CW's MJ 2005 - 10

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

For what it's worth...

 

I was a die-hard BFG MT guy. So when it came time to buy tires several years ago I was seriously considering them again. However after much research and seeing the Maxxis Bighorn's on the trail I decided to give them a try.

 

I was so impressed with them that we became a stocking Maxxis dealer. We sell the Bighorn's 4 to 1 over the BFG MT's (and KM2).

 

They do have their downfalls; a little softer rubber (could be a downfall, could be a benefit depending on how you look at it) and they are a bit louder than the BFG's were. Both of which downfalls were not huge one's to me.

 

Now I haven't personally had the new KM2's on my own rig to date yet; so I can not comment on them. The one's that we've sold we've had positive feedback on however. I also have had nothing but positive feedback from the Bighorn's, I actually receive more calls/emails from customer's thanking us for recommending them to them than any other product line that we sell.

 

Most importantly though, is to choose a tire that fits your needs the best. What's the best for me may not be the best for you and how you use your MJ....

[dakal]

i use and have always liked the bfg's plus they support off road racing big time.

[CWLONGSHOT]

Its worth allot!! EXCELLENT feedback, I couldn't ask for better!! Thank you!!

 

In timely manor, a good friend just bought a set of Bighorns for his TJ. 33x12.5x15's, so I'll be talking to him to see how he likes them. :bowdown:

 

Like I mentioned, for me, on this vehicle, it spends better than 85% of its time on the street. My off-road with it is partially in the woods, generally avoiding the mud but definitely hitting the rocks. I know I would likely be best suited with a AT for 90+% of what I do with the MJ. Remember, I have a hard core rock jeep. Of hard core stuff is on the agenda, the MJ stays home. But I also want the aggressive look and benefit, when I am in the woods. The woods here in New England are mostly off camber, twisty trails with almost always a layer of up to a couple inches of sticky mud. The deep mud holes will be avoided, but stuff a foot deep are not that uncommon, and not always avoidable. So for this reason alone, I would like to stick with a mud tire. Also, I am not a "throttle jockey". I prefer to use my brain more than brawn behind the wheel and definitely subscribe to tread lightly and the slow as you can, fast as you have to, wheeling mentality. Noise isn't much of a concern, mileage is.

One concern with going to a 16"tire is the relatively light weight of the MJ and the stronger carcass of most 16" tires.

 

I see the Maxis is available in a black wall 255x80x16 tire. This is a very real possibility if I where choosing right now.

 

Today I was reading about the Swamper M16 tire... Its available in a 295x80x16 size! That's just over 34" and almost 11" wide. It also has a two ply side wall, so flex of that carcass should be well suited to the MJ's weight.

 

SO MANY CHOICES.. well I have the time to research and make an educated decision...

 

CW

[CWLONGSHOT]

Lookie what I found today...

 

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I believe FOUR WHEELER mag puts it out...

 

CW

[CWLONGSHOT]

I changed the oxygen sensor. To the best of my knowledge, that was the factory stock sensor!

 

 

I also got my Centramatics in the mail yesterday, so those went on along with the set of RUBY rims and MT/R's. I'm gonna run them for a week or so and see how I like them. If they are OK, I'll leave them till I get the new ones in the fall.

 

 

The tire size is stock Ruby, 245x75x16's. So they are just over 31" tall. A might smaller then the 32+" of the 33x.5x15 BFGs that I took off. I can live with that... I think. :dunno:

 

Then I had to make a repair to the exhaust. like many of you guys my center mount on the tranny for the exhaust is shot... I made up a new mount from the front of the cat with a U Bolt and a piece of steel. Its a solid mount, but so far is just fine. I bent up a piece of 1/8" x1" steel. and drill a couple holes.In bending the steel I needed to twist it 90degrees and add a slight bend. That made it too short. So I had to add a washer to get it right. Welded it all together and it comes out perfect. The exhaust is now rock solid.

 

 

CW

[freakjeep93]

lookin good.

[CWLONGSHOT]

When I was doing the header and repairing that hanger, I noticed the muffler wasn't doing well... It was just a Auto-zone Dynomax turbo nothing special. (Remember the whole JEGGS debacle?) OK sound, not loud, but louder then stock. Now I haven't been a fan of the Flo master, didn't really see the advantage sound/performance vs excessive cost. But I couldn't help myself checking out the sound clips on You-Tube of our engines and different setups of exhaust notes. Some really sounded great, deep low and mellow! Talking with a couple guys at work, I ran across a Super 44 from a one of the guys at work for $40. Its brand new! SO, I have a Flow master. :thumbsup:

 

I unbolted the exhaust at the cat flange. Bought a new gasket and put in new bolts. Then welded up the first pipe and a couple welds on the free Flo cats heat shield. I think I could run a straight pipe right out the back to the rear bumper. But picked up a factory Walker tail pipe. I'll chop off the 90 degree turn and add an extension and a slash cut turn down. Keeping it as high as possible inside the frame rails.

