Jeep My Overland Project, the RME JKU

[Hickey]

I thought you could unlock the swaybar at higher speeds with the Trail Dash. I know mine unlocks in both 4 low and 4 hi, just not above 18 mph.

 

[Greg]

I thought you could unlock the swaybar at higher speeds with the Trail Dash. I know mine unlocks in both 4 low and 4 hi, just not above 18 mph.

Maybe it does... Guess I'll have to try.

And yeah, it still locks over 18 MPH... which is safe, but not always ideal. I like the idea of a dual rate swaybar, having a lighter weight anti-swaybar when unlocked is nice to keep it from rocking around in the big rocks. I loved the dual rate anti-swaybar on my TJ!

 

[Hickey]

I would love a teraflex dual rate as well. I need to find someone to buy my Rubi swaybar.

 

[mesha]

I'm half way there, the rear is done and all bolted up with the Alpine Arms... just need to get the front done. Probably spend more time on it this upcoming weekend, but honestly I'm not in a rush. I will say, it's easier than I thought it would be... obviously it's a big project with the torching off old mounts, grinding and welding on new mounts.... but the work is really not that difficult.

I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing how the Alpine Long Arms work on this JKU, I may need a TeraFlex Dual Rate anti-sway bar to take advantage of the longarms! Having the Rubicon anti-sway bar that only unlocks in 4 Low isn't always fun.

It will be great to get it all finished up. It is a long install, but teraflex did a good job of making it easy to know where to place the brackets. If a person can weld then they can handle the long arm install. You did a bunch of the work previously when you installed your short arm lift. While the time is the same, having it in chunks probably makes it much more manageable. If you have't already I would recommend a good quality weld trough primer to coat the frame prior to welding on the brackets. That will help protect any bare spots on the back side of the brackets paint can't get to.

I loved the dual rate on my JK. It took me a while to buy one because they are expensive and I had the factory rubicon sway bar already. Once I got it on, though, the jeep felt much more stable. The only problem I had with it was when I forgot to disconnect it I did that about half the time.

 

[TJDukit]

Speed bumps are where it's at next. I loved those things. Made such a huge difference with the high speed stuff as well as adding a nice "sway bar effect" on the slow stuff.

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[Chicken Corners]

I would love a teraflex dual rate as well. I need to find someone to buy my Rubi swaybar.

With the TeraFlex dual rate set up on a Rubicon, what happens to the sway bar light on the dashboard? Would a trail dash turn the blinking light off?

 

[mesha]

With the TeraFlex dual rate set up on a Rubicon, what happens to the sway bar light on the dashboard? Would a trail dash turn the blinking light off?

I had to turn mine off with a programmer. I think I used the AEV module.

 

[mesha]

Greg, how are you liking the heavier rate springs of the outback suspension? Have you driven a regular rate to know the difference?

 

[Greg]

Sorry guys, I thought I replied to this earlier!

It will be great to get it all finished up. It is a long install, but teraflex did a good job of making it easy to know where to place the brackets. If a person can weld then they can handle the long arm install. You did a bunch of the work previously when you installed your short arm lift. While the time is the same, having it in chunks probably makes it much more manageable. If you have't already I would recommend a good quality weld trough primer to coat the frame prior to welding on the brackets. That will help protect any bare spots on the back side of the brackets paint can't get to.

I loved the dual rate on my JK. It took me a while to buy one because they are expensive and I had the factory rubicon sway bar already. Once I got it on, though, the jeep felt much more stable. The only problem I had with it was when I forgot to disconnect it I did that about half the time.

I ended up taking 3 weekends, just chipping away at the long arm install.... it really wasn't that bad, the most difficult parts were dropping the tank and doing all the grinding. I bought some weldable primer after you mentioned it, but forgot to use it!

I want a TeraFlex Dual Rate bad, I think it will be part of the next round of upgrades!

Speed bumps are where it's at next. I loved those things. Made such a huge difference with the high speed stuff as well as adding a nice "sway bar effect" on the slow stuff.

I have Speed Bumps in the front and love them, I have longer stock-type TeraFlex bump stops out back and you can tell a big difference when you bottom out the Jeep... the front soaks it up, the rear bucks around. I'll add a set of Speed Bumps soon enough, I have been really happy with the fronts!

Greg, how are you liking the heavier rate springs of the outback suspension? Have you driven a regular rate to know the difference?

I really like them for what I do, they support a heavily loaded Jeep very well. They are a bit stiff for Moab-type crawling though, especially if the Jeep is lightly loaded. I have ridden in a JKU with normal TeraFlex springs, but haven't wheeled one myself.

