Build “Brophy Jeep” Street Legal Ultra4 4500 class CJ6

One company thinks their stickers/name is worth more? There is no possible way that those two batteries were not made by the same plant in China, and are identical.
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
One company thinks their stickers/name is worth more? There is no possible way that those two batteries were not made by the same plant in China, and are identical.
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly! To think otherwise would be silly in my eyes!! I think I go for the cheaper ones and save $150 total and see how long they last.
 
I'll be curious what you think about them, my rig has a vintage optima in it and I know in the back of my mind I need to be considering it's replacement, but hear a lot of not stellar reviews on the newer optima stuff so I'm think I'll be changing it up and should probably go to a twin battery set-up.
 
Nvr-enough said:
I'll be curious what you think about them, my rig has a vintage optima in it and I know in the back of my mind I need to be considering it's replacement, but hear a lot of not stellar reviews on the newer optima stuff so I'm think I'll be changing it up and should probably go to a twin battery set-up.
Click to expand...
I would stick with an Optima.
My 2 cts.

SLOWPOKE693 said:
One company thinks their stickers/name is worth more? There is no possible way that those two batteries were not made by the same plant in China, and are identical.
Click to expand...
B-Grade stock sold for cheaper.
 
I have never once had good luck with optima. Multiple failed batteries right off the shelf with good date codes. Red and yellow tops.
 
Nvr-enough said:
My success with them has been on ones like my current one, 10+ years old. The vintage ones seem to find me. :laughing:
Click to expand...
Day saved by another optima.
Took the load while I had to reflash a bricked ECU.

A5A0351A-C40F-4144-8F1F-3D5535DA3162.jpeg
 
The early and mid 200’s optima’s were the best and even better if you bought them at Costco. It didn’t matter if they **** the bed the return policy was awesome. I try to stay away from red tops if possible they are the worst. Yellow seem to be a lot better. But no matter how good the battery if you kill them dead they won’t want to come back and be 100% again.
 
I only plan on having two items direct mount to one battery. The dometic fridge and race radio and or comms stuff like starlink eventually. I have a nice isolator and will have solar and plug in charger that will charge both batteries at the same time. Goal is leave it on the tender/float in the garage plug fridge in day before the trip to get it to temp then load and go. Same wil out on the trail. If camped for any thing longer than one night toss the panel on the roof and keep the batteries topped off.
 
Here is where we originally had the pedals. While it was a great location it was making paneling the firewall difficult we Dave relocated it. And we changed the throw range to make it more comfortable. It’s crazy what lowering the WOT limit .75”-1” made for fatigue.
IMG_2361.jpeg


Here is where the new location will be.
IMG_5114.jpeg

IMG_5115.jpeg
IMG_5117.jpeg
 
Took the girlfriend to slick rock for the day! I rarely do solo runs but I just wanted to get out of town kinda last minute!
Weather was awesome but it started raining onus when we stopped for lunch at the river. By the time we got to the gauntlet it was raining pretty good and hailing.
I’ll tell you I was a little nervous doing it in the rain no winch and no help! Got some ****ty video that doesn’t do it justice but with a few attempts some patience and a little throttle we made it. Bumpers and winch are next on the list.
IMG_4669.jpeg
IMG_4670.jpeg
IMG_4671.jpeg
IMG_4670.jpeg
IMG_4667.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Not much progress the last 2 weeks as Dave was working on a few smaller side jobs. But I’ll be headed up Saturday to go over a few things after I get the trailer. The next big hurdle is mounting the trans and engine oil cooler. The original spot I wanted to put them just isn’t going to work with the sway bar and exhaust. We don’t want to compromise cooler size either. Dave and I were talking and sharing ideas yesterday and I think we found the spot. He will rework the fender support tube and there will be some extra protection added but I think it as good as it gets. The air will draw from the trunk area and exit the back lower section. We will play with a few other areas tomorrow.
77568690591__6317C4A8-5E94-4EB5-8BCD-29FA1E1461BB.jpeg

77568688869__44EE8C4D-1C3A-424F-A635-F906EB1F0EDE.jpeg

IMG_5168.jpeg

IMG_4966.jpeg
 
Nvr-enough said:
My success with them has been on ones like my current one, 10+ years old. The vintage ones seem to find me. :laughing:
Click to expand...
Just filling up washer fluid on my new to me work truck and notice 2 year old optima swelling !
Going to warranty them but that ****!
Hard tell in pictures.
2006 GMC 2500 CCSB LBZ Duramax with 350k miles original motor and trans.
IMG_5033.jpeg
IMG_5034.jpeg
 
gt1guy said:
Are those billet side tanks on the coolers? :smokin:
Click to expand...

