Yokohama Geolander MTs G003 - 750 Mile Review

I wanted to wait for a bit before I provided a review on these tires, was hoping to get in a decent amount of on and off road driving but unfortunately, I spent the last 750 miles on the road. This was the break-in period for the new gears (I had Revolution Gears 5.13's installed by Globex Performance).

First, I want to say that the 5.13 gears made a huge difference in performance. Previously, I had the factory 4.10s with 35 inch tires and performance was still good. I was very concerned moving up to the 37s and the 5.13s that my on-road ride and gas mileage would be horrible. That is not the case, these gears turn these tires effortlessly and I still have full benefit of my 8 speed. 

So, on to the tires... Well I honestly purchased these based on the looks and the customer reviews. I had zero previous experience with Yokahama as I have always run either BFGs or Goodyear Wranglers. These tires are Quiet! for mud terrains and possibly even some all terrains. I have noticed very little additional road noise if any over my old Wrangler DuraTracs. They do have a slight vibration but it's so small, it's hard to notice and you forget about it quickly. Ride quality is comfortable and they seem like they will be very good off-road (once I get an opportunity to try them out).

As far as wear goes, these are soft and should be rotated pretty often, maybe even every 200 or so miles.

I used my handy Superchips F5 tool to adjust tire size and the gearing in about 5 minutes and all was well. 

I will add more once I have had some off-road experience with them.

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

#jeeplife #rubicon #jl #wrangler #gladiator #jeep #jeepporn #retrorubicon

Upgrading to Yokohama Geolandar MT G003 Tire 37X12.50R17

Coming soon...

Globex Performance will be upgrading my gears to 5.13s and installing my new Yokohama 37" Mud Terrains in October. Can't wait to take her for a spin after that...

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

#jeeplife #rubicon #jl #wrangler #gladiator #jeep #jeepporn #retrorubicon

2022 Tennessee Mountains Jeep Jamboree Gallery

 I know I am really late publishing the trip details but life has been busy...

This was a great trip but wet! We wound up driving up waterfalls that were previously just some rocks. The entire terrain was transformed into a clay slushy that was fun, challenging, and at times quite "Squirrely"!

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

#jeeplife #rubicon #jl #wrangler #gladiator #jeep #jeepporn #retrorubicon

JL Full Bellypan - 4 door 2.0L ALUMINUM Skid Plate Install

Well I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a set of Artec Industries, JL Full Bellypan - 4 door 2.0L Aluminum skid plates for @RetroRubicon! The team over at NorthRidge 4x4 gave me an awesome deal and I wanted to get this taken care of before we head to Windrock TN in May for the Jeep Jamboree.

Detailed instructions and a video can be found on the Artec site so I will just share with you, here, my perspective and tips...

First, the skids comes nicely packaged and in 4 boxes. They are aluminum so much easier to move around than their steel counterparts. This comes in handy when you laying under the vehicle balancing them while trying to insert the bolts and whatnot.

Installation is pretty straight forward as long as you follow along with the Artec video. I think it took a friend and I about 3.5 hours to complete the install and we really did not have any issues. Swapping out the gas tank skid plate is really the only challenge and that has more to do with access in a tight space. Definitely do this install on an almost empty tank of gas if you can.

I would also recommend a Fumoto Valve (I still need to order one) to make oil changes much nicer. I would also suggest using a piece of cardboard under your oil filter when you are removing it to ensure an easier and cleaner oil change.  

I have only been out on any real trails with the skid plates installed so far but had a great experience with them. I will share more on the ride in an upcoming post but I definitely had a less nerve racking experience when I came down hard on an obstacle verse my previous trips before I had the skids in place.

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

#jeeplife #rubicon #jl #wrangler #gladiator #jeep #jeepporn #retrorubicon