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BigDaveZJ
04-17-2010, 09:58 AM
Here's a place we can all suggest/request TOTM's. Each month I'll pick one that seems appropriate, and we'll talk about it for a month. Please keep this thread clean, and only suggest TOTM's, nothing else.

Some ideas from the original TOTM thread:

Tuning a suspension after a lift -- bumpstops, limit straps, tire fitting

Cooling -- best mods/factory replacements to keep our precious engines cool

Designing a suspension -- discussion of geometry

East vs. West -- how the different types of terrain affect how you build your rig and what you break

Steering -- different steering geometries and different options

Roll cages -- internal/external what you would change, working within the constraints of ZJs/WJs

The official no holds barred D30 v D44 v D60 debate thread -- when each axle should be considered

OBA -- how you do on board air, pros/cons of your setup

Bumpers -- considerations/tradeoffs in designing one, best way to mount

Trail tools- what should I bring, what should I leave at camp? And how should I secure them?

Fire safety- is my rig in danger of catching fire? I see smoke- what do I do?

general trail repair- what broke and how you fixed it

trail welding- when it's necessary and how to do it

fabrication methods 101- I've got a grinder, now what?

fabrication methods 201- how can I build it better and more quickly?

hardware- when a bolt isn't just a bolt.

saving money during a build- what should I stock up on, where are the deals?

driveshaft tech- pros and cons of homebrew vs. mail order drivelines

fuel systems, cells, filters, and pumps- why and when to upgrade

why won't my rig run?- how to quickly diagnose starting problems

tcase swaps- gearing, twinsticks, and what's stronger than a 231

Prepping and Inspecting -- how you "prep" your rig before wheeling (checking fluids, tying stuff down, etc) and what you "inspect" on your rig after wheeling (checking for loose bolts, broken mounts, etc.)

canadian_driver
04-17-2010, 10:50 AM
East vs. West -- how the different types of terrain affect how you build your rig and what you break


Roll cages -- internal/external what you would change, working within the constraints of ZJs/WJs




i like these two, that's what i was going to suggest before i clicked on the thread

dp96zj
04-17-2010, 11:35 AM
what about shop/garage safety? Ex: that chlorinated brake cleaner incident, making sure your cables are protected from spatter, making sure there's air circulation. Off the top of my head, this topic doesn't seem like it'd have as much info as the previous one, but I think it should be out there anyway.

95zjmischief
04-17-2010, 12:14 PM
I agree with dp96zj on safety, but I'm gonna have to go with east vs. West, woot

AgitatedPancake
04-17-2010, 01:15 PM
I like a lot of them but I also think Roll Cages should be covered. I think it would be badass to have a collection of all the nice grand cherokee cages in one thread

ajmorell
04-17-2010, 02:13 PM
I like the cage one, East v. West, meh not sure how much "tech" there is there but I can see where it would be good for people like me who've never wheeled out west before.

I think it would be cool to get some real tech info for stuff like suspension design, link material, cage material, bolt types etc....to the point of trying to educate people on what tensile strengths, shear strengths, elasticities, etc and how to use that information to their advantage.

Jeeptech01
04-17-2010, 03:12 PM
I like the Suspension design one and the bumper one. As AP said it will be cool to have one massive thread for each of these topics so all the info/pics can be found in one place.

Also a suggestion for a totm: Tires (load ranges, experiences good or bad, what tire is right for your rig/wheeling terrain, new sizes avail...)

Kraqa
04-17-2010, 03:46 PM
Trail etiquette

Jeeptech01
04-17-2010, 03:48 PM
/\ Good one /\ Seems basic but so many people dont seem to have any.

ATL ZJ
04-19-2010, 12:00 AM
to the point of trying to educate people on what tensile strengths, shear strengths, elasticities, etc and how to use that information to their advantage.

x2 I have enough material saved off about hardware to offer tech for a huge range of experience levels. Billavista's hardware "bible" barely scratches the surface...

