Follow along while I work and build up my 2016 Jeep JK Unlimited Sahara for Overlanding. It was originally to explore western Canada but there are so many places we want to travel to and explore, so I'm not going to limit us.
Recently the build has taken some big leaps and the plans that lay ahead are only bigger. I've had a few items fail on the Jeep but instead I took it as an opportunity to strengthen it and weed out the weak links. I'm getting it ready to head into some pretty harsh climates and I can't risk breakdowns.
Also in this channel you'll see my buddy Andrew working on his Jeep which is an amazing custom diesel Grand Cherokee. He has been working away fabricating a lot of really cool mods for it including his aux fuel tank and spare tire holder with motorbike carrier.
Please feel free to subscribe and like. Go on an adventure, stay safe and see you on the trail!
Awesome adventure. Were you required to apply for any kind of permits? And how many km is it from Yellowknife to the end point? Gaia says about 365 miles but are we (civilians) allowed to go all the way to the end?
You don’t need permits but you do need to know what you’re doing and respect the rules of the road. I contacted the company that maintained the road that year and they laid it all out for me. From Yellowknife to the end of the road is about 400km each way
@@aj.adventures Thanks a lot for your response. I am based in Toronto and have been planning for an adventure on this road since last winter. I will follow your suggestions and contact the company and yes I agree to the road rules part. Also if we drive those 400km will we still be in North West territories or will we enter Nunavut? And do you have a screenshot of the route you took. Want to see it on the map. Thanks a lot once again.
@@mjvbhaskar1000 unfortunately they stopped building the last 200km of road when they closed the 2 mines. That would have taken you to Nunavut. As it is you get with in about 60km of the border. I drove from Edmonton to Ft Mac, Ft Chipiwain, ft Smith, Yellowknife, then the ice roads. On the way home I came straight back because I was having Jeep issues and gas prices jumped ridiculously due to the Russian/Ukrainian war. Some spots was $5/L!!
This just broke on my Rubicon. These things are truly junk. And it's like $2000 to try and replace it. I just bought JKS quick disconnecting end links.
@@aj.adventures I sold my two Jeeps just have a sxs now so could probably make it on that. I heard there was a couple ways up there but I don’t know that area that well.
Thanks for the comment, I should do a follow up video. Mine started leaking after a couple months, exchanged it at my cost, second this me started leaking in 2 weeks. I went back to OEM as well.
Oh man, it sounds like you know already! 😂 I have tried new hardware, tightening, rubber pads and eventually just accepted it. Sorry I do t have a solution for you. If you find something please let me know!
@@aj.adventures no worries. The guy I bought mine from had some rubber isolators that were supposed to be used if you mounted to the body. I may try to recreate those.
Well first impression is I won’t be doing 120 down the highway lol. Fuel consumption only went up 1L/100km. I’ll do a video in the future after I’ve used it a few times.
By any chance the shop that did the front end work, did they or some other shop perform an alignment that generated the current caster angle ( that the lift system you installed set the suspension to ) . Just curious what its sitting at with that suspensions design and how that compares to the factory spec.
Hi Charles, thanks for your comment. I did have an alignment done at a different shop. They mentioned using ball joints with a different angle but said it’s close enough. I don’t know what the angles are at though. I may contact them to see if they kept the data so I can research the ball joint issue
@@aj.adventures I would contact them ( dropping by would probably be the best ) and if they have that info stored to give you a printout copy as well as explain where they felt the improvement could be made. I am guessing that depending on the ball joint system used that they can incorporate an offset unit that would give either a caster change or a camber change and so more than likely it was one of those two angles that they were looking at. If one has adjustable trailing arms then those get used for the caster change but only if that doesn't throw the front driveshaft ujoint angles out of whack. Its no wonder that modifying a vehicle turns a persons front pockets inside out LOL. But for now if its close enough and handles good and does not cause undue tire wear, it can always be addressed down the road a ways literally.
Have you driven these tires in deep snow? if so how did they preform? I am currently in the middle of getting new winter tires but am not sure what to get for great on road ice traction and off road deep snow traction (if such a tire even exists)
I haven’t tried deep snow yet. Deepest about a foot. Did pretty good but better on ice. I haven’t been able to drive it much lately, fixing lots of other issues.
I realize there were issues ( worn shocks etc ) with the original suspension from what it would have handled like new but with this lift how are you finding the side to side stability, notice more lean around corners for example ?. Also I am assuming if you had an alignment done to dial in the tow, they also checked the caster angle as I am curious what your current caster angle is given the handling issues that seem to generally come with a lift that uses stock length trailing arms causing less caster angle and typically a more wandering type of feel down the road.
Thank you for your comment Charles, I’ll do my best to answer your questions. I had a 2.5” lift before that we removed and installed the 3.5”. Still it raised the front 1.25” and the back only 0.75” higher than the previous kit. The side to side handling feels really stable, almost stock feeling. We never disconnected or adjusted the tie rod so I haven’t done an alignment yet. With the drop brackets for the angle of the control arms hardly changes. It has been handling like a dream and I am very impressed with the kit. Ill be doing an after action video soon.
