- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
35's on 8" wide factory wheels
Another Scrambler Purchase/Road Trip - UPDATE- BODY ON FRAME AGAIN
- Thread starter spankrjs
- Start date
35's on 8" wide factory wheels
- City
- Baton Rouge
- State
- La
Looking good. Is that where you almost rolled it? Do you store the softop in the special pouch once you get where you are going or just have that sweet looking bikini top which by the way looks to fit great.
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
Yep, almost went on its side. The pic doesn't make it look too bad, though
The YJ strapless bikini top I "borrowed" fits on the Scrambler perfect. The short straps reach around the larger Scrambler roll bar just fine. The straps only have about 2"-3" of excess after you run them through the turnbuckle things, but this style bikini top will work on a Scrambler. It clears the Rock hard In Cab Roll Cage just fine, too. Fits tight with no flapping.
Since this trip was only to Jackson, MS, I did not take the 1/2 top with me. I finally replaced the one damaged snap that was on one of the storage bags straps, so now the storage bag is functional. If the 1/2 top is not on the Scrambler, I try to leave it spread out in the garage on a close hanging thing, so it does not get wrinkled up. I have not actually tried to roll it up and put the top in the storage bag yet. I will update when I do
red mistress
Red Jeep Collector
- City
- Piney woods
- State
- tx
Hang time
That pic looks pretty scary.
Looks like U had some pucker time with off camber and tires in the wash out.
What were U thinking the whole time?
That pic looks pretty scary.
Looks like U had some pucker time with off camber and tires in the wash out.
What were U thinking the whole time?
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
That pic looks pretty scary.
Looks like U had some pucker time with off camber and tires in the wash out.
What were U thinking the whole time?
Basically, I was hoping for
, but in the back of my mind I was thinking, "Well, it is definitely about to get broke in"
I stopped climbing because the passenger side front tire kept getting higher and higher off the ground as I moved forward. I was actually a little bit farther up the hill, with the passenger side front tire way higher, when I decided to stop and winch it. At the highest off camber spot, I could extend my arm about 1/2 way and touch the ground. That's when I decided that i went about as far as i could go without flopping over
By running the winch to the passenger side, it helped force that side back down, and the rest of the way up was worry free
Fuel Injection performed flawlessly the whole time
- City
- Baton Rouge
- State
- La
Pictures of the Scrambler being used on a trail ride a few weeks ago.
This looks like an advertisment or magazine article to me. The lighting and color is perfect.Looks HD
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
Umm, wow, thats all I can say. I might have to keep my scrambler now....
But you know it will go to a good home
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
Changed out my home made rebuilt PS pump for a NAPA rebuilt PS pump. My steering has much more assist now and works as it should. Before I did not get hardly any assist at idle. Now, at idle, I can turn the tires with 1 finger. Going to Hawk Pride, ORV Park in AL at the end of this week, will update on the PS and how the rest of the Scrambler performed when I get back.
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
Post Hawk Pride Evaluation
While I had fun at Hawk Pride, my Scrambler did not perform as well as I had hoped, so I need to make some changes.
The Good:
The Scrambler drove from the coast to Hawk Pride (from Biloxi, MS to Tuscumbia, AL) and back with no problems. We drove 70-75 MPH most of the way, I averaged 15-16 MPG at around 2900 RPM. The Scrambler performed great on the highways and could maintain or even accelerate speed on 95% of the grades. Very happy with this. Never ran hot and maintained 45psi oil pressure.
The Ox Lockers worked perfectly. They shifted very easily, engaged almost instantaneously, and stayed locked in until I disengaged them.
The Mopar MPI worked very well. The vehicle started right up every morning, and after its usual "slightly rough initial 30 second idle", worked perfectly. The only engine issues I had were two slightly loose belts, which I tightened.
The 4 wheel disc brakes work great, and the stock steering did a very good job. I was able to turn the tires in the rocks, even with the front diff locked, with minimal effort.
The suspension worked very well. It rides very nice, and flexes really well.
The Bad:
Fuel Range - the factory 12 gallon tank sucks. 12 gallons of gas at 15 MPG = stopping every 150 miles for fuel. Pretty easy fix, I just need to find a factory 20 gallon tank and skid-plate.
Crawling Ability - not that good. When I tired to go on some of the 2-3 rated trails, I did not have the low speed control that I had hoped for. I guess my stock Rubicon spoiled me. While my current low range gearing is good for dirt/hills/sand/mud and regular trail conditions, it is not low enough for me to feel comfortable with on the rocks. Instead of "crawling", I was more bumping and bouncing over everything. First step to fix this issue is going to be some 4:1 gears in the transfer case. That should slow it down a fair bit.
