Pahl McAllister's Pre-runner/Rock Crawler

[Lurch]

Nice build dude, you used to be right down the street from me when I lived in Santa Monica, bummed I never got to see this rig.

I wouldn't waste your time and money with the bolt in cage, especially since you've already called out some major limitations of it.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

There are a lot of people happy with T&J's prebent kit, if you're just looking for a basic cage to save your ass if something goes wrong I would consider that one.

 

[PahlMc]

There are a lot of people happy with T&J's prebent kit, if you're just looking for a basic cage to save your ass if something goes wrong I would consider that one.

I'm leaning hard toward the T&J cage and just adding to it. I have no bender at my new place so I'd have to force a friend to help me (thankfully all my friends have benders!). I would at a minimum add diagonals to the roof before I bolted it up. I can always add door bars and a dash bar later.

The real debate is hybrid/Exo or what I just talked about. What to do, what to do!

 

[PahlMc]

[FONT=&quot]I forgot to post why I have so much time to post photos instead of working on the Jeep. It’s a long story, bare with me.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Originally I had mounted the huge reservoir with zip ties and some "metal tape" and honestly it was working fine. However the Jeep developed a clunk. I took the shocks off to see if that was the cause, and it was. The rod ends would allow the shock to twist, pulling on the hose, which caused the reservoir to thud against the body.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Easy fix right….weld two resi mounts onto the body, paint them and add two hose clamps. I had these all over my race car. Driver side, done in an hour. Came back out the next day to do the passenger side…done in 30 minutes!...or was it?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So I’m cleaning up my tools as the welds cool. About two minutes after I finished welding, my horn goes off. I figure I hit the panic button in my pocket (done it before) but my brain notices two things really fast. First, my keys are in my Jeep. Second, the horn is constant….that’s when I realize what’s going on: MY JEEP IS ON FIRE![/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So I calmly throw the hammer in my hand and open the door to find the flames, but I see nothing, just a tiny tiny bit of smoke (I’m picturing a raging fire under my dash killing my Jeep). Well since I can’t see it I’m I can’t put it out without the fire extinguisher. Grab it off the mount on my roof rack, literally rip off my glove box, pull the pin, aim, spray. Right before I spray I see a tiny orange flame….then white, then nothing.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]I needed to calm down so I decided to clean up the very messy extinguisher residue. I didn’t want to know the damage. All I could think is on one hand, electrical is damaged because the horn went off, this could be bad. On the other hand, if the horn didn’t go off, I may not have known for another 5 minutes or more until it was big enough to see the smoke exist the dash, which would mean a ton of damage.[/FONT]

And the relays that saved the Jeep


[FONT=&quot]So here it is. I took off the body panel that was hiding the “fire”. It was a TINY fire in the WORST spot. It melted the horn relay and started to melt the two above it. It also melted part of the fuse block and about 10 wires leaving the box. Whatever, I have full coverage on the Jeep even though I own it and only a $250 deductable. I should have it back next week all fixed up and ready to hit the trails! [/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]So kids, always have a fire extinguisher. Had I not had one, it could have gotten out of control. I was nowhere near a hose and who wants water all over there cab anyway? Even a two minute fire in the wrong place can cause a few thousand in damage (my estimate with labor is just shy of $2,600). [/FONT]

 

[XJEEPER]

Glad you caught it before it burned your rig/garage down. I carry extinguishers in all my vehicles, (plus in the garage) and have used them multiple times to put out fires on random strangers rigs during my travels.

 

[HappyDog]

Do you know what started the fire?

I'm amazed that it caused $2600 worth of damage -- that's about what my '97 is worth!

 

[PahlMc]

Glad you caught it before it burned your rig/garage down. I carry extinguishers in all my vehicles, (plus in the garage) and have used them multiple times to put out fires on random strangers rigs during my travels.

Yeah I've always been told the extinguisher on your race car or chase truck was really to help others...when your car goes up, just get out! However I have one in every car and in the garage as well. In fact I have two on the Jeep, I kept the one off my old race car.

Do you know what started the fire?

I'm amazed that it caused $2600 worth of damage -- that's about what my '97 is worth!

Either I burned a hole through the sheet metal while welding on the outside inner fender well, or just the heat of that weld caught the cheap fuzzy carpet ends on fire under the floor mat. I got the official estimate today and it says $2,326 which was considered 40% of the value of the Jeep. They were nice enough to add the aftermarket parts without me having to fight with them so insurence is all good.

To be honest I didn't realize how much I tinker on this Jeep. It's been gone for 10 days and I miss the garage already!

 

[PahlMc]

So I ran a remote comm relay for Engage at the last desert race. I got my Jeep back from the collision center an hour before I left! I ghetto wired the LED bar back up and crossed my fingers nothing was wrong with it. Other than the keyless entry, it seems fixed.

What I did learn was my rear RE shocks mounted in the stock inward mounted position is HORRIBLE HORRIBLE USELESS HORRIBLE out in the desert (I actually knew that but oh my god I hated it).

So I have a question. There's no way I get deavers, "real" shocks and mount it all within the next 6 months. So has anyone run something like an 8" fox/king/SAW shock in the stock location and really valved it stiff? Was it worth it? Right now my shocks basically do nothing. I know I'll lose money buying them now and selling them when I upgrade, but I'm okay with that IF the gains are even mildly useful.

I'm not asking if I can jump my Jeep with this set up, I know I won't even really be able to hit a small whoop section. But can it take a large bump without instanly bottoming out?

My guess is it will be slightly better but not what I want. I'm looking for actual expierience if anyone has it.

 

[PahlMc]

Some picture from the trip, oh and a seat I picked up...$150 and it matches the Jeep colors!

 

[PahlMc]

Getting ready fir our Pit duties

 

[PahlMc]

 

[PahlMc]

 

[PahlMc]

So after I decide if I am going to throw something in the rear ASAP, I will start a serious look for deavers and shocks. Then I have to decide if I just want to mount the shocks with a hoop, or also commit to a cage now.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

So after I decide if I am going to throw something in the rear ASAP, I will start a serious look for deavers and shocks. Then I have to decide if I just want to mount the shocks with a hoop, or also commit to a cage now.

if you're playing at high speed don't screw around with a hoop, tie it into a cage even if it's just a simple one. my hoop welded to plates on the frame in 4 places destroyed the rear of my unibody with 14" king 2.5s back there through the floor, it handled great but the stress on the back of the jeep destroyed pretty much every spot weld from the rear seat back.

frame plating will help a TON if you do decide to go with a hoop but if you have future plans for a cage you're just going to have to cut the hoop out and re-do everything later anyway.

you're relatively local if you want to come up this way and hang out some weekend or go grab some lunch some time hit me up and I'll show you exactly where mine started coming apart.

 

[PahlMc]

Grimm I'll take you up on the lunch or weekend invitation soon. Right now I don't take lunch, we just got awarded our next bit contract so it’s crazy here.

I think I did decide a few things in the desert this weekend (Barstow Clean-up). The shocks I have now are useless. Even though they are mounted with a regressive rate I'm going to bolt on some Fox shocks. What it will give me is the ability to progressively valve the rebound. In the rocks that may actually help. Right now I simply slam the bumps, then it jumps back up and bounces a few times.

I'm also planning to plate the frame and mount hydro bumps in the rear. It's a band aid fix but the way I see it, as long as I don't wreck the frame, it's not wasted work since I wanted bumps down the road (and I have them already). I only have 5" of up travel, so 4" of those will now be "damped" via a bumpstop and regressive shocks. I'll mess with the nitrogen levels and even the valve shims if it's a horrible ride. But I just can't go to the desert anymore with basically NOTHING in the rear. My dog was so mad this weekend flying out of her seat!

I just don't have the $2500+ to do the rear right this season. Cage, shocks, frame plating, labor/cost to seal up the rear isn't going to be cheap.

I know its very unconventional, but it might be fun to get something odd to work. I've been such a stickler to good suspension theory/geometry in the past that it's taken a lot for me to even consider something "odd"...and I am aware it may not really work but at least I'll have bumps mounted and the frame plated for future upgrades.

Anyone have pictures of rear bumps mounted, my concern is spreading the load enough, but in theory if the stock bumps aren't wrecking the jeep, as long as I don't increase the force (by driving like a moron) it should work with a plated frame. Thoughts? Am I retarded? Am I retarded but you want to see me do it anyway?


I should add I'm note even trying to go fast yet, I'm just trying not to get pissed off in the dirt! Having owned a 5 car this thing sucks

 

[PahlMc]

Made some decisions today. Going with some 8.5" fox shocks in the basically stock location in the rear. I'll add some bump stops and frame plates soon

 

[PahlMc]

More importantly I'm pulling the trigger on 12" coilovers up front. The passenger coil bucket is bent a little and I can't see see spending the time or money and not upgrading.

Should have the new front and rear shocks on by out new year trip to Ocotillo.

 

[Vanimal]

how ya gunna mount the coilovers?

 

[PahlMc]

My friend is a professional fabricator. I'm going to have him make truck style tube shock hoops with a brace accross the engine. Plate the frame first of course.

However I think the C/O's are going to wait. Corral Canyon found my new weak link: steering. Aired down with any rocks on the side of the tire I couldn't even move the steering wheel. The box is in good shape, but the pump is a pepboys special and this one sucks. My wife usually does a lot of the driving but sidewinder and my jeep didn't get along. I don't usually try to turn when I'm not moving but twice I had to back up a few times because my tires wanted to pull me up a wall....I couldn't even hold the line I wanted.

So my new quest is some sort of plate/double sheer for the dana 30 steering knuckle kind of like the one below, but without the huge steering part. http://www.bluetorchfab.com/Product/981/BTF-Cross-Over-Steering-Bracket-for-Dana-30-44-Knuckle.aspx If I'm happy with that, throw a ram on it

 

[PahlMc]

On a more fun note Corral Canyon is amazing. Sidewinder is just a non stop mile of fun! We only ran it one way wanting to cover more of the park, but I'm wishing we did go back the other way. It took us about an hour and a half, then we had lunch. Then spent two hours driving around to Gunslinger which then dead ends into Bronco Peak/Flat. We took Bronco flat back to the main road, aired up and went home. All told we were there for about 5 hours and I'm already dying to go back.

Oh and we took an FJ with us....yeah he's came home with a touch less paint. There are some really skinny trails and we tried hard to keep him clean, but there are two small scratches down to the bare metal.

The other guy with us was a TJ with stock axles and a 5" lift on 33s. The book says lockers and ground clearance are a must...well the FJ has no ground clearance and the TJ has no lockers...they made it just fine. Stacked maybe two rocks when we got a diff caught and went on our way!