Break down is like this -
I have the Level 8 Trackers en route from Discount, Flashcal and EVO C-Gussets en route from Northridge, 4 TPMS Sensors sitting in my basement waiting to get mounted onto the Level 8 Trackers and will be selling my 5 BFG (1 Brand New) Stock Rubicon wheels and tires.
These will go to a Wayalife member for $500.00, C-List for $750.00
Once I get the Gussets in, I will have them welded either by a local shop or someone Noroad knows, whichever I can get to first. Mounting and balancing should be a breeze and then it's the waiting game for the bank account to replenish - unfortunately with home-owner stuff and the holidays coming up, that might be a little bit.
Oh well, the Jeep has really taken shape over the last year and I cannot complain one bit.
Now that I have some time to do this - Here is my damage report from the Rausch Creek run (RESQ1 style)
INITIATION - I got the frag order from Andrew (noroad) to meet up for Rausch and of course we were all late, mostly because we're Massholes. After some serious delay time, trying to see if 35s would fit from a 5x4.5/5 rim on the JKU, turns out the bolt hole was drilled poorly and we were stuck with the stock 32s. No worries, as when we finally got where we were going, it didn't matter much. The 3.6 and the stock components gave me no trouble at all on the trail. We did have a slight issue with the 1st time oil change on the 2014 when I replaced the O-Ring but did so in the wrong spot. For those of you who had never done this before, it's not entirely obvious for someone unfamiliar with the cartridge style and so I lost about 2 quarts of oil before we figured out the issue and went about our business as normal. - Now that my undercarriage was properly lubed, we hit the rack and reveille was bright and early for a 0800 trail run.
EXECUTION - We did great on the trail for just a lift, basically. Essentially we were no different in our lifted JKUSport than a Rubi with a lift, so all in all it was a relatively stock friendly day. There were a few obstacles that were in between the hard stuff and the easy stuff where I could go and the stock Jeeps couldn't but with everyone's help we all had a good time on the trail, damage and all! Let me break it down on a quasi review / trail test of the new components.
Teraflex 2.5" coil lift -> This is the allegedly stiff ride everyone bags on. Honestly, I think it has served me very well so far on the trail. I keep mostly stock everything except coils and a few brackets i.e. the brake line relocation bracket. Could I stand to get better brake lines? Sure. But this lift helped me to flex out like a bastard on some blues where a Rubi stock couldn't go. With some help from our great spotters, there wasn't really an obstacle that stopped us in our tracks at all - it was, all in all, a really good day. We weren't fortunate enough to get some sick flexing shots and even most of the shots we did get, we lost due to an unforeseen accidental drop (covered in damage assessment). But the lift gets the job done, comfortably and I couldn't be happier.
BFGoodrich Mud Terrain --> These tires grip, boy. They do. I had no issues on the obstacles in terms of traction or forward progress. The sidewalls are junk though. Halfway down the trail run I get a call on the CB proclaiming I had a flat and sure enough, there she was... rubber down to the rim with a minor puncture on the side wall spilling air like nobody's business. So we pulled a field expedient pit stop, changed the faulty tire and I am getting one free of charge from the dealership. Looks like that extended warranty paid off! Someone's getting a brand new tire which is great. After that mishap, we trudged on and it was smooth sailing from there. The tires held up the rest of the run and we went on blues, greens and had we been on 35s, would have tried some blacks.
DAMAGE REPORT --> Our first trail badge came shortly after the wife drove. Now, Im not saying it is her fault, although she feels like it is and I tell her even if it was her driving, Im not mad. Anywho, the tire blew as mentioned above and the rubi rail took a huge gash close to the body and a small portion of the rocker panel is pushed in with minor scuffing. That could have been a really bad day, but I had JUST installed those sliders as mentioned before and it couldn't have been with better timing!!! We did not have the opportunity to find out where. I haven't gone under the Jeep to inspect just yet, but I only heard minor scuffing and scraping - the lift made a HUGE difference here from last time where my stock JKU pretty much dragged on every single rock and pebble they had out on the trail. Im pretty sure my skids got a workout last year from the gravel parking lot alone!!! :cheesy:
All jokes aside though, we came out relatively unscathed with only minor touch up paint to mask our wounds. The biggest damage was the loss of my wife's cell phone in a mud puddle where we also lost every picture associated with that phone. Oh well - you guys wound up taking plenty of great photos and I wish we could have added to the collection with what we saw. You'd be amazed how much a little device can impact your day to day when you lose one of those things.
WIFE REPORT --> My wife decided after initially saying she wasn't coming to make the trek down. I am so glad she did. She got to meet my friends and fellow Wayalifers, meet some cool new people and experience the Jeep Wayalife in person. It really is a whole different story when you're on the trail, in the woods just crawling over rocks and picking lines all day. We talked about the kids, Jeeps, how to pick lines, which lines NOT to pick, what noises were acceptable and which ones were not (on the trail), how not to lose lunchboxes, how to graciously get them back from Steve (LOL), and all kinds of other things. But mostly she just enjoyed getting to drive on the trail, test her skill as a driver and enjoy the off-roading experience at Rausch Creek. It might be a little while before I get her her own Jeep and pick out some lines on a black trail, but she's already gone from Jeep to Jeep scoping out her favorite mods she'd like to see on my Jeep next. Can't complain there! She also graciously authorized me to purchase 35's from our good friend Cozdude who showed us around PA a little bit and added to the Chik-Fil-A visits on Sunday saga that plagues my wife hahaha (they are closed Sundays and that seems to be the only time she's near one!)
All - in - all I had a blast and can't wait to go wheeling again as a driver or A-Driver!
Sent from my SM-P905V using WAYALIFE mobile app
Sent from my SM-P905V using WAYALIFE mobile app
