Colin Campbell

I am currently serving in Iraq and was told today that I start my R&R
leave on the 9th of Aug.

Now this is sooner than I expected and now need some advice.

I have a 03 TJ Sport. Aftermarket bumpers, skid plates and nerf bars.
Also an AEM air intake.

I am running 31x9.5 Super Swamper TSLs with no lift.

I would like to put some sort of modest lift so I can run larger
tires. I am also thinking of ARB air lockers front and rear.

The really big deal is I would like to have the mods completed (my dad
can take the Jeep to the shop for me) before I get home on leave. (I
do not want to waste any of my 15 days at home with my jeep in the
shop).

I do not intend to do really extreme stuff but I want the jeep to be
able to go most places in the backcountry with a solid certanty I can
get back out. (For those of you in S. California I want to be able to
go both ways on the Diablo Drop-off.)

Also this Jeep will be my daily commuter car once I come home for good
so I want minimal impact on highway handling and performance.

I have done business with Four Wheel Parts before and am leaning
towards using then as they install everything they sell.

My Budget is $5,000. (Spending my combat pay and income tax
exclusion.)

Now I am confused about what size/type lift I will need for what size
tires as well as what the differences are between the different
products (the price range for a 2" life is from $200 to $2000 so there
has to be major differences in what they do.)

Also I would like recommendations on tires. My Swampers are awesome
in mud but lousy on the highway. Which tires will give good
sand/moderate mud performance but retain a quiet ride and decent
highway performance?

This is what I am thionking of right now:
2" lift
ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
budget)


Ideas?
Comments?
Recomendations?

Nick N

> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)

I would go for 31 bfg mud terrains (you don't want the cost of regearing for
33's right now) about 550 or so..
Powertrax no slip lockers, front & back... probably about 1100 total (bought
and installed)
3.5 inch lift plus quick disconnects and adjustable shocks (might have to do
a cv joint on the driveshaft) about 1500 to 2000.
If your going out with others I wouldn't get the winch but would spend the
rest of the cash on recovery and safety gear, probably also skid plate for
oil pan and gas tank.
Nick

Nick N

> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)

I would go for 31 bfg mud terrains (you don't want the cost of regearing for
33's right now) about 550 or so..
Powertrax no slip lockers, front & back... probably about 1100 total (bought
and installed)
3.5 inch lift plus quick disconnects and adjustable shocks (might have to do
a cv joint on the driveshaft) about 1500 to 2000.
If your going out with others I wouldn't get the winch but would spend the
rest of the cash on recovery and safety gear, probably also skid plate for
oil pan and gas tank.
Nick

Nick N

> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)

I would go for 31 bfg mud terrains (you don't want the cost of regearing for
33's right now) about 550 or so..
Powertrax no slip lockers, front & back... probably about 1100 total (bought
and installed)
3.5 inch lift plus quick disconnects and adjustable shocks (might have to do
a cv joint on the driveshaft) about 1500 to 2000.
If your going out with others I wouldn't get the winch but would spend the
rest of the cash on recovery and safety gear, probably also skid plate for
oil pan and gas tank.
Nick

Nick N

> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)

I would go for 31 bfg mud terrains (you don't want the cost of regearing for
33's right now) about 550 or so..
Powertrax no slip lockers, front & back... probably about 1100 total (bought
and installed)
3.5 inch lift plus quick disconnects and adjustable shocks (might have to do
a cv joint on the driveshaft) about 1500 to 2000.
If your going out with others I wouldn't get the winch but would spend the
rest of the cash on recovery and safety gear, probably also skid plate for
oil pan and gas tank.
Nick

CRWLR

Going up the Diablo Drop Off will probably require at least one locker or
you won't make it. The Drop Off is basically a sand hill, going down is
relatively easy, all you need to do is keep the front in front, going back
up is another matter. You can't simply smash the gas and hope for the best
because there is a turn in the middle of the hill. When you slow for the
turn, you loose momentum for the last section, which is also the steepest.

Clearance is not going to be an issue for you, traction is the problem.
Having said that, I have taken the trip several times with stock Jeeps, they
just went down the Drop Off, and were satisfied with watching me go up.

Since you arer asking about the Drop Off, I'll assume you live near me
soemwhere. It is my humble opinion that the best tires for Southern
California are the BFG All Terrain KO's. I have the BFG Mud Terrains, and
they work very well for me. But, if I was using my Jeep as a daily driver,
the ATs would work better on the street than the MTs. The ATs give much
better life on the street, and very nearly the same performance offroad.
There are a few areas we might go where the MT are superior, but the vast
majority of the routes we will use are well suited to the performance
profile of the ATs.

That Mile Marker you have your eye on is perhaps not the best choice. It is
of limited value for self-recovery, but is does have an excellent duty cycle
for recovering your buddies. The problem with the hydraulic winch is that it
requires the engine to be running, and if you are belly-up somewhere, the
motor is not going to be of much help. Since most recovery operations
consist of righting a vehicle, and this takes just a few minutes, then the
electric winches make more sense. Even your own recovery will generally
amount of pulling you off of a high center or out of a hole, winching in our
line of recreation seldom exceeds the duty cycle of the winch, so don't dial
in on the Mile Marker for its advantage of the extended duty cycle; it has
way too much baggage to weigh down the one advantage.

I run the Detroit Locker in the back, and the Dedtroit EZ Locker in front.
These units are both cheaper and more reliable than the ARB units. The
Detroits have overhead if you drive on snow and ice, but since you are in
So. Calif, that won't be a problem for you. Again, I am looking at the
cost/benefit side of the equation, but ignoring the possibility that your
operating environment might change. If you were on the way to the midwest
where they do a lot of mudding, they you would prefer the Mile Marker, and
if you were going to the Snow Belt, then you may not enjoy the Detroits.
But, if intend on remaining in Southern California, get the automatic
lockers and the electric winch.




"Colin Campbell" <colin.campbell@us.army.mil> wrote in message
news:1193103c.0407220829.28c36d6@posting.google.co m...
> I am currently serving in Iraq and was told today that I start my R&R
> leave on the 9th of Aug.
>
> Now this is sooner than I expected and now need some advice.
>
> I have a 03 TJ Sport. Aftermarket bumpers, skid plates and nerf bars.
> Also an AEM air intake.
>
> I am running 31x9.5 Super Swamper TSLs with no lift.
>
> I would like to put some sort of modest lift so I can run larger
> tires. I am also thinking of ARB air lockers front and rear.
>
> The really big deal is I would like to have the mods completed (my dad
> can take the Jeep to the shop for me) before I get home on leave. (I
> do not want to waste any of my 15 days at home with my jeep in the
> shop).
>
> I do not intend to do really extreme stuff but I want the jeep to be
> able to go most places in the backcountry with a solid certanty I can
> get back out. (For those of you in S. California I want to be able to
> go both ways on the Diablo Drop-off.)
>
> Also this Jeep will be my daily commuter car once I come home for good
> so I want minimal impact on highway handling and performance.
>
> I have done business with Four Wheel Parts before and am leaning
> towards using then as they install everything they sell.
>
> My Budget is $5,000. (Spending my combat pay and income tax
> exclusion.)
>
> Now I am confused about what size/type lift I will need for what size
> tires as well as what the differences are between the different
> products (the price range for a 2" life is from $200 to $2000 so there
> has to be major differences in what they do.)
>
> Also I would like recommendations on tires. My Swampers are awesome
> in mud but lousy on the highway. Which tires will give good
> sand/moderate mud performance but retain a quiet ride and decent
> highway performance?
>
> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)
>
>
> Ideas?
> Comments?
> Recomendations?

CRWLR

Going up the Diablo Drop Off will probably require at least one locker or
you won't make it. The Drop Off is basically a sand hill, going down is
relatively easy, all you need to do is keep the front in front, going back
up is another matter. You can't simply smash the gas and hope for the best
because there is a turn in the middle of the hill. When you slow for the
turn, you loose momentum for the last section, which is also the steepest.

Clearance is not going to be an issue for you, traction is the problem.
Having said that, I have taken the trip several times with stock Jeeps, they
just went down the Drop Off, and were satisfied with watching me go up.

Since you arer asking about the Drop Off, I'll assume you live near me
soemwhere. It is my humble opinion that the best tires for Southern
California are the BFG All Terrain KO's. I have the BFG Mud Terrains, and
they work very well for me. But, if I was using my Jeep as a daily driver,
the ATs would work better on the street than the MTs. The ATs give much
better life on the street, and very nearly the same performance offroad.
There are a few areas we might go where the MT are superior, but the vast
majority of the routes we will use are well suited to the performance
profile of the ATs.

That Mile Marker you have your eye on is perhaps not the best choice. It is
of limited value for self-recovery, but is does have an excellent duty cycle
for recovering your buddies. The problem with the hydraulic winch is that it
requires the engine to be running, and if you are belly-up somewhere, the
motor is not going to be of much help. Since most recovery operations
consist of righting a vehicle, and this takes just a few minutes, then the
electric winches make more sense. Even your own recovery will generally
amount of pulling you off of a high center or out of a hole, winching in our
line of recreation seldom exceeds the duty cycle of the winch, so don't dial
in on the Mile Marker for its advantage of the extended duty cycle; it has
way too much baggage to weigh down the one advantage.

I run the Detroit Locker in the back, and the Dedtroit EZ Locker in front.
These units are both cheaper and more reliable than the ARB units. The
Detroits have overhead if you drive on snow and ice, but since you are in
So. Calif, that won't be a problem for you. Again, I am looking at the
cost/benefit side of the equation, but ignoring the possibility that your
operating environment might change. If you were on the way to the midwest
where they do a lot of mudding, they you would prefer the Mile Marker, and
if you were going to the Snow Belt, then you may not enjoy the Detroits.
But, if intend on remaining in Southern California, get the automatic
lockers and the electric winch.




"Colin Campbell" <colin.campbell@us.army.mil> wrote in message
news:1193103c.0407220829.28c36d6@posting.google.co m...
> I am currently serving in Iraq and was told today that I start my R&R
> leave on the 9th of Aug.
>
> Now this is sooner than I expected and now need some advice.
>
> I have a 03 TJ Sport. Aftermarket bumpers, skid plates and nerf bars.
> Also an AEM air intake.
>
> I am running 31x9.5 Super Swamper TSLs with no lift.
>
> I would like to put some sort of modest lift so I can run larger
> tires. I am also thinking of ARB air lockers front and rear.
>
> The really big deal is I would like to have the mods completed (my dad
> can take the Jeep to the shop for me) before I get home on leave. (I
> do not want to waste any of my 15 days at home with my jeep in the
> shop).
>
> I do not intend to do really extreme stuff but I want the jeep to be
> able to go most places in the backcountry with a solid certanty I can
> get back out. (For those of you in S. California I want to be able to
> go both ways on the Diablo Drop-off.)
>
> Also this Jeep will be my daily commuter car once I come home for good
> so I want minimal impact on highway handling and performance.
>
> I have done business with Four Wheel Parts before and am leaning
> towards using then as they install everything they sell.
>
> My Budget is $5,000. (Spending my combat pay and income tax
> exclusion.)
>
> Now I am confused about what size/type lift I will need for what size
> tires as well as what the differences are between the different
> products (the price range for a 2" life is from $200 to $2000 so there
> has to be major differences in what they do.)
>
> Also I would like recommendations on tires. My Swampers are awesome
> in mud but lousy on the highway. Which tires will give good
> sand/moderate mud performance but retain a quiet ride and decent
> highway performance?
>
> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)
>
>
> Ideas?
> Comments?
> Recomendations?

CRWLR

Going up the Diablo Drop Off will probably require at least one locker or
you won't make it. The Drop Off is basically a sand hill, going down is
relatively easy, all you need to do is keep the front in front, going back
up is another matter. You can't simply smash the gas and hope for the best
because there is a turn in the middle of the hill. When you slow for the
turn, you loose momentum for the last section, which is also the steepest.

Clearance is not going to be an issue for you, traction is the problem.
Having said that, I have taken the trip several times with stock Jeeps, they
just went down the Drop Off, and were satisfied with watching me go up.

Since you arer asking about the Drop Off, I'll assume you live near me
soemwhere. It is my humble opinion that the best tires for Southern
California are the BFG All Terrain KO's. I have the BFG Mud Terrains, and
they work very well for me. But, if I was using my Jeep as a daily driver,
the ATs would work better on the street than the MTs. The ATs give much
better life on the street, and very nearly the same performance offroad.
There are a few areas we might go where the MT are superior, but the vast
majority of the routes we will use are well suited to the performance
profile of the ATs.

That Mile Marker you have your eye on is perhaps not the best choice. It is
of limited value for self-recovery, but is does have an excellent duty cycle
for recovering your buddies. The problem with the hydraulic winch is that it
requires the engine to be running, and if you are belly-up somewhere, the
motor is not going to be of much help. Since most recovery operations
consist of righting a vehicle, and this takes just a few minutes, then the
electric winches make more sense. Even your own recovery will generally
amount of pulling you off of a high center or out of a hole, winching in our
line of recreation seldom exceeds the duty cycle of the winch, so don't dial
in on the Mile Marker for its advantage of the extended duty cycle; it has
way too much baggage to weigh down the one advantage.

I run the Detroit Locker in the back, and the Dedtroit EZ Locker in front.
These units are both cheaper and more reliable than the ARB units. The
Detroits have overhead if you drive on snow and ice, but since you are in
So. Calif, that won't be a problem for you. Again, I am looking at the
cost/benefit side of the equation, but ignoring the possibility that your
operating environment might change. If you were on the way to the midwest
where they do a lot of mudding, they you would prefer the Mile Marker, and
if you were going to the Snow Belt, then you may not enjoy the Detroits.
But, if intend on remaining in Southern California, get the automatic
lockers and the electric winch.




"Colin Campbell" <colin.campbell@us.army.mil> wrote in message
news:1193103c.0407220829.28c36d6@posting.google.co m...
> I am currently serving in Iraq and was told today that I start my R&R
> leave on the 9th of Aug.
>
> Now this is sooner than I expected and now need some advice.
>
> I have a 03 TJ Sport. Aftermarket bumpers, skid plates and nerf bars.
> Also an AEM air intake.
>
> I am running 31x9.5 Super Swamper TSLs with no lift.
>
> I would like to put some sort of modest lift so I can run larger
> tires. I am also thinking of ARB air lockers front and rear.
>
> The really big deal is I would like to have the mods completed (my dad
> can take the Jeep to the shop for me) before I get home on leave. (I
> do not want to waste any of my 15 days at home with my jeep in the
> shop).
>
> I do not intend to do really extreme stuff but I want the jeep to be
> able to go most places in the backcountry with a solid certanty I can
> get back out. (For those of you in S. California I want to be able to
> go both ways on the Diablo Drop-off.)
>
> Also this Jeep will be my daily commuter car once I come home for good
> so I want minimal impact on highway handling and performance.
>
> I have done business with Four Wheel Parts before and am leaning
> towards using then as they install everything they sell.
>
> My Budget is $5,000. (Spending my combat pay and income tax
> exclusion.)
>
> Now I am confused about what size/type lift I will need for what size
> tires as well as what the differences are between the different
> products (the price range for a 2" life is from $200 to $2000 so there
> has to be major differences in what they do.)
>
> Also I would like recommendations on tires. My Swampers are awesome
> in mud but lousy on the highway. Which tires will give good
> sand/moderate mud performance but retain a quiet ride and decent
> highway performance?
>
> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)
>
>
> Ideas?
> Comments?
> Recomendations?

CRWLR

Going up the Diablo Drop Off will probably require at least one locker or
you won't make it. The Drop Off is basically a sand hill, going down is
relatively easy, all you need to do is keep the front in front, going back
up is another matter. You can't simply smash the gas and hope for the best
because there is a turn in the middle of the hill. When you slow for the
turn, you loose momentum for the last section, which is also the steepest.

Clearance is not going to be an issue for you, traction is the problem.
Having said that, I have taken the trip several times with stock Jeeps, they
just went down the Drop Off, and were satisfied with watching me go up.

Since you arer asking about the Drop Off, I'll assume you live near me
soemwhere. It is my humble opinion that the best tires for Southern
California are the BFG All Terrain KO's. I have the BFG Mud Terrains, and
they work very well for me. But, if I was using my Jeep as a daily driver,
the ATs would work better on the street than the MTs. The ATs give much
better life on the street, and very nearly the same performance offroad.
There are a few areas we might go where the MT are superior, but the vast
majority of the routes we will use are well suited to the performance
profile of the ATs.

That Mile Marker you have your eye on is perhaps not the best choice. It is
of limited value for self-recovery, but is does have an excellent duty cycle
for recovering your buddies. The problem with the hydraulic winch is that it
requires the engine to be running, and if you are belly-up somewhere, the
motor is not going to be of much help. Since most recovery operations
consist of righting a vehicle, and this takes just a few minutes, then the
electric winches make more sense. Even your own recovery will generally
amount of pulling you off of a high center or out of a hole, winching in our
line of recreation seldom exceeds the duty cycle of the winch, so don't dial
in on the Mile Marker for its advantage of the extended duty cycle; it has
way too much baggage to weigh down the one advantage.

I run the Detroit Locker in the back, and the Dedtroit EZ Locker in front.
These units are both cheaper and more reliable than the ARB units. The
Detroits have overhead if you drive on snow and ice, but since you are in
So. Calif, that won't be a problem for you. Again, I am looking at the
cost/benefit side of the equation, but ignoring the possibility that your
operating environment might change. If you were on the way to the midwest
where they do a lot of mudding, they you would prefer the Mile Marker, and
if you were going to the Snow Belt, then you may not enjoy the Detroits.
But, if intend on remaining in Southern California, get the automatic
lockers and the electric winch.




