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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.
 
#2,872 ·
tap the power wire from the socket and the ground purple wire from the purple wire going to the latch, turns on when the rear gate is open and turns off once closed
Apologies for my ignorance, which socket did u tapped the power to? Is it the lighter socket? I need to do this but I don't want to run a long wire all the way to the front by the passenger footwell lighting. I just need to know which wire to use if I don't have that 12V lighter socket. Isn't that always hot?
 
#2,874 ·
yes that is the rear 12v lighter socket, it is always hot, but I tested all the wires with my fluke and found that using the one wire as a ground from the latch actives the light only when the hatch is open If you don't have the rear lighter socket I would look at tapping off the dome light instead.
Thanks!
I wonder if there's another pair of wires I can use in the rear latch area?
 
#2,885 ·
Here's my cheap mod:

I have Mopar rubber floor liners and pulled the carpet from the Jeep. This results in floor mats that move all over the place because the anchors that snap into the holes in the mats are attached to the carpet, which is removed.

First, I removed the anchors from the carpet. It's obvious they were not designed to be removed, ever. The anchor is in two pieces, the top part (which you need) has a ridged protrusion that goes through the carpet and then there's a donut that snaps on the bottom side with a series of tangs that snap past the ridges on the top part to hold it together. You don't need the bottom (donut) part so you can get them apart much easier if you don't mind breaking this part.

Once they are removed, you can discard the "donut" parts, and then use a hack saw to cut the protrusion off of the bottom of the upper part of the anchor. I then used a Dremel with a sanding drum to smooth any remnant of the protrusion from the anchor, so the bottom of each one is flat and smooth.

Now go and mark where they need to go. I used rubbing alcohol to clean the floor and then installed each mat to test-fit. With a pencil I marked where the anchor should be, and then removed the mats and made a large crosshair mark so I'd know where to position the anchor.

Now use mounting tape like this:
3M Scotch 1 in. x 1.66 yds. Extreme Mounting Tape-414/DC - The Home Depot

Put a piece of mounting tape on the bottom of each anchor, as big a piece as you can fit without it overhanging, and stick the anchor solidly into the position you marked. If you get this right, then the floor mats will snap right in and stay exactly where they should be.

In my JKU there is some kind of sound-deadening material stuck on the floor that was in the way of where I wanted to put the anchors in the rear, so I had to cut about 1cm off of the edge of each of the rear anchors to make them "D" shaped in the rear so it would clear the ridge created by the material. I would imagine this is far from universal, so you may have to get creative.

End result? No carpet and mats that don't move.
 
#2,894 ·
My nephew gave me this. He wore it in Afghanistan. It was free to me. But the REALLY cool thing is it's infrared. That's so the helicopter pilots can tell "us" from the bad guys at night. It has hook-and-loop fastener on the back. I mounted it on my dash. My Jeep wears it with PRIDE! Thanks for your service, Michael!!!
 

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#2,896 ·
Cool!

There was actually a pretty cool (and cheap) mod I saw a few months ago in several places related to this if you're interested. Some folks have put industrial hook (or loop, whichever applies to the patch) to their visits to cover the warning stickers and placed patches on that.

Just a thought if you were to ever want to move it from the dash
 
#2,902 ·
$8.99 and 20 min labor mud flap Protects side panels from snow/mud sandblasting that gets through the opening between fender and side step or rock rail Cut it to my desired size. Works great and virtually invisible from the side
 

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#2,909 ·
Been reading this for the past two days and have to say WOW! A lot of great ideas in the thread.

One of the things i will be doing this weekend (simple as it is) will be switching the locations of the "volume" button and the "channel" button on the back of the steering wheel. on my last wrangler (RIP), i found you dont have to move the wires, just the switches. this will put the volume control on the left side and the channel control on the right, to match the locations on the radio.

I will also be adding some images of the decal work i have been doing on my JK. I do custom design and decals for anyone interested.

~J
 
#2,913 ·
Just found this thread! WAY COOL! I love doing things on the cheap. So here is one of favorite mods. I got fed up of not having enough light in the front of my Jeep. I had some spare time, $30 marker lights, a soldering iron, and a drill bit. So I made a switch pod and added some lights.

PLENTY OF LIGHT NOW!
 

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#2,914 ·
I sure hope you are going to let us know how and what you used to do this. I think it looks great.

Robert
 
#2,916 ·
Got it thanks
 
#2,919 ·
#2,924 ·
Ok, Now I have read this entire thread! I was hoping there was some sort of merit badge for that.

This thread is outstanding! I got my new 2015 JK Sport in October and wanted to do a couple of mods... I started out to PlastiDip my grill, and it kinda spun out of control. Sorry I don't have a photobucket account but I have Google photos and linked to my photos below. The photos of my mods (so far) are here: https://goo.gl/photos/rTJmBhJ54baF6MuHA

Mods that I've done to date:

-Custom Color PlastiDip 6 Color Desert Camouflage
-Repainted Dealer Tire Cover with my own Design
-PlastiDipped Wheels Desert Sand (fs 30257)
-Paracord Grab Handles
-PlastiDipped Interior Vents and Door Panels Desert Sand
-Repurposed and old work bag into a Seat Organizer Bag

Next up on the wish list:
-Backup Camera (I miss that feature from the wife's Honda Pilot)
-Adding Rock lights wired to Fog Light circuit. (I wish I was a bit more confident with electronic stuff)
-Adding a power inverter to interior
-Led Lighting to Interior
-Holster mount
-Maglite mount
-Rear Deck Security cover
 
#2,926 ·
Sorry for spamming this forum but I can't edit posts.

I wanted to tell a little about the bag. It is made by Brightline Bags, it is a Pilot's bag (basically this one https://www.brightlinebags.com/products/detail/b04_swift ). I used it for work for 3 or 4 years and replaced it with a backpack. It was sitting in a closet collecting dust. I was inspired by this forum to DIY it into something to use in the Jeep. I used the leftover PlastiDip that I had from the Camo project. I decided to spray it. It came out great! It looks authentic, rustic and worn (which it is!).

Anyway, PlastiDip works GREAT in Ballistic nylon/Cordura bags but! It is very permanent. It won't scratch off because it soaks into the fabric and becomes permanent. I have tried to scratch it off and it is VERY durable it ain't coming off.
 
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