Expedition TJ

[DETN8R]

So I've been talking about this Colorado expedition for awhile now and I'm thinking I really want to turn my jeep into an expedition vehicle.

So far my plans include.

After reading the Master Equipment list for Expeditions West (http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/master_list/2008_gear_list.html) I decided I want to have my laptop in the jeep. They have a Laptop Mount from a company that makes vehicle specific laptop mounting systems. The company Ram Mounting Systems (http://www.ram-mount.com/) makes a pretty cool mounting system for my Jeep Wrangler which I'm slowly trying to turn into an Expedition Style rig capable of going anywhere. It's also my daily driver so the more fun stuff I can put into it the better. The Jeep Wrangler TJ is very limited on space and when I'm going camping I find that I have to remove my rear seat since only me, Stella(my Girlfriend), and sometimes our small dog Kupo go we fill the rear area with all the camping gear. The laptop mounting system will not only keep Stella from complaining to much on the trip but also keep us entertained.

I hope to add these to my Jeep sometime in the process of this build:

Laptop Mounting System (http://www.ram-mount.com/laptop_mount/ramvb158sw1_laptop_desk.htm) from Ram Mounting Systems
DC-AC Inverter - to power all sorts of stuff off of. I've gotta think of what I want to power off it so I can decide on the Wattage rating I'll need.
GPS Device - may just buy a GPS receiver for the Laptop.
Off-Road Lights - Plenty of options here.
Roof Rack - Basically I'll either make my own or get a Garvin Industries one.
Rear Tire Carrier with spots for 2 Jerry Cans, including a water can, not Sure which one I'll go with yet.
Tuffy Speaker & Storage Lockbox set (http://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-232-047-tj-speaker-storage-lockbox-set-closeout-color-tan.aspx)

I've got new tires on order so Hopefully they'll work out great in the snow.
I went with 33x10.50 BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2s

[Chris]

Sounds good, I'm heading in that direction myself but the FJ62 has a lot more space. What will you use to get internet access on the computer? I've heard Verizon's system is pretty good but that may just be locally. My wife wishes we had something quite often, usually so she can figure out where the hell we are. :lol:

[DETN8R]

Probably not internet access but I have a Cable for my Samsung Instinct from Sprint that will allow me to use my Cell phone as a modem I'll honestly probably use it just for GPS navigation and DVDs. but of course only when I'm not driving ;). I need to get a new battery for my laptop though.

[Chris]

I'm not up on computer GPS and assumed it required the internet but guess not. Now I have to see how they interact because I'm in the market for a GPS. For an expedition truck I would also think a Ham radio would come in handy in case of emergencies since the range is so superior to a CB. Of course traveling with others may eliminate that need but Barb and I tend to go out alone quite often.

[DETN8R]

I wouldnt mind having a ham radio. I read an article at Stu Offroad awhile ago on ham radios infact but I need to do some more research on the subject.
http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc/ham-1.htm

I'll have to look into mobile ham radios. hmm..

[Chris]

I mentioned the ability to make contact through the phone system and internet to some family members who thought it would be smart for us to have. I got my Technician (operator) license but haven't gotten the radio yet and really don't know how to do the cool stuff but eventually I will. It cost under $20 to get it so it's worth spending a bit of time doing it. I'm KD0FRX

[Chris]

Here's a link to a test prep site: http://www.qrz.com/testing.html

If you can consistently pass these samples you can pass the test. Don't even need to crack a book, ask me how I know. :p

[DETN8R]

Thanks Chris.

[Patrolman]

So a couple comments for thought.

If you want to do DC/AC conversion, your alternator needs to be up to the task. Running a laptop is no biggie. Anything much bigger though, needs more power. Also, same goes for off-road lights and such if you are going to use them consistently. It is all simple math to figure out what amperage alternator is needed to power the accessories.

My parents have a GPS receiver that plugs into their laptop. They are cheap. I think $20 or so. They do about what my $100 Tom-Tom does. Not sure it is worth lugging the laptop around just for that. Laptops are bulkier, draw more amps, get dusty which is hard on them, and are higher theft items. A GPS obviously is preferred if that is the only function the laptop would be used for.

I have a Wilderness rack on the top of my 4Runner. I LOVE all the mounting options that there are and how sturdy it is. What I don't like is the weight. It will last forever, but it takes at least 2 people to lift it onto the roof. Figure over 100 pounds with no accessories. On the other hand, the Conferr rack that I have on the Scout is lightweight. Weighs in about 1/2 the weight of the Wilderness. About the same size and has mount tabs for lights. I could adapt the accessories too if I wanted. If I were to do it all over again, I would buy something other than the Wilderness. The price was right though and I hate to change the current setup right now.

[DETN8R]

So a couple comments for thought.

If you want to do DC/AC conversion, your alternator needs to be up to the task. Running a laptop is no biggie. Anything much bigger though, needs more power. Also, same goes for off-road lights and such if you are going to use them consistently. It is all simple math to figure out what amperage alternator is needed to power the accessories.
Yeah, I'm thinking the mean green alternator, if I'm not mistaken it should be a bolt in replacement for the TJ, I'll probably get a dual battery tray from them aswell.
http://www.mean-green.com/products/alternator.html



My parents have a GPS receiver that plugs into their laptop. They are cheap. I think $20 or so. They do about what my $100 Tom-Tom does. Not sure it is worth lugging the laptop around just for that. Laptops are bulkier, draw more amps, get dusty which is hard on them, and are higher theft items. A GPS obviously is preferred if that is the only function the laptop would be used for.
I'm a gadget guy, I love new electronic toys and I like access to my computer. I'll justify having the laptop just for the DVDs.



I have a Wilderness rack on the top of my 4Runner. I LOVE all the mounting options that there are and how sturdy it is. What I don't like is the weight. It will last forever, but it takes at least 2 people to lift it onto the roof. Figure over 100 pounds with no accessories. On the other hand, the Conferr rack that I have on the Scout is lightweight. Weighs in about 1/2 the weight of the Wilderness. About the same size and has mount tabs for lights. I could adapt the accessories too if I wanted. If I were to do it all over again, I would buy something other than the Wilderness. The price was right though and I hate to change the current setup right now.
I'm thinking I'll make mine from extruded aluminum from 80/20, inc. I've used their stuff before and it is awesome.
http://www.8020.net

[Patrolman]

There was a Mean Green dual battery tray for a Jeep on CL recently. I think it was for a TJ. May want to check.

[DETN8R]

yeah, saw it. No money right now though.

[DETN8R]

I recently dug my old Fog Lights out of my old closet at my moms. I took them off because..well I had no place to put the on the Poison Spyder Stinger when I took them off. Looking at the Poison Spyder website they have a fairlead bracket that seems like something I can make myself. This wasnt even an option up untill a few months ago when I got a winch with a fairlead. I'll be giving it a try tomorrow at work in the shop. Hopefully they have some scrap lying around that I can use. Lighting will definately play an important role in an expedition vehicle. If I go the 80/20 route with my own Roof Rack that stuff will have endless options for lights.

[DETN8R]

So I've slowly been narrowing down small nuances with my jeep. Friday I purchased a new switch for the fan speed on the heater. For some reason the old one got so hot that it began melting the terminals on the switch.

So In my last post I mentioned wanting to have fog lights but when I reinstalled my fog lights I realized that the lights stayed on all the time. The indicator on the instrument panel also had the Fog Light indicator on all the time. I originally attributed this to the fact that I had disconnected the fog lights(no place for them) and simply pulled the fuse under the hood, thus turning off the indicator and solving most problems.

Wanting fog lights again I installed the bulbs one by one to see if they worked and to no surprise they remained on constantly. I narrowed this down to the blinker lever multifunction thing. So I took the whole thing apart and it was basically a Rube Goldberg Contraption (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_Machine) with a series of switches/slides/etc.. and come to find out that the separater for the fog lights was either worn down/melted and allowing the switch to make contact constantly. I remedied this with a piece of a pen and some super glue. So I'll see if we have some scrap at work tommorrow and try making that fairlead bracket. I dont think I'll get as fancy as the PSC one.

[Brody]

Check out doing a Chevy alternator swap. Chevys are big amp, especially for the trcucks, they are a dime a dozen and, if you can switch them to fit on a Toyota, you can bet someone's done it on a Jeep. Way cheaper than a Mean Green, too....

[Roostercruiser]

:thunb:thats what my burban started off as. i wanted to make it a recovery vehicle with all the room inside. so we made a homemade roof rack out of scrap metal and its 4x8 and 8 inches tall and heavy duty steel with tabs for lights in front and back. and a very big cb radio putting out almost 600 watts. it ended up as an expedition vehicle all the camping stuff fit inside and survival stuff llike first aid,shovel,pike,ax,highlift,chains,come alongs and plenty of room to spare. and a very comfertable ride and being a 3/4 ton plenty of power to pull somebody out of a bind or tow a camper or trailer/,

[DETN8R]

Well the Light bracket didnt come out so well. I'll need to modify it a bit more. Basically the holes I drilled in the fair lead were too close to the rollers and I couldnt get the nuts on.

I'm looking into that chevy alternator swap right now Brody.

[DETN8R]

Did some searching for that Chevy Alternator swap into a TJ and didnt come up with anything. I'm sure more searching is needed but I didnt come up with anything yet. I'm hoping to purchase some more johnny joints soon but the holiday season will put a damper on my plans. I came to a sort of semi-realization that no manufacturer makes control arms with JJ's at both ends. I'm hoping my design wont be cause for any problems. I suppose that if it is I'l just buy some boulder bushings and re-work them ending up with spare JJs for the rear. I'm still hoping to get my expedition out this January but havnt done much SOLID planning.(I keep calling it an Expedition just because it sounds cool.:))

[Brody]

Hey Fred

That info on the Chevy swap is out there somewhere. If they can do it for a Toyota and make it a one wire hook up, you know that they can it for a Jeep! I bet Jeff knows about this as he has posted some other alternator stuff and knows his stuff..

There is probably a very good reason for not putting Johnny or Heim joints at both ends of control arms, but I sure don't know what it is. If I had to make a guess, I would say that it is because you start to lose your stability in relation to frame to wheels to body. You just might end up with something that flexes like mad, but moves every direction but straight...

I just know that you almost never see them at both ends, even on competition buggies, and no manufacturers sell set ups (that I know of) with joints on both ends. Maybe Scotty at Addicted, Mike at ORS, or Dave at ToyotaParts can answer this, but I wouldn't do it until I did a bunch more research. Those things aren't cheap....

[DETN8R]

So Apparently Currie's suspension systems do use JJs on both ends. I'll try that route as it seems I cant find a bushing with with a 1" thread on it.

Right now I'm looking at tire carriers. Ideally I would want one with spots for 2 Jerry Cans and my Hi-Lift. But the PSC Rear Stinger is looking good too. But I'll have to get it welded. As well as get some Corner Armor or Brackets.
https://www.spydercustoms.com/Bumpers/rear_stinger.php

Not sure what the wait on the PSC Rear Stinger would be so I'll call around tomorrow(I guess PSC is going through some changes). However, Gen Right makes a pretty shnazzy looking Rear Stinger as well.
http://www.genright.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=RTC3200

Anyone think that rear stinger will stupid on a jeep running only 33's? :)

[HuricaneWillys]

While I was driving 18 wheelers Over The Road, we used AT&T and you could access the internet anywhere for it goes off satilite, the electrical is easy, we use converters that you just plug your electrical appliances in, we ran microwaves, coffee pots and etc, the key is to get a converter with the right amount of amps, the amps are what draws, if you don't have enough then it won't work.

[Chris]

Anyone think that rear stinger will stupid on a jeep running only 33's? :)

Nope, because you know you'll go larger someday and will be ready to carry the spare. ;)

I'd never seen that style rear stinger/spare carrier. Interesting idea.

[Brody]

Look at any of the Poison Spider Jeep rigs and you will see their signature rear stinger. A really nice, distinctive piece of work.....

[DETN8R]

I called High Country today since I like dealing with them because they are SUPER close to me. They were telling me that since Poison Spyder was out of business but from what I hear with all the Talk On The Forums and their site they are not out of business.

