Vanilla Gorrilla blog

[GordoSmasho]

Jk30 will be a 30spline alloy setup with a detroit. Sleeves truss gussets and 5.13 gears.

Rear 8.8 will get a ultimate88 setup with disc brakes an arb, truss and 5.13s

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Jk30 will be a 30spline alloy setup with a detroit. Sleeves truss gussets and 5.13 gears.

Rear 8.8 will get a ultimate88 setup with disc brakes an arb, truss and 5.13s

that will be a legit setup for 35s. Stay on 35s and it will last a long time.

 

[GordoSmasho]

Thats the plan. I will likely stretch the rear back an inch and push the front out an inch. Im looking at a mid arm setup as well. That may happen the same time the front goes in. Ill also be applying my traction bar setup when i install the 8.8.

Just need to think through brakes and shocks a bit more. I think ill wait till i get the axles in to get new shocks. My doetsch shocks are working pretty well but im open to new stuff. I would just like a stiffer shock in general i think. I also may be getting new front springs sometime soon. I need a stiffer rate. Im at 220 now. Im thinking a 4" 250lbs should look right.

 

[fewloosebolts]

If you'd quit pre running and stop rock bouncing your rock crawler, you might not need that stiffer valving lol. But then it wouldn't be the calamity known as the vanilla gorilla

 

[GordoSmasho]

Good point. My main reasoning is to try and even out the front to rear flex. I will say i am no suspension expert by any stretch of the imagination. However i feel like the front flexes fairly easily and the rear feels stiffer when going through the tougher sections of the trails. The front will flex through a section and the rear will then go through and rock the vehicle back and forth. Im trying to see if increasing te front spring rate will force the rear to flex and compress more. I may be way off. But in my head thats the way it seams.

I have heard though, the more you set up your rig for higher speeds in the dirt the better it gets in the rocks. Maybe im not prerunning enough.

 

[fewloosebolts]

It's all balance. Stiffening up the front will make the vehicle feel like it's working more cohesively, just like adding more sway bar to the rear of a car can have the same effect as lessening sway bar in the front, it'll reduce understeer. The back and the front need to work together. The issue comes down to comprising stability or flex, like the difference between a double triangulated suspension and a single, racers use single for stability, crawlers like double for the flex, or less stability with a 3 link but epic flex. To really balance it, you'd want match the front and back, ie link the back or leaf the front, but that opens a whole can of worms I don't think you want to get into.but it's that balance that makes a lot of guys run a rear sway bar on a rig with a linked rear

 

[Demonoid369]

I've also looked at jk30's I'll be keeping a close eye on this more and see how that axle works out

 

[moparmansfield]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/pts/5774460359.html

for the shafts and lockers?

 

[stockerwithalocker]

Sounds like you have a good plan! I'll be following along to see what tricks you have up your sleeve.

Have fun on the Rubicon this weekend.

 

[GordoSmasho]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/pts/5774460359.html

for the shafts and lockers?

Wish i had funding for this right now. Just blew my wad on a doubler.

 

[GordoSmasho]

Sounds like you have a good plan! I'll be following along to see what tricks you have up your sleeve.

Have fun on the Rubicon this weekend.

Might be coming sooner than planned had some breakage this weekend.

 

[Rob D]

Good point. My main reasoning is to try and even out the front to rear flex. I will say i am no suspension expert by any stretch of the imagination. However i feel like the front flexes fairly easily and the rear feels stiffer when going through the tougher sections of the trails. The front will flex through a section and the rear will then go through and rock the vehicle back and forth. Im trying to see if increasing te front spring rate will force the rear to flex and compress more. I may be way off. But in my head thats the way it seams.

I have heard though, the more you set up your rig for higher speeds in the dirt the better it gets in the rocks. Maybe im not prerunning enough.

