Altitude Mods??
10-20-2009, 05:20 PM
#1
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Silverthorne CO
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Altitude Mods??
Wasnt really sure where to post this but I had a few questions for the guys living in the High Altitude Club. About 10000 Ft. I live in Dillon/Silverthorne (Colorado) for the winters and I am wondering if theres is anything to help aid or anything I may need to do... I have 35's 3.25" lift and will soon have the AEV Procal. I was thinking about getting an optima red top since it has 800 Cold Cranking Amps for the harsh climate at times. Should I look into spark plugs and/or a heavier weight oil and such. Any help is Great!
10-20-2009, 05:54 PM
#2
JK Junkie
It would seem to me that you want to run a lighter weight oil not heavier.
And following Planman's list of "To Dos":
You may want to move down to the surface of the earth with the rest of us mortals!
And following Planman's list of "To Dos":
You may want to move down to the surface of the earth with the rest of us mortals!
10-20-2009, 06:09 PM
#3
-
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Mascouche, Qc
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I live in Québec, Canada. The weather is cold here too in the winter, down to -40 at times.... I have not done anything special
In Canada, the block heater is standard, but I plugged it only in the worst cold days, maybe one week or two at most. I changed my tires for snow tires because the gum is softer and gives better traction on the cold asphalt. Mud tires become like rock and just slide on the cold surfaces... Yes I put on the hard top for the winter, much better against the cold and supports 1.5 feet of snow without a problem !
In Canada, the block heater is standard, but I plugged it only in the worst cold days, maybe one week or two at most. I changed my tires for snow tires because the gum is softer and gives better traction on the cold asphalt. Mud tires become like rock and just slide on the cold surfaces... Yes I put on the hard top for the winter, much better against the cold and supports 1.5 feet of snow without a problem !
10-20-2009, 07:21 PM
#4
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Silverthorne CO
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You want the lowest gearing possible (5.13s or 5.38s) because you will need higher rpms in the mountains.
A red top Optima may be a good idea. In extreme cold, you may want a battery tender or a engine block heater.
The ProCal will do nothing to improve performance. It just recalibrates things and does not tune anything. You would want a Superchips for that.
You want to run an oil that is designed for colder weather.
You want to check your coolant temperature ratings.
You may not want to lock your doors because sometimes they freeze.
Do not use electric windows in extreme cold. The windows and or mechanism can freeze, then the motor can be damaged if you try to roll down or up your window.
If you run a soft top, do not scrape or pour water on your soft windows in extreme temperatures. They can break/shatter.
When you run your defrost, run it from the start or run it on medium to cold air until your windshield warms up If you warm up your engine so the heater is very hot, then run your defrost on full blast on a frozen windshield, your windshield will crack.
Always have survival gear in a bag in your back seat that would allow you to have a dry set of clothes, sleeping bag, food, water, etc. to get through a 48-72 hour period without warmth from the engine in case you ever get stranded.
Your belts will squeal on startup in extreme cold. It is no big deal.
Where you have greasable components, give them a good greasing with water resistant grease when it is warm enough. You will end up with snow and ice packed in components when your wheeling in the snow, and it will melt and get into suspension components.
A winch is a good idea with recovery and tree straps.
Your tires will develop flat spots in extreme cold, but the flat spots will go away as you drive. At first, you might think it is a wobble or suspension issue. It is just a flat spot in the tire.
If you can sipe your tires, you will have better traction on the ice.
Snow wheeling is an absolute blast. If you air down to 3-5 psi, you can often idle/float on top of the snow--depending on how fresh or packed it is.
A red top Optima may be a good idea. In extreme cold, you may want a battery tender or a engine block heater.
The ProCal will do nothing to improve performance. It just recalibrates things and does not tune anything. You would want a Superchips for that.
You want to run an oil that is designed for colder weather.
You want to check your coolant temperature ratings.
You may not want to lock your doors because sometimes they freeze.
Do not use electric windows in extreme cold. The windows and or mechanism can freeze, then the motor can be damaged if you try to roll down or up your window.
If you run a soft top, do not scrape or pour water on your soft windows in extreme temperatures. They can break/shatter.
When you run your defrost, run it from the start or run it on medium to cold air until your windshield warms up If you warm up your engine so the heater is very hot, then run your defrost on full blast on a frozen windshield, your windshield will crack.
Always have survival gear in a bag in your back seat that would allow you to have a dry set of clothes, sleeping bag, food, water, etc. to get through a 48-72 hour period without warmth from the engine in case you ever get stranded.
Your belts will squeal on startup in extreme cold. It is no big deal.
Where you have greasable components, give them a good greasing with water resistant grease when it is warm enough. You will end up with snow and ice packed in components when your wheeling in the snow, and it will melt and get into suspension components.
A winch is a good idea with recovery and tree straps.
Your tires will develop flat spots in extreme cold, but the flat spots will go away as you drive. At first, you might think it is a wobble or suspension issue. It is just a flat spot in the tire.
If you can sipe your tires, you will have better traction on the ice.
Snow wheeling is an absolute blast. If you air down to 3-5 psi, you can often idle/float on top of the snow--depending on how fresh or packed it is.
10-21-2009, 03:19 AM
#6
JK Junkie
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Lakewood, OH
Posts: 3,017
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can count on Mud Tires doing poorly in the snow unless you have prepped them with siping. Most places with Siping machines either won't touch a set of used tires or they will charge for making sure any debris is removed from the tread so as not to damage the blades.
If there is plenty of snow and I'm sure there is, get snow tires. They aren't expensive as compared to what most of us are rolling with for Mud tires, a little shorter, a little narrower and bump up your tire pressures about 5lbs. While low pressure and floating over the snow might be fun off road, it's not what you want for on-road winter performance. You don't want to plow additional snow with wide tires and you want a tire that will cut through to the snow to the more firmly packed stuff. Nothing sticks to snow like snow and a tight tread pattern with lots of siping gets the job done.
If there is plenty of snow and I'm sure there is, get snow tires. They aren't expensive as compared to what most of us are rolling with for Mud tires, a little shorter, a little narrower and bump up your tire pressures about 5lbs. While low pressure and floating over the snow might be fun off road, it's not what you want for on-road winter performance. You don't want to plow additional snow with wide tires and you want a tire that will cut through to the snow to the more firmly packed stuff. Nothing sticks to snow like snow and a tight tread pattern with lots of siping gets the job done.
10-21-2009, 04:17 AM
#7
Everyone has you pretty much fixed there. I will disagree with the CAI (water magnet) and the Flashpaq'll make you happy whenever you install it. Just remember to change the settings as you add mods.
Trending Topics
10-21-2009, 08:15 AM
#8
JK Freak
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Hinton, Alberta
Posts: 816
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would actually move the CAI up higher on the list. As long as you recognize the increased potential for water entering the engine this way. But at 10,000' the air is thinner, cooler, and not too much water present especially in the winter. The CAI will allow better airflow and will make a bigger difference from stock the higher in altitude you get. You can always get a CAI prefilter to help keep your filter cleaner and to also create and increased barrier from water. I often wheel at +7000' and when I'm that high up, water simply is not an issue.