[Brody]

I went to the Poison Spider site and they sure didn't look like they were going out of business. The bumpers that you were asking about are actually called the "Rear Stinger Carrier". Here is the link to these:

https://www.spydercustoms.com/index2.php

And some pictures:

[Chris]

I went to the Poison Spider site and they sure didn't look like they were going out of business.

From the owner as posted on co4x4:

"So what is to become of Poison Spyder customs? AJ, our daughter, two dogs and I are moving to Luckenbach Texas... well not in a literal sense. However we are going to re-open the first week of November in our new shop. We are leaving behind the tasking dynamics of a large business, staff and burdens that have grown with us over the years. Going back in time to a shop only a hundred yards from my second shop off of Titan court. Our foundation being the Spyderlock bead lock line, of which I'am excited to focus and expand on. Further, after AJ and I get reorganized I will return to building Rock rods, custom machines and trail guiding. We greatly appreciate your patronage of Poison Spyder customs, and look forward to reacquainting with everyone under our new direction."

Clifton and AJ Slay

[DETN8R]

Yeah, Strange stuff. Gen-Right makes a nice one but I am digging the look of the PSC one more.

[Chris]

I have to wonder what that style does for weight distribution, seems like it adds quite a bit behind the rear wheels that wasn't there before. When I had my spare on the back it affected the front wheels quite a bit. Mine's now over the rear axle and is much more stable. Just a thought...

[4Runninfun]

my only concern with that style rear carrier is visibility. i don't know if i'd want to put my rear tire dead center in the middle. although with 33's it might not be so bad. I'm sure all those guys are running at least 37's. With expeditions and long hours on the road the last thing you want it little annoyances, like not being able to see right behind you.

[Brody]

I haven't been able to see out of the back of my heap for a number of years now and don't really miss it. Gotta get some of those beeper back ups though....

[DETN8R]

Maybe those proximity sensors that keep you from backing into stuff.

[DETN8R]

I looked into those proximity sensors actually and theyre pretty affordable.
http://www.reversebackingsystems.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=2&Itemid=41

Just changed the OIL today. I want to switch to all Royal Purple(maybe its a gimmick but i know its not bad). I've never changed the T-Case Fluid or the transmission fluid. I plan on changing the T-Case fluid when I install the SYE. I keep spending my money on other stuff...cough...girlfriends ipod....cough........So I havent gotten to installing the SYE and buying the new Driveshaft yet.

I talked a little bit with the guys at High Country about a tire carrier, which I plan on purchasing soon and apparently they can get me a Nice one for just over $700. So we'll see it what happens.

We just got a band saw at work so I'll be using that quite a bit.

[Brody]

Thanks for the link on the sensors. I have been looking at the camera systems, too and thinking that they might be nice to have. They have come down in price a huge amount...

[DETN8R]

Yeah, I was surprised to see as much. I wonder if I could possibly skip out on the screen since I have one and save more.

[DETN8R]

So I was gonna head out wheeling this Saturday so I bought a winch saver and some quickfist clamps at High Country. I went to unspool the winch cable and found that the freespool switch didnt want to turn. In my idiocy I tryed putting a wrench on it and broke it.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/Broken-Freespool-Switch.jpg

I put some tape over the winch to cover the opening up. I'll try machining a new one this Friday out of some stainless steel. In the meantime I'll try welding this back together using our CNC TIG Lathe Welder at work.(we sure have some nice toys at work) Not sure out that will run out, Worst that can happen is I ruin a broken piece anway.

I installed the winch saver by putting the winch in reverse, unspooling, and respooling. I think it looks cool.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/winch-saver.jpg

Not sure how I'll design the new switch. I'll probably put a beefy handle on it. I'll definately keep this thread updated on all the progress.

[DETN8R]

I got a bit of work done on the new switch today. I got the basic shape cut and the first diameter turned down on the lathe. It was a bit of trouble getting the mill to do a circle on its own. Its a fairly complicated outdated machine.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/Freespool.jpg

[DETN8R]

I'm done with it. I'll post pics tomorrow. Nothing fancy if anything its more basic than the stock one. I left only flats on the post. Atleast vandals wont be able to unspool my cable.

[DETN8R]

Here are the pics I said I'd post.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/FreespoolSwitch.jpg
I did screw the piece up a little bit as you can see. Thats what happens when you have the endmill to low and you tell the machine to get into position.
http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/FreespoolSwitch2.jpghttp://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/FreespoolSwitch3.jpg

I'll probably make and weld a handle to it a little later on.

[Funrover]

Nice

[Brody]

Make another one if you feel the urge. Stick a handle on it and let me know. Bren will buy it for his heap....He has the exact same set up for his Tabor winch...with the exact same problem. I told him a little grease would go a long way, but Bren and wrenches.....Of course Bren and wood is the exact opposite of Bren and wrenches...

[DETN8R]

Yeah, one other person on CO4x4 has contacted me about wanting one so I'll make two more.

[DETN8R]

Recently my speakers have been going out, I decided to replace some of them today. I replaced the stock speakers in the sound bar with some ones from pioneer (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/Speakers/G-Series/TS-G1342R). They're pretty good speakers for the price. I got some other ones (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/Speakers/G-Series/TS-G4642R) as well to replaced the speakers under the dash. I narrowed the failing speaker down to the subwoofer in the storage box between the front seats. So I'll think I return the speakers I bought to buy a new woofer for the jeep.

[Brody]

All that so you can listen to groups like 'Cannibal Corpse'? probably listen to 'Type O Negative', Insane Clown Posse, Godsmack and all the rest of the boys, too...

I didn't really know you needed speakers that were good to listen to these guys....



HEHEHEHEHEHEHE

[DETN8R]

I do listen to tons of audio books as well. Of the 4 groups you mentioned I only listen to Cannibal Corpse. haha.

[DETN8R]

Somehow I managed to break my rear drivers side shock. I dont know if it broke before or after Yankee Hill. I noticed it while in the parking lot at school. I put a thread up in the Wanted forum to see if anyone had some.

[DETN8R]

While I was replacing the shocks today I broke off one of the screws that holds the bar pin in.

http://www.detn8r.net/shockmount.jpg

Any advice?