UTChavok
04-19-2010, 12:09 AM
Fab methods 101 and 201 would be pretty tech packed I think. Maybe do both of them in one month, two weeks for 101 and then the remaining two for 201. Cram those credits in.

"The official no holds barred D30 v D44 v D60 debate thread -- when each axle should be considered" Would be very entertaining as well.

slim616
04-19-2010, 07:04 AM
how about "I wish i wouldn't have" section on lifts.

rstrucks
04-19-2010, 09:52 AM
I like the cage thread idea along with a suspension design/geometry thread.

UTChavok
04-19-2010, 10:11 AM
I like the cage thread idea along with a suspension design/geometry thread.

Suspension design and geometry would be extremely helpful as well. Something I could use this summer.

Kauzi Zj
04-19-2010, 10:31 AM
Fab methods 101 and 201 would be pretty tech packed I think. Maybe do both of them in one month, two weeks for 101 and then the remaining two for 201. Cram those credits in.




X2 and I agree with the Cage, and Bumper threads oh and the suspension geo's would b interesting too...

Ken L
04-19-2010, 10:49 AM
They are all good, and with Kraqa's addition of Trail Etiquette you have 23 topics in addition to this month's topic and that gives 2 years worth of TOTM topics.

These will all start good discussions.

CrawlerReady
04-23-2010, 04:39 PM
Damn, reading through this all there are definitely going to be some good threads to come. Lots of info to be learned by many!

ZJ TINS
04-27-2010, 08:48 AM
Blinker fluid, American vs Chineese.









Seriously how about adding to the axle debate: 8.8, 14 bolt at least. If people write in their comments I would be willing to tabulate it all and make a quick reference guide from all we gather.

Also hood ventilation what has been done and affects/cost.

Tires, whats the best tire and why (categories incuding on road, rock, sand, dirt mud) kinda like the tire rack survey for off roaders.


Best mod (vote and why), Worst mod (vote and why) maybe not so technical but gives people ideas.

ATL ZJ
06-07-2010, 03:05 PM
How about Rollover recovery and procedures

ZJ TINS
06-08-2010, 04:55 PM
get 12 guys, and push upright?

ATL ZJ
06-08-2010, 05:12 PM
get 12 guys, and push upright?

Thanks smartypants but we actually do that around here.

My suggestion was more toward how to prevent burning your rig to the ground or putting a hole in the block after it's back on all fours.

BigDaveZJ
06-08-2010, 08:01 PM
I hadn't gotten around to posting up the June TOTM yet because I was occupied with GSW, but I think a trail recovery topic in general would be good. Everything from dead rigs and how to get them out, to how get a rolled rig back over, and everything in between. Would that be too broad or would you guys prefer to keep them more specific?

SirFuego
06-08-2010, 08:37 PM
Trail recovery is good enough IMO. I wouldnt' consider it too broad.

ATL ZJ
06-09-2010, 12:44 AM
If you exclude basic winch, towpoints, and strap tech, I don't think recovery is too broad. Maybe focus on the methods of rather than the equipment? I can still see the discussion going a lot of different ways even without the synth rope vs cable debate, etc.

BigDaveZJ
06-09-2010, 12:45 AM
I was thinking stuff beyond your basic "stuck" and more along the lines of what the IRO guys had to go through Saturday on Moab Rim with a rig completely dead in the water, and then a rollover.

zjeepin
06-10-2010, 09:02 AM
I was thinking stuff beyond your basic "stuck" and more along the lines of what the IRO guys had to go through Saturday on Moab Rim with a rig completely dead in the water, and then a rollover.

what he said.. its alot more common to be towing a rig back to camp thats dead in the water or no wheel drive. and there are alot of aspects that can make it easier and safer. then you have an incident like the IRO guys where several things might could have been done differently..

i think this would make a great TOTM..

