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RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build

RubiSc0tt

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I figured since I've got some mods done, it's about time to start one of these.

Stats:
2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Punk’n Orange Metallic
3.6L V6
6 Speed manual transmission
Dual tops
LED group
Trailer Tow group
Leather interior
7” Infotainment/U Connect w/ Apple Car Play
Ordered: 9/13/18
Delivered: 12/7/18


Suspension: 2.5" Rock Krawler Adventure Series w/ Twin tube RK shocks.
Tires: 37x12.50x17R Milestar Patagonia MT's on 17x9" Vision Nemesis.
Armor:
Motobilt Crusher front bumper w/ Stinger
Body Armor 4x4 full width rear bumper & Tire Carrier (coming soon)
Quadratec Aluminum Skidplate system (Engine/ Transmission, Transfer case, Fuel tank)
Rubicon Rock rails
Recovery:
Warn VR10
Hi-Lift Jack
Lighting: Stock LED headlights/ Fogs
Interior:
Carplay2Air Bluetooth adapter (stealth installed).
Rugged Ridge Floor mats
Seven slot Spartan (?) door sill guards ($25 for the set on Amazon and they have a Jeep grille)
Alien Sunshade- Orange
Cheapo black neoprene seat covers for trail/beach duty (removed when not in use)
DIY Overhead CB Mount (Modified and Reinstalled 11/2020 as it interfered with headroom on the trail)
On Boar Air: ARB Twin Knock off compressor on M.O.R.E Mount w/ DIY 4 Tire inflation system.
“Fat 50” Ammo can for trail tools
Springtail Solutions tailgate Table
Cheap Amazon Molle pouches mounted to Tailgate table for Off road/ recovery gear
Molle Medkit
Tactical Baby Gear Wipe pouch and Dump sack.
DIY soft top window sack (Thanks mom/ currently undergoing improvement)
Dashboard hockey duck (from my son, orange Jersey because they don’t have teal)
Grab handle stuffed Boba Fett
Need to add a Ninja Turtle as a tribute to Surfin' Mike (RIP) who served as my mascot in the last two Jeeps but was damaged beyond repair on removal from my last Jeep.
Communications: Cobra 25 LTD Classic w/ Wilson Trucker 2000 tuneable Antenna, Hand Held Baofeng GMRS (in Red)

Goal: To build a Family hauling road tripper that can take us Camping, to the beach, and snowboarding, while still being able to serve weekend warrior duty on some of the tougher trails within the Northeast. As time progresses, so will the build, with the eventual goal of being able to run 37” tires and run some of my favorite trails in NY/MA/VT that I ran with my old TJ’s, as well as possibly road tripping to other areas (Rausch Creek/ AOAA, in PA, and out west).

No name or project name or code name or whatever. I have taken to calling it Big Orange Jee (because duh) and "Stomper-3": because I loved the Stompers trucks as a little kid, and it's my 3rd Jeep.

Pics and write ups to come. For now, if you've got any questions, feel free to ask.

EDIT: Updated with my story. If you're interested, read on. If you just want Jeep pics and write ups, keep scrolling.
Read the original threads HERE and HERE.

LONG POST, INBOUND:
tl;dr: Jeeps and stats are in my signature. Been at it since 2003.

What started my love affair with big dumb chonky 4x4's? Being a little boy in the late 80's. I loved Tonkas and I loved Legos as a kid. There were 2 4x4's that were like life sized Stompers that used to hang out in my neighborhood: A blue and silver CJ-7 and a Brown and tan Ford Bronco. Both lifted with Swampers, tube bumpers and KC smiley lights. Total 80's retro style. I grew up on ATV's. When I was 19 I transitioned to Jeeps. I had a 1992 Ford Explorer I got from my grandparents in 2002. I knew absolutely nothing about vehicles, I barely knew how to drive. By late 2003 it needed work- More than I could get for it on trade. So I started vehicle shopping. It was down to a Blue Chevy S10 Blazer and a Red Jeep Wrangler. I went with the Jeep and the rest, as they say, is history. From my post in the Confessions of a Mall Crawler Thread (which I suggest you read because it's excellent):

I also have to say, I get it, albeit from a bit of a different angle. I got my first Wrangler in 2003 when I was 19. a few years later, i starting building. And going on trail rides with a local Jeep group. And building. and breaking. And building. and building some more. Getting more seat time on the trail. Choosing better lines. Following guys with way more built rigs to places that I had no buisness being, with a little TJ on 33's. Doing some Intro to off roading stuff with my Jeep club. I loved all of it.

