KJ whipped the 'Cons stupid!.. Pics posted

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:14 am

I just got back from 3 days out on the Rubicon Trail with the guys from Rubicon Express and a bunch of writers from the Primedia Group. Wow! I have tons of pictures, including my rig pulling out a ZJ with an 8" RE lift. No dings. No scratches. No go arounds. No Little Sluice, either but she ate up Big Sluice and all the others! LS is nothing but buggy central now. I have to drive Ole Girl 800 miles home...discretion is the better part of valor. I'll put up some shots when I can find the right USB pins to download my camera.

FYI, IMHO....No way in hell does a KJ with 245's or 265's get through there anymore without serious sheet metal reconfiguration. You guys thinking about it should pass. I do this for a living and I wouldn't want to take my old KJ through Cadillac Hill. No go arounds to keep the shiny paint off the trees and rocks. I was driving with 15 guys who all do it for a living with some of the best rigs money can buy, and sheet metal got tweaked, we broke a track bar on a brand new 6" lifted JK and had to fix it with a Hi Lift handle, blown tires, cracked rims, two broken U Joints... I mean, seriously. Matt and some of the guys talked about it. I'd pass. Ride with someone else, it's unforgiving out there. Keep your rig in one piece and catch a ride.... leave the KJ in the lot. You all know I love you guys and wouldn't bash a KJ for anything unless it was on a rock in Moab with you all...I'm just trying to save you some time and a lot of money. With constant erosion and the amount of traffic on the Con these days eating the trail away and exposing more of the rocks there is no easy way through anymore.

Sorry, can't trash the writers shots, so this is all you get.. check out Primedia publications for more!

FJ Guys do it, too!

Aloha!

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 8:01 am

Cant wait to see the pictures! Of course already get to see your rig everywhere now a days anyways :wink:

Bet it was a blast though.

Tom

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:40 am

Whip it... Whip it good

bugnout · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:01 am

I want your job, who do I have to kill

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:23 am

bugnout wrote:

I want your job, who do I have to kill

Seth!

Terry

lilmatty · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:26 am

Seth, you'll note from my trip reports that I've changed my tune on running the Rubicon in a KJ. This, after running it just 2 weeks ago. No way. Ted and Nolan may have made Cad Hil last year but not in no way this year.

I've heard that little Sluice is trying to be closed. Too many pirates destroying the surrounding private land and such.

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:10 pm

The Sluice is brutal, and Big Sluice is running out of easy ways up or down too...

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:27 pm

Well, maybe by the time I get back in August/September, we can do an SFA KJ invitational to run it...

By then there will be at least 6-10 of us (if the Perdido guys can come up, I know there is at least 2 in Mexico). Seth can be our guide!

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:50 pm

Seth,

No rear flares? Lose them or get in way of tires?

SoDakJeep · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:31 pm

it looks like he lost one as the other side still has the flair on.

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:48 pm

Took them off. The rear control arms are a tad short for full stuff on the 35's. They rub the front of the plastic just enough to pop those POS plastic rivets off but not the metal underneath. Nth is making me a new set, but they weren't done in time. I got sick of hopping out and punching them back on so I took them off for the run after about 10 minutes.

Anyone figure out a fix for this yet? Makes me nutz! They're easy enough to put back on and the last time I lost the front, it cost me $500 after paint to replace the sucker...

lilmatty · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:17 pm

ARBSeth wrote:

The Sluice is brutal, and Big Sluice is running out of easy ways up or down too...

That's interesting because I didn't even know where it was. Wherever it was I went over it and didn't even notice.

I know it sounds like I'm bragging but honestly I've no idea. Only that I went through it. If you have pics please send along and maybe that'll trigger a memory.

Or maybe memory is going.
:roll:

Neatus · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:50 am

Great pictures Seth!!!! As always, your KJ looks rad. Nice tent

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:45 am

Shame all those pics are photoshopped. There is no way even a SFA KJ could do the CON since there is no mall on that trail. :wink:

C co Crusader 2/127 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:26 am

what... your kidding me.... no MALL! well then there go any plans i ever had of running the con. I mean whats the point anymore. lol. Sooner or later here after i find an alternative to this crappy 30a dif; im rather partial to the ifs. I know, i know just let me be. but seriouslly are there any alternatives to the crappy aluminum besides sfa?

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:54 am

C co Crusader 2/127 wrote:

what... your kidding me.... no MALL! well then there go any plans i ever had of running the con. I mean whats the point anymore. lol. Sooner or later here after i find an alternative to this crappy 30a dif; im rather partial to the ifs. I know, i know just let me be. but seriouslly are there any alternatives to the crappy aluminum besides sfa?

Yes, there are alternatives but they have not been done yet on a KJ so that makes it expensive as well. I am certain that someone will find a steel housing to use and adapt in place but then the limit will be all of the factory suspension/steering locations and parts so then you have to add in the development of aftermarket suspension and steering, cradle drop, etc. $$$$

C co Crusader 2/127 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:24 pm

well i know that with Al's 6" that its got the cradle and knucle stuff covered and im now hearing about a GC possibility too wich is good. What about these alternatives; other than sfa, that you know about and where do you get them? An what are we tralking in cash flow here? without the 6" im willing to spend about half the cash that would have to be spent on a sfa. So share all the info you got

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:52 pm

JJsKJ wrote:

C co Crusader 2/127 wrote:

what... your kidding me.... no MALL! well then there go any plans i ever had of running the con. I mean whats the point anymore. lol. Sooner or later here after i find an alternative to this crappy 30a dif; im rather partial to the ifs. I know, i know just let me be. but seriouslly are there any alternatives to the crappy aluminum besides sfa?

Yes, there are alternatives but they have not been done yet on a KJ so that makes it expensive as well. I am certain that someone will find a steel housing to use and adapt in place but then the limit will be all of the factory suspension/steering locations and parts so then you have to add in the development of aftermarket suspension and steering, cradle drop, etc. $$$$

I have a idea brewing(actually screaming at me) in my mind but it will have to wait till I have a cradle handy to test it out on(AKA not in the KJ),it's not going to be cheap though(looking at $1200-$2000),but will be able to use lower gears and have a better driveshaft without those stupid CV joints.Just will have to see about the clearance issues,and most likely will not work on a CRD unless a cradle drop is done.

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:31 pm

awesome!!! i freakin love your jeep! those fj's are pretty badass!! i want one if i had the money!!

C co Crusader 2/127 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:22 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

JJsKJ wrote:

C co Crusader 2/127 wrote:

what... your kidding me.... no MALL! well then there go any plans i ever had of running the con. I mean whats the point anymore. lol. Sooner or later here after i find an alternative to this crappy 30a dif; im rather partial to the ifs. I know, i know just let me be. but seriouslly are there any alternatives to the crappy aluminum besides sfa?

Yes, there are alternatives but they have not been done yet on a KJ so that makes it expensive as well. I am certain that someone will find a steel housing to use and adapt in place but then the limit will be all of the factory suspension/steering locations and parts so then you have to add in the development of aftermarket suspension and steering, cradle drop, etc. $$$$

I have a idea brewing(actually screaming at me) in my mind but it will have to wait till I have a cradle handy to test it out on(AKA not in the KJ),it's not going to be cheap though(looking at $1200-$2000),but will be able to use lower gears and have a better driveshaft without those stupid CV joints.Just will have to see about the clearance issues,and most likely will not work on a CRD unless a cradle drop is done.

so what did you have in mind. im debating 2 different ones. the gv conversion from the other thread. or one involving welding xome cryo froze aluminum plates onto the aluminum 30a

KJ whipped the 'Cons stupid!.. Pics posted

Who is online