Home from Shop

[frhalevt]

My baby is home from the shop with front and rear detroits and 4.56 gears. I love the gears and whoever says detroits are not street friendly must have never driven them on the street. Most of the time I can't tell they are there.

Anyway. Thanks to all for all the advice. I will let you know how she does. Going to Uwharrie this weekend to test them out.

Next is lift, SYE, CV Driveshaft and bigger tires. Jury is still out on which lift but I think I have narrowed down the candidates to:

RE 4.5" long arm.
Teraflex 4" long arm.
Full Traction 6" or 4" long arm.

I know I can install the Tera myself. Fairly sure I can install the RE with some assistance. Not sure on the Full Traction.

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions from anyone who has installed any of the above lifts.

Frank.

[TObject]

Originally posted by frhalevt
My baby is home from the shop with front and rear detroits and 4.56 gears. I love the gears and whoever says detroits are not street friendly must have never driven them on the street.

I licked over 30 envelopes today, and feel kind of funky. This put me in the banning mood.

Life is tough, when whoever has access to the red button, really doesn't like Detroit lockers.

[sethmark]

I'm a detroit fan. Period. In fact, my next jeep already has them in it...

But revist with us in a couple of weeks and let us know how little you notice it.

[eurobob]

Originally posted by sethmark
I'm a detroit fan.

I like the Boston Bruins much better.

[Robert J. Yates]

detroits are ok - I had one in the front of my rig for years. teracrap on the other had - well that sh!t couldn't come off my jeep fast enough. go re or full traction.

[mrblaine]

Detroits- the foot powered steering aid of choice amongst professionals.

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Detroits- the foot powered steering aid of choice amongst professionals.

ROTFOMDWT&LMFABO! (Roll on the floor of my double wide trailer & laugh my fat a$$ belly off)

[ChrisO]

Frank,
Since your Jeep is a standard trany, lets hear back from you after you have driven it on a twisty, rain-soaked highway, with your Jeep loaded from a long weekend of Jeepin' .

I too I'm a a big fan of Detroits, but the first to admit that they can scare the heebie-geebie's outta you.

I've spent way-too much time on the trail fixing other peoples "Air-Locker" troubles. Detroits are KISS.

JMHO.

Hey Blaine, can I quote you on the foot-powered steering aid? That's a good line for sure .

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by ChrisO
Frank,


Hey Blaine, can I quote you on the foot-powered steering aid? That's a good line for sure .

Absolutely, it is well earned. I have driven a few manual rigs on the street with a Detroit. It is surprising how fast the owners get used to the steering by them.

Myself, I couldn't react fast enough on the test drives and was able to only just keep it in the lane every time I shifted gears.

Step on the gas, go right, let off of the gas to shift, go left.

And then there is always the test drive with me in the passenger seat where the locker unloads with a loud bang, the rig jerks sideways and the owner always, and I mean always says, "It never does that". Only problem is, every Detroit rig I have ridden in on the street has done it at least once with me in it.

Of course it is fun in parking lots to slightly apply throttle around turns to hear the tires squeal.

[eurobob]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Absolutely, it is well earned. I have driven a few manual rigs on the street with a Detroit. It is surprising how fast the owners get used to the steering by them.

Myself, I couldn't react fast enough on the test drives and was able to only just keep it in the lane every time I shifted gears.

Step on the gas, go right, let off of the gas to shift, go left.

And then there is always the test drive with me in the passenger seat where the locker unloads with a loud bang, the rig jerks sideways and the owner always, and I mean always says, "It never does that". Only problem is, every Detroit rig I have ridden in on the street has done it at least once with me in it.

Of course it is fun in parking lots to slightly apply throttle around turns to hear the tires squeal.

LOL. I changed my shifting just to minimize the lane changes. I think my detroit unloads just about every day, in spite of balancing pressures regularly.

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by ChrisO
[B]I've spent way-too much time on the trail fixing other peoples "Air-Locker" troubles. Detroits are KISS.

Not doubting your experiences Chris but that seems to be counter to ours - I just went to a full ARB set-up based on the fact that in the group I have wheeled with, the lockers and compressors have turned out to be about bulletproof.

I think the quality of the install has alot to do with it and the cost of that quality does seem to bother some folks.

[ChrisO]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
Not doubting your experiences Chris but that seems to be counter to ours - I just went to a full ARB set-up based on the fact that in the group I have wheeled with, the lockers and compressors have turned out to be about bulletproof.

I think the quality of the install has alot to do with it and the cost of that quality does seem to bother some folks.

