Sema 2004

[goodtimes]

Anyone going to SEMA this year?

After several years of trying to get tickets, I finally managed to score one. I'll be a guest of Expeditions West, and will be in town from the 2nd to mid day on the 5th. If anyone is going, lets hook up for a beer!

[sarah]

So you have to have a hook-up for tixs?

[zjmike]

I can get them too you guys.


unfortunately, the deadline for early registration ended on the 22nd of the month. (tickets were only $10 then)

now they are $40 But since I will be there, and if anyone wants to go.


let me know I will be out there the entire week, I can just add your names to my roster and you can pay when you get there.


if you stay all 3 days, then that would amortize that cost... $40 for 3 days isnt so bad... if you go for only 1 day, that would be a bit to swallow

[goodtimes]

All I can say is WOW! I never thought I would see so much cool stuff that I became desensatized to it. Seriously, by the end of the second day, I would walk past hemi-powered TJ's and wouldn't even bat an eye (there were 5 or 6 of them present). The off road section took me over a day and a half to cover, with a short trip back on the 3rd day to follow up on some business contacts I made. I didn't take many pictures, but one of the guys I was with took several hundred, I will link them when he gets them up.

I can say this though....there are a TON of poorly designed TJ lifts out there. The long arm kits were the worst offenders (high on the list of bad lifts are (in no particular order)...Skyjacker (skycrapper), FAbtech, Warrior, Rockkrawler, and one or two other smaller companies).

I think the coolest jeep there was a unlimited with the 6" full traction kit, and a turbo-diesel. Very sweet rig.

Lots of work to catch up on, and proposals to write. pics will follow ...

[goodtimes]

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equip...ay_1/index.htm

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equip...ay_2/index.htm

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equip...ay_1/index.htm

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equip...ay_2/index.htm

[sarah]

Aw man, I wish I coulda made it. Maybe next year. Good thing I'm getting an RE kit

*moving this to past events forum*

[igofshn]

Before you get a RE long arm, you might want to do some research. The skid hangs down quite a bit and gets hung up on rocks all the time. It was very apparent at JV that it was not the lift of choice.

[goodtimes]

I'm curious Al, what lifts are being run out at JV? Are there many long arm lifts at all?

[sarah]

Before you get a RE long arm, you might want to do some research. The skid hangs down quite a bit and gets hung up on rocks all the time. It was very apparent at JV that it was not the lift of choice.

I am getting the short arm 3.5."

[igofshn]

I'm curious Al, what lifts are being run out at JV? Are there many long arm lifts at all?

Most are short arm or J arm. Full Traction seems to be a pretty good long arm.

[goodtimes]

Funny you should mention those kits Al. Currie had a j-arm lift at SEMA, it was on Tractec's new jeep. I talked to the owner for quite awhile about it. That and the Full Traction long arm kit were the only two TJ lift kits there that weren't crap. Well, I shouldn't say they were all crap, but they all had design flaws that could have been fixed fairly easily.

Sarah, are you getting the 3.5" kit, or the 4.5" kit with 3.5" springs? Your gonna want the adjustable upper arms and a CV shaft. I tried to get away without the CV shaft on mine, it just wasn't going to work, and remember, I have a fixed yolk too.

[blkTJ]

although they don't ride as well as long arms on the road, short arm kits seem to work better in big rocks due to better approach (rear axle) and departure (front axle) angles on the control arms. They also give you the flexability to do whatever you want with your belly skid. :2:

[sarah]

Funny you should mention those kits Al. Currie had a j-arm lift at SEMA, it was on Tractec's new jeep. I talked to the owner for quite awhile about it. That and the Full Traction long arm kit were the only two TJ lift kits there that weren't crap. Well, I shouldn't say they were all crap, but they all had design flaws that could have been fixed fairly easily.

Sarah, are you getting the 3.5" kit, or the 4.5" kit with 3.5" springs? Your gonna want the adjustable upper arms and a CV shaft. I tried to get away without the CV shaft on mine, it just wasn't going to work, and remember, I have a fixed yolk too.

3.5 superflex - it comes with the control arms, i think. (that's rick's department ) hehe

[goodtimes]

The 3.5" kit does not include brake lines, or upper arms, or front track bar. By the time you add in those parts, it is cheaper to order the 4.5" superflex kit and have them put in the 3.5" springs instead of the 4.5".

Brian, I have seen the same thing with reguards to the long arms out here in AZ. Not many people running them on the big rocks. Even the guys with high dollar rigs are running either short arms, or leaf springs. The exception seems to be the buggies. Those are all built with either leaves, or long arms.