Wildman's TJ is getting a face lift

Well again not really anything to report other than the fact that for ONCE I got good news in a letter from the VA yesterday. Seems they had made a mistake and had been taking funds out of my disability checks for a debit that I didn't owe. Funny how that works...… I'd argued with them before saying I didn't owe this debit but...…

So in this letter they tell me that they are refunding me my money soon. Talk about a HUGE wow. So soon I'll be getting a influx into my Jeep parts fund. Just ordered a bead blasting cabinet and a small portable storage shed to move some of the stuff I have in my garage out of the way. So hopefully soon I'll be able to get started on my Jeep.
As soon as the shelter in place is lifted I'll be taking my engine over to machine shop. Then while it is there I'll finish taking the nose apart and remove the old engine and tranny.
After all the discussion on lifts and such I am going to give the Savvy Mid Arm a shot and see if it will work for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MountaineerTom
it's a fat nickle to drop but those are some sexy parts.
if i could have know then, what i know now that sys would have been in place under my rig already. i let a few hundred $ push me into, not the best choice i could have made. and it's cost plenty to try and turn it around.

have you made provisions to run longer shocks in the rear, now's the time to address that as well if you have not.
 
someguysjeep said:
it's a fat nickle to drop but those are some sexy parts.
if i could have know then, what i know now that sys would have been in place under my rig already. i let a few hundred $ push me into, not the best choice i could have made. and it's cost plenty to try and turn it around.

have you made provisions to run longer shocks in the rear, now's the time to address that as well if you have not.
Click to expand...

I have outboard shocks already in the rear and am going to be redoing the front shock mounts also. I sure wish 2/3rd of the products had been available back in 2005 when I first built this Jeep. But then I would be saying the same thing again now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: someguysjeep
someguysjeep said:
have you made provisions to run longer shocks in the rear, now's the time to address that as well if you have not.
Click to expand...
To clarify since I know how folks misinterpret stuff, the installation of the mid arm changes nothing about axle location or angle. You can outboard the shocks before or after the mid-arm since it changes nothing that affects how the outboard is done.
The outboarding should be done after the belly height and drivetrain heights are established since both of those affect pinion angle and therefore lower shock mount angle on the axle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike_H, jjvw, someguysjeep and 1 other person
mrblaine said:
To clarify since I know how folks misinterpret stuff, the installation of the mid arm changes nothing about axle location or angle. You can outboard the shocks before or after the mid-arm since it changes nothing that affects how the outboard is done.
The outboarding should be done after the belly height and drivetrain heights are established since both of those affect pinion angle and therefore lower shock mount angle on the axle.
Click to expand...

Only time will tell if I will have to redo my present outboard shock setup. And of course when the time comes I'll be reading Blaine's writeup on How To install and setup this. Plus I am sure getting under his skin with all my stupid questions. But things have started.
 
  • Like
Reactions: someguysjeep
Wildman said:
I have outboard shocks already in the rear and am going to be redoing the front shock mounts also. I sure wish 2/3rd of the products had been available back in 2005 when I first built this Jeep. But then I would be saying the same thing again now.
Click to expand...
The only thing you would change now would be shock selection and that is only if you want to run the DSC adjusters on a normal steel body Fox shock. Geometry and how it works on a rig doesn't change so the mid arm design is timeless. It is also one of a small handful of products that has not had any changes or updates since it was put into production. There is only one thing that could change and there is really not a good way to make it better and that is a lead in ramp to the front of the rear mounts on the lower edges. They have to be the way they are to work and making them less of a hang point would be nice, but not very doable.
 
Wildman said:
Only time will tell if I will have to redo my present outboard shock setup. And of course when the time comes I'll be reading Blaine's writeup on How To install and setup this. Plus I am sure getting under his skin with all my stupid questions. But things have started.
Click to expand...
Getting under my skin requires that I don't have the opportunity or ability to walk away. I have both.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: someguysjeep and Wildman
Wildman said:
Only time will tell if I will have to redo my present outboard shock setup. And of course when the time comes I'll be reading Blaine's writeup on How To install and setup this. Plus I am sure getting under his skin with all my stupid questions. But things have started.
Click to expand...
The way you are doing it makes it 2-3 times as hard as the normal method. You have to build around a tank under the rig. That is a lot harder to do that not.
 
i agree with your statement.
my mention was merely that while this much work was being done the effort required to move the shocks from under the rig might be less while the rigs apart.
 
My shock selection was going to be some Radflo's from Paul @Fullstack

mrblaine said:
Getting under my skin requires that I don't have the opportunity or ability to walk away. I have both.
Click to expand...

Okay maybe a poor choice of words.... Not that I want or try to annoy others but I seem to.
 
mrblaine said:
The way you are doing it makes it 2-3 times as hard as the normal method. You have to build around a tank under the rig. That is a lot harder to do that not.
Click to expand...

I'm still not ruling out a fuel cell and may just go that route as you have suggested many times.
 
Wildman said:
I'm still not ruling out a fuel cell and may just go that route as you have suggested many times.
Click to expand...
I like the pros of running a fuel cell. But hate having a fuel cell in the tub. Its just not that practical. Having to fill it up in the Jeep, having the gas smell, and then the noise of the pump just gets old.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildman
Fouledplugs said:
I like the pros of running a fuel cell. But hate having a fuel cell in the tub. Its just not that practical. Having to fill it up in the Jeep, having the gas smell, and then the noise of the pump just gets old.
Click to expand...

These are all the reasons I am NOT wanting to use a fuel cell. And it would have to be almost right behind the front seats because of the storage box I have in the rear of my TJ. I've only ever ridden in 1 Jeep that had a fuel cell and it was many many years ago so I am sure the technology has changed over time.
 
Wildman said:
I'm still not ruling out a fuel cell and may just go that route as you have suggested many times.
Click to expand...
I've not suggested a fuel cell. What I have suggested is how to achieve the wheelbase you need for the size of tire you want to run. I'm not a fan of fuel cells. I am a fan of balanced suspension though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildman
Wildman said:
These are all the reasons I am NOT wanting to use a fuel cell. And it would have to be almost right behind the front seats because of the storage box I have in the rear of my TJ. I've only ever ridden in 1 Jeep that had a fuel cell and it was many many years ago so I am sure the technology has changed over time.
Click to expand...
Right, whats wrong with A Genright stretch tank? I am guessing that you would run a fuel cell in order to achieve some more wheelbase in the rear...
 
Wildman said:
These are all the reasons I am NOT wanting to use a fuel cell. And it would have to be almost right behind the front seats because of the storage box I have in the rear of my TJ. I've only ever ridden in 1 Jeep that had a fuel cell and it was many many years ago so I am sure the technology has changed over time.
Click to expand...
The storage box can be dealt with. But no, the technology has not changed. Fuel cells are loud, smelly, inconvenient and the only reason to run one is if you have no other solution.
 
Wildman said:
These are all the reasons I am NOT wanting to use a fuel cell. And it would have to be almost right behind the front seats because of the storage box I have in the rear of my TJ. I've only ever ridden in 1 Jeep that had a fuel cell and it was many many years ago so I am sure the technology has changed over time.
Click to expand...
Thats unfortunate, Motobilt sells a cell specfically for the TJ. It sits right behind the rear seat and is formed perfectly to sit back there with the factory rear seat in place.
 
Top Bottom
Back