Off Camber Stability - not that good. I don't really understand this because the Scrambler felt really stable at the previous ORV Park when it was off camber. The only thing I changed was air pressure. At the previous park I had 30 pounds of air. At Hawk pride, due to all the rocks, I was running 15 pounds. The tires worked excellent at this pressure and conformed to the rocks very well and had great traction, but when the Scrambler was on a side hill I guess the tires were "rolling" under the rim, because it felt really loose, like about to flop over loose. Not too sure if running street pressure all the time is the solution.
I hate to say it, but I might step back down to 33" tires and I might also be removing the 1" body lift. It might sound like a step backwards, but the Scrambler felt so unstable that I was too uncomfortable with the way it was handling that I actually parked it before lunch on Saturday. It felt that bad. The 35" tires may be more capable then the 33" tires, but if you are not comfortable with the vehicle and are constantly scared it is going to flip over, what is the point/and or fun in that.
Besides the side hill stability, it is a pain in the butt climbing into this thing. Plus, the extra height of the 35" tires and 1" body lift almost guarantee that you will constantly be scraping the top on tree limbs and trees. I already put a small "love tap" scratch on the driver side of the soft top.
Flame me if you want, but when I was running 33" tires on my CJ-7, it was stable and fun. And to be realistic, on a 1-5 trail rating system, this thing is only ever going to see sub 4 trails. You can run these trails on 33" tires with good tire placement and spotting, for the most part. I really feel that the vehicle has too narrow of a track for its current height. I am just not "feeling" it. On road and on easy off road stuff it is fine, but for the type of terrain that I like to run on, it is too tall.
Lack of Body Armor - Thank God this didn't come true. I didn't smash the rockers or the rear overhang, but I came close once. I plan on getting a guy in our local jeep club to build me some rock rails for between the tires and for the rear overhang section. If I do step down to 33" tires, I will really be using/scraping these areas of the vehicle.
Transmission - My transmission works perfectly, but first gear is not deep enough. I do not want another granny 4 speed or a NV4500 (total overkill for my use). I think I might actually swap a T5 into my Scrambler. This will help out in two ways:
1) The T5 has a lower first gear ratio then the T176 which will help a little bit with slowing this thing down some.
2) If I switch to 33" tires, I will need overdrive. If I am pushing 2900 RPM with 35" tires and no overdrive, 33" tires and no overdrive with 4.10 gears will be really bad. The overdrive/small tire issue might also help out the MPG.
I know the Internet and all the cool mags love to talk smack about the T5, but for how I drive my Scrambler, keeping the HP below 200, running 33" tires, I think it will be fine. If not, I will keep a spare T5 in the bed. But in all seriousness, I think I can keep a T5 alive. If I install a T5 and break it on the first trail ride, then I will regroup.
That's it for now.
While I had fun at Hawk Pride, my Scrambler did not perform as well as I had hoped, so I need to make some changes.
The Good:
The Scrambler drove from the coast to Hawk Pride (from Biloxi, MS to Tuscumbia, AL) and back with no problems. We drove 70-75 MPH most of the way, I averaged 15-16 MPG at around 2900 RPM. The Scrambler performed great on the highways and could maintain or even accelerate speed on 95% of the grades. Very happy with this. Never ran hot and maintained 45psi oil pressure.
The Ox Lockers worked perfectly. They shifted very easily, engaged almost instantaneously, and stayed locked in until I disengaged them.
The Mopar MPI worked very well. The vehicle started right up every morning, and after its usual "slightly rough initial 30 second idle", worked perfectly. The only engine issues I had were two slightly loose belts, which I tightened.
The 4 wheel disc brakes work great, and the stock steering did a very good job. I was able to turn the tires in the rocks, even with the front diff locked, with minimal effort.
The suspension worked very well. It rides very nice, and flexes really well.
The Bad:
Fuel Range - the factory 12 gallon tank sucks. 12 gallons of gas at 15 MPG = stopping every 150 miles for fuel. Pretty easy fix, I just need to find a factory 20 gallon tank and skid-plate.
Crawling Ability - not that good. When I tired to go on some of the 2-3 rated trails, I did not have the low speed control that I had hoped for. I guess my stock Rubicon spoiled me. While my current low range gearing is good for dirt/hills/sand/mud and regular trail conditions, it is not low enough for me to feel comfortable with on the rocks. Instead of "crawling", I was more bumping and bouncing over everything. First step to fix this issue is going to be some 4:1 gears in the transfer case. That should slow it down a fair bit.
Off Camber Stability - not that good. I don't really understand this because the Scrambler felt really stable at the previous ORV Park when it was off camber. The only thing I changed was air pressure. At the previous park I had 30 pounds of air. At Hawk pride, due to all the rocks, I was running 15 pounds. The tires worked excellent at this pressure and conformed to the rocks very well and had great traction, but when the Scrambler was on a side hill I guess the tires were "rolling" under the rim, because it felt really loose, like about to flop over loose. Not too sure if running street pressure all the time is the solution.
I hate to say it, but I might step back down to 33" tires and I might also be removing the 1" body lift. It might sound like a step backwards, but the Scrambler felt so unstable that I was too uncomfortable with the way it was handling that I actually parked it before lunch on Saturday. It felt that bad. The 35" tires may be more capable then the 33" tires, but if you are not comfortable with the vehicle and are constantly scared it is going to flip over, what is the point/and or fun in that.
Besides the side hill stability, it is a pain in the butt climbing into this thing. Plus, the extra height of the 35" tires and 1" body lift almost guarantee that you will constantly be scraping the top on tree limbs and trees. I already put a small "love tap" scratch on the driver side of the soft top.
Flame me if you want, but when I was running 33" tires on my CJ-7, it was stable and fun. And to be realistic, on a 1-5 trail rating system, this thing is only ever going to see sub 4 trails. You can run these trails on 33" tires with good tire placement and spotting, for the most part. I really feel that the vehicle has too narrow of a track for its current height. I am just not "feeling" it. On road and on easy off road stuff it is fine, but for the type of terrain that I like to run on, it is too tall.
Lack of Body Armor - Thank God this didn't come true. I didn't smash the rockers or the rear overhang, but I came close once. I plan on getting a guy in our local jeep club to build me some rock rails for between the tires and for the rear overhang section. If I do step down to 33" tires, I will really be using/scraping these areas of the vehicle.
Transmission - My transmission works perfectly, but first gear is not deep enough. I do not want another granny 4 speed or a NV4500 (total overkill for my use). I think I might actually swap a T5 into my Scrambler. This will help out in two ways:
1) The T5 has a lower first gear ratio then the T176 which will help a little bit with slowing this thing down some.
2) If I switch to 33" tires, I will need overdrive. If I am pushing 2900 RPM with 35" tires and no overdrive, 33" tires and no overdrive with 4.10 gears will be really bad. The overdrive/small tire issue might also help out the MPG.
I know the Internet and all the cool mags love to talk smack about the T5, but for how I drive my Scrambler, keeping the HP below 200, running 33" tires, I think it will be fine. If not, I will keep a spare T5 in the bed. But in all seriousness, I think I can keep a T5 alive. If I install a T5 and break it on the first trail ride, then I will regroup.
That's it for now.
- City
- Cincinnati
- State
- Oh
Would you consider a NV3550? It's a little newer and beefier than a T5.
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
i thought about it, but i already have two T5's, bellhousings, etc. Pretty much have all the parts I need to swap in a T5, will just have to modify my driveshafts. A t5 should slide right in, no floor board mods (except for the correct floor cover piece).
i will rebuild both T5's, throw the spare one on my buddies trailer when we go on long trips, just in case
trust
PITA
- City
- White Rock
- State
- NM
i certainly understand the feeling, I sometimes feel mine is to tall as well but wile i could back down to 33s I cant do much about the suspension lift and I dont want to go back to Alcan for new springs to cut down and inch or two of ride height.
I'm envious of the power and mileage though, mine barely gets 15 at 60-65, pings perpetually, and doesnt have the power to accelerate with any sort of incline. I guess it must be the std vs automatic?
With respect to your plans to step back, my son's first scrambler with the 258, stock carter, t5 and 4.10s with 33s would routinely pull 17 mpg at 60ish on winding 2 lanes and had adequate power. Of course he had none of the ton or so of add ons that most of us have (winch, cage, etc). His current one is set up the same with a 2100 vice the carter but I'm not sure what is mileage is. He did have a t5 fail in city driving fwiw. I think if you are a non hammerhead driver you can keep a t5 alive with your set up.
One other thought though before you do a 4:1 is take a look at the Klune. I dont have much experiene or desire to visit the parks and maybe my issue with the 4:1 would be moot if i did but for the vast majority of the wheeling I do, 2wd Lo is all I need with the stock ratio, with a 4:1 I am always afraid it will be to low. This has been the topic of a number of campfire discussions and we generally come back to the same conclusion. For the few times I REALLY want a super low option I think the Klune arrangement would be the way to go over a new gear set.
