Overland Ready

[Lawrence]

Don and Joe - Thank you.
Robert - Sorry for the temporary hijack.

 

[SavageSunJeep]

See my comments in the new thread I started:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=113073#post113073

 

[RunninRubicon]

KB vs Av

I appears your going to get very differing opinions about this subject. But at least we got you started. Best I can say is ....do your homework and do some more investigation.
J

 

[robert j. yates]

I average 10-12 pulling my trailer.
The only hope I have found after pulling my trailer all over Nevada, Cali, and Az is to lighten the load wherever possible (no water or fuel till the last town before I leave the pavement) and drive max 65 mph. If I run 80 I get 8mpg!
I doubt a V-8 would do any better than this, though I know no one in Tucson running a V-8 legally.
Best of luck-loved your pictures.:arabia:

I am in the same territory gas milage wise so yea, I figured out when pulling Marios' rental trailer that it was best to leave the water tank empty as well as the gas cans until its time to hit the dirt. 10 gallons of gas and 20 gallons of water adds up.

As for the V8....I know of one person out here with an emissions legal Hemi conversion and while his Jeep runs great, its not that much better on gas milage. It does not notice when he has his mil trailer converion hooked up to it along with the fact that he can take the grades much more easily. Would that we worht the additional 5-7K a Hemi conversion would have cost me....I doubt it.

 

[robert j. yates]

....just a note on all of the supercharger/computer reflash stuff.

For me, the only way I got my motor dialed in was to have my rig load tuned on a Dyno along with the installation of a Unichip. While I still have a minor interface issue with the Unichip and the stock PCM, there is no way that I would ever run a modified motor without one. I got more power and better gas milage with the tune. Given that the Unichip has a null port and can be taken out of the PCM circuit entirely, the difference between running with it enabled or not is quite dramatic. I am expecting Unichip to send me a software patch later this fall which should get rid of my CEL issue so for me, the money I spent having my rig tuned was worth it.

 

[roadkill]

robert,
aren't you running an antirock? how does it and your trailer affect the jeeps handling onroad? is it liveable or is a disconnect or dual swaybar the way to go?

 

[SavageSunJeep]

robert,
aren't you running an antirock? how does it and your trailer affect the jeeps handling onroad? is it liveable or is a disconnect or dual swaybar the way to go?

Cannot speak for Robert, but I run the Currie AR and it does not seem to make a difference one way or another when I pull the trailer.

That said I am a STRONG advocate of running adjustable shocks if you run the AR. Generally speaking there are 3 components that grossly affect the front suspension/handling: Shocks, sway-bar and springs. The key is balance and if you alter the input/output of any one or more of the components you need some way of mitigating or offsetting. The simplest and most adjustable is of course shocks.

I run the Rancho RS9000X adjustables with 9 different levels of adjustability.

Excerpt from the Nth Degree springs review:

"Highway performance:
Initially the ride was taut and albeit sometimes a bit choppy on the highway heading to Moab. After several stops along the way and some adjustment of my Rancho RS900X shocks I got a good highway ride dialed in. The return trip was a different yet rewarding story. On the last day in Pritchett Canyon, I snapped a Currie AntiRoc driver's side sway bar control arm. The result was I disconnected the other side and now was driving without an effective sway bar. Fine for the trail, but how would this affect the 500-mile trip back to Scottsdale..."

The rest of the story: http://www.savagesun4x4.com/nth_degree_coil_spring_inst.html

 

[robert j. yates]

Interesting...we were just talking about this earlier today.

Anywho....I do run an Antirock and after towing 1300 plus miles with a Horizon I see no reason to change it. IMO the trailer actually lends some stability to the Jeep and it doesn't get pushed around as much from the wind so AFAIAC, the Antirock stays.

Also because of my trilinked rear, I bought a Full Traction upsized rear swaybar with the idea of adapting it to my heim joint swaybar linkage so as to firm up the roll steer a bit but again...after towing with the trailer I think I'll leave things be for awhile.

 

[roadkill]

interesting... I figured a recomendation towards a dual rate or discos would come about. I guess you really can't believe everything thats on the internet those two first hand opinions would have spewed a really good antirock, disco argument on JU and most other jeep boards

 

[Andrew Walcker]

I may be comparing apples to oranges, but I am running a Currie AR on the rear of my Defender and notice no negative affects on or off road when towing my AT either.

 

[nemesistic]

interesting... I figured a recomendation towards a dual rate or discos would come about. I guess you really can't believe everything thats on the internet those two first hand opinions would have spewed a really good antirock, disco argument on JU and most other jeep boards

If you haven't driven a rig equipped with a dual rate system, you should give it a shot if you know someone that has one.

I don't have one personally, but I did enjoy the opportunity to drive a TJ that did and the difference between it and the A/R is as expected, night and day.

 

[roadkill]

I know there is a difference between the two, its the extent of the difference and whether or not its safety factor on the highway that seems to be the hot topic of debate. with that said I was wondering if the trailer would change any of the handling characteristics of an antirock equipped TJ on the highway. the consensus so far is that if your happy with the setup without the trailer, you'll also be happy with it pulling the trailer

 

[robert j. yates]

A couple of points.....I've been running an AR for probably 6 years plus now so I am totally used to it on my Jeep. 3 of those are with the TXT Alumiflex long arm lift I have on there now with the rear tri-linked. That set up flexes great but it is affected a bit by some rear roll steer. Again....I am used to it but I was concerned about the addition of a trailer to the mix. After some significant trailer time though I am in wait and see mode as the trailer has not seemed to have an adverse affect on my rigs stability.

As for the dual rate system....I actually know the guy who developed it and was in his garage when he came up with the prototype. I've driven a rig so equiped and frankly given all that, if I had wanted one I would have had one. Jeeps aren't sports cars and I am fully comfortable with my rig and the AR.

 

[nemesistic]

I know there is a difference between the two, its the extent of the difference and whether or not its safety factor on the highway that seems to be the hot topic of debate. with that said I was wondering if the trailer would change any of the handling characteristics of an antirock equipped TJ on the highway. the consensus so far is that if your happy with the setup without the trailer, you'll also be happy with it pulling the trailer

Good point on the comparison and one I hadn't considered. I'll see if the D/R guy is interested in hooking it up to a trailer to see if there is a difference in his handling at road speeds.

 

[ntsqd]

Somewhere I got lost, Dual-Rate what?