Destination Unknown - 2022 JTR journal

[chorky]

Progress has been a little slower lately since the main big ticket items have been purchased (except winches and recovery gear).

So, with the nice weather, and having slept in, I opted to tackle some mundane but very important items.

I decided, having already drilled a few holes in the bed, to drill more to install a L-Track system. I really am not a fan of items bouncing around all over the place. The parts were reasonable in cost, and it will allow modular tie-down of various items - although this rig is quickly becoming a dedicated camping vehicle with the bed so full. I had to drill several holes in the bed - of course I don't feel great about it. but I painted the freshly drilled holes, hit them with Amsoil HD Metal Protect, installed some black galvanized (or maybe they are black chrome) countersunk screws with stainless washers and locknuts, and then hit all of it with another coat of HD Metal Protect. Hopefully that works because the sheet metal in these beds is SUPER thin. I also am slightly concerned of pulling the washers through the holes despite having a bunch of bolts every 6" or so, so hopefully it all works out ok. I will just be careful to not tighten items down super tight as this really is to just keep things in place and prevent them from bouncing around everywhere.

The camp shed box houses ALL of my cooking gear (except propane). Food is in another smaller box. But, this is super slick and at 35 pounds it has all stainless items, and most of your standard household cooking utensils. I am pretty happy with how this worked out, although bummed that I will need to store the dry food box in the cab somewhere. Behind it will go the tool box and poo bucket.

Another L-Track on the passenger side will be used to tie down water jugs. I plan on carrying just 2 on a regular basis, but have a 3rd that should fit just fine for longer trips. 2 gallons is more than enough for a 1-2 night trip, but that accounts for daily showers. The L-track also has provisions to have a group 31 battery to sit right behind the fridge slide which will sandwich in the water jugs.

Next I decided to re-purpose the rails originally on the bottom of the RTT. Since I hard mounted the RTT, I thought the perfect use for those rails was to do something similar to what Matt has done with his gladiator. Although this was an idea I had well before that episode of his popped up.

And..it is the PERFECT for the table. This table I picked up from amazon, and at 22 pounds is a bit heavy, but it has an awesome sink to make dish washing easier.

Next will be the lift, which final parts arrive on Monday. I am getting concerned about weights. Weight calculations and measurements bring my total weight as she sits assuming full food and water to about 180 pounds over GVWR and 415 pounds under GAWR. I have not yet installed skid plates, or winch, or recovery gear items. And this calculation of weights does not include extra fuel. In the end I will likely be over GAWR for a fully loaded week long trip. I cannot imagine what those with the AluCab are sitting at. They for sure must be well over a 500 pounds over GAWR considering my canopy/tent is about 200 pounds less than the alu-cab.

Sponsored

 

[chorky]

All the shiny parts! One more box to arrive tomorrow and it's time for install.

 

[chorky]

A surprising arrival today of an item I didnt' think would arrive until next week. Good thing I was working from home today.

Full River DC series 115ah AGM battery.

When I speced out the electrical calculations for my camping desires with the Genesis system, I knew up front that anything more than a day or two, with more than just a fridge, would require more battery power than the 64ah battery of the Genesis system could provide. So I started looking at options. Really not wanting to go lithium just yet, but knowing that in the future that is a likely route, I sought after a solution of modular ability. If you recall in post #59 I added a battery selector switch from Blue Sea Systems. This particular switch offers the ability to select, for an output, to draw power from 'battery 1', 'battery 2', or 'combine 1 + 2'. This gave me the modular ability I was looking for. I used the 'battery 1' post for the main power coming off of the Blue Sea power block which is fed by the 64ah battery under the hood. The output goes ONLY to the switch pro's system, as I wanted all other items (ie. compressor) to run only when the engine is running and off of engine power due to it's power draw. 'Battery 2' post was designed to utilize either an extra AGM battery in the bed, or future lithium batteries. As summer trip plans have recently changed from several one nighters, to now including a few week long trips with daily drives about 2-4 hours, I needed more battery power.