Yes those are billet! They have temp sensor ports on inlet and discharge standard. I won’t use that function I don’t think.
Change of plans with the coolers. It was going to too tight and too close to the exhaust behind the seat so we went to the tar 1/4 panels. The air will be sucked from inside the jeep trunk and expelled into the fender. The body will be windowed and mesh installed to allow flow.
IMG_5016.jpeg
IMG_5015.jpeg
IMG_5017.jpeg
 
Rockchump said:
Yes those are billet! They have temp sensor ports on inlet and discharge standard. I won’t use that function I don’t think.
Change of plans with the coolers. It was going to too tight and too close to the exhaust behind the seat so we went to the tar 1/4 panels. The air will be sucked from inside the jeep trunk and expelled into the fender. The body will be windowed and mesh installed to allow flow.
IMG_5016.jpeg
IMG_5015.jpeg
IMG_5017.jpeg
Click to expand...
Dude, those 10" brushless fans are absolutely insane. You won't overheat.

PS : The coolers are pimp AF.
 
Bebop said:
Dude, those 10" brushless fans are absolutely insane. You won't overheat.

PS : The coolers are pimp AF.
Click to expand...
Thank you!! They were not cheap.
Thought process is motor has a 160* thermostat that will keep motor form running too cold (yes it can happen) but since I’m not running any thermostat’s for engine and trans fluid the brushless will be PWM control based off temps and will ramp up and down as needed.
We will window and add a mesh to the body to allow air flow. Like the examples.
Also going to push the body work on the rear 1/4’s now to do the mesh screen and relocate the filler higher and further forward for more room and better fill angles.
There is a lot of small rework going on my in the rend it’s gonna be so RAD!!
IMG_5036.png
IMG_5035.png
IMG_5032.jpeg
IMG_5038.png
 
Rockchump said:
Thought process is motor has a 160* thermostat that will keep motor form running too cold (yes it can happen) but since I’m not running any thermostat’s for engine and trans fluid the brushless will be PWM control based off temps and will ramp up and down as needed.
Click to expand...
I agree with the thought process whole heartedly.

That said, for the sake of argument, I disagree with this statement :
Rockchump said:
[...]motor form running too cold (yes it can happen)
Click to expand...
As long as your tune is set up for the temperature the engine is supposed to run at, a colder engine isn't an issue necessarily.
Think about the boats that run Big Blocks cooled by lake water etc.
It is a problem for max efficiency in an emission controlled vehicle, that is true.
 
Bebop said:
I agree with the thought process whole heartedly.

That said, for the sake of argument, I disagree with this statement :

As long as your tune is set up for the temperature the engine is supposed to run at, a colder engine isn't an issue necessarily.
Think about the boats that run Big Blocks cooled by lake water etc.
It is a problem for max efficiency in an emission controlled vehicle, that is true.
Click to expand...
My Nissan had the thermostat pulled when I got it. In the canyons at night it would get down to 110. Stock ECU. That’s the only experience I have with a vehicle running too cool.
Funny enough I popped a thermostat in it and it immediately stated overheating and soon realized it had a cracked head and it was pressurizing the cooling system from a cracked exhaust runner.
That’s what started the LS swap.
I get what you’re saying and now that you mention it. What’s wild is there are boats that overheat! lol.

There is a second thing and that is to the thermostat is an engineered flow restriction for the radiator. To create more efficient Thermal transfer. I could play with hole sized in restrictive plates but that’s too much work for me at this point.
 
Last edited:
Not a whole lot of progress again. Dave has a few short smaller projects he is taking in. He needs to maintain customers so he has work lined up after my jeep leaves.
I’ve been working on the business and getting caught up around the house. Making plans for the new trailer and getting the old trailer prepped for sale.
New tongue jack. New LED marker lights and wire in a few perimeter lights and button up the inside again.

Hoping for some solid progress after this week.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh