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chevymitchell

chevymitchell

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I finally managed to get through some upgrades on the EpochTraveler and got it out too Windrock to shake out (will head back to Uwharrie next). Put on an AEV DualSport RT suspension, AEV steering damper, Yeti track bars, LOD bumper and 37 inch KO2s.

What are y'alls thoughts on the next round of upgrades? Re-gearing is coming, working on that in my head now. What is the NC Roll Call's thoughts on ball joints, axel trusses, gussets, and all the fun things that come up with larger tires? I'm a rookie, don't wheel hard yet, and tend to be easy on the skinny pedal.

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Very nice! Looks good out there.
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conFUcius

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I finally managed to get through some upgrades on the EpochTraveler and got it out too Windrock to shake out (will head back to Uwharrie next). Put on an AEV DualSport RT suspension, AEV steering damper, Yeti track bars, LOD bumper and 37 inch KO2s.

What are y'alls thoughts on the next round of upgrades? Re-gearing is coming, working on that in my head now. What is the NC Roll Call's thoughts on ball joints, axel trusses, gussets, and all the fun things that come up with larger tires? I'm a rookie, don't wheel hard yet, and tend to be easy on the skinny pedal.

IMG_2950.jpeg


IMG_2937.jpeg
If your budget permits you to get the parts, get ball joints and the upgraded axle shafts done at the same time as the re-gear. Otherwise… plan two trips out to see @chevymitchell ;)
 

GATORB8

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I finally managed to get through some upgrades on the EpochTraveler and got it out too Windrock to shake out (will head back to Uwharrie next). Put on an AEV DualSport RT suspension, AEV steering damper, Yeti track bars, LOD bumper and 37 inch KO2s.

What are y'alls thoughts on the next round of upgrades? Re-gearing is coming, working on that in my head now. What is the NC Roll Call's thoughts on ball joints, axel trusses, gussets, and all the fun things that come up with larger tires? I'm a rookie, don't wheel hard yet, and tend to be easy on the skinny pedal.

IMG_2950.jpeg


IMG_2937.jpeg
Did you relocate the steering damper?
 

EpochTraveler

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If your budget permits you to get the parts, get ball joints and the upgraded axle shafts done at the same time as the re-gear. Otherwise… plan two trips out to see @chevymitchell ;)
@chevymitchell does a quality job from what I can see. And I agree, planning on doing ball joints, gears and whatever else all at once for the next upgrade. I'm already headed down the rabbit hole trying to figure out which ball joints, axel shafts, etc. make sense for me. Need some quality over OEM but trying not to overkill it.
 

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What does it mean to relocate the damper?

I installed as a direct-fit replacement for the OEM steering stabilizer.

https://www.aev-conversions.com/product/steering-damper/
If you look under the front of the Jeep, the stabilizer hangs under the tie rod/axle on brackets. Ends up being a target for rocks. Once you lift 2” you can relocate it so it attaches to the top of the tie rod and the axle track bar bracket. Kits are made by Synergy, Steersmarts, Metalcloak and probably a couple others.

F751E29F-5A1D-41C0-AD8B-48332BDBE7FA.jpeg
 

EpochTraveler

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If you look under the front of the Jeep, the stabilizer hangs under the tie rod/axle on brackets. Ends up being a target for rocks. Once you lift 2” you can relocate it so it attaches to the top of the tie rod and the axle track bar bracket. Kits are made by Synergy, Steersmarts, Metalcloak and probably a couple others.

Jeep Wrangler JL North Carolina Roll Call F751E29F-5A1D-41C0-AD8B-48332BDBE7FA
Nice! Thank you for the info. I'm still learning the ropes and this cool.

Just checked out Steer Smarts:
https://steersmarts.com/collections...ng-stabilizer-relocation-bracket-axle-side-jk

When I put the AEV kit on I choose to add Yeti front and rear adjustable track bars. The rear track bar wasn't compatible with the AEV rear relocation tower so that AEV bracket was never added. Long story short, I'm probably going to go back in and swap out the Yeti rear track bar for stock to get that AEV relocation tower on. I'll look at relocating the steering damper then too.
 

conFUcius

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@chevymitchell does a quality job from what I can see. And I agree, planning on doing ball joints, gears and whatever else all at once for the next upgrade. I'm already headed down the rabbit hole trying to figure out which ball joints, axel shafts, etc. make sense for me. Need some quality over OEM but trying not to overkill it.
For ball joints, go with what’s rebuildable - I think most people choose Dynatrac. With regard to front axle shafts, I think RCV might be the top of the line (keep me honest here, @chevymitchell) but you could replace the front and rear with any aftermarket chromoly axle shaft. I’d 100% go to Shawn for the work. Don’t recall where you are at but I go from Raleigh (Brier Creek) to him. It’s just worth it.
 

