Getting ready for the rockies

[ARhine]

Little excited and nervous about getting to see how the oll girl does pullin up the front range down I-70. Driving from home to Buena Vista, CO Hopefully I don't have to pull over and put the AFC back to stock to keep temps down. I really don't know what to expect. The XJ + trailer = around 5K lbs and then a few more hundred pounds of gear and lots of spare parts for the jeep.



Got the MTL going in the Getrag (5qts) and new ujoints in last weekend. Also a fairly new batch of Amsoil in the rear diff.



Right now here in KS land the highest I have seen on EGTs is right around 1200 when accellerating up a steep hill pretty hard, but the hills don't go on for miles the way they do out there.



Just looking for tips on how to driver the rig from those who have been there. Whoa may be of more concern than the Go :-laf



Hopefully I don't need that little roadside help booklet that came when I joined the TDR...

 

[TKingsbury]

I just made a trip from Sacramento to American Falls Idaho last weekend with my truck towing my Samurai. I assume you have stock height tires and you have only turned your AFC cone to the deep side. This is how my truck is set up. On the really big, long grades (Blue Canyon, CA and Donner summit) I was down to about 50-52 mph in 4th at the very top. Most of the other grades I kept it in 5th until it got to 62mph then went to 4th and kept on truckin. There were a couple of hills in Nevada that had me down to 55-58 mph in 4th. Most hills were not too bad, just the occasional shift into 4th. None of these hills were with my foot to the floor though, I had an eagle eye on the pyro and was keeping it at max without getting too high. One thing about mine is the thermocouple is in the pipe, not the manifold. I think I have some more room since I have the 21cm housing, but wont know for sure until I move the probe. I will tell you this, my truck tows WAY BETTER with stock diameter tires than it did with the 35s. With the 35s, it was common to be in 3rd doing 45mph cause I couldn't hold speed in 4th. I think you'll be ok, just watch your pyro and get a bit of a run at the big hills. I cruised at 70mph the rest of the way with no trouble. Have fun and a safe trip.

Travis. .