Just another Jeep

[Somecallmetimm]

Yes.. it is the same thing, however, there seems to be a premium on items built specifically for "overlanding".

But then there's the old saying... Camping is spending a fortune to live like a homeless person.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Not overly exciting... but still a bit of an upgrade.
So I had one of those moments in traffic where I heard a horrible noise coming from somewhere, and thought " someone is going to have a bad day!" Well, it was me. I was going to have a bad day.
Turns out the front bearings were shot. Ok... no biggie. Swapped them out. Simple job! Having had older jeeps with lockout hubs, the level of simplicity with unit bearings was a bit refreshing, simple and clean.
Out with the old!
20220522_132327 by Tim, on Flickr

In with the shiny new!
20220522_132343 by Tim, on Flickr

Got the swap done and took the obligatory test drive, only to discover that part of the noise was still present. UGH!!! What could it be?
Upon further investigation the noise was traced to the rear driver's brake. (Could be why it was difficult to pinpoint the initial diagnosis)
Popped the brake off and found these floating around.
20220522_153125 by Tim, on Flickr

Note the flat spots....
Fortunately they didn't cause too much damage while floating around in the drum. Got the jeep all set for my short trip coming up on the 3rd. Next is taking care of the trailer bearings.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Almost forgot... I picked up a set of JL takeoffs for the XJ. The current tires are very old and while working on the bearings I discovered a 2" long crack in one of them. Searched the used market and picked these up for pretty cheap. Adapters will show up tomorrow. and the jeep will have new shoes. Pix to come.

The new setup
Screenshot_20220523-143647_Facebook by Tim, on Flickr

 

[zgfiredude]

I have a set of 5 JK Rubicon wheels you can have if you want.......I have them listed on CL and zero offers.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Thanks for the offer ZG, unfortunately I'm not heading west any time soon. Otherwise I'd jump on the opportunity.

The XJ did get the new shoes this past weekend.

Went with a 1.5" spacer/adapter.
spacer/adaptor by Tim, on Flickr

Old vs new.
Out with the old, in with the new. by Tim, on Flickr

Greatly improved the ride over the old worn rubber.
20220530_172051 by Tim, on Flickr

The larger tires are forcing my hand... this will eventually be a hitch mounted tire carrier... formerly a grill platform.
For now, the spare is laying flat in the back.
Future tire carrier by Tim, on Flickr

 

[zgfiredude]

Holler if you ever come this way, it seems like they will be anchoring my shed at this rate!

Where in Kansas are you? I travel all of Colorado for work, so could get them to the border at some point.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

I'm in Wichita area. Next time I venture out west, I'll give you a shout! Sadly it doesn't happen nearly often enough.

Although now I have a really good excuse to head that way!!!

 

[Somecallmetimm]

A bad day camping is better than a good day at work. That was the mantra for this weekend's adventures. A friend and I ran off to my favorite hideaway, aka, the Prettiest Cell Hole in Kansas. As usual the park was mostly empty and very quiet. Due in part to the bad weather than was coming in through out the weekend. Our trip out took us through some challenging spots, at one point I had to drop the trailer and rescue Eddie's Tracker from an unexpectedly large mud hole. Fortunately it wasn't far to get back to solid ground and we were able to easily go around the mess. Even with the rain, the trip fulfilled a much needed decompression session.

The new wheels and tires performed very well. Marginally in the mud, but overall they were great!
Dirt on the tires by Tim, on Flickr

I woke around 330am on Sunday with storms rolling in. My brain wasn't allowing me to go back to sleep, so I got up, stowed the tent... only having to re-open it to retrieve my cell phone. then packed up the Awning off the jeep, then hung out under the stand alone canopy and watched the storm roll in.

Boom!!! by Tim, on Flickr
Big ball of flash by Tim, on Flickr
BOOOM!!! by Tim, on Flickr

The light show was spectacular... much prettier than these goofy cell phone pix can show. Eventually a steady rain settled in, and I hid in the jeep for a while.

We enjoyed a robust breakfast with lots of coffee and set out. The back roads were surprisingly dry for the most part. But we kept on having to alter our route because of scenes like this...
Turn around again by Tim, on Flickr

After the 4th time turning around because flooded roads, I pulled the plug of the back roads and opted for a smoother option on the highways. Of course a quicker route toward AC and a nice hot shower were a bit of a motivator as well.

All in all it was a great trip, and way better than any good day at work. Now... to clean up all the mud...

 

[Somecallmetimm]

I haven't done much to the trailer since replacing the tongue. Time has come to change that and address a couple issues that have come up. It needs shocks, to help control rebound and it'll improve the road behavior as well. Also, I've stumbled on a great deal for an annex, but won't be able to use it unless the RTT is moved to the jeep, not my first choice, but it might end up there temporarily. Next option will be to alter the current platform so it's height is adjustable. Time to do some research!


Current setup and one of the reasons I don't want the RTT on the roof... the Camoo! (so named by the apparent fascination it creates in cattle while driving back roads).

52126036897_1fa2fc2c44_o by Tim, on Flickr

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Got the RTT shifted over to the Cherokee. It reminded me why I put it on the trailer to begin with. That thing is up there! I'll be including a small step stool in future camping adventures. The annex is in amazing shape. PO used it once on a trip then destroyed his RTT the next day on the Rubicon. He's purging his garage for a move.
It was a hot muggy day!
Move the RTT to the jeep by Tim, on Flickr

Test fit! I love this thing, other than it's bulky when packed.
RTT Basement... by Tim, on Flickr

Time to go hide in the woods for a couple days!

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Living in a relatively mundane location in the world, sometimes its a challenge to find beautiful landscapes and areas. Last night during an impromptu road trip to deliver some emergency encouragement to my daughter who's doing the camp councilor thing this week. I stumbled on some hidden pretty places.

Happy place! by Tim, on Flickr

Church by Tim, on Flickr

Lane by Tim, on Flickr

 

[PCO6]

Great thread! Surprised I haven't seen it sooner. Love my XJ! I'm on my 3rd one going back to 1990. Not continuous XJ ownership during that time but more than half of it.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Thank you!

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Messing around with ideas... Initially I was going to build a swing out tire carrier using a hinged grill platform. Trimmed it up to sit properly and propped the tire up to see how things would work.

20220629_201847 by Tim, on Flickr
20220629_201942 by Tim, on Flickr

Sadly, I didn't like it.

So it was a fun thought, but I think I can do better. So I'm scrapping the hitch mounted system in favor of fabricating an entire bumper with dual swing out arms. Gas or water on one side and tire on the other. Most aftermarket options have the tire on the passenger side... Is there a reason for that? Visibility maybe? Why not driver's side in the already existing blind spot?

20220629_202653 by Tim, on Flickr

 

[PCO6]

I kicked around a few ideas before I landed on a hitch mounted tire carrier for my XJ. I had a pair of JCR bumpers and thought I'd modify the rear one. My only problem was the weight. Although I never weighed them the 3/16" plate construction was a bit too much for my needs.

I also wanted to maintain a fairly original look so I kept the stock bumper and din't modify it at all. I also wanted to be able to remove the carrier for modifications if needed and trailering as it conflicts with one of my trailers (soon to be rectified). I fabricated something loosely based on the hitch mounted RIGD swing arm carriers.

Mine is mounted in the centre and although it takes up a bit of the rear view it's been easy to adjust to. Backing up, even to a trailer, is no problem. Mounting it to the driver's side like you're thinking makes sense. The only reason I can think of why it's not often done that way is because of the long dynamic arm that would be needed. Apart from taking up a lot of "swing room" it would add more stress to the pivot. Your plan for 2 smaller swing arms is a good one.