3wbdriver's 2014 TE build thread.

[mdogg]

They are flush cut on the back and there is a possibility of clearance issues with the front brake calipers. I had driven mine 500 miles to work before I found an ever so tiny little drag line on one wheel from a high spot on one caliper. I am currently running a pair of 1/4" spacers on the front. But I have consulted a tech and he says it will do no harm to file down the casting marks on the calipers to get that 1/16th" I need. I just wanted you to have full knowledge of this possible issue. Otherwise I am perfectly happy with them.

Thanks for the heads up! Great info (that isn't otherwise out there based purely on the published specs).

 

[harkco]

Man.... Those look great! Glad the install went well. Looking forward to pics of the Baja rack. I am patiently waiting on my Gobi (that your purchase help pay for . Then it's either Icon or OME - can't make up mind.

Hope you enjoy the sliders!

I picked up a set of unused Shrockworks Step Sliders from member harko last week. Saved me a 3 month wait. My nephew and I got them installed over the weekend in about 90 minutes. I hate to admit we spent about 15 minutes just figuring out how to get the blind nuts into the frame before my nephew spotted the plastic access covers.

Next on my list. A full length Baja Rack I will hopefully have by the end of this month. :art:

 

[3wbdriver]

Canyons is not far from me, but I thought it was on the more extreme end of things. In fact, I thought they required a roll cage, but I guess not.

You have encouraged me to check it out.

I would like to see the vid.

This is the first wash we drove down. The last 3 minutes is pretty much nothing. I'm still learning how to edit my GoPro vids.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y9oB4twtP8A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[3wbdriver]

I met member Viera this morning at an Ihop in south San Antonio. We spent about 30 minutes installing a Baja Rack that he let me buy with an offer I couldn't refuse. Then we went inside and shot the breeze over breakfast until I had to cut time short so I could go back to the rig and get some sleep for tonight. I really enjoyed the conversation and actually lost track of time for a while there. The rack was just a bonus from the day, and thank you again.

I think she's about done. I did see a hidden winch mount the other day that HWMS has developed for the 14's. I am very interested in that because I really don't want to lose the lower half of the nose for armor. But I believe from now on it will be nitpicky little things like a CB, rear storage, Hi-lift jack mount, etc, etc.....

 

[3wbdriver]

It's amazing what driving 1.5 miles of dirt road that rig traffic has ground down to 3" deep silt will do to coat a clean vehicle.

 

[3wbdriver]

Here's another video from my Canyons trip last month. One of the easier trails I opted for after bailing on the group over an obstacle I wasn't comfortable with.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2V4nhOjrg7c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Warpath]

Just curious, are you still happy with your Bilstein leveling kit? I am thinking about getting them because I think the 4R has too much of a rake.

 

[3wbdriver]

Very happy with it. But in hindsight I think I might have saved up a little longer and gone with an Old Man Emu system. Having bought the Bilstein setup I will stay with it short of something breaking. As much as I like the slight reverse rake look I am thinking about adding either the spring spacers I bought from hrod79 or 2" extended springs for the rear. Not for better handling, but for better departure angle off road.

But if you're looking to just level it the Bilstein kits are great.

 

[Warpath]

I installed some OMEs on my '07 FJ Cruiser when I installed an ARB bumper to compensate for sag. I love them but I didn't see anything that was considered a leveling kit. Do they just have a standard lift that gets rid of the rake?

Very happy with it. But in hindsight I think I might have saved up a little longer and gone with an Old Man Emu system. Having bought the Bilstein setup I will stay with it short of something breaking. As much as I like the slight reverse rake look I am thinking about adding either the spring spacers I bought from hrod79 or 2" extended springs for the rear. Not for better handling, but for better departure angle off road.

But if you're looking to just level it the Bilstein kits are great.

 

[3wbdriver]

I honestly couldn't say. That and price were the main reasons I went with the Bilsteins. I wanted leveled but not lifted at the time. It was after I had it off road a couple times and dragged the receiver that I started thinking I should have gone with the OME setup. I still only want to basically restore a little rear lift to offset the load I normally carry. I have that pair of 1 1/4" spring spacers I will probably try first. It's just a matter of getting the time to install them. And I just didn't want to level it with front shock spacers for personal reasons.

 

[Warpath]

Ok, I'll definitely have to look more into it. Did your Bilstein's at least get rid of the right side lean?

 

[3wbdriver]

Lol. I haven't had a noticeable lean. Either before or after the kit. Sorry.

 

[67GP]

Hello there. What are you doing at the rig? I am also employed in Oil Field.--Dave

 

[3wbdriver]

Hello there. What are you doing at the rig? I am also employed in Oil Field.--Dave

I'm an MWD, currently working the Eagleford shale south of San Antonio.

 

[3wbdriver]

I finally got home during a time one of the regional 4wd clubs had an event going on. We got to go play with the Louisiana 4x4 club (mostly Jeep guys) at a 400 acre farm near Tunica, La. The owner allows the club to use the property during non-hunting season. I finally got to test the Grabbers in some mud/red clay and they seemed to hold up as well as other vehicles with dedicated mud tires. As always it was reinforced to me that momentum is king in a lot of those situations. Did some interesting hills and finally stuck it enough we needed to be dragged out. No shame though because roughy 75% of the rigs in our group had trouble with the same obstacle. The only ones who made it through were well lifted Jeeps with minimal rear overhang. Heavily wooded and lots of tight turns between trees. I got my first trail damage when the silver center piece on the rear bumper was dragged loose crossing one ditch. I had to remove it completely to make the drive home.This was my wife's first off road trip since the early 80's, and while she was literally scared senseless a couple times overall she claims she really had a good time. We will wait and see if she keeps going with me on these trips. I'll try to post some videos after I cut/edit/upload them. Here are a couple pics. We had one FJ, my 4Runner, a nicely equipped FJ40, and a couple Taco's come out. There was even a box stock street tired '98 Pathfinder with our group. The rest were the Jeep guys ranging from stock to full blown crawlers that were broken down into 3 different skill groups.

 

[SouthernSS]

seeing the mud and trail damage, I'm kinda glad I missed this one. At the same time I'm upset I missed it cause it looked like fun.

 

[3wbdriver]

seeing the mud and trail damage, I'm kinda glad I missed this one. At the same time I'm upset I missed it cause it looked like fun.

I could have used your front bumper too! I had to be pulled out of that mud hole by my front tiedown point. Thankfully I already had the strap attached to it or it would have been a deep mud dive to hook it up.

I carried this muck around for the rest of the day and there was so much mud caked in that right front wheel the steering wheel had a severe shake when we left. I had to stop and scrape out as much as I could until I could get to a car wash.

 

[Tayzorz]

lookin good! i need to make a trip to canyons one day. i've got a ranch in san marcos so fredericksburg is really not far at all.

 

[3wbdriver]

Photo courtesy of [MENTION=105021]thelouv[/MENTION]. Who I didn't even know I was talking to at the time because he was disguised as a Jeep driver...

I could have bypassed this hole on the left, but NOOOOOOO, I was too cocky and knew the 4R would just roll right through it. Little did I know the clay was too slick for the fronts to get a bite to pull up out of it to the side, and the tree out of picture to the right wouldn't allow a straight run. To its credit the White Whale did back right out, but this little hole was my humility check for the day. You can't see me in the vehicle because I'm hiding under the dash hoping nobody will notice us....... :redface:

 

[3wbdriver]

Some vids from the weekend.

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<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EAWSyU5Qn5w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qH-ySe615W0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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