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Nic Ashby Wins 2020 American SuperJeep Challenge Builder of the Year
Nic Ashby Wins 2020 American SuperJeep Challenge Builder of the Year – Proves Mettle at King of the Hammers with Yukon Gear & Axle® Drivetrain Components GRDLOC, A 1987 CJ7 MODIFIED JEEP® WRANGLER BUILT BY ROCKSTAR PERFORMANCE GARAGE OWNER NIC ASHBY FEATURES YUKON GEARS, AXLES AND DRIVESHAFTS Everett, WA (February 17, 2020) – Yukon Gear & Axle®, the leading performance off-road drivetrain supplier in North America, congratulates Rockstar Performance Garage owner Nic Ashby for being named 2020 SuperJeep Challenge Builder of the Year. Ashby’s win at MotorTrend’s 2020 American SuperJeep Invitational Championship was supported by Yukon Gear & Axle gears, axles and driveshafts, a Grizzly Locker locking rear differential and a Yukon Zip Locker in the front. The inaugural event was held last month at the conclusion of King of the Hammers off-road race in Johnson Valley, California. GRDLOC, Ashby’s modified 1983 CJ7 Jeep Wrangler entry, won unanimously by proving its mettle at handling desert and rock climbing as judged by an elite and diversified panel of industry experts – Courtney Hansen, Terry Madden and Greg Henderson. The project, three years in development, was also supported by many top notch aftermarket brand sponsors giving the on and off road vehicle its unique capabilities and style. GRDLOC featured a 4.4 supercharged Cadillac Northstar forged V8, Trophy Truck sized 3.0 King Shock Coilovers, Bullet Liner coated olive drab paint job, Scosche 12v Power Sport/Lifestyle Mounts, Throttle Down customs Race Frame, PRP Racing Seats, Mickey Thompson 46” tires, Genright Offroad Aluminum Armor, Billet KN Filters intake, Forged wheels, 8 piston brakes from R1 Concepts, 9 speaker Kicker audio sound system, Rugged Radios bluetooth internal comms, 7 independent coolers from Mishimoto and a 87 Dodge KingPin Front axle/2001 11.5” AAM rear axle from Yukon Gear and Axle. The judges and Tony May, Executive Producer of the American SuperJeep Challenge, was quick to point out that Ashby’s GRDLOC stood out from the field for its marriage of form, function and creativity to unequivocally earn the title. Ashby shared that this build has been his passion as well as for everyone on his team at Rockstar Performance Garage and LDRSHIPdesigns. Rockstar Performance Garage is a collaboration between Rockstar Energy Drink and LDRSHIPdesigns to build first Lifestyle Garage. “I am very thankful to MotorTrend for developing this exciting invitational event to help showcase what can be accomplished with the Jeep Wrangler, and to Yukon Gear & Axle for their incredible technical support, and all of my sponsors who have been there believing in this project from start to finish,” he added. Neal Hollingsworth, RANDYS Worldwide Director of Marketing says, “Nic is a visionary that is fearless in his approach to life and builds. We are very proud of his accomplishment as an entrepreneur and look forward to supporting him with more projects, which we suspect will be equally as interesting, award winning and fun. It was a privilege to be a part of the development of this incredible project with so many industry leading brands and to support him at events throughout the year.” For more information about Yukon Gear & Axle call toll free at 888.905.5044, email info@YukonGear.com or visit www.YukonGear.com, or connect with Yukon Gear & Axle on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to keep up with the latest product introductions, builds and events.For more information about Rockstar Performance Garage, email media@ldrshipdesigns.com, or call 631.334.3864, or visit www.rockstarperformancegarage.com. About Randys Worldwide Established in 1982 and based in Everett, Washington, RANDYS Worldwide® is the leading distributor of aftermarket drivetrain and performance parts for the general automotive, motorsports, and off-road enthusiast. With a variety of products for cars, SUVs, and light duty trucks, RANDYS’ core business is focused on the distribution and manufacturing of parts through four major company brands: RANDYS Worldwide, Yukon Gear & Axle®, USA Standard Gear® and Zumbrota Drivetrain. RANDYS also has the industry’s only fully integrated differential search finder, Diff Wizard® that provides consumers with direct search results on their specific drivetrain needs. To learn more about RANDYS Worldwide, visit www.randysworldwide.com. About American SuperJeep Challenge Each year, Super Jeep Officials will tour pre-determined Jeep & Off-Road Events from coast-to-coast holding SuperJeep Qualifiers. Winners will be invited to attend & compete in The SuperJeep Invitational Championship held every January. Only one builder will be named America’s SuperJeep Builder of The Year. The year’s previous winner (GRDLOC) will have to dethrone as Champion by a better more capable build. About Rockstar Performance Garage Rockstar Performance Garage is collaboration between Rockstar Energy Drink and LDRSHIPdesigns to build the first Lifestyle Garage. RPG is known for unique vehicle builds that push the limits of form and function. The team at RPG also includes a best-in-class media team, providing expert videography and photography services that capture every aspect of the build, both in the garage and in action on the trail or track. If you can think it, we can do it at Rockstar Performance Garage. For more information visit: http://www.rockstarperformancegarage.com.