 

 

Its louder and much deeper. I made a sound recording, but don't have the tail pipe mounted up yet. So you will have to wait, but I think its gonna sound nice!

 

CW

[CWLONGSHOT]

Pop picked up the tail pipe for me today as I was at work and didn’t get out till after they closed. But I cannot use it. Looks like I have it too hi and the bend for the axle tube clearance hit’s the bed. That’s OK I can return it. But it proved that I am able to run a straight pipe from the muffler to the rear bumper with zero clearance issues.

 

I was able to fix a leak at the cat flange… When I took it apart last night I found that it had been leaking. The header pipe has a 4 bolt flange whole the HI-Flo cat only has two holes. I cleaned the surfaces with the die grinder, both nice and smooth. BUT, the flange must be warped as it leaks. I found a removable two piece flange. I put it on the cat side of the pipe underneath of the existing flange. Then ran the bolt threw everything. I also added a second gasket for good measure. The bolts on this flange are also bigger so the clamping strength is much more. PROBLEM SOLVED!!! No more leaks!!! I took off the short piece and turn down I added yesterday. MAN what a difference!!! This thing is LOUD!!! I have a hard time believing that fixing the little leak and removing 12 inches of pipe and a 8” turn down makes such a huge sound difference!!!

 

Hopefully Monday I can get a 8’ stick of 2.5” muffler pipe. It’s a quick job putting this in. I already have the hangers bent up and ready to weld on. Going to use factory mounts with home bent “hangers” ½” cold rolled stock. Stay tuned..

 

CW

[CWLONGSHOT]

I got the "tail pipe" on today!!! Well, its just a 7' 2.5" stick of exhaust tube, run tight up under the bed.

 

 

I have almost 12" of clearance between the top of the axle and the bottom of the exhaust pipe.

 

 

I have two hangers, one at the back of the muffler and one just before the pipe terminates at the rear bumper with a slash cut pipe.

 

 

 

 

It sounds GREAT!! I have a video uploading, but its a big one... ;)

 

Here it is with the tail pipe installed...MUCH BETTER!!! :cheers:

 

 

CW

[CWLONGSHOT]

Got the tires on yesterday!!

 

 

CW

[freakjeep93]

looks good

[buxmj]

CW, it has taken me a long time to go through your 35 pages and wondering if I have really seen it all. Will have to do it again in one sitting, maybe. Anyway, kudos to you for all the work you have done and how much time you have put in to sharing it with everyone, especially non gearheads like me. I really appreciate it and I am in awe. Great looking truck and when you are done with yours feel free to come to Florida and work on mine, in the winter of course!

[Pete M]

 

sexy! :brows:

[CWLONGSHOT]

THANK YOU PETE!! :oops: :agree:

 

Yesterday when I returned with the new tires, the MJ would not start. More correctly, it turned over then stopped abruptly. Then nothing, no click no nothing. The battery had 12.5 volts. Once started it showed 14.2V to the battery. So I was relatively certain the charging system was good AND the battery is new and checked out fine as well. It started right up with a jump.

Also every couple days the idle would jump to 1100 or so in drive. I thought maybe I had a poor connection at the TPS from the header swap. Now I am thinking maybe the cracked neg cable was the culprit. If that was not enough, I didn't drive it for 3-4 days while I waited for the tail pipe and when I went to start it, it wouldn't.

For the starting problem, I checked everything and decided it must be the solenoid on the starter. I have a couple on the shelf so I cleaned up a 1990 XJ factory, Mitsubishi built starter and swapped it out. While I was at it I swapped for some new batt cable ends. If you remember, I just put on a new set month ago, well the neg cracked already!!! I put on the steel "non lead" connectors. It starts good, idles better, guess that poor connection was effecting more then I realized!!!

 

The MJ is gonna sit now for a couple days while I go off to play in the TJ in New Hampshire!! I'm thinking when I get home, its gonna start right up!!.

 

CW

[MJ is dead]

I never noticed you have the elephant towing mirrors on your MJ.

