M4wd&Fabrications
Projects place => Projects Section => Topic started by: MarcW on July 26, 2018, 01:10:38 PM
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So I figured I’d start a separate thread on this thing, since mine is still alive and doing well; Jeff’s is in pieces from hitting trees at speed.
I bought two trackers a year ago for $450, and got one running out of the pair. Between the two I sold off as much as I could and scrapped the rest, and was left with a profit. So the only money I really have in to the thing is the upgrades I’ve added.
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For those that don’t know, Geo Trackers weigh roughly 21-2400lbs, depending on trim package and top selection. The 16 Valve 1.6L that came in the 92-98 Tracker/Sidekick puts out 95hp when new.
Right off the bat Jeff and I added ATV tires to them; Sedona Mud Rebel R/T in 30x10x15. The lugs on these thing made up for the power the Tracker doesn’t have.
Jeff wanted to keep his “oem†looking, I wanted to strip anything off mine that I could sell, and also save weight. So I completely gutted mine of all non essential parts.
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Made custom bumpers front and rear using scrap pieces laying around, and welded the rear.
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That’s pretty much how it stayed since last fall while it got used and abused in Attica. The tires more than made up for the small motor, and there’s nothing (except one mud hole, and a 70* grade hill) in Attica that it’s been denied yet. The short wheelbase is surprisingly stable and I have yet to roll it, even after catching air and rolling a bead in a freak stump hit.
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This past Spring I decided to start making it a little more user friendly, and safer to drive. The oem tank hangs way too low in the rear, so I mounted and plumbed a 12 gallon Jaz cell I had floating around my garage for the past two years. Trackicks already use a return fuel system so plumbing was quick and easy. I copied what I did with the Race Jeep fuel system as it seems to have worked well; walbro pickups and hard line. When I bought this cell it also came with foam, not the good kind, so I need to remember to use non-ethanol in it.
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More recently I decided to rewire a few things, and delete everything off the column. Trackicks have a funny shift interlock system, that combined with a broken pin in the ignition cylinder made starting it a patient man’s game. So I deleted all of it.
I wired up the essentials that I wanted using Carling switches, and gave it push button start. I plan to run these switches on the Race Jeep so I figured if I can get them to survive the abuse in the Tracker they should be fine. I know some like the sealed toggles for open applications, but the only bad thing I’ve read about Carling switches is debris getting behind the rocker, and I like the ease of an all in one unit.
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carlings are among the only switches I haven't had failures of in 571. even a couple sealed pushbuttons have flaked out, though most were older than the Conturas I use. Good call.
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carlings are among the only switches I haven't had failures of in 571. even a couple sealed pushbuttons have flaked out, though most were older than the Conturas I use. Good call.
I’ve been running them for a couple years now between various vehicles, but never in an open application before. That’s good to hear they handle the abuse. No trouble with mud or debris preventing the rocker from, rocking?
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This thing literally gets treated like a SxS, it gets parked, then hosed down inside and out after each trip. I figured if something shorts or quits it wasn’t meant to be.
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pressure washer fixes that right up
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very cool builds guys! these things are a blast!.... didnt jeff put a plow on his last winter too?
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very cool builds guys! these things are a blast!.... didnt jeff put a plow on his last winter too?
He ended up picking up two more for his neighbor last Fall, and his neighbor had Jeff put a plow on so he could use it.
Between the two of us now we’ve picked up probably a dozen or so lol. I like finding them and parting them, it’s become my new hobby.
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Decided to order up some DIY beadlocks, since 5-6psi was starting to burp the tires last time out. After a little research I decided on dirt track racing beadlocks, made by Aero: 3/16 inner weld ring, with a stamped outer ring to help strength and keep rocks away from bolt heads. I read a few users on Pirate and various Jeep forums had good results with them. And they’ll be light, which is key for this build.
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Decided to order up some DIY beadlocks, since 5-6psi was starting to burp the tires last time out. After a little research I decided on dirt track racing beadlocks, made by Aero: 3/16 inner weld ring, with a stamped outer ring to help strength and keep rocks away from bolt heads. I read a few users on Pirate and various Jeep forums had good results with them. And they’ll be light, which is key for this build.
These for aluminum wheels? Or you switching to steel?
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I love this thread! 8)
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I originally had oem steel, but switched to oem aluminum to see if the weight reduction in rotational mass would be noticeable. It felt like it was, but could have been in my head. For the DIY beadlocks I’ll be switching back to either oem steel, buy some cheap steelies, or I think Brett might have some CJ wheels for me. I’d like to stick with 15x7 since this thing will mostly live with a 31 under it.
