KRAKER
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- where blank stares are normal
I'm not very good at build threads. I've been around the block with my XJ a few times. She's a beater that gets treated as so. I've had it since October of 06 signed up here in 07 and have been hooked since. My XJ has evolved from a decent used DD to a beater trail rig I'm trying to getting into the go-fast with. I'm going to try and catalog everything I can here and on Facebook under the name Scrap Metal Racing.
Recently, I decided to try the Dirt Riot Modified Trail class. So, some friends and I got together and tossed a few things at my Cherokee to make it pass tech. Just getting it to pass tech three weeks before the race was a feat in itself. In that time we installed a cage to spec, installed and plumbed a fuel cell with alltech motorsports baffles, walbro pickups, aeromotive FPR, modified and massaged the steering system for work the way I needed it to, and put some 7100's out back.
So we went racing. Totally and completely unprepared. Talk about a cluster and mad scramble from loading onto the start line. Because I'm a blue collar worker and this time of year is the busy season I couldnt get any pre running in on Friday. So after work we head out for Congress, Az. Everything was smooth sailing. We get to camp exchange greetings and other stuff with the Shannon Campbell, some Undertakers, 30 pack, and Ryan Miller (Wayland Campbell's co-dawg) and Jeremy Hammer and the Fly N Hi crew. All of which made my weekend possible and are solid dudes.
Since we were busting out butts getting the truck ready for the race we were completely untested. So Saturday night we head away to some blm land and go bombing down the desert. I couldnt have asked for a better truck in the time and budget prescribed. So feeling good we take the day off the truck and watch the W.E. Rock competition.
Sunday morning rolls around and we're up at 5:30a for some course pre running. I fired that pig up and let it loose with some 4 wheel drifts and eating up every rock section and pulling good time for a pre run. Just wish we would have gotten more than one lap in. Good thing we didn't. We broke a misalignment spacer on my right lca.
So the scramble begins to find a RK misalignment spacer. I asked everybody the best thing I could come up with was from Ryan Millerwho suggested and fab me a boatload of washers to act as spacers. It work enough to live through the race.
So the race was on! I clicked 4 hi to get a good dig off the line. Big Rich let everyone go with a 20 second spread. So my turn comes to stage. I gov it a lil throttle and the case pops into neutral. My adrenaline is pumping and I try and put it in 4hi and it lets out a few loud grinds as I try and shove it in gear while in drive. Embarrassing for sure. I get it figured out we're green flagged and I let that pig eat.
We made awesome time making quick work of the course. Between the mix of caffeine adrenaline and nervous in general. Toward the end of the course I didn't see a five gallon bucket size boulder. That was the beginning of the end. After hitting that rock my steering went loose. So we finished the lap and pitted. The guys from Jimmys 4x4 tightened up my pitman and we're off. The rock section was more dug out this time around. So it took more work but we got up it. Making good time last time around. We hit the third rock section. Dip into it and we lose steering ending our day.
If I had my toolbag it would have been 30 second fix. Intermediate shaft bolt at the steering box backed out. Bummer.
We ended up in third place out of three and fastest lap.
So I plan on running the entire Southwest Series and cataloging upgrades and questions here. I will post up specifics and pix later.
Recently, I decided to try the Dirt Riot Modified Trail class. So, some friends and I got together and tossed a few things at my Cherokee to make it pass tech. Just getting it to pass tech three weeks before the race was a feat in itself. In that time we installed a cage to spec, installed and plumbed a fuel cell with alltech motorsports baffles, walbro pickups, aeromotive FPR, modified and massaged the steering system for work the way I needed it to, and put some 7100's out back.
So we went racing. Totally and completely unprepared. Talk about a cluster and mad scramble from loading onto the start line. Because I'm a blue collar worker and this time of year is the busy season I couldnt get any pre running in on Friday. So after work we head out for Congress, Az. Everything was smooth sailing. We get to camp exchange greetings and other stuff with the Shannon Campbell, some Undertakers, 30 pack, and Ryan Miller (Wayland Campbell's co-dawg) and Jeremy Hammer and the Fly N Hi crew. All of which made my weekend possible and are solid dudes.
Since we were busting out butts getting the truck ready for the race we were completely untested. So Saturday night we head away to some blm land and go bombing down the desert. I couldnt have asked for a better truck in the time and budget prescribed. So feeling good we take the day off the truck and watch the W.E. Rock competition.
Sunday morning rolls around and we're up at 5:30a for some course pre running. I fired that pig up and let it loose with some 4 wheel drifts and eating up every rock section and pulling good time for a pre run. Just wish we would have gotten more than one lap in. Good thing we didn't. We broke a misalignment spacer on my right lca.
So the scramble begins to find a RK misalignment spacer. I asked everybody the best thing I could come up with was from Ryan Millerwho suggested and fab me a boatload of washers to act as spacers. It work enough to live through the race.
So the race was on! I clicked 4 hi to get a good dig off the line. Big Rich let everyone go with a 20 second spread. So my turn comes to stage. I gov it a lil throttle and the case pops into neutral. My adrenaline is pumping and I try and put it in 4hi and it lets out a few loud grinds as I try and shove it in gear while in drive. Embarrassing for sure. I get it figured out we're green flagged and I let that pig eat.
We made awesome time making quick work of the course. Between the mix of caffeine adrenaline and nervous in general. Toward the end of the course I didn't see a five gallon bucket size boulder. That was the beginning of the end. After hitting that rock my steering went loose. So we finished the lap and pitted. The guys from Jimmys 4x4 tightened up my pitman and we're off. The rock section was more dug out this time around. So it took more work but we got up it. Making good time last time around. We hit the third rock section. Dip into it and we lose steering ending our day.
If I had my toolbag it would have been 30 second fix. Intermediate shaft bolt at the steering box backed out. Bummer.
We ended up in third place out of three and fastest lap.
So I plan on running the entire Southwest Series and cataloging upgrades and questions here. I will post up specifics and pix later.
Last edited: