XJensen
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Sacramento
The Frog Blog
- Thread starter rocknxj
- Start date
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
Yeah...what Josh said.
I did some searching and did not find many to choose from so I opted for the ultra cool Currie skids. You can probably find them cheaper if you search longer. My kid swears his were from JCR but I don't think they make them any more.
I did some searching and did not find many to choose from so I opted for the ultra cool Currie skids. You can probably find them cheaper if you search longer. My kid swears his were from JCR but I don't think they make them any more.
connor0770
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cameron Park, CA/ Reno, NV
Your gonna love the Jambo! Its a lot of fun! The food is great and saturday night is a blast! Word of advice. GET OUT OF THE SPRINGS EARLY ON SUNDAY!!!!! Cause last year it got a lil backed up and rather dusty. Plus us spotters are in a better mood at the beginning of the day. Hope you have fun!
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
Thanks for the reminder. The first year we did this we made sure we got out early and we were glad we did. You gonna make it this year?
100K XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Rocklin, CA
JCR had the mini skids at one time, forums have tips for installing them back in '06 for $25 (minus S&H)
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f19/jks-mini-skid-fitment-266299/
Can't wait for the Jambo! It'll be so different in a rig almost 2 times more capable haha
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f19/jks-mini-skid-fitment-266299/
Can't wait for the Jambo! It'll be so different in a rig almost 2 times more capable haha
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
Ha ha. Me thinks the Frog is 10x more capable than Old Blue. Biggest difference is I don't care if I damage the Frog. Blue was my first XJ and way more special. It will be a good trip and a great way to have fun before you leave for basic military training.
- Location
- Columbus, In
This just in....literally! 
And a small test before the Cherokee Crawl
And a small test before the Cherokee Crawl
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
flipping sweet! Did you do the install yourself?
...and while I'm on here...I'm packing my bags for the trip back home tomorrow. I've been in Va. since Sunday and I'm sick of the East coast. I'd never make it out here.
...and while I'm on here...I'm packing my bags for the trip back home tomorrow. I've been in Va. since Sunday and I'm sick of the East coast. I'd never make it out here.
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- Location
- Columbus, In
My cousin and I did it. Took us around 3.5 hours!
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
That's not bad at all. Got details? Write up a report after your trip and let me know how you like it.
- Location
- Columbus, In
Its a Lock right that I got a while back in an axle i bought. I ran out of time to regear and do the 8.8 swap so i figured i would improve the jeep for this run. I am looking forward to seeing what she can do with a locker.
- Location
- Middle Tennessee
You will keep up with me just fine, Flexd.
I've used this thread a lot and your pics and complements of the narrow KM2's helped me decide to go with them on my rig. Thanks for a great blog!
- Location
- Columbus, In
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
I still need to post a few pics from the two week vacation through Utah. Hopefully I'll get to that this week. Been busy, ya know.
I found a new 90w mig welder in a garage sale this past weekend and the kid and I messed around with it last night. We ended up tacking up our control arm mini-skids and plan to remove the LCAs and fully weld them up inside and out later on this week. The welder came with a spool of flux-core welding rod so no gas is needed. Seemed plenty powerful enough to weld the skids on the thin metal of the LCA brackets.
I have not welded since high school 29 years ago, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. The kid learned to weld a couple of years ago so I expect his welds to look better than mine, but as long as my mini skids hold up under punishment of the Rubicon, Slick Rock, and Deer Valley this year, I'll be happy. Again, pictures to be posted later.
By the way, my mini skids definitely DID NOT have the cool Currie logo as pictured on the site where I purchased them. Also worth noting is the thickness. Although plenty strong, they were no where near as thick as my kid's JCR mini skids. He made sure I knew the difference. Dang kid.
I found a new 90w mig welder in a garage sale this past weekend and the kid and I messed around with it last night. We ended up tacking up our control arm mini-skids and plan to remove the LCAs and fully weld them up inside and out later on this week. The welder came with a spool of flux-core welding rod so no gas is needed. Seemed plenty powerful enough to weld the skids on the thin metal of the LCA brackets.
I have not welded since high school 29 years ago, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. The kid learned to weld a couple of years ago so I expect his welds to look better than mine, but as long as my mini skids hold up under punishment of the Rubicon, Slick Rock, and Deer Valley this year, I'll be happy. Again, pictures to be posted later.
By the way, my mini skids definitely DID NOT have the cool Currie logo as pictured on the site where I purchased them. Also worth noting is the thickness. Although plenty strong, they were no where near as thick as my kid's JCR mini skids. He made sure I knew the difference. Dang kid.
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- Location
- Columbus, In
I'll be sure to get pics of our trail Ride. I am tailgunning for PacificEd so i'll have plenty of shots of both of our rigs for ya, as well and get some shots of the Big boys in action! Just gotta mount my new Tie-downs i got for the cargo area and load it full of junk. Then all i'll have to do on thursday is get ice, load the food and grab my laptop(wifi in the hills of KY=WIN) and its time to head southbound!
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
I'll be sure to get pics of our trail Ride. I am tailgunning for PacificEd so i'll have plenty of shots of both of our rigs for ya, as well and get some shots of the Big boys in action! Just gotta mount my new Tie-downs i got for the cargo area and load it full of junk. Then all i'll have to do on thursday is get ice, load the food and grab my laptop(wifi in the hills of KY=WIN) and its time to head southbound!
If you were wheeling out here on the West coast I'd be jealous. Have a blast and be safe.
- Location
- Columbus, In
Harlan is about as good as what you guys have. You just happen to have MUCH more!