Breaking In Your Ring And Pinion
Gear break-in consists of controlled heat cycling of the gear set in a way that properly seasons or hardens the gear’s contact surfaces. It is a series of test drives. These critical first few miles of drive time can be the difference between a gear-melting headache and years of carefree driving. Failure to properly break-in your gear set can result in damaged, failing gears, and a complete re-do. Read this article in Español Once the wrenches have been laid down and the gears have been properly installed with pinion depth, backlash, and preload correctly set there’s still more to do. The break-in process is really important if you want to have your gears last a long time and perform the way you want them to. The First Drive In the first couple of miles you will want these to be in-town speeds, 15 to 20 mph. Drive for 20 minutes or so, let the diff cool off for about a half an hour, and then repeat the process. Next time you drive your vehicle you’ll want to do some freeway runs. Drive about 15 miles, then pull over and let the drivetrain cool down for about 20 minutes and do this for about 45 miles or so. It may seem like a headache, but it is worth it to ensure the gears are broken in properly instead of burning them up and creating a bunch of metal sledge in your differential. Proper Oiling The next important component is to ensure you have proper lubricants. For the first 500 miles run 80W-90 conventional oil, drain it, and then refill the diff. RANDYS recommends a non-synthetic oil if your set-up features a Dura Grip clutch-type limited slip differential. If you’re running a helical LSD or a locker, synthetics are great for those applications. Break-In For Rigs That Tow Towing with your vehicle or using it for extreme off roading adds additional pressure to the pinion and can slightly change its position on the ring gear teeth. This means you are essentially hardening a new spot on the gear. Therefore, we strongly encourage drivers to follow the same break-in procedure while either towing, hauling, or driving off road. Even if you’ve already broken in the gear set with no addition load follow the same speeds and distances of your previous break-in drives. Start with in-town speeds of 15 to 20 mph, cool down, and repeat. Then hit the freeway and drive 15 miles at 45 to 50 mph, cool down, and repeat for 45 miles. Long distance hauling is the killer for any ring gear set as you are constantly generating heat without cooling which will break down the gear oil and burn up the gear surface. This is why we recommend a gear oil change after the first 500 miles. If you want to protect your investment and get the best performance out of your gears, then proper break-in is critical. Following the guidelines outlined here will ensure you get the expected results.
Lock & Load With Yukon Traction Devices – Dura Grip LSD, Zip Locker, Grizzly Locker
Yukon has tried-and-proven traction devices designed to handle all types of tough terrain. Choose from the Yukon Dura Grip limited slip differential, Yukon Zip Locker, or the Yukon Grizzly Locker. In order to make a more informed choice here are some factors to consider when looking at traction adders. Differences Between LSDs & Lockers In their static state limited slip differentials are pre-loaded and provide traction to both wheels. When the LSD is further loaded… under acceleration, in a fast corner, or when wheel slippage occurs off-road, the clutch packs limit wheelspin across the drive axle by permitting the axle shafts to spin at different speeds while continuously trying to balance the application of torque between the two axles. This results in transferring more power to the wheel with the best traction. Lockers produce 100% lock-up where all the power is directed to both tires all the time when the unit is engaged. Lockers are tougher than limited slips. Limited slip differentials do not generate 100% lock-up. They do not require activation from the driver. Their engagement is mechanical, a reaction to driving conditions, namely load and wheel slippage as mentioned above. Yukon Dura Grip LSD The Yukon Dura Grip is a great choice for transforming an open, one legged differential into a highly capable diff that can provide two-wheel grip when needed. Engineered for long life and completely rebuildable, Dura Grips feature a high strength nodular case, forged 4320 chromoly spider gears, and composite clutches. In clutch-type LSDs like the Dura Grip, the spring array applies pressure to the side gears which puts pressure on the clutch packs in the outer part of the carrier. Both axles get equal