What did you do TO your Jeep JL today?

[mygreenkaw]

Soft top window storage.
Reposting here....
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...on-the-jl-soft-top-windows.59223/post-1558683

 

[Firemadz]

Added a decal to my new windshield. Thought I’d switch it up from the T-Rex on the old one.

 

[Rangemaster]

Added a Hooke offroad cargo basket. Easy installed took a few minutes and longer bolts to make the hi-jack mounts still work. Cut a piece of carpet with rubber backing to lay in the basket to help control things sliding around. Just flip the carpet over with rubber up.

 

[omnitonic]

Day 5 of the aux switch install. What a bitch! The switches didn't work, and I had the "Service Start Stop System" warning light.

After doing some reading on troubleshooting, my first suspect was the connector. The wiring colors in this kit are a crock of shit, and I mixed BR VT with BR GY. I couldn't get the pin back out of the connector to save my life, and I ended up destroying it. I cut apart a wiring connector I had on hand to extract the female wire end, and I rigged it up. I thought that was the ticket, but it just didn't reach far enough into the cavity to make contact. Crap.

While taking the thing apart, I noticed I had an extra plug that was just stuck to the back of the cubby on a little mounting tab. Upon closer inspection, it had approximately the same colors and exactly the same pin-out as the aux switch harness plug I was working on. Too bad it wasn't connected to anything else. Apparently, these things have that plug from the factory, whether the aux switches are installed or not.

So I cut it off. Yep. I sliced through the foam covered tape stuff, and clipped off an entire chunk of my factory wiring harness. I covered all the cut ends in heat shrink tubing, and put a bigger piece of tubing over the whole shebang, as I detected voltage on a couple of the pins.

Then I painstakingly wired the harness I was installing to this plug, wire by wire, using heat shrink on every connection, and a big piece of heat shrink over the whole works. I've been having very bad luck with butt connectors, so I endure the pain of soldering each and every one of these damn wires. I mixed up a couple and had to cut them apart and rework everything. Damned crazy color scheme. The color schemes were not an exact match either, and I had to do a little deductive reasoning.

I'm almost 50, and apparently I can't focus on something a foot in front of my face worth a flying rat's ass. I was basically soldering everything while it was so far out of focus I couldn't see when the solder was actually at the same depth from my face as the wire. It was just pure hell. I guess I need dedicated reading glasses for stuff like this, because I couldn't see shit out of my progressives.

It came out okay though. Thank you FCA for giving me a wholly redundant and useless connector already made up to replace the connector I mangled during the install.

I finally got the switches working. It was a combination of two issues. I had blown the 5A fuse on the harness somehow. Maybe my original connector was wired wrong. Who knows. I had also failed to populate the two-pin connector correctly, so my orange wires weren't making contact. I took that connector back apart and fiddled with it, et voilà.

Finally, I installed the Hauk MULE with my compressor and tank, plumbed the air intake and the air outlet, and ran the wire to the engine compartment, where I hooked it up to one of the new switches. It didn't work the first time, or the fourth time, or the tenth time, but I finally got everything to go! What a day. I'm drinking cold beer now.

I ended up pissing the entire day away again, and never got to drive the Jeep, let alone hit a trail. I have to work six days next week, so it will be the week after before I can finally go wheeling again. I will finally be able to air down without spending 90 minutes airing back up with my garbage Walmart compressor. I've been working on that particular sub-project for over two months now. It took forever to get the MULE skid plate.

All in all, I spent just as much as the ARB dual compressor, and I'm not sure it was worth it, but I do have a pretty slick air setup now.

 

[geem03]

Got some needed glass

Is gorilla glass that much more resilient? I had never heard of it until I joined this forum....

 

[MMalone]

Did you install any type of tailgate reinforcement?

No, straight out of the box, very simple install

 

[dpike]

Not today but added the steer smart yeti tie rod and drag link with the Falcon stabilizer. Also had the steering gear replaced and this drives pretty nice.

Is the stabilizer making contact anywhere ? My Foxx was a little too tight and made contact in a few places.

 

[Tdkrum5]

Is the stabilizer making contact anywhere ? My Foxx was a little too tight and made contact in a few places.

