TJ rally raid build

[aldesso]

Good choice. Personal opinion but I like 3.73 for 31" tyers.

Believe it or not the "stock box" is the way to go as most of the intake upgrades will do little to add to performance unless your planning to revving in the very high range like above 4000 rpm

And, you do not need to install a lift to clear 31 inch tyres unless you're planning to use a disconnect sway bar, however, you may need to space the steering stoppers with a washer or too to stop contact with the lower control arms.

The secondary prefilter was for heavy particles filtering (like a snorkel), not for performance. But we figured we'd have to reinstall the stock airbox anyways for all the Swiss DMV inspection ... it was more trouble than worth, especially since we have onboard air to blow the filter off every night.

And yes, we will use quick disconnects but going to a slightly different offset to prevent rubbing.

It was the logical time to regear. We needed to open and adjust everything anyways for the air lockers install.
3.73 will give us good torque and the option to go bigger in the future if we ever wish.

 

[aldesso]

And yes, we will use quick disconnects but going to a slightly different offset to prevent rubbing.

Now the big question is ... and I scoured the forums as well as the net with no clear definitive answer ... should I use 7x15 or 8x15 rims with the new 31"tires? The final contenders are BFG Mud terrain KM3 and BFG All terrain KO2 ... BFG recommends 7"-9" rims for either.

My feeling is to go for 7x15 ET+10 to better protect the rim, keep a slight positive offset to keep the forces close to the wheel bearing's plane yet prevent rubbing and, as an added bonus, the steel wheel would weight slightly less. What do you all think? Am I missing something?

Here is a visual between stock and upgraded using tire size.com's awesome wheel offset calculator

 

[Wombat]

I run a -21 for a 33x10.5 but you can go with less - not sure how much less - although I would use the -21 to give you as much track as you can get, you will be needing it to avoid a rollover, particularly in competition situations.

Most TJ owners run a 15x8 for 31 to 33x10 and many run a 33x12.5 on this rim size, I would not as it's not roadworthy in my country and it's outside the requirements of the manufacturer's specifications when using a BFG AT or MT

Running 8" rims over 7" will give you a more stable ride but the downside is that the beads will let go at a lower pressure then running 7"

As for MT vs AT? From what I understand you will be in sandy conditions, AT's will be a better choice

Go with the AT's! I have a set of both 33x10x15 and I can say from experience the AT's are better in sand and snow for many reasons, the AT's will give you more time to realise your digging down to the diffs when ascending a steep dune as the MT will bog down much quicker.

 

[aldesso]

Running 8" rims over 7" will give you a more stable ride but the downside is that the beads will let go at a lower pressure then running 7"

Wombat,
Thank you for the insight. Not sure I understand the above comment. Do you mean that I will be able to run lower pressures if I go with 7" vs 8"?

As far as offset, the +10 would still result in a track that is 96mm (3-3/4") wider than the stock setup.
We have to heed to Swiss laws and might need to widen the fenders to fully cover the wheels ... maximum I would personally want to go is 0 offset (116mm or 4.5" wider than stock track)

Terrain is mostly either sandy or full of small sharp rocks (thread and especially sidewall toughness is super important and the #1 priority). I hear your point that the MT might be too aggressive for the sand.

To give you an idea, here are the main terrain types besides dunes:

 

[qslim]

I do miss living in the States and being able to build/weld all the stuff myself .

Out of curiosity, what is it about living outside of the United States that prevents you from welding on your own?

 

[aldesso]

Out of curiosity, what is it about living outside of the United States that prevents you from welding on your own?

Point taken, more the space and availability of materials and tools ... as well as the price of said materials and tools if you can find them.

Owning a home is out of reach of most people and if I started building anything with powertools, let alone a welder, I'd have the neighbours and/or police on my back within a few minutes ... for noise (powertools) or safety (potential fire with welding) reasons ...
At some point, I can soon hopefully afford a closed in garage where I can work on cars and projects at my leisure.

