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Cheap JK mods - Please share

3M views 6K replies 2K participants last post by  PapaSlack 
#1 ·
Just a thought, it would be cool to learn in depth about your money saving, cool mods.
So share your tips, tricks, mods, cheap ideas, use links, pics and descriptions to help us out so we too can use your good ideas.
What better way to give back to the forum.
 
#2,305 ·
Just finished a cheap mod, well cheap for what I could have spent. I've been wanting a hitch on the front for extra space, coolers, or whatever, cheapest I could find was $175, so I picked up a step bumper hitch at Walmart just to see if it would fit. It fit perfect I mounted it backwards had to drill two holes in the bottom bumper plate and two in the front cross member. With the hitch on backwards the cross member bolts went through the safety chain holes on the hitch. Best thing is the hitch was $30.
 

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#2,312 ·
Headliners on the cheap

Good day all,

After reading this thread and some other posts I started my headliner mod adventure.

I used flat black paint from Walmart that I didn't get a picture of but if needed I'll get the name.

Fatigue mat from Harbor Freight on sale for $8.99 a roll. One roll with extra left over for the two front tops.

Shoe Goo from Walmart or your favorite reseller - about $5 and used one tube per side just because. Some may use more some may use less.

Time - about 2 hours with most of it used to cut the fatigue mat to size and the waiting between coats of paint. I put 3 but it still scratches off pretty easily but not a huge deal for me.

It's not step by step but enjoy the pictures and if you have questions please let me know.

The ride is much quieter and I can only imagine will be more quiet when I get the back done.

Thanks for looking and for all the great ideas here.

Mat



Glue



Left and Right



Before



After



Installed

 
#2,313 ·
After reading this thread and some other posts I started my headliner mod adventure.
...etc trimmed for quote
Looks great! Awesome job!
 
#2,314 ·
If you have a soft top, one of my favorite cheap mods was adding zipper pulls to the side windows. My JK came with zipper pulls on the back window, which is good because there are no zipper tabs there (Beats me.), but why they weren't included on the side windows is a mystery. It makes a huge difference. I used two from an old Land's End coat, but I imagine you could just tie some paracord on there.
 

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#2,319 ·
Woof. Not a mod, but just finished reading front to back.

I feel like I accomplished reading a classic. Took probably just as long as well!

Great knowledge. Have a lot of plans to do some free/cheap mods this weekend. Just got my Jeep on Monday.

Taking advantage of a 3-day weekend.

A buddy is even dropping off his spare gutter liner as we speak.

Thanks for the wisdom.
 
#2,324 ·
Got tired of my rear floor mat dancing around in the wind while driving doorless.
I bought some Mopar front floor mat hooks (less than $2ea at the dealer) and a grommet kit at my local hardware store and installed them on both sides.
Attempted to paint the grommets with black 10 year old clumpy touchup paint without using my reading glasses. I'll probably tape it off and repaint again using flat black spray paint.
 

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#2,331 ·
I haven't read thru this whole 80 page thread - but the best coolest free mods I've done were...
1. getting rid of all 4 head rests
2. turning my rearview mirror upside-down, 180 degree flip.

it's amazing that it's actually possible to see out the back of my rig.... except for the massive black object that occludes half my rear window.... dang spare.
 
#2,345 ·
every JK /JKU owner that does this thinks it is great but I found it irritating & felt like my mirror was upside-down( it was, heh) . I can see the same amount of stuff behind me as I do when in it's upside-right position.....not that it isn't great for others but I have never 'gotten' this inversion suggestion's benefit.
 
#2,337 ·
just bought a JK

Hey guys and gals, I am a long time TJ owner. I've gotten it stolen twice. this last time, it was not recovered. so...... I bought myself a 2013 10th Anniversary Rubicon Unlimited. This is gonna sound really dumb but I can't seem to thread my cellphone charger cable through the vents down to the glove compartment. what's the secret?
:tomatoes:
 
#2,339 ·
Hey guys and gals, I am a long time TJ owner. I've gotten it stolen twice. this last time, it was not recovered. so...... I bought myself a 2013 10th Anniversary Rubicon Unlimited. This is gonna sound really dumb but I can't seem to thread my cellphone charger cable through the vents down to the glove compartment. what's the secret?
:tomatoes:
Hmm, not sure why you would do that. I don't think there is any charger outlet in the glove compartment. There's an outlet that is independent of the battery in the center counsole. There is a small cutout on the right hand side of the lid to run a cord through. That's where I charge mine.
 
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#2,341 ·
ok so I really like having an outlet independent of the ignition. however, that does not solve the problem of a cable from the console, hanging over the dash to the windshield-mounted electronics. on the TJ, you simply lifted up on the vent cover for the defrost, passed the cable to the glove box and come out the bottom to the charger. I'm just trying to find a path for the cable to be completely hidden.
 
#2,343 ·
#2,344 ·
I think I've made it about half way thru this thread...I just finished something that may be of use. I'm a "dual purpose" fan, so I picked up some self adhesive rubber tiles from Harber Freight for $5 and stuck them to 1/2" plywood. Gives me some carpet protection and a bonus of a platform if I never need to use a jack in soft conditions.

Trunk Automotive exterior Vehicle Bumper Car
 
#2,359 ·
A few days ago I bought these seatbelt covers from Walmart for $6 each Canadian. I much preferred these over the shag kind. This has totally stopped the front seatbelts from smacking the pillars in the wind:
Those look like the same ones I have. I can't remember if I posted it here, but was annoyed by the cover getting pulled against the trim and stopping the belt from retracting. I put a grommet on the top inside and loosely zip tied it to the bracket for the shoulder strap.
 
#2,369 ·
Not really a mod. Got one of those watering wands with the swivel head for washing off the mud under the jeep. Tried a sprinkler and it just wouldn't get in all those funky places. $12 bucks at Lowes.
 
#2,375 ·
Painted the muffler yesterday, that was probably the fastest and cheapest mod yet. Blasted the muffler and pipe with brake cleaner, sprayed three coats, done. I used header paint so the temp rating is plenty high. Not sure if that was necessary, but it was only $3 more.

Some new LED headlights arrived, but they were crap so they are going back. Also got LEDs for rock lights, but didn't have enough give-a-crap to install them yet.
 
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