No rubbing anywhere. It’s working great.

 

[Heimkehr]

Michael -- Congrats on finally being able to type:

I finally got the switches working.

I installed the Hauk MULE with my compressor and tank,

These are the first forum pictures I've seen of an air compressor installed under the vehicle, in harm's way. Let's hope that skid plate is up to the task.

 

[Moto_21]

Added a Hooke offroad cargo basket. Easy installed took a few minutes and longer bolts to make the hi-jack mounts still work. Cut a piece of carpet with rubber backing to lay in the basket to help control things sliding around. Just flip the carpet over with rubber up.

stealing the carpet idea. Good thinking lol.

 

[omnitonic]

These are the first forum pictures I've seen of an air compressor installed under the vehicle, in harm's way. Let's hope that skid plate is up to the task.

If any skid plate could ever stand up to this challenge, I feel confident this is the one that could do it. It's very strong and heavy.

I'm not worried about the compressor taking a shot so much I'm concerned about water. The compressor is supposed to be IP67 rated, which should make it able to withstand dust and standing in 3' of water for 30 minutes. I routed the air intake from inside the passenger compartment specifically to ensure that it can breathe dry, filtered air. The air intake side just uses push-on barbs that don't seal tightly, but unless I'm actually running the compressor while I ford water, I think it should be fine. Finally, I deleted the supplied pressure switch/relay which was not weather tight, and I went with one from Vixen Horns that is billed as being "weatherproof." I also have a pressure switch from Viair. I tried the Vixen Horns version first, because it had 1/4" NPT threads out of the box, and I was able to forego the adapter.

This was the best I could come up with for a place to mount this stuff, after all my original ideas came to naught. I'm just glad I finally got the box out of my living room floor. I've had parts from this build piled up for over two months.

 

[omnitonic]

I washed it and got it all shiny. I think I'm going to go to the mall for giggles. (I really should have washed it BEFORE I spent five days crawling under it. You should see my tub. If I was still married, my wife would have a cow.)

 

[GreatWhite13]

Is gorilla glass that much more resilient? I had never heard of it until I joined this forum....

Honestly I have no clue at this point... i caught 3 rocks within 2 weeks of each other and figured i would try this route over aftermarket regular glass. I will say WITHOUT a doubt it is clearer and has no noticeable defects, ie waving or wraping of any kind but it is pricey 1k for it installed. If your ordering your jeep its a no brainer but as an afyer thought we will see. luck plays a huge role here too though

 

[Some Random Guy]

If any skid plate could ever stand up to this challenge, I feel confident this is the one that could do it. It's very strong and heavy.

I'm not worried about the compressor taking a shot so much I'm concerned about water. The compressor is supposed to be IP67 rated, which should make it able to withstand dust and standing in 3' of water for 30 minutes. I routed the air intake from inside the passenger compartment specifically to ensure that it can breathe dry, filtered air. The air intake side just uses push-on barbs that don't seal tightly, but unless I'm actually running the compressor while I ford water, I think it should be fine. Finally, I deleted the supplied pressure switch/relay which was not weather tight, and I went with one from Vixen Horns that is billed as being "weatherproof." I also have a pressure switch from Viair. I tried the Vixen Horns version first, because it had 1/4" NPT threads out of the box, and I was able to forego the adapter.

This was the best I could come up with for a place to mount this stuff, after all my original ideas came to naught. I'm just glad I finally got the box out of my living room floor. I've had parts from this build piled up for over two months.

I’m looking at this exact bracket for onboard air. My plan is to only have the tank, drain valve, and 1 safety valve down there. Compressors, manifold, shutoff switch, and a solenoid will be inside. My plan is to air up the tank as I finish the day and start on my tires with it. Once I’ve equalized the tank with a tire turn off the tank with the solenoid so the compressors are only working to air up the tires. When done, shut the whole thing down and purge the remaining pressure. The cutoff switch will have to be somewhere that stays “connected” when the tank solenoid is closed to avoid over-pressurizing the lines.

 

[Rangemaster]

stealing the carpet idea. Good thinking lol.

Nice, got mine on prime day.