Lord Al Sorna
Harebrained Scheming
Greetings fellow ExPo members! I would like to introduce my Jeep:
I purchased the Jeep July 18th, 2014 with 16 miles on the odometer. This is the first new vehicle I have owned, and has proven to be wonderfully fun and comfortable to cruise around in both on and off road. I look forward to making tasteful modifications to create my ultimate overland travel and 4x4 adventure vehicle. The series of considerations that brought me to this vehicle purchase are extensive and included an extravagant Excel sheet with many columns . The overarching idea is that I want to build a 4x4 that can do it all, and do it all well.
My previous vehicle, a fully outfitted 2001 Tacoma DC:
The Taco took my girlfriend Lauren and I to some of the most beautiful places in the West over my five years owning it. My passion for off-road adventure manifested into two branches over this time: overland travel AND technical 4x4 trails. I love them both and the Tacoma was exceptionally well suited to the former, but drivetrain strength and IFS limited the latter.
I decided the time was right to build the holy grail - a vehicle that was comfortable to travel in all day on the highway or on less technical roads and trails, be able to pull my off-road trailer, and still be capable of navigating the upper echelon of difficult 4x4 trails. Initial must-haves included a solid front axle, AC, enough room for four people and our two large dogs, best possible fuel economy, and good aftermarket support. Vehicles that fell into this category were already very limited, but the list was further boiled down to an 80 series Cruiser, or the JK Unlimited. Factors that helped me make the final decision included: low vs. high mileage, warranty, removable top (love), fuel economy, and the robust factory equipment package of the Rubicon.
So here I start. I never had a build page to look back on for my previous truck, and wished I had documented it. I have big plans for this rig and look forward to having this thread to log and share the progress. The initial focus of modifications will be on self-reliance/vehicle recovery, storage, and navigation. As time and budget allow, my intention for stage two is to get into the suspension, tires, and drivetrain modifications to run difficult trails. Thanks for checking out my rig ExPo!
Current Modifications:
Synergy 4" Coils F/R
Synergy Front Track Bar Bracket
Teraflex 1" Coil Spacers F/R
Teraflex Monster Front Track Bar
Synergy High-Steer
Fox 2.0 Remote Resi w/ Compression Adjusters - #70 Rebound Tune, Custom Compression Tune
Fox IFP hydraulic bumpstops
35 x 12.50 Cooper Discovery ST Maxx
Walker Evans Racing 15" Wheels
ARB front Stubby Bumper
Re-built Warn 9500HSi w/ custom paint - Smittybuilt Hybrid Line - Warn Hawse Fairlead
4.56 Nitro Gear R&P Swap
ARB Twin Compressor on MORE Mounting Bracket w/ Remote Line to Front Bumper
Welded ACE Engineering C-Gussets and LCA Skid Plates to front Dana 44
EVO Front Axle Truss
ARB Diff Covers F/R
Carolina Metal Masters JK Grab Bar
Infinity Front Tweeters / Dynamat in Speaker Enclosures
Angry Offroad Paracord Grab Handles
Daystar Hood Wranglers
Off Road Evolution Rockstar Skids
AEV Geometry Correction Brackets
I purchased the Jeep July 18th, 2014 with 16 miles on the odometer. This is the first new vehicle I have owned, and has proven to be wonderfully fun and comfortable to cruise around in both on and off road. I look forward to making tasteful modifications to create my ultimate overland travel and 4x4 adventure vehicle. The series of considerations that brought me to this vehicle purchase are extensive and included an extravagant Excel sheet with many columns . The overarching idea is that I want to build a 4x4 that can do it all, and do it all well.
My previous vehicle, a fully outfitted 2001 Tacoma DC:
The Taco took my girlfriend Lauren and I to some of the most beautiful places in the West over my five years owning it. My passion for off-road adventure manifested into two branches over this time: overland travel AND technical 4x4 trails. I love them both and the Tacoma was exceptionally well suited to the former, but drivetrain strength and IFS limited the latter.
I decided the time was right to build the holy grail - a vehicle that was comfortable to travel in all day on the highway or on less technical roads and trails, be able to pull my off-road trailer, and still be capable of navigating the upper echelon of difficult 4x4 trails. Initial must-haves included a solid front axle, AC, enough room for four people and our two large dogs, best possible fuel economy, and good aftermarket support. Vehicles that fell into this category were already very limited, but the list was further boiled down to an 80 series Cruiser, or the JK Unlimited. Factors that helped me make the final decision included: low vs. high mileage, warranty, removable top (love), fuel economy, and the robust factory equipment package of the Rubicon.
So here I start. I never had a build page to look back on for my previous truck, and wished I had documented it. I have big plans for this rig and look forward to having this thread to log and share the progress. The initial focus of modifications will be on self-reliance/vehicle recovery, storage, and navigation. As time and budget allow, my intention for stage two is to get into the suspension, tires, and drivetrain modifications to run difficult trails. Thanks for checking out my rig ExPo!
Current Modifications:
Synergy 4" Coils F/R
Synergy Front Track Bar Bracket
Teraflex 1" Coil Spacers F/R
Teraflex Monster Front Track Bar
Synergy High-Steer
Fox 2.0 Remote Resi w/ Compression Adjusters - #70 Rebound Tune, Custom Compression Tune
Fox IFP hydraulic bumpstops
35 x 12.50 Cooper Discovery ST Maxx
Walker Evans Racing 15" Wheels
ARB front Stubby Bumper
Re-built Warn 9500HSi w/ custom paint - Smittybuilt Hybrid Line - Warn Hawse Fairlead
4.56 Nitro Gear R&P Swap
ARB Twin Compressor on MORE Mounting Bracket w/ Remote Line to Front Bumper
Welded ACE Engineering C-Gussets and LCA Skid Plates to front Dana 44
EVO Front Axle Truss
ARB Diff Covers F/R
Carolina Metal Masters JK Grab Bar
Infinity Front Tweeters / Dynamat in Speaker Enclosures
Angry Offroad Paracord Grab Handles
Daystar Hood Wranglers
Off Road Evolution Rockstar Skids
AEV Geometry Correction Brackets
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