Jeep Speed Goat TJ, the anti-build thread

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Well, figured I'd better check out the pressure in the Inner beadlocks before the pending wheelin trip... I had Stauns on my old RME TJ that I built years ago and disliked them, after getting them on and running them for awhile. They are a PITA to mount up, PITA to maintain air pressure (90 PSI!) and when you didn't maintain it, things got real difficult.... the inner beadlock will move, block the valve stem, rupture the tube, etc.

I started to check air pressure and one of the inner locks was low... I added air and noticed the tire was getting the pressure too. Tube is ruptured. Move onto wheel #2.... inner beadlock takes air, but tire valvestem is blocked and can't air down. Great!! :mad:

After this I said fawk it... I have a 2nd set of wheels & tires. The Krawlers and BattleBorn Gatekeepers are going on in the morning, before the wheelin trip. This means a wider track width, which I really don't like.

I'm going to shop for another set of real beadlock wheels with the backspacing I need... maybe two sets, for both tire sets.

*pours a glass of Jameson to mellow out*
 

Evolved

Less-Known Member
Well, figured I'd better check out the pressure in the Inner beadlocks before the pending wheelin trip... I had Stauns on my old RME TJ that I built years ago and disliked them, after getting them on and running them for awhile. They are a PITA to mount up, PITA to maintain air pressure (90 PSI!) and when you didn't maintain it, things got real difficult.... the inner beadlock will move, block the valve stem, rupture the tube, etc.

I started to check air pressure and one of the inner locks was low... I added air and noticed the tire was getting the pressure too. Tube is ruptured. Move onto wheel #2.... inner beadlock takes air, but tire valvestem is blocked and can't air down. Great!! :mad:

After this I said fawk it... I have a 2nd set of wheels & tires. The Krawlers and BattleBorn Gatekeepers are going on in the morning, before the wheelin trip. This means a wider track width, which I really don't like.

I'm going to shop for another set of real beadlock wheels with the backspacing I need... maybe two sets, for both tire sets.

*pours a glass of Jameson to mellow out*
Sorry.

That was my doing.
 

MR4WD

Lost again
Location
Salmon Arm, BC
Seats look dynamite!! There’s really no explaining how hard they are to remove! I bet you haven’t found all the pine cones I hid in there!!

I feel you with those beadlocks! I’d occasionally pull them off and sorta put air in various valve stems and hope for the best.

Enjoying the updates man!
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Well, first trip is in the books! - https://www.rme4x4.com/threads/billings-canyon-colorado-in-the-new-tj.120024/

Loaded up with the Krawlers and BattleBorn Gatekeeper wheels-

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I have some work to do, some observations and changes that are needed.

One of the front suspension link joints is clunking around when you get the front axle bound up. I inspected the joints in the shop and they seemed fine but I'll need to pull the links out and inspect. I'm guessing it's one of the upper heims from the single link. We will see what ends up happening, I'd really like to run larger joints for that single upper.

The steering ram leaks pretty decent, looks like the seals are shot. It's not terrible, but there was a decent bit of fluid sitting on the cylinder mount. I have a fix for that. Also feel like the cylinder rods are super exposed, it wouldn't be difficult to run the cyl rods into a rock and ruin a trail day real quick.

The coilovers, bumps & limit straps work OK, but the CO's squeak pretty good on the trail (they're old & rusty) and you feel the straps hit when you max out the CO and the bumps hit when you compress the shocks. The ORI's will take care of all those issues and more, can't wait to get them mounted up!

The engine isn't always happy when crawling, it'll almost stall then recover and increase the RPM... making it a bit jerky at times. May need some tuning work.

Other than that, I'm super happy with how capable the Speed Goat is!
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
I've been curious about the nitrogen pressures in the coilovers and air bumps since they're fairly old, but didn't have the needed kit to properly check them. I did notice that the front air bumps were moving pretty easy by prying on them in the shop and the shaft was showing full stroke movement after some spirited offroad driving last weekend. (the air bumps are 2.0 Fox 3" travel with about 3" uptravel before getting into the front bumps and 8" uptravel out back before getting into the bumps).

I had the parts to assemble my dual fill kit, ordered a small aluminum tank which arrived yesterday, got the tank filled then bought a nitrogen regulator.

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Once it was all together, I checked the front bumps... about 30 PSI. I added pressure, going with 80 PSI. Then I checked the coilovers.... Fox sends them out with 200 PSI and they were around 80 PSI. Added more pressure there as well.

