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What did you do to your Ram today???

Today I received my order for 3 Valentine 1 Gen 2's. The install took all of ~ one minute. All the jacks and "stuff" are the same as the Gen1. I must have bought 30 Escorts and a dozen Valentine units over the years. I wrote to them via email with a bit of a friendly rant and surprisingly management wrote back to me and addressed my grievance and made notes to my file. I guess they know what we bought over the years. I shipped back three Gen 1's that were all updated in the last software design and they were excellent, however I wanted the new design. They mailed me out three Gen 2's. I'm super thrilled, i couldn't believe when I mailed them off a day later I got pulled over by a deputy for "rolling through a stop sign". I told the Cop I've been doing that all my life since living in New York, he gave me a look and let me off. Not in Texas he said.
I have been using the same mounts from eBay for at least 15 years. They are aluminum and never fail. You can bend then to snug high up. They are cheap under 10 bucks.
This past weekend I installed my Yellow Caliper Covers from MGP. They look awesome on my black truck. I ordered these covers direct on Memorial weekend. You can always find a coupon code, they cost me $204. all total. The install is very simple. The hardest part is taking those heavy wheels off in the hot muggy Houston heat. I did clean the inside of the wheels while they were off with a stiff brush and detergent. I'm very satisfied with both updates.
 

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Had Xpel XR ceramic 30% tint put on the front windows, what a difference! I work in Sugar Land TX and had a mobile guy to come out to the parking garage to do the work. He did an outstanding job: Prestige Window Tinting

I will have him do the same to the back window, back passenger windows and sunroof next.
 
Installed original headache rack from backrack
 

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Were able to order the fender flares color matched? I looked on the Bushwacker site and do not see them available for the Rebel?

The shop I used ordered them and used their painter to paint them to match my truck.
 
Put LLumar IRX 35 on the driver and passenger windows, and put The LLumar AIR 80 on rear window, sunroof, rear passenger windows, and winshield. It makes a big difference, I feel like the A/C unit doesn't have to work as hard to keep the cabin cool. The other feature I love is when I have the sunroof shade pulled back I don't feel that heat on the top of my head or arms. So far I have been impressed.
 
As much as I agree with you that your state sucks, in this case it's actually no worse than most.
Interestingly, NH is currently trying to ammend the rule to allow for side window tinting at no less than 70%
 
Installed medium smoke tint from Luxe for the mirror turn signal lights. One thing that's bothered me on my night edition was the white/clear lens on the mirrors.

View attachment 97748

I feel you on that one, I went with the same film all the way around except the front lights which got light gloss. Liking it so far.
 
Which dealership did the AC TSB? I am really thinking about getting it done. It takes my entire drive home from Bandera and 410 to Almost Boerne, and it's still not completely cool and we haven't even really got hot yet.
U may want to read in the AC Hack thread ref the hack used: Some are using a clamp on the water pump to core line, and some are putting a ball valve in there, kinda like them old 18 wheelers and even the old Dodges when U set yer temp line to cool, it moved a HCV block to stop water from engine to Heater Core. I will say the temps are cooler, I was in the 50's, now in the high 40's, maybe slightly lower but at 100 degrees hard to tell. I also have a "clamp" in the truck, and if it just gets too hot, I clamp the heater core line and I can get the vent temps down in the low 40's. I have a ball valve, and I may just install that also, the only downfall being if U need warm air to clear a windshield, U would need to pop hood and open up the line.
 
Installed my Hellwig rear swaybar this morning. Made a huge difference in handling. I started off in the hardest setting and moved it to the softest after a 30 min drive. So far liking the softest setting, but I might try the middle setting to see how that feels. Money well spent for sure though.

SWAY bar on my list of things to do, including Catch Can and 5" tips. But alas, $$$$ got to go to more important things now then to stuff on truck that can wait.
 
Looks great! How's the hit on MPG's looking?
Thank you! Honestly I just got them installed this morning so I have literally put maybe 25 miles on the new setup. I have a 4x4 with the 3.92s and was not getting the best mileage anyway but I will update you when I get some more miles on how much of a hit I took on MPG.
 
Thank you! Honestly I just got them installed this morning so I have literally put maybe 25 miles on the new setup. I have a 4x4 with the 3.92s and was not getting the best mileage anyway but I will update you when I get some more miles on how much of a hit I took on MPG.

It’ll drop. I went to the 33.5” tires on 3.21 orp and all that and my avg bounces between 12.5-14.5. It’s about 2-4 mpg drop for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It’ll drop. I went to the 33.5” tires on 3.21 orp and all that and my avg bounces between 12.5-14.5. It’s about 2-4 mpg drop for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, it all depends on load rating and weight for sure then. Part of me wants to go for 35's, but I drive 25-30k miles a year so my MPG's will affect me a ton in a year. I'll probably stick to 33's that's not an E load rating..

what tire do you have?
 
I had my local muffler shop make me a Helmholtz Resonator (J-Pipe) to cut out some of the drone from my MBRP XP muffler. It seems to work pretty well. I'd say, it cuts about 60-70 percent of the drone at 1500-1600 RPM. I might have made the wrong calculations in the length (probably should have went with 39-40''). Oh well. It was just an experiment.


108 Hz @ ~1600 RPM, average operating temp at 250. Roughly 37-38''.

I had him make it 37.5''. It's definitely better than it was. It doesn't buzz in my head so bad. LOL.

3rd picture is after he sprayed high temp paint on the welds to prevent corrosion.

*UPDATE 06/26*

So, after driving around for a few days now, I believe that the J-Pipe actually works better than I initially thought it did. The "drone'' is pretty much gone (maybe 80-90%). What I perceived as drone, after the install, is actually the sound of the exhaust itself. It's all at the back, now. It's not in the cab, or in my head, buzzing. Sometimes, while cruising, it's super quiet, almost like the engine isn't even running. Very odd, but, in a good way.

It's not perfect, but I feel it works quite well, considering. I am happy with it so far. (y)

*FINAL UPDATE 06/27*

I have to say that having this J-Pipe is really awesome. After driving around more and more, I almost can't even tell if there is drone anymore at all. If there is, it might be less than 10%. The sound is all at the back, where it should be, and the exhaust note sounds smoother (not quieter). I am happy I had this done. I recommend it.
 

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Put LLumar IRX 35 on the driver and passenger windows, and put The LLumar AIR 80 on rear window, sunroof, rear passenger windows, and winshield. It makes a big difference, I feel like the A/C unit doesn't have to work as hard to keep the cabin cool. The other feature I love is when I have the sunroof shade pulled back I don't feel that heat on the top of my head or arms. So far I have been impressed.
You wouldn’t happen to be in the atlanta area are you? If so, wondering where you got your windshield tinted as I am getting mine replaced soon and will have to tint my new one.
 

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