[WINKY]

easy out, some thread releaser and a propane torch.

drill it for the easy out, spray it with loosener, heat it spray again put the easy out in and twist. should come out

[Funrover]

Hate when that happens...time for loops and long travel haha

[DETN8R]

I didn't have a torch so I tried the easy out and ended up breaking that off inside it so now I'm going to try and drill the nut out completely and replace it with something else

[DETN8R]

The worst part is now its drilling off center and I'm going through drill bits like crazy. I'm thinking I might have to torch it out but I dont have a torch.

[Brody]

Hey Fred

Get a couple of the cobalt bits from Depo or Lowe's. We have had good luck with these for problem drilling stuff. Just drilling out the broken bolt (after liberal dousing with PB Blaster) should loosen it up so that you can get the rest out. In fact, if that doesn't help, cut or grind the nut off and just come by Saturday to my place and we can get another one welded on for you.

[DETN8R]

Thanks for the advice brody. I just bought some cobalt bits and I'm going to go drill the hell out of it.

[DETN8R]

No luck drilling it. I came across this thread on jeepforum.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=746597
So I went out and bought a air chisel and I've been trying that but it got to late to be making that much noise. I'm not sure If I've made any progress at all. I do know, that I've made things a whole lot worse.

[Brody]

I have a plasma cutter you can use. It needs an air source. You can do this at my house if you need to. Let me know or just stop by Saturday...

[DETN8R]

Yeah, I'll probably see you saturday.

[Brody]

No problem. Hope the plasma cutter will do the deed. We can try other stuff too...we can get this sorted out...

[DETN8R]

I'll probably give it another shot with the air chisel tomorrow and see what that does. then we can weld a nut in there.

[DETN8R]

Heres the bolt as it is now, I couldnt get a better pic due to rain/dead battery
http://www.detn8r.net/brokenbolt.jpg

[DETN8R]

I tried to snap a pic of the new mounting plate Brody fabbed up for me. Huge thanks to Pete for cutting out the old bolt, fabbing a new plate, and welding it in.

Hopefully this Friday I can buy some Bar Pin eliminators and hopefully never have that problem again. I think I'll also pick up some more of those Quick-Fist clamps at High Countrys and replace my current CO2 holder with them. It should free up quite a bit of space in the back of the Jeep.

I also need to find the source of the coolant leak I discovered at Petes.

[DETN8R]

Heres the best pic I could get of mount Pete fabbed up for me.
I'll get a better pic...eventually.
http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/newshockmount.jpg

I've been spending some time making myself some jeep nets. I really wish I could afford those made by Raingler but I figured I could make some myself. I couldnt really pose this well enough to get a great pic of it.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/JeepNet.jpg

Im willing to make some for the other Jeep TJ guys if they want at an affordable price. This net goes on the rear of the roll bar.

http://www.detn8r.net/gallery/albums/JeepStuff/normal_DSC03597.JPG

Eventually I'll have some made that go over the whole jeep. I think it'll work out nice this summer.

[DETN8R]

Well I now got the two nets on the Jeep. I've taken the hard top off for the summer and despite the rainy weather we've been having I'm loving driving around in the rain with the bikini top on. I replaced the transfercase skid plate/crossmember on Saturday and I'm pretty sure that has solved my vibration problem. I also took the opportunity to grind off some of the rust that had accumulated on the frame and the the new transfercase skidplate. I painted over it with some Rustoleum Hammered Black. I'm hoping I can order some johnny joints soon and atleast add something else new to the Jeep. My friend also gave me a Sirius Powered sub woofer that I'm attempting to cannibalize to replace my dead subwoofer. I'll post pics soon.

BTW, Jeep Guys. I can make some nets if you like.

[WINKY]

johnny joints?

[DETN8R]

http://www.detn8r.net/LCA-Done.jpg

Its the joints on the ends of that link/control arm.

Currie Enterprises (http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/johnnyjoints.aspx) makes them.

I'll also note that I've finally seemed to solve the problem of the mysterious banging that happened whenever I drove off from a stop. It was my exhaust and I fixed the problem by replacing the rubber isolator bushing.

[WINKY]

gotchya thanks for the lingo! :thunb:

[DETN8R]

So one more thing popped up that just annoys me. On my Jeep there are tabs on each of the front seats so that they can be pulled forward for access to the rear or so passengers can get in the rear seat. Well pulling the tab tilts the seat forward then slides it forward as well. Well the drivers seat just tilts forward so it looks like I'll have to remove the entire seat to get under to fix the cable that slides the seat. Not sure where the cable is broken because I cant see to well under the seat.

[DETN8R]

So the Vibes are gone. Now I have some weird knock underneath my feet while I'm driving. I'm going to try to figure it out today while trying to fix my seat and cannibalize this subwoofer into the stock center console.

[WINKY]

So the Vibes are gone. Now I have some weird knock underneath my feet while I'm driving.


that would be the midget wanting out, he is tired of running....

[DETN8R]

Well the knock went away. Now I just need to get the front tires re-balanced. Ordered two more johnny joints for the control arms on the the other side of the jeep. That will make one complete pair.

[Brody]

Nice! Where did you order the joints from?

How much of a long arm set up are you going to do?

[DETN8R]

No long arms yet. Just putting some Johnny joints up front.

I've been wanting to do this all summer and hope to have it done by the Ellis Jeep Trail run.

[DETN8R]

Johnny Joints will be in on Monday. Hopefully sometime during next week I can work on the control arm.
I may just bite the bullet and throw the SYE in and get a new drive shaft before the Ellis Jeep Trail trip.

[4Runninfun]

i'd definately get the SYE in as soon as funding allows. IMO one of those things that jeep should be flogged for! Care to take a couple pics of your netting? i might be interested in hitting you up for some netting for my 4runner.

[DETN8R]

I'll take some pics of the netting.

Woohoo. Johnny Joints will be in tommorrow. I think I'll use my lunch time to start machining the other control arm. Hope to have it done within a couple of days.

[DETN8R]

So hopefully tommorrow I can spend my lunch time boring out the holes for the Johnny Joints. 15/16" hole for a 1-14 tap.

[Brody]

That will be sweet to get this done! You were talking about this the first trail run we did together almost 2 years ago, so I bet you are excited to get this part done!

The flex you are going to get is going to be sweet!

[DETN8R]

Yeah, I've had some extra money lately so I'm trying to put it into the jeep. I'll be stopping by High Country to get my tires rotated and balanced though I think I'm doing it way too late. Then, I'll get an alignment. I feel like i've ruined my KM2s.

