Completed Project 98 Mountaineer SAS...

[Stang5lgt]

Looks great! Turned out real nice. Have you gone on any runs with the TT?

Thanks man. Tomorrow I might get to try it out. Might head down to Eagle Rock.

 

[turboexplorer]

Cool hope it works well for you, we are headed back into happy jack to do some wheeling. Should mostly be trail stuff but raining so could be muddy. Going to look for some old military bunkers and shooting ranges.

 

[Stang5lgt]

You can see the Truetrac in action in this video. This is a waterfall I was climbing. My pass rear tire was sitting in water. I thought about pulling line but just gave up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjfR8BAehw

 

[Stang5lgt]

Nice flex shot.

Even with Dana 30 locked and with heavy beadlocks it is still holding up with stock shafts.

 

[cybergasm]

Nice!!!!!!!!

 

[Stang5lgt]

Wife driving it today...

 

[Stang5lgt]

China Wall

Think I was on low tranny fluid cause it stopped once I got on that steep rock. Finally got it hook up. And walked right up the rock. There was Cherokee behind me he struggled and had to take it at an angle. LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaua9jQjDzM
Moab Hill

 

[Stang5lgt]

Over 5k miles driven on this beast now. I have driven up to 100 miles one way to a trail head wheeled and came home. Very happy with the way this is working. Going to be beefing up the underside soon. And have a plan for rear leafs as far as the shackles go.

Ordered a steering assist kit for the Merc. Should be here later this week. I upgraded it to the 2x8 ram. Only about $250 shipped.

http://www.frontier4x4.com/TrailGearToyotaRockAssaultRamSteering

 

[Stang5lgt]

Can't wait to get this bad boy in. Rocks will be no match for my steering...

 

[gmanpaint]

Very nice. That will make wheeling a lot more fun. What pump are you going to run the ram with?

 

[Stang5lgt]

Very nice. That will make wheeling a lot more fun. What pump are you going to run the ram with?

Going to try and stick with the stock pump and put a overdrive pulley on it. It does good now with just the Ranger box. If doesn't work well then I will upgrade it. That ram the pics do not do it justice. LOL it is big!

 

[Stang5lgt]

:Update:
Over 5k miles so far on the set up. Loving it. I ordered new long travel shocks. Waiting for them to show so I can fab my new shock mounts.

Oil change wasn't super fun. But not too bad. I have had couple leaks with the relocation kit. But I tighten the fittings up and that fixed the problem. After I get the shocks on I am going to see how it does I ordered Rancho 9000s so I can adjust for firmer ride on the street. It is a little too soft. If that doesn't help then I will have to change the front coils to some firmer ones. But I really love these coils off road they flex like mad.

When I do the steering assist I am going change the track bar to a higher location. I didn't put it up high originally cause I thought I would be swapping in a 44 by now. But I am very happy with the Dana 30. Seems the axle truss is a good way to keep the little axle alive. So hoping next week to pull the front axle and get the upgrades installed. Build a new track bar and get the shock hoops made and welded in.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Got the new shocks for the front.

Shock hoops installed.

It rides a lot better. I put new ones on the rear too. Going to make some new sway bar discos next.

 

[gmanpaint]

Nice. Adjustable RS9000 are nice to have from road to trail, and to dial in front to back rocking.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Yeah it still sways a little but it is a lot better. Plus now I have 14 inches of travel. Going to try using a heim joint disco set up for the sway bar hope that will make it a little more solid. Good chance I will be driving it to Iowa next month. So I want to have the best road manners possible.

 

[Stang5lgt]

So my steering box is starting to leak out of the top from turning right. And making it a little hard sometimes to turn right. I think the stock power steering pump might be a little too powerful for the Ranger box. Which is good thing for my steering assist. Ordered a rebuild kit and going to pick up a spare box to rebuild and tap for the assist ram. Going to be awesome. Hoping to start this next week.

 

[Stang5lgt]

So I finally broke down and decided I needed to figure out some better coils. After doing some research I decided on a Ranger 5.5 Superlift #133 coils. The reviews were good. I got them and installed them right away.

Here is pic of me jacking the Merc up to pop the coil out.

Here is pic of XJ Rubicon Express 3.5 coil next to new Superlift Ranger coil. Much beefier.

I had 2 inch spacer in there too. I took the 6 inch Skyjacker XJ coils out to try the Rubicons to see if it would help and it didn't. So I decided I needed truck coil but did not want a full size truck coil.

After I installed the coils the Merc sat a little too high in the front. So I pulled the coils back out and cut one full coil off. Now it sits nice and level. I would like to drop it about another 1/2" in the front. I will wait and see if the coils settle in a little. Took for test drive and I love them. Ride is awesome. Firm in the corners and still soaks up bumps even better then the Skyjackers did. Steering is way more responsive too.

 

[4pullingGM]

Nice work on your merc!

 

[FROADER]

Those TTB coils will probably be too stiff for flexing that axle. The lever arm is a lot different on a TTB than a solid axle. Ask DB_1 about that.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Those TTB coils will probably be too stiff for flexing that axle. The lever arm is a lot different on a TTB than a solid axle. Ask DB_1 about that.

Already tested them they stuff just as well as the XJ coils did. They are awesome!