I have the same issue and the same thought, stiffen the front to force the back to work. Last year when I ran the Rubicon with Jon he noticed that the rear had almost no flex compared to the front. I tested in the garage and when I raise the front about a foot I get about 1 1/2 inches of stuff in the rear. Thought it might be that my shocks were too long and bottoming before the bump stop hit...Nope, plenty of travel left there. Been thinking of replacing the front or both front and rear to make sure I get a set designed to work together. Right now I have Full-Traction coils (soft) with Clayton leafs(stiff!). Claytons can handle a lot of stuff packed into the back without sagging (which I like), but not a lot of flex even when loaded for the trails (which I don't like). Whatever I do I'm going to need to go someplace to test the flex after I'm done
Just an added thought though, stiffer coils only might just limit the amount of stuff you'll get out of the front as well, causing you to "2 wheel" (the 2 opposite corners touching) more often and in turn make the rig more tippy at times. :dunno:

 

[GordoSmasho]

So its been a bit. A few changes. Had a blast on the rubicon with my dad. Had some breakage in the front 30. Watched some wacky toyota guys. For my dad it was a great experience. He has now bought a wj.

I was on the hunt for a jk30 and a f150 8.8. However blondejon dangled a jk44 rear in front of me and i bit. Its has an arb 35spline chromos and 5.38 gears. So i had already purchased a jk30 front housing when a jk44 housing fell in my lap. So i sold off the 30 and my old axles and a handful of other things i had laying around and took the plunge into the 44.

I ordered a 35spline ox air and shafts gears and install from ox locker direct. They gave me a crazy price. Big shout out to allen at ox for helping me out. I ordered new breaks and calipers and unit bearings. Ill be installing all this gear in the coming weeks.

I still havent installed my doubler and 300. I might get it done before reno. Right now i need to get it back driving and needed a little motivation so i posted up. It always gets me moving.

And because threads suck without pics here are some pics from the rubicon with my dad

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Cant wait to see this thing done with super built 35 spline 44s !

 

[JeepinSeal]

You and that 30 have had a love hate relationship.

Can't wait to see this thing all done up.

 

[stockerwithalocker]

Congrats on the axles. With 5.38s and 35s you might be pleasantly surprised without a doubler. I am running 4.88s with 33s and a stock t-case and although I stall every once in a while, I prefer to stall and know I am bound up then get bound up and not know until something breaks with the low gearing of the doubler.

Bummed Spencer and I wont be able to join you guys for sierra fest this year. We will be living vicariously through you guys and the pics!

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Congrats on the axles. With 5.38s and 35s you might be pleasantly surprised without a doubler. I am running 4.88s with 33s and a stock t-case and although I stall every once in a while, I prefer to stall and know I am bound up then get bound up and not know until something breaks with the low gearing of the doubler.

Bummed Spencer and I wont be able to join you guys for sierra fest this year. We will be living vicariously through you guys and the pics!

it was awesome wheeling with you dudes last year !

I am super jealous of Gordons new setup. I think its the perfect setup for an XJ. full bodied, built 44s for strength , less weight over tons, tons of ground clearance compared to say a 60/14 on 37s, and not too wide, keeping the overall weight of the rig down, still can gear deep, and also not as expensive as going full tons and 40s etc. Plenty strong for 35s -especially going 35 spline . I think building an XJ around 33s and a 30/44 or 35s and some built 44s is an awesome setup . and still incredibly street friendly.

 

[twinhauler]

Sounds like a great Plan Gordo! Glad your getting it all worked out. Thanks for the great pics, good times with your Dad. I finally started doing some summer wheeling prep. I am feeling the urge to get outdoors! See you Soon!

 

[Alboy97XJ]

Gonna be bored without you broken in bronco canyon this year haha

 

[GordoSmasho]

Gonna be bored without you broken in bronco canyon this year haha

Hey man. We didnt break last year. We were in wilbur though so that may have had something to do with it.

Rear axle is in. I have ebrake cables and brake lines on the way.
I have a few small things on the way for the front axle. Still deciding whether to center the coils on the tube or move them forward like stock. If i move them forward I will have to change out my trackbar setup I think or i may get some bump steer. The jk track bar axle mount is higher than the xj mount on the axle by about 2". Not sure if that will make a whole heap of a difference but the draglink mount at the knuckle is almost 5" higher than xj so the two combined may be to much and cause some wicked bumpsteer.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk