On my old model the 9s just did not work that well. The light pattern was weak and the light output not as good as the lows. I went with HID Morimoto 50w and it is amazing and way too bright. I get dazzle from stop signs a mile away. Definitely get the 30w.
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Awesome build. We just moved to the PNW from IN. I see you're close by. I'm in Maple Valley. Just picked up a 200 yesterday.
- Thread starter
- #583
jfz80
Cruisin’
Had seen bits and pieces via other posts but Just binged the whole thread 
Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
Lots of good ideas here!
Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
Lots of good ideas here!
- Thread starter
- #585
Just picked her up from Torfab in Everett WA for some rear diff maintenance:
This year was most expensive year to date in terms of keeping her adventure ready. In addition to items above:
Overall, truck is driving spectacular. The new bushings and ball joints in front were probably biggest improvement of the year.
I still need to replace rear links—they are original and bushings are toast which is likely contributing to a little “unsettled” feeling that I’m still chasing down.
Truck has around 170k miles on it and I’m happy to keep investing in keeping it mechanically sound. It’s brought me so much joy and adventure a new friends over the years.
Anyways, cheers
and happy new year.
- Pinion seal
- Output seals
- Wheel bearings
- Backing plates
This year was most expensive year to date in terms of keeping her adventure ready. In addition to items above:
- OE steering rack
- OE inner and outer tie rods
- OE front differential output seals
- OE LCAs in front
- OE sway bar links and bushings all the way around
- OE panhard bar
- SPC UCAs
- Retired rusty AHC for Dobinsons MRA
Overall, truck is driving spectacular. The new bushings and ball joints in front were probably biggest improvement of the year.
I still need to replace rear links—they are original and bushings are toast which is likely contributing to a little “unsettled” feeling that I’m still chasing down.
Truck has around 170k miles on it and I’m happy to keep investing in keeping it mechanically sound. It’s brought me so much joy and adventure a new friends over the years.
Anyways, cheers
and happy new year.
1. Awesome build thread! I'm jealous. You're way ahead of my rig.
2. I'm excited to snag your old ARB armor this weekend! I've been planning on buying a set for years. I just haven't prioritized it so far, but I can't pass up a good deal!
3. Crazy to see another poster from Maple Valley in the thread, @Trail Wagon ! It's a small world.
4. A moment of silence for another ACH taken before it's time.
2. I'm excited to snag your old ARB armor this weekend! I've been planning on buying a set for years. I just haven't prioritized it so far, but I can't pass up a good deal!
3. Crazy to see another poster from Maple Valley in the thread, @Trail Wagon ! It's a small world.
4. A moment of silence for another ACH taken before it's time.
- Thread starter
- #587
lol I’ll let you spin a couple of crusty bolts on mine and see if you still think it was too soon
Sounds like a meetup with @Trail Wagon is in order?
Small word indeed! Lets get together and run some dirt. I spend a lot of time near Green Water if you ever want to tag along. Just picked up our 200 a couple weeks ago, so it's still stock atm. I mainly beat around in my AEV Canyon, if you ever see me around honk or holler
Sorry for the thread jack @tbisaacs ... open invite obviously applies to you as well.
Keeping this topic here since I follow @tbisaacs build closely…
Dropped some yellow direct replacement leds in the fog lights. I suspect I found the part on a thread here. Driving here in the city is chaotic most of time and I drive with headlights and fog on during the day to make sure other see me. I have become more cautious/defensive in my driving and will add any advantage my mitigate accidents. Had a few accidents and close calls with drivers not paying attention…lost my 80 to a distracted driver.
Driving at night, it seems the yellow drowns out the halogen lights. I haven’t put the new headlights in yet and wonder if that will make a difference. Having said that, are the yellow fog lights a plus/minus/neutral add to the visibility?
- Thread starter
- #590
My headlight situation as evolved quite a bit over time and I’m currently running Morimoto 50w HID low beams and integrated LED fog lights in my Iron Man bumper with Lamin-x amber film and I absolutely love it.
With stock halogen bulbs and LED bulbs in a halogen housing for fogs, your headlights are likely getting drowned out. Those drop in LEDs tend to put out a huge sphere of light close to front of truck vs a long cone.
If you like the yellow for contrast, Hella makes an amber halogen bulb that will fit fog lights that I really liked.
The LEDs I used were by a company called Auxito. Super bright but like you mentioned the yellow light sprays over the halogen. Saw the threads on the bd and diode direct fit replacements but couldn’t find anything on the Hellas. Is that a just a build at complete light?
- Thread starter
- #592
Wheel bearings
- Thread starter
- #593
This weekend I replaced the front hubs and wheel bearings with new complete assemblies from Cruiser Outfitters. The kit also comes with required O-ring and seal for the knuckle.
As far as I know they were original—171k miles. I had been hearing a sound from the front of the truck with the windows down that sounding like a grinding sound—but not harsh like metal on metal, but more of a gritty, rubbing sound. I initially chalked it up to my EE off-road skid plates wiggling a little bit but I can now confirm the sound I was hearing was completely gone.
Because I didn’t need to split and press in bearings this job is very straightforward. You will need a torque wrench capable of 250 lb/ft though.
