Reason for: massive gear exodus

audiobliss

As some of you have doubtless noticed by now, I'm selling a large chunk of my gear. Actually, I'm planning on selling all of it, but I just haven't listed it all yet.

My reason for selling? Well, hold on to your hard hats, 'cause I'm sure a lot of y'all will have a hard time grasping this.

However, I'm selling my audio system in order to get enough funds to make my Jeep look a little less stock and a little more like this:


I'm not washing my hands of audio. I'm still very much a music fan, and will most definitely continue to be one for the rest of my life. I've just come to terms with the fact that 1) I'm not a critical listener and will still enjoy music no matter what I listen to it through and 2) I don't listen to my home system NEAR enough to make it practical (average ~25 minutes during a week that I actually turn it on?). I'm just transferring my funds from one pass-time to another. Hopefully I'll turn out to enjoy this new one as much as I have this previous one.

Having said that, I'm also not turning my back on audio systems. As soon as I get my jeep where I want it, I'm planning on (with y'all's help!!) building a budget 2CH system for around $500 that'll be more dorm room friendly.


In the mean time, I'll probably just poke around the forums, reminiscing about how great those harsh aluminum, horn-loaded tweeters sounded.

So, now...go ye forth into the Market of Fleas and buy my stuff! :D

BottomFeeder

Wow! Congratulations! Until now, I didn't know if someone could actually recover from this addiction! Of course, you haven't quite DONE it yet, have you? Heh, heh.

It's encouraging, however. One way to know that you're NOT truly addicted to something is to see what happens when you try to give it up. If you can't, you're trapped. If you can, you're free!

ben62670

I have a built 68 Bronco locked,and limited, 4 wheel disk brakes, bracket racing 302(360hp), c4, air conditioner converted to air compressor, power steering, 8000Lb Warn winch, bla bla bla. I brake lots of parts in these things hardcore wheeling. In the end your vehicle gets trashed, and you lose out big time, but I still love the heck out of it!

audiobliss

BottomFeeder wrote:

Wow! Congratulations! Until now, I didn't know if someone could actually recover from this addiction! Of course, you haven't quite DONE it yet, have you? Heh, heh.

It's encouraging, however. One way to know that you're NOT truly addicted to something is to see what happens when you try to give it up. If you can't, you're trapped. If you can, you're free!

I'm not so much 'pulling out' as I'm taking a temporary, financially mandated break. Hopefully it won't be for too long.


ben62670 - Wow, A/C converted to air compressor? That's a sweet mod!!

hearingimpared

Mike, you'll be back and with a vengeance . . .I went through the same car thing back in the stone age when I was 18 but it didn't take long to realize that the vehicle was for getting around and enjoying tunes. . . the rig at home is the girl that won't get away!!!!

mmmmuuuuuuuhhhhhhhuuuuuuhhhhaaaaaaaaa!@!!!!!

Good luck, have fun, see ya in a few years when you are drooling over schwarcw's Krell preamp.

audiobliss

And, just for clarification purposes, that is NOT my Jeep above. That's a random picture I found, roughly resembling my end goal for my Jeep.

dorokusai

Sweet, do it for sure.

schwarcw

Good luck and drive safely! There's a lot to learn about putting money into vehicles too!

Rich (Scompracer) will probably have a few good pointers for you! LOL!

ben62670

audiobliss wrote:

I'm not so much 'pulling out' as I'm taking a temporary, financially mandated break. Hopefully it won't be for too long.


ben62670 - Wow, A/C converted to air compressor? That's a sweet mod!!

Its real easy. You take the low side of the compressor, and put a filter on it, then take the high side and make a manifold. Put a regular compresor switch on it. Hook up the switch to the AC clutch. I ran a line to the custom 4inch sq tube bumper/airtank. I can change a front axle shaft on the trail in less than 30 minutes with impact tools! You can take all five lug nuts off with a 1/2 inch impact without having to wait for air presure to build up. When your done wheelen it works great for airing up your tires, better than a gas station hose. NEVER underestamate the traction that airing down your tires give. I ran mine at 8 psi usually in the ****. Get a high lift jack too. Mine is a 60"

Ben

halo

I was wondering why we hadn't hears from you lately. Good luck, be safe, and have fun with the JEEP. We'll be here for you if / when you return You should now be stripped of your Polk Guru title...J / K!!