[DETN8R]

Got one hole bored out on the control arm during lunch today. I'll get the other side bored out during lunch tomorrow then tap the threads and mill the wrench flats after work. Paint them that night with the duplicolor bedliner. Then Hopefully Saturday afternoon I can install them.

I got my tires rotated and balanced today and that got rid of alot of the wobble I had, some was still there. Since I'm going camping Saturday I'm going to try and tighten up everything on front end that I can and see if that helps.

Thinking I may buy new tires shortly. Definately going to buy a spare KM2 though.

[DETN8R]

Got the other one finished today. For some reason the threads on the newest johnny joints were really tight in the control arm. really gave me a headache. I painted them with some duplicolor bedliner. Couldnt really see how they looked in the dark tonight but I'll get some pics tomorrow.

They installed easy enough. I'm going to replaced the bolts on all of them though with some new ones. Didnt notice any vibrations or anything out of the ordinary. I still need to get an alignment, hopefully I can get one on monday or tuesday.

[DETN8R]

So here are the pics of the control arms. I installed them and painted them with the duplicolor bedliner spray as I had that around and it seems good enough.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/finished-controlarms.jpg

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/painted-controlarm.jpg

Since, I havent updated this thread with it. I also painted the inside of my tailgate with the Duplicolor Bedliner spray as a test to see if it would be worth painting the exterior of the jeep with it. I'm going to try the Duplicolor bedliner roll on paint and see how that is before I make a final decision. You can see in the pic where the spray seems to have become very textured in some areas. The paint bubbled in those areas while I was painting, I'm assuming it was because I got to close while spraying.
http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/painted-tailgate.jpg

[Brody]

That stuff works really well and the control arms look beautiful!

The Duplicolor is a little tricky to use as you found out. You need to watch the distance from whatever you are painting pretty closely, too. The farther away you get, the finer the spray and the more unifrom it ends up. I had the same problem until I figured this out...

[DETN8R]

Thanks for the tip Pete. I'm going to buy some corner guards today for my Eventual tire carrier and paint them with the bed liner.

The tire carrier I've decided on is this ones from Treks Offroad
http://gotreks.com/page.asp?pageid=287
I have no idea when I'll be able to buy it but this is the one I want. Simple design.

[DETN8R]

So I ran down to Rokmen this morning to buy my corner armor. Talked with Dave(I think) and he was telling me that I didnt really need to go long arm. So, maybe thats not the route I'll take. He showed me a rig he had in the shop on 40's with all the links in the standard locations on the frame, Different axle but all the same locations on the frame. It just had some highline stuff on it(Highline hood and tube fenders) and some different links.

[DETN8R]

Well I got one side of the corner armor installed tonight.
Painted it with the duplicolor bedliner. Results were so so.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/corner-armor.jpg

And since I forgot to post a pic of the netting heres one.

http://www.detn8r.net/JeepStuff/netting.jpg

I'm going to be remaking these to fit the form of the roll bars better.

[DETN8R]

Just got the jeep aligned today at HCP4x4. Some time during the day I got a call from HCP saying my jeep was done but that my rear trackbar bracket was broken and that they could "FIX" it. for $160, $70 for the bracket, $90 for the labor. I say go ahead because I'm thinking they'll cut mine off and weld on a new one. No big deal. Well what they did was just replace my relocator bracket with a new one and install it with some new hardware. Something I could have done for free. Oh well its already done and I payed for it. When I go to pick up the jeep I see that they forgot to tighten to bolt to the trackbar to so I tell them about it and they tighten it but had I not checked it my track bar could have come loose at on the ride home.

[WINKY]

i dont like other people working on my rig, never know what they are gonna do or what their thoughts are of what to do...

[DETN8R]

Well HCP has always seemed very reputable. I'll still go back. Their right down the street.

[WINKY]

ahh ok, :D

[DETN8R]

So I got the corner armor installed. Got the tailgate back on. Decided to go ahead and paint it with the bedliner for a sort of two tone look on the jeep. I'll post pics later but I think it looks pretty good. Going to go on a test run to Spring Creek tomorrow to test out the new control arms.

[Brody]

High Country Performance is one of the best shops in the Denver Metro Area with a well deserved reputation. They do charge top dollar for what they do, and, like any other shop, make an occasional mistake. Off Road Solutions was another, and I had to bring my truck back a couple of times to get some fine tuning done. Nature of the beast, I think.

The big thing is that they fix what they screwed up if they screw up without a problem. They are also all about the 4x community and all of them wheel, so they are very free with help (free) and letting people rummage through their scrap for goodies...

[DETN8R]

Yeah, I'm more mad at myself for paying someone to do something I could have easily done.

[DETN8R]

Went out and ran Spring Creek this saturday. The control arms did well, I didnt really notice any difference in articulation but I know that at least I'm not stressing my mounts as much as I used to. I forgot to take any pics of the jeep flexed out. I was able to complete all the obstacles without taking any of the bypasses. It seems that when the joints move they are knocking against the mounts and making an anoying clicking sound.

Also put the top back on the jeep. Its been a bit chilly in the mornings and having the full effect of AC has been good. I have to figure out why my airbag light keeps turning on every few minutes and touch up some sections on the corner armor. Also seemed to have messed up my alignment as my steering wheel no longer sits center. Still tracks alright though, no extreme wobble or anything.

[DETN8R]

So I've finally found a replacement subwoofer for my Jeep. I was just doing some idle searching on google and came across this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CC3R8I/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

Only $20!!!! I went ahead and ordered it today. Finally I'll have some bass again. Maybe in a few weeks I'll replace the 2 front speakers in the jeep as well.

[Brody]

It seems that when the joints move they are knocking against the mounts and making an annoying clicking sound.


Nice to see it coming along!

Throw some grease around the mounts/brackets and I'll bet that your clicking sounds goes away. Don't be afraid to use a god gob of it, either...I have run into this before on quite a few rigs with control arms and, just like the bumpstops on an IFS, a little grease does the trick..

[DETN8R]

Since I only hear it on the trail I'll probably just let it be. Now I have to get some arms for the rear made.

[DETN8R]

So that subwoofer that I ordered turned out to be .5" to small. I mounted it anyway and I've been getting some nice bass with it. Went to the carwash the other day and was trying to spray some crap that I'm sure the kids in the complex put on my jeep off of my new corner armor. A bunch of the bedliner started flaking off. Look like i'll have to redo the corner armor.

[Brody]

So that subwoofer that I ordered turned out to be .5" to small. I mounted it anyway and I've been getting some nice bass with it. Went to the carwash the other day and was trying to spray some crap that I'm sure the kids in the complex put on my jeep off of my new corner armor. A bunch of the bedliner started flaking off. Look like i'll have to redo the corner armor.

Is the corner armor aluminum? The bed liner stuff doesn't seem to stick to well to it. I painted my aluminum toolbox with it and ended up having to wire brush and prime it to get it to stick well.

[WINKY]

that diamond plate is too smooth to get anything to adhere well too. roughing it up with a wire wheel like pete said should roughen it to get it to stick. also too there sometimes is a clearcoat to prevent oxidation that needs to come off.

[DETN8R]

its not diamond plate. Its just rolled steel but I didnt clean it at all when I got them. I'm thinking that maybe there was some sort of lubricant or something on there from the rolling/punching process.

[DETN8R]

Not sure why I've managed to be so absent from the forum lately as I've been finished with this semester at school. Anyway, I havent done much with the jeep. I added a couple of quickfists to hold a flashlight in the cab and a shovel to the stinger. Not sure how I like the stinger set up but it seems to work well.

Seems that a shock broke free recently and I may have mangled it backing out of the apartment the other day. We'll see how it is once i manage to fix/replace it. At first I thought Petes weld must have broke since it was the shock that I had so much trouble with when the bold seized and broke in the frame. But nope, Petes weld is holding up great and it was the barbin that broke. Seems that jeeps have a sort of rotational torque that likes to kick things down on that corner when accelerating.. Thats why my lift came with a special spring for that corner with some extra coils. I'm going to see if I fab up some of my own barpin eliminators to keep this from happening again.

Since I'm pretty broke after the holiday season I'm trying to sell my rocker guards as I havent been getting much wheeling in and could make my own for pretty cheap. Seems like more of the bedliner is chipping off my corner guards so once summer rolls around I'll strip off the bedliner on them already and re-coat them as well as the ENTIRE jeep.

[DETN8R]

Finally found some time to get that shock fixed. I had to use a 9000lb shop press and a metal cone to get the axle end ring back to round. I'm a little worried since it looked like one of the welds cracked a bit so I'm hoping for the best until I can get someone to tack it. I figured I'd throw a couple of pics in this post to get some kind of an update to it.

[DETN8R]

Hi all,
Seems I've been neglecting my jeep a bit this summer. I'm in desperate need of an oil change as well as sorting out some issues with my steering. Seems a seal on the steering box is going bad, so I need to replace that. I'd like to replace the entire steering setup with something stronger. My concern right now is sorting out the steering issues and getting some new tires. I'd like to get the jeep in perfect condition then make the control arms for the rear, install the SYE, and get a new rear drive shaft. Then finally get a tire carrier, or make one myself.

[Brody]

its not diamond plate. Its just rolled steel but I didnt clean it at all when I got them. I'm thinking that maybe there was some sort of lubricant or something on there from the rolling/punching process.

Most of the new steel comes with a protective coating on it like Randy says. It helps to scrub down the steel with dish soap and a srubby pad or brush before painting it.

Glad that my welds are holding up! Holler at me if I can help with any welding you need done. I also may have some leftover tabs that you can use for the shock junk.

[DETN8R]

Thanks Brody. I've been rather absent from the forum so I just now read your reply.
Yeah, your welds are holding up great. The problem is that the bar pins on the shocks are not. Apparently the bar pin on the other side of the Jeep broke either this morning or yesterday. I had a coworker come up to me today and say "You know your shock has fallen off." After work I ran over to High Country and bought some Bar Pin Eliminators (http://store.jksmfg.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=BARPINELIM&Store_Code=JKS01&Category_Code=Shock) since they should hold up better. And to top it all off, both of the bolts on the shock mount of the shock that fell off are pretty well seized. Rather than risk another scenario of having the bolts break off in the frame I'm soaking them in PBlaster and hoping that they'll loosen up by tomorrow morning.

The downfall is that I'm going to have to drill through the nut we welded onto the tab we welded in and try to get another one behind it since the threads dont match, WTF was Jeep thinking when the started using metric threads? Another issue is the bead on the tab welded wont allow the bar pin eliminator to sit flush against the frame so I'll have to machine some of it away at work on Monday.

I'm finally going to get my axles re-geared on the 28th, should be done on the 29th or the 30th, in time for my Vacation for the 4th of July weekend. I'm going with 4.56 gears, so hopefully that should give me a little more speed on steep highways. Hopefully my days of driving 30mph up I285 are gone.

[DETN8R]

Well I gave it another try and ended up breaking both bolts off in the frame. I used an air chisel to break off the bolts that were welded to the frame. It's actually 2 sheets of steel where the shock mounts are. The chisel ended up just peeling them up. Which doesnt seem that bad to me since its about 1/8" thick. I have yet to install the bar pin eliminator on the passenger side, where the bolt broke off in the frame previously. I'll install the other bar pin eliminator if possible later today. (I'm making this post a 1:50am Sunday)
12844

[DETN8R]

Well I finally managed to get the shocks back on the Jeep. The bar pin eliminator mounted a little tight on the side where we welded in a new piece of steel with a nut welded to it to fix where the screw broke last time.

I got the other sided mounted on with nuts and washers after air chiseling the nuts off the frame.

[DETN8R]

Finally, after 3 years I've regeared my Jeep. My fifth gear is actually useful again. I had Rock Rash Engineering do my gears. Apparently I had some broken bearings inside my axle housing ,not sure where but Toby showed them to me and I can only guess they broke sometime in the last year or two. I'll see how my new gears do on 285 this Wednesday when I head up to Buena Vista to do some light four wheeling, climbing, and camping.

[DETN8R]

I'm in Gunnison, Colorado right now and the ride was good. Sure Monarch pass was still a bit of a pain but not like it was last year. I was actually able to pass a couple of people of on the way up to Buena Vista.

