shellback91

Today I tackled a couple items related to the new shocks and the extra length they provide. I went to the auto part store and got 4'(Front) and 6'(Rear- Too Long for now) pieces of 5/16 fuel line so I could replace the diff breather lines with some longer sections. I am glad I pulled them out because I noticed the front valve needs replaced soon. I ran the front into the engine bay beside the master cylinder. I rerouted it to run beside the brake lines, not under where it can pull up when flexing. I did not want to cut it too short so I left some slack so I can adjust later when I test the flex. I was going to run the rear into the taillight well and 6' gave me some room to work. After thinking about it I changed my mind and ran it it the same general area. It is up between the fender and the liner, still higher than before. The extra hose will also be dealt with when it gets flexed out. The first and hardest thing was getting the PITA "Christmas tree" clip out. I wound up cutting it because i did not plan to reuse it anyway. I bought this 1 in. Rubber Insulated Metal Clamp that I secured using a 1/4" hex bolt and Nyloc nut I ran through the hole where the clip was. From that point I ran it up between the liner to get it higher. The hose it not tight but its not going anywhere either. I ran the hose through the cross member then up. I will adjust length eventually. No ones crawling down there to look at it anyways. I also installed these Rear Brake Line Relocation Brackets to give the brake lines more slack. They are for up to a 4" lift so I should be in good shape.There was nothing to do on the front because there are already relocation brackets there. I wanted to replace it with another heavier duty one I like better but whomever installed it really torqued it down and I did not want to break anything or round out the nut. I made sure lines were not rubbing on the shocks. It's something to keep an eye on though just to be safe. The pics a little blurry but you can see where the line is in relation to the shock. Seems like a good spot to me.

I like them enough to put them on my wish list for later on in the year. My reasoning being I need something eventually, Bonus is there's an Australian dude endorsing them on their website. We all we know crazy those offroaders are out there!

Holy cow that thing was jacked up! Fiona's in good hands with you guys looking after her.

I think I may have a name for my rig, I am leaning towards Betty Lou. There a song by Bob Seger called "Betty Lou's Getting out Tonight" that I like and that name just seems fitting for her. Now on to the fun stuff. I checked after a few days of driving to see how the new shocks were doing. I wanted to see if they needed to be snugged up after "settling" in. Rears and front driver were good, front passenger shock was a little loose. I could easily turn the shock body by hand so it needed addressed. I managed to get my hands on a BFK to re-trim the bottom of the battery tray where it gets in the way so I could get in there better. I also got my mitts on on a BFW to I can grab the shock body and hold it without damaging it. The knife worked awesome and so did the wrench. Passenger side is snug and I gave the driver side front a little adjustment for good measure. They should both be good to go.

Congrats guys, that's awesome!

X3, that is beautiful!

I am probably overthinking it as I tend to do sometimes. After looking at everything again I think I am going to be okay. My approach is to plan for the worst just in case something goes wonky then have a beer or three when it doesn't!

While perusing the interwebs I came across an interesting piece of recovery gear. I found these compact traction boards from GoTreads that can also double as leveling blocks if needed. They are a little more expensive than traditional traction boards but the space saving aspect is worth it IMO. I really like that they fold up and can be stored inside the rig and no exterior mod has to be done to accommodate them. It also keeps people with sticky fingers from trying to acquire a set of exterior mounted boards.

I know, it scares me a little. I am going to give it a go tomorrow see what it looks like attached to the relocation brackets. Maybe I will not have to do anything, or it may need straightened out a little. I am a little frustrated this week with the rig, my fault not hers, so if it looks too complicated I am going to put it back together and leave it alone until I calm down.

I am installing some brake line relocation brackets and MAY have to bend the hard line which scares the ever lovin' outta me. Any tips or tricks if I have to bend them a little? I have read box wrenches work good for some.

Happy Birthday John!!

That is some good info Ryan. Nevada is is one those weird states where no civilization is not a bad thing. Once you get out of Las Vegas & Reno it is pretty desolate but awesome. When I drove truck I used to love driving through the remote areas. No light pollution at night really brought out the stars and it was peaceful for lack of a better word. New Mexico is another state that's is sparsely populated similar to Nevada & Utah. Driving through new Mexico at night during electrical storms was a pretty trippy experience.

They probably think the JL guys hang out with the Land Rover dudes!

You can check out what I did on 1-8 here. I have an 8" Samsung cellular capable tablet in a RAM mount attached to a 67 Designs AMPS plate & carbon fiber arm. I have links to the sites I used to purchase my goodies in my post. I remove the RAM mount when I am not wheeling because it gets in my way and I do not want it to grow legs and walk away. Placement of the tablet is a personal preference and there are a ton of options out there for sure. I use Gaia GPS like some folks do here and I love it.

Great pics and video @SonoranWanderer!