TOO MUCH FOR THE WJ | Ozarks Off Roading

[@denniswarner2150]

I have an 04 Overland WJ. Love it. Looking forward to the rest of your build!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Right on! Thank you for watching!

[@_1fine99jeepgrandcherokeewj]

I have an ‘03 WJ Laredo looking to restore/remediate rust I wanna make her trail ready

[@markcarpenter3600]

Much of your problem is lack of articulation, with articulation I have found you rarely need the lockers. I started out with a BB on my WJ, if you don't increase the shock and sway bar link lengths it actually loose articulation. If you can swing it the IRO lift is the best outside of the Clayton. The problem with a Clayton it it requires welding to the frame. I don't care what you do after that you will have rust, because you can't paint inside of the unibody frame rails. The RC lift isn't a true long arm lift, in the rear. It's long on the bottom, but continues to use an A-arm on the top. This will cause the axle to rotate in the wrong direction as it cycles up and down. Also it mounts to the bottom of the unibody frame rail, taking away valuable clearance. IRO makes a 3 link front and triangulated 4 link for the rear that's heavily! I started with the IRO A-arm in the rear, it rode pretty rough, with a little more articulation in the rear. Switched to triangulated 4 link it is amazing! Still on factory wheel and it is nearly unstoppable. Waiting to buy the Method 703's. Nearly lost a tire in Death Valley when silt, got under the bead. A friend of mine invited me to go snow weeling a few weeks ago, kept telling me you going to have problem because you don't have lockers. I kept saying "I think I'm going to be okay! No really I think I'm going to be okay!" with a little chuckle! 12" of Serra Creete, Sierra create is high water content snow that has re-frozen, hard enough to stand on. Nasty stuff! LOL! He was so jealous when we got done. He was all over the trail trying to keep control, and I would just drive right on through, again and again! The last obstacle we went through he finally committed "You were all twisted up!" "Ya and it kept on going!" LOL! I explained to him the main reason you need lockers is because you're on IFS. IFS doesn't transfer weight down the axle to the other side when you drop into a hole. Im' not knocking having lockers, I will get some myself, but a good lift is dam near everything!

[@markcarpenter3600]

With the IRO long arm kit you will need the Addco 1" rear sway bar, for the street. There a fair amount of body roll without it. 04 WJ's had a solid front sway bar that is supposed to be stiffer than the hollow swaybar all previous models. Its on the bucket list. I don't think the Addco front sway bar will work with my JKS Disconnects, need to do more research. Doetsch Tech 8000 Series Shocks on the long arm is also amazing. Wouldn't put them on a short arm lift though. There a 1 ton shock and will be real stiff when you get them, but soften after break in. Developed for desert racers, they feel really good in the roughest terrain. I look for dips and bumps on the street just to feel them. LOL! OEM style ball joints including MOOG have plastic in the cap. They can't handle the abuse! Above 3" of lift any looseness in any steering parts will make it difficult to control. It took me a while to get it, but it can be brought under control. JK ball joints fit the WJ. I'm using the Dynatrac HD BallJoints. There rebuildable without having press them out again. Still using OEM style tie-rod ends. The lift has destroyed the boots on the draglink. I have the drop pitman arm kit, going to try to work it back in, because it was rubbing the front differential. If you have wondering, after all of this look at the steering box. Blue top will rebuild your box super tight with oversized bearings.

[@xmo552]

@@markcarpenter3600 Nice. Didn't know about those Dynatrack ball joints.

[@wildbill23c]

Kind of what I'm thinking of for my next trail and backroads vehicle, a WJ with Quadra-Drive. Possibly do a 242 swap though, I like having 2WD, part time and full time options.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

I'm about to go pull a 242 from the yard! Wj's are the best!

[@306-fromthestix]

I currently have a 2000 wj 4.0 4x4 and I doesn't come close to my 98 zj 5.2 awd I used to have.. the awd system with the v8 power got me though places most wouldn't try

[@bradmetcalf5333]

I love my quadradrive as long as it keeps working! i dont do any rock crawling so It's all I need. When it tanks Ill do the 242 swap so I can add lockers. I absolutely love my WJ

[@Catboy-hr2qp]

@306-FROM THE STIX yep I had a 93 zj with the awd thing was a beast wheeled it hard for 2 years stock other than tires went places most wouldn't think possible with it, then I broke the d44a axle shaft and toasted the bearings lol. Now I have a 99 wj with 242 and I'm gonna lock front and rear it has open diffs right now and it gets stuck easier than my corolla lmao

[@ArkansasOffroad]

Nice video brotha!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Appreciate it!

