VIDEO : SEMA 2018 - Inside Show Coverage - PART 3

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
So we're still running around like crazy here at the 2018 SEMA Show and doing our very best to get you coverage of all the thing we're seeing. In this episode, you'll get to see the massive Black Ops JL Wrangler that Afe had on display, Rancho's all new 3.5" Crawler Lift for the JL, Energy Suspension's unique new 1.5" lift kit and all the tops that American Fastback / Cliffride has to offer. We hope you enjoy.

 

TrailHunter

Hooked
Black Ops - Bad Ass!

Rancho - Nice work!

Energy Suspension - Interesting.

Cliffride - $8000 tent.. No.

Another Awesome video Oh’s!
 

Brute

Hooked
Thanks for another great video...you guys are working overtime...and especially enjoy the touchy-feely narrative style...hehe
 

Blackhawkip

Member
Great video with lots of information. The JL aftermarket parts is growing daily, crazy what they come up with.:rock:
 

Jsouder53

Hooked
Those cliffride tops are crazy! What kind of suspension would you need to handle that massive one [emoji23]
 

jeeeep

Hooked
Black Ops Jeep was crazy!

Rancho is stepping up their game :thumb:

Energy Suspension hmmm...they say they don't squeak, but I wonder if they've tested them in cold climates. My track bar Energy Suspension bushings squeak like crazy as soon as it cools off. Even though I used their specific silicon, still squeak :doh:

Cliffride, cool stuff but $$$$ :shock:
 

wibornz

New member
Nice work. I would like to go with the 3 1/2 inch lift, but sticking to the 2 inch lift. There is no way I am caring a step stool around so my loving wife can get it.
 

kpig

Member
Thanks for sharing your experiences with those of us who can't attend such a great event. Now I have to fight the temptation to build a JL.
 

Rancho

Caught the Bug
Great seeing you and Cindy again this year!!!
Man I am fired out of a cannon LOL
:icon_crazy::beer:
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Okay, for those of you who were asking about the Energy Suspension bushings or at least, in terms of them squeaking goes, I talked to Pete about it and this is what he told me. I should note, he said a LOT and so I will quote him verbatim.

So people are asking about squeaking on the video thread. Polyurethane squeaks when it travels over the metal sleeve when the sleeve isn’t greased since it is not bonded. It should not move around the OD. If it does something is out of round. All of that being said, these new bushings operate completely differently than ours or anyone else’s traditional bushings. The outer part has a fairly high preload and does not move. The harder inner “joint” shifts around in the outer bushing but does not rotate. Poly to poly contact does not squeak. Part of the magic here is that the area between the inner and outer bushing does not require any servicing whatsoever. Because of how the material acts, any silt or mud that gets in there will simply be chewed to dust and spit back out, and just like the rest of our stuff it doesn’t react with water or salt, ect. Like our traditional bushings, the bushing itself is designed to rotate around the metal sleeve. The key difference between this and other bushings is that we worked on a way to seal the grease into the sleeve. The inside surface of the bushing is waffled to capture grease, and the barrel of the inner bushing is slightly longer than the sleeve itself, which will preload the inner bushing, creating a seal. The inner joint moves inside of the softer outer bushing, and since the inner bushing is made of our toughest material it does not distort, keeping that seal pressed firmly against the outer metal of the mounting point. While we have not had a chance to test these for long durations in wet conditions (we are in SoCal), we are pretty confident that water will not make its way into the contact area between the bushing and sleeve, in cycle testing there are never any openings for contamination to get in there.

Regarding cold weather, here's what he had to say about it.

Polyurethane contracts in the cold just like everything else. Theoretically he shouldn’t get any squeaking if things are properly greased, but the cold brings out any lack of lubrication because it contracts onto the sleeve. You should be able to go years between greasing our conventional parts, but people who live in harsh climates might have to do it more. We are in the process of cold weather testing this winter. Because of the sealed design I just mentioned I have doubts it’ll have any effect.

Pete feels extremely confident that the bushings will hold up to any abuse you can throw at them, says they're more durable than the factory bonded rubber bushings and that they're impervious to salt and contaminants.

Last but not least, the rack you see on their JL Wrangler is a prototype made by buy a company in San Jacinto, CA called RSO Performance. For those of you who were interested in it, you should give them a call and ask for Tyler.

Hope that helps you out :)
 
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