A few updates...
First, I was on crack when I thought changing my AFR to a lower number helped, going higher helped. My understanding of the number was in error. I went up .5 and it's better. Will adjust more later when I care more about it.
Secondly, I have a Spectre cold air intake setup I'm installing. It's the type for TBI's and has 2 ports and 4" hoses and clamps. I'm going to route the hoses to just below the hood line behind front wheels, then mount a mini hood scoop on both fenders. This will pull in air from outside the engine compartment completely. In doing some testing by blocking off one intake port and running a hose from the other down below the battery tray to below the tub I lost 6-19 degrees of intake air temperature depending on the situation, as measured by the Sniper. This will help engine cooling especially on mountain passes where air is thin and engine temps are hot. With this I'm installing an electric fan triggered by the Sniper for the same reasons. Here’s a pic of the housing and green lines where tubing will / must run.
Thirdly, I've decided to hold-off on my 4" YJ lift for the year (I think) and concentrate on re-gearing (again) and adding a locker up front. I have everything for the lift except the shocks and the YJ hangers and shims. For those of you who care / pay attention to these things, I have a Quadratrac and there are many religious discussions on lockers with QT's. These discussions range from "it will go anywhere" to "it will kill you immediately". If you go to the IFSJA board (where you find A LOT of Quadratrac owners there, the discussions tend to side with the "it will go anywhere" crowd. Move over to Pirate4x4 and it tends to be more of an “it will kill you immediately” crowd. So I called a couple of friends and they too differed in their opinions but neither were extremist. The last one (Posi) suggested I just contact Eaton and get their thoughts. So I did, then pinged someone else.
As a brief background for those of you not sure why this is an issue, the QT transfer case IS a
Limited slip differential in and of itself. Think of the front axle as the left and the rear axle as the right. It’s designed to be AWD and like an LSD, it transfers power to the AXLE that needs it most. In most cases this works out just fine. But, when I go off-roading to any degree, I place the QT in what is called Emergency Drive, which simply “locks” the transfer case so that it operates like any other case in 4WD mode. From there you have high or low range as well. At this point the Jeep is just like any other Jeep in 4WD so long as its hubs are locked in. In this mode, using lockers of any sort is NO different with my case than any other, same advantages /drawbacks / considerations apply.
What makes my situation different is when the case is NOT in E-Drive mode and operating as a mid-chassis LSD, lockers can be an issue depending on the driving surface, speed, etc. as the TC will make power adjustment based on what it senses. Making turns on paved city streets are different with a locker up front since that axle is powered and turning just like the rear. So think about what effect a locker of any type would have on that. See the Filthy Motorsports video on lockers as well (it’s a Sticky in Drivetran forum).
So I called Eaton and it was shockingly easy to get to Truetrac tech support. The man I spoke to was somewhat familiar with my case and gave me a background on the Truetrac, how it worked and so forth. I was surprised to learn that the Truetrac came about with front axles in mind. That was the initial driving force behind its development. I also learned that a Truetrac never “completely” locks. By that they mean that even under the most extreme circumstances there is a nearly immeasurable amount of slip. This should concern no one, again it’s not noticeable by the driver. He said that I will “feel” the presence of the device up front, but it will not reduce drivability in any way, even with my case in LSD mode (normal).
After talking to him I watched the Filthy Motorsports video again, and it reemphasized my comfort and desire for these. When I was done I emailed Ben Brazda (the guy in the video) and he too said it would be a perfect setup for what I do. He recommends other lockers in front for more extreme off-roading, but they love the Truetrac for so many reasons and my situation is a perfect fit.
Lastly, I need to change my O2 sensor (long story) and do some work on my throttle linkage so I can get more than 70% throttle.
More will follow...