[@OverlandPNW]

Very fun trail. All the mud and puddles reminded me of my stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest.

[@Squidwardooo]

where did you off road in the pnw?

[@markcarpenter3600]

Your tire mount on the trailer hitch is exactly what I was thinking. Did you bolt/weld to the side of the hitch or to the bolts in the unibody?

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Welded it to the hitch since it's rated for so much weight and we don't have a frame

[@bkb2865]

Hi from France, I cannot do without my XJ despite the repurchase by France but it is not so easy to find all the parts. Thank you for sharing, see yah

[@salvadorebertolone]

The front varilok is not long for this world with 32"s. The clutch pack is super tiny in it, even the factory 235s can wear it out quickly.

[@bobbish782]

This is what I've noticed in my 61 years here on Earth. Years ago, you could buy a Jeep off the Kaiser / AMC showroom floor and take it 4-wheeling without doing any mods. Once Chrysler got a hold of Jeep, they started making them cheaper, but you could still do some rough driving with them (with slight mods, of course). When Daimler-Chrysler made them, flimsy and cheap was the way they went. You were lucky if you didn't break something in the suspension driving over a pothole in your favorite mall's parking lot. If you wanted to do anything remotely resembling 4-wheeling, you had to pretty much custom the entire vehicle. Today, under FCA, all Jeeps are complete garbage and no amount of work will make them any better. Jeep should have died in the early 90's, but somehow it held on. Now, it's 2024. Pull the plug FCA. Let Jeep finally die before it becomes an even bigger embarrassment than it already is.

[@bennapier9260]

We ride I'm the Ozarks a lot. My wj is usually the smallest rid out there. But its capability has impressed me for no more than it is

[@OverlandingOzarks]

We need to meet up! Thanks for watching!

[@bennapier9260]

@@OverlandingOzarks we were just there a couple of weeks ago. We'll be back soon though. It's our home away from home. If I knew how to get in touch with you. I'd let you know when

[@thespanishexperience]

Don't understand why you don't have recovery gear. It's the first thing off- roaders buy after off road tires.

[@hernymejias]

I love my 04 Overland. Great video.

[@54bigpete]

I would love to check this place out I’m from Rogers where can I find this?

[@Danny-qq5nr]

I’ve got a WJ 4.0 66000 mile quadradrive two owner, I love it U.K.

[@lorikey6713]

Maybe I didn't understand, but you're running 32s, but have a 35 spare on the back?

[@xmo552]

35s on the way

[@atozproductions9660]

The only way you're putting 35 on a WJ is if you do 1-ton axle swap.

[@RRLT66]

Nice channel I'm looking forward to watching the build. I recently got my first 4x4 so all this is new to me. It's alot of fun being able to get out of the house with the kids and get away from electronics and the world. Do you have a Instagram?

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thank you! Getting back to regular uploads soon! Bunch of parts on the way!

[@tylerdubois9020]

While Quadra-drive is pretty damn good, I think your better off getting a true locker once you go up in tire size. Your going to want to regear your differentials anyway.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

going to run stock axles with quadradrive and 35's. Next year will be 1 tons and 37's

[@tylerdubois9020]

@@OverlandingOzarks There you go. Sounds expensive haha good luck with that.

[@sirtubemaster]

You are so lucky to have something like this that you can visit easily. I have to drive for hours to get this lucky! NEW SUB HERE!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@porkchopoffroad1523]

Same. I’m in Wichita Kansas…

[@timlandsberg940]

What part of the ozark do you run in? Or which state

[@justinschrock9819]

Is this guy Carl, off of the show, Shameless?

[@isaac62rebel]

What size lift are you going with? Also will you be regearing your differentials? I'm on a 4" lift and 33's on my WJ

[@Kanakid]

I have a WJ 04 with a RC long arm lift. Was going with 33” but would like to go with 35”. I think will need to regear to 410 or 456. Will build a spare tire carrier on the back similar to his. 10,000 winch on front.

[@isaac62rebel]

@@Kanakid same here I'm just waiting to regear to 456 years just so she doesn't feel so sluggish on the freeway and can clear those obstacles offroad

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Going 6.5" IRO

[@DavidSanchez-ib4ft]

Subbed. Not sure how I never saw you channel. Also, those vari locks will run 35's, you just need to hear appropriately for them to engage. I have a couple of WJ projects. Including turning one into a camper.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thank you! Working on more videos! Waiting on a bunch of parts. Everything is backordered. Thanks for watching!

[@whitemountainyota5273]

awesome video but just wondering what camera you're shooting with some of the best 1080p I've seen

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thank you! Sony a6500

[@stephenhargraves1395]

Im running 32.5 duratracs on a 01 wj with a 4.5 inch short arm (can only afford so much at a time) bilstein 2 inch diameter aka 2.0 shocks with towing springs progressive with the 4.0 running ngk rail and plugs with lucas in transfer amd differentials and a fox 2.0 steering dampener/stabilizer. Extended sway bar links. New front axles and bearings. Same stock diffs. Anyways i went wheeling in the snow out here in az (i know different kind of snow) and with this set up it went everywhere no problem. As long as you understand which part of the transmission to be in and a understanding of control of momentum than you can generally go just about anywhere in a wj. Yes not having a locker makes it a little more difficult. But thats the fun in it right?

[@Krystof.Veritae]

Hey what size Duratracks come in 32.5? Just curious

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Wj's are the best!

[@hanzkranz1319]

Only to much for the tires!

[@ascendantrobin3230]

great video and nice Jeep 😎🇺🇸currently looking to buy another WJ 🔎

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thank you! Right on!

[@two-wheels7397]

no winch, I would have been stuck my luck!

[@sirtubemaster]

Murphy's law eh? lol

[@markcarpenter3600]

Traction boards will get you out of just about anything. Lighter, faster safer!

[@Kanakid]

What lockers do you have?

[@xmo552]

Factory Variloks

[@robtosoni8804]

Great video! C'MON!! No turning around, brother! Ya should've traveled the passenger side tire on top of the bank and Traverse the rut. Then proceeded 🤙 But until next time, you'll tackle it no problem! To avoid the extra pin stripping I carry some pruners with me. I also have a 04 Jeep WJ Overland with at the moment stock suspension besides Blistein shocks (I found the set brand new at Junk yard for $40! Reg $279) Flowmaster exhaust, cross drilled rotors all around ( I had an 01' Laredo w/4.7 and constantly had warped rotors and I never brake hard so I had enough with that lol) I plan on installing this year 4" long arm suspension from rough country. It's great seeing a lot of other V8/AWD WJ's lifted on KZbin it makes me feel reassuring that it can be done! I also already have rock sliders that I bought on eBay and then had them powder coated Cat black. But first, I need to replace my rocker panels; they're completely shot! Anyways, sorry for rambling. Keep up the great videos! Have a good night!

[@GoldenTiger5457]

What tire/wheel combo was on it at this time? I’m currently about to do a 2.5” lift running 265/75/16’s curious if it’s gonna look similar to this or not.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

I had 285/70 or 75/17's they were 32's

[@XxPureChiefxX]

@@OverlandingOzarks When you were running that with your lift, did it rub pretty bad? I'm running a 3in lift with 32s and 2in wheel spacers and mine rubs quite a bit.

[@jessicamathews5758]

My tires are 285/70R17 Extreme Mud Tires what mine are. I my truck sits high.

[@alexkennedy7688]

What trail is this?

[@JohnSchiavoneJrBSEERN]

music is unnecessary

[@horaciosiles3364]

Hey, could you make a video comparing the WJ against the 3rd gen 4runner, things like reliability and General stuff

[@jsonschultz2382]

there are so many better tires then bfg AT seen to many out of round i work in a tire shop i run maxxis razr at and mt tires. I have three wj and two xj

[@alar2343]

What lift are u running on the wj? Longer coils or coil spacers. Thanks in advance

[@xmo552]

He said spacers

[@OverlandingOzarks]

2.5" spacers. about to be on 6.5" IRO

[@alar2343]

Thank u sir. I have a wj and looking for a bb lift for now, just didn't know how well they held up.

[@Magwich777]

Great video! What trail are you on? Thanks!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

This one was not too far from the off road park on forrest service roads

[@craigtupper103]

How many miles are on yours? I’m impressed your vari-locks are still working that well.

[@TheCampfirekitchen]

Dude I can’t believe I didn’t know u had a channel… 🤭

[@theUltimateLord]

Did you have a lift during this trail?

[@barnden]

Why do you guys not have off road tires

[@balazsducsai9150]

Great Rig, cool video! :-)

[@Rcoon3]

Dude turn the music down!

[@LesterWicked]

I guess your volume control doesn't work?

[@andysaunders3708]

Why lift an Overland? They were built lower on purpose. Mine's 2.5 inches lifted, and handles like shit. Going back to stock, as lift achieves nothing.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Getting long arm kit. much better than stock and bb

[@totallychillduck8127]

Don't baby your jeep bro just send it there tougher than you'd expect