Too bad I never got to wheel Tellico!
rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
I finally got a few minutes to post pictures from the two week camping trip we took in June. My kid took nearly 2000 photos so I was conservative with my camera, but here are a few pictures that I took during the trip.
We towed our 2011 30' Kodiak travel trailer with the 2006 Grand Cherokee and had no problems, other than a prominent transmission fluid smell when hauling up hill. The 5.7L Hemi did great hauling our crap the entire 2500 miles. I averaged 9.1 mpg for a bill of just under $1100 in gas.
Barstow, Ca. was our first overnight stop from Rocklin. Here's a shot of Calico, the nearby ghost town. There is some good wheeling nearby, or so I'm told.
Next, we drove through Las Vegas and stopped at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop of the Pawn Stars TV show. Those photos are still on my iPhone. Cool place. We then drove to Zion National Park and stayed a couple of nights and did some hikes. Beautiful place.
Here's a shot leaving Zion. The drive out was as amazing as the park itself.
Next stop was Bryce Canyon National Park. This was one of the coolest places I've ever been. The odd sandstone spires are called hoo doos and were considered haunted by the local Indian tribe. We did some extremely cool hikes through the canyon.
The next stop was a single night at the North rim of the Grand Canyon. The canyon rim was just feet from the campsite, which is troubling when you have little kids and dumb dogs. We could not find a helicopter tour on this side of the canyon, so we just did some short hikes along the rim. It was a long way down.
This was the campsite. Lots of trees. Tons of mule deer.
Next, we drove to Lake Powell for two nights. The short four-hour drive to the lake was breathtaking, with the most amazing red cliffs on the left and canyons cut by the Colorado River on the right. While there, we explored the Upper Slot Canyons and took a boat cruise. My crappy camera did a lousy job at capturing the colors and lighting in the slot canyons, but I may post a pic or two in the coming days when I get them from the kid. Next to the Pawn Stars store, this was the highlight of the trip so far.
We towed our 2011 30' Kodiak travel trailer with the 2006 Grand Cherokee and had no problems, other than a prominent transmission fluid smell when hauling up hill. The 5.7L Hemi did great hauling our crap the entire 2500 miles. I averaged 9.1 mpg for a bill of just under $1100 in gas.
Barstow, Ca. was our first overnight stop from Rocklin. Here's a shot of Calico, the nearby ghost town. There is some good wheeling nearby, or so I'm told.
Next, we drove through Las Vegas and stopped at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop of the Pawn Stars TV show. Those photos are still on my iPhone. Cool place. We then drove to Zion National Park and stayed a couple of nights and did some hikes. Beautiful place.
Here's a shot leaving Zion. The drive out was as amazing as the park itself.
Next stop was Bryce Canyon National Park. This was one of the coolest places I've ever been. The odd sandstone spires are called hoo doos and were considered haunted by the local Indian tribe. We did some extremely cool hikes through the canyon.
The next stop was a single night at the North rim of the Grand Canyon. The canyon rim was just feet from the campsite, which is troubling when you have little kids and dumb dogs. We could not find a helicopter tour on this side of the canyon, so we just did some short hikes along the rim. It was a long way down.
This was the campsite. Lots of trees. Tons of mule deer.
Next, we drove to Lake Powell for two nights. The short four-hour drive to the lake was breathtaking, with the most amazing red cliffs on the left and canyons cut by the Colorado River on the right. While there, we explored the Upper Slot Canyons and took a boat cruise. My crappy camera did a lousy job at capturing the colors and lighting in the slot canyons, but I may post a pic or two in the coming days when I get them from the kid. Next to the Pawn Stars store, this was the highlight of the trip so far.
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rocknxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clinton, Utah (SLC area)
Here's a pic of me pretending to have a good time. I may have been thinking about the next stop at Moat Utah, which was the real reason for the trip.
The next stop was Moab. The drive through Monument Valley was incredible...and yeah, I don't have any good pictures of that either. We spent three nights in Moab and visited the Moab Brewery and did a few breathtaking SUV trail rides in the WK. I managed to get high centered on a ridge and ripped up my exhaust a bit. The Grand Cherokee climbed like a beast and I was impressed with it's capability. Not having my XJ was killing me.
The Moab area is littered with interesting land formations and natural arches. This is a photo of Muscleman Arch along one of the SUV trails. We also drove through Arches National Park in the Moab area. Well worth the trip, but by this time, we were getting a little sick of rocks.
One of the other highlights of Moab was kicking back at the campsite and watching the Jeeps pass by. My wife wants me to build a yellow Wrangler, and although I question her choice of colors, I'm digging her idea and have begun looking for a cheap TJ for my next project vehicle. I also look forward to next year's XJ trip to Moab.
More photos to come when I figure out how to download photos from my iPhone.
The next stop was Moab. The drive through Monument Valley was incredible...and yeah, I don't have any good pictures of that either. We spent three nights in Moab and visited the Moab Brewery and did a few breathtaking SUV trail rides in the WK. I managed to get high centered on a ridge and ripped up my exhaust a bit. The Grand Cherokee climbed like a beast and I was impressed with it's capability. Not having my XJ was killing me.
The Moab area is littered with interesting land formations and natural arches. This is a photo of Muscleman Arch along one of the SUV trails. We also drove through Arches National Park in the Moab area. Well worth the trip, but by this time, we were getting a little sick of rocks.
One of the other highlights of Moab was kicking back at the campsite and watching the Jeeps pass by. My wife wants me to build a yellow Wrangler, and although I question her choice of colors, I'm digging her idea and have begun looking for a cheap TJ for my next project vehicle. I also look forward to next year's XJ trip to Moab.
More photos to come when I figure out how to download photos from my iPhone.
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