Daily Driver, Go Where I Want To Build

[jjvw]

The smaller lower body mounts are installed. I updated the Hidden Body Mount thread with the process.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/the-hidden-body-lift.33605/post-899421

 

[jjvw]

And finally, here is a solution to a problem of installing 12" travel shocks with Currie 4" springs. The way I built the mounts, the shocks are roughly 6" up 6" down from ride height. At full shock extension, the 22.6" Currie spring will come loose, potentially unseat from the axle side and can rotate to where the pigtail falls out of the lower spring seat pocket. This happened during the Moab trips.

An answer is this bit of cleverness. Take a small aluminum spacer and mill the inside to accept a small low rate coilover tender spring.

The spacer and tender spring assembly replaces the factory isolater.

With the Jeep weight on the springs, the spacer is just a spacer.

At full shock extension, the tender spring extends and puts about 25lbs of force onto the main spring to help keep it from knocking around and falling out of it's pocket.

The spacer adds about an 1/8" to the front ride height. I'm ok with the small increase, so no adjustments will be made to account for that. My final up travel is about 6.25".

 

[kmas0n]

And finally, here is a solution to a problem of installing 12" travel shocks with Currie 4" springs. The way I built the mounts, the shocks are roughly 6" up 6" down from ride height. At full shock extension, the 22.6" Currie spring will come loose, potentially unseat from the axle side and can rotate to where the pigtail falls out of the lower spring seat pocket. This happened during the Moab trips.

View attachment 257525

An answer is this bit of cleverness. Take a small aluminum spacer and mill the inside to accept a small low rate coilover tender spring.
View attachment 257524

The spacer and tender spring assembly replaces the factory isolater.
View attachment 257527

With the Jeep weight on the springs, the spacer is just a spacer.
View attachment 257529

At full shock extension, the tender spring extends and puts about 25lbs of force onto the main spring to help keep it from knocking around and falling out of it's pocket.
View attachment 257528


The spacer adds about an 1/8" to the front ride height. I'm ok with the small increase, so no adjustments will be made to account for that. My final up travel is about 6.25".
View attachment 257526

Cool trick! I recently saw an xj on Instagram that used a 2.5" coil over slider to create a similar setup. I believe he had cut out the factory coil post so he could fit a 2.5" od tube to hold his hydraulic bump stop and fit the slider over it.

 

[jjvw]

I'm wanting to rebuild the front drive shaft and get away from the Tom Wood greasable Gold Seal U-joints. I'm not very good at keeping up with the need for grease, specifically for the front because removing the shaft is irritating. Spicer sealed u-joints are easy to get. But I can't find a 1330 sealed centering ball in stock anywhere. I can get the greasable version.

Should I settle for greasable? Has anyone found a way to grease the front shaft while installed?

 

[bobthetj03]

The centering yoke is a biotch no matter how you slice it.

 

[someguysjeep]

TW sales did mention to me on last phone call they are having issue getting parts for the DC shafts. or at least getting the amount of parts they usually keep on hand.
i'd imagine it's more widespread than just them.

what's in the shaft currently?
Denny's driveshaft suggests that you should not switch from a grease-able to a non if the shaft was made that way.

 

[Irun]

And finally, here is a solution to a problem of installing 12" travel shocks with Currie 4" springs. The way I built the mounts, the shocks are roughly 6" up 6" down from ride height. At full shock extension, the 22.6" Currie spring will come loose, potentially unseat from the axle side and can rotate to where the pigtail falls out of the lower spring seat pocket. This happened during the Moab trips.

View attachment 257525

An answer is this bit of cleverness. Take a small aluminum spacer and mill the inside to accept a small low rate coilover tender spring.
View attachment 257524

The spacer and tender spring assembly replaces the factory isolater.
View attachment 257527

With the Jeep weight on the springs, the spacer is just a spacer

At full shock extension, the tender spring extends and puts about 25lbs of force onto the main spring to help keep it from knocking around and falling out of it's pocket.

This is a very clever solution to a common problem!

 

[jeffmarion]

@jjvw Ever since Blaine explained this a while back, it has interested me, It's awesome to see the concept utilized. Which Spacers did you use? How much did you mill out? I'm assuming just enough for the tender spring to compress fully inside the spacer.

 

[mrblaine]

Cool trick! I recently saw an xj on Instagram that used a 2.5" coil over slider to create a similar setup. I believe he had cut out the factory coil post so he could fit a 2.5" od tube to hold his hydraulic bump stop and fit the slider over it.

I did similar about 6-7 years ago using a sliding cup I built to replace the bumpstop post. I put a 6" 2.5 OD coil over spring that went down inside the stock diameter spring to add 5" of extra down travel with pressure to front shocks I modified from 12 to 13" of travel.

 

[Tldelaney]

I did similar about 6-7 years ago using a sliding cup I built to replace the bumpstop post. I put a 6" 2.5 OD coil over spring that went down inside the stock diameter spring to add 5" of extra down travel with pressure to front shocks I modified from 12 to 13" of travel.

View attachment 264777

Did you have to notch the frame or run into any other clearance issues for the 13 inch travel shock? Any pictures of that setup would be awesome.

 

[mrblaine]

Did you have to notch the frame or run into any other clearance issues for the 13 inch travel shock? Any pictures of that setup would be awesome.

I don't have any pics that I recall. It was a design exercise just to see if I could. I can.

 

[P man]

And finally, here is a solution to a problem of installing 12" travel shocks with Currie 4" springs. The way I built the mounts, the shocks are roughly 6" up 6" down from ride height. At full shock extension, the 22.6" Currie spring will come loose, potentially unseat from the axle side and can rotate to where the pigtail falls out of the lower spring seat pocket. This happened during the Moab trips.