Frank Z

AB,
We're leaving for Moab in 7 days...I'll send ya some pics/vids to droll over.

hearingimpared

Frank Z wrote:

AB,
We're leaving for Moab in 7 days...I'll send ya some pics/vids to droll over.

I can't wait for the pics, the last ones were awesome, breathtaking, did I say awesome?

audiobliss

hearingimpared wrote:

I can't wait for the pics, the last ones were awesome, breathtaking, did I say awesome?

ditto on that


Have fun, FrankZ!

shawn474

Good luck with that!!!! I actually owned a wrangler awhile ago. It was a blast to go off-roading. My brother and his friend went to Jeep Jamboree last year with his Rubicon and that thing is a beast!!!! Somem of the things that they did just don't seem possible. A fun hobby for sure.

Shawn

John in MA

OK, so what all are you planning on doing to your XJ? Lift and tires? Axle swap? Chop and full-tube rollcage?

ZJ owner here.

audiobliss

Hahaha. Well, for now, a lift, wheels, and tires will do it.

I'm really wanting to clear 33x12.5" tires, and Dad doesn't want me doing any cutting to the body (may hafta work on him on that one), so I'm still undecided as to how much lift I wanna run. I was planning on Rubicon Express's 4.5" Super Flex kit, but now I'm not sure.

That will do it all for now, but I'd like to add rock sliders and a front and rear bumper in the not too distant future, though those three alone will probably cost around $1300.

I'm also debating ripping out the carpet and putting down a combination (in layers...not mixing it...) of some kind of rust prevention, sound deadening, and herculiner. Haven't made up my mind on that one, either.


Your Grand stock?

John in MA

Stock for now, '94 Laredo 4.0 with 42RE and NP231, D30/D35. I have a 2" BB that's been sitting on a shelf in the basement forever, just keep putting off lifting it because I'm working on getting all the other kinks sorted out. Right now I'm waiting for a warm day to put on tow hooks and an exahust header.

Actually I just scored four fairly new 30" ATs for free. I'm considering putting them on for the summer (current tires came with the truck and are a mixed mess), but they only have around 6/32" tread left in the center.

Frank Z

I'm really wanting to clear 33x12.5" tires, and Dad doesn't want me doing any cutting to the body (may hafta work on him on that one),

I had to trim just to fit the 32's I used to run.

Frank Z

Just wired up some rock lights....

audiobliss

Oooh, that looks so menacing! Sweeeet!


Maybe you can help me persuade Dad to let me trim a little. I mean, yours is done very tastefully, and I think appearance is his main concern.

What size tires do you run now, and with how much lift?

Frank Z

33x12.50x15 Copper STT Mud Terrain.

Lift is roughly 6-6.5"

Trimming is mandatory to run a larger than a 30" tire on an XJ. You'll also need to get a wheel that has less than the stock backspacing (5.5"). If you don't the tires will rub on the lower control arms when you turn, and they'll really rub hard on the body when the tire is stuffed into the wheelwell. If you are going to add bushwackers, you have to trim the body.

FWIW, larger tires and a lift are just the beginning. If you want anywhere near stock performance you're going to have to regear the front and rear axles. Of course you already knew that.:D

ben62670

When wheeling remember to keep your thumbs from inside the steering wheel. One tire catches a stump or something it can really hurt when that steering wheel catches your thumb.:eek:

audiobliss

Ouch, trimming is mandatory? Yeah, you might hafta send me some pics of your clean looking job so I can get to work on Dad about trimming. Really isn't all that hard, is it? Doesn't seem like it would be...just a steady hand...

Bushwackers? I'm surprised someone said something non-negative about them. I like the way they look, but it seems like everyone online just bashes them. But then again, if I paid all that money for them and then they just cracked, don't guess I'd be too happy with them. But I like the way they look....

