ab-so-friggin-lutely awesome dude... the truck looks amazing...

 

Wow!

Very impressive!
(And probably took alot less time than the rear did to put on! :D )

Nice work!

 

pictures John, Pictures!! Flex and rubbing shoots!

 

john can u keep me updated on the difference of mileage......say for example before u got 270 to a tank now u got X.....my friend regeared his jeep after running 33's for a while and is actually gettin better.....i would just kind of like to know if it is better or worse.....and to what extent

 

looks awsome, much more trail ready.

 

Of course! For a fellow white truck owner, I'd be glad to! I haven't even kept track yet since so much work has been going on, but I will in the next week or so and report on it for sure.

Alright, flexing is okay but just barely, lol.

First off, in order to get the front to flex you really do need to disconnect the sway bar. Then you have to figure out how to flex to get one side to "stuff" (as such) in fhe front.

For reference against Pic 2 below, compare where the front wheel is to the "resting position" in this picture.


Pic 1: You can see (yes it's a lousy picture, I know) that the lower arm is contacting the bump stop. If you don't know what you're looking at, take my word for it, lol.

Pic 2: Heres the clearance on that side without the modification to the flare I talked about. Drivers side in this shot. If I turn the wheel left, the back edge will squeeze past the flare, but then grab it on the way out. That's it -- that's the worst of it. I modified this side and it moves that flare bottome edge back about an inch, then I also cut away some of that inside plastic on the flare right in that lower inside corner (viewed from the picture perspective) and that solved it completely. No rubbing in the front now at all when full flexed up. Flexed down there was never a problem. Turning the wheel the other way on the this side (towards the right) moves the wheel AWAY from the back edge, and it was also not a problem. I think if I still had the valance on, I might have problems in the front inner edge.

Pic 3: This is the rear. Now, no matter how I parked the truck and flexed it, this is the most it would go up -- but it's not on the bump stop. That's at least 2 inches above this point. Don't know what to think about that.

Pic 4: Back view of where I had the truck to get the front to flex properly.

Pic 5: Front view during front flex test.

Pic 6: An overexposed version of that shot so you can see the difference in position between the two front wheels. When the sway bar is on, it is VERY hard to get them to be in such different positions.

By the way, disconnecting the swaybar is a totally unsuitable idea for driving with extra lift and 35's on the street where any real handling is required. Trust me on this -- WHOO HOO!!!! Scary roller coaster...

 

looks good John
Poser flex just can't duplicate the range of off road flex

 

I concure

 

Right on John. Thanks. I was wondering how the rear would look at full flex. I guessing your springs (in pic 2) are not letting you flex anymore. I know I've never hit the bumpstops when flexing. I don't know if the stock is the limiting factor or the truck just doesn't weight enough to compress the spring anymore. How about puting one of the front wheels where your rear pass. wheel is? That will really stuff one of the rear tires, might even get close to rubbing. Let me know.

Thanks for the pictures John!! Sweet, truck looks mean. Can't wait to hear your review on how much more wheeling you can do with the 35's over the cooper 31's!! I know I love the extra 1.5 ground clearance when I put my 33's on. Mostly the break over clearance.

 

Yeah, breakover is a big one -- but my approach angle is awesome -- I need to get an inclinometer and measure it and the departure angle and post all that stuff. Also measure the clearance between the ground and various places.

My 31's wouldn't flex past a certain point either. I'm still thinking about extending the rear bumpstop down a bit. In fact, those are in the same postion I saw the 31's in if you consider the tire diamter -- the 31's were about 2" further down.

The droop side can go down more than you see in the picture, most likely. I'll see if I can get the tire off the ground today and photograph that as well.

This Friday I'll thrash it a little in Wharton and see what happens.

I still have a few pics to take. I did park it like you said, but didn't photograph it -- same result though. I'll do it again, Adrian, when I get a chance.

 

That looks awesome John, you just dont stop. Such progress. I remember when you told me "im not really interested in offroading" at atlanta in 03, hehe

 

Yes, I remember that -- and at the time I really wasn't!

Blame it all on Carl mostly. He was the instigator! Doc helped and Tom has been feeding the money on my back since Carl is in Iraq. Help me! I'm obsessed!

I'm learning an awful lot about mechanical work though as a result and that'll help me when I convert this to a 4x4 or build another truck later. It's been an amazing experience eek-ing out whatever I can from a small motor 2WD pickup. It's forced me to work at it and not take the truck for granted which is probably what I needed to really learn about it.

 

Thats awesome, your like the albert einstein of the ranger world.....or the donald trump of the ranger world....!hehe

So whats the next major mod for your truck?

 

I don't know, Jon -- I'm really out of money for mods at this point. I think next is NEW 35's with more aggressive tread (maybe Cooper S/T's in 35 inch) -- but that's for the fall when I save up some more unless I sell something or some side work comes up.

 

Well, I just took it down on the river flood plain behind the plant and "thrashed" it and it's fine.

I spun the back wheels, did donuts at full throttle, and baja'd down the dirt roads (which are full of small "whoops") at 40 mph. I was able to bottom out the front suspension (full up travel) going over whoops and it felt just like it did with the stock spindles -- nothing else was heard, or afterwards seen, to rub under power. No sign of rubbing on turns, but it wasn't a full test with making turns off-camber and all. It's pretty flat down there.

Still, it was quite successful and very encouraging!

 

looks SWEEEEEET!!!!
i like it

 

Yea get those number and I see if I can get numbers to. Compare how 35's with a lift compare to 33's with no lift!! I need that added approach angle like you but will have to wait b4 I rip off the front valance!

Don't worry about getting a picture John. I just thought you would get more stuff from having the front weight transfer to the rear over the just having the rear on the hill. But if it didn't stuff any more thats all its going to go!! Have fun this weekend!

 

Okay, haven't gotten an inclinometer to measure approach and departure angles, but here's some specs:

Ground to front crossmember clearance: 16"

Ground to rock slider clearance: 22"

Ground to rear differential clearance: 10"

Not too shabby!

 

on the first page of pics, the third one, the one of ur rear end, why is it slanted? reminds me of the chevy lean.....lol!

 

Hes parked on a slight slope

 

then y r his wheels straight, but the body of the truck slanted?

 

The wheels aren't straight. Look at the axle, fool! The truck does not lean, regardless of the picture. You just picking a fight there, Red Rider? 'Cause I got me an old Red Ryder BB gun around here somewhere and I know how to use it...

 

Look at the axle. It's on un-even ground. It is slanted toward the passenger side. That's why the lean.

 

my bad, at first glance it looked like the body was leaning and wheels straight

 

[puts BB gun back in closet]