Normally I am saying this to the opposite sex, but I have to admit I like your rack! :-)
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Normally I am saying this to the opposite sex, but I have to admit I like your rack! :-)
Thanks.... I think..
Well it's been a while since i've been on here due to the fact i'm in virginia and have been for about 3 weeks now for training (yorktown). I was planning on getting the ARB locker for christmas but changed that plan due to my Hankooks getting a Nail in the back drivers side tire and being pretty worn in general. I got some BFG KM2's put on today and .........
Had to trim the pinch weld and reshape the plastic. I was pretty proud of not having had to do this with the Hankooks but I guess they were worn enough that it wasn't a big deal. The KM2s had so much more tread on them that I could tell it was going to be a problem if I were to need to drive on any roads that weren't perfectly straight. All is well now and I don't have any rubbing. I'll get some pictures up sometime this weekend when I get the chance to post some. The tires cost more than the ARB locker would have so I had to give up that idea for the moment.
As for when I hope to have the ARB locker..... i do have a birthday coming up this spring!
Those are nice, bet you can get over some good rocks with those.
Can you provide a picture of the tread pattern?
You are gonna love the KM2's! Congrats Looks GOOD!
Have been seriously looking at those tires, they look awesome and rate better than the A/T's but my concern was noise and wear. I drive 600 or so miles a month on pavement...let us know how they do on the pavement please
Believe it or not they are quieter than my Hankooks which weren't very loud at all compared to most M/Ts. My dad has a pair of 35" KM2s on a 4" lifted F250. He's got about 10k miles on them and they don't look like they've lost any tread yet. I know some others have these tires and they may be able to comment farther on their performance. They are a more comfortable ride and quieter than the Hankooks.
I've actually heard louder A/Ts. In short I love em already.
Sorry I didn't get a picture of the tread pattern Knap. I'll get one on tomorrow night.
Here's a few tread shots.
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...12172118-1.jpg
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...12172118-1.jpg
Had to try the tires out today in the nearly freezing rain behind my inlaw's place. There are a few muddy trails where the subdivision has been built and some ponds. On one place where my hankooks would always spin alot (slippery clay hill), these just moved along without breaking a sweat.
Here's a pic i snapped when the suspension extended while coming off a small drop off.
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...12181148-1.jpg
So my inner front passenger side fender well finally gave way on my last off road trip a few weeks ago. It crakced and came forward and the wheel grabs at it quite a bit. The pinch weld has already been bent back on mine but it was rubbing slightly where the plastic still humped over the ?coolant lines?/aircon lines (whatever those are). I trimmed most of the plastic off alltogether but I have a feeling that more needs to dissapear. I'm just going to paint the inner fenderwell flat black so It doesn't stick out. I have no rubbing at all on the drivers side but that little bit sticking out on the pass side gives me an issue. I just pulled off those plastic fake rock guards on the sides this evening. Haven't decided if that looks better or not but i'm probably going to clean it up and spray the pinch weld area flat black to look more chassis like. I believe i'm also going to cut my front fender as Sal has sometime this week as well. Less is definitely better.
Thanks to Sal and his pioneering efforts in cutting up Commanders, I too have gotten rid of my lower front fender.
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...02231635-1.jpg
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...02231634-1.jpg
Also I took off the rear part of my front passenger wheel well so i no longer have terrible rubbing issues. On a nice hot day Im going to undercoat the now bare inside of my fender as well as the bottom of the sides of the xk where i took off the fake rock guards.
Man looking good bro, I would like to see pictures of the cuts to the rear. I think your going to like it. I get a lot more looks now with the mod and it completely changes the look of your ride.
I still rub just slightly on the bracket for the air con hoses it's still better than before by 300% and not as noticable. Tomorrow I'm going to cut the edge (about 1/4") off the bracket that sticks out on the air con. That may finish off my problem. I'll Put up a pic of the area as soon as I finish cutting and get some black paint on there. Its hardly noticable though as being not normal even though it is body color back there. I cut it straight with a utility razor knife. I think My problem is due to the 1.5" spacers instead of 1.25. The extra clearance from a quarter inch less would keep the tires from rubbing anything. Unfortunately That will be my last resort.
