Except with coil-overs, you can't walk up, reach over the top of the tire with a ratchet and a 5/8" Allen bit socket and crank them up or down in a few seconds or so with the weight on the axle.
Nothing I need, everything I want (2005 TJR, impact orange)
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No, you sure can’t. The only thing that could beat that would be hydraulic preload adjusters like on some motorcycles and snowmobiles.
Questions are always welcome.
Everything being done to this jeep is for a purpose and Blaine has put a lot of thought into the details and execution despite my vague explanations of what/how/where I want to use the Jeep. But what he is doing more than adequately covers for everything I will do with the Jeep. There are some very nifty solutions all over the vehicle solving specific problems. I have tried my best to do justice to the work that Blaine is putting in. Although this build thread is more for myself in many ways, some responses/participation would make it much more enjoyable.
The "problem" of rear storage in a TJ is something that not been addressed before to the level being done in this build, atleast this to my knowledge. I had looked at every single thread on this forum, Jeepforum, Wranglerforum, ROF .. and also looked at every single solution out there (Genright, Bestop, Hooke, Tuffy, Diabolical ..) and everything I saw had compromises and some of the, with really bad compromises. Permanent shelves like commercially available restrict you in more ways than one and force you do to things a specific way which may not be ideal. Blaine's solutions here are much better thought out in terms of usability and convenience and has put in a ton of effort to maximize the storage/functionality while still keep it looking clean and easy to take everything out quicky if desired.
The piano hinges are there so that the shelf setup can fold and be out of the way if there is a need to use the rear space of the tub.
Rig has a rearview camera mirror (and a dedicated backup camera system) .. see a few pages back.
I see no reason to remove the padding. Water jugs, see info below.
How'd you find water jugs that perfectly match the cooler?? I like seeing the cooler with everything around it. The form factor seems pretty efficient. Still waiting for Jeremy to upload pics of his to decide which one to go with
The large water jugs (5gallon/20L) are stupid heavy. These are the smaller 10L Scepter ones which are much more easier to move around. Good fitment is due to Blaine's thoughtfulness in looking at overall picture + thinking about usability as a whole.
Cool!! That is smart, so you can put something big in there without a bunch of work.
Sorry I should've been more clear, I meant the side windows in the back. E.g. when checking blind spot changing lanes on the highway. I always do a quick lookback on the passenger side... But again that might just be because I don't have a mirror there. I guess I don't remember how big the blind spot is with it anymore
What I have been appreciating along the way is the identification and use of multiple previously unusable spaces in the cargo area. The whole space between the B and C pillars can be utilized with racks and shelves. The small shelves near the headrests, the now enclosed pocket at the front of the wheel wells, and the area up between the rear speakers are all useful now. The main shelf doubles the cargo area, but it can still be folded up for larger things when needed. This entire system is very efficient.
Years ago I modified a Harbor Freight cargo rack to fit behind the seats. It was inefficient, heavy, and poorly attached, but worked well enough for a long time before I ended up removing it last year with the intention of doing better. Like you, I have never liked the available options for reasons of both function and aesthetics. There are many ideas in Blaine's rack that I will be incorporating when the time comes to rebuild mine.
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When we were discussing the rear storage earlier, Blaine suggested I think about Bulldawg mfg hardtop that has side windows that open (1st pic below).
I chose not to do it, partly due to the 3600+ cost, but also because my idiot dumbass could not fully understand Blaine's vision/foresight and him being able to utilize what would be otherwise dead space with his mad fab skills. Imagine a gridwall in highlighted green area in 2nd pic .. you go to camp, open side windows and easy access to all the small stuff you need. The bigger stuff is accessed through the tailgate as normal. Even though I did not choose that top .. Blaine is still maximizing every bit of utility in the back.
Don't get me wrong, I am super happy with what I have in the orange jeep. Everything Blaine has touched has been magical and I consider myself fortunate/lucky to be working on this build to make my dream jeep.
I'm thinking about trying to do those side access windows in my beater Xterra. I don't love everything dirt lifestyle does - but something like the access doors on his discovery.
Stopped watching that channel after that BS long arm video a long time ago.
Do they make aftermarket windows for the Xterra that open that way?
I have definitely settled on that hard top when I finally have the funds and drive to
Replace the softop
It would all need to be custom. I envision a box, gas struts, and custom shaped "window".
I have a NSE… stands for Non Sexual Erection
@psrivats, having spoken to you a little about this build and having gone thru a deep q&a with @mrblaine when I asked him if he would work on my TJ, I am assuming you have a number of different user scenarios where weight is a factor. In fact, looking at the pics you have posted, it is clear that the placement of your specific items are very purpose driven with weight being the main factor. Question is, @mrblaine alluded to adjustable spring seats which begs my question, how many different weight configurations do you have in mind when using your TJ? What is the heaviest you think you would be hauling? Would there be settings based on which configuration you are using that day/weekend/trip? If so, and i am clear the 2 of you have thought that far and deep, that is pure playing chess whilst the rest of us are playing checkers!
I noticed that earlier. That stuff is light, strong and easily modified. The only issue I'd note in working with it is the galvanizing makes welding either dangerous or a little more tedious. You need to remove the zinc coating and still should wear a respirator and work in a very well ventilated space to avoid both acute and long term health issues.
It is not galvanized. It is store display gridwall. Generally has a very light powder coating over bare steel or one of the electro paints. If I was using hog wire or horse panel, then I'd have to deal with the zinc which is why I'm not using hog wire or horse panel.
I think you are farther ahead than I am at this point with these questions.
I do not know, but I am looking forward to figuring it out with Blaine's help and guidance.
I am likely oversimplifying a bit, but my mind is circling around indexing based on shock travel. The zero index is the baseline rig (whatever the consistent load + human is) since it will only ever get more weight in it, anything else moves the spring perches toward each other to get the shock travel back where it was designed to be affording for the spring's collapsed size. I can't wait to see how Blaine designed it and all the other pieces involved!
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