Tons of gratitude for the guys at Rock Rash Engineering for doing my gears.

[DETN8R]

I took off the drivers side corner armor for the rear a couple of weeks ago. I stripped off my poor duraliner bed liner paint job. An angle grinder with a wire brush works great btw, for those of you needing to strip the stuff off something. BTW, I dont know if it was the grinding dust or the spraying I did immediately after stripping the liner off but wear a face mask as I was blowing black crap out of my nose for an hour or two afterwords.

I've been trying to paint the edges of the corner armor and its just really hard for some reason. I've got two cans worth of liner on one corner armor and have been fighting the bolts on the passenger side tailgate hinges.

I plan on putting a light coat of bedliner under the corner armor where the panels will meet with the body.

[DETN8R]

Since I was trapped here in town today I decided to get a little work done on my jeep.

I plan on painting the sides of the tub black with the duraliner truck bed coating in addition to adding my corner armor. The skin of the tub under the corner armor had acquired a rust rash from the corner armor which I originally thought was rust on my tub so after sanding it a bit I realized that it was a rust colored stain from the corner armor. I did have some holes that I had drilled in the tub showing rust as well so I decided to just paint the rear end of the tub and eventually paint the entire jeep in small sections. I used a black and decker mouse that I had bought years ago with some 80grit sand paper to prep the paint on the jeep to accept the duraliner. I'll prep the other side tomorrow and hopefully paint both sides.

[DETN8R]

I got the rear of the jeep painted today. I used one can on each side.

[Roostercruiser]

Looking good

[Brody]

Looks good, Fred!

[DETN8R]

Thanks, I wish I could run it without the fenders. I like the way it looks without them.

[DETN8R]

Finally got some new tires.
I desperately wanted some more BFG KM2's but it seems they're out of stock everywhere and I didnt want to wait.
My next choice was the Nitto Mud Grapplers but I was hesitant to switch from my 10.50 wide KM2s to a 13.50 wide Mud Grappler.
Since four wheel parts had some Nitto's in their warehouse I went with those. I figured I'd try them out and if I really didnt like them I'd sell them and buy the KM2s. I decided to get them after talking with Pete since I knew he ran the Mud Grapplers on his Toyota.

They look pretty good on the Jeep. I havent put them to use yet but they did pretty well on the 14mile Shelf Road that connects Cripple Creek to Canon City.

I also put the top back on the jeep in August since it was getting kind of chilly in the mornings. I still need to put the fenders back on too.

Anyway, who's up for a Snow Run??!??!?

[Rob]

Anyway, who's up for a Snow Run??!??!?

Looks good. Might not be snow, but you could join us on MSV/Coney tomorrow.

[1freaky1]

Its looking good Fred and the new tires look great on there.

[Brody]

Looking good, Fred!

Watch the extra width on the tires, especially on icy or very wet roads. The extra width, like any 'over wide' tire is going to want to cause the tires to hydroplane. Also, the Nittos have extremely heavy duty sidewalls, What tire pressure caused your last tires to bulge a little at 18psi isn't going to cause the Nittos to show any bulge. My didn't start to bulge until I aired down to below 14psi, so you might want to keep that in mind.

[DETN8R]

Thanks guys.
Will do Pete. I remember what it was like with my old 33x12.50 Pro Comp Xterrains. Hopefully those prepared me for that type of driving.

Ever since I tore a sidewall on my Xterrains I never liked airing down below 15psi. Looks like I'll have to get over that.

[DETN8R]

Figured I could organize some of my thaughts on this thread as to what I'm trying to accomplish with my jeep build.

Seeing as how I'll have my jeep paid off in a few months I'll be able to focus some time and money on it later this summer. I've been thinking alot about survival and making a bugout bag since I've been reading World War Z and Day by Day Armageddon, books about surviving a mass zombie outbreak. Yeah yeah I know, far fetched but we've discussed bug out bags and long term survival in other threads for when the SHTF.

Day by Day Armageddon made a good point when sleeping in your vehicle and it becomes overrun with zombies you dont want a huge backpack impeding you from crawling out a window to safety, the main character always made it a point to store his pack on the roof of the vehicle while he slept, a good tactic. I'll be wanting a roof rack soon for storing camping gear and freeing up the inside for usefull stuff.
I want to have a couple of gas and water containers on board, always worth having on extended trips, which I plan on taking this summer.

I've been wanting to add a laptop mount for years for onboard GPS navigation, nothing beats a screen the size of a netbook. I want to add some exterior cameras just for the fun of it. Some offroad lights, I figure I can acquire some more Jeep fog lights to save money.
CO2 wont be a good option for long term trips, especially if I go on pavement alot so I've been wanting to add a york compressor as well as an air storage tank which could either supplement my CO2 or replace it altogether.

I definitely need to improve communications inside the jeep as well. My last camping trip I broke my CB antenna off the jeep getting stuck near some trees in a ditch. I've seen a guy with a really nice HAM/CB Radio setup inside his jeep which may be the route I go. I've also seen a cellphone signal extender from wilson electronics.

Lately, I've been thinking about my two tool bags and how extremely inefficient they are when it comes to getting tools out of them. I need to come up with something better for storing my tools. Especially things like hammers and odd shaped tools. Anyone have any advice on that?

[Brody]

CO2 wont be a good option for long term trips, especially if I go on pavement alot so I've been wanting to add a york compressor as well as an air storage tank which could either supplement my CO2 or replace it altogether.

You should be able to find a good York at a junk yard for about $35 along with the attached AC lines. Easier to modify the lines a little than try to adapt fittings, but either works. Something off a Cherokee from the same engine will give you the bracketry and bolts.

Pro Tools has air tanks in the back of their shop that they will sell you for about $10. Look to see what tank will work for you as the tanks come off of regular construction type compressor set ups. If you can locate the right tank, chances are good that you can get the gauge, fittings and switch for the $10 for the tank.

A Pro Tool Inc

(303) 623-3743

1950 W 13th Ave Ste 2
Denver, CO 80204

Lately, I've been thinking about my two tool bags and how extremely inefficient they are when it comes to getting tools out of them. I need to come up with something better for storing my tools. Especially things like hammers and odd shaped tools. Anyone have any advice on that?