 

[aldesso]

double post

 

[qslim]

Point taken, more the space and availability of materials and tools ... as well as the price of said materials and tools if you can find them.

Owning a home is out of reach of most people and if I started building anything with powertools, let alone a welder, I'd have the neighbours and/or police on my back within a few minutes. At some point, I can soon hopefully afford a closed in garage where I can work on cars and projects at my leisure.

Ah, I see. I wasn't sure if there was some regulation where you are there that prevented people from welding on their own without certain permits, but it all makes sense.

 

[Wombat]

Do you mean that I will be able to run lower pressures if I go with 7" vs 8"?

Short answer, yes but ideally you would run the 8" rim with pneumatic beadlocks (as I do) because they lock both sides of the rim and allow you to run flat if necessary. They are a pain in the ass to install and are easier to install on a steel or flat rim that has little or no curvature on the out facing side.

I beat all my friends in countless situations because I can run any pressure I desire, however, you need to have TPMS to make sure you not cooking your rubber and I strongly recommend you get a set no matter what setup you decide to run, partially for what you will be doing it is imperative that you can tell at a glance what pressure and temperature your tyres are at and if you have a leaking valve or slow leaking puncher. In my op no car should be without a set and don't skimp on a cheap set

https://daviescraig.com.au/tyreguard-tpms
As for weight, your not going to notice the difference between 7 & 8 inch rims, it's negligible at best, you will get a better contact with the terrain and less rounding of the tread running 8"

As far as offset, the +10 would still result in a track that is 96mm (3-3/4") wider than the stock setup.
We have to heed to Swiss laws and might need to widen the fenders to fully cover the wheels ... maximum I would personally want to go is 0 offset (116mm or 4.5" wider than stock track)

Even if you go with the lesser offset the tyers will sit outside the standard guards and the aftermarket guards are fairly cheap but I get your concern, here in Australia we have close to the same legal issues with modeficatiations, it sucks bigtime! I had to get an engineers certificate to sign off on 33" with a 3" lift... sheesh!

Terrain is mostly either sandy or full of small sharp rocks (thread and especially sidewall toughness is super important and the #1 priority). I hear your point that the MT might be too aggressive for the sand.

Just go the AT's, unless you plan on deep mud and bogholes you will be glad you did, you simply get more tread on the contact aria, only downside is that they will pick up stones and fling them in all directions on account of that extra grip.

 

[aldesso]

Update on actual mods planned so far (still need to install them):
31"x10.5"x15" BFG All terrain KO2 still deciding on 7"vs8" rim ...
OME 2"lift kit
HD steering kit wit steering rod skid plate
3.73 regearing on stock 30 and 35 axles
ARB front & rear lockers and onboard air and ARB diff covers
Smittybilt SRC Bumper & TireCarrier
Smittybilt SRC Side Armor
Genright Enduro 24.5gal tank

 

[Plumber1]

I think if your going to add ARB's which are great to the Dana 35 and re-gear you may want to consider a super 35 kit to beef it up. You don't want to own one of these Dana 35's

 

[aldesso]

We did discuss a super 35. At this point, we don’t think it would be necessary since it is NOT a speed rally, and there won’t be any rock crawling either ... we may still do it though ... it comes down to getting the extra sponsoring.

 

[aldesso]

Here is the car before logo stickering and ready for testing. The interior still needed to be built. We had to drive out to Austria (Switzerland does not allow offroading) to test out that all was functioning as intended.

... probably the only scenario when MTs would have been a better choice than ATs (no sand dunes to test on out here)
The air lockers and tire combo performed for most of the trail and we also got the opportunity to test the winch setup ... LOL

 

[Chris]

Here is the car before logo stickering and ready for testing. The interior still needed to be built. We had to drive out to Austria (Switzerland does not allow offroading) to test out that all was functioning as intended.

View attachment 144848

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... probably the only scenario when MTs would have been a better choice than ATs (no sand dunes to test on out here)
The air lockers and tire combo performed for most of the trail and we also got the opportunity to test the winch setup ... LOL

Damn, that's a sharp looking TJ in a very rare color! I love it!