@@aj.adventures I just realized later on in the video there was a clip of trying to figure out where to install those special drop brackets for the rear pivot point of the trailing arms, there wasn't enough video footage of that aspect to show the final setup and what was connecting to them unfortunately and yes the video would have been long had you included every move you made !. So here's the confusing thing of a part that seems to have two names thrown at it, trailing arms ( upper and lower both for front axle and rear ) or calling the very same arms "control arms" as I see both names used in describing them. So that was the very same bracket style idea I had seen on a Jeep JK this summer whom I spoke to and he had initially installed just the lift and can't recall if that was 3 1/2 or a 4 1/2 lift but he said it was a total mess on the highway ... all over the place darting, then he put on brackets similar to this and completely changed the handling. He too had not checked the caster before or after but without a doubt the geometry of that bracket from what I gather puts back in some caster that the lift alone takes away assuming one isn't using adjustable trailing arms to compensate/adjust back in the proper caster which only the more expensive kits will come with. I sort of assumed that your tie rod ends and track bar ends were worn and had to be replaced as well at this time or you have already replaced those parts once. Suspension parts wear out, that is a fact and doesn't matter what brand of vehicle it is !
Nice one, yeah a bit too early in the season and glad you had a great time! I’m a local Grande Cache Tacoma Overlander guru. Who hasn’t made it to Caw ridge yet. :)
Great video Aaron. Been waiting for another one from you. Next time you come down to the Pass area, send me a message and maybe we can meet up. SW Alberta and SE BC is pretty much my neck of the woods and I spend alot of time out there. Could show you some really nice spots. Just finished a trip last week and spent 4 days of the trip up in between Radium and Skookumchuck. I did a trip back in June and went from the Pass to the Kettle River and only about 10% of that trip was on pavement. Keep the vids coming.
So if I get this right the guy with the impending heart operation peddles up a long grade while others were using E bikes pretending to peddle LOL. About the suspension you currently have on your Jeep, what was the lift height of it over stock ?
Haha, yeah I didn’t think about that to much. Probably why I was so winded after. Right now the Jeep is a stock suspension with a 2.5” spacer kit. I’ll be removing that and putting in a real 3.5” AEV lift kit.
@@aj.adventures That would be interesting to know what your current caster angle is with what it sounds like are the stock length upper and lower control arms as I am surprised from what I read and have personally heard, typically the jeep is all over the road or at least unpredictable with poor handling due to a horrible caster angle. Not only that, stock non adjustable track bars with the lift spacers you have ( or if it had been longer springs instead cause the same thing ) puts both axles slightly off center of the vehicle. Hopefully the kit you have purchased has all the goodies to adjust in a proper caster angle and yet being mindful of the front drive shaft angle. This summer talked briefly to a JK owner who had installed a somewhat lower budget lift but did come with the taller springs as well as new control arms but non adjustable. He said it handled absolutely horrible because of the lack of caster and the steep angle of the arms so he bought a front end trailing arm lowering kit that lowered the pivot point on the frame end of both upper and lower trailing arms and made all the difference to the handling. Unfortunately he had not taken it to an alignment shop to know what the caster had been with the lift and then with the front axle trailing arm lowering kit. Anyway thought I would mention all of that but sort of assume you bought a more comprehensive lift kit giving the ability to dial in the suspension better.
How is this working out for you so far ? I have a 07 jk was wondering should I change also the fan and upgrade the hoses with this radiator as well ? Or just stay with the stock version . I’m asking cause I live in Florida and it’s hot out here
I could have used the opportunity to upgrade the fan and hoses and everything but I didn’t. The radiator was already $600 CAD and I was saving for the new suspension. I replaced the radiator and left everything else stock. Works amazing! Although I did have to change the thermostat a month later
@@aj.adventures oh ok . Yea I figure changing all the radiator parts would be expensive . Cause I was also thinking of changing the thermostat as well just a complete transformation. So this radiator is it worth it
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I had to go through two of them and both of them cracked. I went back to a stock radiator and I’m getting my money back. I don’t think they’re designed for Canadian winters
just wanted to ask if you changed the gearbox before. PSC mentioned a while ago that the high pressure pump will eventually damage the gear box. As I don't want to change the gear box as it is in good condition, I wonder if maybe you changed it before. THanks, btw good video anyway
Sorry for the late reply, I’ll have to check and get back to you. Don’t remember off the top of my head. It is a direct install and everything was secure after except the upper plastic shroud
@@aj.adventures My truck is past the pin stripe stage, but yeah, if jeep barely fit, then there is no way id risk putting my truck there. Pin stripes are okay but I dont like panel damage. Thank you kindly for your response
