Expeditions West: Jeep Wrangler Sahara

[Scott Brady]

My little Wrangler has been a great daily driver and trail rig for over four years now, and it has served with perfect reliability until the water pump failed. When the water pump failed, it sent the fan blade into the radiator ($600 aluminum BeCool unit ), destroying the radiator and the clutch fan.

SO, it is time to do some work on the old girl, updating the cooling system and addressing a few little items.

To replace the shroud and clutch-fan, I have acquired this Flex-A-Lite unit:

Wrangler X-Treme

I am also working on a FlowKooler water pump and new radiator. For the radiator, I am going to fit a stock replacement (2-core), as the aluminum unit worked poorly at slow speeds.

I will use this thread to document the freshening of my Jeep.

 

[goodtimes]

Good to hear you are giving the old girl some lovin Scott!

You'll be happy with a 2-row radiator and a flow-cooler water pump. The 4.0 doesn't generate enough heat to need anything else, even in July at lower elevations. Just be sure that the radiator does not have plastic tanks on it. They have been proven to be less than desirable if they are subject to an impact (like when you roll the jeep). It is usually not an issue (for those of us who like to stay shiny side up), but in the interest of not taking that long walk, it is worth the little bit of extra $$$ to avoid the plastic if possible. There is always that chance of bad things happening....

Anyway, good luck with it, and I'm looking forward to seeing it on the trails again sometime.

 

[edgear]

Scott - I noticed in the photo above that the springs are still underneath the axles. Any plans on changing that?

 

[Scott Brady]

I don't think so, at least not at this time. If I want to get more trail performance, I would likely luck the t-case and install flat fenders, then slap on some 35" tires with internal bead locks.

The suspension is OME, and the leaves are very flat, so they ride great and flex like a dream.

But, I will not likely do the above, except maybe the t-case tuck. My Jeep works pretty well as is

I have another idea for a more extreme/competition vehicle stirring in my head now :smileeek:

 

[CLynn85]

Nice to see the Jeep getting some attention. I can't help but see my own when I look at that pic with the TJ flares and Grizzly wheels.

 

[Wanderlusty]

I have another idea for a more extreme/competition vehicle stirring in my head now :smileeek:

I am betting you aren't going to let us in on your masterful plans right now, are you? I guess we will just have to stay tuned.

I wonder if it is something inspired by something seen on a recent trip to Morocco?

 

[UncleChris]

Pretty cool Scott.

I am thinking of a YJ or an XJ as a pure 4 wheelin' vehicle. The YJs are pretty affordable. I will be watching with interest!

 

[articulate]

Nothing says "COOL" like a wrangler. :wavey: <<<Jeep Wave! And who doesn't absolutely dig the Expeditions West Wrangler?

Question: Doesn't that lovely thing have a short shift kit as well? I'd love to know more about that. That sounds like a fun mod.

I know the clock is ticking on my Jeep's radiator as well. They manufactured the tops of the TJ radiator out of plastic, and many users have had premature leaks. Anyway, I'm interested to see how your fix-up goes....even though it's a different version of the Wrangler.

A friend of mine just bought a Dyna Trac Dana 60 axle for his YJ. I can't wait to help him install it.

Cheers dude!

Mark

 

[Scott Brady]

You know, the Jeep was not lifted enough to require a t-case drop or short shaft. The YJ's had a little shorter yoke than the TJ's.

Depending on my build ideas, I have considered installing a 242 (full-time) and a short kit. It would make the Jeep great for winter driving with the center diff.

We will see how things progress :lurk:

 

[goodtimes]

Scott, what advantage do you see with the full time transfer case? IMO, there are certain cases (conditions) where they are nice to have, but in those cases, I really wouldn't want a jeep to begin with. There are far superior vehicles to consider --- for those conditions.

The NP231 is plenty strong for your application, and even without doing a 4:1 gear swap in it, you have a decent crawl ratio for the type of terrain you like. If you were going to be running harder trails with it (which I kind of doubt), you might think about a different t'case, but otherwise, I would stick with the 231. Assuming of course you didn't find a sweet deal on a NP241 with a fixed yolk and 4:1 gearset or something similar....

 

[Scott Brady]

Probably more than anything to try something different, and to make the Jeep a better snow machine.

And as you know, I like to sometime drive a little fast on fire roads, so having the AWD would be fun

 

[goodtimes]

Probably more than anything to try something different, and to make the Jeep a better snow machine.

And as you know, I like to sometime drive a little fast on fire roads, so having the AWD would be fun

You won't have any problem running in 4-hi on the dirt with the 231. As long as you don't head down the paved road in 4-hi/lo, the chain will be fine. Of course, the "something different" isn't satisfied this way....

 

[Scott Brady]

Dr. Suave,

If I had the time, a diesel swap into my YJ would be at the very top of my list. :beer:

 

[Scott Brady]

My little Jeep is back on the road :luxhello: after replacing the entire cooling system. More of a preventative measure than required, but at 140,000 miles, it was probably a wise choice.

I have always enjoyed working on my Jeep too. Very easy to work on.

Here is the Flex-A-Lite Wrangler X-Treme fan

Here is everything (almost) installed:

What I did:

1. New water pump (the original part that failed)
2. New Belt
3. New electric fan (to replace the stock clutch fan)
4. New radiator (aluminum factory replacement)
5. All new hoses, including heater hoses

She runs great, and Steph and I had fun driving to Jerome last night to meet Pasquale and Kristina for dinner.

I do notice a power increase from removing the engine driven fan, and you hear more of the motor and exhaust (mine is a quiet exhaust), and the sounds are great. Good stuff
What is next:

1. I am probably going to replace the t-stat housing, sender and t-stat too. The thermostat is not that old, but I am just that way.

2. I have a new Tmax winch controller with wireless to install, which will an easy and fun project. Then some new winch line (probably).

After that, who know. The Jeep just works well as is. Though I am also itching to buy an 80 series, if even for a short term project.

 

[goodtimes]

Scott, personally I wouldn't do much other than maintenance items to your jeep. It works very well for what you do with it. You should spend more time on the trail with it though. :rappel: