Alabama thread!

Without the use of a timing light you will likely not get it right on. If you would like to wing it, you can turn it to advance it a SMALL amount at a time until you get the power you like, with the idle you enjoy.

 

Depends on what you are doing with it. A wrangler smokes me when it comes to straight trail riding and maneuverability, but a wrangler is also limited when it comes to playing on the rocks. Depending on what you are trying to get over, a longer wheel base keeps your rear planted much better (which is often the key with rocks, however, too long of a wheel base and you are high centering). For what I'm doing, my cherokee with a 101.4" wheel base is perfect. The wheel base on the 2-door jk's is 95.4" and the 4 doors are 116".

I get over things so much easier than both (running similar lifts and tire size). But the 2-door will definitely be more nimble on a trail. The 4-doors are just too long. You'd have to be running 37's to keep up with me, and most of the guys that I know that are running 37's still can't.

BTW, width plays a largo role too and the JK's are 6" wider than previous TJ's and about 5" wider than my cherokee. Over all a fairly good size. I wouldn't be hesitant to wheel that JK at all.

However, the big thing with the JK's is anything pre 2012 will have engine and tranny issues. The tranny is the same as the one in the grand caravan and the engines burn up from oil leaks all the time. A lot of the JK's I wheel with have either had their engine replaced or have swapped it.

 

Seems like most of the guys really serious about wheeling the 2 dr. wranglers end up extending the frame in the back and running custom four link setups with > 37's or bigger for just that reason.

As far as wheelbase, I noticed a pretty big difference going from the Tacoma (127.8") to the LC (112.2") as far as maneuverability off road.

The more I kinda get into this, the more I realize that a JK or other wrangler variant is pretty much (reliability aside) the best bang for the buck stock platform to build a wheeling rig. That said, I think getting crazy with a solid axle samurai and building a crawler on 35's with like a 19" belly pan height would be friggin awesome.

 

Perhaps a moot point without a distributor, but how do you even check the timing on an engine with coil packs, or does the computer just "handle it" so that you never have to check it?

Random question, just never really thought about it I guess.

 

Do you have a timing light? We might have to set something up for me to come and work on it with your "help" lol. No charge that way, right!?

 

I think you can rent one from autozone for cheap or free.

 

one day you will have to come by my buddies place and check out his sammy on rockwells. crazy isnt the word for it.

 

Thats why LJ"s are really hard to come by. Essentially a stretched TJ, but still a wrangler and no frame stretching needed. Ever since my buddy almost rolled his TJ with me in it, i'm not much of a fan of TJ's for wheeling anymore haha

 

Sounds legit. I'd like to see it sometime.

VVVVVHaha, didn't want to pull one of these?VVVVVVV I had no idea that's what a LJ was. Friggin jeeps and their two letter acronyms. I just know what a JK and XJ are... no idea what all that other stuff is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M35EylUuZw4

 

TY, you don't wanna buy that jk from lovelady. They are WAY overpriced. They probably got it in stock and put all that stuff on it and are expecting to make the money they put into it and then some. I was going to buy an Expedition from them that was lifted with a winch and tires, that they put on. They wanted almost 10k with 172-180k on the odometer. It was a 98-99 model expedition.

 

Is that where that is? I drive by there every morning on my way to work. Every time i glance at the vehicles they have out front, they are always very over priced.

I watched the same Jeep sit there starting at 14k price tag. A month later, the price tag was 10k. A month later, the price tag was 8k. Sadly, even 8k was over priced for it.

Personally, I've only been there once. Everything they had, including their services were over priced.

 

I've had good results at Lovelady. Their parts are a bit steep, but I ordered tires online and paid them right at $200 for 5 mounted and balanced plus four wheel alignment. After calling around to NTB, Tire Engineers, and them, they were the best price. Truck drives straight and tires are all vibe free.

They did the tires and alignment on the taco too when I lifted it. Great work then as well.

Now their labor rates on other stuff may be higher. I dunno, as I've only used them for tire mounting and alignment work. That said, they're one of the only places in town that seems to understand adjustable UCAs and lifted vehicles, which was my initial reason for using them. (After I got hosed at the stealership)

 

This is true. And they know it's true. That's likely why the prices are so high. Express Tire in Alabaster is where I get all my tire and alignment stuff done. But if i had adjustable UCA's, i'd probably end up at lovelady, too.

 

Friggin Jeeps and their two letter acronyms? pfft....ok mister FJ haha

 

If you do not have a distributor, the timing is 100% regulated by sensors and computer. No need to set timing.

I do have a timing light. If you can get down here on a day where I am not busy you are more than welcome to use it and I will show you how to set it up.



That aside, I have to admit with the discussion of Jeeps and such, I would give ANYTHING to get a military version of the 1st gen HUMWV (Hummer) Now THAT is a truck that ALMOST never rolls. (Note I said almost)


THIS is what I love about the old Hummer:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CXvxIy4YupI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Bill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl9PxGF6jD4.
Once you said almost never rolls, this is the first thing that came to mind!!!
With that being said, I know the guy gets out and pushes too hard to try to get it to balance. Nevertheless, it rolled!



IDK if I can get down there with it this week before Sunday. I will have to check and see. I will also check the local parts stores and the interwebz on how to use it.

 

Yeah, I'm sure that plays a part in it. Mike down there has always been real nice to me as well, great customer service. That kind of thing goes a long way with me too. Only way I'd buy parts there though was if I absolutely, positively, had to have it right then, and there wasn't something at Tractor Supply on the cheap that would get the job done.

Yeah... I was being somewhat sarcastic FJ, BJ, FZJ, UZJ, HDJ, HZJ, J...

Cool, I figured that was the case, but one of those things that made me go, "hrmmm..."

Matt, once Bill gets you all set up and you've got the hang of the timing light, that's one of those things that is great to have around if you're going to be tuning engines. You can probably pick one up for about $50 that has analog advance settings that'll be fine enough adjustment to tune with.

 

I'll look into it. I am sure I shoulda had one by now but I didn't really see any need in one just doing plugs and wires. Never had to take out a distributor for ANY reason!

 

Timing Advance, wide band A/F meter, tuning software, or new carb jets, and you can be in the bidness of making MOAR POWA!!!

Or you could blow the engine up, all in a days work.

 

lol. Well, blowing the engine up could be a good excuse to do a 3.4 swap!