A few years ago there was a guy on Rubicon owners forum that replaced all his steel skids, corner guards sliders etc with aluminum parts and claimed his Jeep lost around 500 lbs.
When is there not a point of weight reduction?
- Thread starter Blake Stamper
- Start date
OP
I've never done it as an exercise in numbers but if you figure something like the Savvy front bumper with hooks and hardware weighs just about the same as the stock TJ sheet metal bumper, it wouldn't be hard to believe it.
Or don't install a Currie RJ HP 60 front axle. Last one I weighed came in at just a smidge under 500 lbs. So, if you avoid that, you're already 300 lbs lighter.
In your case, remove all that heavy crap, toss it in a pile and then go drive your rig. You will understand the boiling frog concept with an intensity that is astounding. You added a lot of crap because you liked the way it looked with zero fucks given to anything else. Now you're paying for it.
I'm only guessing here, but you'd likely save somewhere around 125 - 150 lbs. Although I haven't weighed a front and rear Rubicon axle, I've tried to pick them up and can't, by myself. I can with a Dana 30 or 35. The factory Rubicon locker is a nice addition, but unless they're re-geared, I'd just build your existing axles, stuffed with 5.13 gears and a locker. FWIW, the liability of a Rubicon axle is parts for the locker are made from unobtanium and no longer available.
I think you need a scanner/code reader that does live data readings and also can record information. Or a program for a computer plus a ability to connect to your OBD-II port and then go drive the Jeep until you can get it to act up while recording. Then you can see what is happening and hopefully a indication of what is causing this to happen.
A few pounds...I don't think its earth shattering. Also, axles are unsprung weight and can help contribute to stability (think ballast in a boat...helps keep the bottom on the bottom). So, like everything else in building a jeep...its a tradeoff.
For a 4 cylinder jeep...I'd probably stick with a super 35/super 30 combo and only because you're running 35's
OP
Do you think the weight is causing the backfire? It’s been heavy for quite a while and only recently started doing it?
OP
Okay, I was a bit confused, that’s what I was asking with the diagnosing things, I’m aware my jeep is an overweight pig and I appreciate the response, I don’t have the money to instantly jump out of the pot
No the weight doesn't have anything to do with it backfiring. When it backfires is it popping thru the intake or the exhaust?
OP
The single thing that made me focus on weight reduction was when I had a JKU with a hard top. I went topless once time and noticed how much nicer the Jeep handled. When I got my LJ, I felt how much lighter aluminum corners were when compared to steel. It can make a big difference in how your Jeep handles.
I have an overweight friend that rides with me occasionally. He's over 300lbs. I notice a big difference when he's riding with me. One time he wanted to go on a hard trail that i hadn't tried. I talked him out of going because I didn't want the added weight.
I have an overweight friend that rides with me occasionally. He's over 300lbs. I notice a big difference when he's riding with me. One time he wanted to go on a hard trail that i hadn't tried. I talked him out of going because I didn't want the added weight.
I just installed aluminum skids from Artec Industries and gained an astounding 10 pounds over the stock steel skids I removed and gained an engine oil-pan skid which it didn’t have stock.
edit: the skids were installed on my JL Rubicon, not a TJ
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There is a noticeable difference (to me) in mine just switching between full hard doors and soft. That extra ~100lbs of door weight creates more movement, both in roll and how the suspension reacts to bumps in the road.
i wish i knew what if any the difference is from the day i got it to today (not including the hard top). not just overall either, i'd like to know if and how much i may have altered corner weights front vs rear and driver to passenger..
i added bars, and some aluminum armor. but lost all the stock seats, speaker pods, the spare is now forward of the rear axle as is the fuel cell that carries 5 gl less weight. i'd think some nice aluminum trail doors might negate most of my added bar weight.
the owner of the place i work is a hobby racer, owns a few 1 of a kind race cars. he's got a portable scale they use that'll do overall and corner weights...........when i get it in there some day i planned to ask him to hook me up.
i added bars, and some aluminum armor. but lost all the stock seats, speaker pods, the spare is now forward of the rear axle as is the fuel cell that carries 5 gl less weight. i'd think some nice aluminum trail doors might negate most of my added bar weight.
the owner of the place i work is a hobby racer, owns a few 1 of a kind race cars. he's got a portable scale they use that'll do overall and corner weights...........when i get it in there some day i planned to ask him to hook me up.
I just weighed the 104" TJ we stretched for 37's with RJ 60's front and rear. Or rather I weighed the sprung part. Front corner weights are 825 and rear is 600.
Front axle total less tires is 480. (axles weighed with a crane scale)
Rear axle is 275 less tires.
Tires x 4 are 460
Add in some miscellaneous bullshit and it should come in right at 42-4300 which I'm pretty happy with.
IDK if it matters to most but i tried to keep everything within the the frame of the wheels (not much i can do about the front end). but everything added or moved was behind the motor and forward of those rear wheels.
I may or may not be guilty of similar. The reason the rear corner weights seem a bit off is some of the fuel is under the front seats. The rear coil overs are supporting the rig 4ish" in front of the tail lights. We actually set all of the cargo right in front of the tail gate for a worst case scenario. The rest of the time it sits in the cargo tray we made for the top of the fuel tank.