Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Starting a thread for my jeep...

3K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  Jonny15 
#1 · (Edited)
Well its not really a "build up thread" yet but i figured i'd start it now cause i'm adding a few mods and hopefully I'll really be "building" it up sometime soon too.

For now im just starting to really put some mods on it since i got it last April. For christmas my jeep got an olympic auxiliary light bar, new IPF 968 auxiliary lights, and a clear corner signal kit....also bought myself a christmas present earlier this week which was a set of rubi wheels and tires, gonna step up from stock 27's to 31" mt/r's :punk:

I'm also planning on painting my flares so their black again and so they'll accent the clear signal kit better.

A kilby steering box skid should also be coming in the near future after i order it with some extra funds i picked up from christmas

I'm going to start bolting stuff on this week if i can ever get the garage to warm up out here in NH. I'll be sure to post up plenty of pics along the way! :D
 
#3 · (Edited)
Haha well i didnt let that be my excuse tonight...I went to pick up a T-55 torx driver tonight, had my buddy over, fired up the kerosene heater. and started installing some stuff...

I started by removing the bumper bolts and tow hooks and installing the Olympic 4x4 auxiliary bar...at first the bolts wouldnt budge but leaving the torx driver in the bolt and giving them a good few raps with a hammer loosend them right up...the nice thing about this bar is that i could keep my tow hooks by just installing them right on top of the mounting holes on the bar. Overall this was a quick project, done in about 15 minutes...


Next i began to install my IPF 968 driving lights on the auxiliary bar. I was extremely impressed by the quality of the wiring harness included with the IPF's, they did a great job making it as easy as possibly to wire up the lights, much easier than the Hella 500's i put on...The harness came with things like weatherproof covering already installed over the wires exposed to the elements, rubber sealed connectors, and excellent easy to follow instructions...

The wiring harness made the whole installation alot easier, and except for a grounding problem i had for about an hour (im not the best when it comes to electronics lol) everything went in quick and easy. I still have to run the switch into the cab, put some wire loom on, and zip tie some stuff tomorrow morning, but for the most part its all done. I can't wait to take them out to see how they light everything up!

I'll post some pics up tomorrow after im completely done the installation.
 
#8 ·
Again i suck with electricity, i really dont know why it worked when i connected it to another bolt but it did, i must have had a bad connection. I know it was crappy ground cause thats usually what causes dim lights but thats all.

And i didnt remove any paint so thats all good
 
#10 ·
Right here! :D

This is a pic taken right after i mounted the Olympic auxiliary bar...it was a 15 minute project and it was very easy to put on, and i got to keep my tow hooks too by reinstalling the hooks over the mounts on the bar.

View attachment 3185




Heres a pic as i was finishing up with the install for the IPF 968's. The install for the lights only took me a couple hours thanks to the great wiring harness that came with the 968's. I did run into a grounding problem that had me clueless for an hour or so but i eventually figured it out...did i mention i suck with electronics lol :doh:

View attachment 3186




Here the finished product...i really like the look, i think it looks pretty badass, and the IPF's throw a great light pattern. Overall im very pleased with the 968's, there are real high quality light, much higher quality then those hella 500's on there, and the price was great for such a nice light.

View attachment 3183




Well my baby is getting built up from a stocker slowly but surely. Soon i'll be putting the rubi wheels and tires on too. I'll probably be ordering a Kilby steering box skid sometime this week and putting that on as well. In the spring when the weather is more tolerant to spray painting i'll be painting my flares, and installing my clear corner and turn signal kit. Hopefully this summer i'll also be adding a lift, and im sure i'll be adding plently of other stuff along the way. But for now this is the first part thats completed on my long list of future mods...

I'll post up more pics up when i install something else!
 
#11 ·
jonny15 so in your case what would be a better bang for your buck hella 500 driving or the IPF 968's i'am getting ready to buy some 500's for some windshield lights but after reading about the IPF's i think i might changer my mine so whats your opp. between the 2 as far as instal and over all should i go IPF or HELLA 500's any input be great thanks
 
#13 · (Edited)
Both the Hella's and the IPF's have 55 watt bulbs in them. If i decide i want more light i can just change the IPF bulbs to 100 watts cause they came with two 100 watt bulbs in the kit as well.

As far as which one is better, i would have to give the edge to the IPF's. I mean right now there is really no difference in the light output cause they have the same bulb wattage as the Hella's, but they have a different reflector inside that throws light out to the sides right near the jeep and then the beam narrows as it gets further away. The Hella's just throw it straight out.

The overall build quality is also much better with the IPF's, the wiring harness is excellent and makes it alot easier to to install, there is rubber weather stripping already installed over the wires that are exposed outside the jeep, the connections are rubber sealed, and the instrutions are very easy to follow. They also include a pair of 100 watt bulbs with the 968's which is nice if i decide i want more light.

Don't get me wrong the Hella's arnt a bad light, they'll work fine and they have worked fine for me for almost a year, but they're just not on the same quality level as the IPF's. But if i would have known how nice the IPF lights and components are before i bought the Hella's, i would have bought the IPF's instead.

You mentioned install specifically also and if you're looking for easy installation deffinitely go with the 968's...the wiring harness is so much better then the one that came with the Hella's, and the directions are excellent and easy to follow unlike the Hella's where i just ditched the directions and started wiring on my own cause they were pretty much useless.

If money is an issue they Hella's are probably a better choice as i believe they only cost about 60 for a set. The 968's are about double that, i believe they're around 120 for a set. But if you can afford the 968's i think you'll be alot happier with them. Hope this helped!!
 
#14 ·
Hey Jonny15. If you get a chance, would you mind tossing a 100 watt into the Hella 500, and a 100 watt into the 968s? I have 100 watts in my Hella 500s (I used a relay/switch setup..amperage is ok with the wiring harness wire size) and I have been eyeing those 968s. I just dont want to waste 120 bucks. Ill end up buying a set later on anyway, i just dont want to spend 120 bucks on lights that arent that much better, when I could spend it on something else now, and get them later on :) Thanks bud.
 
#19 ·
Got the Infinity's installed in the jeep last Saturday. They sound great! Well worth the money. Installation was simple except the self tapping screws i got with the mounting plate were too small so i have to improvise a little with some bolts, nuts, and lock washers. Much better and clearer highs, improved lows, and no crackling. Not much bass though considering they're only 4x6's and 5 1/4's, but im eventually gonna put a powered sub in anyway. I'd take some pics but there isnt much to take pics of considering they're only speakers.

Anyone need some stock speakers?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top