I just took my plastic side rails off this weekend. I like the look, but when you open the door I don't like the look of the holes left. Any thoughts on covering those up? I'll post some pics tommorrow.
Bondo/mig welding new metal in + sanding + Paint (maybe black or undercoat). Wouldn't be that bad to do. I've filled in my share of pin holes on my antique cars.
you guys are a bad influence.... a really bad influence. I cant believe im thinking of hacking away at my bumper....
I think you should take a road trip to NJ for the Englishtown car&truck show in April so I can see the bumper mod in person.... and it'd be nice to have another Commander there!
Im sorta liking the bumper mod. What exactly did you guys use to cut the bumper/flares.
Used a sawzall. To fancy it up a bit used a utility knife(razor blade). Realized that the razor blade could have done the whole thing cause the bumper is so flimsy.
On my way to work this morning the Temp got hot on my XK. Pulled over and my wheel had grabbed the hose clamp on the heater hose running back there and pulled it and the hose off. Dumped all my antifreeze out. I put it back on(wasnt damaged) and put some water in it for now cause that's all I could get. Took a while to get the water back into everything and almost an hour to get it full again. Its a slow process when you haven't vacuumed the system. Anyway, I drove it back to the house and pulled out my very reliable 44 year old Falcon and drove to work. I'm going to make a cover for the hose out of sheet metal or something so it doesn't happen again and then have my radiator flushed and refilled with the proper Chrysler antifreeze.
Im surprised your tires come in contact with those lines back there. Especially since you have the OME lift. Are you running the HD coils or MD's? Something I plan on doing hopefully this summer is the rear heat/ac delete. Im going to get the lines from an XK that doesnt have rear ac and heat and swap them in under the hood and take off all the other lines that run down the passenger side wheel well to the rear on the XK. I dont use the rear ac or heat anyways. Plus when I cut out my pinch weld area for 34's in the future (if they ever make gears for us), those lines will need to out of the way anyways.
My fix for the problem:
I molded sheet metal around the air con hoses so the tire could no longer grab at them. Kinda like a mini fender.
Un painted
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...02241705-1.jpg
Painted with undercoat:
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...02241709-1.jpg
Gotta do my radiator flush tomorrow and put some new chrysler fluid in. I look at it this way. I probably needed a fluid flush and now I had a reason to get one.
I like that cover up. Is that alum. sheet metal?
Ya I like that as well. I never rub in that area myself is that caused from your wheel spacers?
I think it's possible that this caused it. If I were .25" smaller like everyone's spydertrax it should have just cleared it I think. Also the Hose clamps on the hoses were facing outwards so the prongs on them that you squeeze together were facing the tire. I turned them to the inside.
Also I know for a fact that these BFGs are a good 3/4" taller than my Hankooks. They's reel knoboly.
TXBAJA: Regular ole sheet metal from Lowes. $6.
Just wanted to give a thanks to Strokez for gifting me his steel enigne belly plate. Since switching to the superlift he no longer needed it and kindly sent it my way.
It's now the latest addition to my XK as of about 2 hrs ago. Thanks!!
How do you think these would look on my XK?
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...eljpgpar-1.jpg
Thinking about swapping out to these maybe in the next few weeks. My Stock rims are pretty chewed up from rocks.
WOW thats pretty cool man free armor :)
I like those wheels, I think they'd look great!
I wouldn't mind some plain soft 8 black steel rims but my wife has certain requirements that the rim look good as well. I'll keep searching around for something that fits both requirements. But for now those are the pick.
I also would like to mention that the sheet metal worked perfect. I rubbed once or twice untill the metal shaped to how it rubbed when the suspension was compressed in some. Then i smoothed down a corner that was all that would catch while in reverse and I have 0 rub once again!! Finally i'm about done working out the kinks.
Those wheel are really cool. I looked at them. I could not find them with the backspace I was looking for tho. Bumper mods are really cool!
The ones I found at 4 wheel parts were 4.5" backspace which puts it where i already have it with the spacers.
Cool! I am pretty sure that is all they come in. If I could have found a set w 5.3" backspace (25mm offset) I would have gone for it.
Got asked this morning where my zebra was.
Guys at work said I look like I just came back from a safari with my jeep.
Little do they know I take that as a compliment.