pressure and both tires get equal traction. When a tire starts slipping, the clutch packs are engaged with different resistance and they work to maintain synchronization between the tires, transferring more torque to the tire that has the best grip while reducing torque transfer to the tire that has less grip. Rebuilding a Dura Grip involves replacing the clutches in the unit. The clutches can be replaced to bring the unit back to its original performance level, or non-stock clutches with different friction characteristics and springs with custom compression rates can be used to fine tune the Dura Grip’s performance to better match the style of driving/racing you are doing. Shop Yukon Dura Grip LSD Differences Between Yukon Zip & Grizzly Lockers The big difference between these two lockers is actuation. The Yukon Zip Locker is air actuated and the Grizzly is a mechanical locker. An advantage of an air-type like the Zip Locker is choosing when to engage the unit and its superior on-road performance. A con is the need to purchase and plumb an air system in order to engage the locker. Mechanical lockers like the Grizzly (pictured at left) are always activated which means they are providing 100% lock up all the time, including on the road to and from your favorite trail or on your daily commute. On-throttle driving conditions, where load is applied to the differential, induces locking. Off-throttle situations, where the diff is unloaded, leads to a partially unlocked unit. When the vehicle turns and the two wheels on the axle turn at different speeds, the unit makes a clicking sound as the square-cut side gears move over and past one another. This ratcheting sound can be loud and is why mechanical units may not be best suited for vehicles that spend a lot of time on the street… it all depends on how sensitive your ears are. The bottom line is Yukon is your one-stop traction destination because we have products for all levels of performance from commuter/weekend warriors looking for a moderate upgrade to dedicated rock crawlers or drag racers that demand bear claw traction. Shop Yukon Zip Lockers Shop Yukon Grizzly Lockers
Tales From The Tech Line: Re-Gearing A Jeep JLU Wrangler With 35-Inch Tires
Q- Hello Yukon Team, I have a 2021 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sport S. I was able to retrieve my build sheet based on VIN and I have a M186 front axle and M220 rear axle with stock 3.45 gearing. I have a limited slip diff in the rear and open diff in the front. I recently completed a 3.5-inch suspension lift and added 35 x 12.5R17 tires. As you probably are aware this has made the Jeep pretty gutless. I should also mention I have a six-speed manual with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine. My goal is to use the Jeep as a daily driver and the odd Overland trip and off-roading here and there throughout the year. I am under the impression 4.56 gears are a good fit for my application. My questions for your team are: Is a 4.56 gear set right for my application? Keeping in mind it’s a daily driver with overlanding consisting of long distance driving on the highway to the trail then mild to moderate off-roading. Do I require new differential carriers to go with the new ring and pinion sets for the increase of gearing from 3.45 to 4.56? Or will my existing differential carriers work with the 4.56 gears as well. Do you make a locker that fits a front M186 axle? Do you make a 4.56 ring and pinion gear set for both the M186 and M220? I appreciate your time and guidance on these newbie questions. I look forward to your response and any further knowledge or guidance you can share with me. Regards, Brandon Williams A- Hey Brandon, Brandon, you are correct, the 3.6-liter “minivan” motor is no torque monster by any stretch of the imagination, but it does run fairly well when allowed to rev a little. I’d say engine speed in this application is actually advantageous, it allows the motor to get up into a rev-range where not only does it make more torque naturally, but the volumetric efficiency improves and BSFC comes down. Jeeps with automatic transmissions will downshift very easily to try to keep the engine in this range, but manual trans versions must be driven like a four-cylinder, rather than trying to lug it like a V8 or a diesel. That being said, everything that Jeep does revolves around meeting corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in a test environment–not in the real world. So, any aspect of performance that impacts CAFE is hyper optimized for that singular, fuel efficiency goal. Why do I bring that up? Because many people