SirFuego
07-08-2010, 12:57 PM
It's July...hint, hint :D

slim616
07-08-2010, 08:40 PM
It's July...hint, hint :D

hell rig of the season or is it year, hint, hint:)

5.9 ANDY
07-09-2010, 04:35 PM
i vote next topic to cover be steering.

lawnmower22
04-07-2011, 09:12 PM
How about a TOTM for driving technique. Maybe some of you guys with these skills talk about what you do to help keep your rigs shiny side up and maybe offer advice one could use in emergency situations.

biggoofy
04-07-2011, 10:20 PM
When in doubt throttle out!

ATL ZJ
04-08-2011, 09:19 AM
How about a TOTM for driving technique. Maybe some of you guys with these skills talk about what you do to help keep your rigs shiny side up and maybe offer advice one could use in emergency situations.

that would be a really good one. Rigs are important but driving is definitely overlooked

SirFuego
04-08-2011, 09:48 AM
A driving technique TOTM would be interesting. Some of the best techniques I've been taught over the years have been short and sweet (i.e. drive two footed, but vary your speed primarily with the brake pedal). Then again, there are a lot of concepts -- such as knowing when to crawl and when to mash it (a common predicament in east-coast wheeling even though only the latter ever gets videotaped) -- that can really only be learned on the trails. And yes -- sometimes you screw yourself by trying to crawl something first :-)

rodd88
04-08-2011, 12:08 PM
How about communication out on the trails, cell phone apps (shit) and even better CB radios, ham radios, and radio etiquette along with what antennas work best (magnetic vs non magnetic).

ATL ZJ
04-08-2011, 12:30 PM
How about communication out on the trails, cell phone apps (shit) and even better CB radios, ham radios, and radio etiquette along with what antennas work best (magnetic vs non magnetic).

Do you really need all that stuff? Hand motions and spoken words work fine for low-tech wheelers like me. I can see how the ham radio would be good for emergencies though if you're expedition wheeling far from civilization but that's about it.

Jared, yes. That's so true about knowing when to crawl and when to bump it. Sometimes you only get one shot and if you don't make it you're done. I can think of a couple harlan trails like that...

TN_WJ
04-08-2011, 12:58 PM
I agree as well. I've sorta always wheeled by the "slow as possible, fast as necessary" mentality

rodd88
04-08-2011, 02:22 PM
Do you really need all that stuff? Hand motions and spoken words work fine for low-tech wheelers like me. I can see how the ham radio would be good for emergencies though if you're expedition wheeling far from civilization but that's about it.
...

In my neck of the woods yeah. Most of the places to wheel in El Paso are very little populated areas with no cell phone service.



:edit: your right though, there's cheaper easier to use forms of communications than CB, I guess its just the fad out here in el Paso :(

blackjack12982
04-11-2011, 07:29 PM
I'd definitely like to see a TOTM on driving techniques. I always cringe when I see newer drivers cause unneeded damage to their rigs when a little better technique could have gotten them through without the major damage they incur. I'd love to hear what some of the more experienced wheelers have to say...

moparrr07
11-05-2011, 03:13 AM
i would like to see a totm about shock absorbers, i know we already have one for coilovers, but this never really covered the standard shock absorber as well as mounting hoops and valving, also different mounting positions on the axle, front to back vs side to side..

alwaysHI
12-01-2011, 10:12 PM
I would like to see an upcoming TOTM to be about Gearing. Sure, there are calculators out there for what size tire/gear ration to run, but there's more to it than that. For those of us who can't afford/or don't need heavier axle swaps and are stuck with the 4.slow, gearing should be a topic to talk about. For instance, different carriers, maybe brands that have a great rep/finish to their products, and so on. I live in Hawaii so finding axles at the JY is harder to come by..just a thought

GraKee99
12-21-2011, 01:38 PM
Maybe one on snow wheeling. Tire pressure, chain set up, driving technique...

