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- UPDATE - Fuel Beadlocks/Nitto Ridge Grapplers

This update covers the beadlocks as well as the tires I'm running. I've had this tire/wheel combo on my Jeep for roughly 4 months and logged approximately 3500 miles on them. Before I go any further, a little back story.

I've been fortunate to spend two weeks every year wheeling places like Moab, Sand Hollow and the incredible trails around Ouray, CO. On one of my Moab trips which was done in my previous JK, I had that Jeep at Dixie 4 Wheel Drive in Moab for inspection. We had just finished running the Trifecta...Poison Spyder, Golden Spike and Gold Bar Rim trails and I wanted the shop to take a look at my steering components before the long interstate drive back to Chicago.

During my conversation with the Tech., I asked what he thought might be my next upgrade(s). He paused for a moment and then said to me, "your armored, upgraded axles, regeared and running 37's, I'd add beadlocks. You will be able to confidently air down and the traction will be a huge benefit". He explained to me that they run beadlocks on their Jeeps, which they wheel hard and use daily as daily drivers. On my JKU, I upgraded to Methods 312 Beadlocks and loved them.

So, when it came time to consider wheels for this new Recon build, I knew I was going to be running beadlocks. This is my daily driver.

Here's a closer look. I'm running Fuel Covert Beadlocks. We torqued the bolts to 20 ft/lbs.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_0774D


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_0820D


I love the design of the bead ring which does not trap water around the barrel of the wheel. I also like that the mounting bolts are recessed and protected.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_0822


From a day to day stand point, these beadlocks/Nitto RG's require no more effort than traditional style wheels. They have stayed torqued and the tire pressure has been consistent (no leaks)over the past four(4) months. Also of note, the combination of Fuel wheels and Nitto Ridge Grapplers balanced very easily, something my tech noted as they were mounting them. I've seen the same results with all three sets of Nitto's I've run on various Jeeps. They balance nicely.

Out on the trail, I ran them at 10 psi which worked great on the Sand Hollow sand as well as on the slick rock. In this next photo, this was one of the bigger obstacles I attempted while running West Rim Trail. A few of the Jeeps ahead of me made several attempts at this as it proved fairly slippery to climb. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Nitto R.G.'s did at 10 psi. They hooked right up!

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2020-09-25 at 7.28.45 AM



















On the street, the Nitto RG's have remained quiet and are pretty solid in the wet. I've been running them at ~32 psi and this in combination with the Falcon SP2 3.3's, I've been able to dial in the ride to my liking. The RG's also have a very light steering feel. That's it for this update. More to come, stay tuned.



-Steven
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The modified Mopar Tailgate Table out on the trail.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1563


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1562


It is absolutely rattle free which I really appreciate.


-Steven
 
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...and these showed up on my doorstep today. Looking forward to getting these installed on Rubi.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1821





-Steven
 
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- TeraFlex Alpha HD Tire Carrier -

My Recon came from the factory equipped the Jeep Performance Tailgate Reinforcement Kit.

When we were getting the lift installed it was clear the new 37 wasn't going to work with the stock set-up.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-02 at 3.44.08 PM


I opted to run TeraFlex's Alpha HD Adjustable Tire Carrier/Camera Mount. The crew at Dixie gave it high marks and I had previously seen the part when we shot the video 'Inside TeraFlex', so I was aware of the design and build quality. It also has some cool features like fore/aft height adjustment, factory brake light relocation and billet rearview camera mount.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-02 at 7.44.49 PM


Here it is getting installed on Rubi.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-02 at 8.11.53 PM


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-02 at 3.47.18 PM


The Alpha HD has run absolutely quiet while we thrashed Rubi on the trails in St. George and Moab. Also, TeraFlex does a great with the finish on all the parts. I still have a little adjusting to do. With the aggressive offset on my beadlock wheels, I'm not quite touching the tire to the carrier. You cannot move the spare and watching it closely on the trail, I've never seen any movement from the spare at all. However, I do want to get the tire snug against the carrier. Another plus with this set-up is the ease of opening/closing the tailgate. You can't feel a difference between having the stock 33 and the new, much heavier 37" tire/wheel combo when you open the gate or push it closed. The hinge swings with one finger ease.

Lastly, I'm going to try and modify the camera mount. With the 3.630" BS of my beadlocks, this is the view on my NAV screen.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_0904


As you can see, I'm giving up a lot of what was great with the 8.4 NAV back-up camera...the ability to see nearly straight down, close in near the rear bumper. Stay tuned for more on the camera adjustment.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw



-Steven
 
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I got the new Oracle Rear Bumper LED's installed. I have them hard-wired into my reverse circuit.

Really happy with the output/performance.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1985


I uploaded the install video to my YouTube channel for more info on this mod.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven
 
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I am planning on the MC 3.5 as well. From the shock comparison video it looks like you may have ran the MC rocksports for a bit. Is there a night and day difference between the Falcon's and the Rocksports? Also, which company did you use for the front driveshaft? I wheel Moab and all of the places you mentioned with my heavily modified TJ, but have yet to run with my JLUR, did you feel like you needed a full belly skid?
 