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About a month ago at a Wicked event in Attica, I noticed a leak from the headers, I guess oem Trackick headers are very prone to cracking in a certain spot. They are also short headers, which are great for fast stuff, but left a lot to be desired on hill climbs and anything needing low end.
I went in search for aftermarket headers, and came across many options for the previous gen motor (8 valve), but only two for the 16 valve I have. The two 16 valve options were around $400, while I could get eBay headers for the 8 valve for $100. I don’t know why the discrepancy, but I took a chance and ordered the 8 valve headers of eBay.
When I got them I was glad to find out that the only real difference was the mount flange, and openings were barely a quarter inch off. So my solution was to cut off the flange meant for the 8 valve and completely fabricate one for the 16 valve, and open up the pipe ends to line up.
Worked perfect!
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The increase in low end, from these being long tubes, was very noticeable. The motor no longer bogs on hill climbs, but rather falls to a steady rumble and just plows ahead.
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Now, do something about that oil leak haha
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Now, do something about that oil leak haha
:(
It’s self flushing.
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15x7 wheels ordered and on their way, Aero beadlocks came in today. I think they’ll do just fine. I’ve read some that run them drill out the other holes(bolt ring has 32 holes like a normal beadlock, the weld ring only has 16), but with a 30†atv tire I think I’ll run them as is. The weight of each wheel will def be going up quite a bit compared to the oem alum wheels I have now. I’m going to weight both to see when I switch over.
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Late night with Jeff, ran to PA for his new toy which will make its debut this weekend. I stayed late at the shop to get the tires mounted on the beadlocks since dismounting would have been a chore without the tire machine. Weight definitely increased as expected, I’ll weigh them in the AM to get and actual weight to compare to.
All in all I think the DIY’s came out ok; they hold air.
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Only thing left for me to do to have it ready for the weekend is get the amazon special LEDs on that I got. I had lighting on it but last time out I quickly realized I did not want to bash the $600 in VisionX light bars and pods for the sake of Tracker action. I had them from a previous project, but still.
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I lied, all tires had leaks this morning. Slimed them all for the weekend, probably just keep it in there if it seals them too.
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Took a trip to visit my parents in coastal Maine a couple weeks ago, then further north to our family cabin for a some relaxation and fishing.
Picked up a parts Tracker along the way, and brought it all the way back to NY. This was the first time my van and trailer combo left the state.
This was actually the longest I’ve ever hauled anything since owning a traile. Everything went smooth, other than the non stop rain when I left Friday night 8/17. The LED bar on front of my van was a life saver with how hard the rain came down.
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Having been back now a few weeks, and putting off parting the blue Tracker (Salmon season coming soon so I’ve been getting all my fishing gear ready, and doing some fishing around Buffalo having finally brought my gear back from my parents house in Maine after 4 years of living here), I decided to actually do some interweb searching on other Tracker builds.
That’s when I found this on an older Colorado4x4 thread build.
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Now I’ve been pretty content with my wee ol Tracker and everything it can do. But look at that thing! It looks like a mini 4400 buggy!
I’ve decided to sell my white woods Tracker, and use the blue one I brought back from Maine as my blank canvas for a new build, and actual build, and try to focus more on the SxS half of the “Poor Man’s SxSâ€.
The frame is solid on the one I have, and the body in decent shape(at least the parts I plan to keep), however the motor is dead. I haven’t confirmed but seller said he couldn’t figure it out.
The plan was originally take what I can from the white one including the motor. But rather than take the $400 in parts I want from the white and be left with scrap,I figure I can sell as a running woods buggy and just buy what I’ll need for the new build, including a running motor.
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White one have any chance of being put on the road?
#askingforafriend
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I broke the DIY beadlocks down to fix the leaks, and boy was cleaning that green slime out a mess. Good thing it cleans fast with just a hose. The plan is to fix the leaks, throw the Mud Rebel UTV tires back on, and sell with the white Tracker.
I really want to keep the DIY’s, but after getting an actual weight of the steel DIY with ring and bolts, 31lbs, vs the oem aluminum wheel at 14lbs, I think I’ll make a non beadlock work for now purely for the weight savings.
Plans for the new build so far are to keep the oem drivetrain, beef up the IFS, find a good way to delete the struts, replace the front aluminum anvil with a steel one, cage it, send it.
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Mike, no title unfortunately 😔
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Coyotes are a much lighter beadlock option
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Coyotes are a much lighter beadlock option
I had to look these up. They’re an insert? Oem wheel is 5.5 wide I believe, any issue you think?
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maybe! hmm