OP
yeah, the contrast looks good. I'm still doing the steel slider in black, just the aluminum base will be body matched.
Inside-Out Build—2006 LJ
- Thread starter freedom_in_4low
- Start date
OP
I may throw another 3/4" spacer on the rear coils. Need to measure, but it seems like I've got a little reverse rake and I'm about to go from a 32" KO2 to a 35" STT Pro spare tire on the back. Guess I'll wait until the sliders are on too, since they'll probably bring the front down a little as well.
OP
Frame height is now 21" at the front lca and 20.75" at the rear, completely unloaded. I don't really like rake but I'd rather it sit a hair high unloaded so it doesn't squat too much when I have the back full of tools and gear, plus my hitch carrier.
Discount put 40psi in them. My dusty ass garage floor makes a chalk test really quick. Not that I'm going to use this to choose my pressure, I'm just gonna roll with 26.
OP
the rocker bases are at the powdercoaters. They had a swatch that was close enough to color matching the body that I would have gone with it if it had been in stock, but it was 6 days out. I'm driving the Jeep to Oklahoma on Monday to park it at my parents until we move down there, so that wouldn't do. So I'm doing them in black, and if I hate it, I'll just tape off and paint the exposed strip with PR4 flame red and clearcoat it.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting on some primer to dry on the steel sliders before I topcoat them.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting on some primer to dry on the steel sliders before I topcoat them.
OP
Rustoleum black truck bed liner. I managed to keep all my inevitable runs and sags on the undersides. This stuff sprays way faster than regular paint, so I end up moving too slow or spraying too close when I start the first coat.
Great choice, it looks good and is really easy to re-touch! Looks like you did great.
OP
They're on.
I ordered an extra clearance skid from UCF. I'd planned on aluminum but I went for 1/4" steel after I'd read that a heavy skid had helped with psrivats driveline vibration. Fingers crossed.
I ordered an extra clearance skid from UCF. I'd planned on aluminum but I went for 1/4" steel after I'd read that a heavy skid had helped with psrivats driveline vibration. Fingers crossed.
Looking at these pictures, is there enough of a lip on there to step on the slider? I know your headed south soon but I'd love to check it out before you go if there's any time.
OP
Not as much room as I had with the tubes on the sliders on my TJ. Basically heels or toes only. I could hit the tube with the ball of my foot, which felt a little better as a step. It's only been a couple days, but I've mostly been just stepping straight into and out of the tub, with some help from the grab handles.
I'm hitting the road tomorrow morning, but if you're up for checking it out before 4pm or so, I'll be around.
You can’t start them as a new member, I think it’s either pay the upgrade or get 20 or so messages.
OP
ugh. 590 miles.
590 miles with brand new tires so poorly balanced that if you told me that's what it feels like to drive with tires that weren't put on a balancer at all, I would 100% believe you. Since I had so much time to feel it and think about it, I was able to figure there are at least 3 tires severely out - the front shakes a bit in the 55mph range, but really stays pretty mild and then fades out in the low 60s, while the rear starts wobbling and seems to peak around 68mph, at which point my relatively skinny calves were flopping like Mama Junes jowls and I could see the instrument cluster moving behind it's needles. At certain speeds it's coming in and out of phase, which tells me both rear tires are out. Ironically, it started to become a little more tolerable around the speed that the oscillating driveline hum really gets going.
It doesn't seem for lack of trying, because it took 2 guys about twice as long to balance them as the last set of tires I bought. 3 out of 4 have half a pound of balance weights. I haven't really looked at the spare.
It's going to be sitting at my parents house until I get moved, but as soon as I get back it will be going to the local Discount Tire branch to take another run at balancing these things. I don't know what their policy is on this sort of thing but I'm not going to be the kind of customer that just accepts a shitty shaking-ass ride because "it's a Jeep", and if that means we go through a few tires (on their dime, not mine) to get it right, so be it.