I worked office jobs. Wrenching was a hobby for me. I ended up buying another vehicle (2, actually) to drive daily. But I would always come back to driving my Jeep. Friday? I should drive the Jeep to work. Snowing? Take the Jeep. Nice day? Take the Jeep. I don't want to get out of bed because I hate this job and it's going to be hell today? I could drive the Jeep- that might make it a little better. I'd peel out of my cubicle containment hell for the day, throw my backpack in my Jeep, pull the top down, and hammer out of the parking lot. Sometimes co-workers and neighbors would ask questions. Some assumed I had money and paid for all the work (I didn't). I'm sure some thought worse of me because I was in the driveway clanking and cursing every 10 minutes for at least 4 hours while trying to fix/ install something. Or I show up to work on Monday and the Jeep is still dirty from the trail I had just been on Sunday. I'd get looks. Some were envious. Some were curious. Some were scoffing. But I didn't care. Those people didn't get it.

Now, approaching middle age, with a wife and a son, and a totally different career in a technical field (fixing machines), I find myself here again- starting over, but this time with a strange new brightly colored Jeep (with 4 doors? what is this?). It may be a Rubicon, but won't see as much trail time as my TJ's did; Not due to lack of wanting, but lack of time thanks to career and family obligations that come first. I've spent money on parts to make it trail ready and I still haven't been on the trail. My wife argued I didn't need this one. I wouldn't be able to go out as often. I'm going to "ruin this Jeep like the last 2"- the last two were old Jeeps, and I was young and... not as wise. I drove them that way for a reason: because I liked pushing the envelope. This is easily the nicest vehicle I have ever owned. Still, I guess She doesn't get it, either. EDIT: She does... just isn't as enthusiastic about it because of my ham fisted driving of the last 2.

But your story, the reasons you got a Jeep? Those are the reasons I pulled the trigger on this one, knowing that Even if I can't spend as much time on the rocks in the mountains as I really want to, I'll at least be able to drop the top, and drive home at the end of a long shift. I'll be able to explore a little more. And maybe I'll be able to get back out there more often... with my son. Even though he's only 2, he loves dad's Jeep. He shouts and points out all the Jeeps whenever we are driving. He knows what a winch is and the sound it makes. He "Helped" me install mine last Thursday. He gets it too, I think. And that's reason enough for me.

Sorry for the long post.


and the cycle starts again, anew.
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RubiSc0tt

RubiSc0tt

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Quadratec Aluminum Skidplate install:
I ordered these up based on my research and some feedback i got in another thread. The deciding factors for these:
-Well priced
-light weight
-Came with reinforced steel cross members (I heard horror stories of bent cross members on the JK's)
-Corrosion resistance (I live in the rust belt)

Overall, the install took about 2 hours total, in my buddy's garage with hand tools, but we are both used to turning wrenches.
Notes:
-The engine skid adds a cross member
-the Transfercase skid replaces a cross member
-the fuel tank skid bolts to the bottom of the crossmember that holds up the factory skid. Worth mentioning: Most Fuel tank skids for the JLU do this and add additonal braces because in order to actually replace the OEM fuel tank skid, you would have to drop the tank, and that's a real pain in the ass.
-We did re-use some of the factory hardware (where possible) because it seemed to have some sort of corrosion resistant coating.
-Other than that, follow the instructions. They came in full color booklets with excellent instructions.


