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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Baja-ready Jeep upgrades
4.88 gears/axle shafts:
2016 got off to a challenging start. Barely able to sit up, Martin from Mobile Gears stopped by my house and picked up my Jeep for a 4.88 regear job.
I had been running 4.10 Gears with 35" tires and had gotten tired of the mismatched tire and gear ratio. About 6 hours later, my Jeep drove more
like a deep geared off road monster!
Solid steel track bar:
After returning from my annual Joshua Tree 4wd run with WranglerForum and JustRuns, I noticed that my front-end had a shimmy that made it feel unsafe
at speeds above 50 mph. I traced this to the track bar and the tiny bolt that failed to seat properly against the mounting plate. After researching
the best off road products for Jeep Wranglers, I decided on the Metalcloak track bar which required that I drilled a larger hole to secure the track
bar. Now, bumps that sent my Jeep for a wild ride only register as bumps and nothing more. In addition to the track bar made of solid steel (as
opposed to hollow like the Rubicon Express unit), The hardware tightened more securely, making for a more reassuring driving experience.
Steering shaft brace:
You can't go wrong when the Falken Jeep also runs the same steering brace. And for $72 shipped, sign my Baja Jeep up! I first tried using different
hardware to attach to the brace plate, but that only resulted in steering fluid all over my garage floor! Back to the Allen bolts and a dab of
Loc-Tite.
Next up: photos
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Gears getting refreshening synthetic oil change.
Before:
After:
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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The FOX 2.0 steering dampener controls kickback from the wheels and tires without pulling constantly to the left like the heavy duty Rancho unit does.
Plus it looks a lot better - but, for roughly double the price.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Metalcloak makes one monster of a track bar. Placed next to the Rubicon Express RE1600, you can see the updated design, improved bends, and higher
quality hardware - for roughly equal the price!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Two Baja Jeeps causing traffic delays
My 6" body and suspension lifted Jeep is considered by some as being on the tall side. But, not when parked next to Alphonso's monster Rubicon!
Here's a look at his front suspension! Wow!
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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Nice upgrade. What rpm you turning at 60 mph now?
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bajatrailrider
Super Nomad
Posts: 2432
Registered: 1-24-2015
Location: Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy
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Great Jeep upgrades Ken. One more thing you should do on Fox shocks. Use rubber boots on chrome shafts. The chrome shafts get rock pits,then blow
seals. I learned after blowing seals.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18380
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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And the best upgrade: buy a Toyota!
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BigBearRider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 4-30-2015
Location: Big Bear, Punta Chivato, and Cabo
Member Is Offline
Mood: 
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Nice stuff!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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At 67 mph, rpm is right at 2,500.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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I already beat you to it!
I have a Honda Pilot as a daily driver. 2wd, heated leather seats, and new Bridgestone street tires! 
BTW - What trail-ready modifications are on your Toyota? To run 35" tires on a Tacoma with IFS front suspension would be an expensive undertaking.
Maintenance would be a nightmare. Jeeps and other straight axle vehicles are the best way to go - coming from experience, not just opinion.
[Edited on 5-21-2016 by Ken Cooke]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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To control the heavy 35" BFGs, I now am running TIMKEN unit bearings - recently installed. This should control shimmy when hitting potholes on Hwy 1.
BigBearRider: The FOX 2.0 steering stabilizer doesn't come with a shock boot. I'll keep that in mind once I install my Pro-Comp MX-6 rear shocks.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Interesting, Ken. My '97 Toyota Camry XLE v-6 comes in at exactly the same (at 67 mph turns 2500 rpm) and produces 30 mpg at that speed. I think
that is excellent considering everything you say. You nailed-it on those new gears, I am thinking.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64851
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Nice job Ken on the upgrades. I agree with you, putting 35 inch tires on a Toyota is best done with a solid axle in the front. A lot of stress on an
IFS. I think 33s would be the biggest I would go on an IFS Tacoma. Maybe get away with a taller tire if it's narrow.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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just out of curiosity, how many aftermarket parts on Harald's mercedes, Harald?
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I'm pretty sure Harald and Karl have lockers front and rear. I think Harald runs an LT295 tire. Not sure about Karl but maybe the same.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64851
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: Originally posted by TMW  | | I'm pretty sure Harald and Karl have lockers front and rear. I think Harald runs an LT295 tire. Not sure about Karl but maybe the same.
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They also use low tire pressure to improve traction. Something a lot of 4x4 owners don't like to do... or at least as low as they run pressure at. It
works!
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4289
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy - always
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the most important aftermarket parts Karl and I carry are the Pacificos in the fridge.
Oh, I forgot satellite radio.
All the other vitals from heated seats, heated windshield, heated steering wheel are standard.
Gears and lockers?
Well, if you don't have that from the start, you picked the wrong truck.
Looking at the Jeep steering geometry makes me puke. In any decent vehicle drag link and Panhard bar (track bar) are horizontal. Period. Otherwise
your vehicle will drive like a Jeep (like caca).
Shimmy? Bearings? All caused by the inferior steering geometry.
However, there are upgrade kits for the Jeeps available (high steer) to make them perform like Toyota and Mercedes.
Harald Pietschmann
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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well if nothing else Jeep is keeping the aftermarket industry solvent!
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