View attachment 257525

An answer is this bit of cleverness. Take a small aluminum spacer and mill the inside to accept a small low rate coilover tender spring.
View attachment 257524

The spacer and tender spring assembly replaces the factory isolater.
View attachment 257527

With the Jeep weight on the springs, the spacer is just a spacer.
View attachment 257529

At full shock extension, the tender spring extends and puts about 25lbs of force onto the main spring to help keep it from knocking around and falling out of it's pocket.
[ATTACH

The spacer adds about an 1/8" to the front ride height. I'm ok with the small increase, so no adjustments will be made to account for that. My final up travel is about 6.25".
View attachment 257526

Couple questions concerning the spacer..

Couldn't you just drill and tap the bottom mount and use a bolt/clamp like the earlier tjs?

Have you noted any more noise with the spacer vs using the factory isolator?

 

[jjvw]

TW sales did mention to me on last phone call they are having issue getting parts for the DC shafts. or at least getting the amount of parts they usually keep on hand.
i'd imagine it's more widespread than just them.

what's in the shaft currently?
Denny's driveshaft suggests that you should not switch from a grease-able to a non if the shaft was made that way.

View attachment 264725

Currently it's whatever greasable centering yoke that TW uses. Everything else that isn't a u-joint is stamped Spicer, so I'll assume that.

Based on what Denny's says, it looks like I'm stuck with a greasable centering yoke. Those are in stock, so I'll stick with that.

 

[jjvw]

@jjvw Ever since Blaine explained this a while back, it has interested me, It's awesome to see the concept utilized. Which Spacers did you use? How much did you mill out? I'm assuming just enough for the tender spring to compress fully inside the spacer.

The 5/8" aluminum spacers are available from eBay and probably elsewhere. They aren't anything special. They need to be milled enough to contain the compressed spring, but not much more than that. Keep in mind that the OD of the spring increases a bit when compressed. Then the hole needs to be just large enough to slide on the bump stop mount.

 

[jjvw]

Couple questions concerning the spacer..

Couldn't you just drill and tap the bottom mount and use a bolt/clamp like the earlier tjs?

Have you noted any more noise with the spacer vs using the factory isolator?

That would work. Though the clamp reduces the free length a small amount and the top end still knocks around. Keep in mind that with a Currie spring, this doesn't become a problem until about 5.75" of down travel. That's one of the reasons an 11" shock front is a better fit than my 12s.

The amount of noise didn't change at all. Prior to this, I have used aluminum spacers and no rubber isolaters on the rear and never noticed a difference in the noise then either.

 

[jjvw]

Today I bled the brakes again. A while back, Blaine and I were discussing my BBK where I found out I have been bleeding the brakes incorrectly. I have been doing it the way most of us have been for years. But doing so can still introduce air into the system.

I got one of these brake bleeding lock out tools...
https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/Brake-Bleeding-Lock-out-Tool-BBLOT.htm
... and sure enough, with the shuttle valve locked, I found that there was air in the rear passenger caliper where there wasn't last time I bled the brakes a few months ago.

I suppose it says something about the Vanco Big Brake Kits when they work really well even when the rear isn't. It is a noticable improvement compared to earlier today now that both ends are braking properly.

 

[someguysjeep]

Today I bled the brakes again. A while back, Blaine and I were discussing my BBK where I found out I have been bleeding the brakes incorrectly. I have been doing it the way most of us have been for years. But doing so can still introduce air into the system.

I got one of these brake bleeding lock out tools...
https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/Brake-Bleeding-Lock-out-Tool-BBLOT.htm
... and sure enough, with the shuttle valve locked, I found that there was air in the rear passenger caliper where there wasn't last time I bled the brakes a few months ago.

I suppose it says something about the Vanco Big Brake Kits when they work really well even when the rear isn't. It is a noticable improvement compared to earlier today now that both ends are braking properly.

never heard of this. is this a TJ thing or an all around any brakes thing?

 

[Mike_H]

Today I bled the brakes again. A while back, Blaine and I were discussing my BBK where I found out I have been bleeding the brakes incorrectly. I have been doing it the way most of us have been for years. But doing so can still introduce air into the system.

I got one of these brake bleeding lock out tools...
https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/Brake-Bleeding-Lock-out-Tool-BBLOT.htm
... and sure enough, with the shuttle valve locked, I found that there was air in the rear passenger caliper where there wasn't last time I bled the brakes a few months ago.

I suppose it says something about the Vanco Big Brake Kits when they work really well even when the rear isn't. It is a noticable improvement compared to earlier today now that both ends are braking properly.

What is the incorrect method, what did you change, and does everyone need the shuttle valve lock? I've always thought the TJ had a "softish" pedal.

 

[Irun]

Today I bled the brakes again. A while back, Blaine and I were discussing my BBK where I found out I have been bleeding the brakes incorrectly. I have been doing it the way most of us have been for years. But doing so can still introduce air into the system.

I got one of these brake bleeding lock out tools...
https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/Brake-Bleeding-Lock-out-Tool-BBLOT.htm
... and sure enough, with the shuttle valve locked, I found that there was air in the rear passenger caliper where there wasn't last time I bled the brakes a few months ago.

Well there you go, I learned something new again!

 

[jjvw]

What is the incorrect method, what did you change, and does everyone need the shuttle valve lock? I've always thought the TJ had a "softish" pedal.

Just the normal method of starting at the wheel furthest from the master and working to the closest. That doesn't change. The difference is to use the lockout tool