So....I purchased this. Now I did some extensive math again, and contacted Full River several times to discuss. During those discussions with one of the technical support engineers I realized a couple of things - to get right to the point. 1) Full River DC series and FT series batteries can be connected directly together without significant and immediate issues. Due to their design, over time it will reduce the life expectancy of both batteries - but when one is talking in terms of 1,000 cycles, that's a moot point. 2) connecting two batteries of different AH capacities is not really a huge deal with modern designs. Yes, it will reduce life expectancy of both batteries, but not significantly. 3) their batteries, with modern design, can be drained to 30% SOC without significant damage (as in a total failure or immediate reduced capacity). Again, it will reduce cycles, and more significantly than points 1 and 2 above, but not so significantly that batteries will go bad in 100 cycles. This came from one of their engineers, who knows more than the previous person I chatted with. Now considering this goes against everything I have known about AGM batteries the last many years, I will be conservative and plan to drain no more than 50% DOD. But, even at a significantly reduced 500 cycles - if one were to plan 2 weekend trips a month for 4 months, and 3 one week trips per year at 5 days per trip, that is a total of 31 days per year one can expect to truly be deep cycling said batteries. Divided by the minimum 500 cycles to expect maximum battery damage through deep cycling, you get a number of 16.129 - so in THEORY, with those deep cycles, one could expect 16 years worth of battery life. Now of course these batteries dont last much longer than 3-5 years in my region due to winter temps. But, with those new realizations - I ordered this - at $450 bucks, singinficatnly cheaper than a $800 lithium battery of similar capacity.

In hindsight I probably should have skipped the Genesis system, kept the group 31 under the hood, deleted the factory aux, and gone the route of a few AGM's in the bed, but I didn't think opportunities for week long trips this summer were going to be realistic. Just another curve ball of life.

Anyway - I landed on this battery after doing, again, more math, and cleaning up my spreadsheet. You can see, that with some revised numbers, and both batteries connected, one can expect a full 24 hours of decently heavy use before reaching 50% DOD. Now if I were to be conservative, be camping in the summer, and choose not to use a water pump, that timeframe of power extends to just over a day and a half. For comparison I threw in 200ah of lithium as well, and you can see that 200ah of lithium only gives you about half a day longer - but that is considering the acceptable DOD % has been lowered with engineer input, and with the additional battery I am pushing almost 180ah. Now with battery power running ONLY the fridge, that number raises substantially to 2.5 days - that's 2.5 days of sitting in one spot with no solar, no engine running. More sitting than I will do. If one really wanted to push limits to 30% SOC, then the difference between lithium and AGM is negligible except for weight and charge time considerations. I am a little shocked that this was thrown out there, and suspect much of it could be a marketing hype - but only testing will reveal the truth.

Now to appease the lithium folks - I did consider it. As my battery selector switch allows for that. However, it would have required 2 batteries, not just 1 - at or above $800 each, instead of under $500 for the one, and the addition of a DC/DC unit, at about $500. However this is why I mentioned the 'hindsight' comment above because had one gone this route alone, it would have been cheaper than the Genesis system plus the extra battery in the bed. BUT I did not find a suitable self heating battery that I was interested in, and I couldn't come up with a solution to keep said batteries charged, without adding a second charger, for winter months. As is now, I have one 110 extension cord going to the truck, which tops off all 3 batteries, and can keep the fridge running. Maybe in the future - for now we'll see how this extra 70 pounds works out.

So seeing as how I had already envisioned a modular system, one might ask how the battery was hooked up. It just so happens that a group 31 box fits perfectly behind the fridge. And with the fridge closed up, provides a good base to prevent lateral movement. Of course a tie down strap prevents vertical movement - and an internal strap prevents the battery itself from bouncing around inside of the box. With the battery box faced this particular direction, it cannot easily slide forward to the cab as the side openings for wire and cables are pressing against the tie down strap. With the water jugs in place on the opposite side, everything is pretty snug.

The one negative I have with this, and it's pretty substantial, is almost all of my heavy items are now on the passenger side, which is where the gas tank is also already.... The battery is of course fused - at 100 amps, to match the block fuse under the hood which supplies the 4ga wire to the bed. And I feel decently confident enough that even with a fully dead battery, it should not draw anywhere near 100 amps so likely it is overbuilt for a safety factor. During a hard winch pull, I can manually override the battery combiner under the hood via the G-Screen, so that only the starting battery receives power from the alternator - and I do plan on having the winches hooked up to the primary battery, and not the accessory lugs of the aux battery. I also used an Anderson connector (which was a MAJOR pain to crimp) so that should I want to remove the battery, I can do so easily without having to unscrew/unbolt anything. And with the battery selector switched to off or 'batt 1', no power is being routed to the Anderson connector, meaning I could still operate ALL items in the bed without the added battery and/or hot wires. This offers me more modular ability should I want to slowly switch to lithium in the future.

