Did anyone else see the Trucks! episode on Spike TV yesterday? It was the
first installment of a jeep buildup, where the host has taken a new jeep
(Wrangler X) purchased for a very young man by his dad, and agreed to
build it into a "Tombraider"-like vehicle that "looks and performs
every bit as good" as the jeep in the movie.

I was astounded that they used an X as their starting point (even though
I personally own a new X) for such a goal, but was even more
astounded that the host chose to install a 4" lift (Skyjacker) and 35"
tires as the first mod. No change to driveline angles, axles, gears or
transfer case appear to be in store, although there are still two
episodes remaining for the buildup, so I could be wrong here.

Am I wrong in thinking that if the next two episodes don't address these
issues, the claim the host has made is absurd? And worse, it seems to me
that they've significantly worsened the handling, acceleration, fuel
economy and safety of a vehicle intended for daily driving use by a young
male student with no off-road driving experience (that information was
taken from the start of the show, where we met the owner and son, and got
to know a little bit about them).

Hmmmm...

PLM

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[ ]
__OIIIIO__
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Wonderful show. "Today we are going to install $30,000 worth of junk from
our friends at BrandX". "We don't know what it really does to the vehicle,
nor do we cover the more crucial points of installation, but hey, it's
shiny!"
"On our next show, we install a farty muffler, blue LEDs on the hood, and
$400 worth of non-DOT approved funny tail lights, and hope you don't sue us
after rear ending it in the fog"
--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

 

Wonderful show. "Today we are going to install $30,000 worth of junk from
our friends at BrandX". "We don't know what it really does to the vehicle,
nor do we cover the more crucial points of installation, but hey, it's
shiny!"
"On our next show, we install a farty muffler, blue LEDs on the hood, and
$400 worth of non-DOT approved funny tail lights, and hope you don't sue us
after rear ending it in the fog"
--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

 

Wonderful show. "Today we are going to install $30,000 worth of junk from
our friends at BrandX". "We don't know what it really does to the vehicle,
nor do we cover the more crucial points of installation, but hey, it's
shiny!"
"On our next show, we install a farty muffler, blue LEDs on the hood, and
$400 worth of non-DOT approved funny tail lights, and hope you don't sue us
after rear ending it in the fog"
--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

 

Paul Calman wrote:
> Wonderful show. "Today we are going to install $30,000 worth of junk from
> our friends at BrandX". "We don't know what it really does to the vehicle,
> nor do we cover the more crucial points of installation, but hey, it's
> shiny!"
> "On our next show, we install a farty muffler, blue LEDs on the hood, and
> $400 worth of non-DOT approved funny tail lights, and hope you don't sue us
> after rear ending it in the fog"

All those shows are just schills for products. Basically slicker
Infomercials. One of those shows once claimed to dyno a Harley Edition
pickup, and then used one of those "chip tuner" code scanners you can
buy at autozone for 60 bucks to get a peak horse power and torque gain
of OVER 100 HP and torque, with no other mods. Absurd...

--
Simon
"I may be wrong, but I'm not uncertain." -- Robert A. Heinlein

 

Paul Calman wrote:
> Wonderful show. "Today we are going to install $30,000 worth of junk from
> our friends at BrandX". "We don't know what it really does to the vehicle,
> nor do we cover the more crucial points of installation, but hey, it's
> shiny!"
> "On our next show, we install a farty muffler, blue LEDs on the hood, and
> $400 worth of non-DOT approved funny tail lights, and hope you don't sue us
> after rear ending it in the fog"

All those shows are just schills for products. Basically slicker
Infomercials. One of those shows once claimed to dyno a Harley Edition
pickup, and then used one of those "chip tuner" code scanners you can
buy at autozone for 60 bucks to get a peak horse power and torque gain
of OVER 100 HP and torque, with no other mods. Absurd...

--
Simon
"I may be wrong, but I'm not uncertain." -- Robert A. Heinlein

 

Paul Calman wrote:
> Wonderful show. "Today we are going to install $30,000 worth of junk from
> our friends at BrandX". "We don't know what it really does to the vehicle,
> nor do we cover the more crucial points of installation, but hey, it's
> shiny!"
> "On our next show, we install a farty muffler, blue LEDs on the hood, and
> $400 worth of non-DOT approved funny tail lights, and hope you don't sue us
> after rear ending it in the fog"

All those shows are just schills for products. Basically slicker
Infomercials. One of those shows once claimed to dyno a Harley Edition
pickup, and then used one of those "chip tuner" code scanners you can
buy at autozone for 60 bucks to get a peak horse power and torque gain
of OVER 100 HP and torque, with no other mods. Absurd...

--
Simon
"I may be wrong, but I'm not uncertain." -- Robert A. Heinlein

 

Hi Pat,

After watching a 2nd time... They actually installed 33". Stacey bloopered
35" near the end of the episode. I too thought the driveline angles and for
that matter the D35 axle in the rear won't hold up to much stress if he
digs into lockers and such. Stacey did mention the need for re-gear if they
ever went to 35's, but the X came with 3.07's?!? or 3.55 ratio R&P right?
Even 33's are a bit much for those ratios. From the sound of it, most of the
rest of the build up will be window dressing. T.R. Roll cage, front and rear
bumpers, winch and lights and such.


Brian



"Patrick Mills" <plm1954_R_E_M_O_V_E@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.01.18.15.51.20.323798@ix.netcom.com. ..
> Did anyone else see the Trucks! episode on Spike TV yesterday? It was the
> first installment of a jeep buildup, where the host has taken a new jeep
> (Wrangler X) purchased for a very young man by his dad, and agreed to
> build it into a "Tombraider"-like vehicle that "looks and performs
> every bit as good" as the jeep in the movie.
>
> I was astounded that they used an X as their starting point (even though
> I personally own a new X) for such a goal, but was even more
> astounded that the host chose to install a 4" lift (Skyjacker) and 35"
> tires as the first mod. No change to driveline angles, axles, gears or
> transfer case appear to be in store, although there are still two
> episodes remaining for the buildup, so I could be wrong here.
>
> Am I wrong in thinking that if the next two episodes don't address these
> issues, the claim the host has made is absurd? And worse, it seems to me
> that they've significantly worsened the handling, acceleration, fuel
> economy and safety of a vehicle intended for daily driving use by a young
> male student with no off-road driving experience (that information was
> taken from the start of the show, where we met the owner and son, and got
> to know a little bit about them).
>
> Hmmmm...
>
> PLM
>
> --
> [ ]
> __OIIIIO__
> |||=oo=|||
> ||| |||

 

Hi Pat,

After watching a 2nd time... They actually installed 33". Stacey bloopered
35" near the end of the episode. I too thought the driveline angles and for
that matter the D35 axle in the rear won't hold up to much stress if he
digs into lockers and such. Stacey did mention the need for re-gear if they
ever went to 35's, but the X came with 3.07's?!? or 3.55 ratio R&P right?
Even 33's are a bit much for those ratios. From the sound of it, most of the
rest of the build up will be window dressing. T.R. Roll cage, front and rear
bumpers, winch and lights and such.


Brian



"Patrick Mills" <plm1954_R_E_M_O_V_E@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.01.18.15.51.20.323798@ix.netcom.com. ..
> Did anyone else see the Trucks! episode on Spike TV yesterday? It was the
> first installment of a jeep buildup, where the host has taken a new jeep
> (Wrangler X) purchased for a very young man by his dad, and agreed to
> build it into a "Tombraider"-like vehicle that "looks and performs
> every bit as good" as the jeep in the movie.
>
> I was astounded that they used an X as their starting point (even though
> I personally own a new X) for such a goal, but was even more
> astounded that the host chose to install a 4" lift (Skyjacker) and 35"
> tires as the first mod. No change to driveline angles, axles, gears or
> transfer case appear to be in store, although there are still two
> episodes remaining for the buildup, so I could be wrong here.
>
> Am I wrong in thinking that if the next two episodes don't address these
> issues, the claim the host has made is absurd? And worse, it seems to me
> that they've significantly worsened the handling, acceleration, fuel
> economy and safety of a vehicle intended for daily driving use by a young
> male student with no off-road driving experience (that information was
> taken from the start of the show, where we met the owner and son, and got
> to know a little bit about them).
>
> Hmmmm...
>
> PLM
>
> --
> [ ]
> __OIIIIO__
> |||=oo=|||
> ||| |||

 

Hi Pat,

After watching a 2nd time... They actually installed 33". Stacey bloopered
35" near the end of the episode. I too thought the driveline angles and for
that matter the D35 axle in the rear won't hold up to much stress if he
digs into lockers and such. Stacey did mention the need for re-gear if they
ever went to 35's, but the X came with 3.07's?!? or 3.55 ratio R&P right?
Even 33's are a bit much for those ratios. From the sound of it, most of the
rest of the build up will be window dressing. T.R. Roll cage, front and rear
bumpers, winch and lights and such.


Brian



"Patrick Mills" <plm1954_R_E_M_O_V_E@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.01.18.15.51.20.323798@ix.netcom.com. ..
> Did anyone else see the Trucks! episode on Spike TV yesterday? It was the
> first installment of a jeep buildup, where the host has taken a new jeep
> (Wrangler X) purchased for a very young man by his dad, and agreed to
> build it into a "Tombraider"-like vehicle that "looks and performs
> every bit as good" as the jeep in the movie.
>
> I was astounded that they used an X as their starting point (even though
> I personally own a new X) for such a goal, but was even more
> astounded that the host chose to install a 4" lift (Skyjacker) and 35"
> tires as the first mod. No change to driveline angles, axles, gears or
> transfer case appear to be in store, although there are still two
> episodes remaining for the buildup, so I could be wrong here.
>
> Am I wrong in thinking that if the next two episodes don't address these
> issues, the claim the host has made is absurd? And worse, it seems to me
> that they've significantly worsened the handling, acceleration, fuel
> economy and safety of a vehicle intended for daily driving use by a young
> male student with no off-road driving experience (that information was
> taken from the start of the show, where we met the owner and son, and got
> to know a little bit about them).
>
> Hmmmm...
>
> PLM
>
> --
> [ ]
> __OIIIIO__
> |||=oo=|||
> ||| |||