New Lift Flex-n-Pose Shots

[Sparky-Watts]

I took my Jeeping buddy (Sonya, my German Shepherd) out to the lake today for some poser shots finally. I was very, very impressed with the flex, and still have all my fender flares!!

I started off easy, just to get the feel of things:

Then by the end of the trip, I was testing the suspension to the max:

Yeah, the left front is off the ground!

I was quite surprised that the tires, both front and rear, fit just perfectly up inside the fender flares without hitting them at all.8)

Actually, I was even more surprised that I was able to drive on up and out of that rut. I fully expected to have to back down the hill once the front tire left the ground. There were some other places I went that I didn't get pics of, where I was able to drive over a sharp crest of a hill that had high centered me on previous attempts before the lift. Even through all the flexing and abuse I put it through, the suspension never made any sound at all. The stock suspension would groan and creek and make other hideous sounds when I would give it any flex at all.8)

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Here are a few more after I pulled forward enough to set the front wheel back down:

Dang I love my Jeep!!!! (Could ya tell? )

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Now, compare the stock flex with the lift flex.

Here it is at full flex when it was totally stock:

And this is full flex with the lift:

Not much difference, is there?

Now, I know there are a few Jeeps here that have a lot more flex, and can handle a lot more difficult terrain than my little YJ, I'm not bragging, I just wanted to share. I really do love my Jeep!!!

 

[OutOfStep]

Looks Great! Now where are the pictures of you fording some of that water in the background?

 

[90Xjay]

Sparky, We may have to change your screen-name to "droopy"

It really looks good.!!

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Just a few more that I snapped while I was out today.

This is a shot of the BDS Disco and how it is held up out of the way:

Again, I'm very impressed with how easy it is to disconnect them and reconnect them. After my run, I wasn't on very level ground, but it wasn't terrible, either. Getting them reconnected again was still a snap.8)

The lake level has been down all summer due to the drought, so I was able to drive around quite a bit along the shore where I couldn't normally. You always hear about people bragging about how good the "floatation" is when it comes to mud tires, a very good, very important attribute for them to have. I kinda like the floatation I get from my mud tires, too:

Throughout my years as a photographer, I've always had a special interest in taking shots from unusual angles. This one turned out better than I expected:

Finally, at the last stop, I guess Sonya had had enough of being a passenger and must have figured it was her turn to drive:

So, there you have it...that's pretty much all the pics I have time to post....I apologize to the dial-up users here...remember, though, I'm a dial-upper, too. Thanks for humoring me while I rambled on about my cool little Jeep.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Looks Great! Now where are the pictures of you fording some of that water in the background?

Most of that area off-shore is like quicksand, so I don't venture out into much of it. The one shot I have with the Jeep in the water is about 10 feet off shore, but there was a base of rock there. There are a few spots I know of out there where there is some good rock base to drive out on. One of them is now inaccessible because of all the trees that are down along the shore from both the ice storm of a few years ago, and a 110 mph windstorm last year on the 4th of July. That one is the coolest of them all, because the water is only 4" to 6" deep for about 100 yards out. I used to have a picture of my old Toyota sitting out there, but can't find it anymore....dang non-digital pictures!

 

[TwistedCU]

A couple more of those trips and that thing will be riding like a cadillac. Okay, that's an exaggeration.

What kind of tires are those?

 

[OutOfStep]

I'm not familair with that brand of disco, is that thing spring loaded?

 

[Sparky-Watts]

A couple more of those trips and that thing will be riding like a cadillac. Okay, that's an exaggeration.

What kind of tires are those?

Some cheap brand called "Mud King".

Everytime I saw a little bump or good ditch, I drove over it or into it to flex it out.....several times each!:lol:

 

[88Wrangles]

That looks real good!!


Nice pictures too...that's a cool looking lake!

 

[Tug-n-pull]

Jelious yes I am! So hip to be square....Tug

 

[Sparky-Watts]

I'm not familair with that brand of disco, is that thing spring loaded?

They're called BDS Ultimate Sway Bar Disconnects, and yes, they are spring loaded. They actually fit over a pin on the sway bar, the spring loaded sleeve slides down over the recessed part of the pin to hold them in place. It slides up and down really easy, but also is sealed well enough to keep mud and dirt out of them, so they say....we'll find out soon enough, if we ever get any substantial rain. My favorite road leading to the lake has recently been reworked from a little two track to a regular dirt road with ditches and everything. I drove down it today, and the dirt they've graded up onto the surface is loose and soft, and I was sinking down into the dry dirt about 4", so when we get a decent rain, it's gonna be a regular mud bog. I can't wait!!!! Before they reworked it, it was already a blast after a rain. Slick as a gut, rutted out pretty good, and lots of room between the fences to get crazy in.

 

[TwistedCU]

I am wantin' a pair of those disconnects. I hate mine, they're the cheap PITA ones that come with the Rubicon Express lifts. I have had them disconnected for 2 weeks now.

 

[bsnider]

Looks Great! I Cant Wait To Get My Lift. Only A Couple More Pay Checks And My Pic Will Be Splaterd All Over This Site As Well. Not To Brag But We Just Look So Damn Cool In Our Jeeps!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ArkansasJeeper]

Sparky-

How well does your dog enjoy 4-wheeling? I'm just about to finish the frame-off on my 1981, and happened to encounter a stray hound puppy in the course of the summer.

So far, he seems to enjoy my Dad's CJ-5, but I haven't tried him out on extended trail rides (just cruising around with the doors off). Do you have any tips or tricks you use to keep the dog occupied and happy?

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Sparky-

How well does your dog enjoy 4-wheeling? I'm just about to finish the frame-off on my 1981, and happened to encounter a stray hound puppy in the course of the summer.

So far, he seems to enjoy my Dad's CJ-5, but I haven't tried him out on extended trail rides (just cruising around with the doors off). Do you have any tips or tricks you use to keep the dog occupied and happy?

She loves it! Sunshine and I started taking her out in the Jeep last winter when she was just a puppy, so she got used to it at an early age. Of course, then she'd lay on a pillow on the console between us, or on Sunshine's lap. Now she's in the back, and I keep a short chain on her so she can't be thrown out or jump out. When I let her out of the yard and open the tailgate on the Jeep, she makes a beeline for it and jumps in, sits down, and waits for me to hook up the chain. She's learned "Hang on!" and crouches down or lays down when she hears it, knowing I'm gonna hit some big bumps,take a fast corner, or just stomp the skinny pedal. After our day at the lake, she was pretty worn out from running around in the sand and weeds, and slept pretty much all the way home. At first, we'd take her favorite toy and her blanket, but now she's content to stand up with her front paws on the console and look out the front window, or watch things go by out the side windows. If we're not going to the lake, I take a bottle of water and a small dish so she can have a drink, and also bring a little food and a couple of dog biscuits. She loves to get out in the country or at the lake and run and run and run! Once it's time to go, I just call her, open the tailgate, and say "Up!" and she jumps right in and settles down for a ride.8)

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Sparky that looks great! Very Nice.

 

[OutOfStep]

cool, I'll have to check them out

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Finally, at the last stop, I guess Sonya had had enough of being a passenger and must have figured it was her turn to drive:

Dont lie to the newbies Sparky...this is a self portrait !
Nice lift and looking ride