Project ACCUAIR

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Can you explain for the idiots out there (in other words, me) why breaking in gears like that is required when aftermarket gears are installed but not required when you get a brand new vehicle?
Gears made and installed on a mass scale, as in, for hundreds of thousands of new cars or trucks are manufactured, in part, using a chemical process. Or at least, as best as I understand. This process would be far too expensive for a local shop to do and so the gears need to be broken in mechanically. As in, a controlled heating of them up by driving and then cooling them down.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Just thought I would post an update on the ACCUAIR JT. As you know, we left it with the shop in Vegas just before Christmas so that they could look into the sound we were hearing and have new 1350 drive shafts made and installed. Long story short, they ended up taking apart the whole rear end and found what they thought was a flat spot on a pinion bearing. Needless to say, they replaced it and the crush sleeve.

Last week, we finally got a chance to pick up the JT and here are a few shots of the new 1350 rear drive shaft.
20230110114805-09c1ad77.jpg

20230110114832-3b095f67.jpg

20230110114826-8f8666e1.jpg


And, here are a couple of the front.
20230110114811-78145c40.jpg

20230110114814-e6f2ac47.jpg
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Another update I'd like to make is in regards to the sway bar links. While waiting for the shop to finish up their gear and driveline work, ACCUAIR sent me a new set. Actually, 2 new sets, one that's heavy duty, adjustable and similar to the front links on the JT now and one that looks like OEM but longer.

Here's a shot of the rear links with polyurethane bushings that came on the JT and always clunked from coming loose.
20230109192122-96a3fb4f.jpg


No matter how much I tightened the bolts, they kept on coming loose - EVEN WITH red loctite.
20230109192124-50e5b863.jpg

20230109192127-97c3c3ec.jpg


Here's a shot of the 2 new links that were sent to me along with the original on the far right for comparison.
20230109192138-4cbe7bdb.jpg


While I was tempted to install the HD adjustable link (and may still down the road), I decided to install the OEM style links first. Me personally, I like how they have bonded rubber bushings on one end and a sealed TRE style joint on the other. Assuming they hold up to wheeling, I think they'll be a better and maintenance free way to go.
20230109192142-924f0c44.jpg

20230109192114-3d9f1e49.jpg

20230109192119-bba4fad2.jpg

20230109192116-cb3006f7.jpg


While I did get new links for the front as well, I decided to keep the quick disconnects on for now and mainly because this JT is not a Rubicon. If it were, I would have installed the new fixed links. If I can get my hands on another sway bar disconnect, I'll definitely swap them out.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Nice shot of the compressor/air tank housing.
That makes it VERY tight in that area.
Oh, now that you mention it, I do need to point out that the air tank skid was made for a factory shaft and with it, there's more than enough room. The new 1350 carrier bearing flange was way too big and so the shop had to make a few modifications to make sure that everything cleared. ACCUAIR is aware of this and has already started making those changes to production kits.
 

jeeeep

Hooked
Another update I'd like to make is in regards to the sway bar links. While waiting for the shop to finish up their gear and driveline work, ACCUAIR sent me a new set. Actually, 2 new sets, one that's heavy duty, adjustable and similar to the front links on the JT now and one that looks like OEM but longer.

Here's a shot of the rear links with polyurethane bushings that came on the JT and always clunked from coming loose.
20230109192122-96a3fb4f.jpg


No matter how much I tightened the bolts, they kept on coming loose - EVEN WITH red loctite.
20230109192124-50e5b863.jpg

20230109192127-97c3c3ec.jpg

I was tempted to install the HD adjustable link (and may still down the road), I decided to install the OEM style links first. Me personally, I like how they have bonded rubber bushings on one end and a sealed TRE style joint on the other. Assuming they hold up to wheeling, I think they'll be a better and maintenance free way to go.
20230109192142-924f0c44.jpg

20230109192114-3d9f1e49.jpg

20230109192119-bba4fad2.jpg

20230109192116-cb3006f7.jpg


While I did get new links for the front as well, I decided to keep the quick disconnects on for now and mainly because this JT is not a Rubicon. If it were, I would have installed the new fixed links. If I can get my hands on another sway bar disconnect, I'll definitely swap them out.

I need to find some of those longer OEM style. I have the same issue with the links on the front of my JLU.