1. Remove the dust cap and locking pin
2. Remove hub nut with 39mm 12-point socket
3. Remove brake caliper and hang it out of way
4. Remove rotor
5. Remove 4 hub bolts
Install / removal notes
Also bonus peace of mind having new wheel studs.
Between all the new suspension, bearings and bushings the truck feels very dialed it.
As far as I know they were original—171k miles. I had been hearing a sound from the front of the truck with the windows down that sounding like a grinding sound—but not harsh like metal on metal, but more of a gritty, rubbing sound. I initially chalked it up to my EE off-road skid plates wiggling a little bit but I can now confirm the sound I was hearing was completely gone.
Because I didn’t need to split and press in bearings this job is very straightforward. You will need a torque wrench capable of 250 lb/ft though.
1. Remove the dust cap and locking pin
2. Remove hub nut with 39mm 12-point socket
3. Remove brake caliper and hang it out of way
4. Remove rotor
5. Remove 4 hub bolts
Install / removal notes
- Getting the hub socket off can be a challenge because torque is very high and hub wants to rotate. I wedged a pry bar into the brake rotor and against my wheel laying on the ground to keep it still. You can also do this against the brake caliper.
- Both seals in the knuckles of my truck looked really good so I didn’t bother. I knew for a fact one was new. If you need to do this you have to disconnect the knuckle and punch the axle and seal out through the back.
- I didn’t remove wheel speed sensors. No issues with nicking them.
- I also installed new backing plates.
Also bonus peace of mind having new wheel studs.
Between all the new suspension, bearings and bushings the truck feels very dialed it.
Rear links
- Thread starter
- #594
I’ve spent the last few weekends slowly decommissioning the AHC components. I’ve got everything but the pump and some long lines off. This is a dirty, oily, frustrating job.
For the driver side I pulled my slider off but in hindsight this wasn’t totally necessary and I ended up snapping a mounting bolt. On passenger side I did everything with sliders in place.
What worked well was dripping the globes and disconnecting as many of the 17mm banjo fittings as possible, and then start unbolting components from the frame.
Removal is impossible without cutting some lines and even still then you gotta be really mental to try to 100% fish everything out. I will do pump but just avoiding it because pulling the rear bumper wing is annoying.
Next I had a local fabricator weld some tabs to relocate my remote reservoirs to get them out of harms way from the sway bar at full droop. Bonus is that they are easier to adjust.
I also replaced my lower links with these seriously heavy billet ones from Superior Engineering. These are strong, light, and use OEM bushings. No brainer in my book.
I swear the ride was immediately more compliant. The bushings looked okay, the passenger side had a tiny kink in it. Feels so good now. To do: OEM upper rear links.
Next I installed some drop brackets for the rear sway bar to level it out at right height.
For the driver side I pulled my slider off but in hindsight this wasn’t totally necessary and I ended up snapping a mounting bolt. On passenger side I did everything with sliders in place.
What worked well was dripping the globes and disconnecting as many of the 17mm banjo fittings as possible, and then start unbolting components from the frame.
Removal is impossible without cutting some lines and even still then you gotta be really mental to try to 100% fish everything out. I will do pump but just avoiding it because pulling the rear bumper wing is annoying.
Next I had a local fabricator weld some tabs to relocate my remote reservoirs to get them out of harms way from the sway bar at full droop. Bonus is that they are easier to adjust.
I also replaced my lower links with these seriously heavy billet ones from Superior Engineering. These are strong, light, and use OEM bushings. No brainer in my book.
I swear the ride was immediately more compliant. The bushings looked okay, the passenger side had a tiny kink in it. Feels so good now. To do: OEM upper rear links.
Next I installed some drop brackets for the rear sway bar to level it out at right height.
- Thread starter
- #595
Here is the rear all buttoned up. Super happy with it all.
Lastly, I clayed, compounded, and polished it like the
it is. It looks incredible from 10 feet.
Lastly, I clayed, compounded, and polished it like the
it is. It looks incredible from 10 feet.
Looks awesome! Gotta be a good feeling to gut that AHC..
Loving the MRR setup. We've decided that's what we are going with on ours in the near future, pretty excited!
Loving the MRR setup. We've decided that's what we are going with on ours in the near future, pretty excited!
- Thread starter
- #597
Working down a punch list on this sucker. This weekend I installed a Rival4x4 fuel tank skid. I wish it were bare aluminum but can’t beat the price and it shipped quickly from California.
While I was under there I tracked down a rattle that had been driving me nuts, it’s the foil heat shield above the exhaust. So of course the natural thing to do was to get a dual in single out 20” muffler installed for happy v8 noises.
I also ran a full quart and a half of dot3 brake fluid through, the old stuff looked like forbidden kombucha. My brakes feel primo again.
Lastly I did a zero point calibration using the wire tester SST thing. Hard to say but stability control seems much happier.
While I was under there I tracked down a rattle that had been driving me nuts, it’s the foil heat shield above the exhaust. So of course the natural thing to do was to get a dual in single out 20” muffler installed for happy v8 noises.
I also ran a full quart and a half of dot3 brake fluid through, the old stuff looked like forbidden kombucha. My brakes feel primo again.
Lastly I did a zero point calibration using the wire tester SST thing. Hard to say but stability control seems much happier.
Need a sound clip!
- Thread starter
- #599
Beefy yet tasteful
