My Overland Project, the RME JKU
05-13-2016, 02:02 PM
#21
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
The Jeep mods have been pretty quiet lately, but there have been some additions! The biggest thing was swapping out the stock exhaust, which was beat up, the joints were loose and squeaking and the engine sound was pretty pathetic. When we were in Moab in October we ran across Chad H. in his built JKU with a Magnaflow exhaust... it sounded amazing when he was on the throttle. I was eyeballing that system, but it's pricey... around $800.
After looking into other options Hickey shared the Dynomax 'Quiet Crawler' exhaust, part# 39535. It uses their Ultra Flo muffler with a Race Bullet, all 2.5" tubing. The cost for the Dynomax kit is 1/2 the price of the Magnaflow kit. Total cost for the Dynomax Quiet Crawler is about $400, much more affordable.
The install wasn't hard at all, took about 90 min and the new exhaust was hung & clamped. I started it up and went for a spin and noticed that is was very loud and even ANNOYING at 2,000 - 3,500 RPM when at any more than 1/3 throttle. The thing sounds 'raspy' and almost like a Honda ricer....
Hardly what I wanted and was expecting. Around town at light throttle the sound isn't bad, but when there's a load on the engine it gets pretty loud. I'm NOT happy with it at all and it's far from what I expected a 'quiet crawler' exhaust to sound like. I will admit that I'm pretty picky about exhaust tone and was hoping to open up the exhaust and adding a little more healthy sound, without being too much.
Here's an after video.... running the Jeep thru the gears and on the throttle harder than normal, for the most part. I don't think the microphone on the GoPro picks up the sound like your ear would. The video makes it sound alright, but IMO it's more annoying than anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWvJWuy8DY
Dynomax offers a 90 day customer satisfaction guarantee... I'm going to drive this Jeep all weekend and see if I'm going to take them up on their offer.
After looking into other options Hickey shared the Dynomax 'Quiet Crawler' exhaust, part# 39535. It uses their Ultra Flo muffler with a Race Bullet, all 2.5" tubing. The cost for the Dynomax kit is 1/2 the price of the Magnaflow kit. Total cost for the Dynomax Quiet Crawler is about $400, much more affordable.
The install wasn't hard at all, took about 90 min and the new exhaust was hung & clamped. I started it up and went for a spin and noticed that is was very loud and even ANNOYING at 2,000 - 3,500 RPM when at any more than 1/3 throttle. The thing sounds 'raspy' and almost like a Honda ricer....
Hardly what I wanted and was expecting. Around town at light throttle the sound isn't bad, but when there's a load on the engine it gets pretty loud. I'm NOT happy with it at all and it's far from what I expected a 'quiet crawler' exhaust to sound like. I will admit that I'm pretty picky about exhaust tone and was hoping to open up the exhaust and adding a little more healthy sound, without being too much. Here's an after video.... running the Jeep thru the gears and on the throttle harder than normal, for the most part. I don't think the microphone on the GoPro picks up the sound like your ear would. The video makes it sound alright, but IMO it's more annoying than anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWvJWuy8DY
Dynomax offers a 90 day customer satisfaction guarantee... I'm going to drive this Jeep all weekend and see if I'm going to take them up on their offer.
Last edited by Greg@RME; 05-18-2016 at 06:23 AM.
05-13-2016, 02:05 PM
#22
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
And the follow-up...
Well, the Dynomax exhaust came off and the Magnaflow went on! I have to say that the Magnaflow exhaust kit #15115 is extremely high quality, from the material to the welds, you can tell it's built to last. Even the way the entire system was laid out and goes together, it's high quality craftsmanship and comparing it to the Dynomax, there's a huge difference. The Dynomax kit looks like a pieced-together product compared to the well-build and show quality Magnaflow exhaust. It does cost more, but after hearing the difference I'm just fine with the higher cost. I would recommend anyone considering putting aftermarket exhaust on their JK to avoid the Dynomax at ALL COSTS!
Install was easy, took about 30 min and I started it up. Right away it sounded better, a tad quieter but the sound was healthy. After a quick test drive I noticed that the 'raspy' noise from 2,000 to 3,500 RPM was gone and the tone was much easier on the ears. Talking with my buddy Jeremy we decided that the 3.6 needs a bigger resonator, my thoughts are that the Pentastar engine is pretty high-strung and makes a considerable amount of power (and noise) for a V6. The Magnaflow exhaust takes the edge off, but still sounds like the engine breathes well.
While that exhaust tip is beautiful, I don't think it will last long at all. First real rocky trail and it's going to get smashed... I'm going to take the Sawzall to the tip. :(
And video for sound...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2p2v9RsTc
Well, the Dynomax exhaust came off and the Magnaflow went on! I have to say that the Magnaflow exhaust kit #15115 is extremely high quality, from the material to the welds, you can tell it's built to last. Even the way the entire system was laid out and goes together, it's high quality craftsmanship and comparing it to the Dynomax, there's a huge difference. The Dynomax kit looks like a pieced-together product compared to the well-build and show quality Magnaflow exhaust. It does cost more, but after hearing the difference I'm just fine with the higher cost. I would recommend anyone considering putting aftermarket exhaust on their JK to avoid the Dynomax at ALL COSTS!
Install was easy, took about 30 min and I started it up. Right away it sounded better, a tad quieter but the sound was healthy. After a quick test drive I noticed that the 'raspy' noise from 2,000 to 3,500 RPM was gone and the tone was much easier on the ears. Talking with my buddy Jeremy we decided that the 3.6 needs a bigger resonator, my thoughts are that the Pentastar engine is pretty high-strung and makes a considerable amount of power (and noise) for a V6. The Magnaflow exhaust takes the edge off, but still sounds like the engine breathes well.
While that exhaust tip is beautiful, I don't think it will last long at all. First real rocky trail and it's going to get smashed... I'm going to take the Sawzall to the tip. :(
And video for sound...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2p2v9RsTc
05-19-2016, 01:49 PM
#23
Former Vendor
And the follow-up...
Well, the Dynomax exhaust came off and the Magnaflow went on! I have to say that the Magnaflow exhaust kit #15115 is extremely high quality, from the material to the welds, you can tell it's built to last. Even the way the entire system was laid out and goes together, it's high quality craftsmanship and comparing it to the Dynomax, there's a huge difference. The Dynomax kit looks like a pieced-together product compared to the well-build and show quality Magnaflow exhaust. It does cost more, but after hearing the difference I'm just fine with the higher cost. I would recommend anyone considering putting aftermarket exhaust on their JK to avoid the Dynomax at ALL COSTS!
Install was easy, took about 30 min and I started it up. Right away it sounded better, a tad quieter but the sound was healthy. After a quick test drive I noticed that the 'raspy' noise from 2,000 to 3,500 RPM was gone and the tone was much easier on the ears. Talking with my buddy Jeremy we decided that the 3.6 needs a bigger resonator, my thoughts are that the Pentastar engine is pretty high-strung and makes a considerable amount of power (and noise) for a V6. The Magnaflow exhaust takes the edge off, but still sounds like the engine breathes well.
Well, the Dynomax exhaust came off and the Magnaflow went on! I have to say that the Magnaflow exhaust kit #15115 is extremely high quality, from the material to the welds, you can tell it's built to last. Even the way the entire system was laid out and goes together, it's high quality craftsmanship and comparing it to the Dynomax, there's a huge difference. The Dynomax kit looks like a pieced-together product compared to the well-build and show quality Magnaflow exhaust. It does cost more, but after hearing the difference I'm just fine with the higher cost. I would recommend anyone considering putting aftermarket exhaust on their JK to avoid the Dynomax at ALL COSTS!
Install was easy, took about 30 min and I started it up. Right away it sounded better, a tad quieter but the sound was healthy. After a quick test drive I noticed that the 'raspy' noise from 2,000 to 3,500 RPM was gone and the tone was much easier on the ears. Talking with my buddy Jeremy we decided that the 3.6 needs a bigger resonator, my thoughts are that the Pentastar engine is pretty high-strung and makes a considerable amount of power (and noise) for a V6. The Magnaflow exhaust takes the edge off, but still sounds like the engine breathes well.
05-20-2016, 07:45 AM
#24
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
What's that saying? "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." That sums up my Dynomax experience.
06-17-2016, 12:52 PM
#25
JK Newbie
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: belknap
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The Jeep mods have been pretty quiet lately, but there have been some additions! The biggest thing was swapping out the stock exhaust, which was beat up, the joints were loose and squeaking and the engine sound was pretty pathetic. When we were in Moab in October we ran across Chad H. in his built JKU with a Magnaflow exhaust... it sounded amazing when he was on the throttle. I was eyeballing that system, but it's pricey... around $800.
After looking into other options Hickey shared the Dynomax 'Quiet Crawler' exhaust, part# 39535. It uses their Ultra Flo muffler with a Race Bullet, all 2.5" tubing. The cost for the Dynomax kit is 1/2 the price of the Magnaflow kit. Total cost for the Dynomax Quiet Crawler is about $400, much more affordable.
The install wasn't hard at all, took about 90 min and the new exhaust was hung & clamped. I started it up and went for a spin and noticed that is was very loud and even ANNOYING at 2,000 - 3,500 RPM when at any more than 1/3 throttle. The thing sounds 'raspy' and almost like a Honda ricer.... Hardly what I wanted and was expecting. Around town at light throttle the sound isn't bad, but when there's a load on the engine it gets pretty loud. I'm NOT happy with it at all and it's far from what I expected a 'quiet crawler' exhaust to sound like. I will admit that I'm pretty picky about exhaust tone and was hoping to open up the exhaust and adding a little more healthy sound, without being too much.
Here's an after video.... running the Jeep thru the gears and on the throttle harder than normal, for the most part. I don't think the microphone on the GoPro picks up the sound like your ear would. The video makes it sound alright, but IMO it's more annoying than anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWvJWuy8DY
Dynomax offers a 90 day customer satisfaction guarantee... I'm going to drive this Jeep all weekend and see if I'm going to take them up on their offer.
After looking into other options Hickey shared the Dynomax 'Quiet Crawler' exhaust, part# 39535. It uses their Ultra Flo muffler with a Race Bullet, all 2.5" tubing. The cost for the Dynomax kit is 1/2 the price of the Magnaflow kit. Total cost for the Dynomax Quiet Crawler is about $400, much more affordable.
The install wasn't hard at all, took about 90 min and the new exhaust was hung & clamped. I started it up and went for a spin and noticed that is was very loud and even ANNOYING at 2,000 - 3,500 RPM when at any more than 1/3 throttle. The thing sounds 'raspy' and almost like a Honda ricer....
Hardly what I wanted and was expecting. Around town at light throttle the sound isn't bad, but when there's a load on the engine it gets pretty loud. I'm NOT happy with it at all and it's far from what I expected a 'quiet crawler' exhaust to sound like. I will admit that I'm pretty picky about exhaust tone and was hoping to open up the exhaust and adding a little more healthy sound, without being too much. Here's an after video.... running the Jeep thru the gears and on the throttle harder than normal, for the most part. I don't think the microphone on the GoPro picks up the sound like your ear would. The video makes it sound alright, but IMO it's more annoying than anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWvJWuy8DY
Dynomax offers a 90 day customer satisfaction guarantee... I'm going to drive this Jeep all weekend and see if I'm going to take them up on their offer.
06-19-2016, 05:22 AM
#26
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
The longest trip we've done away from home in the Jeep was Baja last Fall... 8 days exploring Baja! I wish I could take more time, but both my wife and I have jobs, so that gets in the way.
08-10-2016, 07:15 PM
#27
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
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.-
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!
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!
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
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!
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!
10-27-2016, 06:11 PM
#28
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Well, it's time to step up my game and the JKU's suspension! I recently ordered a TeraFlex Alpine Long Arm upgrade for my Jeep, very excited about the idea of having maintenance-free rubber bushings and the change to long arms. I've had a Jeep on long arms in the past and once you've had a long arm Jeep, you won't want to go back to short arms. I'm really looking forward to the control arms working smoother and the axles moving easier, on road and off. I will be installing the long arm upgrade mid-November, I have a trip planned in early Nov and one in late Nov.... hoping I can get it all done in between! I'll have to drop the gas tank, cut and grind off most of the frame control arm mounts, then weld on the new, beefier Teraflex control arm mounts... it's going to be a lot of work! I'll post pics of the progress, once under way!
11-18-2016, 03:58 PM
#29
JK Enthusiast
Well, it's time to step up my game and the JKU's suspension! I recently ordered a TeraFlex Alpine Long Arm upgrade for my Jeep, very excited about the idea of having maintenance-free rubber bushings and the change to long arms. I've had a Jeep on long arms in the past and once you've had a long arm Jeep, you won't want to go back to short arms. I'm really looking forward to the control arms working smoother and the axles moving easier, on road and off. I will be installing the long arm upgrade mid-November, I have a trip planned in early Nov and one in late Nov.... hoping I can get it all done in between! I'll have to drop the gas tank, cut and grind off most of the frame control arm mounts, then weld on the new, beefier Teraflex control arm mounts... it's going to be a lot of work! I'll post pics of the progress, once under way!
What will you be doing with your old Tereflex arms?
11-19-2016, 07:18 AM
#30
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter