I'm a bit behind on the updates, so I'll try to get all caught up. I had to prepare for an upcoming Rubicon trail trip and wanted to be sure the JKU was ready and prepared. First things first....
I added a Superchips TrailDash 2, excited to gain actual numbers from the engine motoring systems, being able to diagnose and clear engine codes and the performance tune options that they claim add a significant amount of power. Some things I love about the TrailDash... you can choose which sensors you want to watch, intake air temp, coolant temp, transmission fluid temp, voltage, RPM, knock sensor, transmission gear, etc, etc. And my favorite aspect is that you can set alarms for each gauge you're monitoring. After seeing how hot the Pentastar REALLY runs, I set an alarm at 235*'s for the coolant, then an alarm for the automatic trans fluid at 175*'s. Of course you can also control the lockers and anti-sway bar disconnect on Rubicon models, then add other switches for things like aftermarket lights, air compressor, etc. You can also raise the RPM (while in Park) when you need a little more voltage for winching, welding, jumpstarting, etc. There is also a Maintenance Manager, you can set mileage frequency's for almost all aspects of maintenance, from oil changes to air filter replacement, transmission fluid changes and diff fluid maintenance. On top of that, you can also data log your vehicles performance which is really neat if you want to record and compare what how the Jeep is reacting for tuning purposes.
With the engine tunes, I really didn't notice much difference power-wise. They may add a little power with more aggressive timing, but I could hardly tell a difference. A dyno may reveal actual numbers, but the butt dyno didn't register any real change. For any of the performance tunes, you have to run higher octane (depending on the degree of tune). Honestly I was a bit disappointed with the lack of noticeable change. My MPG's didn't seem to change, either.
Here's some of the screen shots from the TrailDash 2...
In the end, the TrailDash 2 offers a LOT of options for monitoring and maintaining your Jeep. I think it's a great addition for someone who wants more information and hands-on management of their Jeep.
After seeing how hot the coolant got at times, I decided it was time for a flush and coolant upgrade. I drained the old coolant, then ran a few heat cycles with a mix of distilled water and vinegar, then straight distilled water, and eventually replaced the water with Engine Ice coolant. I have ran this in a few hot running motorcycles and had good results with keeping them cool. It's not cheap, but after it was all said and done there seems to be a slight decrease in heat from the engine.... but it STILL gets pretty hot when pushing the speed limit on the freeway, in the mountains. I wish I would have logged temps before and after, but the TrailDash 2 went in right before the coolant change.
Next up was some front axle maintenance and upgrades... I had one stock u-joint and one USA Alloy joint in the front shafts, but when I went to change out the stock joint I found that the unit bearing wouldn't come off the stub shaft no matter what I tried. Even after heat with the torch, some precision hammer work, etc it was totally stuck. I decide to replace both unit bearings, upgrade the shafts and u-joints just to make sure the front axle shafts were serviceable should a joint break on the trail. Since I'm on 'small' 35's I felt like RCV's were neat but overkill and I wasn't ready to spend that much on shafts. I found the aftermarket Spicer shafts with an upgrade to 1350Spicer joints. i got mine from Dennys Driveshafts for around $475, which I thought was reasonable. Here's what they claim.-
Increased u-joint size from 1310 to 1350 series
25% higher yield strength than original u-joint
U-joint sealing package upgraded to Spicer Life Series
Unparalleled strength and longer life
Fatigue life improved by 300%
2000% improvement in high-angle fatigue life
Outer stub design re-engineered for added strength
Improved snap ring retention to reduce shock load failures
Material added to yoke ears and removed from body to equalize deflection through the yoke and reduce bearing cap spinning
Micro-alloy improves strength of the shaft
Statistically controlled heat treatment ensures proper hardness
Next up was upgrading the rear track bar, my stock track bar was hitting on the big Outback springs when the JKU was fully loaded with gear and driven offroad.... plus, my axle was about 3/8" off center. Not a big deal, but being able to adjust the axle and center is is nice for the OCD peeps among us. Again like the beefy front TeraFlex track bar the rear track bar is massive compared to the stocker. I set both track bars on a scale and the TeraFlex track bar weighs twice as much as the stock one! :eek2: After it was on, it was a simple adjustment to center the rear axle.
One minor thing I did was cut off the massive exhaust tip off from the Magnaflow pipe. It looked great, but with the upcoming trip I knew it was going to get smashed as it sat right underneath the frame and rear bumper. I replaced with with a smaller, clamp-on tip.
After all these changes, the
Rubicon Trail trip went off without a hitch. We drove out there in the JKU from Colorado, ran the trail with only minor issues, then turned back a few days later and drove home to Colorado. You have to be impressed with a Jeep that is capable of that! There were more than a few times where the front end was bound up in big rocks and I had to drive thru it... was glad for the upgraded shafts & joints!