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I am planning on the MC 3.5 as well. From the shock comparison video it looks like you may have ran the MC rocksports for a bit. Is there a night and day difference between the Falcon's and the Rocksports? Also, which company did you use for the front driveshaft? I wheel Moab and all of the places you mentioned with my heavily modified TJ, but have yet to run with my JLUR, did you feel like you needed a full belly skid?
Hi Jason! You're going to love the M.C. lift.

On my previous JK build with a 3.5" GC lift I started on the Rocksports. They were good, tuned by MC to match their spring rates and not expensive. Switching to the Falcons was a huge upgrade, especially with the adjustability. I used all the adjustability. The Falcons are a huge upgrade. Bottom line, if the shock upgrade needs to weight, the Rocksports will work well.

On my JL, I'm still running the stock driveshafts. I've had good luck running Adams driveshafts in the past and will most likely run them when the time comes. The crew at Dixie told me to run the stock driveshaft until it begins to spit grease.

When we ran the Rubicon trail this past summer, I was riding with the Manager from Dixie in the lead JL. That Jeep was on a 4.5" TeraFlex short arm lift, 38"s and running stock driveshafts. In fact Brad's Jeep was surprisingly stock and it opened my eyes to a few things. I'll be doing a video review of his Jeep soon for the YouTube channel.

I had full aluminum skids on my JK (Rock Hard 4x4) and gave them a good thrashing on trails like Golden Spike and Gold Bar Rim. I'm leaning towards a full set of aluminum Artec skids for this build.


-Steven
 
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Steven,

Build looks amazing. Are you still running the stock 4.10 gears with the 37‘s? Seen a bunch of your videos, including your commentary on the AFe filter and nice power on the 37’s. (I had an AFe drop in on my ‘16 S4 and it was a noticeable improvement paired with an ECU tune). I’m planning to lightly mod my Recon and looking at Nitto RG’s with Fuel Vectors (35‘s would be fine for my mostly daily driving and light trails, but I’d rather the D load range of the 37’s). I loved my C load 33” Nitto RG’s on my JKUR but dont want BFG 315/70R17 KO2 as they look to plain and are undersized.

Not interested in going down a giant rabbit hole with gearing and such. Likely just a 2-2.5” lift and wheels/tires and a tazer.

Thanks, and keep up the good work!
 
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Steven,

Build looks amazing. Are you still running the stock 4.10 gears with the 37‘s? Seen a bunch of your videos, including your commentary on the AFe filter and nice power on the 37’s. (I had an AFe drop in on my ‘16 S4 and it was a noticeable improvement paired with an ECU tune). I’m planning to lightly mod my Recon and looking at Nitto RG’s with Fuel Vectors (35‘s would be fine for my mostly daily driving and light trails, but I’d rather the D load range of the 37’s). I loved my C load 33” Nitto RG’s on my JKUR but dont want BFG 315/70R17 KO2 as they look to plain and are undersized.

Not interested in going down a giant rabbit hole with gearing and such. Likely just a 2-2.5” lift and wheels/tires and a tazer.

Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Hey John! Thanks for the compliments, appreciate it.

I'm still on the stock 4:10's. To my surprise, the new 8-speed does a great job at covering the 37's as I'm still able to see 8th gear at ~ 80mph. I'll most likely re-gear at some point, but after driving my Jeep daily, the re-gear has been moved down the list. I want to have a chat with a couple of friends who are running the 2.0L Turbo and have 4:88 and 5:13's and 39"KM3's. Both are big time in the Jeeping world so I really value their wisdom.

With you doing 35's, I can't see any need to re-gear. 35's on a 2.5" lift looks great and you don't give up much efficiency. Agree with you, the BFG tires run undersized, which is another reason I like the Nitto's.

The AFE filter is a great mod, and why not at the price right? Keep in touch Amigo✌🏻

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven
 
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Ruminations...

So, I know we as Jeepers are likely to be giving some serious thought to the mods we do on/to our Jeeps. Mods that make them ours...mods that give them certain performance aspects, or just modding purely for aesthetic reasons, say getting the stance just right.

I spend time in my Jeep on nearly a daily basis. Today I was thinking about some of the features of my new Jeep that I feel the Jeep engineers nailed. Factory available features that are so good that I won't be looking to the aftermarket for a performance gain.

I'll cover one of these aspects of my new JL that I really appreciate. I think the engineers at Jeep nailed this one.

Factory LED Lighting Group

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_0696D


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1497


As you can see in the pic below, the combination of LED headlights and fog lights provide clear crisp, even illumination edge to edge with no hot spots or dead spots. The falloff point is very sharp, allowing them to be aimed effectively and keeping them out of the eyes of on coming drivers. They are a joy to use and reduce eye strain. They are very slightly on the cooler end of the spectrum colorwise.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-16 at 10.47.28 PM


Really nice to see Jeep upping their game with world class illumination right from the factory. I also think they look pretty damn cool with the halo ring, giving them their own signature.

