Lite Brite breaks RPM Steering Tie Rod

[Jeep Dude]

Watching the front of the Jeep fall down on that rock landing on the tie rod a couple of times and watching it bow significantly is reason enough to blame stress on that failure.

Yeah I noticed the bow as well, played it in slo-mo loll.

That was a knarly incline he was tackling, although he claimed to have done it before with no incidents.

They actually were running a dynatrac high steer tie rod before. This was the first run with the rpm steering gear.

Hmmm i missed that, probably skimmed it too quickly at certain sections, thanks for that

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[Caveman044]

Why do people watch this crap lol

 

[Carolina Jeeper]

These are actually supposed to be forged steel not just cast iron. I agree the expectations are high but they have put the dynatrac through worse things for the last nearly 3 years and no failures so this is not a good look on the new rpm stuff

Edit: I actually installed a set a month ago, they seem high quality and I've heard nothing but good things about the old tre's, really just hoping this was a 1 off. Of you asked me what I thought about the rpm stuff yesterday I would have said pure beef and the best upgrade I've done for daily driving yet as it tightened up my steering nicely

Forged steel can also fracture at threaded areas. I'm not trying to dis the parts or the driver, just using my experience as a mechanic to identify what is a likely cause of the failure.

I've been looking for upgrading steering components like in the focus of this video. Looking to tighten my steering up too. Mine is pretty good but I know there's room for improvement.

 

[Mikester86]

To each their own, meh to lite-dim for me. And stay off of my lawn!

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Like or don't like, but to just arbitrarily come aboard someone's spouse or them just because they're making money doing what they love and had to build up is just plain ignorant. Please feel free to post up your better half doing their job for us to all critique.
Also, the channel didn't just appear overnight. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get to even half of the subscribers they have. Some of you act like if you had a camera going in your rig that you would be producing better content and coming up with fresh content......

Be a better human being.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

Ok - gotta ask a key question nobody has seemed to have answered…

Has anyone here ever actually met the Lite Bright couple in person?

I’m sure some must have with as much Jeep traveling as they do, right?

I have not, but I know they did a run with the Boise Idaho Jeep Club up here in Idaho this summer and it was a shit show.

They and a heavily modified JT left the group in the desert, never to be seen again. The JT owner is obviously a local and had a Factor 55 rep in his rig... many have now stopped doing business with Factor 55 because of this incident.

Granted, I was not at the run, but the many people who were on that run said the same thing, and the JT guy was extremely defensive and rude afterwards, leading credence to the accounts.

I'd love to hear Kevin's defense of that day.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

I did like the earlier videos more, and I don't know if I can really say for sure why.

It's because they lost sight of what made them popular in the first place. They were a fun couple who went wheeling. Granted, my first introduction to them was researching the JLUR, and the first thing they say is, "Just bought this $55,000 Jeep and we're taking it to Moab!" and they proceeded to be... questionable with their purchase.

But they taught me how to adjust my headlights, so there's that.

Since then though?
V8 swap (99% will never do that)
1-ton axles (99% will never do that)
40s? (95% will never do that)
Dedicated buggy for her (99% will never do that)

In my opinion, I'd get back to the roots of what made them popular in the first place. I'd take my lightly modified Jeep all around and wheel with every club I could. I'd try to get every BOH. I'd explore Canada and Mexico (safely). Alaska. I'd try to do things with DED, Matts Off-Road, etc.

But that's just me. and my opinion.

 

[sourdough]

I looked in on this thread early on and the video was pretty clear to me. The ram broke the tire-rod after the rod took some serious abuse.
This morning I wondered why this thread has 4 pages of posts. Sorry I read them and the personal attacks. Posts on this forum are getting uglier and it's usually the same few folks doing so. Reminds me of the crew on ponytails site. Sad.
I meet them both once. They stopped to offered me help when I had my hood up during EJS '19. Hundreds drove by and only they stopped. That makes them good Jeep people IMO. Why some supposed Jeep people beat them up personally tells me more about them than Kevin and Brittany.

Update: nice to see the personal attacks have been deleted since this post

 

[OllieChristopher]

When it comes to off road anything can and will break if abused enough. I know with 100% certainty that I would never take a Jeep Wrangler to those extremes. Even on my dirt bikes I mostly choose the easier lines (except when testing new suspension). It's a racers mentality.

I'm sure they are really nice folks in person. YouTube is their employer and they need the viewership to make a living.

I'm sure there are many members here like myself that simply can't afford these kind of quarter million dollar plus builds. I can only dream of affording an expensive dedicated 4 wheeler and skill level that is that capable.

I know both 2N70Y Rattlesnake Canyon and Mottino Wash they were on and that rig was taking the very hardest lines on the side of the trails.

Mottino wash is actually a bypass to Rattlesnake Canyon. It has more rocks to make Lite Brites channel more exciting. 2WD truck with TruTrac and good driver can make it from Lucerne to Big Bear via Rattlesnake Canyon/Mottino Wash/Viscara Springs/Burns Canyon with ease.