I like the soft top/soft side carriers you can get at Lowe's or Depo. They have a lot of outside and inside pouches for small junk, usually a hard bottom, and carrying handles. Bunch of different sizes and configurations and, since they are designed to carry construction junk, fit all the odd ball stuff like a pry bar, hammer, long screwdrivers, pipe wrench (basic trail repair crapola). The roll up tool pouches will easily take care of the rest of the open end, box end and socket stuff.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=&q=roll+up+tool+bags&rlz=1B3GGLL_enUS393US394&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=4283915503823760274&ei=0cohTdf-CsKdnAeIzYXWDg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CEAQ8wIwAg#

Many of the Lowe's and Depos have sales on the zippered pouches. You can find a set of three or four for $10 quite often and these work well for separating electrical, RTV tubes and other misc junk. Again, at Lowe's or Depo, you can find the parachute bags for sale, usually packaged with a larger 5 gallon bucket sized bag with pouches (periodically, these are on sale for $24 for a big bag plus 3 parachute bags). The bigger bag is nice for the basic recovery stuff like straps, chains, links, etc. and the smaller parachute style bags are nice for the nuts and bolts trail collection.

Here is a link to a parachute bag:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004T833/ref=asc_df_B00004T8331373244?smid=A3CBWR35AJG6AT&tag=nextagusmp0404099-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B00004T833

4 bag combo:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_314856-1492-1L-4000_4294857658_4294937087_?productId=3111657&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity _sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Bags%2BCases%2Band%2BBucket%2BSto rage_4294857658_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_l is_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1 (http://www.lowes.com/pd_314856-1492-1L-4000_4294857658_4294937087_?productId=3111657&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_qu antity_sold%7C1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Bags%2BCases%2Band%2BBucket%2BSto rage_4294857658_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_l is_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1)

3 bag combo ( I have gotten about 3 sets of these and use them for just about everything. They usually sell for $9.99:

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=117620-1492-1L-1001&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=1005701&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

Open tool bag:

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=264125-1492-1L-22601&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=1076021&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=sim&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

One thing to be aware of on the soft tool bags, especially the ones with the zippered closures, is the size of the zipper. If it is a small zipper, the bag is basically crap as the zipper is going to blow out. A big zipper, like a #10 YKK coil/tooth is going to be better.

Here is the Home Depo link. You will see that many of the contractors bags are packaged with both a large and small, too:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=tool+bags&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

At any rate, almost all of these bags are on sale at various times, in both Lowe's and Depo. Worth a trip there if for nothing else than to poke around and get ideas.

[scout man]

Pro Tools has air tanks in the back of their shop that they will sell you for about $10. Look to see what tank will work for you as the tanks come off of regular construction type compressor set ups. If you can locate the right tank, chances are good that you can get the gauge, fittings and switch for the $10 for the tank.
i still have a coupon for a free air tank from pro tools. Offered it up in another thread an no one took it. yours if you want it.

[DETN8R]

Thanks for the tool bag Suggestions Pete. I'll check some of them out this weekend.
Thanks for the offer Scout Man, dont thing I'd have much use for an air tank at the moment. I'm several months out from getting an on board air compressor.

[DETN8R]

Looks like my corner armor is chipping again despite the think layer of bed coating I gave it. I've seen some commercials for Dupli-Colors new Bed Armor stuff and I think I'll give that stuff a try once I find time to restrip the bed coating off again.

I also plan on painting the rest of the jeep this summer.

[Brody]

Depending on how radical you want to get with the painting, Pep Boys offers some cheap lacquer in quarts in various colors, and a quart can of Rustoleum and some mineral spirits will go a long way if you don't want fancy.

Both are easy to work with, but don't use the Rustoleum if you really expect a shiny finish on the Jeep. Great for chassis stuff and great if it is a flat or semi color, crappy on the body if it is a gloss. Lacquer is high gloss and a bit brittle and needs a bunch of hand work between coats....

A regular car paint finish needs a booth, the right mix and the right temps to make it nice. I listed the other choices as these are pretty much 'driveway/garage' paint jobs you can get away with doing in town. The regular car paint will net you a $10k fine if you get busted....

[DETN8R]

I'm ok with a the bed liner paint job I've done so far on the rear of my jeep.
I just want something black that will go on relatively even without chipping off in a few months.

[DETN8R]

My battery decided to die yesterday so I got a yellow top optima

[ColoRaider]

I just Durabak'd my 60. its some tough $heet... reasonable priced and they have a large assortment of colors. rolled it on and it looks great. Just FYI in your "bed liner" search

[DETN8R]

Heres a picture of something I'm working on for replacing the interface to my cheap cb as well as maybe expanding to control some other accessories.

[DETN8R]

Figured I'd give a little update and insight as to what I'm actually trying to accomplish.

I didnt care for the "stock" look of my CB nor the old fashioned knobs required to to adjust any the squelch, channel, and soon to be added RF Gain control.
I started playing around this weekend to see if I could control the channel setting digitally with my Arduino. Turns out thats exactly how its done anyway inside the CB Radio, except with a rotary encoder.

A few lines of code later and I was controlling my channels with with push buttons on a breadboard instead of the knob.
I'll be ordering parts to control the RF Gain and Squelch this Friday (payday!). Which should be pretty easy to to as well with a digital potentiometer.

The reason you see me reading Voltage in the pic is because the Arduino needs to remember which channel the CB is on and to reset back to Channel 1 on a complete power disconnect.
Well that will be a nice Battery Voltage reading to monitor the voltage on my new Optima Yellow Top.
I've also done a little bit of research with my meter and figured I'd be able to add some digital controls to my winch as well. I'll be developing what I think is a pretty sweet interface soon enough. If I ever get some offroad lights to put on my jeep I'll add controls for those as well.

So far I've got a pretty accurate voltage reading and solid control code for the CB's Channels. I did however manage to fry the spare CB I've been playing with.
I think I learned enough from it anyway.

[DETN8R]

I've made some minor progress with this mod. I've added RF Gain to my Cobra Ultra III and imlemented digital control with the arduino but I havent packaged it all up to fit in the cb and work in the jeep yet.

[Brody]

Sounds like a fun project! I am looking forward to the end result pictures!