I've used stover nuts and loctite which slowed them coming loose but still work loose over time, I had to tighten them at the hotel parking lot at A2Z.

I can't help but think it's something about the polyurethane bushings.
 

kevman65

Hooked
I need to find some of those longer OEM style. I have the same issue with the links on the front of my JLU.

I've used stover nuts and loctite which slowed them coming loose but still work loose over time, I had to tighten them at the hotel parking lot at A2Z.

I can't help but think it's something about the polyurethane bushings.


I have a suggestion, from motorcycle drag racing days. Drill a hole through the thread side, close to nut. Either safety wire it or use full circle clips (think key ring). May loosen a tad, but nut won't walk all the way off.
 
Last edited:

Robar

The Enforcer
I was looking at their website and it states, "Please note, our Jeep Gladiator air suspension kit fits 3.6L models, will not fit the Mojave trim level." My Mojave is a 3.6L, but what about this does not fit? I love my Mojave, but it always seems to be the red headed step-child and the cool mods don't fit.
 

benatc1

Hooked
I was looking at their website and it states, "Please note, our Jeep Gladiator air suspension kit fits 3.6L models, will not fit the Mojave trim level." My Mojave is a 3.6L, but what about this does not fit? I love my Mojave, but it always seems to be the red headed step-child and the cool mods don't fit.
My guess is it has to do with the front shock mounts, the Mojave uses bigger bolts/mounts, I loved my Mojave too, and I agree it seemed like everything was “does not fit Mojave” but I do see more and more products coming out. When I was poking around with EVO, Basically to upgrade to longer/king shocks for a lift you needed different shock bushings, so assuming this is the reason for accuair I’d bet that would fix the “issue” with their shocks. Only other think I can think of is the front coil bucket, you can pull that factory hydro bump out and it’s essentially a a normal coil bucket, but not sure how the Accuair mounting points lines with with the Mojave bolt holes in the coil bucket or not. If that makes any sense.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I was looking at their website and it states, "Please note, our Jeep Gladiator air suspension kit fits 3.6L models, will not fit the Mojave trim level." My Mojave is a 3.6L, but what about this does not fit? I love my Mojave, but it always seems to be the red headed step-child and the cool mods don't fit.
Okay, I just talked to ACCUAIR and was told that you can totally install their kit on a Mojave. They just say it doesn't work because they sell their kit as requiring "no cutting". Ben figured it out but the problem is the bump stop tube. You would just need to cut 1" off the front bump stop tubes to make it work.
 

Robar

The Enforcer
Okay, I just talked to ACCUAIR and was told that you can totally install their kit on a Mojave. They just say it doesn't work because they sell their kit as requiring "no cutting". Ben figured it out but the problem is the bump stop tube. You would just need to cut 1" off the front bump stop tubes to make it work.
That doesn't seem like a big deal at all.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
In the name of testing this ACCUAIR Jeep Gladiator, Cindy and I decided to leave the frozen wasteland known as Carson City and made our way back down to globally warmed town of Boulder City. And, our primary focus would be on the one question that I just keep on getting... "does it flex"? Or, versions of that. Needless to say, we got out, filmed and are pushing to get a video up by Monday or Tuesday... earlier if we can but in the mean time, I decided to share some teaser pics with all of you - the members of WAYALIFE. :cool:

Here's a shot of us at the testing grounds.
20230125153035-44fbba02.jpg


Of course, it'd be dumb to push the limit of things without a little back up support and so, we made sure to bring Moby along.
20230125153057-dcb290bf.jpg


Just to play it smart, we made to start off easy and slowly ramp into more challenging terrain.
20230125153109-177a0808.jpg

20230125153119-7af8b38e.jpg


Lucky for us, it was an epic day to be out on the trail.
20230125153004-545b8907.jpg

20230125153131-19efffef.jpg

20230125153154-ba35dfaf.jpg


Oh... you're probably hoping to see a flex pic, right? 😁
How's this one for ya...
20230125153210-d007c012.jpg


Or, this one...
20230125152856-9e701c88.jpg


Hope you'll tune in to see how things went and to see for yourself and decide for yourself just how well or not so well the ACCUAIR suspension system did out on the rocks. :cool:
 
Top Bottom