Big Tuna's "Building the Dub!"

[dzJeepChic 2,397]

Looking good!

[BigTuna117 33]

Now we get to one of the most important parts of the build thus far. The part where I play "Lets pay money to fix a bunch of self-inflicted problems but also look cooler at the same time." Recently I bought IRO's front long arm upgrade kit, which meant it was time to install them! Basically, everything suspension related over the last 4 years has been leading to this. As it turns out, the IRO adjustable arms no longer use a stop-nut to cease the adjustable joint. A built in clamp holds things quite securely, and without the hazard of the stop-nut loosening. I did find that my Core 4x4 short arms did hold up pretty well, all things considered. With all of the overall adjustments to the suspension, I found myself with a completely re-aligned front axle, and fresh, proper angles in the rear. All of my driveline vibes, bump-steer, and strange clunks and rattles have disappeared. She purrs down the road, with only engine roar audible.

 

 

The new control arms themselves are extremely beefy. Even though I went with IRO's older "Iron Y" 3-link Radius Arm setup, I feel like this is a great value for someone looking to go to 4" on a budget, or if you have been slowly accumulating parts like I have.

 

I didn't take any pictures while working, it took long enough without the camera in my hand!

 

There are a few parts to work out, though. The Jeep WILL NEED extended brake lines and coil retention in order to articulate past "sway bar normal." In other words, disconnecting the sway bar is currently not an option, unless I want to use my brake lines as limiters. But for now, she behaves much better on the tired Mohave Valley roads, so I'll take that as a victory.

[Number7 86]

I like it, long arms are the way to go.

[scottL 175]

I see rock sliders in your future.

[BigTuna117 33]

I see rock sliders in your future.

 

 

Oh yes.

Hopefully this year, too.

[BigTuna117 33]

I decided to upload a review of the Core 4x4 Control arms I've been using for the last few years.

[BigTuna117 33]

Finally began re-working the exhaust. I began to see severe power loss consistent to a clogged catalytic converter. I cut the main cat off, and replaced the Y-pipe. Mine is equipped with the dual mini-cats for California compliance, so of course that's the model I went for. New O2 Sensors all around too. This is also a pretty good example of what the Anker Roav dash cam is capable of.

 

 

I still need to install the new muffler, But it's looking like that will be next week.

[scottL 175]

Video link does not work for me but good to see new work-log posts here.

[BigTuna117 33]

Video link does not work for me but good to see new work-log posts here.

 

Interesting, something has broken the last two videos I posted. I wonder how I go about fixing this?

[BigTuna117 33]

While y'all were out @ Cinders...

Meanwhile, I've been diagnosing a temperature issue in the Jeep. It's not so much that the Jeep is overheating, rather more "bouncy needle syndrome" Than I'd like to see. Some fluctuation between 190-210 is pretty much expected with the aftermarket setup, as the system heats and cools under load, BUT... 215-220 tells me something is afoot. I replaced the rad cap (which was the wrong pressure it turns out), which helped some. My suspicion is actually the new Y pipe. It not only has larger catalytic converters on it, but a section appears to run closer to the oil pan than on the previous y-pipe. The temp spike seems to correlate more with engine rpm rather than load, which leads me to believe that perhaps the new Y-pipe is splashing excess heat into the oil via the pan, and causing the system to run hotter than expected. Today I further tested this theory by clamping on a piece of 2" exhaust wrap parallel to the "close contact" point, Using this wrap material as a makeshift heat shield rather than wrapping the exhaust, I was able to drive to Las Vegas and back (about 1.5 hours each way) without passing 215. I will double up this piece of wrap and see if I can push temps down further. I will also probably add an oil cooler at some point in the near future, too.