PurpleZJ
12-21-2011, 03:21 PM
I would like to see an upcoming TOTM to be about Gearing. Sure, there are calculators out there for what size tire/gear ration to run, but there's more to it than that. For those of us who can't afford/or don't need heavier axle swaps and are stuck with the 4.slow, gearing should be a topic to talk about. For instance, different carriers, maybe brands that have a great rep/finish to their products, and so on. I live in Hawaii so finding axles at the JY is harder to come by..just a thought
this./a TOTM on setting up gears, special tools, best place to get them, and which gears are better quality

96RedZJ
12-21-2011, 06:17 PM
Maybe one on snow wheeling. Tire pressure, chain set up, driving technique...

I like this one. This will be my first year I have a jeep that is snow wheelable.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

ATL ZJ
12-21-2011, 10:44 PM
I would like to see an upcoming TOTM to be about Gearing. Sure, there are calculators out there for what size tire/gear ration to run, but there's more to it than that.

x2 I think this would be worthwhile. I have some things to say about gearing options from a wholistic rig perspective

alwaysHI
12-23-2011, 12:16 AM
Thanks bro.

biggoofy
06-24-2012, 02:43 PM
one on hubs would be good as well Im searching currently since one broke today and not currently finding a ton of info.

wrpoole
07-27-2012, 06:09 PM
trac bar options

LoganZJ
07-27-2012, 09:07 PM
trac bar options

For a stock setup? Ten minutes of searching will give you all of the info you need...

Also to keep it relevant, how about a discussion on welders, plasma cutters, and related subjects.

moparrr07
07-28-2012, 01:02 AM
trac bar options

definately would qualify under front suspension

ajmorell
07-28-2012, 09:35 AM
For a stock setup? Ten minutes of searching will give you all of the info you need...

Also to keep it relevant, how about a discussion on welders, plasma cutters, and related subjects.

Tools in general would be a good one

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

BigDaveZJ
07-28-2012, 11:20 AM
Tools in general would be a good one

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

Agreed. I think we covered tools for the trail a while back, but have never really got into shop tools outside of that forum.

Sudz
07-28-2012, 11:51 AM
skid plates, undercarriage protection, diff skids, rockers, etc

Jeep Whore
07-28-2012, 01:07 PM
skid plates, undercarriage protection, diff skids, rockers, etc

this has some undercarriage stuff but mostly body protection
http://mallcrawlin.com/forum/showthread.php?23120-TOTM-Bumpers-body-protection&highlight=TOTM

SirFuego
07-28-2012, 01:12 PM
Agreed. I think we covered tools for the trail a while back, but have never really got into shop tools outside of that forum.
Shop organization is a good one. I have pretty much a blank slate to build work areas and storage and am trying to decide what kind of layout or ideas would work for me...

AgitatedPancake
07-28-2012, 01:20 PM
Shop organization and tools is big to me, I have 20lbs of shit packed into the 5lb bag I call a 2 car garage. I've got 7 axles at the house right now so I've got to make a storage rack to start condensing them a bit.

Maybe have a universal thread for shop tools/organization, rank your tools from most used to least, and snap A few pics on how you have things layed out. Show work benches too, as I hardly have one :D

BigDaveZJ
07-28-2012, 01:26 PM
I'll be building a detached shop next year, so I'm liking that idea. I've been perusing garagejournal.com, but the benefit to seeing that info here is we all do similar things in our shops, so we'll have similar tools and needs. The ranges of uses over on GJ is insane.

egg
08-03-2012, 10:41 AM
I would love to see a totm about crawl boxes and doubler setups with all the different combinations guys are running and where to get all the extra parts one wouldn't know about

ZJ TINS
08-10-2012, 11:46 AM
Inside mods, heated seats, switches, new seats, CB installation etc. Actually this could be broken up into trail related vs comfort.

I dont like where my radio is, I want to heat my seats, I like my CO2 tank install, I dont have a clue what to do with all my crap for a trail (storage and organization including a cooler.

screwbaru
07-10-2013, 10:59 PM
Best wheeling snacks. Easy to eat while on the trail without it ending up all over the interior.
Or favorite means of comunication out in the woods ie. Walkie talkies, cb, cell phone?
The difference between cheap and reliable recovery gear.
Idk I have all sorts of ideas.