Midnight LJR Build

[mrblaine]

Trail Review:

Went on Sourgrass Trail with about a dozen people from the forum it was really great to meet everyone and was an awesome day. Thank you again to @mrblaine For making this thing so enjoyable for my family. It was not a super hard trail but had a few obstacles to at least give me a taste of what’s it’s capable of. The ride on the trail really has to be felt to believed in my opinion. I think stable and sure footed are the best ways to describe it. I aired down to 8 psi, locked the hubs, and put the sway bar in soft mode. Then was just cruising. On regular sections of trail my wife and I just kept saying wow this thing rides nice. On obstacles when a tire would fall into a hole it was like it just lowered in it and then stayed there without rocking the Jeep around. We really noticed it with the back coming off ledges I was ready for a big “fall” and bounce and it was just like the rear tires lowered and we just drove down it. On the way out I was in the back of the group so really just got to enjoy it, going up big rocks it would just swallow them up and drive right up them. That’s actually a good way to describe it with the steering kit, and the way it handled everything I would normally describe going over big rocks on the trail as climbing or coming down off etc. with this thing I would describe it as just driving over them because there is simply no drama.

I am excited to do slickrock which is a trail I am most familiar with and has some more steep climbs.

View attachment 166469View attachment 166470View attachment 166472View attachment 166473View attachment 166474View attachment 166471

Here is a video of me going through the water crossing where I almost made a big mistake by not taking a wide enough line around the rock. I was unfamiliar with water crossing mixed with obstacles and felt like I should have went much easier through it and chose a line that took into account the possibility of falling into holes etc. Luckily I just ended up with some scratches on the flare. It’s always the first scratch that hurts the most.


View attachment 166487

I don't care about the flare but you already fucked up the license plate holder that I just replaced. See, this is why we can't have nice things.

 

[mvigo]

I was really hoping to go but work got in the way, looks like y'all had a nice day!

 

[Wildman]

AWESOME pictures and thanks for sharing. Looks great.

 

[Midnight LJR]

I don't care about the flare but you already fucked up the license plate holder that I just replaced. See, this is why we can't have nice things.

Crap, I didn’t even see that!

I am gonna have to fix it. I am not sure how I am supposed to wheel this thing. It’s your fault for making it too nice!

I guess I could try driving better....

 

[Daryl]

Crap, I didn’t even see that!

I am gonna have to fix it. I am not sure how I am supposed to wheel this thing. It’s your fault for making it too nice!

I guess I could try driving better....

Lol, like you said, the first scratch is always the hardest. My advice is get used to it if you’re going to use all that expensive stuff you had installed. Wish I could have made it, looks like a fun trail.

 

[Midnight LJR]

Lol, like you said, the first scratch is always the hardest. My advice is get used to it if you’re going to use all that expensive stuff you had installed. Wish I could have made it, looks like a fun trail.

I believe you can use your Jeep without letting it get get too thrashed. If you stay on top of maintenances and repairs and fix things when they get damaged. Don’t take my joking too serious I am not acting like it’s wrecked and know this is what I built it for.

That being said If you keep things nice you tend to treat them nicer. It’s kind of like how a clean house tends to stay clean, and a messy ones just gets messier. I plan to have this Jeep for a long long time. So a big part of that to me will be staying on top of maintenance and repairs and not letting 50 small things acclimate that turn it into a beater.

 

[Daryl]

I believe you can use your Jeep without letting it get get too thrashed. If you stay on top of maintenances and repairs and fix things when they get damaged. Don’t take my joking too serious I am not acting like it’s wrecked and know this is what I built it for.

That being said If you keep things nice you tend to treat them nicer. It’s kind of like how a clean house tends to stay clean, and a messy ones just gets messier. I plan to have this Jeep for a long long time. So a big part of that to me will be staying on top of maintenance and repairs and not letting 50 small things acclimate that turn it into a beater.

I understand. I’ve seen the crumpled up beer can vehicles, nobody likes dents, scratches, not a big deal. Just my opinion. You have a beautiful Jeep BTW. Enjoy it.

 

[DrDmoney]

I think that hole next to the boulder collected its fair share of "tolls" that day.

 

[Midnight LJR]

I think that hole next to the boulder collected its fair share of "tolls" that day.

Yeah it did! lol

 

[Chris]

With as much as the tires will stuff into the stock fenders (from looking at your photos you posted the other day), it appears that if you stuffed the tires while the wheel was turned, you'd wipe out the fender / fender flare.

Is that true or not? Hard to tell just from photos.

 

[Midnight LJR]

With as much as the tires will stuff into the stock fenders (from looking at your photos you posted the other day), it appears that if you stuffed the tires while the wheel was turned, you'd wipe out the fender / fender flare.

Is that true or not? Hard to tell just from photos.

@mrblaine would probably have to give the details on that since I have not cycled the suspension myself. I just put my trust in him to set it up correctly.

I am not worried about a little rubbing on the flares they will just get out of the way. In regards to the fender I am not exactly sure where the limits are regarding all of that and turning.

What I can say is on the last trail I didn’t notice any rubbing anywhere. If there was any it was so miner I did not hear it. However I don’t really think any of the obstacles required hard turns while stuffed.

How’s that for a non answer?

 

[Chris]

@mrblaine would probably have to give the details on that since I have not cycled the suspension myself. I just put my trust in him to set it up correctly.

I am not worried about a little rubbing on the flares they will just get out of the way. In regards to the fender I am not exactly sure where the limits are regarding all of that and turning.

What I can say is on the last trail I didn’t notice any rubbing anywhere. If there was any it was so miner I did not hear it. However I don’t really think any of the obstacles required hard turns while stuffed.

How’s that for a non answer?

That’s about what I expected. I know Blaine wouldn’t build it if it didn’t work the way it was supposed to.

 

[mrblaine]

@mrblaine would probably have to give the details on that since I have not cycled the suspension myself. I just put my trust in him to set it up correctly.

I am not worried about a little rubbing on the flares they will just get out of the way. In regards to the fender I am not exactly sure where the limits are regarding all of that and turning.

What I can say is on the last trail I didn’t notice any rubbing anywhere. If there was any it was so miner I did not hear it. However I don’t really think any of the obstacles required hard turns while stuffed.

How’s that for a non answer?

Set up correctly outside of obvious damage is in the eye of the beholder. I am one who isn't bothered by some tire to flare contact since all that hurts is your feelings. Obviously that will not be the case if the tire is ripping the flare off at which point we will need to change something but that won't be uptravel. High lines, removeable flares or some similar solution can be explored.

 

[toximus]

Trail Review:

Went on Sourgrass Trail with about a dozen people from the forum it was really great to meet everyone and was an awesome day. Thank you again to @mrblaine For making this thing so enjoyable for my family. It was not a super hard trail but had a few obstacles to at least give me a taste of what’s it’s capable of. The ride on the trail really has to be felt to believed in my opinion. I think stable and sure footed are the best ways to describe it. I aired down to 8 psi, locked the hubs, and put the sway bar in soft mode. Then was just cruising. On regular sections of trail my wife and I just kept saying wow this thing rides nice. On obstacles when a tire would fall into a hole it was like it just lowered in it and then stayed there without rocking the Jeep around. We really noticed it with the back coming off ledges I was ready for a big “fall” and bounce and it was just like the rear tires lowered and we just drove down it. On the way out I was in the back of the group so really just got to enjoy it, going up big rocks it would just swallow them up and drive right up them. That’s actually a good way to describe it with the steering kit, and the way it handled everything I would normally describe going over big rocks on the trail as climbing or coming down off etc. with this thing I would describe it as just driving over them because there is simply no drama.

I am excited to do slickrock which is a trail I am most familiar with and has some more steep climbs.

View attachment 166469View attachment 166470View attachment 166472View attachment 166473View attachment 166474View attachment 166471

Here is a video of me going through the water crossing where I almost made a big mistake by not taking a wide enough line around the rock. I was unfamiliar with water crossing mixed with obstacles and felt like I should have went much easier through it and chose a line that took into account the possibility of falling into holes etc. Luckily I just ended up with some scratches on the flare. It’s always the first scratch that hurts the most.


View attachment 166487

And now you have a story to tell!

 

[mrblaine]

That’s about what I expected. I know Blaine wouldn’t build it if it didn’t work the way it was supposed to.

You assume I give a shit about your fancy flares, I do not.

 

[Apparition]

You assume I give a shit about your fancy flares, I do not.

Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups

 

[Alex01]

Any movement on the trailer build?

 

[Midnight LJR]

Any movement on the trailer build?

Lots of parts arriving. I am picking up the steel tomorrow. I am still waiting on the tub, and axle. But once I get the steel I should start making progress quickly.

 

[Alex01]

Lots of parts arriving. I am picking up the steel tomorrow. I am still waiting on the tub, and axle. But once I get the steel I should start making progress quickly.

What's the plan for paint? Are you going to attempt to spray it yourself?

 

[mrblaine]

What's the plan for paint? Are you going to attempt to spray it yourself?

He can as long as I don't see it. I have plenty of awards left in the "world's shittiest" category.