2022 AEV Gladiator Rubicon build

[toddarama]

Just had the first issue since installing the Lithium battery!

Yea...

Window washer fluid ran out!

Now you know how they are keeping those lithium batteries cool ... must be using the washer fluid for evaporative cooling ... there is always a catch somewhere!

Seriously, really enjoying this thread and your main site as well.

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[Flyin6]

Now you know how they are keeping those lithium batteries cool ... must be using the washer fluid for evaporative cooling ... there is always a catch somewhere!

Seriously, really enjoying this thread and your main site as well.

That's what that extra rubber hose connection was for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;-)

 

[Flyin6]

That's what that extra rubber hose connection was for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;-)

Well, I'm sellin' my farm.

That's bad because, well, it's my farm.

That's gud, because I now have all sorts of mone-e to spend on things I'll never use, like seats and sliders, and motors, and...

and possibly a divorce settlement if I don't pace myself and keep everything runnin' under the radar...

 

[Minty JL]

Don't need no stinkin' airbags ;-)
My CJ7 didn't have em
My Huey didn't have em
My Cobra (Car and Helo) didn't have em
My Chinook didn't have em
None of the jets I flew had em
My rockin' chair doesn't have any
Neither my KLR Kawasaki doesn't have em'
My recliner doesn't have em
Guess I don't need em!








...Famous last words...

Oh I hear that. My

My question was more about how you'll deal with the codes & warning lights you'll get for the airbags since they will be missing

 

[Flyin6]

Oh I hear that. My

My question was more about how you'll deal with the codes & warning lights you'll get for the airbags since they will be missing

The short answer is, "I don't know."
Now, having done stuff like this before, mostly on tractors, I have found adding resistors or jumper wires cures all.
What I had loosely planned in my head was to first get the Corbeau folks to install the seat heaters. Next after removing the stock seats, I would examine a wiring circuit to see what wires did what. Some I may just cut and tape off while others I would splice back into the stock Jeep seat electrical plug to make a factory-like connection. Finally, there are some programmers like the "Tech-whatever" that allow you to disable certain functions. Now, generally speaking, safety-related items are not on that menu, but there usually seems to be a work-around.
At the end of the day, I may have my new Corbeau seats with a 50+ pound weight savings and a pretty yellow dash light to accompany them. That's fine by me although we all realize that in the Kalifornia it would be a felony punishable by death. Again, just me: I don't care.

 

[PJZ]

There are some guys on the camper van build forums that have installed resistors to mask the removal of air bags. In theory seems pretty simple - just need to know the correct resistance to shut off the warning light. On Transit vans the side curtain air bags are sometimes removed when building out the rear of a passenger van.

 

[Flyin6]

There are some guys on the camper van build forums that have installed resistors to mask the removal of air bags. In theory seems pretty simple - just need to know the correct resistance to shut off the warning light. On Transit vans in the past the side curtain air bags are sometimes removed when building out the rear of a passenger van.

Exactly...
Sometimes a simple jumper wire, other times the correct resistance will do the trick. Whatever, resistors or sleight of hand, it is within the realm of possibilities.

 

[Flyin6]

Falcon 3.3 news
My wife pulled something in her back, but she insisted we go hiking today. We hit a different Kentuckee state park every weekend...There are 45 of them!

She was complaining during the ride over that the bumps and jousting were hurting her. When I got there and parked, I dialed all four shocks down to the softest setting, setting #1 on the big knob, then selected #6 on the small knob.

Whoa!

What a difference. The ride home was way mo-betterer! (That a word??) If not, it should be, because the ride went from bumpy to smooth.

So I am thinking since I have been pulling all sorts of weight out of this thing, it has by DeFacto, increased shock valve settings upward, to a harsher result. More weight accelerates the body more and less weight would have the opposite effect.

Well, Me thinks I need to think lighter with respect to Falcon Shock settings than the stock-heavyweight JT.

Just an FYI...Soft #1/#6 inner wheel = two smiley faces (On real people)

 

[Flyin6]

I had the dealership do my first oil change and tire rotation Monday. I then drove a couple of times to my farm, 110 miles round trip. I refilled and checked mileage. It got a remarkable 20.12 this time...W H A A A T?????

 

[Erievon]

Tailwind?

 

[Flyin6]

Tailwind?

Something like that
One big difference is that driving speed stayed in and around 45-50...Very curvy roads. So that may well be it...and the 50 knot tailwind ;-)

 

[Flyin6]

OK, big change on fuel mileage...

My wife borrowed the truck and drove it. I had the privilege of topping it off. She believes vehicles are delivered brand new with all the fuel they will ever need, lifetime oil in the motor, and lifetime tires. Her job is but to drive.

So, I filled it up and checked to discover a disappointing 16MPG.

She has a different driving technique than I do. Greenlight, hard on the gas, then brake to prevent smashing into the car in front, then gas, more gas, full throttle, brake, throttle, brake, brake really hard until she has her proper 3-foot following distance then hard throttle, passing gear, hard/very hard brake then softer throttle (Only 90%).

Cruise is a milder version of throttle, more throttle, even more throttle, brake, throttle, brake, throttle, brake...and so it goes. The concept of cruising with foot the foot off the throttle has never crossed her mind. I did just install a beefy front bumper, right?

Jeeps are off-road vehicles, so passing on the shoulder is A-OK! Bought her a new Caddy Escalade once. at 60K the brakes were gone...All of them. The dealer told me he had never seen anything like it! (Neither had I)

When I was away vacationing in Asia for years, every time I came home the Suburban had something new on it. Both bumpers, hood, all four doors, even the rear quarters had been painted, twice! I was working the flower beds a week or so before I had to go back over and for some reason the flower bed...The one with the mailbox in it had moved!!!!!!

I asked the neighbors, and they told me she had backed over the mailbox and one of them put it up 5 feet further away from the driveway... I've seen HMMVs get IED'd with less damage that that trusty green Z-71 Suburban took!

 

[AustinKalb]

My removal of the AEV parts is gonna get worse, I believe. I don't see the front bumper or the AEV lights remaining. I had to remove that bumper to install the winch, and I DO NOT like how all that is put together. Every panel and part (And there's a bunch) of that bumper is somehow connected to everything else. Way-way too complicated for me. And it's heavier than I want. I plan to pull it and replace it with an aluminum stubby.

Those lights are like 15 or more pounds each! Weight = horsepower. Since we can't add HP to the thing, I am decreasing weight everywhere I can. Front bumper to aluminum will save me 30 to maybe 40 pounds. Swap the rear bumper out for aluminum, another 40. Swap the battery for an anti-gravity unit and another nearly 40 pounds vaporizes. I hold off on strawberry jam on the morning toast and, boom another 5 pounds in two weeks!

The back seat was already coming out to make room for something along with a big Bernese Mountain dog. That's another 50 pounds gone, but replaced with 150 lbs of dog, so that may not have been such a good idea!

When it's all said and done, I'll keep the AEV-painted front grill, the painted dash, and the painted roof panels. Oh, I get to keep the cool stripes and the instrument cluster...

I recently got the AEV 370 Gladiator. I also have a German Shepard and a until a year ago a St Bernard.

I added the tall goose gear rear seat delete.

My question: how do you get the Bearnie in the back seat?

 

[Flyin6]

I recently got the AEV 370 Gladiator. I also have a German Shepard and a until a year ago a St Bernard.

I added the tall goose gear rear seat delete.

My question: how do you get the Bearnie in the back seat?

My answer: Very carefully!!!
Edit: I just re-read your message. You installed a "Tall" deck in the back. That is very telling, and now I better understand the reason for your question. My homemade read deck/seat delete is lower. It sits perhaps 5" above the seat floor, so there is no step up from the door sill, it's all pretty much level in there. It's an easy step for the big boy.
Actually, he jumped right in. He normally rides in my lifted Suburban 2500 and that truck is much taller than the Jeep.

 

[Flyin6]

...And while I'm at it

Ride report: So far everything remains completely normal with the Lithium main (only) battery. I continue to ride around with the Falcon 3.3's set in the middle of the soft range. I think that because of the loss of a couple hundred pounds, the soft setting more exactly equates the medium setting in a normal (heavier) JT.
The mileage for the last tank was 15.22. Most of that was suburban driving with a lot of idling. I consider that number to be below average for this truck.
What's going on: I have shifted focus on to my new 3500 Ram 4x4. I am getting ready to install a Carli suspension on that to ready it for a summer of travel and towing. Following that, I think I will continue with the JT diet plan. In focus are the Corbeau seats which claim a weight of 26 lbs ea. I'll add heaters and back bolsters to them and of course, have to install the adapters to fit them to the Jeep, but all in all, the weight for each should be in/around 30 pounds. I will pull and weigh a factory seat soon to see what they weigh to see if the $1800 expenditure is worth it. I think I may be able to shave another #50 from the JT.
Beyond that, I have been looking at aluminum control arms. Now that may not be possible, but if I could build some then they would be half the weight of the steel Clayton arms. I think the possibility of me pulling that one off hovers around 25%, so don't hold your breath. I am just looking at everything/anything I can do to reduce weight.
I reduced my Ice-cream intake to 1/week so that will help. Should be able to shed 2-3 pounds over the next year or two... ;-)
Still looking at going to extruded aluminum rock sliders, and if I get any tire-to-fender interference during an upcoming outing, I'll delete the inside of the fenders which could shave some more weight off the beast.

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