attempt to build with comparing it to stock rpm or stock road characteristics… using OE performance as a baseline results in disappointment time after time. My recommendation for a manual trans equipped Jeep JL on 35’s is 4.88’s, you can see in the chart below, this works out to just a hair over 2,000 rpm at 60 mph. This is only about 350 rpm higher than stock at cruising speed, but it gets the motor up where it can compensate for the additional wind load, rotating mass, and rolling resistance produced by your modifications. A lot of people worry about loss of drivability on the highway, or excessive cruising rpm on cross country trips. This really is not the case. In this next chart, to can see rpm vs speed in each gear, and that realistically, even crossing Texas, Montana, or any extended road trip where vehicles typically do 85-90 mph, you’re still below 3,000 rpm, and if the worry is maintaining speed on hills like the continental divide or any challenging ascent, if power is needed, fourth gear is still useable at highway speeds. You mentioned overlanding, if you plan to build this extremely heavy, and/or tow a tent trailer or the like with it, you may even choose to go deeper than 4.88s, in fact, 5.38s are not uncommon for someone planning to tow on 35s. Looking back to the first chart, you can see at cruise speeds, 5.38s are still only turning 2,200 rpm and change. An additional benefit? The Jeep should actually feel “sporty” if I dare to use “Jeep” and “sporty” in the same sentence. Hopefully this info helps to clarify some of the misleading internet half-truths. As far as parts, yes, we offer complete packages for what you need, new carriers are not required, but if looking for traction upgrades they will be needed. For a daily driver/moderate off roader, I’d lean more toward one of our helical limited slips up front. They operate absolutely seamlessly, and unlike a locker LSDs create zero on-road drivability issues. So, if you foresee the need to travel in adverse–snowy/icy conditions in 4-High, lockers will get you into more trouble than they’ll get you out of. The two links below will get you everything you need to get the job done, short of fluids, tools, and beverages. Complete Yukon 4.88 Ring And Pinion Gear Set & Instalation Kit USA Standard Gear Spartan Gear-Driven LSD For Dana 30 Feel free to reach back out if you have any further questions. Gus Pyeatt, Tech Support Specialist
Jeep Wrangler Guía de observación de la transmisión
AX-15 – Manual de 5 velocidades Jeep Wrangler: 1988.5 - 1999 con 6 cilindros en línea, 4.0 litros Hechos: Se reemplazó una caja de cambios débil Peugeot BA10 Relacionado con la Toyota Supra Turbo R154 manual La mejor transmisión de 5 velocidades instalada en un Wrangler Consejos: Carcasa intermedia completamente de aluminio Solo se instala en un motor de seis cilindros. Eje de entrada de 10 estrías Eje de salida de 23 estrías Largo: 16 1/2” Estrías Saliente: 7 1/8” Relaciones de transmisión: 1 1ª primera 3.83, 2ª segunda 2.33, 3ª tercera 1.44, 4ª cuarta 1.00, 5ª Quinta 0.79 AX-5 – Manual de 5 velocidades Jeep Wrangler: 1984 - 2006 XJ, YJ, TJ con 4 cilindros en línea de 2.5 litros Hechos: Quinta marcha propensa a fallas, sincronizadores deficientes, fugas en los rodamientos (anteriores a '94) Las variantes AX-5 incluyen Toyota G52, W58 y R151 Consejos: Carcasa intermedia completamente de aluminio, placa intermedia de hierro fundido Parece AX-15, así que ten cuidado. Solo se instala en un motor de cuatro cilindros. Eje de entrada de 14 estrías Eje de salida de 21 estrías Largo: 15 5/8” Estría Saliente: 7 1/2” Relaciones de transmisión: 1ª primera 3.92, 2ª segunda 2.33, 3ª tercera 1.44, 4ª cuarta 1.00, 5ª Quinta 0.85 NV3550: manual de 5 velocidades Jeep Wrangler: Wrangler 2000 - 2004 con 6 cilindros en línea de 4.0 litros Hechos: AX-15 reemplazado Compatible con la versión de 23 estrías de la caja de transferencia NP231 Consejos Carcasa de aluminio Eje de entrada de 10 estrías Eje de salida de 23 estrías Largo: 16 3/4” Relaciones de transmisión: 1ª primera 4.01, 2ª segunda 2.32, 3ª tercera 1.40, 4ª cuarta 1.00, 5ª quinta 0.78 NSG370 – Manual de 6 velocidades Jeep Wrangler: Wrangler de 2005 en adelante, Wrangler Rubicon de 2004 en adelante Hechos: NV3550 reemplazado Compatible con 4.0 litros I6 y 3.8 litros V6 Consejos: Caja completamente de aluminio Eje de entrada de 10 estrías Eje de salida de 23 estrías Largo: 23 1/2” con 6 campanas de acoplamiento en línea Largo: 24 3/4” con campana de acoplamiento V6 de 3.7 L Relaciones de transmisión: 1ª primera 4.46, 2ª segunda 2.61. 3ª tercera 1.72, 4ª cuarta 1.25, 5ª quinta 1.00, 6ª sexta 0.84