Boy, I agree with that. Installation (quality of) is the key. I do want to emphasize here that I've seen some down-right bad installations, and that is the trouble. When done correctly, no problems. I like Air-Lockers and the components.

I just happen to choose Detroit's this go around in my YJ, mostly cause Phil Howell talked me into it. I have no regrets and really have learned to like them. Plus, I have an auto-trans which always keeps it loaded (left foot braking ) and having an Atlas, lets me grab low range rear only, which is the only way to steer the thing, at times!

[TJJeepingDude]

Originally posted by TObject
I licked over 30 envelopes today, and feel kind of funky. This put me in the banning mood.

Life is tough, when whoever has access to the red button, really doesn't like Detroit lockers.

Wow, that is harsh banning the guy for that. Do you have a list of things you don't like so others don't get banned?

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by TJJeepingDude
Wow, that is harsh banning the guy for that. Do you have a list of things you don't like so others don't get banned?

Yes, we do. We require that you drive only a TJ, it has to be on 35's, auto, be able to run JV, and you have to mindlessly follow our doctrines and philosophies. Failure to do so will get you booted instantly.

[TJJeepingDude]

Hehe.

Seriously though. His profile says he is banned. Why was he banned?

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by TJJeepingDude
Hehe.

Seriously though. His profile says he is banned. Why was he banned?

Don't know, but I'd have to guess it has to do with envelope licking and the after effects of excessive glue consumption.

[TJJeepingDude]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Don't know, but I'd have to guess it has to do with envelope licking and the after effects of excessive glue consumption.

I hope you are right and he will be unbanned. I am a friend of frhalevt and he was very upset about being banned because he said he likes the folks and technical info on this forum. I don't hang out out here but told him I would try to find out for him.

Thanks again...

[TJJeepingDude]

Oh and he wanted to post about his first days experience with the lockers but of course cannot. So I will post for him.

He said that there have been a few situations where his Jeep did some "funny" things but it was not bad. It does have a tendency to want to move to the left or right when loading and unloading the lockers, but again not bad.

He said the folks who installed the lockers said they would have better street manners because these were the "new improved" version. They are called "soft" lockers and don't respond as harshly as the older ones did.

I will report how things go for him at Uwharrie if he is not unbanned by Monday or never gets unbanned.

[Robert J. Yates]

free frhalevt!

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
free frhlevt!

[John]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Yes, we do. We require that you drive only a TJ, it has to be on 35's, auto, be able to run JV, and you have to mindlessly follow our doctrines and philosophies. Failure to do so will get you booted instantly.

Let's see....

TJ... I test drove one once, close enough?
35's... check
auto... check
be able to run JV... check
mindless... check
follow... never have gotten the knack of that
doctrines and philosophies... I have enough of those to last a life time

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by mrblaine

[frhalevt]

I'm back.

[Robert J. Yates]

...you do realize that Sergey was just having some fun with you right Ask William sometime about his valve stem caps up in Big Bear - some folks here specialize in yanking people's chains

[frhalevt]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
...you do realize that Sergey was just having some fun with you right Ask William sometime about his valve stem caps up in Big Bear - some folks here specialize in yanking people's chains

I do now. No harm done. I was hoping all along he was just picking on me but after almost two days and still being banned I was getting a little worried.

[H8PVMNT00]

personally, id go w/ the RE 4.5'' kit. It's just an all around good kit for the money..my buddies have it and theresflexes INCREDIBLE and its also fairly easy to install in about a weekends job. Cant really say for the others but i just switched over to the NEW RE 7.5'' LA kit and the flex comparison between that and the skyjacker i had on before is no comparison. RE is the way to go!!

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by H8PVMNT00
personally, id go w/ the RE 4.5'' kit. It's just an all around good kit for the money..my buddies have it and theresflexes INCREDIBLE and its also fairly easy to install in about a weekends job. Cant really say for the others but i just switched over to the NEW RE 7.5'' LA kit and the flex comparison between that and the skyjacker i had on before is no comparison. RE is the way to go!!

So, what were the factors that limited the flex of the SJ kit and what does the RE kit do differently that makes it flex so much more?

[TObject]

Probably rubber bushings. Which is why they have to be replaced so often...

[H8PVMNT00]

front and rear track bar and the way the control arms are mounted...dont get me wrong SJ is a good kit but not for the wheelin type...def more for show..this is just my $.2 though
-Vic

[frhalevt]

I took my Jeep to Uwharrie today and the lockers performed flawlessly and the 4.56 gearing was GREAT. I took some lines I could only dream about before.

Also, a friend of mine helped me install an SYE and CV drive shaft yesterday which also worked well. So I am now ready for more lift. Just need to make up my mind which one.