Overland The Third. ARB WJ inside!
- Thread starter Lecoq
- Start date
Lecoq
Explorer
Thanks for the kind words.
I'm working on getting some driveline vibrations sorted out and a few maintenance items this week. Hoping to make the trip across the USA in mid December from Montana to Vermont and back. So I'd like to make sure everything is as good as can be before I set out on a 9000 kms road trip.
I'm still undecided on what I want to do with wheels and tires. I might put it off for a little while.
I'm working on getting some driveline vibrations sorted out and a few maintenance items this week. Hoping to make the trip across the USA in mid December from Montana to Vermont and back. So I'd like to make sure everything is as good as can be before I set out on a 9000 kms road trip.
I'm still undecided on what I want to do with wheels and tires. I might put it off for a little while.
Lecoq
Explorer
Got the winter tires back on today. What a difference it makes going from a 53 lbs General to the 40 lbs Blizzacks. I'm thinking I'll get rid of the Generals and get something with a load range C instead of the E the General Grabbers are.
The only real downside with the Blizzacks is that they're P rated so I won't be able to air down much.
I instantly felt the ride get more comfortable. The braking and acceleration are also night and day.
The only real downside with the Blizzacks is that they're P rated so I won't be able to air down much.
I instantly felt the ride get more comfortable. The braking and acceleration are also night and day.
t4rFL
Adventurer
that sounds like fun. i recently did a trip from Florida to Washington state and back, but not with my Jeep. hope to one day afford to take it on a long trip.
andysgreenxj
Observer
When you get to NY, shot me a PM. Would be cool to get to share stories from both sides of the continent. Im originally from BC, and hoping to get back out there one day...:coffeedrink:
Lecoq
Explorer
What part of NY are you in? I wouldn't mind taking time off driving to hang out a bit.
That would be a fun trip. How long did you take?
andysgreenxj
Observer
About an hour north of Albany, about the same away from Rutland Vt. If you do end up close by, from me a pm...I've talked to a couple of people from Vt, and New Hampshire, gonna be doing some overland adventures over the next year...
Ranger Steve
Adventurer
Upstate NY sounds fun
t4rFL
Adventurer
Lecoq
Explorer
Finally got around to replacing the leaky oil pan gasket. The old one was baked on the pan and we bent the pan trying to pry it out. So I had to order a new pan.
Took it for a shake down run yesterday to the mountains. Drives pretty good. Just needs a few minor adjustments before departing for the cross country trip next week.
Took it for a shake down run yesterday to the mountains. Drives pretty good. Just needs a few minor adjustments before departing for the cross country trip next week.
oscar the grouch
Jeep Nut
What snorkel is that. I like
MBurzon
Photo/Video, Mechanic, Cook, Driver, First Aid
I'm a little late to the party here but I would personally go with Spidertrax spacers. You have a nice set of wheels there and if you stick to the torque specs on the Spidertrax wheel spacers you should not have any problem. I have many hard miles on mine and they are performing flawlessly. I do not know they are there.
Lecoq
Explorer
Safari SS1145HF
I'm still undecided on what I'll do. Everytime I look at my Jeep it really feels like something is not right with the wheels sitting so far in.
Lecoq
Explorer
Finally made it back to Calgary last night from a 9,000kms road trip. Didn't take many pictures since I was on a schedule and it was pretty cold.
The drive there started in Calgary Alberta and went down to Shelby Montana. From there I stayed on highway 2 through North Dakota where we stopped for the first night in Bismarck. Second day went to Fargo ND, Minneapolis MN, Chicago and we stopped for the night in a crappy Motel 6 in NW Indiana (it was late and everywhere else would not take the do). We then continued towards Detroit and crossed over to Ontario until Kingston which was a very nice town with lots of history. Reminded me of a smaller version of Quebec City. Finally made to Eastern Townships to stay with family over the holidays.
On the way back we took a more direct route. We crossed Montreal, Ottawa and Sault Ste Marie the first day and across Michigan (tons of snow there) Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota again to end up in Winnipeg. Yesterday was from Winnipeg to Calgary across the Canadian Prairies at a wonderful -35* Celsius.
Overall the trip was good. Jeep only had a minor issue with what I think might be a clogged fuel filter. I'll have to replace it and see if it helps.
I'm definitely regretting the removal of the rear sway bar. After driving so much highway and in snowy conditions it made for somewhat of an unstable rear end. I'll have to look into longer links and possibly an Addco rear sway bar.
Having driven this much in the past few weeks made me reflect on my build and the purpose of my Jeep. Part of me feels that I over built it for what I need and that a simpler approach would have been easier. Don't get me wrong, my Jeep is far from a giant beast, but I couldn't help but feel that I was lugging all the extra weight of the bumpers around for no particular reason. After all it was just a road trip. Not a camping trip to Moab. In the event of an animal strike I would have sure appreciated my front bumper but I kept starring at the Subaru Foresters and Outbacks I would see on the road and wondered if that would've been a better approach for a road trip/daily driver.
I may just feel this way because I didn't have the chance to go play in deep snow with the Jeep or use it for more than a modern version of the wood wagon Clark Griswold used on the first Family Vacation. In the end it just became hard to justify the 250 mile range of the fuel tank or the handling of a loaded 5000 lbs vehicle for a simple road trip. It definitely puts perspective in the way I will look at things now.
Here are the few pictures I managed to take.
Montana
Somewhere in Michigan
Crazy head wind plus -35* Celsius equals this...
The drive there started in Calgary Alberta and went down to Shelby Montana. From there I stayed on highway 2 through North Dakota where we stopped for the first night in Bismarck. Second day went to Fargo ND, Minneapolis MN, Chicago and we stopped for the night in a crappy Motel 6 in NW Indiana (it was late and everywhere else would not take the do). We then continued towards Detroit and crossed over to Ontario until Kingston which was a very nice town with lots of history. Reminded me of a smaller version of Quebec City. Finally made to Eastern Townships to stay with family over the holidays.
On the way back we took a more direct route. We crossed Montreal, Ottawa and Sault Ste Marie the first day and across Michigan (tons of snow there) Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota again to end up in Winnipeg. Yesterday was from Winnipeg to Calgary across the Canadian Prairies at a wonderful -35* Celsius.
Overall the trip was good. Jeep only had a minor issue with what I think might be a clogged fuel filter. I'll have to replace it and see if it helps.
I'm definitely regretting the removal of the rear sway bar. After driving so much highway and in snowy conditions it made for somewhat of an unstable rear end. I'll have to look into longer links and possibly an Addco rear sway bar.
Having driven this much in the past few weeks made me reflect on my build and the purpose of my Jeep. Part of me feels that I over built it for what I need and that a simpler approach would have been easier. Don't get me wrong, my Jeep is far from a giant beast, but I couldn't help but feel that I was lugging all the extra weight of the bumpers around for no particular reason. After all it was just a road trip. Not a camping trip to Moab. In the event of an animal strike I would have sure appreciated my front bumper but I kept starring at the Subaru Foresters and Outbacks I would see on the road and wondered if that would've been a better approach for a road trip/daily driver.
I may just feel this way because I didn't have the chance to go play in deep snow with the Jeep or use it for more than a modern version of the wood wagon Clark Griswold used on the first Family Vacation. In the end it just became hard to justify the 250 mile range of the fuel tank or the handling of a loaded 5000 lbs vehicle for a simple road trip. It definitely puts perspective in the way I will look at things now.
Here are the few pictures I managed to take.
Montana
Somewhere in Michigan
Crazy head wind plus -35* Celsius equals this...