590 miles with brand new tires so poorly balanced that if you told me that's what it feels like to drive with tires that weren't put on a balancer at all, I would 100% believe you. Since I had so much time to feel it and think about it, I was able to figure there are at least 3 tires severely out - the front shakes a bit in the 55mph range, but really stays pretty mild and then fades out in the low 60s, while the rear starts wobbling and seems to peak around 68mph, at which point my relatively skinny calves were flopping like Mama Junes jowls and I could see the instrument cluster moving behind it's needles. At certain speeds it's coming in and out of phase, which tells me both rear tires are out. Ironically, it started to become a little more tolerable around the speed that the oscillating driveline hum really gets going.
It doesn't seem for lack of trying, because it took 2 guys about twice as long to balance them as the last set of tires I bought. 3 out of 4 have half a pound of balance weights. I haven't really looked at the spare.
It's going to be sitting at my parents house until I get moved, but as soon as I get back it will be going to the local Discount Tire branch to take another run at balancing these things. I don't know what their policy is on this sort of thing but I'm not going to be the kind of customer that just accepts a shitty shaking-ass ride because "it's a Jeep", and if that means we go through a few tires (on their dime, not mine) to get it right, so be it.
Oh man what an adventure. I've had good luck with discount tire and are my go to. Hopefully they are able to fix it but the amount of weight on there already is not promising. Does Cooper offer a 30 day satisfaction warranty like some of the other brands are starting to?
OP
They list a 45 day on their website:
but taken literally it seems they give themselves an out for non-stock sizes.:
And then I'm not sure if this exclusion means they don't cover a tire that was damaged due to imbalance, or that they don't cover an imbalance at all:
Source: https://us.coopertire.com/for-owners/tire-warranty
OP
did some light wheeling last weekend with my firstborn, on our way to camp out and hike the next morning. I've been promising him we would do that for months and it was our last night to do it before the move. As mentioned above, the Jeep has been in OK since Monday and he and his little brother are in KS on their way to spend a few days with my inlaws while my wife and I pack and move.
Observations:
-Lots of washboards on the way out, which lead to roads that were mostly flat but had a lot of holes and embedded rocks. The ride was positively jarring. It seemed worse even when I was running the exact same tires, and now it's definitely worse with the 35s. I'm hoping maybe the tires soften up a little once I beat on them with 8-10psi, but I have no idea if that's a real thing. I know part of that is perception because my driver quarter window is loose in the hardtop, and rattles like crazy over bumps. I'll try to take care of that first, but I'm probably going to sell it because I just don't see needing it in Oklahoma with the milder winters. I ordered a fastback top in black twill from MasterTop.
-when I had opportunity to flex it out, the new JJ's I put on my RC LCA's were creaky. I guess I need to disassemble and grease them, though it's kinda surprising that I didn't have to do that for the first 9 JJ's I installed. Made me wander if dry joints could also contribute to the rougher ride I'm experiencing.
Observations:
-Lots of washboards on the way out, which lead to roads that were mostly flat but had a lot of holes and embedded rocks. The ride was positively jarring. It seemed worse even when I was running the exact same tires, and now it's definitely worse with the 35s. I'm hoping maybe the tires soften up a little once I beat on them with 8-10psi, but I have no idea if that's a real thing. I know part of that is perception because my driver quarter window is loose in the hardtop, and rattles like crazy over bumps. I'll try to take care of that first, but I'm probably going to sell it because I just don't see needing it in Oklahoma with the milder winters. I ordered a fastback top in black twill from MasterTop.
-when I had opportunity to flex it out, the new JJ's I put on my RC LCA's were creaky. I guess I need to disassemble and grease them, though it's kinda surprising that I didn't have to do that for the first 9 JJ's I installed. Made me wander if dry joints could also contribute to the rougher ride I'm experiencing.
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deadbeat son
TJ Addict
Frustrating, but it sounds like you should be okay with the 45 day road test because it states that the size, load range, and speed rating must be equal to OR GREATER. The speed rating may be your setback, which is likely lower than stock. Regardless, I hope you're able to get it resolved, and perhaps Discount Tire's customer service will pick up if and when Cooper's falls short.
OP
I updated another thread, but the local discount tire down here got them balanced well enough. It still starts to shake again around 80mph, but I don't really go over 80 on purpose.
I have a UCF Extra Clearance skid (more tucked than the no body lift, but not the most extreme one) painted and ready to install, just need to do it. I just finished moving and the garage is a disaster, but I can finally get to all my tools. I had originally planned on aluminum, but when I heard that someone had a positive change in the rear driveline vibes when they installed a heavy skid, I decided to go with 1/4" steel. I plan to reinstall my front shaft while I have the skid out, since the front output yoke bolts will be easier to get to. Hopefully a pinion angle adjustment will at least get me to where there's no vibes until the rear sets in. But if not, I've got a spin free hub kit and some hardened inner axle shafts in my amazon cart waiting for me to pull the trigger. Might decide to throw a lunchbox locker in there, too, since I don't think I'll need a selectable with locking hubs. Would be nice to take care of that while I have it apart.
I sold my hard top and put a Trektop NX on it. It helped with my inverted rake, so now the frame just forward of the rear UCA mount sits about 1/4" higher than just behind the front LCA mount...with the hard top it was 1/4" lower. But that's also with no gear, so it'll probably even back out when it's loaded. Regardless, I know a 3/4" spacer would be too much.
Here it is loaded down with stuff during the move:
There are definitely not any firearms in that OD green rifle bag.
I've been pretty pleased with the stagnation zone in the drivers row that forms at speed with the windows out but still wearing full doors. I can crank the AC up and stay cool enough not to sweat even when it's 100F with near-tropical humidity. I think I'm gonna be just fine without the hard top here. The only reason I had it in CO was because of the cold winters, didn't want my soft top windows cracking.
I have a UCF Extra Clearance skid (more tucked than the no body lift, but not the most extreme one) painted and ready to install, just need to do it. I just finished moving and the garage is a disaster, but I can finally get to all my tools. I had originally planned on aluminum, but when I heard that someone had a positive change in the rear driveline vibes when they installed a heavy skid, I decided to go with 1/4" steel. I plan to reinstall my front shaft while I have the skid out, since the front output yoke bolts will be easier to get to. Hopefully a pinion angle adjustment will at least get me to where there's no vibes until the rear sets in. But if not, I've got a spin free hub kit and some hardened inner axle shafts in my amazon cart waiting for me to pull the trigger. Might decide to throw a lunchbox locker in there, too, since I don't think I'll need a selectable with locking hubs. Would be nice to take care of that while I have it apart.
I sold my hard top and put a Trektop NX on it. It helped with my inverted rake, so now the frame just forward of the rear UCA mount sits about 1/4" higher than just behind the front LCA mount...with the hard top it was 1/4" lower. But that's also with no gear, so it'll probably even back out when it's loaded. Regardless, I know a 3/4" spacer would be too much.
Here it is loaded down with stuff during the move:
There are definitely not any firearms in that OD green rifle bag.
I've been pretty pleased with the stagnation zone in the drivers row that forms at speed with the windows out but still wearing full doors. I can crank the AC up and stay cool enough not to sweat even when it's 100F with near-tropical humidity. I think I'm gonna be just fine without the hard top here. The only reason I had it in CO was because of the cold winters, didn't want my soft top windows cracking.
Are you planning to do a SYE when you install the UCF Extra clearance skid? I've heard with the low pro trans mount you don't need to with the LJ but I haven't seen anyone do it yet.
Great rig!
Great rig!
OP
I put a JB Conversions super short SYE on the TJ that this build started as. I figured I'd rather have the transfer case I'd already been through, whether I really needed the SYE or not, so I swapped cases along with the axles and suspension.
If nothing else, the couple of hours I spent swapping the cases saved me $40 on a speedometer gear since I took the speedohealer with it and was able to adjust for my 35's in about 15 seconds.
The driveshaft is a mile long (technically about 29.5" but looks like a mile compared to a TJ.
Some rough trig suggests my driveshaft angle after the tuck will be about the same as my TJ was without a tuck.
In hindsight, I might have kept the stock case with it's output damper and cycled the suspension to see if the driveshaft had any bind, just to see if I could get away with it before swapping cases. If I could, it might have saved me a lot of trouble with vibrations. I'm not sure if anyone has had the pulsing vibes from a stock rear shaft with the damper.