If you have a chance to equip your Jeep with these, I'd recommend doing so.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_9786


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_9785


Stay tuned, more to come✌🏻


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw




-Steven
 
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I recently finished the second of my comms installs. This one being transfering my HAM radio I ran in my previous JK into my new JL. I'm running a HAM radio for its ability to get a signal out in the event of an emergency.

I chose to run the Yaesu FTM-400XD. I like this unit for the ability to GPS tracking signal that provides location, time, direction and APRS information.

Here's a quick look at a few of the features:

- APRS Included
- GPS Included
- Color Display
- Hands Free Operation
- Digital Group Monitor Function

Here's a few pics from the install. I'll do a more detailed install video for the YouTube channel soon.

This fender NMO antenna mount is from Topsy Products. It's made from 304 stainless steel and fit perfectly.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1443


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1459


67 Design handled the radio mount(s). Having the HAM radio screen here above the Nav screen makes it super easy to access/use.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1374


Magnetic Mic got the call to mount the Mic. This location is easy to reach and out of the way at the same time.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon IMG_1531


More to come, stay tuned.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven
 
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- UPDATE - Fuel Beadlocks/Nitto Ridge Grapplers
From a day to day stand point, these beadlocks/Nitto RG's require no more effort than traditional style wheels. They have stayed torqued and the tire pressure has been consistent (no leaks)over the past four(4) months. Also of note, the combination of Fuel wheels and Nitto Ridge Grapplers balanced very easily, something my tech noted as they were mounting them. I've seen the same results with all three sets of Nitto's I've run on various Jeeps. They balance nicely.

Out on the trail, I ran them at 10 psi which worked great on the Sand Hollow sand as well as on the slick rock. In this next photo, this was one of the bigger obstacles I attempted while running West Rim Trail. A few of the Jeeps ahead of me made several attempts at this as it proved fairly slippery to climb. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Nitto R.G.'s did at 10 psi. They hooked right up!

Screen Shot 2020-09-25 at 7.28.45 AM.png



On the street, the Nitto RG's have remained quiet and are pretty solid in the wet. I've been running them at ~32 psi and this in combination with the Falcon SP2 3.3's, I've been able to dial in the ride to my liking. The RG's also have a very light steering feel. That's it for this update. More to come, stay tuned.



-Steven
I live and wheel in VT. I don't have the hero rock of Moab (I mountain bike in Moab and you can use just just about any tire for traction). I've been debating between the Ridge and the Trail Grapplers. We have more dirt, wet Rocks and some mud here but I'm not excited about a MUD terrain tires on the road. I expect to do some longer trips (maybe as far as to Moab from VT) that will include lots of asphalt mileage to get to trails. This will not be a daily driver. Curious if you used Trail Grapplers before the Ridges and if you considered any Mud Terrains when deciding on tires.
 
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I live and wheel in VT. I don't have the hero rock of Moab (I mountain bike in Moab and you can use just just about any tire for traction). I've been debating between the Ridge and the Trail Grapplers. We have more dirt, wet Rocks and some mud here but I'm not excited about a MUD terrain tires on the road. I expect to do some longer trips (maybe as far as to Moab from VT) that will include lots of asphalt mileage to get to trails. This will not be a daily driver. Curious if you used Trail Grapplers before the Ridges and if you considered any Mud Terrains when deciding on tires.
Hey Dan, I was asking myself the very same question as I began to select tires for this build. I get to work (shoot content) for some great Jeep builders and I see a lot of big builds running Trail Grapplers. I was on the Rubicon Trail this past summer with 16 very well built Jeeps and the majority were running Trail Grapplers. Most of the Jeeps in our Rubicon group were trailered in.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2020-10-13 at 9.16.57 PM.PNG


Ultimately what swayed my decision was I ran a set of Ridge Grapplers on my previous JK build and loved them. My Jeep is my daily driver, so quiet and good wet/dry road manners were top of mind. I'm in Chicago, and I only get to places like Moab once or twice a year to wheel. I think the Ridge Grapplers might be one of the best all-around hybrids on the market.

I do not have any direct experience with running the Trail Grappler. With the hi-tech state of tire development, I would imagine the Trail Grapplers would be pretty easy to live with day to day. I know that people who wheel the heck out of their Jeeps love them.

I've attached the a couple of screen shots of the two tires for easy reference of features between the two.
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-22 at 12.49.15 PM


Jeep Wrangler JL Rubi Recon Screen Shot 2021-01-22 at 12.48.45 PM


You can how the Ridge Grappler is skewed for a better on road performance. Honestly, I don't think you could go wrong between the two.

Based on what you said, maybe the Trail Grappler would serve your purposes best? Let me know what you decide. I'd love to get your feedback.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw

-Steven
 
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Thanks, Steven. If I was only thinking dirt driving, I’d get the Trails in a heartbeat. I’ve been running GY Duratracs for the last 3 years with a limited slip (no lockers) and really never had any issues with traction so that leads me to think I’d have zero issue with the Ridges which strike me as a more capable tire. If I have to drive 4000mi out and back in a few years for a trip to UT/CO, I think I’ll be happy to have the Ridges. Thanks doe your reply.
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