The nitrogen pressure in the CO's won't really effect driving around for the most part, it just keeps the shock oil from foaming over time, with the additional pressure.

Did the same for the rear, found the bumps to have 60 PSI out back and bumped them up to 80 PSI and checked the coilovers again, 100 PSI and set them to 200 PSI. When I disconnected the valve, I could hear the schrader on one of the rear CO's leaking... grabbed a schrader valve tool, tightened it up a tad and checked/topped off the pressure once more.

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I have some parts showing up, I'm planning to redo the exhaust and get it a bit tighter, try stay away from the starter more and make the 2 into 1 collector cleaner and further forward, from where it is now.

I'm going to add some shorty headers, put them on 'backwards' so they dump towards the front of the engine, instead of the rear and bring it down the passenger side (how it is now). It currently has 2.5" exhaust tube on it, I want to run 2.5" primaries into a single 2.75" pipe and a 3" muffler. I selected a 4" body Magnaflow with a straight thru core. The slightly larger exhaust should help it breathe easier for those high RPM pulls. 😈 I'll be adding a resonator ahead of the muffler as well, to try tone down the loud LS3, a LITTLE.

I'd really like to ceramic coat the entire exhaust system to help contain the heat coming off it. I'll also be adding V-band clamps to the system so it's easy to put together and take apart in the future, if needed.

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Also ordered a seal for the rear output shaft on the Atlas from Parts Mike, it's been leaking pretty bad.... lost a quart of oil from the recent trip. I'll drop the rear DS, pull the yoke and install a new seal when I have the time.

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Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
After a week out of town for the holiday, I spent today in the shop working on the TJ. Decided to work on swapping my Chris Durham Racing fiberglass hood on. The current hood/tube work was right in the way, so the Sawzall came out and 4 cuts were made in each side, freeing the offending tube.

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The hood needed to be cut to match the belt line as well. I removed the hood pins as the fiberglass will crack trying to run pins. (The hood came with rubber latches that secure to the grill, upside down from normal latches.)

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The hood in place, looks much better IMO. I plan to run some tube just inside and underneath the hood, attempting to protect it from damage. I'll put a bend at the corner of the hood 'fenders' and tie the tube into the current grill hoop.

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I'm planning to swap the ORI's in sooner rather than later, so I'll be rebuilding the front shock mounts at the hoop at the same time when I add the new hood tube work.
 

Evolved

Less-Known Member
After a week out of town for the holiday, I spent today in the shop working on the TJ. Decided to work on swapping my Chris Durham Racing fiberglass hood on. The current hood/tube work was right in the way, so the Sawzall came out and 4 cuts were made freeing the offending tube.

i-g9fXtJD-X4.jpg

i-r7fVQtW-X4.jpg

i-mrg8Tcz-X4.jpg

i-h3FnZvp-X4.jpg




The hood needed to be cut to match the belt line as well. I removed the hood pins as the fiberglass will crack trying to run pins. (The hood came with rubber latches that secure to the grill, upside down from normal latches.)

i-V4nFpM4-X4.jpg



The hood in place, looks much better IMO. I plan to run some tube just inside and underneath the hood, attempting to protect it from damage. I'll put a bend at the corner of the hood 'fenders' and tie the tube into the current grill hoop.

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I'm planning to swap the ORI's in sooner rather than later, so I'll be rebuilding the front shock mounts at the hoop at the same time when I add the new hood tube work.

The hood and related tubes were my least favorite part of the tube work. In my personal opinion this is a great update. Looks great!
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Spent some time doing the un-fun work in the shop tonight, using the grinder and a flap disc. I cleaned up the cuts and prepped them for the upcoming tube work. If you look close you notice that the tube that runs across the rocker and bends up toward the hood is double wall.... no wonder they're still pretty straight!

I'm still trying to figure out how to tie in the new tube with the previous joint at the firewall/fender and make it look good. I really don't want to cut that joint apart.

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Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wyoming
Do you have a good notcher? I think I remember that you do... chuck that notcher on there and notch through the semi-vertical tube and run your new one out from there.

I used my notchmaster to cut through my lower bars that were bent in from all the rock hits, while it took a while it ended up really nice I was able to just slide new tubing right in.

Edit: Either that or cut it out and set a steel ball in there for a joint.
 
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