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Bofa's Build - JKU Sahara Firecracker Red

18K views 116 replies 19 participants last post by  bofa 
#1 ·
I originally ordered a 2015 JKU Sport exactly how I wanted but as I was browsing the dealer's site today I found a Sahara that closely matched my build. I contacted the sales guy that placed my order and asked him to get me a price and it was good enough to make me jump.

So, here's how the build starts:

2015 JKU Sahara in Firecracker Red
Automatic
Hard Top
Max Tow
Connectivity
Trac Lok
Remote Start
Heated Seats
Alpine Sound
 
#2 ·
I got some small stuff done today.

Swapped out the chrome Jeep badge for gloss black.



I used some cheap fish line to pull the plastic pieces and was able to peel most of the foam adhesive by hand. A little goo gone finished it up. The painters tape really helps keep line things up.





Much better!
 
#3 ·
Swapped out the 130 for a 430 using the instructions here. I got it on ebay and was able to confirm that the backlighting matches the oem green.



At first it booted with a Ram logo but the next restart loaded up the Jeep logo. Great success!

 
#5 ·
I also removed the Sahara decals today and replaced with my American flag decals in gloss black. The Sahara decals peeled off pretty easily and goo gone took care of the rest.



The 2" painter's tape came in handy again. It helped assure the spacing was even on both sides and that the decals were level with the Wrangler decals.





Edit: I just noticed the camera angle makes it look a little crooked. It isn't though. :D I'll get a better shot when I wash it.
 
#8 ·
Oh, forgot to post this here. I ordered the red/black Spacer Mesh seat covers from CoverKing. Here's a quick compare of the color. In direct sunlight, Firecracker Red is a bit brighter than the seat cover's red. However, in any other lighting or shade it balances out pretty well. I can't wait to get these on and the top off. I'm planning to treat with 303 fabric guard first and am waiting for a sunny day to let them dry sufficiently.

 
#9 ·
Subbing for one of my March D1 guys. I guess I should get my build thread going here soon too. I'll be curious to hear what you think of the coverkings, I'm looking at them too.
 
#10 ·
The fabric is very similar to the mesh you see on modern athletic shoes so I think it will breathe and hold up pretty well. The whole set was $220 so I won't feel too put out if they don't work out. The quality and construction seems pretty solid. I'll know more once they go on.


In the meantime I'm considering my hard top storage options. I was planning on the premium soft top but the Sahara came with the hard top so it will be off 6-7 months a year. I kinda threw myself a curveball.
 
#11 ·
Oh yeah, the tires should be here Wednesday. I had originally ordered Grabber AT2s for the Sport in 275/70/17. Luckily DTD didn't have them in stock and had to order from the distributor else they would have shipped already, so I was able to call Friday and cancel. Danny at DTD is great.

The best part is tires for 18s are cheaper so I was able to order the tires I really wanted (BFG KO2) in 275/70/18 for the same price at the 17 Grabbers because of the DTD ebay promo.:bop: And they will be closer to true 33s than the Grabbers on 17. Now I need to find a Flashcal.
 
#16 ·
I got some more stuff done today, thanks to the rain.

I installed the Rugged Ridge grille insert (the perforated, not the mesh). I think it looks pretty good and I'm surprised I haven't seen many others use it. One issue I did have was that some of the plastic that tucks under the grille had to be trimmed to make room for the nut that attaches the guard. If I had read the install instructions sooner I would have just bought some of those sticky zip tie clips and used those instead.

Before


After


Close up since the lighting wasn't great in the garage
 
#17 ·
While I had the grille off I decided to go ahead and put the H4s and Cibies in. This was pretty straight forward once I learned how the stupid bulb unplugs (hint: slide the red clip and push the plastic lever next to the clip)

OEM


Cibies




I need to aim them still but the light output is already quite a bit better. I'm also planning to get a relay harness and swap in 80/100 bulbs.
 
#18 ·
I also put in the rear seat recline kit from Warpig Offroad. This was the biggest pain in the ass project I've had in a while... not due to the product but the factory uses some serious loctite and there's not much room to work with a breaker bar or torque wrench. I have about 4 or 5 cuts on my hands from the sharp metal and I busted the back of my hand against one of the metal supports when I lost my leverage on the breaker bar. Ouch!

Anyway, the seating position feels more comfortable but I see what others are saying about it being more difficult to get in. Oh well, it's in now and not coming out any time soon.

Before (note the headrest relative to the window trim)


After
 
#19 ·
Oh yeah, word to the wise if you swap antennas. There's loctite in there too which makes seating the new antenna pretty difficult. I installed it yesterday and the reception was terrible but there was an obvious gap between the mast and the mount. I asked about it in the general JK thread and was informed there should be no gap. So I took some pliers and a cloth and muscled it in a bit more until I hit an obvious stopping point. No more gap and the reception improved in the garage. I'll have to drive around to test it out more.

 
#22 ·
Thanks man. Air tools are definitely the way to go if you have access to them. My arms are still sore. lol

Looks good fellow firecracker. Saw this one at my jeep dealer and thought of you. Love the look of the painted bumper piece on the stock bumper. Looks so good with the body colored fenders.
That does look good. I was thinking about painting it black but will see how the silver holds up for now. I want to see if I can find some vinyl wrap that matches firecracker.
 
