a BIG thank you to Cora for taking some this this past week and allowing me to play around...
Was able to take the 6 out for an hour or so and put through its paces...
Some general driving impressions first...
The Jeep drives great, and I'm not just saying that.
tracks very well down the road, steers well, accelerates and brakes almost like a modern vehicle.
Driving a T18 deff takes some getting use to on the road. 2 and 4th are easy, upshift to third is a slow go and easy to miss.
Engine is beautiful... a pleasure to step on the gas!
Jeeps runs about 2,500 RPM in 4th gear at 60 mph.
I can easily get it to 85, but I'm out of gear . . . almost like a built in safety feature.
long why cruises are easy, but thirsty.
Country roads with a 55 MPH limit are best.. I can get it in 4th and keep the RPMS down.
Off Road Performance
It was odd, I had to lock hubs before popping into 4low, but there were no sway bars to disconnect
Jeep hit the woods very naturally..
Trail riding was nice, the narrow stance will keep pin striping down and an ATV trail is very doable.
A big difference is the LWB. Lots of wide turns and reverse gear was needed to stay on trail.
Rear tire carrier/cage is perfect for pivoting during some of these maneuvers in tightly wooded trails.
Lack of sliders was discovered quickly, some scratches in the aluminum will be a reminder if not sanded out..
Selectable front locker is a must for any LWB Jeep, was toggling the switch on/off frequnetly.
Suspension needs lots of breaking in or they just don't flex like they do now..
With only 500 miles on the rig and NO weight in the rear of the truck I think they need some time to give a bit.
Gearing is fantastic, wouldn't change a thing 94:1 in LOW was enough to creep down a couple rather steep grades.
the couple rocks on the trail were a quick reminder that airing down is a must.
Cant really judge performance since I was bouncing on and off. (Round 2 hopefully with sliders)
Overall a very successful outing some design changes I noted:
-Power steering cooler might be needed.. lots of turning when trails are tight..
thought i might have overheated, but could also have been a bad brake flare leaking fluid..
-more slack in front hard brake lines.. nothing broke loose, but I can see a possible problem (or it was a bad flare)
-more HYD spares (flare tool, etc.. all custom, no off the shelf parts if needed)
-SLIDERS - SKIDS
-gear tie downs in the back.. or tool box rack
-phone / GPS holder somewhere in Jeep is needed
-Shift tower boot and Tcase boot.. lost my radio remote through the floor in a quick stop
-T case shifters need to be re angled..
-TBI running slightly rich... 12 psi fuel pressure.. might need to tune down a bit..
-more wheeling will lead to a OTK of the TRE...
Some "full flex" shots followed by some more pictures form the day
