Couldn't be happier to be back in the saddle of a Jeep Wrangler once again! My last two Jeeps (Cherokee and TJ) were driven stock and am excited to customize this one. Have spent more hours than I care to admit reading through other build threads, WF posts, watching YouTube videos and reading catalogues under the covers with a flashlight to plan the mods. A big thanks to everyone who has freely shared their ideas, knowledge and especially their "how-to" write-ups and videos. For several mods, I had the laptop at my side talking me through various removals and installations. I'm not as mechanically inclined as many here but do OK with the great tutorials found throughout the web.
So, here is Day Zero, after pulling in the 2014 JKS on October 28, 2014. New rims were installed at my local garage on my way home. :thumb:
Day 1: Thought I'd start nice and easy with ACE Rock Rails. Appreciated the other write ups on the install and I wasn't surprised that vice grips were needed to pull the body mount bolts out after they were unscrewed.
Now that I built a little confidence with the rails, decided to pull off the front bumper and install the Rampage Recovery Bumper. Well, mostly it was because I needed to get this stuff installed to get much needed space back in the garage!
Again, removal and installation was not too bad as there were great write-up available for both stages. The bumper weighs in at 130 lbs so I used a floor jack and the jack that came with the jeep to raise the bumper to the right height (set them up on wood blocks to provide extra height for the Jeep jack). Took a bit of wiggling around to get it aligned just right and then *bingo* it slid right on and bolted up pretty easily. Just re-used the stock fogs for now….another mod for another day, right? The nice thing is that I should be able to replace them without taking the bumper back off as there appears to be sufficient clearance to get in there.
While the grill was off, also plasti-dipped it black. As much as I love the Anvil color, breaking it up a bit looks better IMO. Figured I would just peel of the plasti-dip if I didn't like it. But…loved the way it turned out.
The whole job took about 4 hours solo. As stated in my intro, I'm not much of a mechanic (yet!) so I just take my time, and go one step at a time. I'm sure a seasoned Jeeper would have done this in considerably less time.
Moved to a few simple cosmetic changes. Removed the side panel "Wrangler" and "Sport" decals, plasti-dipped the door hinges (again, to add contrast/break up the mono-tone) and also drilled a drain hole in each mirror to expedite drainage and reduce the likelihood of corrosion (read that on a thread somewhere).
Planning on adding a timber wolf decal on the side panel (in place of the Wrangler Sport decal) to customize it to Minnesota. Have searched through quite a few on the web but haven't found quite the right one yet….
Moved on to the rear bumper. Removal was a piece of cake….just a flimsy cover that weighed in at about 16 ounces. Not exaggerating by much…could literally lift it with one finger. Of course, it is just a cover and I don't think is meant for impact.
Installation of the ACE JK Pro Series Bumper with Tire Carrier and LED Back-Up Lights was not bad at all. It is a monster at 190 lbs! I wanted to get the weight/strain off the tailgate knowing that bigger tires are coming which is why I went with the version with the tire carrier. The company has an installation video on YouTube which is excellent and made the install go very smooth.
The only thing that was not on the video was how to splice in the lights. I found a thread on here and emailed AJ, sent him wiring pics of what I thought were ground and power and he emailed where to splice (I had first spliced in at the harness but I should have done that right at the back-up light. Oops! The lights are super bright but no pics at night to post yet. Will do that sometime when I'm out in the woods without street lights.
The white/green stripe wire is hot/power. Black is ground.
Initial impressions of this bumper/tire carrier is that it is extremely well made and the components are high quality. Very happy with the purchase. Oh yeah, the stock tire carrier gets removed along with the 3rd brake light. So, for now, spliced in a couple round LED lights that fit into the open lug nuts on the spare tire (found them at the local auto parts store). There is an aftermarket 3rd brake light bracket that can be attached and may go with that later.
Also removed the dealer sticker on the back of the tailgate.
Lastly, the two stock rubber tailgate bumpers do not work with this carrier and had to be removed leaving two holes in the tailgate. Emailed AJ at ACE to see if they have plugs for the holes (should have come with the bumper/tire carrier IMO).
Went on a bit of a road trip last weekend and the hood flutter was as bad as I remember from the last Wrangler. A bit unnerving and read a few posts where folks had one side come undone while driving. So, ordered a set of Rugged Ridge metal hood latches and put them on this weekend. Pretty easy install but the but on the fender is a bit tricky to get to. Thankful I didn't drop the new washer/nut during the install as it would have disappeared in the engine compartment somewhere. Whew!!
Last mod this weekend is plasti-dipped the pinch seam. The Anvil color down there was really bugging me and now it is no longer noticeable. Have a set of EVO Rocker Panel Skins in the garage that I was going to install but haven't built up the nerve yet as it requires screwing into the door/side panel. Also, being in Minnesota, we have very hot and humid summers as well as road sand/salt in the Winter. Concerned about ensuring a tight seal to avoid corrosion developing between the skin and sheet metal from moisture and road salt. Have found a few install techniques to minimize the likelihood of that happening but am still sitting tight for now…
All right, that is the last of the mods from the past few weeks. Will be getting rid of the weenie OEM tires. Pretty sure I'll go with 33" Duratracs which would be nice before any major snow. Will look at some interior changes for the winter months and looking forward to other build threads for ideas!
Your build looks like a lot of fun. The wheels are sweet!
I love the rear bumper and tire carrier. Please give us an update on the solution for the open holes in the tailgate. Once I see that I might have to cave in and do that bumper as well.
How much should I expect to pay for the bumper, lights and carrier? What kind of lights and do you like them? Hurry up and get out into the woods and let me know.
Thanks B-Man! I went to a couple auto parts stores, Home Depot and Menards but couldn't find any plugs. ACE has plugs that they sent out free of charge to those who bought the tailgate cover/license plate mount product they sell for those who don't carry a spare on the tailgate. So, am hoping they will do the same for me. Given their great customer service so far, I'm pretty sure they will. Will post an update when I hear back from them.
The bumper was pricey, about $975. I didn't have any discount codes at the time so I bet one can get it for less. Lights are extra if you get that option. Originally ordered w/out the holes for the lights and was on back-order for 6 wks and they called saying it would be another month and they would sell me the LEDs at cost if I wanted to switch my order (which I did). Now that I have it installed, really glad to have it integrated. Have to say that it is one solid beast and will no doubt take a beating. Also provides more clearance than stock.
The other nice thing is that my Yakima receiver-mount bike rack works with this bumper. It did NOT work with the stock hitch unless an extender was added in order to clear the spare tire.
Maybe I'll take a drive out tonight and snap some pics with the lights as I'm quite curious. Depends on the weather as it is getting a bit cold and windy today.
Looks great! I love the color and an excellent choice in bumpers. Did you notice any significant change in handling or feel with the massive bumper up front? I'm thinking of splurging for the same one, but am a little concerned about the weight.
Can't believe you got so much done in a weekend. Nice job!
Not to derail the question from member to member but I have an LoD full width that made it ride way different. Different enough where it wasn't bad but took some getting used to. When I mounted the heaviest winch (Warn PowerPlant HP) made onto the front bumper, it was initial unbearable. I hurried to get the LoD rear bumper to counter some of those massive globs of steel. It helped a bit to have that heavy bumper. What really made it seem acceptable was time. Now it feels just right, especially with the hard top on for winter! Then again AEV lifts are specifically designed to incorporate heavy bumpers/winch/gear/etc
Mopar door sills and flush mount gas cover.
The gas cover is ridiculously priced….but then again, I shouldn't talk since I bought it. Teraflex has a nice video with their quirky humor on how to get the stock part off: TeraFlex Product Highlight: Jeep JK Wrangler Fuel Door Install - YouTube
Durartrac 285/70/R17s ordered and will be installed Friday…will be good to get rid of the little donuts!
Mopar door sills and flush mount gas cover.
The gas cover is ridiculously priced….but then again, I shouldn't talk since I bought it. Teraflex has a nice video with their quirky humor on how to get the stock part off: TeraFlex Product Highlight: Jeep JK Wrangler Fuel Door Install - YouTube
Durartrac 285/70/R17s ordered and will be installed Friday…will be good to get rid of the little donuts!
Couple of observations- you said you are going with 33's because you didn't like the stock donuts. But the stock donuts are 32's. I would recommend going 315/70/17 Duratracs instead of the 285's. The 315/70/17 (35" metric equivalent) only measure 34.4" I talked a buddy of mine into the 315/70/17 and he's so happy he did that over the 285's. Anyway, just a thought for you. By the way my buddy has an AEV 2.5" lift and the 315/70/17 look and drive great
A completely trivial but fun change…jeep tail light covers. Was skeptical but thought I'd try them and they actually look great!
Also swapped out the stock tires for DuraTrac 285/70/R17s. Obviously, much, much happier with these. Can't wait for a big snow. Lighting is pretty poor in this pic though.
Think I'm pretty much done until Spring besides maybe some minor interior stuff over the winter months. Of course, there is always a winch whispering in my ear!
A completely trivial but fun change…jeep tail light covers. Was skeptical but thought I'd try them and they actually look great!
Also swapped out the stock tires for DuraTrac 285/70/R17s. Obviously, much, much happier with these. Can't wait for a big snow. Lighting is pretty poor in this pic though.
Think I'm pretty much done until Spring besides maybe some minor interior stuff over the winter months. Of course, there is always a winch whispering in my ear!
I thought the painted hardtop ones look cool, but that amount of black looks tight.
If you make your way to the Minneapolis area over Christmas let me know (I may also go to Duluth too). We should meet up and grab a Summit over some Jeep talk. That way you could test drive my Jeep to try out 4.56 gears, AEV lift, tire size check out stuff. Then hop right back in yours and compare the differences to help decide if you like anything without having to buy. Also I'd like to see your rig in person
DCT set them at 42 psi. Reading through various threads, that seems higher than what others have posted but quite a bit of variability from 30 to 40 psi. Read about doing a chalk test so may have to do that this afternoon after the Vikes gam and see.
Thanks, Bluesoul and glad to see yours finally arrived!! Gotta luv the 2 dr manual. Wheels are 17" Rugged Ridge Black Satin courtesy of Amazon via East Coast Jeeps with free shipping.
Haven't decided on a lift. May be adding a winch yet so am sitting tight for now. Want to get all the heavy stuff on and see where it settles out before lifting but can tell I need stiffer springs. Right now it is just a tad bit tail heavy and a winch will probably lever her out. Thinking just a small spring lift since I'm only running 33s plus some better shocks. Doubt I will be doing any off roading over the winter that I'll need a lift for so will spend the winter months sorting out the lift decision.
Looking forward to seeing your build thread pop up soon!:thumb:
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