Thanks! I use one tool roll, but planning more and I like to have a few longer tools like a 15” breaker bar, so I might go the Voyager route. Still might want a bin too. Can’t decide! Have a great camping trip at Tahuya!
Brandon's Arles Blue TJ
- Thread starter bbaldwin237
- Start date
Thanks! I use one tool roll, but planning more and I like to have a few longer tools like a 15” breaker bar, so I might go the Voyager route. Still might want a bin too. Can’t decide! Have a great camping trip at Tahuya!
Had a great trip to Tahuya. Put the sliders and rear bumper to work a bit on this trip. Slammed the rear bumper pretty hard on each side and both sliders took a couple good hits. Glad they were there.
The driver's slider step saved me today even though some like to argue that they're a hindrance. Had an obstacle where you have to go over a root and the base of the tree on the driver's side and a rock on the passenger side and then turn hard driver to pivot around the tree. Well some recent rain made that rock slick when your muddy tire gets on it and every time it would slide to the passenger side and set the front tire in a perfect hole (clearly I wasn't the first to end up there). This made the steering stuck because the tire was wedged. When you back up, you have to straighten the wheel as soon as it gets on the rock or you'll back into a tree. This causes the Jeep to slide to the driver's side, against the slider. If the step didn't hold it away, the tire would fall into the crack between the tree and the rock and perform a fender delete for you. I tried 4 times, and each time it would hit the step, and then bend the flare as I backed up. Without the step, it would've been trashed after the first try. Makes me question whether I want to go to aluminum fenders. Maybe I just keep stock fenders?
Can't figure out a way to make that obstacle. It's basically just one big rock in a turn, but the way it's set up is a tight pivoting turn. Passenger rear tire just wouldn't hook on the tire and the rock was hitting the control arm bracket and slider (actually the bottom of the slider, not the step). More lift with help with the slider, but not bracket.
Anyway, we had fun and came home without any breakage. Didn't take many pictures.
I added a second washer to my steering on the passenger side but still have rubbing on the SwayLoc. I need to measure, but I think these tires are pretty wide for a 12.5. I noticed this when I backed up on the log for a picture. The link seems to have some interference in a situation like this and the upper is even just touching the tire. I plan to swap for the Rock Jock links in the future, but not sure if they will be better or worse.
The driver's slider step saved me today even though some like to argue that they're a hindrance. Had an obstacle where you have to go over a root and the base of the tree on the driver's side and a rock on the passenger side and then turn hard driver to pivot around the tree. Well some recent rain made that rock slick when your muddy tire gets on it and every time it would slide to the passenger side and set the front tire in a perfect hole (clearly I wasn't the first to end up there). This made the steering stuck because the tire was wedged. When you back up, you have to straighten the wheel as soon as it gets on the rock or you'll back into a tree. This causes the Jeep to slide to the driver's side, against the slider. If the step didn't hold it away, the tire would fall into the crack between the tree and the rock and perform a fender delete for you. I tried 4 times, and each time it would hit the step, and then bend the flare as I backed up. Without the step, it would've been trashed after the first try. Makes me question whether I want to go to aluminum fenders. Maybe I just keep stock fenders?
Can't figure out a way to make that obstacle. It's basically just one big rock in a turn, but the way it's set up is a tight pivoting turn. Passenger rear tire just wouldn't hook on the tire and the rock was hitting the control arm bracket and slider (actually the bottom of the slider, not the step). More lift with help with the slider, but not bracket.
Anyway, we had fun and came home without any breakage. Didn't take many pictures.
I added a second washer to my steering on the passenger side but still have rubbing on the SwayLoc. I need to measure, but I think these tires are pretty wide for a 12.5. I noticed this when I backed up on the log for a picture. The link seems to have some interference in a situation like this and the upper is even just touching the tire. I plan to swap for the Rock Jock links in the future, but not sure if they will be better or worse.
Report back! Also, in pic above with your upper Swayloc link rubbing the tire? Did you get that solved? What’s your wheel BS?
I did not. I've only had the Jeep out wheeling once since then and didn't do anything that would create a similar situation with the link, but plenty of rubbing on the arm. I may go ahead and order the RJ links this week when I order new RJ springs and bump stop kits.
Backspace is 3.75". I still need to measure the width of the tire. They just seem real wide for a 12.5" but it could just be in relation to the size of the Jeep versus the 12.5" wide's on my Ram.
Savvy corner armor ordered through Extreme Terrain. It let me stack the 5% military discount with a $25 coupon, plus free shipping 
Savvy corner armor ordered through Extreme Terrain. It let me stack the 5% military discount with a $25 coupon, plus free shipping
Cool
Orders are stacking up. UCF ultra-high clearance skid, engine skid, gas tank skid and new seatbelts. Going to have my work cut out for me this winter!
Can't wait to see the "NEW" Jeep... Once I get back from Sand Hollow in May we'll have to plan a run.
It'll be a lot different from when you saw it last.
I'm still having a little indecision on the lift. I know I should go to 4" coils, but I like the stance and am tempted to add some bump stop to keep it out of the fender in the front and leave the height. It's definitely not optimal, but I'm trying to decide if it's a sacrifice I want to make.
I already decided against the GR aluminum fenders after my incident with the tree a couple months ago when I realized I would've probably trashed them while the factory flare just popped right back into place.
I wondered if 4” lift would help clear the Swayloc upper link. Also wondered what angle the arm is sitting at when at ride height on flat ground.
Have fun installing parts this winter.
Shoestring was what did in my stock fenders on that infamous snow run right in 2005.... I got Poison Spyder tube fenders after that...
Definitely compressed. Both of my smashed fenders make my jeep look sad
I don't think it would make a difference. It sits almost perfectly level at ride height right now. The arm would still be in nearly the same location when stuffed like that.
Trees are risky! If they get smashed I'll cross that bridge then. For now I think I'm better off waiting.
I don't know what happened, but how do you think the aluminum GRs would've held up against whatever caused it? I'm fearful because I was in a situation where I was stuck on a rock and having to go backwards and the back edge of the flare was caught on the tree.
It's a situation where I could have tried using the winch to pull the front end sideways, but as I backed off the rock, it pushed you against the tree. And I think if I was pulling the front end sideways, it wouldn't have been able to back off the rock. It was an interesting situation for sure. Wish I had gotten out for pictures.
If a GR fender were already against a tree and your rig pushed against it I think it would be fine.
If there was impact the GR flare may be fine. On my flop in Moab in 2023 it was just scraped up and easy to buff out. Apparently it wasn’t even bad enough to take a pic of, so here are a couple that show what did happen.
Upon impact in the 2025 flop it bent the GR flare and I was able to manipulate it to get it mostly back to normal. I don’t notice it now. This is what it looked like at the time.
Overall, they are pretty resilient.
You can see the worst of the scrape still, but the outside 2"+ of the flare was completely pushed down against the tree. Honestly, had I not had sliders with a step, I probably would've ripped it off and possibly even dented the cowl, windshield, or fender. The slider was against the tree and allowed me to keep the body that much farther from the tree. I had to reach out and fold the mirror in before backing up and thought it was still going to be taken off.
I've decided that line isn't for me! lol I'll probably try it again one day, but last time I was there it looked like someone else had gotten stuck in the same spot and dug it out pretty bad.
Stock flares move out of the way well. The fenders crumple like paper. I think you just wheel till you need to fix something.
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