Fuel tank skid
2F34A74D-F66E-49F8-A3F3-5918E1D329FB.jpeg

Rear brace for the Fuel tank
238745E8-AB8E-458D-B7CF-56433EF988C6.jpeg

rear Driveshaft clearance with the Transfer case skid crossmember
EFB9DB35-EF08-427C-93C3-243F8A5E9C27.jpeg

We used a Floor jack to lift and hold the fuel tank skid in place. They're light, but kind of awkward to hold and bolt in.
View attachment 211681
Rear of the fuel tank skid, being held up.
43ACE004-F88A-43E3-A8CB-13561C78C6E7.jpeg

Engine skid cross member clearance
8CE40820-2CDD-4572-B550-6FB7B4FBDD73.jpeg

Transfer case skid next to the fuel tank skid
CB2281A7-0A0F-4B64-80E4-39165FDAE96F.jpeg

t-case skid bolts that hold up the engine skid
7552D631-6D51-4917-B47A-3D28EDD1399D.jpeg

Looking from the front of the Jeep back. Final product,. Decent amount of clearance, and good coverage. Overall I'm very happy with this.
86344735-A2C4-4755-887C-6DE4A609C476.jpeg


EDIT: Sorry for the lack of engine skid install pics, but we were working in tandem at that point and trying to get it done because lunch just arrived, and we wanted pizza.
 

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RubiSc0tt

RubiSc0tt

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Motobilt Crusher Bumper with stinger:
I've loved this bumper since I first saw it on this forum on the Motobilt JLUR. Again, I made my decision based on the feedback I got in another thread, and ultimately, the holiday sale they were running at the time (which saved me ~$200 on shipping and tax, total).

Notes:
-Installed in about the same time (less than an hour, total) in my buddy's garage, with hand tools
-The Bumper came packaged extremely well.
-The bumper was bare Steel and i rattle canned it gloss black- easy to touch up after scratches on trail rides.
-I didn't notice because I'm an idiot, but thankfully my buddy Bobby (who is my default adult supervision while working on Jeeps) did: For best results- Disassemble the bumper from the winch plate, paint, then install. I missed an entire section because of this, and had to paint it on install date.
-Overall, I do love this bumper, but the sway bar motor protection is not what I had hoped (explanation with picture)
-No accomodations for OEM LED fog lights, but I am working on a few DIY options. I will post in a future update (hopefully)
-No issues on fitment installing this bumper. Everything came together beautifully with two sets of hands.

Winch plate and bumper- separated, getting paint touched up.
CE9F66BB-9B9A-4465-8DE0-11D038D42453.jpeg

Winch plate installed. We did have to loosen and adjust the large bolts on the side of either frame rail but they fit fine and once adjusted, we tightened everything up with no issues.
7A83D35A-40AD-4447-87E2-03F2D7D6D592.jpeg

Front view of the winch plate, installed.
88B86D44-8902-4E75-BF2E-90F187B4C58B.jpeg

Winch plate clearance of the sway bar motor. Considering doing a sway bar motor flip, but more on that in a future update.
29261C45-58DE-4BB9-A9AE-AFF3D8A45D93.jpeg

The big orange Jeep with Bobby's 97 TJ (Sahara, 35's, Clayton long arm, custom Wagoneer D44's (If i recall correctly, currently undergoing a rebuilt with Detroits F/R), Atlas 3 speed, Superwinch 9500lb winch w/ Synthetic rope, upgraded LED headlights and flat fenders.
43D45DF5-4BFE-4BAE-B9BB-88104991943C.jpeg

Sway bar motor coverage. it hangs pretty low, definitely open to errant rock hits/ road debris. I do love this bumper, but the sway bar motor coverage was not what I expected, and based on some of my observations of other builds and measurements I took out of sheer curiosity, I'm guessing this is common with most other bumpers as well- so it's not something I can hold against Motobilt in their design. As mentioned above, I may do a DIY sway bar motor flip just to get it up and out of the way, or I may try to add some sort of skid plate. I haven't decided yet. Still, based on the construction, ease of install, completeness, overall look, coverage of everything else, and customer support- I would 100% buy this bumper again, especially for the price.
029A164A-B7D3-4F75-8EF2-2ADD7FB6DE37.jpeg
 
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RubiSc0tt

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Warn VR10 Winch and Tuffy License plate fairlead bracket:
I saw a deal on this and pulled the trigger. Saved about $100+ in tax/ shipping based on my initial estimates (Thank you once again, Amazon).
STORYTIME!
I originally ordered from one of the large, online 4WD retailers (name withheld, *wink*) on their 4th of July sale. I was told a week later 7/17. A week after that, 8/1. Beintg that I've had several terrible customer experiences with them since they were bought out by a large company (with a worse rep) several years ago, I promptly cancelled it and ordered from a seller on Amazon, in hopes of getting it before we left for vacation, at the end of July. I recieved an email ~2 days later that they wouldn't be able to fulfill my order until 9/15. I cancelled that, and ordered from another Amazon seller, and was told it would arrive between 7/23-7/25. Close to our departure date, but I've installed winches before so it was doable. Less than 24 hours later, after returning from a trip to the store with my son, it was on my doorstep. I don't know who was more excited, him or me, as he tried to pick up the box (even though it was twice his weight) and kept pointing to the picture on it saying "Jeep got winch! Dada Jeep got winch now!".

The Tuffy bracket I also ordered from Amazon as well. Bobby actually has one on his TJ, and one on his CJ-7. I was going to run a roller fairlead but after seeing how this bracket worked so slick with the Hawse on both of his Jeeps, he sold me on both the Hawse and the bracket.

Notes:
-Install took about 20 mins in my garage with hand tools.
-The hardest part was running the Winch cables and making sure they were protected from abraision.
-The Bolts for the Hawse Fairlead were too big for the Motobilt bumper, and rather than drill it out, I just grabbed some Grade 8 bolts and washers from my jar o' wayward hardware.
-the clutch on this winch is pretty easy to turn from Engaged to Disengaged, so I'm glad that I have a winch bar to protect it a bit from inadvertent switching.
-I will be installing synthetic rope, I just need to pull it from my old winch... which is still in Bobby's garage as he's out west (wheeling... lucky SOB).
-Install probably would have been quicker, but I had a Micro-manager helping.

Today's project: winch install!
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build D7DEBD5F-3DD3-4C9D-9F31-01AFE00F44BB

Mock up. The Motobilt bumper has provisions for an offset fairlead, so I wanted to make sure everything was set up right before bolting it down.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 89BCEFB7-81AC-4CAD-8059-EA9076551A7A

Top down view. Plenty of room to work around the winch
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 3D32FA52-C1A1-4BD7-A430-52C0BD9956A6

Laying under the Jeep, looking up at the bottom of the winch plate. 4 bolts, 30-35ft-lbs each. You'll probably want a long extension or a short socket with a stubby ratchet. if you're doing this install on the same bumper.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build A969B2E2-DB03-44AE-885E-F0B6F09FBC04

Looking up past the sway bar motor
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build EB9EE648-AAE1-4476-AE71-2E101BB1823D

Winch cables. the power cable comes with a pretty nice sheath/ loom on it. I wish they did this for both.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build F0AD26FF-FDD6-4E30-A843-AD077B6A5B08

Routing the cables. I unbolted the bolt on the inner fender and ran both cables up between the inner fender, frame, and grille. As soon as they were completely pulled up, I used my work light to check clearances and make sure they weren't rubbing on anything, as that could eventually cause a short in the power cable and damage to the winch, or a fire.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 5FF1F1FD-05CF-4541-BC50-B392E4D7C9F2


Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 74DA2690-04B4-4D21-82B9-042F242F89F1

The cables, pulled up and attached to the battery.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build F24ACB18-C3BC-4BAB-9ABE-64DC8042F8C7

It was at this point I had to pause as my micro-manager woke up from his nap. Now, I'd have to actually do some work as I was being supervised. He's 2 and he stayed out of trouble by playing with my tools and handing me parts and "helping". I was actually pretty impressed and proud of him. I'm pretty lucky I guess.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build C7CEFB0B-EE76-4ADC-B1D9-4F3F82A12A92




Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build D5CE0DF1-CB02-4C4E-B6FF-71E659829E13




I took some old water heater foam insulation (used on my last winch) and wrapped it around the wires. Pulled it up and zip tied it in place, to protect them from abraision. Then Bolted the inner fender back in place. It all fit pretty well. I was surprised.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 327A75DD-7976-475C-8074-1C5F048C7105

Finished product. You can see my little guy in the passenger seat shouting "Dada jeep got winch" and making winch noises.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build A3DAFA02-365E-4193-B7E3-C01B2C82FA48

Clearances
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build E619D72F-E510-45EC-94BD-E0C897822A27

Front view
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build CD2192A8-710F-48AE-92F8-28378C915F62

Driver side clearance view and winch hoop protective view
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 360C1052-DC2F-44AC-95CF-2BC2794619C0

final cable routing
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 100D0A2C-3009-4348-AEA1-203978237C74

I zip tied the cable in place using the air box brace.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build DAD019D3-9308-40B5-8925-1E4A50192F58

Tuffy bracket
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build FAC0196B-AB34-45B9-B150-F36D88450A36

Mock up
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 515221FD-7D4E-4724-A252-FCEBDF2006FB

Tightening it down
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 35CC3B12-8B4F-4612-A91F-CCB61125A4A5

Closed (plate dowh)
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build F3FEE658-4C7C-40F0-B712-E2473EC2F838

Open (plate up)
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build 2638E99F-E1B9-47E2-B01B-99C697C0B0F4


Overall, I'm pretty happy with this set up. I've run Warn Winches for YEARS (XD8000i on my TJ's, and older Warns on ATV's) so I know I'll be happy with this. I may relocate the solenoid pack inside the cab at some point to protect it from the weather (living in the rust belt), but I haven't decided just yet. My old Warn had an integrated solenoid and that lived it's entire life on the front of my 2 TJ's for 6+ years with the only protection being the winch bag. We shall see.
 
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RubiSc0tt

RubiSc0tt

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Just completed our first road trip. ~500mi round trip, from Upstate NY to York Beach, ME. I was at 4728mi with 28% oil life (according to the diagnostic in my VIC), and the trip would have put me overdue so, I wanted to get on that preventative maintenance early! I did my oil, filter, and Tire rotation.
Notes:
- The little door in the Quadratec Engine skid worked great, much better than I thought it would. No drippage due to that.
- The oil filter on the 3.6L Pentastar V6 on the JL seems like it's in a good place, but really, it's kind of a pain in the ass. You're going to need an extension for your 24mm socket. I barely managed to get the filter and cover off with my 24mm deep well from my impact gun.

Overall, I did the entire job in about 2 hours. It was pretty brutal, but it was 85+ degrees, and I had been up for 24 hours straight by the time I finished the job.

52AB148A-AEE2-498E-96AB-8FF7527F5E99.jpeg
 
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RubiSc0tt

RubiSc0tt

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Thanks for sticking with me with the wonky updates! I think I’ve got all the right pics and write ups done (finally). I’m going between mobile and desktop and I’m doing it in downtime so it may be like this for a bit. If something seems weird or out of place, it’ll get fixed when I get a chance. Updates should go a little smoother once I get to my laptop.

Anyway, Vacation road trip Jeep pics! No off
Roading on this trip, but it was a fun road trip no doubt. Looking forward to many more (and maybe some wheeling) in the future!
20.5mpg on the highway. We did hit some stop and go traffic due to road construction, but overall it was a pretty smooth ride
84352DD6-54F7-43C3-B63A-A9563642536D.jpeg

Good evening from Long Sands Beach! First stop on the first night after dinner.
A788DEFE-90BE-4455-8D2E-DD96EF81C4D1.jpeg

Long Sands Beach, High noon- day 1
A9592561-2956-4840-A02F-CF0447DD3C59.jpeg

Wife and son playing in the ocean in the background, high tide.
43B94899-9513-4E4A-8861-F0F216409DFF.jpeg


F9405D25-69D2-47E4-AC4E-51F1D564E0D3.jpeg

Nubble Lighthouse. Tried to re-create a photo from 2014 with my old TJ Rubi and our first trip here, but it was really crowded, and also, getting up for sunrise with a toddler is nigh impossible.
C61BEF42-4908-42D5-AD6D-51CBB07D8D97.jpeg

Rubi-friends! Found this dude in the parking lot at Short Sands beach later that evening when we went for ice cream after our pizza party on the beach (requested by our 2 year old son)
1FDFF908-5ED1-4024-BF22-138FC43FBA7C.jpeg

