It's time to get started!

[Benito]

How does it steer locked up in the front with load? Have you had a chance to try yet?

So jealous man

i haven't had the chance to go wheeling however, i found a high concrete barrier and lined the front drivers side right against it, i was able to go lock to lock and shifted the jeep away from the barrier. A friend of mine has JK on 35s with stock steering and wanted to see the performance increase with the ram so he tried the same thing with his and could not steer in any direction.

on a side note i need to go back and tighten up a fitting (smaller leak) on the steering box and add teflon to the fittings on the cooler(small leak).

 

[Benito]

Update:
I added Teflon to the fittings of the aluminum cooler that I had and I also tried to add a bleeder plug on top of the cooler because it was trapping air and the steering was not right. Well I ended up messing it up and the bleeder plug just became a giant leak! So to get going I took out the cooler and ran the PSC system the way it is sold for a while. I noticed the res was HOT, so I ordered the radiator style cooler with the mount that PSC sells and also added a fan that I have hooked up to my switch pros. I also have done some wheeling with the local jeep club and holy smokes I forget I have my front locker is engaged because the steering is so easy! This last time I went the owner of Red Neck Ram was there, he is located in San Angelo TX and that is the closest place to wheel near me. Any ways he asked about the cooler and I told him why it was there and why I installed it and he told me that it is normal for them to run hot, he said 200f was normal. I never got the actual temp of the fluid but the res was too hot to touch for more than a second. With the cooler however you can touch the res without worry. Btw he has a pretty bad ass FJ cruiser on 40's with a solid front axle swap and ORI Struts, probably the only FJ I would ever drive.... jeeps with 37s where able to clear obstacles with more ease though!

 

[Benito]

Today my battery finally took a shit, I had felt it coming for a while and ordered the Odyssey 34R-PC1500T yesterday. Well my battery wasn't going to make by the expected delivery date of 7/25, so I had to fork out some more money for a cheapy at o'realys.

I received a big ass box that contained my Poison Spyder Trail Cage! I didn't take pictures of the big ass box or of it on my door step. However, I couldn't wait and unboxed it and started installing it today. I only had enough time to get the drivers side lower A pillar installed and not completely before it got dark. I didn't lower the windshield yet and don't plan to until absolutely necessary. I also plan on removing the windshield brackets and find a way to bolt them to the new cage to keep the windshield support.







I don't know if anyone ever thought about this before but to make it easier to align the three bolt holes I first marked the three holes with the filler bar and then made sure they aligned good, then I drilled out the holes on the filler bar to .5" this made it a lot easier to match up all the holes and get them threaded into the A pillar.



I'm going to have to borrow a 90 degree drill from work so I can drill the rest of the holes through the floor board.





As of right now I don't think the piece going to the floor is going to be too bothersome and may serve as a foot rest when I'm not using the clutch.

Maybe tomorrow I can get ahold of that drill and finish both sides up and then start to put the other pieces on.

The rest of the cage!



I also got the C pillar kit

 

[Benito]

Back in the spot where it all started!

 

[Napalm]

Back in the spot where it all started!

View attachment 217463

(Jaw drop) great build! Looks incredible!

 

[Ddays]

Very nice man! Got any shots of your cooler setup? Be interested to see it.

 

[Benito]

(Jaw drop) great build! Looks incredible!

Thanks, Steel is coming along nicely as well! Congrats on the level and the 1/4lb and the new wheels. I'm sure a good deal on tires will pop up.

Very nice man! Got any shots of your cooler setup? Be interested to see it.

Thanks, I just went out to get these:



I have the fan in a push configuration as putting the fan behind the rad didn't fit. I used the PSC radiator cooler kit that comes with the bracket. The bracket also has space for a second transmission cooler to run next to this one.



This is the space between the PS cooler and the stock radiators and how I have the setup stacked. From the front: Grill>fan>bracket>PS cooler. I connected the fan to my switch pro and usually just run it when I'm out wheeling moving slow or standing when on the street I leave it off have "natural flow"

 

[Benito]

I have also "finished" installing the trail cage. I need a little more work on my plastics and need to get it powder coated. I also need to mock up the c-pillar kit and decide if I should just paint it black and pad it or get the bottom bracket and the pillar welded and powder coated and leave a half inch raw off the top and weld it in once I get it back and touch it with black and hope the stock roll bar covers cover the weld and black paint or also buy a can of matched spray?.

 

[Benito]

I have a squeal coming from one of the wheels. Not sure if it's a bearing or a warped rotor, but once I apply the brakes it goes away, it also not continuous, it seems like it is half rotation of the wheel...
On another note: 66k miles and my brakes still look good, not sure if that is a good or bad thing

 

[Benito]

Houston we have a problem

 

[bthomas]

Well that's not good! Any damage other than the wheel?

 

[Benito]

Well that's not good! Any damage other than the wheel?

Just the wheel thankfully, the caliper didn't rub it very much. That was the drivers side the pads look like this:



The passenger side looked like this:



Got a ride to the hardware store and found another caliper bolt and got some pads from Napa. Put everything back together and the squeaking is gone so I'm happy about that

 

[Jegar]

Glad you're OK and not much damage!!! A few months back, I kept hearing a very slight metal squeak from my from passenger tire when I would put on the brakes and back up. Asked my 4x4 shop to check it out -- "nothing." Headed out for a wheeling trip 350 miles away, blissfully cruising down the highway at 80-85 mph. Went to exit for gas, heard some crunchy, scraping noise and then a hiss. Lost the caliper bolt, and the caliper actually sliced in inside of my wheel almost in half, causing a massive air leak and completely flattening the tire within minutes.

 

[Benito]

Glad you're OK and not much damage!!! A few months back, I kept hearing a very slight metal squeak from my from passenger tire when I would put on the brakes and back up. Asked my 4x4 shop to check it out -- "nothing." Headed out for a wheeling trip 350 miles away, blissfully cruising down the highway at 80-85 mph. Went to exit for gas, heard some crunchy, scraping noise and then a hiss. Lost the caliper bolt, and the caliper actually sliced in inside of my wheel almost in half, causing a massive air leak and completely flattening the tire within minutes. View attachment 223107 View attachment 223108

Dang! You lost the big bolt! I just might have to go back and locktight all the bolts, not just the smaller ones

 

[Jegar]

Dang! You lost the big bolt! I just might have to go back and locktight all the bolts, not just the smaller ones

Yeah......it was interesting to say the least!

 

[Benito]

Changed the engine oil, air filter, rear diff oil and topped off all the fluids this past weekend



I also installed a Cobra 75WXST. I installed the power box inside of the inside of the center console and I also ran the coax cable along passenger side wiring harness, underneath the passenger seat and into the center console.

 

[hinrichs]

Thats a clean install of the CB, nice job

 

[Ddays]

When I see those 75's mounted I sometimes wish I had gone with one of them. I like my 29 but for how much they actually get used, the 75 is probably more convenient.
Nice install.

 

[Stotch]

What is that in between the spring and antenna? Quick disconnect?

 

[Benito]

Thats a clean install of the CB, nice job

Thanks, it was a bit more work to take out the center console and splice into the 12v plug that is in there but it makes for a really hidden install.

When I see those 75's mounted I sometimes wish I had gone with one of them. I like my 29 but for how much they actually get used, the 75 is probably more convenient.
Nice install.

This was my exact thinking on getting the 75, and when I don't use it I can just disconnect the mic from the power box and remove the antenna with the quick disconnect and you won't even know that it's there!