 

[Greg]

So I wrapped up the TeraFlex Alpine Long Arm upgrade over the weekend, it was a pretty big project and I wanted to take my time and make sure it was done right. First thing I did was read the directions, then watch the awesome install videos that the folks at TeraFlex have made. I decided to do one end at a time, starting with the rear. After dropping the rear driveshaft and gas tank (had about 2 gallons left in it, used my motorcycle jack to drop it), then covering up all the open fuel lines fittings, out came the torch. I cut off the factory frame brackets and started the grinding. That was probably the biggest part of the job, time consuming but I didn't want leftover bits on the frame so I took my time and did the best I could. Soon enough the frame was cleaned up and I started welding on the new rear frame brackets. There are some places that you have to work hard to get a good weld, patience is a very valuable attribute here! I hit the bare metal with some paint, let it dry and then started positioning the upper and lower rear long arms! It was a great feeling to get the rear all buttoned up!

I decided to upgrade my bent and abused transmission crossmember with a Barnes 4WD crossmember. The stock stamped sheetmetal crossmember was actually coming apart at the seams, so the upgraded was well justified! The Barnes 4WD crossmember is very beefy with 3/16" steel and the sides overlap for 3/8" thickness and fully welded... it should last a long time! I also feel better with this addition, since the front lower control arms tie into the crossmember.

I moved on to the front long arm install, moving brake lines and wiring harnesses out of the way and put the torch to work. The factory lower control arm brackets were a PITA to torch off, it took a lot of careful work and then a LOT of grinding. Eventually the frame was all cleaned up and I started welding again, the drivers-side bracket wasn't easy to fully weld, the exhaust is right in the way at the top of the bracket. I ended up spacing the exhaust away from the frame to get the mig welder in there. Finally it was all welded up, sprayed it down with paint and started bolting up the front long arms! I did the uppers first, then worked on the lowers... I made a rookie mistake here, I got excited to wrap it up and put my lowers on backwards. They need to go on the opposite sides... I was going to fix this today, but decided to go for a trail test instead. I'll fix them tomorrow.

See.... backwards... oops!

Since I had the JKU up on jackstands, I decided to get some other unrelated maintenance and upgrades done. First thing was changing the oil in the transfer-case, 2.2 quarts of Valvoline ATF4+ full synthetic. Then I swapped out my leaking rear diff cover (it got abused on the Rubicon this Spring) to a TeraFlex cover and a Lube Locker gasket, filling it with fresh Valvoline full synthetic gear oil. I took a picture of 2 of the lower bolts on the stock diff cover, they looked like they'd had a hard life!

After getting it back on the ground, I tightened up all the control arm bolts (per TeraFlex instructions) and admired the changes!

Then it was time for a trail test....

 

[Greg]

I don't think the paint was fully cured before I hit the road to Moab this morning! :greg: It had rained over night (mid-December.... rain?!?), then got cold enough to freeze early in the morning. I carefully made the drive to Moab, noticing how well the Alpine Long Arms had changed the way the JKU worked on the street. With stock-length arms and the heavier Outback coil springs there were some bumps and expansion joints that were a bit rough... but with the Long Arms, it rode very smooth! Those kind of bumps were reduced to hardly anything, just a cushy, smooth ride.

Once in Moab, headed to Poison Spider Mesa for the first offroad test. I aired down to 12 PSI in the rear and 14 PSI in the front... the first part of the trail is high-speed, so I disconnected the anti-swaybar in 2WD and cruised up the rocky road. I was very impressed with the changes, hitting rocks, ledges and bumps that would have been uncomfortable before were now hardly noticeable. The Alpine Arms have rubber bushings at both ends and really isolate the bumps in addition to the longer length of the control arm, letting the coil springs work with less restriction.

Once on the real obstacles that required 4 Low, the suspension seemed more compliant... more willing to simply work. It's a little hard to describe, but the change was very obvious. (My JKU is setup for overland travel, I'm sitting on TeraFlex Outback springs, which are made for a heavier load, and have SpeedBumps in the front, as well as limiting straps so my shocks aren't getting pulled apart under droop. With my setup I don't have a massive amount of low-speed wheel travel. If I were setting up a dedicated crawler, it would be a bit different but I'm happy with how my JKU works.)

Anyhow, here's some pics from PSH...

Then I headed over to Hells Revenge to play around... Hells is funny, I've been on it many, MANY times and it always gets my attention in certain areas!

Anyhow, I'm pretty impressed with the Alpine Long Arms... I kinda feel like my 35's are small these days!

 

[Hickey]

Nice job. That weather looks incredible. I'm jealous of it all.

 

[Greg]

Nice job. That weather looks incredible. I'm jealous of it all.

Thanks Jeremy! It was a lot of work, the weather was great considering it's December... made for an excellent trail test!

 

[Tonkaman]

Awesome, thanks for the detailed report.

 

[Greg]

Awesome, thanks for the detailed report.

I likes details.... and pictures.

 

[Chicken Corners]

Looks goods

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Nice upgrade


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[Greg]

Looks goods

Nice upgrade

Thanks guys! :thumbs:

 

[ChestonScout]

I cant look at this thread. It makes me want things

 

[Greg]

I cant look at this thread. It makes me want things

Well, quit looking at it!!