Remorseless

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I finally managed to get through some upgrades on the EpochTraveler and got it out too Windrock to shake out (will head back to Uwharrie next). Put on an AEV DualSport RT suspension, AEV steering damper, Yeti track bars, LOD bumper and 37 inch KO2s.

What are y'alls thoughts on the next round of upgrades? Re-gearing is coming, working on that in my head now. What is the NC Roll Call's thoughts on ball joints, axel trusses, gussets, and all the fun things that come up with larger tires? I'm a rookie, don't wheel hard yet, and tend to be easy on the skinny pedal.

IMG_2950.jpeg


IMG_2937.jpeg
Ball joints, in my personal opinion, should be your #1 next stop - the OEM ball joints use a plastic sleeve and are at the edge of their capacity with the stock Rubicon tires, IMO. Dynatrac are what I ran on my JK and what I'll run on my JL once I'm above stock tire size again. They're rebuildable in the axle and super high quality manufacturing.

With 37" KO2s I, personally, would wait to see if you're going to end up being hard enough on the Jeep, and the Jeep heavy enough, to necessitate trussing and gusseting - BFGs run really small, so you're actually pushing like a true 35 instead of a 37, so there's less leverage from the tire on the axle components, and if you wheel gently you should be fine (weight of the Jeep, speed you approach obstacles with, and how much you hop and bounce the Jeep when trying an obstacle are the big axle killers, IMO, so keeping weight as low as possible, driving a reasonable slow speed on the trail, and avoiding bouncing are important to axle health) - just keep an eye on it. I ran 37x12.50 KO2s on my JKR on the stock, weaker JK D44s for years, wheeling usually once a month during Uwharrie season (with occasional trips other places, but mostly Uwharrie). However, if your rig is super heavy and you've got the scratch, the peace of mind trusses and gussets is nice too. Pros and cons :). Either way, remember - you can totally destroy a set of one tons or trussed/gusseted 44s by driving like a goober, so step one is deciding to not drive like a goober lol.

For gears, seems like @chevymitchell is the go-to guy around here. Otherwise, I can whole heartedly recommend East Coast Gear Supply. They did my 4.88s in my JKR when they were at their old Raleigh location in Brier Creek - I believe they're in Louisburg now. 4.88s and the 8 spd and 37s seem like they'd make a good combo.
 
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GATORB8

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Nice! Thank you for the info. I'm still learning the ropes and this cool.

Just checked out Steer Smarts:
https://steersmarts.com/collections...ng-stabilizer-relocation-bracket-axle-side-jk

When I put the AEV kit on I choose to add Yeti front and rear adjustable track bars. The rear track bar wasn't compatible with the AEV rear relocation tower so that AEV bracket was never added. Long story short, I'm probably going to go back in and swap out the Yeti rear track bar for stock to get that AEV relocation tower on. I'll look at relocating the steering damper then too.
Just remember you need two "parts," one is the axle side bracket and the other is a clamp style mount that is installed on the tie rod. Need to make sure the tie rod side is sized for your stock tie rod.

The Synergy kit https://www.synergymfg.com/synergy-jeep-jl-steering-stabilizer-relocation-kit.html?category_id=4980 is cheap and easy, but I swapped it out because it puts the stabilizer to where it can rub on the tie rod off road.

I've been happy with the Metal Cloak setup, it puts the stabilizer a little higher to clear the tie rod.
 

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Just remember you need two "parts," one is the axle side bracket and the other is a clamp style mount that is installed on the tie rod. Need to make sure the tie rod side is sized for your stock tie rod.

The Synergy kit https://www.synergymfg.com/synergy-jeep-jl-steering-stabilizer-relocation-kit.html?category_id=4980 is cheap and easy, but I swapped it out because it puts the stabilizer to where it can rub on the tie rod off road.

I've been happy with the Metal Cloak setup, it puts the stabilizer a little higher to clear the tie rod.
You have any pics of your Metalcloak relocator installed? I'm looking at that stock unit and I know I'm gonna drag that thing lol
 

GATORB8

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You have any pics of your Metalcloak relocator installed? I'm looking at that stock unit and I know I'm gonna drag that thing lol
Posted a pic a few posts up, #5,031. Let me know if you want any other shots.
 

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Posted a pic a few posts up, #5,031. Let me know if you want any other shots.
Thanks, I apparently can't see none good
 

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Here’s the synergy setup for comparison. You can see the stabilizer label rubbed off by the tie rod in the last pic.

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DBA7264D-4B94-4AF3-93D8-44E3EDE519B4.jpeg
Yeah, that's less than ideal. Would probably eat through that shock eventually.
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