Good luck!
I'm envious of the power and mileage though, mine barely gets 15 at 60-65, pings perpetually, and doesnt have the power to accelerate with any sort of incline. I guess it must be the std vs automatic?
With respect to your plans to step back, my son's first scrambler with the 258, stock carter, t5 and 4.10s with 33s would routinely pull 17 mpg at 60ish on winding 2 lanes and had adequate power. Of course he had none of the ton or so of add ons that most of us have (winch, cage, etc). His current one is set up the same with a 2100 vice the carter but I'm not sure what is mileage is. He did have a t5 fail in city driving fwiw. I think if you are a non hammerhead driver you can keep a t5 alive with your set up.
One other thought though before you do a 4:1 is take a look at the Klune. I dont have much experiene or desire to visit the parks and maybe my issue with the 4:1 would be moot if i did but for the vast majority of the wheeling I do, 2wd Lo is all I need with the stock ratio, with a 4:1 I am always afraid it will be to low. This has been the topic of a number of campfire discussions and we generally come back to the same conclusion. For the few times I REALLY want a super low option I think the Klune arrangement would be the way to go over a new gear set.
Good luck!
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
- City
- Biloxi
- State
- MS
It will be pretty easy for me to step back to 33" tires. I am just going to remove the 1" body lift. I really like the Rubicon Express 4.5" springs I have, they ride and flex well. Also, if I step back to 33" tires, I can remove my spaced down bump stops on the back end and regain full articulation. Even going back to 33" tires, it will sit higher then my CJ-7, which had 33" tires and 15 year old 2.5" springs (only about 1" lift) and a 3" body lift. But, I think i can live with the added height, due to the Scramblers long rocker panels and rear overhang.
I have been very happy with the power and drive ability of my Mopar MPI converted 4.2. It runs great, gets decent mileage considering the tire size/vehicle height. I do run 93 octane fuel, no pinging or any other issues. I have not tried any long distance/hilly driving with regular fuel, though. That could cause pinging. Maybe the torque converter setup on your automatic is causing enough of a parasitic horsepower drain to cause you your slight problems
With regards to the T5, I think/hope that it might survive for awhile with my setup/driving style. I plan on rebuilding both of the T5's that I have, and keeping one as a spare on long trips, in case it does break. My green Scrambler has the factory T5, 120,000 miles, and no issues. If you try to shift it really fast from 1st to 2nd it feels like the syncros might be slightly worn, but I think the wore clutch is the only real issue. Another guy in our jeep club has an 84 CJ7, built 360, T5, stock 300, 4.88 gears, locked front and back, 36" TSL's and drives really hard. In 10 years of wheeling really, really hard, he has only broke one T5. It broke when he cracked the case when it hit a rock. The hairline crack spread under load, causing the gears to become misaligned, and pow. He fixed it, and still beats on it. I tend to drive pretty easy, so hopefully it will hold up. If it breaks after only a couple thousand miles, then I will swap in something different, like maybe a 6 speed, like my 05 Rubicon has
With regards to the 4:1 transfer case gears, I know exactly what you mean. My 05 Rubicon has these gears, and at first I hated it. I loved it on difficult sections, but everywhere else it sucked. Over time, I have gotten used to it and have learned to appreciate it. I may not be able to go as fast in low range over easier sections of the trail, but using the higher transmission gears (like 3-4) sort of overcomes this. The total vehicle control you gain with the 4:1 gears is another huge plus. The control you gain in tight, technical sections is a huge plus. It will make it easier for me to keep this body looking good for longer
I did not like bouncing/banging my way through the trail with my current set up. I was really worried i was going to smash the whole Scrambler up All the comments you made are appreciated
I spent about the entire trip home thinking about these issues, especially the 4:1 gear setup plus and minusesMajor Jack
Legacy Registered User
- City
- Zillah
- State
- Wa
That's what I am doing - LoMax 4:1 for offroad with 3:73 gears for highway cruising.
Those of us who have been around awhile and used the old Warn overdrive appreciate the low, low gearing we had with the stock 5:38's and the ability to use the transmission and the overdrive to split gears.
This combination gave us wonderful control off road.
Those of us who have been around awhile and used the old Warn overdrive appreciate the low, low gearing we had with the stock 5:38's and the ability to use the transmission and the overdrive to split gears.
This combination gave us wonderful control off road.
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