Yeah, yeah. Don't even get me started on the long list... But, that does bring up a good question. Just how bad is driving going to stink with stock 3.55 gears and 33's? I mean, regearing isn't out of the question, but it'll definitely be a good ways down the road.


Ben - thanks for the tip!

Frank Z

I like my Bushwhackers and I try not to put them into the rocks. The guy's that complain about them cracking generally drive like idiots and make no attempt to avoid any tree or rock.
3.55's and 33's, you'll never see 5th gear if you've got a manual tranny. In an auto you'll be okay on the flats, but hills will suck...Big Time.


Plan on doing an SYE at the same time that you lift the heep and I strongly suggest cutting the spring perches off and relocating them to give your pinion a nose up attitude. Try to keep it pointed right at the tranny or 1-2 deg. below.

Here's one for ya....

audiobliss

Good point about the typical bushwhacker haters.

I have an auto, so it's good to hear I'd be ok on the flat stuff.

An SYE is definitely a given, along with a (likely) Tom Woods DS. Cutting off the spring perches? Never heard of that.

That's one of the things I don't understand about installing a lift. Maybe the only, but I'm not sure about that. Replacing the coils, leafsprings, control arms, etc...I can see all that just fine. Shims for the rear diff? I don't see that at all. What in the world is that? How do you install shims? How do they change anything? Tilting the rear diff sounds like a good idea to keep the angle to a minimum, though I didn't know you could do that.

BTW, those fenders/wheels/tires/bumper all look just soooo good together. how much trimming did you have to do to your Jeep?

Frank Z

I trimmed about 2" up front and all the way to the pinch seam out back.

Cutting the perches off and rewelding them is a better option then using degree shims to get your pinion angle correct after lifting your rig. If you do go with shims, use steel and not aluminum shims.

No need to waste hard earned cash on a TW shaft. Grab a $15 front drive shaft from a junkyard donor XJ and rebuild it. Linky comin' at ya...
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1377046&postcount=2

I've been running a front shaft since I first lifted my heep, no issues at all.

edbert

Hey, enjoy working on the Jeep. I'm sure you have already checked some of these places out, but just in case you haven't

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com
http://www.naxja.com
www.lonestarjeepclub.org I was a part of this club for a while, really great bunch of jeepers who will help you out. Look up Jeepin Jason, he has a pretty sweet XJ that he has put together. The link below is to his company.
http://www.jeepinoutfitters.com

madmax

audiobliss wrote:

However, I'm selling my audio system in order to get enough funds to make my Jeep look a little less stock

Hey AB, wake up, you are having a bad dream or something.

On a serious note though, the Jeep and all the money you put in it will be history in three years. In three years your system will be worth the same amount it is today and will be rolling for another 15 years if you want it to.

madmax

engtaz

"It's your life" (Bon Jovi) Do you what you want it is your life not ours. He probably planning a audio sabbatical then come back with a killer audio rig.

Best endeavors,
engtaz

steveinaz

Go for it man. I've got a bunch of hobbies, so I know where you're coming from. Do I spend $XX on audio, guns, or the motorcycle this month? Or do I buy some better camping gear.....?

audiobliss

madmax wrote:

Hey AB, wake up, you are having a bad dream or something.

On a serious note though, the Jeep and all the money you put in it will be history in three years. In three years your system will be worth the same amount it is today and will be rolling for another 15 years if you want it to.

madmax

You're right. The particular audio equipment I've ended up with wasn't exactly an 'investment', but it certainly wasn't much of a loss...if any. Anything I put in the Jeep will almost a complete loss as soon as it's mine...in terms of monetary value. Hopefully it'll be worth a little more than that in terms of enjoyment.

I'm not planning on coming back to audio (soon) with a 'killer' rig, and while I'm still not extremely versed in the audio realm, I do think I'm better able to put together a better system for less the next go 'round.

Whenever, not if, that may be.



Thanks for all the links, edbert. I don't 'know' Jeepin' Jason, but I've seen a lot of his posts over on www.jeepforum.com. I'll check out those other links.