"Colin Campbell" <colin.campbell@us.army.mil> wrote in message
news:1193103c.0407220829.28c36d6@posting.google.co m...
> I am currently serving in Iraq and was told today that I start my R&R
> leave on the 9th of Aug.
>
> Now this is sooner than I expected and now need some advice.
>
> I have a 03 TJ Sport. Aftermarket bumpers, skid plates and nerf bars.
> Also an AEM air intake.
>
> I am running 31x9.5 Super Swamper TSLs with no lift.
>
> I would like to put some sort of modest lift so I can run larger
> tires. I am also thinking of ARB air lockers front and rear.
>
> The really big deal is I would like to have the mods completed (my dad
> can take the Jeep to the shop for me) before I get home on leave. (I
> do not want to waste any of my 15 days at home with my jeep in the
> shop).
>
> I do not intend to do really extreme stuff but I want the jeep to be
> able to go most places in the backcountry with a solid certanty I can
> get back out. (For those of you in S. California I want to be able to
> go both ways on the Diablo Drop-off.)
>
> Also this Jeep will be my daily commuter car once I come home for good
> so I want minimal impact on highway handling and performance.
>
> I have done business with Four Wheel Parts before and am leaning
> towards using then as they install everything they sell.
>
> My Budget is $5,000. (Spending my combat pay and income tax
> exclusion.)
>
> Now I am confused about what size/type lift I will need for what size
> tires as well as what the differences are between the different
> products (the price range for a 2" life is from $200 to $2000 so there
> has to be major differences in what they do.)
>
> Also I would like recommendations on tires. My Swampers are awesome
> in mud but lousy on the highway. Which tires will give good
> sand/moderate mud performance but retain a quiet ride and decent
> highway performance?
>
> This is what I am thionking of right now:
> 2" lift
> ARB lockers front/rear, with optional tire inflation gear
> Swamper Truxus Radials (should I get 31s or 33s?)
> Maybe a Mile Marker 9000 winch (if enough money is left in my $5,000
> budget)
>
>
> Ideas?
> Comments?
> Recomendations?

L.W.(=?iso-8859-1?Q?=DFill?=) Hughes III

http://www.sandcruiser.com/journ_pic...ndobstacle.jpg

CRWLR wrote:
>
> Going up the Diablo Drop Off will probably require at least one locker or
> you won't make it. The Drop Off is basically a sand hill, going down is
> relatively easy, all you need to do is keep the front in front, going back
> up is another matter. You can't simply smash the gas and hope for the best
> because there is a turn in the middle of the hill. When you slow for the
> turn, you loose momentum for the last section, which is also the steepest.
>
> Clearance is not going to be an issue for you, traction is the problem.
> Having said that, I have taken the trip several times with stock Jeeps, they
> just went down the Drop Off, and were satisfied with watching me go up.
>
> Since you arer asking about the Drop Off, I'll assume you live near me
> soemwhere. It is my humble opinion that the best tires for Southern
> California are the BFG All Terrain KO's. I have the BFG Mud Terrains, and
> they work very well for me. But, if I was using my Jeep as a daily driver,
> the ATs would work better on the street than the MTs. The ATs give much
> better life on the street, and very nearly the same performance offroad.
> There are a few areas we might go where the MT are superior, but the vast
> majority of the routes we will use are well suited to the performance
> profile of the ATs.
>
> That Mile Marker you have your eye on is perhaps not the best choice. It is
> of limited value for self-recovery, but is does have an excellent duty cycle
> for recovering your buddies. The problem with the hydraulic winch is that it
> requires the engine to be running, and if you are belly-up somewhere, the
> motor is not going to be of much help. Since most recovery operations
> consist of righting a vehicle, and this takes just a few minutes, then the
> electric winches make more sense. Even your own recovery will generally
> amount of pulling you off of a high center or out of a hole, winching in our
> line of recreation seldom exceeds the duty cycle of the winch, so don't dial
> in on the Mile Marker for its advantage of the extended duty cycle; it has
> way too much baggage to weigh down the one advantage.
>
> I run the Detroit Locker in the back, and the Dedtroit EZ Locker in front.
> These units are both cheaper and more reliable than the ARB units. The
> Detroits have overhead if you drive on snow and ice, but since you are in
> So. Calif, that won't be a problem for you. Again, I am looking at the
> cost/benefit side of the equation, but ignoring the possibility that your
> operating environment might change. If you were on the way to the midwest
> where they do a lot of mudding, they you would prefer the Mile Marker, and
> if you were going to the Snow Belt, then you may not enjoy the Detroits.
> But, if intend on remaining in Southern California, get the automatic
> lockers and the electric winch.