#27 ·
It was an ebay seller named "mygigexperts". They were very helpful with all of my questions (exchanged multiple emails). I confirmed that it was a high speed bus unit with a security code and that they had one with green backlighting. They said that most of their units were take-offs from vehicles when they were new. They delivered on everything promised and had the best price I could find ($350 shipped). The order arrived via USPS priority and was packaged well and was in perfect condition. I believe it was from a 2011 RAM and looks like it was never used.
 
#29 ·
Congratulations! Everything looks good! :thumb:
 
#31 ·
I performed the throttle calibration yesterday, and wow what a difference. I'm no longer pressing the accelerator 50% to get some gas out of it. I'm adding the steps here for my own reference but feel free to give it a shot.

These steps are quoted from multiple threads so I'm not sure who is due credit.

*****************************************************************

Throttle calibration can substantially improve throttle responsiveness over "factory standard." Many people notice what appears to be sluggish throttle response or a "dead area" at initial accelerator depression. Throttle calibration can take care of these.

1) Insert ignition key and turn to "ON" (not start).
2) Wait for all idiot lights to go out. Check Engine Light may remain on.
3) Slowly depress the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor.
4) Slowly release the accelerator pedal until it's all the way back up.
5) Turn the ignition key to "OFF".
6) Start the engine.

Most drivers notice an immediate change in throttle response, but depending on your driving style, you may need to repeat this procedure periodically due to the computer's adaptive programming. You likely need to repeat this procedure any time the battery is disconnected.

*****************************************************************
 
#34 ·
Throttle calibration can substantially improve throttle responsiveness over "factory standard." Many people notice what appears to be sluggish throttle response or a "dead area" at initial accelerator depression. Throttle calibration can take care of these.

1) Insert ignition key and turn to "ON" (not start).
2) Wait for all idiot lights to go out. Check Engine Light may remain on.
3) Slowly depress the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor.
4) Slowly release the accelerator pedal until it's all the way back up.
5) Turn the ignition key to "OFF".
6) Start the engine.
By the way....THANKS!
 
#37 ·
Some quick thoughts on saving money on tires...

1. Sales Tax. If you order online you aren't paying sales tax in most cases. In my case, that saved me about $100.

2. Manufacturer Promos. Almost all tire manufacturers have promos throughout the year to get a rebate card. For example, right now General has $70 and Goodyear $40. Unfortunately BFG is one of those brands that carries these promos less frequently or are location specific, so no promo for me. But if your tires do have a promo, factor that into your cost! Oh yeah, save your tire stickers. Cooper tried to screw me out of $120 rebate a few years ago because the tire shop tossed the stickers (even though I had the paid invoice).

3. Reseller Promos. It's the most... wonderful time... of the year (if you are shopping for tires). Discount Direct is having their $100 off $400 promo on ebay and you can use the code up to 3 times. Since our tires almost always exceed $400 for 2, You can save yourself an easy $200 here. If you get some wheels or more expensive tires, that can jump to $300. It happens once a year and if you can time your purchase right, now is the time. No other retailers seem to be able to touch these prices, and shipping is free and fast!

4. Installation. One thing I don't like about Discount is their mount/balance and "TPMS rebuild" fees. They are the only place that consistently does this and can easily tack on an extra couple hundred bucks. These can be included sometimes but you have to bargain with them and it annoys me for some reason because it's totally subjective to the person you get. If you have a friend with a shop, you can save this expense. Or if you find a local tire shop, they will usually mount and balance for $10 to $15 a piece.

5. Sell Your Take-offs! I always immediately replace the tires on a new vehicle because the OEM ones are generally cheapest bidder and not up to my standards. By doing this, I can usually flip the take-offs on Craigslist. For the JGC I sold the 4 tires for $500 reducing my out of pocket to $500. For the Wrangler, I'm trying to get $600, which again would reduce my out of pocket cost to around $500. Bazinga!
 
#39 ·
All good tips. The day I ordered my Jeep I actually ordered my tires as well, did the same thing with the discount tire ebay sale, no tax and did it in 2 orders to save $200, plus another $40 rebate from Goodyear. It was a no brainer.

I'm also subscribing to the sell my takeoffs, which has led to me not driving my Jeep at all right now until I can get the lift and tires installed so I don't rack up miles on the takeoffs. I'm just waiting on the tire carrier but that's another 10 days I'm being told, so I may just say screw it and have the lift and tires done and mess with the tire carrier later. I'm sure it's not hard to do but I work 70 hours a week and have other commitments, so it's more about saving time with a shop doing it.

The new tires look great, they look really aggressive. Can't wait to see the spacer pics when done.
 
#38 ·
We finally hit 70 degrees today so I took the CoverKing seat covers and coated them with 303 Fabric Protector. I'm going to give them a day or two to fully dry and should be able to put them on this weekend. The stuff smells pretty good - not sure why some people complained about it on Amazon.

We are in for quite a bit of rain over the next week so I may not get the top off as soon as I hoped. :drinks: I guess that'll give me more time to get my cart built.
 
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