Photo courtesy of my wife. Smiles all around. you can see the Alien Sunshade here. It worked great, even late in the day to reduce the sun beating down and some of the wind noise from rolling around with the top all the way down. I never realized how annoying the wind noise from above was with my TJ's, but after installing this thing it was like night and day.
26701C70-9699-49B7-8B41-E2AA07F72BD5.jpeg
 
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RubiSc0tt

RubiSc0tt

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Very awesome write up! Love the punkn color too!
Thanks! I had already started looking at 4 door Jeeps and running numbers, but the color was one of the factors that really swayed me toward a JL. When I bought my last TJ, I was looking for an Impact Orange TJ/ LJ Rubicon with a manual transmission. I wanted an Impact Orange Rubi since I first saw the color, but sadly I didn't have the cash to buy one until they were almost a decade old, and damn near impossible to find- I had to settle for my Patriot Blue TJ Rubi. I saved some money and did all my research (massive spreadsheet with comparisons on every metric and price I could find), and finally figured out getting a JLUR made the most sense (in my case). So Naturally, Punk'n Orange was my first (and only) color choice, but just to be safe, Before ordering I ran it by my wife, in a panel of other offensively bright candy colors (Firecracker red, Mojito!, HellaYella, and Punk'n Orange) and that was her favorite of those as well. So, it was a done deal. I've got zero complaints so far, except it can be hard to maintain a low profile with a Jeep like this in a small area :LOL:

I'm trying to keep the write ups simple and (hopefully) easy to find via the search feature. I tend to be really specific with my setups/ questions/ info and if I can help answer someone else's questions, I figure it's the least I can do after all the info I've gotten from this forum.

I'm also hoping to showcase some clean DIY solutions to things I couldn't find (or didn't want to pay an exorbitant price), so stay tuned.
 

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Thanks for posting up. Do you mind if I use some of your install pictures on the winch?
 
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Thanks for posting up. Do you mind if I use some of your install pictures on the winch?
@Motobilt Not at all! Please, DM me if you'd like me to get different/ better ones. I took those with my phone (iPhone 6s), but I have a Canon Rebel 5 DSLR that's something like 14 megapixels and has a couple different lenses. Also, if there's anything else you like in terms of the bumper (on a relatively Stock JLUR), let me know.

Thanks again for everything with the ordering process of the bumper and all the awesome products. I still have my diff covers and Locker guard to paint/ install but I'm waiting to do those because I'm only at 5200mi.
 

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RubiSc0tt

RubiSc0tt

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Updated original post with my background and experience from a couple other threads because people liked them, I guess.
 
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Getting caught up on some basic creature comfort stuff I forgot to post earlier.

Rugged Ridge Floor mats- I really like these. They fit well and have good tread on them. They seem to keep slush, dirt, sand contained well as well.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build E9472EA6-6672-4C08-9651-3EDF6EEEDDAF


Door sill guards i found on Amazon for ~ $25. I can get the link if anyone wants it. They're stuck on by 3M adhesive strips and come with cleaning wipes.. Honestly, I just wanted something to protect the door sills from the paint wearing off. These work fine and they're $30-50 less than comparable ones.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build ECB21916-2748-4A5C-B1FA-4497F83FB358


Molle rear seat bags: Med kit was a bag only deal I got from Amazon, So I just transferred a bunch of stuff over from my old, Broken, plastic box first aid kit i got from Walmart YEARS ago and have been updating. The wipe pouch I got from Tactical Baby Gear- it's full of napkins, and has been relocated to the back of the passenger seat as my son found it funny to kick it from his car seat (now that he's facing forward) and make the zippers rattle. It's basically a pouch with a dual side zipper for loading and a window with a velcro flap to close over it so you can pull wipes/ napkins out. I have been considering getting another one to load baby wipes in, as they can be handy for quick, no water required clean up, even after he's fully potty trained.
Not pictured: Dump pouch from tactical baby gear. We have been lining it with the generic Amazon dog poop bags (which fit perfectly) and using it as a garbage sack. Folds into a small ~2"x2" square and zips up. When opened, the inner bag is a vinyl drawstring bag that expands and attaches to the "case" pouch with a heavy duty snap. You can detatch it and wash the entire thing.
Jeep Wrangler JL RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build A5DD7771-733F-400B-A193-C40A6A325B00


Tailgate MOLLE bags: Left to right: top is extra gloves, safety goggles/glasses, and headlamps, bottom is recovery gear (tree saver, shackles, snatch block), and the larger one has my tire pressure gauge, deflators, Jeep top tool kit, a few emergency camping ponchos, and my mechanics gloves I use all the time.

