THE THUNDER - general build status

[SSS]

UPDATE:

- finally ... managed to LOCALLY get 5 new Cooper STTs in 33x12.5x15. DOT code shows UT as manufacturing plant (which is Cooper in Arkansas) and week 51 of 2012.
Made me happy ... but at the same time suspicious ... USD 199 per tire including local delivery and the faint info that all Cooper Tires in the middle east supposed to come from chinese manufacturing facilities. so ... fake DOT code? fake tire??? (will see how they hold up)

cooper_fr_angle.jpg

- finally ... did some electrical clean up in the engine bay and in the cab:
all my aux LED lights are now controlled via rocker switches in a pod on top of my center concole ... relocated the transmission oil temp gauge into the pod as well:

dash_close_comp.jpg

- and finally as well: got my wife friendly gear shift indicator kit wired up, installed and working

shifter_close_comp.jpg

- and because all wiring in the engine bay is much more organized the LS1 can now show its new dress

covers_close_comp.jpg

- and because I was having some screwed up control arm adjustments in the front (which participated in premature tire wear) I managed to finally get a correct adjustment done ... and to potentially reduce front end shimmy and increase TB to diff cover clearance my currie TJS (lying around for quite some time) installed !

- small ding in passenger door and passenger door handle repaired

- plastic fender/bumper treatment spray applied

Time for a new video showing sluggy in all her beauty doing tricks on the dunes! ... stay tuned

[SSS]

Say GOOD BYE to SLUGGY ... the sluggish days are OVER!

LONG LIVE THE THUNDER

[Bulldozer]

MashaAllah wel done Shafik, i think TJ still the best toy u can modify without hussle

[SSS]

MashaAllah wel done Shafik, i think TJ still the best toy u can modify without hussle

Thanks Salah! oops ninja edit: SAEED

Hope your TJ is doing well too

Here my season start with THE THUNDER (if you have not seen it before) ... transformation from Sluggy to The Thunder !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoOGfjUV45k

[Gladiator]

MashaAllah wel done Shafik, i think TJ still the best toy u can modify without hussle

Thanks Salah!

Hope your TJ is doing well too

Here my season start with THE THUNDER (if you have not seen it before) ... transformation from Sluggy to The Thunder !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoOGfjUV45k

SSS.

These are the THUNDER NAMES.

Bulldozer is Saaed.

Adiga. Is Salah.

Gladiator. Is. Mutasem.

[The MECHANIC]

Congratulation SSS , I SAW your Jeep & it is very powerful just cruising over the dune

but also wait for my Animal to grow up , than he will be the small brother of your Thunder
Also i'm waiting to see Malte one in action

[SSS]

eeehhhh ... fixed


Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Gladiator]

eeehhhh ... fixed


Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

Yes you did. But original is lucked in my post

[SSS]

RETROSPECTIVE (2 years LS1):

- One of my rear 5160's lost all oil and gas ... beginning of 2014 ... replacement is expensive and takes time soooooo ...
got some stock JK(!) rear shocks which perfectly fit with my 3" suspension lift and bump stop extensions. Turns out they are GREAT (firmer ) in the rear! More control!

LS1 Swap related:

besides a stuck open injector which scared me to death (engine blown??? ... so much smoke!!) which was then identified and replaced I had:

- a fried SPAL fan motor ... got a new one from Mebar locally (yessss) and finally the shitty electrical connection done right (actually the reason for my fan motor fry)

- a freaken aluminium radiator leak ... welded again ... and now slightly weeping again (UPDATE: The radiator cap(!) was bad and not holding pressure and not circulating to the reservoir ... replaced, ALL good now )

- a bad aftermarket thermostat, which cost me endless diagnostic why SOMETIMES highway driving (above 2200 rpm for 10 minutes) was causing temp creep ... and lately once a hot engine situation ... took that piece of crap out (to find out: from time to time got stock open HALF ways (some sealing RTV had contaminated the shaft))
... aaaaand coooooool (literally) now on the highway for hours !

- a starter motor (solenoid) failure ... OEM starter would have been AED 1500 ... got a chinese "Assembled in US" Avon aftermarket one for AED 480,- (only pain was the down pipe from header collectors to resonator had to be removed to get access ... umpfh ... tight space big engine and all, the price of major mods)

soooo I would say :

ALL GREEN ... all in normal "normal Jeep" bandwidth ... I still love my THUNDER

[SSS]

UPDATE:

- in a huge and bumpy Sweihan side slope 10 days ago ... going quite fast and at a altitude ... the engine shut off (COMPLETELY)
after some investigation it turns out, that the main unswitched (permanent) 12V cable to the GM PCM was cut off at the firewall (too bumpy ride ) ... ufff ... cheap DIY fix tonight and all good again

- much better: after 6 weeks of sweating and trembling how to get my V8 monster through the test I decided tonight after the recent fix to go and try my luck (4:30am!) ... UFFFFFFF ... at Muroor main testing facility it PASSED (after referencing the first successful inspection through an engineer two years ago) ... otherwise unchanged ... 3" suspension lift, 1.25" Body lift, covered led lights, 305/70/16 tires (33x12x16), tire/can carrier in the back ... YAAAYYYYYYYY !

MY THUNDER IS OFFICIALLY STREET LEGAL AGAIN! YESSSSS!!!

[SCORPIO]

UPDATE:

- in a huge and bumpy Sweihan side slope 10 days ago ... going quite fast and at a altitude ... the engine shut off (COMPLETELY)
after some investigation it turns out, that the main unswitched (permanent) 12V cable to the GM PCM was cut off at the firewall (too bumpy ride ) ... ufff ... cheap DIY fix tonight and all good again

- much better: after 6 weeks of sweating and trembling how to get my V8 monster through the test I decided tonight after the recent fix to go and try my luck (4:30am!) ... UFFFFFFF ... at Muroor main testing facility it PASSED (after referencing the first successful inspection through an engineer two years ago) ... otherwise unchanged ... 3" suspension lift, 1.25" Body lift, covered led lights, 305/70/16 tires (33x12x16), tire/can carrier in the back ... YAAAYYYYYYYY !

MY THUNDER IS OFFICIALLY STREET LEGAL AGAIN! YESSSSS!!!

sorry for the engine failure, but happy that it did not cause any major issue on a high side slope

and the license renewal is a achievement.

Jalal

[SSS]

...

sorry for the engine failure, but happy that it did not cause any major issue on a high side slope

and the license renewal is a achievement.

Jalal

well, thanks ... I was double lucky ... 1) it was only "electric", not the engine itself ... and 2) it took me half a second to realize that I had no running engine anymore and to point the nose downwards (while still in motion) ... that was close
but it was still "interesting" enough to roll down to the hard sabkha without power steering and without power brakes

[Xof]

the only thing i understood is that it passed the test, which is the most important!

see you around Shafik

[iguana]

Congratulations for the Muroor Chafiq

[Bassam]

Mabroook Shafiq .. looking to see u in sand soon