 

[aldesso]

... and here it is all stickered up, ready for the rally. Unfortunately, the rally has been postponed to September as precautionary measure for the COVID19 epidemic.

 

[bedhed]

Finally got started with the project yesterday. First step was to take it up on a lift, and see what we are dealing with.
We also used this occasion to change the oil and flush the cooling system and recharge with fresh ... based on what is smelled/looked like, it hadn't been done in a very long time ... or ever ... next time on the lift will be transmission, axles, transfer case and brake fluids ... and some other maintenance items I should be getting soon.

Meanwhile, the Sponsor's race continues but at least we can get moving on quite a few things.

We gutted the interior carpeting and all rear bench and seat belts assemblies. We will create some kind of shelf/platform there.

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Also mocked up a cardboard overhead console to give more storage and house the compulsory IRITRACK system.

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Will have to check with helmets for the exact size but it is pretty close ... and decide what material to build it out of.
The other question will be ... do I secure solely from the roll bars and windshield or do I secure it instead/also to the hardtop itself. Anyone built something similar? If so, what material did you end up using?

I do miss living in the States and being able to build/weld all the stuff myself ...

Welcome to the forum! The jeep was a nice find. I will enjoy following along with your build and it's progress.

As for your upper console build, I'm not sure what your thoughts are at the moment, but I wanted to suggest coroplast sheets (aka Corrugated Plastic).

It's very simple to work with, lightweight, and strong. As you can see in the picture, it will be very similar to working with cardboard.

 

[bedhed]

Welcome to the forum! The jeep was a nice find. I will enjoy following along with your build and it's progress.

As for your upper console build, I'm not sure what your thoughts are at the moment, but I wanted to suggest coroplast sheets (aka Corrugated Plastic).
View attachment 144858

It's very simple to work with, lightweight, and strong. As you can see in the picture, it will be very similar to working with cardboard.

Here are some pictures from a recent build that I used this for. Just to give you an idea of some ways that it can be formed and fastened together.

To form bends, just cut along the corrugations. For bends that are on the outer radius, I just used some foil tape to seal them up. Again, light weight and strong. I used many rivets, but of course, adhesives can be used also.

 

[aldesso]

... and here is the interior. Fully reversible as the entire unit is trapped to the stock mounting locations

These are all standard "euro" crates. They simply sit on sliding frames so can be removed at anytime. the straps just secure them on the frames to stop any rattling if you went over really rough stuff.

The full pullouts are rated for 130lbs and, unlike roller slides, are fully demountable for servicing should dirt/ sand find its way into the mechanism.

Bottom are (2x) 40L crates for the heavy stuff to keep CG low ... spares on the right and anything to get you unstuck on the left.
Top drawers are made up of (6x)20L, (1x)15L and(1x)5L

And here is the cockpit area ...

 

[aldesso]

Welcome to the forum! The jeep was a nice find. I will enjoy following along with your build and it's progress.

As for your upper console build, I'm not sure what your thoughts are at the moment, but I wanted to suggest coroplast sheets (aka Corrugated Plastic).
View attachment 144858

It's very simple to work with, lightweight, and strong. As you can see in the picture, it will be very similar to working with cardboard.

I had considered coroplast at some point. I ended up using 2 plastic plant containers and aluminum for the structure. The main focus was for a strong attachment point for the IRITRACK unit provided by the organizers. (the yellow foam is a mockup of the unit to test access and visibility)

 

[bedhed]

I had considered coroplast at some point. I ended up using 2 plastic plant containers and aluminum for the structure. The main focus was for a strong attachment point for the IRITRACK unit provided by the organizers. (the yellow foam is a mockup of the unit to test access and visibility)

Ah! Okay, I see. I agree. No sense in building it larger than it needs to be. I was just looking at the final product in your updated pictures. Looks good! I'm diggin' the pictures of it all sponsored up. Good looking Jeep.