Rattlesnake canyon is much steeper and deeper rocky sand toward the top where it comes into the cabin and just past Viscera Spring road.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

I looked in on this thread early on and the video was pretty clear to me. The ram broke the tire-rod after the rod took some serious abuse.
This morning I wondered why this thread has 4 pages of posts. Sorry I read them and the personal attacks. Posts on this forum are getting uglier and it's usually the same few folks doing so. Reminds me of the crew on ponytails site. Sad.
I meet them both once. They stopped to offered me help when I had my hood up during EJS '19. Hundreds drove by and only they stopped. That makes them good Jeep people IMO. Why some supposed Jeep people beat them up personally tells me more about them than Kevin and Brittany.

As much as I love the internet and it's capabilities, unfortunately it's has spawned a generation of ITGs who would shit themselves if ever confronted in real life.

 

[Kevin8086]

First off, all you people who think that we broke anything on purpose while on a trail in the middle of nowhere with a group who paid to be there with us are all 100% completely WRONG. we have NEVER broken anything on purpose. Yes we do hard things and push the limits. You really honestly believe companies would want to work with us and send us parts if we just went out and destroyed their product just for views? Y’all are beyond silly. Our reputation would be terrible and nobody would work with us so please get your head out your bum and quit it with the bull crap. You can be a hater all you want but at least think right and come correct here. Second off, our old tie rod was still fine after 2.5 years and dozens up to hundreds of times being smashed by rocks. I did this same trail and that same line exactly a year ago with no issue and it’s on video. RPM took the parts back and are having the inspected. I have gone back to my 2.5 year old used and abused Dynatrac rod.
I’m hoping this was a perfect storm of bad TRE with bad ram angle and just the right scenario of pressure. I wasn’t bound up at all and you can see me rolling smoothly in the video. NONE of this was on PURPOSE, y’all are mad to think so and I can’t believe so many of y’all have that kind of thought about us. We bust our ass to constantly bring the community content for FREE and test new parts and come up with new things to help out the jeep community.

like here’s something I came up with for tazer over a year and a half ago that’s going live soon. TRAIL TURN ASSIST like in the ford bronco. It will lock up the left or right rear tire at full lock so you have a factory cutting brake!!! Activated by a button on the steering wheel. I gave him that idea before the bronco ever said they had one but y’all making us out like we’re bad people.

anyway, happy new year to everyone, even the haters. I hope your year is wonderful and prosperous

 

[OBJLU]

Ok - gotta ask a key question nobody has seemed to have answered…

Has anyone here ever actually met the Lite Bright couple in person?

I’m sure some must have with as much Jeep traveling as they do, right?

I did a couple of years ago and very nice folks, Kevin gave me a driveshaft and asked nothing in return for it. To all the jokers here making comments on his wife, y’all are clowns, very disrespectful and if you have balls walk up to the man and say it to his face. If not keep it quiet.

 

[Kevin8086]

It's because they lost sight of what made them popular in the first place. They were a fun couple who went wheeling. Granted, my first introduction to them was researching the JLUR, and the first thing they say is, "Just bought this $55,000 Jeep and we're taking it to Moab!" and they proceeded to be... questionable with their purchase.

But they taught me how to adjust my headlights, so there's that.

Since then though?
V8 swap (99% will never do that)
1-ton axles (99% will never do that)
40s? (95% will never do that)
Dedicated buggy for her (99% will never do that)

In my opinion, I'd get back to the roots of what made them popular in the first place. I'd take my lightly modified Jeep all around and wheel with every club I could. I'd try to get every BOH. I'd explore Canada and Mexico (safely). Alaska. I'd try to do things with DED, Matts Off-Road, etc.

But that's just me. and my opinion.

see, that’s kind of the problem. You and others think we’re doing this to be popular. We never intended to start a YouTube channel and we never intended to be popular. We aren’t movie stars seeking fame, it all kind of just happened and all we’re doing is chasing dreams and living our life while filming it. I’ve never wanted to be popular or famous or well known like people seek out to be. That was never a goal or intention of ours. We’re doing exactly what we set out to do from day one and that was to travel the world doing fun and amazing things and pushing our limits in all aspects of our life. Don’t get me wrong here, I see and know exactly what you are saying and it’s smart from a business stand point and from a growth stand point because of who we are and what we’ve become but that wouldn’t be what WE want and true to ourselves. We quit our jobs to put ourselves and our happiness first and this is where it’s lead us. It would be fun to go from state to state and club to club to go meet people and go wheeling and that would be fun as well and we try to do that but that’s not a passion or dream of ours.
You are very correct though, it is something we’re looking at adding more into our travels. Thanks for at least posting something level headed and not with hate.

 

[BigGreen]

I don't want to see anymore Bronco tie rod hate on this Wrangler forum when even upgraded tie rods break on the Wrangler.

(this is sarcasm)

 

[BigGreen]

You are very correct though, it is something we’re looking at adding more into our travels. Thanks for at least posting something level headed and not with hate.

A series doing every BOH with a stock Rubicon would be a great series. A 4xe Rubicon would be good clickbait too.

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