And because I envisioned modular systems from the start, this all went together relatively quickly through an extended lunch brake of 2 hours today. Overall, I am happy with how it looks, and the estimated numbers I have so far. However, I am waiting on some warmer days to do some true tests. I am still concerned how much power the battery might draw upon restarting the engine if it is in fact drawn down to 30% SOC - but through another thread it appears that it shouldn't draw more than 40 or 50 amps for a few minutes initially. The specification for maximum amp charge rate from Full River is actually given in their operation manual for this specific battery as an example, and is listed at 45 amps for bulk charging. With a internal resistance of 3.8m Ohm's, I think it is safe to assume that the 4ga wire is sufficient for charging a dead battery and running the dual ARB compressor - as in the event of waking up to leave a campsite after camping, and needing to air up to hit the highway. But again - real world testing will be needed to verify. If nothing else, the 100a fuse should protect the circuit to prevent wire melting - and I have extra fuses.

 

[chorky]

The last several days I have been doing some testing of the electrical setup. I was a little concerned about what sort of power draw a drained 115ah AGM in the bed would pull when empty. I was also curious of some functional run times of the fridge with the addition of the DC series 115ah battery in the bed. And so far I am pleased. More testing is necessary though.

With temperatures the last several days in the low 70's it was the perfect time. I unplugged the battery charger Thursday morning around 0630. I checked at lunch, around noonish and surprisingly voltage was sitting at 12.7, so the Genesis system did not yet disconnect the main battery from the aux batteries. When I got home around 1800, voltage was still at 12.7 - and at 2100 voltage finally dipped to 12.6. So I figured I would leave it on through the night (my worry was it getting too low without my knowing). In the morning today (Friday) voltage was still at 12.6, so I left it on on my way to work. Well today we ended up going to the field to check out some prescribed burning being done. I was not able to check voltage till I got home - around 1730.

To my surprise, voltage was just then at 12.5 - so far lasting longer than my revised calculations, which is good! I let it run a few more hours and wanted to try to get down to 12.4v. Finally it barely touched for a moment 12.4 at 1800 - so now it was time to start the engine and see if any fuses blew. I was concerned and wondering how much amperage would be flowing through to the battery in the bed. Well I had the battery set on a 60a fuse to test, started the engine, and idled for a half hour. No blowing any fuses. So I ran to the gas station, and grocery store really quick. Everything was working fine. I even turned on the air compressor just to see and no fuses blew. Now it might be a different story if voltages were lower, at 12.2 or even 12.0 - but thus far for the most expected use I don't have any issues. Hopefully that trend continues!

Next week we will have a few 80 degree days so I will test again then as well.

 

[chorky]

Today I got the JT back from the shop doing the lift install. Shout out to J & K Customs in Missoula - they are the best place around for these things, with full custom fabrication abilities. It took 1.5 days, a little modifications, and $1,300 including alignment. I could not be happier. Well....I would have if I had done it myself but my body would hate me.

If you recall from post #49 "I just want to highlight again the purpose for my choosing this kit is to primarily have higher rated springs, with the added benefit of a little more lift. I am not interested in 3+ inches of lift height, I am not interested in maximum articulation for hard core rock crawling. So there is no need to start an argument of (well XX lift gives you more articula…..that is not my purpose of lifting). This lift, with 35” tires and armor, should be plenty sufficient for the 90% of my real world use (not dream world), will work good enough for the 5% of harder trails I may do a couple times a year, and should be successful for the 5% chance of tackling bucket list trails such as MOAB and the Rubicon. "

What was installed is the AEV 2.5 dual sport standard duty (grey springs). With this I added the AEV (just a tuned bilstein) steering stabilizer, teraflex progressive bump stops, teraflex rear geometry correction brackets, steer smarts front sector shaft brace (minus the bearing), steer smarts rear adjustable track bar (with clevite bushings) and steer smarts front adjustable track bar (with clevite bushings). They said the extended brake lines were not needed - but I haven't fully tested articulation yet.

First impressions - fantastic. Now, maybe premature because I have not been on dirt yet, and this weekend weather is going to suck, so that has to wait another week probably.... But on the 60+ miles way home I took the interstate at 80, some side roads of varying speeds, some nasty county roads at 25, 35, and 45, swerved, slammed on the brakes, and tried to get it to move and bounce around to look for any noises or weird handling characteristics. It didn't sway excessively (and I have the stock sway bar), it did't squat excessively, or bounce or rebound excessively. The rear end does feel heavy and is probably at the upper limits of the spring rating though. Some have tried to explain this lift as 'firm but not harsh.' That is of course subjective, and any attempt I will have to explain is also subjective. However, I think 'firm but not harsh' is a very poor explanation. I think 'sporty' is more accurate. It feels sporty to me. Like what I would expect in a Porsche, or a really nice Corvette. You can feel the small bumps and imperfections much more than stock, but not so much that it is annoying, or harsh, or fatiguing. I would expect being able to drive this long distances and being much less fatigued than with the stock suspension. And of course it makes sense that it would feel more 'sporty' because it is heavily loaded and has a higher capacity spring. And of course a higher capacity spring will require more dampening.

I will be up front, there is one characteristic that I really really don't like, and is kinda annoying. On small but successive bumps (like a pavement version of washboards), the ride is pretty bad. Not bad like rubicon bounce bad, but bad like you can just feel the shocks internally are not super happy. My brain would like to envision the valving or 'washers' inside the shock compressing and opening ever so slightly and compressing again fast and hard as the suspension quickly compresses, rebounds, and compresses again. So I will be curious to see how that feels on washboards, with tires aired up and down, and over potholes. The feeling is like, bouncing ever so slightly (like maybe an inch up and down) on a super inflated balloon. But I would much prefer this over the Rubicon bounce - and I can promise it is 100% a shock thing. Maybe some day when $$ allows I will get a set of custom tunes from @CrazyCooter. But for now it works, and allows me to be well planted, as well as not worry about bottoming out. And I will also say that this is a petty thing to complain about in the grand scheme of things. I would be MUCH more annoyed by squeaks, or frequent maintenance needs - remember, this suspension keeps factory bushings, so NVH is next to nothing.

So, with a little more detailed info let's also consider that I am sitting currently at about 6,246 pounds. Which is - well about 4 pounds under GVW. And I still have yet to put on the front/rear bumpers, and the front/rear winch, load up with food and water and clothes and recovery gear. The SD springs (grey) from AEV are 'listed' to handle up to 400 pounds OVER stock weight. What is not really said, and is hard to get out of the folks at AEV (for obvious reasons) is it's kinda designed to handle up to 400 pounds over GVW. The HD springs (blue) are designed to handle up to 700 pounds over GVW, which would be a tad over GAW. Now - I think adhering to the +400 or +700 over stock curb weight (of a fully loaded rubicon) is actually more appropriate. As I have about 1,000 pounds on the rig (mostly in the bed - ick), these SD (grey) springs are certainly close to their limit - for my liking. That being said, I chose the standard duty option specifically because knowing I will be heavy for them, it will opt for a more plush and floaty ride - which with a bad back and other issues, that is more desirable. However, it is by no means anywhere NEAER close to the Rubicon bounce. The 5100's tuned to their spring capacity is great. They are only faulted by the fact they are not a high quality shock. I would be more than willing to bet a set of high quality external (or internal) bypass shocks such as these https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...-and-rear-b8-8100-series-bypass-shock-package would net an amazing result. And even that one bit about the balloon mentioned above would be entirely gone. So what I am saying here is the springs are perfect for the weight. If you are going over GVW and getting close or over the GAW rating, then the HD springs are the ticket - as I do have more things to install, this might be the way I go in the future. But seeing as only the HD springs are offered as a standalone, and the SD springs are not offered to purchase separately, I would rather try the SD springs first.

The install was relatively easy - mostly slowed down due to alignment needs - which was not much. There was one known issue during install - the rear track bar was not playing nice with the AEV track bar relocation bracket. The steer smarts track bar metal was so darn thick, it was not allowing the hole to align with the hole in the AEV bracket because it was partially boxed in (like a C channel) and the thick metal of the track bar was pushing the hole of the track bar bushing past the hole of the AEV bracket. Their solution was to use just the bracket, or just the track bar, or grind down some of the track bar. Because the amount of steel needed to grind down was less than 1/4 inch - I opted for this option - so long as they painted (and they did) the bare metal. There is no squeaks, grinds, chirps, or noise of any kind - at all. nothing. It is all quiet, which is what I like.

There are; however, two places where I am concerned about some impact. And it's not really a huge deal because it is the clamp for the track bars. One is the rear, it appears there might be impact of the track bar clamp hitting the diff cover. But I can't tell because the only time it would occur is if the entire axle stuffed up as in a jump or going over a large speed bump right at the perfect speed where the rear end slams to the ground. So I will have to get creative on how to do this to check and see if there is an impact. The other is up front - with the right wheel stuffed, and the wheel turned to the left, there is just barely a 1/16th of an inch gap between the stabilizer and the clamp for the front track bar. Simple to fix - just rotate it. And that small gap was with the suspension not fully stuffed since I didn't have a large enough rock to drive up on at the moment. I have yet to do this and will probably just swing by the shop and ask them to do it sometime. It would only become a problem in extreme off road anyway for which I have no plans for this summer.

The sector shaft brace did seem to tighten the steering up a little bit, but not dramatically. Probably because I do not have the aluminum one from previous years. I also specifically asked to NOT use the sector shaft bearing and brace. I have read several reports of it failing after only 6 to 12 months, and figure since I am not doing crazy off road, it is not needed. The bracket provides pretty significant metal to the equation anyway and it also stiffens up the track bar which seems to me to be a potential long term failure point of the frame.

The geocorrection brackets are great. They are stamped whereas others are welded. Both are good, but these being stamped are much lighter - thinner as well and I would suspect they use high strength steel and potentially hydro forming. They appear to fit perfectly.

The teraflex rear geometry correction brackets are also awesome. Much heavier though as they are welded steel instead of formed, unfortunately adding more weight. However, they clearly make a difference in driveline angles even at rest - and no doubt when flexing out. The pinion angle is downward some fraction of a bit, but without these, it would be angled down even more, and the more it flexes the more downward the pinion goes. Of course adjustable control arms would really set it right but remember I didn't want that. I do wish their brackets would pull the pinion up another degree though. In fact, some driveline vibration I had prior is now gone! Yes, these are not required. However, I think they would be a good bit of accessory to use for anyone using geometry correction brackets up front.

The teraflex dual rate bump stops are quite interesting. I have not hit them yet - and of course the plan is never to do so. However, if they work in reality like they do in theory, it should net a result somewhere between a factory bump stop and a hydro bump - but without having to cut and weld and drill, etc... They are also, I believe, 1 or 1.5 inches longer than stock. Which I like, because it just gives that little extra bit of cushion if one does happen to hit something entirely too hard.

The rest of the AEV kit is as one would expect. God quality nuts and bolts, and quality brackets that appear 'boring' but are pretty important. I also dislike how the rear sway bar links are angled so badly. Not entirely sure why this is the case as several people with different lifts experience the same thing. However, it is only temporary until I decide what aftermarket option to go for. I am at a cross between just a helwig, antirock, or fabricating a selectable rear sway option utilizing a spare front disconnect. For now this works.

Oh and did I mention it's not so tall that I can't get in without steps? Of course steps would be nice, but I can manage to get in and out of it without. Barely, but that is a big deal! Now getting in the bed and on the tailgate, that's going to require a ladder of some sort. All said and done, I like this option a TON. Time will tell if it remains that way, but thus far it performs exactly as I expected and had hoped. I was slightly concerned based on the 'firm but not harsh' comments many others have made, and I can say for certain that at least on road, it is no where near what I would consider 'harsh'. I would say my TJ with a 4.5" rock jock on adjustable 2.0's with remote reservoir is 'firm but not harsh'. This ride on the JT with the AEV is far above what the TJ is, by miles.

I did make two very very big and un-reconcialable mistakes. I failed to get before measurements, and before pictures..... Can't go back now.. As she is with the current weights, the rear end is ever so slightly higher than the front. So with adding water, clothes, bumpers, and remaining gear, I expect it to be level. A small spacer can always be added as well later on as I do prefer some rake.

But I can say that the end result is at least 2.5" of lift, maybe even 2.75. I would suspect, as expected, fully loaded with the weight capacity these SD springs are intended for, the lift amount is 2.5" as advertised. Which is far more accurate than other options out there.

I highly recommend this lift and the additional components for probably 85% of the people on this forum. It will work well for what most people will actually do 90% of the time, and will suffice for the remaining 10% of dream opportunities. And at less cost, with a lot of really good comfortable riding. For me, the springs and their capacities was the #1 importance, followed by a reasonable lift height, and to retain the factory control arms. This series of components accomplished all of those major needs. I do hope, and would expect, that off highway driving will also meet my expectations.

 

[Turnswrench]

Unbelievably great detail here. This is the post that'll truly help the community. Thank you for taking the time to share it.

Congrats on the lift!

 

[smlobx]

Thanks Chad to the link of your write up. Very informative.
My question is that since you and I are probably running close to the same weights would you use the heavier springs now knowing what you do? I think that once we both completely load up our trucks with water, extra fuel, food etc that the heavier springs might work better but I’m just spitballing here

PS regarding the rear sway bar I upgraded mine to the Hellwig one and have been very happy with the sway control, particularly with a RTT on.

 

[chorky]

Thanks Chad to the link of your write up. Very informative.
My question is that since you and I are probably running close to the same weights would you use the heavier springs now knowing what you do? I think that once we both completely load up our trucks with water, extra fuel, food etc that the heavier springs might work better but I’m just spitballing here

Yeah that is a really tough decision. Because this is not just my adventure vehicle but also my daily although I dont commute much. But I frequently drive to town (over a 2 hour round trip not including time in town) about once or twice a week and usually that is not fully loaded.

So with the current weight and SD springs, the ride is very good. It does feel on the edge of the SD spring capacity though. But the HD springs have 0.5” of extra lift, to 3” and are undoubtedly stiffer for the weight capacity.

Honestly, unless I put the HD springs in to compare, I dont know that it would be wise to say go straight to the HD springs. The big reason I went with the SD springs is because only the HD springs are sold separately. So if I went with the HD springs first, and realized they may be too stiff, I would have to buy a whole second kit to get the SD springs. I did ask AEV and Northridge if the SD springs could be sold separately and the answer at that time was no. The HD springs can be purchased alone for $600. So I figure that Is worth the extra cost, and cheaper than $1,800 for a whole kit just to get SD springs.

I really need to get off highway, and get fully loaded to answer this question. I have a suspicion that HD springs are in the future but I cant say conclusively that just yet. By the math, the HD springs are the way to go.

Also consider that I am after a more plush ride. So the SD springs offer that at the cost of a little less height due to compression.

Does that help any?

 

[smlobx]

It does and further illustrates the dilemma we find ourselves in!

Are you running C or E load rated 35” tires? My plan is to go to E rated tires and I might just go to a 34” tire (285/75R17’s) or possibly 35’s to get the additional clearance but I don’t think I’ll like the decrease in “performance” (braking and acceleration) going to a larger tire…

 

[chorky]

It does and further illustrates the dilemma we find ourselves in!

Are you running C or E load rated 35” tires? My plan is to go to E rated tires and I might just go to a 34” tire (285/75R17’s) or possibly 35’s to get the additional clearance but I don’t think I’ll like the decrease in “performance” (braking and acceleration) going to a larger tire…

I have not yet upgraded my tires so still the stock 33’s, but will be getting Baja Boss A/T 35x10 which are only available in E load range. I do not like the fat tire look or performance so a 10” wide I think might be similar to the stick 33x11.5. My area also has a significant amount of very sharp rocks that constantly puncture our government trucks tires.

Another thought is to get some airbags if you are not constantly loaded heavy. But still I think $600 bucks for the HD springs if you find the SD springs are not enough is a relatively cheap ‘loss’ of money.

 

[mx5red]

I think I would take 2 minutes and go over all the HOT FUCHSIA marking pen the shop used with another color, like literally any other color

 

[chorky]

Lol yeah it is a interesting choice - but it is easier to see and it won't last long I added some yellow to it today for some other bolts.

 

[chorky]

Today I installed the Quadratec aluminum skid plates that have been sitting in the basement for 9'ish months. I didn't want to install it before the lift because it was too low to the ground for me. Now that the lift has raised it a good few inches, install would be much easier.


First I of course removed the factory skid plates. The factory engine/trans skid is laughable. I really don't see how it can protect......anything. However, none of the main YouTubers have any skid's so who knows. The factory transfer skid is actually decent, but I still planned on something better.

My purpose for choosing the Quadratec skid comes down to best value. Keeping in mind my original purpose of the vehicle is not hard core rock crawling. One big issue I have experienced with almost every vehicle I have driven is sticks and brush being thrown up to the underbelly. This can be really bad for transmission lines, sensors, electrical components, not to mention a potential punctured pan. This skid protects from those aspects without being expensive or heavy. Many of the full belly skid's are over $1,500 and very heavy. Rock hard for example offers a really nice belly up option and full coverage. However it starts at $1,700 and weighs in at or over 290 pounds! Artek is another popular option, and being fully aluminum weighs in at only 90 pounds for full coverage, but it starts at $2,500 and 'require' a 1.5" lift indicating it significantly reduces clearance. Quadratec is not the best quality skid on the market, but it will work for my needs.

Install went well. The one difficult aspect was removing the larger bolts from the original skid thanks to red locktite. Reusing some of them were just as difficult and required lightning by hand. First up was the front engine skid supports. They went on easily. Although I am concerned that there is enough threads for the locknuts to have some grip. I painted everything to inspect after some miles and see if anything moves. Hopefully not.

Next up was installing the crossmembers. These are pretty stout, and steel. I do wish they were aluminum instead. Install again was simple and straight forward.

The aluminum plates were the last pieces to go on. I started with the engine skid first. This was the most difficult part of the install being I was doing it myself. It required a unique combination of arms, elbows, knees, feet and fingers - probably going to be hurting pretty bad tomorrow. Funny enough the aluminum engine skid is about the same weight of the crossmember.

The transfer case skid plate slides under the engine skid, and bolts to its own replacement crossmember.

All of the parts were sprayed before hand with Amsoil HD Metal Protect, so they look a little, yellowish, than they really are.

One topic to touch on is clearance. Several others have said this skid option reduces clearance by 2" compared to the factory skids. I don't think this is the case. Now its not a super low profile skid such as other market options, but comparing side by side (refer to the first and last pictures), the clearance lost seems to be minimal. Maybe 0.5" at best. Of course there is room for a lower profile which is given by other skid options - and I do wish that was the case here. But given the new lift, I am still at a net gain for clearance. The other thing I wish was done different is the crossmembers. They are steel of course but I do wish they were a high strength aluminum instead to save weight. These crossmembers are quite heavy. yet still, this option is lighter than many full belly skid options. I do think it will do well to protect from rocks, stumps, and sticks and brush. It also appears to have more width protection than other options.

The removed skids weighed in at 21 pounds. Quadratec lists their skids at 87 pounds. This results in a net gain of 66 pounds. Far lighter than other options. Overall I am pleased.

 

[Turnswrench]

nicely done!

 

[chorky]

I took a few hours today to take the Gladiator out on a road I have been on before to see the difference after the lift. It's not a hard road, just your typical forest service road - but it is breakup with snow still in spots and muddy/slippery with a few decently deep potholes.

Needless to say it performed very well. The only terrain type I was not able to go on (except hard core stuff) is washboards. I did encounter everything else. Mud, gravel, potholes, snow (I stopped when it got deeper than 2 feet), rain, slippery clay, flexing getting off the side of the road in deep ditches, interstate, county paved roads - all things I expect to see 90% of the time during use.

The performance and feel is awesome. I stand by the 'sporty' comment earlier. A set of high quality shocks would take out any bit of remaining less than perfect operation.

I also took a peak at how she sits and the rear lower control arms are still angled downward. I recall when I purchased it off the lot, unloaded, the rear control arms were about the same as they are now - which is probably the built in rake. So I would suspect I can get away with an inch more compression in the rear (not sure how much weight that would be) before it appears to be sagging. So it will be a close call on if the high capacity springs will be necessary. I am hoping not - but I can only know once it's fully loaded.

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