Update: This was replaced with a tailgate table with Molle slots on it. Don't do this. It's a pain in the ass and not very good.
 
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Synthetic Winch line and Aluminum Hawse fairlead install. Having a submerged Winch Mount, this was kind of a pain in the ass. I didn’t have a lot of clearance to work around the Winch, but I got it done. Pro tip: Do it before you install your Winch if you can. Also- You're going to need a new retaining bolt as the drum end tab was thicker than the old one. Luckily, I pulled this one off of my old winch.

All in all, I’d guess this takes about 20lbs off the front of the Jeep (steel cable + steel fairlead that was already rusting).

Yes, the cable is orange. I had it on my old Jeep which was blue. Not super crazy about the hook, but it came with it and taking it off seems like more of a pain than just leaving it.

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Quick update: finally got a chance to do some work over this last week.
-Rerouted the CB Coax cable through the door, since I was taking the panel off anyway. Much cleaner and better protected (I think). Ironically, the cable with the 90 degree connector at the end of it did not work for my application- between the length of the stud, the male to male connector needed, and the stud the CB antenna mounts to, it wouldn’t fit in the area allowed for the connector. So I just went with the regular cable I already had.

Also got the @Springtail tailgate table. Assembled one day, then installed another. I spent about 2 hours each day (mostly because I was working slow, looking for tools, screwed a couple things up and had to go back and redo them, and also watching the baby monitor to make sure I went to get my son when he woke up from his nap).

A few thoughts:
-Strong and quiet so far. First impression: Definite win
-Fit and finish is top notch. Works and looks great
-Bags are finally secure as this bolts directly to the tailgate where the “Trail Rail” system would bolt. the rattling plastic has stopped. Tailgate seems a bit more rigid when closing too, but that might be my imagination.
-Watch their YouTube assembly/ install vid.
-Assemble it first, then put it on the Jeep.
-If your Jeep is trail rail ready, just drill out
the two cylinders on the back of the top panel. That’s where they go. Don’t screw it up like me because you’re using one hand to draw and the other to hold the table.
-Don’t put MOLLE bags on the plastic. They’re a pain in the ass To get back out.
-MOLLE bags are a pain in the ass to install onto the racks because MOLLE bags are a pain in the ass
-Seriously, watch their YouTube vid. It’s 15 mins and if you have your act together (unlike me) it should only take you roughly that.

Cable re-route. Nice and clean, fits perfectly. I ran it around the zip ties for the 3rd brake light and back up Camera and out one of the vents.
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Placement of the holes and spacers. I might get a new "Jeep" panel because even though you can't see this, it bugged the hell out of me.
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Open. Still need to adjust the Paracord cables, but the parking spots and driveways are all on a slight incline/decline.
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Closed. Latches have just enough tension on them to keep them closed,
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Geared up. The MOLLE bags from the previous post installed, and my 4 way lug wrench. Using a Bungee ball wrap to keep that secure and in place. I may change it up though. I checked, and it doesn't impede into the cargo area any more than the bump out in the tailgate for the lock/ latch.
D301C79C-C737-43B6-AA55-62F0BECC4692.jpeg

Open. Gear can still be accessed on the bottom even when the table is down. 4 way lug doesn't interfere with anything in this configuration. I feel better now it's no longer just jammed under my driver seat, and it's at least somewhat secured.
DF51EF7D-169C-41FB-9A2D-F7843D2DEE77.jpeg


Shoutout to Doc at Springtail! Excellent product. Highly recommend for functionality.
 
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RubiSc0tt

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Crazy sunrise and a few beauty shots

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