinning until it slid over to the right and got up the less vertical section.

I'd try that line first, if it slid over to the right, back off it and go more to the left and force the right rear to get up that vertical edge and keep at it moving more and more left until you get the right rear up and stay straddle of the crack fairly evenly. If you can't do that, it is just going to suck and you're gonna tear up some shit you don't really want torn up.

You need eyes on what's going on as well.
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Yeah I can see that. I think it’s doable but like you said, if you don’t hit it right you are going to tear a lot of shit up. This is where that 65” wms/ 37” stickies/ no compromise build would really shine. Stickies would help a ton. I’ll give that first section a shot sometime. If I can’t get the first part clean then I’ll back down.
 
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starkey480 said:
Yeah I can see that. I think it’s doable but like you said, if you don’t hit it right you are going to tear a lot of shit up. This is where that 65” wms/ 37” stickies/ no compromise build would really shine. Stickies would help a ton. I’ll give that first section a shot sometime. If I can’t get the first part clean then I’ll back down.
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A not so obvious line (depending on shit I can't see) is to come in almost at a right angle to the crack with the left side hard over to the left to float the left front over the crack to get that right rear up. That right rear is the key. Float the left front over the crack as soon as you run out of room to go up at that angle which would get the left up on a higher traction to help the right rear up.
 
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mrblaine said:
A not so obvious line (depending on shit I can't see) is to come in almost at a right angle to the crack with the left side hard over to the left to float the left front over the crack to get that right rear up. That right rear is the key. Float the left front over the crack as soon as you run out of room to go up at that angle which would get the left up on a higher traction to help the right rear up.
Click to expand...
Like this?

1647450364454.png
 
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mrblaine said:
A not so obvious line (depending on shit I can't see) is to come in almost at a right angle to the crack with the left side hard over to the left to float the left front over the crack to get that right rear up. That right rear is the key. Float the left front over the crack as soon as you run out of room to go up at that angle which would get the left up on a higher traction to help the right rear up.
Click to expand...
Can you draw a picture for me?
 
Everything clears nice.
In the front there’s plenty of room for weights in front of the caliper even with my 16” brake kit stuffed in the 15” wheel.
The front hub kit acts like a 1” spacer on each side. So 5” backspace wheels give me 4” of effective backspacing. My studs were short so I used ET lug nuts which gave me the thread engagement I needed.

For the rear, titan sells a 1” spacer (not 1.25”) that I used which puts me at 4” effective backspace in the rear as well.
10D4A10B-82D5-4E26-BAE9-CC676B3452ED.jpeg

I’ll go for a test drive soon to see how the balance is and how the steering changes with the improved scrub radius.
 
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starkey480 said:
@mrblaine @B00mb00m maybe something more like this looking at it zoomed out?
View attachment 316123
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what's the guestimated space up top? , thought i saw a fairly good drop up there, going from right to left to get around the left of that big rock. the ledge on the left creeps out, sure you couldn't get right enough to get that wheel up the right side and creep the axle over the crest of that chunk? it'd put your face on the wall, but left wheel up on the wall might eat the right side, no?
 
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The Jeep just feels incredible to drive. I can’t even believe the difference in drivability when you tweak all of the little things possible (and some big things) that lead to the best possible steering.
I know shocks play a big role in how a rig feels and drives, but I now think maximizing steering is way underrated when it comes to overall driving performance.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts
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