Captain Texas
Adventurer
I know thats the thing is the price. The demand will probably be so great that they might cut down the price. Who knows, i'm waiting right now for units to ship and for people to review the kit.
Captain Texas Anvil JKU build
- Thread starter Captain Texas
- Start date
I know thats the thing is the price. The demand will probably be so great that they might cut down the price. Who knows, i'm waiting right now for units to ship and for people to review the kit.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Our trip for Big Bend is a go.
We are not camping in Big Bend but rather doing day trips out there and driving back to Marathon Texas to stay at the Gage Hotel. My Grandpa is coming along so we decided to glamp.
After 2-3 days in Marathon going to Big Bend we will spend a few days in Marfa. We went earlier this year but going again for the hell of it.
Also planing on doing some videography on this trip in addition to my photography. Hopefully I get some good shots.
We are not camping in Big Bend but rather doing day trips out there and driving back to Marathon Texas to stay at the Gage Hotel. My Grandpa is coming along so we decided to glamp.
After 2-3 days in Marathon going to Big Bend we will spend a few days in Marfa. We went earlier this year but going again for the hell of it.
Also planing on doing some videography on this trip in addition to my photography. Hopefully I get some good shots.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Quick report
So our West Texas trip is beginning to come to a close. The internet here in Marfa isn't great so I won't be doing a full report with photos till around Christmas.
So far everything has been great. Big Bend was amazing. If I had to do it again I would get some sort of air compressor. We had to keep the tires at street pressure and wow the ride was rough even with sway bars disconnected.
In other news the Jeep is going to have to get a good alignment done and a full check around for axle seal leaks on the Dana 30. We were driving around the first day in Marathon and decided to visit the cemetery. My dad was taking a corner and did not see that there was a pretty large boulder on the edge of the road. Well he hit it by accident with the tire and knocked the ******* out of the steering wheel alignment. ESP came on as a result. Managed to re-align the steering wheel enough to get the ESP light to turn off but i'm concerned about other alignment specs being off.
Otherwise from that the trip has been pretty good!
So our West Texas trip is beginning to come to a close. The internet here in Marfa isn't great so I won't be doing a full report with photos till around Christmas.
So far everything has been great. Big Bend was amazing. If I had to do it again I would get some sort of air compressor. We had to keep the tires at street pressure and wow the ride was rough even with sway bars disconnected.
In other news the Jeep is going to have to get a good alignment done and a full check around for axle seal leaks on the Dana 30. We were driving around the first day in Marathon and decided to visit the cemetery. My dad was taking a corner and did not see that there was a pretty large boulder on the edge of the road. Well he hit it by accident with the tire and knocked the ******* out of the steering wheel alignment. ESP came on as a result. Managed to re-align the steering wheel enough to get the ESP light to turn off but i'm concerned about other alignment specs being off.
Otherwise from that the trip has been pretty good!
Captain Texas
Adventurer
West Texas Expedition report Part 1
Today we wrapped up our five day West Texas expedition and man are we exhausted. It has been a good trip, but not without it's fare share of mishaps and shining moments.
Day 1:
We departed from Midland, Texas and headed south on highway 385 toward the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas. My Dad, Grandpa, and I were a little worried we were not going to fit all of our gear into the back of my Jeep, and the two of them were a little worried that riding in a Jeep for a long period of time would be a horrible idea. Thanks to the Frontrunner JKU Interior shelf, we managed to fit all of our gear no problem. We didn't even have to fold down the back seats! After a two and a half hour drive down south, we reached Marathon. We checked into the Gage, unpacked the Jeep, and started to walk around the small town to see what was around. Marathon on a Sunday afternoon is a complete ghost town; hardly anyone is around except for a few hotel guests.
My dad decided it would be a good idea to drive around the town and see what there was around. At the beginning of the trip, I really wanted to see about getting into videography. Because of this, I let my dad drive while I shot some B-roll. We visited the cemetery in town and that's when we had an issue. My dad did not see a fairly large boulder on the perimeter of the cemetery road and while taking a turn, smacked the ******* out of it with the front left tire... great. We drove the Jeep back to the Gage and in the short quarter mile, we determined the alignment was a bit off, the steering wheel was about 45 degrees to the right, and the ESP light on. I whipped out the tool roll and got to work, reading how to straighten out the steering wheel and giving the front end a visual inspection. I found what seemed to be an axle seal leak on the rear part of the front left axle C. Once i'm back in Austin, I will get a ship to look at it to see if work needs to be done.
That night was a rough one. I thought we would have to get towed back to Midland. My dad was pretty upset about the whole thing, and my Grandpa, well, he just went off to take pictures. After this, I decided to drop the idea of getting video and drove for most of the trip.
Day 2:
Monday was the day we would go to Big Bend, something I had been looking forward too for months now. I had heard about Black Gap Road, and how that is a trail that is on the Jeep Badge of Honor program. After much consolation with members from Austin Jeep People and with the steering wheel straightened enough so the ESP light went off, we determined we could continue the trip but with limited 4WD engagement. Reasoning behind this was that if I did indeed have an axle leak seal, engaging 4WD would make it worse.
We made it to Big Bend and we all were taken back by the shear size of the park. Being a native Texan, I have always seen fencing on the side of highways due to much of the land in Texas being private property. I was a bit surprised when I saw that there was no fencing in the park what-so-ever. I understand that this is because it is a National Park but it was still surprising none the less. We drove a small bit of road that led to Old Ore Road but we decided to turn around and head deeper into the park. We found the gas station off of Panther Junction and filled up.
Heading deeper in, we took a right onto Glenn Spring Road and started the drive to the North end of Black Gap Road. Something I have got to invest in is a compressor. We had to keep the tires at street pressure and man was the ride rough even with the sway bar disconnected. The pictures just can't grasp the scale of this place, it's truly amazing.
After some time, we found the turn to Back Gap Road and we quickly saw the road conditions deteriorate. We were in 2WD for 99% of the trip, but when we came up to the Gap, I needed just a bit of 4WD High to climb up the grade.
We took River Road back to the main road to get out of Big Bend and while the scenery was great, we were running late into the evening and had a dinner reservation to meet. It was a rough drive and we got off the trailhead just by dark. Needless to say we were a little late to dinner, but made it.
Day 3:
We packed up our gear and headed West out to Marfa. The Gage Hotel is a great place to stay and I highly recommend it! On the way to Marfa, we stopped by the Target building just a few miles outside of Marathon. Cool place, but a bunch of graffiti on the inside.
After we checked into our home-away, we unpacked and settled in. That evening we went to go see the Marfa lights and luckily they were visible.
And then another mishap; Grandpa fell. We initially went into panic mode but then calmed down and started working to fix the problem. Apparently he had tripped on something in the parking lot and fell face first. We hauled over to the Alpine hospital and waited for the doctor. We was fine, just a bruised cheek and a few cuts but nothing major. As he always says, it's better to go and check and not have anything wrong than to have something wrong and not check. Something I am also wanting to invest in is a new medical kit.
Today we wrapped up our five day West Texas expedition and man are we exhausted. It has been a good trip, but not without it's fare share of mishaps and shining moments.
Day 1:
We departed from Midland, Texas and headed south on highway 385 toward the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas. My Dad, Grandpa, and I were a little worried we were not going to fit all of our gear into the back of my Jeep, and the two of them were a little worried that riding in a Jeep for a long period of time would be a horrible idea. Thanks to the Frontrunner JKU Interior shelf, we managed to fit all of our gear no problem. We didn't even have to fold down the back seats! After a two and a half hour drive down south, we reached Marathon. We checked into the Gage, unpacked the Jeep, and started to walk around the small town to see what was around. Marathon on a Sunday afternoon is a complete ghost town; hardly anyone is around except for a few hotel guests.
My dad decided it would be a good idea to drive around the town and see what there was around. At the beginning of the trip, I really wanted to see about getting into videography. Because of this, I let my dad drive while I shot some B-roll. We visited the cemetery in town and that's when we had an issue. My dad did not see a fairly large boulder on the perimeter of the cemetery road and while taking a turn, smacked the ******* out of it with the front left tire... great. We drove the Jeep back to the Gage and in the short quarter mile, we determined the alignment was a bit off, the steering wheel was about 45 degrees to the right, and the ESP light on. I whipped out the tool roll and got to work, reading how to straighten out the steering wheel and giving the front end a visual inspection. I found what seemed to be an axle seal leak on the rear part of the front left axle C. Once i'm back in Austin, I will get a ship to look at it to see if work needs to be done.
That night was a rough one. I thought we would have to get towed back to Midland. My dad was pretty upset about the whole thing, and my Grandpa, well, he just went off to take pictures. After this, I decided to drop the idea of getting video and drove for most of the trip.
Day 2:
Monday was the day we would go to Big Bend, something I had been looking forward too for months now. I had heard about Black Gap Road, and how that is a trail that is on the Jeep Badge of Honor program. After much consolation with members from Austin Jeep People and with the steering wheel straightened enough so the ESP light went off, we determined we could continue the trip but with limited 4WD engagement. Reasoning behind this was that if I did indeed have an axle leak seal, engaging 4WD would make it worse.
We made it to Big Bend and we all were taken back by the shear size of the park. Being a native Texan, I have always seen fencing on the side of highways due to much of the land in Texas being private property. I was a bit surprised when I saw that there was no fencing in the park what-so-ever. I understand that this is because it is a National Park but it was still surprising none the less. We drove a small bit of road that led to Old Ore Road but we decided to turn around and head deeper into the park. We found the gas station off of Panther Junction and filled up.
Heading deeper in, we took a right onto Glenn Spring Road and started the drive to the North end of Black Gap Road. Something I have got to invest in is a compressor. We had to keep the tires at street pressure and man was the ride rough even with the sway bar disconnected. The pictures just can't grasp the scale of this place, it's truly amazing.
After some time, we found the turn to Back Gap Road and we quickly saw the road conditions deteriorate. We were in 2WD for 99% of the trip, but when we came up to the Gap, I needed just a bit of 4WD High to climb up the grade.
We took River Road back to the main road to get out of Big Bend and while the scenery was great, we were running late into the evening and had a dinner reservation to meet. It was a rough drive and we got off the trailhead just by dark. Needless to say we were a little late to dinner, but made it.
Day 3:
We packed up our gear and headed West out to Marfa. The Gage Hotel is a great place to stay and I highly recommend it! On the way to Marfa, we stopped by the Target building just a few miles outside of Marathon. Cool place, but a bunch of graffiti on the inside.
After we checked into our home-away, we unpacked and settled in. That evening we went to go see the Marfa lights and luckily they were visible.
And then another mishap; Grandpa fell. We initially went into panic mode but then calmed down and started working to fix the problem. Apparently he had tripped on something in the parking lot and fell face first. We hauled over to the Alpine hospital and waited for the doctor. We was fine, just a bruised cheek and a few cuts but nothing major. As he always says, it's better to go and check and not have anything wrong than to have something wrong and not check. Something I am also wanting to invest in is a new medical kit.
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Captain Texas
Adventurer
West Texas Expedition report Part 2
Day 4:
Day 4 was a chill day, we took it easy and relaxed (especially after the night before).
Day 5:
The Fort Davis Mountains were the plan for the day. We drove up to a turn off we had been before in March and enjoyed the sights and took pictures.
We went to visit Fort Davis after coming down from the mountains. When I mean Fort Davis, I mean the actual Fort Davis. It was a cool opportunity to visit the past and see what it was like for enlisted men in the U.S. Armed Forces back in the late 19th century.
That about wraps it up. Day 6 was the long drive back to Midland. Hope everyone enjoyed the read and pictures!
Day 4:
Day 4 was a chill day, we took it easy and relaxed (especially after the night before).
Day 5:
The Fort Davis Mountains were the plan for the day. We drove up to a turn off we had been before in March and enjoyed the sights and took pictures.
We went to visit Fort Davis after coming down from the mountains. When I mean Fort Davis, I mean the actual Fort Davis. It was a cool opportunity to visit the past and see what it was like for enlisted men in the U.S. Armed Forces back in the late 19th century.
That about wraps it up. Day 6 was the long drive back to Midland. Hope everyone enjoyed the read and pictures!
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Got the Jeep off the alignment rack today. Steering wheel is straight now, and the Jeep feels confident again in the corner.
The only thing that is concerning to me is that the front camber seems to be getting worse, indicating that the front axle is bent. I just looked up previous camber specs from early 2016 and the front left camber spec was at -1.0, already out of tolerance.
Current spec right now on the same tire is at a -1.2. The front right has also moved from a -0.4 to a -0.6 but that is still in tolerance.
Currently talking with my shop to see if the axle is bent and needs replacing. Great.
The only thing that is concerning to me is that the front camber seems to be getting worse, indicating that the front axle is bent. I just looked up previous camber specs from early 2016 and the front left camber spec was at -1.0, already out of tolerance.
Current spec right now on the same tire is at a -1.2. The front right has also moved from a -0.4 to a -0.6 but that is still in tolerance.
Currently talking with my shop to see if the axle is bent and needs replacing. Great.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
We talked about staggered ball joints but my guy did say that doesn't resolve the fact that something is broken. I will have to see what he quotes me for a replacement Dana 44 for the 30.
DallasJKU
Adventurer
I like the nets.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
I like the nets too but the problem with them is that they stretch and tear so damn easy. It's pretty embarrassing to say the least.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
So a deposit was placed this morning for an Ultimate Dana 44 with 4.56 gears... I guess i'm getting a new axle.
Also will be re-gearing the rear to 4.56.
Also will be re-gearing the rear to 4.56.
BigBad408
Observer
Shelling out the cash hurts but that axle is going to be sweet!
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Yea im still reeling from it but it will be worth it I hope.
Nice thing about the Ultimate Dana axle is that it comes with everything from the crate. HD ball joints, thick tubing, 1350 u-joints, the whole shebang. Comes with an e-locker as well but I will wire it up later when I have money for an SPOD. Also the re-gear to 4.56 is something that I have been wanting to do since I have gotten 35's.
I really hope that the axle and re-gear will be worth it. It's a lot of money being spent and I hope it will be spent well.
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BigBad408
Observer
There's a much cheaper alternative to the SPOD out there now. I picked up the Apollointech version off Amazon and installed it this weekend. I hate to be the guy buying the "knock off" version of something but when it comes to a 50% price difference...I can't really justify it. It's well reviewed on other forums and Amazon. Right now I just have A-Pillar lights wired to it but by the end of the week a Zeon 10-S and ARB Compressor will be wired in as well. It's worth a look to put that locker to use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CDTW03K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CDTW03K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Captain Texas
Adventurer
I know there are a lot of products on the market that do the same thing but I always like to get the real deal whenever possible.