Arizona Rock Crawler

mrblaine said:
I've tried to explain for years how the trails in JV are about the same level of difficulty for the rig on 40's as it is for the rig on 35's. The smaller tires tend to be narrower width so they sneak right through places where the 40" tire rig has to put one tire on top of a 4 foot tall boulder and go over the top of it and try to get past without it putting you on your lid. Like you said, it is all relative and if there was a perfect wheelbase and tire size that worked everywhere, we'd all do it. Wheelbase and lots of it is fun until it isn't.
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The width always seems to be the big hangup I see. I can definitely snake through narrow shit way easier
 
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mrblaine said:
All 8 of them?
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Yes. I just dropped the skid to bend it back and lowered it down to check. All there. Only funny business I see is that my mopar trans mount seems pretty pliable but not cracked and it’s only a few years old.
 
Anything else I should check that could cause a shudder while Ive got the skid dropped?
 
Apparition said:
Skid won't matter but channeling my inner Jerry have you checked the transmission fluid? Could it be a torque converter stutter?
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The only thing that makes me think no on the torque converter is that it’s only from a dead stop. If I floor it at any other time it’s fine.
 
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starkey480 said:
The only thing that makes me think no on the torque converter is that it’s only from a dead stop. If I floor it at any other time it’s fine.
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So it's only happening in first gear under hard acceleration off idle.

Have you checked first gear but already moving or have you been in a higher gear?
 
Apparition said:
So it's only happening in first gear under hard acceleration off idle.

Have you checked first gear but already moving or have you been in a higher gear?
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Yeah already moving everything is great.
Brianj5600 said:
If the transfer case is raised from the cross member bending the pinion angle might need to be a changed.
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Pinion angle is next on the list to check.
 
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This is why UCF skids aren’t designed well. Skid bends on rock. Go to hammer it straight and now the welds are cracking on the crossmember.
IMG_2653.jpeg
 
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I stopped hammering on the skid to avoid cracking welds any more but an independent crossmember is now on the list…

Just buttoned it all back up and my pinion is 2.7* lower than the driveshaft angle because of the bend in the skid. That could definitely be my issue. I will report back
 
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starkey480 said:
This is why UCF skids aren’t designed well. Skid bends on rock. Go to hammer it straight and now the welds are cracking on the crossmember. View attachment 524951
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1/4" or 3/8" and how much drop? I bent my UCF 1/4" aluminum skid with 2.5" drop last year (they call it the "no body lift skid"). I went with a Genright crossmember and 3/8" aluminum UCF DIY skid with 1" drop after that. With that skid/X-member set up and a Savvy BL, I was able to fit an Atlas 2-speed. I didn't try to bend the old skid back for the reason you showed.
 
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Woodrow said:
1/4" or 3/8" and how much drop? I bent my UCF 1/4" aluminum skid with 2.5" drop last year (they call it the "no body lift skid"). I went with a Genright crossmember and 3/8" aluminum UCF DIY skid with 1" drop after that. With that skid/X-member set up and a Savvy BL, I was able to fit an Atlas 2-speed. I didn't try to bend the old skid back for the reason you showed.
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The highest one in 1/4”.
 
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Tob said:
The bent belly skid really highlights the need for a rear stiffener as is on the Savvy version. It sucks that they’re not available for early model TJs. Are you able to salvage your existing skid or is it kaput?
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psrivats said:
And there you have the answer .. steel designs just don't translate well to Aluminium if simply just copied over.
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Yep. I've considered bolting a piece (or 2) of angle iron on the inside of the UCF skids.
 
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