Ive got them too, been debating on taking them off, but some days I like them, some days I hate them

 

Yours is persuading me to keep them :hmm:

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

 

 

 

CW

[bermsurfer230]

Sick tips... I just had to cut off the last 16 inches or so of my 6 MONTH OLD CAT BACK PIPING because a co worker backed it onto a rock, crunched the pipe about 6 inches from the tip :fs1: But I had been debating about running the exhaust out the back XJ style with a turndown, so I cut the pipe off right in front of the 90* bend so it's a straight shot. Seeing the duals though... That might be an option! Did you use XJ tips? And how'd you route the piping?

Awesome truck, too! Been reading all 35 pages last night and tonight, and your MJ has seen quite a transformation! Keep it going, your ingenuity is outstanding! And motivationg me to get out in my driveway and show my truck some love :chillin:

[CWLONGSHOT]

The tips are simply parts store 2.5" "slash cut" tips. Nothing fancy at all.

 

Because of my lift height, I was able to run a straight pipe from the muffler to the rear bumper. I pushed the whole system as tite to the body as possible. Partially by fitting the muffler angles. I kept them slightly under the bumper for protection. I made and positioned my own hangers. One solid mount at the cat, then a rubber mount just behind the muffler and another rubber mount just before the rear bumper. I too am worried about damage off-road. Hopefully I won't do any...

 

They are not true duals as its a 6 cyl, but looks good from the back don't it! I did cheap out a bit and used the tip from the previous exhaust for the DS. (You can see its a bit dirty.)

 

CW

[Incommando]

A review/update on the Centramatics?

[CWLONGSHOT]

A review/update on the Centramatics?

They are working just as they should. Same as the first set I put on the TJ some 6 years ago.

 

That's the beauty of them, you take your tire/rim off the vehicle. Slide the centramatic on the wheel studs and follow it with the tire/rim. and drive...

 

They work perfectly!!

 

CW

[CWLONGSHOT]

Put in a VOLT meter "A" Pillar gauge pod.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

This is with the key ON, motor NOT running:

 

 

This is with the motor running;

 

 

CW

[JeffK]

Put in a VOLT meter "A" Pillar gauge pod.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

This is with the key ON, motor NOT running:

 

 

This is with the motor running;

 

 

CW

 

Very nice, what brand is the pod? Looks like it fits the A-pillar molding very well.

[CWLONGSHOT]

Auto-meter. They offer both a single and double pod.

 

I believe both are available from Jeggs or Summit and EBay thru Summit. But as posted beware of stock when purchasing. I would just buy directly from Summit, but if you prefer Jeggs should also have it.

 

You are correct, it does fit very well.

 

CW

[JeffK]

Auto-meter. They offer both a single and double pod.

 

I believe both are available from Jeggs or Summit and EBay thru Summit. But as posted beware of stock when purchasing. I would just buy directly from Summit, but if you prefer Jeggs should also have it.

 

You are correct, it does fit very well.

 

CW

 

I'll check Summit, they have a distribution center in GA. May have to put that on the wish list though. Need to get mine outta the basement before the wife kills me.

 

:cheers:

[CWLONGSHOT]

I found/learned so much with that little hanger I built a while back... I found that the muffler was bad, the pipes where the cat connected was leaking....and was getting dripped on... :???: :???: :???: I found that one of the floor plugs was weeping...only thing was it wasn't and hadn't rained in a number of days....

 

Over last weekend, I sold my Kayak trailer I built a couple years back. (Doc said NO NO NO to Kayaks) and I spent a couple hours in the commute to drop it off for the guy. I noticed a musty, dank smell. I opened another "tree" and continued along. Well it was hot, really hot and the "tree" didn't cut it. Then I remembered the dripping and put 2+2 together... I had water between the carpet and padding and it was mildew...that also means I likely had rust on my floors!! I pulled my carpets back when I put the racing seats in a couple years back and everything was fine. NOT ANY MORE!!! :fs1: :fs1: :fs1:

 

DISCLAIMER:: Graphic pics of cancer on a MJ... :doh: :help: :(

 

PASS side front is OK

 

 

Pass side rear is also OK

 

 

DRIVERS side front is BAD, not awful, but rusted thru anyhow...

 

 

DRIVERS side rear is OK

 

 

I didn't have time to delve completely into it tonight. It all started out as a quick seat lift. I wanted to try a bit higher mount.

 

I welded in a 1.5" stock on both sides.

 

 

Should make a difference. As I sat in the DS I had almost 5" from the top of my head to the ceiling. I felt like I wasn't looking thru the center of the windshield. I got the seat lifts done just before momma called me in. :roll:

 

I got all weekend to tackle the rusty floors...

 

CW