05 Flame Red TJ Build

[Alex01]

After four trips to Moab these are my thoughts.

1. Follow someone who knows what they’re doing the first time.
2. You will think you know what you are do but you have no clue.
3. I can now do a lot of trails in Moab, probably 98%.
4. I don’t wheel enough to do the hardest obstacles (e.g. Rock Chucker, Axle Hill, Chewy, et. Al.)
5. I don’t have the right rig to do some of the hardest obstacles (e.g. Widow Maker).
6. The trails with movement are getting harder every year, so if you did it in 2021 it doesn’t count for 2025.
7. Trying to do the hardest obstacles can get you in serious trouble.
8. One spotter is enough. Too many voices is not okay.
9. The main thing to do to prepare is focus on wheeling a lot. Learn the limits of your rig.
10. Learn from watching people who obviously have used trial and error (e.g. Victor, Garrett, Jeff)
11. There are pretty boys and men. The pretty boys are using their rigs as daily drivers (I’m one of them). The men are destroying their rigs by trial and error (only some of them fix the destruction). It doesn’t matter because they are not daily drivers.

Probably more, but that’s it for now. I don’t know if I have the time or what it takes to prepare for the hardest obstacles. I feel like they are too sparsely experienced by me to be able to be comfortable on them.

Sounds about right. Moab is tough also because you don't know if it's a standard jeep line or a 42" 118" rear steer V8 buggy line. Especially when it's just a bit outside of where you belong. It's easy to get carried away when you see an excessive amount of rubber on lines you have no business on.

 

[inkedrose]

After four trips to Moab these are my thoughts.

1. Follow someone who knows what they’re doing the first time.
2. You will think you know what you are do but you have no clue.
3. I can now do a lot of trails in Moab, probably 98%.
4. I don’t wheel enough to do the hardest obstacles (e.g. Rock Chucker, Axle Hill, Chewy, et. Al.)
5. I don’t have the right rig to do some of the hardest obstacles (e.g. Widow Maker).
6. The trails with movement are getting harder every year, so if you did it in 2021 it doesn’t count for 2025.
7. Trying to do the hardest obstacles can get you in serious trouble.
8. One spotter is enough. Too many voices is not okay.
9. The main thing to do to prepare is focus on wheeling a lot. Learn the limits of your rig.
10. Learn from watching people who obviously have used trial and error (e.g. Victor, Garrett, Jeff)
11. There are pretty boys and men. The pretty boys are using their rigs as daily drivers (I’m one of them). The men are destroying their rigs by trial and error (only some of them fix the destruction). It doesn’t matter because they are not daily drivers.

Probably more, but that’s it for now. I don’t know if I have the time or what it takes to prepare for the hardest obstacles. I feel like they are too sparsely experienced by me to be able to be comfortable on them.

I showed up thinking I wanted to wheel with the big boys.... then I saw the big boys wheel. Lesson in humility. Learned so much watching everyone all week

 

[Mike_H]

I haven’t been to Moab, yet, but I have learned that I am probably not gonna make it as a wheeler on YouTube, lol. Being down south, in the mud and mountains told me that. Hollerwood was the wake-up call for me. Not enough tire, wheelbase, or power to play there. We had fun, but left so much of the park unexplored. You need a rig like @NashvilleTJ or not care about the body like @gasiorv. That’s not me in either case.

I do want to go to Moab, but lately, been thinking more and more about flying out and renting a SxS.

Glad you’re OK, Jeremy. That was a big boy flop!

 

[rasband]

I showed up thinking I wanted to wheel with the big boys.... then I saw the big boys wheel. Lesson in humility. Learned so much watching everyone all week

Join us some for this summer season, I'm bummed we didn't get to wheel together!

 

[inkedrose]

Join us some for this summer season, I'm bummed we didn't get to wheel together!

Yeah me too, glad got to meet you at least. @jjvw worked across street from me and @tworley has been tattooed in my shop but still haven't met either. Got to wheel with @lBasket and @hosejockey61, I'll tag along on a Colorado Krew trip this summer for sure

 

[TJTurley]

Almost to Moab! The Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi 5.7L has been doing great! Thanks to @TJTurley for giving me the idea to tow with this rig. HD Cooler FTW!

View attachment 613407

View attachment 613408

Yeah buddy! I should have taken a picture of my dash with the tranny temp… it never broke 200, even when towing Big Red up hill! The cooler is dope! I also had an “anti-sway” setup from Harbor Freight in the box but i didn’t end up mounting it. If i have time and can manage some drilling, i may add that to the trailer as well for future use.

 

[JMT]

Hard not to try to fix what I can. I have a long way to go. Lots of little things happen in a rollover.

Before

After

Found a cage in Flame Red! Just came up for sale 15hr ago. Snagged it for $50. My drivers side is bent in several inches. I could’ve tried some modification, but 50 bucks is really cheap. The stock cage has worked really well the two times I rolled over so at this point I don’t see a reason to go into some crazy cage building exercise.

 

[JMT]

Jeep needs some attention. I’m gonna align it again today and also just check the wheels because they seem out of balance but it could be the alignment or something loose upfront in the steering. Front speakers on the stereo work about 90% of the time so something is loose either on the amp or behind the speakers. I hope I can get that to check it out this next week. I have a lead on a flame red windshield frame, but it’s on hold for someone till Monday, so I’ll have to check back. They want $402 for it and it’s got broken glass. I don’t know what year it’s from and the break is 97–02 and 03–06. I much prefer to have an 03–06 so I don’t have to make any modifications. If I could pull my glass without breaking it and then just have someone come and install it it might just be a $75 or so.

 

[JMT]

I do want to go to Moab, but lately, been thinking more and more about flying out and renting a SxS.

You could certainly see a lot more with a SxS. Of course, I think it’s totally different experience. If it works for you then that’s great. I think sometimes my wife looks at them and thinks that would be a lot of fun. Then I say things like don’t forget all the dust, wearing a helmet, wearing eye protection! Then she kind of frowns.

 

[lBasket]

Hard not to try to fix what I can. I have a long way to go. Lots of little things happen in a rollover.

Before
View attachment 614808

After
View attachment 614810

Found a cage in Flame Red! Just came up for sale 15hr ago. Snagged it for $50. My drivers side is bent in several inches. I could’ve tried some modification, but 50 bucks is really cheap. The stock cage has worked really well the two times I rolled over so at this point I don’t see a reason to go into some crazy cage building exercise.

View attachment 614811

Good deal on the replacement cage.

You could certainly see a lot more with a SxS. Of course, I think it’s totally different experience. If it works for you then that’s great. I think sometimes my wife looks at them and thinks that would be a lot of fun. Then I say things like don’t forget all the dust, wearing a helmet, wearing eye protection! Then she kind of frowns.

She doesn't want a pair of those sweet goggles?? Can't believe you haven't posted up a pic of them.

 

[JMT]

Alignment is dead on. Steering wheel slightly off center. I’ll fix when I get home from an appointment. Tires were out of balance due to grease from the zerks falling in the backside of the rim. So that’s all good.

Mostly back together driving like a dream. Just need to clean it up, get a windshield frame and move my windshield over if needed. The glass I have is only about 6 months old. The cage is scraped up, but the real issue is it’s bent about 2.5” inward.

 

[JMT]

She doesn't want a pair of those sweet goggles?? Can't believe you haven't posted up a pic of them.

All she does is laugh at my goggles, but I don’t care. I wanted them so bad after Pritchett in 2023 because the out is this forever road and dust was so bad that day that my eyes were almost swollen shut. Hell no! Not doing that again. They were irritated for days. First sign of dust after MM and she was like, do you want your goggles?!

Hell ya! Bring it.

 

[Mike_H]

You could certainly see a lot more with a SxS. Of course, I think it’s totally different experience. If it works for you then that’s great. I think sometimes my wife looks at them and thinks that would be a lot of fun. Then I say things like don’t forget all the dust, wearing a helmet, wearing eye protection! Then she kind of frowns.

Yeah, I do want to use my jeep, but I think I want to see the scenery more. Logistically, it’s a tough trip. Two weeks off work, and I’m not sure my truck has the stones to pull over the Rockies.

Flying out and renting a SxS I can do a week trip, and not worry too much about anything. We ride SxS quite a bit when we’re in the UP, so I’m used to them.

I do need to look into it more, and see what the trail restrictions are. If they are too limiting, then that won’t work either.

 

[JMT]

Yeah, I do want to use my jeep, but I think I want to see the scenery more. Logistically, it’s a tough trip. Two weeks off work, and I’m not sure my truck has the stones to pull over the Rockies.

Flying out and renting a SxS I can do a week trip, and not worry too much about anything. We ride SxS quite a bit when we’re in the UP, so I’m used to them.

