SEMA Off-Road @ Indy!
Well I drove back Saturday, rested and watch the race on Sunday. As a side bar, you must visit the speedway if you are in Indy. I walked in to the track and didn’t have a dry eye until I left.
The SEMA Off-Road show was smaller than I had anticipated. I walked the entire convention center in a 6 hour day.
I found several interesting items while there. One manufacturer has developed alum. skid plates. I will be getting the price sheet soon. The same manufacturer has a spring seat support, like the air ride seats for the big rigs, neat idea. Anyone interested let me know. Another had triple chrome solid lug nuts with wheel locks in a box package for the Jeep. Includes lock and lugs for the spare. They were relatively inexpensive. No new bumpers for the KJ’s. Basically there was little to offer the KJ owner. However, the guys from Crown Jeep Parts, were very interested in working with me (us) on products for the KJ. The guy essentially said, “in a year or two, the KJ will be like the Cherokee was some 5 to 10 years ago, nobody took them off-road, now look”. I told him there is a market out there.
I met the guys from Low Range Magazine, what a great group of gentlemen. All you east coast guys, if you don’t get this magazine, go on line and subscribe.
I asked our friends at Superlift about their lift. After I told them, that I would be testing my lift at Moab (I hope so-there are KJ pieces all over the garage floor right now), the guys clamed up and didn’t say much, except for the fact that the Liberator will be at Easter Jeep week. I guess they thought I was spying on them! (I like my 15w40 stirred not shaken, Jeepin –Jeepin Al is my name, KJ’s are my game!) . I pressed them about the lift, they did say that they had some out on the road. Their kit will include new steering knuckles. I found out that they did not use the Grand knuckles as I first thought, but one-off knuckles, which they copied for the kit. They hoped it would be out shortly. Hey Superlift, if you are reading this, I am a nice guy, so why didn’t you talk to me more? I didn’t rag on you that much, did I? As a side note here-anything over a 4 inch lift the rear driveshaft will NEED to be replaced. And there will be no slip yoke eliminator for the new 242’s. This maybe why its not coming out. The drive shaft I just had made, yoke from a GM tranny with a flange, double-u-joint CV, high speed balance as a unit cost a pretty penny (took most of my Moab money). The front drive shaft may need to be replaced also, I will let you know when I get that far.
I found some really neat plain canvas type HD seat covers that I will start to carry, made some connections with warehouses, and saw some really great engineering. Nothing like Vegas however, very quiet and calm, and no buxom models to sign my posters!
Al
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