I do need to look into it more, and see what the trail restrictions are. If they are too limiting, then that won’t work either.

I think you’d be set. Y’all would have a great time. The scenery is amazing, and even if you’re not in a SxS every day there is soooo much to do. High speed boating on the Colorado, river rafting, zip lining, MTB trails, hikes to arches outside the national parks, Arches, Canyonlands, don’t miss Dead Horse Point or the Islands in the Sky. I think the SxS have a lot of freedom, but they have clamped down on their use and really want people to just be respectful in their use around the locals. They can be loud! I’m sure you know, just affirming I think Moab is awesome even if you never use your Jeep. Y’all would have an amazing time. Just seeing the LaSal’s in the background daily is one of the weirdest and awesomest parts of America.

 

[Farmergreg]

All she does is laugh at my goggles, but I don’t care. I wanted them so bad after Pritchett in 2023 because the out is this forever road and dust was so bad that day that my eyes were almost swollen shut. Hell no! Not doing that again. They were irritated for days. First sign of dust after MM and she was like, do you want your goggles?!

Hell ya! Bring it.

View attachment 614910

View attachment 614911

Straight outta Mad Max!

 

[JMT]

I installed the Setrab cooler for trips like Moab. The report is that it did really well and I never saw temps over 150, though it may have spiked over 150 and I just didn’t notice. I plan to put a bypass in this Summer so that the transmission temps heat up faster in the winter since the temps rarely get over 100F and that’s too low. I’ve got way too much to do, but my teaching semester is over so I can take a few weeks off and then hopefully have time to get to work on various projects.

The 2005 flame red windshield frame I found in my area was on hold till Monday and apparently sold, so that option is out. Now I’m stuck with EBay and Car-Parts. I have an inquiry in on a 2004 from MN. Pretty much all of them on Car Parts are from the NE because people are parting them out due to frame rust. I’ll wait and see what they come back with. It was given an A rating which is supposed to be very good.

 

[Mike_H]

I installed the Setrab cooler for trips like Moab. The report is that it did really well and I never saw temps over 150, though it may have spiked over 150 and I just didn’t notice. I plan to put a bypass in this Summer so that the transmission temps heat up faster in the winter since the temps rarely get over 100F and that’s too low. I’ve got way too much to do, but my teaching semester is over so I can take a few weeks off and then hopefully have time to get to work on various projects.

The 2005 flame red windshield frame I found in my area was on hold till Monday and apparently sold, so that option is out. Now I’m stuck with EBay and Car-Parts. I have an inquiry in on a 2004 from MN. Pretty much all of them on Car Parts are from the NE because people are parting them out due to frame rust. I’ll wait and see what they come back with. It was given an A rating which is supposed to be very good.

Watch out for an 03-06 windshield frame from rusty states. They rot really badly, for some reason. I'm running the earlier model because an 03-06 was like 600 dollars, and I picked up my early model, in the right color with good glass for 200 bucks. Yeah, I had to drill some holes so the trim would fit properly, but it was worth the couple hours work to save that money.

 

[rasband]

Watch out for an 03-06 windshield frame from rusty states. They rot really badly, for some reason. I'm running the earlier model because an 03-06 was like 600 dollars, and I picked up my early model, in the right color with good glass for 200 bucks. Yeah, I had to drill some holes so the trim would fit properly, but it was worth the couple hours work to save that money.

Funny you mentioned that. I have someone here replacing my windshield now and he mentioned that it's pretty common to have rust problems around the frame, even here in CO.

 

[Mike_H]

Funny you mentioned that. I have someone here replacing my windshield now and he mentioned that it's pretty common to have rust problems around the frame, even here in CO.

Yeah, it was something to do with how they drained or didn't, rather. I don't know exactly what is different, just that they had a big problem with it. Mine was absolutely TRASHED, but you'd have never known looking at the outside.

 

[JMT]

Watch out for an 03-06 windshield frame from rusty states. They rot really badly, for some reason. I'm running the earlier model because an 03-06 was like 600 dollars, and I picked up my early model, in the right color with good glass for 200 bucks. Yeah, I had to drill some holes so the trim would fit properly, but it was worth the couple hours work to save that money.

Well crap. I was exactly trying to avoid what you stated, that is drilling more holes. But yeah way rather do that than have to deal with the rust. One of my main questions I asked was whether it had rust on it or not.