DadJokes
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Daniel
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2019
- Threads
- 75
- Messages
- 2,496
- Reaction score
- 2,119
- Location
- Indiana
- Website
- www.youtube.com
- Vehicle(s)
- Sahara
- Thread starter
- #1
Being a business owner/operator has it’s ups and downs and we were on the down side in late ‘19 and our budget was squeezed enough to make a poor long term decision for short term relief. We needed to save where we could so I needed to trade down despite being upside down. To do that I needed a vehicle optioned up JUST enough to have considerable markup factor while the market would bear deep discounts on that vehicle. I was able to meet that criteria I set forth in my search with this ‘19 Firecracker Red Sahara.
Then COVID hit. In March 2020, like everyone, we thought it might be the nail in the coffin for our small business but it wasn’t. Our clients that we had…were “essential”….and then they needed more of our services that we were very successful to provide them. We were then finally breaking even and then that moved into turning a profit again. Then that moved into selling our business but my wife staying on to be the only sales person for the company that bought us out. Suddenly, it’s just blowing up. My wife can finally focus on making the sale rather than us plugging leaks and the day to day operations.
The canceled vacation we planned on taking in 2020 was moved to this Summer and now we have the time and financial means to make it happen so we’ve been prepping for the trip. I’ve had shops do some and I’ve done some but here’s where I’m at.
I started with swapping the stock suspension for a Rubicon hardtop, tow group, steel bumper set of springs and shocks. The spring numbers installed ended in 61/62 up front and 90/91 out back. I only got precisely 1” of lift up front and .750” out back. I also added the $80 Mopar front lower control arms for about another degree of caster due to them being .250 longer. It sat really nice and even with the stock 32” AT tires, it looked good. It felt more controlled but not overly stiff in daily driving and I enjoyed that.
Then I installed a Genright bumper and Warn Zeon Platinum 10S winch. It was an absolute pain in the ass. I fiddled with it in my home shop making that big winch fit in that tiny space over the course of three days after work. Never again. Some of it Genright prepared me for in the install video but the grinding required was severely understated. Grinding on the case of a brand new winch is…crazy. That’s what I had to work with though so I used a flapper on a grinder and massaged several spots just enough to get the winch to sit flatly on the winch plate. THEN…trying to get the supplied nut plates started in that 3/4” gap on each end…well I ground on the nut plates extensively too to narrow them up to fit down there. For two nuts, I had to guide them down a screwdriver and contort with another screwdriver to hold it from turning, while not dropping it, while turning the bolt on the other side. I had to cut an 1/8” off the inner tabs of the frame rails too. A pain. I’m fine with some fabrication and have done my fair share but this was…avoidable by Genright for a very popular winch. I can’t endorse the product only because of the install.
After I get some use out of it, I’ll probably swap it out. The aluminum didn’t keep the front from dropping 3/4” after the winch/bumper install.
The plan was to add some lighting but using the existing factory fog light wiring and switch. Baja Designs has a plug and play solution when you purchase the adapters to go with their reasonably priced Squadron Sport wide cornering lights, with which I chose the amber lens to better cut through dust.
Last Fall I spoke with Randy’s Ring and Pinion and the tech was very helpful in figuring out what I needed to make my Ox locker swap. I have the M200 but it has the narrow M220 chromoly Yukon axles. Stock gears until Winter 2021. It’s electric/cable actuated. The switch is behind the OBD port and easy enough to reach.
And the Mopar tailgate reinforcement. If that doesn’t work out well, I’ll try the new Teraflex hinge replacement setup that came out a couple of days ago.
I wanted better recovery points so I have Maximus 3 tow loops in black out back.
I needed more storage, a place to put my recovery boards, and more fuel because we are taking two Jeeps on this trip and since some of my kids will be with us, we don’t want to be stranded. I went with the XG Cargo Gama bags and a Rightline recovery board bag mounted across the framing of the Gama bags and wedged into the sport bar. I used industrial Velcro to hold it to the sport bar and two rubber twist ties to hold the recovery board bag’s handles and tied offto the Gama bag framing.
I also mounted my Element 50 fire extinguisher to one of the frames. The bags keep on giving…
For fuel storage, the slightly cheaper and aesthetically better looking option to me was the Rebel Blackout kit with 2 Two gallon Rotopax containers and locks. I created my own lock covers with Plasti Dip.
I
The fenders and the rear bumper end caps were changed from painted Sahara to those of a Rubicon too. Thanks to Benny at Allmoparparts for the correct part numbers.
I went with the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T’s (73 lb tire and 25 lb Sahara upgrade wheel) and despite having 17’s, stuck with the 18’s because of the balance between width and height. I needed a spacer too because they rubbed at full lock and I wanted some lateral stability back but don’t like much poke out of the tires so I had Bora make some 1” spacers that don’t require grinding of the stock studs when using stock wheels. That’s as far as you can go though. The stock pockets are 3/4” and these protrude through the spacers .410”.
And an Asfir 2.0 engine skid plate.
Now, fully loaded with a full tank of gas and after installing Synergy 1” rear springs, we have too much rake. We’re at 1.25” right now and if we unload and use fuel, it’ll be worse. Trying to strike a balance, I’m going to remove the 3/4 Daystar spacer I had put in last time and it’ll be what it is. Trying to make it a daily and not squat with gear etc is what I’m after. I don’t want a slippery slope of other changes going too high either. If I was able at the time, I’d of started with a Rubicon. lol I have a few more parts left to install.
I decided the name Ox makes sense since the rear diff cover says it and then I liked the Ox locker stickers enough to put them on the Jeep. There also wouldn’t be two names on the Jeep. It’s simple and works. Kinda like I think this Jeep will work for our needs.
Thanks to those on the forum who’ve helped along my journey from being a non-Jeeper to a Novice.
I’ll update the thread with updates and mods as they come. I might share moments of our trip we’ve been prepping for here too.
Here’s our white Rubicon we picked up to help haul everything we need for our big trip. I call it the Chuck Wagon but my wife calls it Betty White. My oldest daughter (in the pic) and I went to Indiana and picked it up. She’s a new driver and will be piloting this Jeep at times when on our little adventure.
Things worked out and the craziness of 2020 is in the rear view mirror for us. We are thankful for hard work paying off, patience, and life getting back to normal. We’ll never forget these times.
Then COVID hit. In March 2020, like everyone, we thought it might be the nail in the coffin for our small business but it wasn’t. Our clients that we had…were “essential”….and then they needed more of our services that we were very successful to provide them. We were then finally breaking even and then that moved into turning a profit again. Then that moved into selling our business but my wife staying on to be the only sales person for the company that bought us out. Suddenly, it’s just blowing up. My wife can finally focus on making the sale rather than us plugging leaks and the day to day operations.
The canceled vacation we planned on taking in 2020 was moved to this Summer and now we have the time and financial means to make it happen so we’ve been prepping for the trip. I’ve had shops do some and I’ve done some but here’s where I’m at.
I started with swapping the stock suspension for a Rubicon hardtop, tow group, steel bumper set of springs and shocks. The spring numbers installed ended in 61/62 up front and 90/91 out back. I only got precisely 1” of lift up front and .750” out back. I also added the $80 Mopar front lower control arms for about another degree of caster due to them being .250 longer. It sat really nice and even with the stock 32” AT tires, it looked good. It felt more controlled but not overly stiff in daily driving and I enjoyed that.
Then I installed a Genright bumper and Warn Zeon Platinum 10S winch. It was an absolute pain in the ass. I fiddled with it in my home shop making that big winch fit in that tiny space over the course of three days after work. Never again. Some of it Genright prepared me for in the install video but the grinding required was severely understated. Grinding on the case of a brand new winch is…crazy. That’s what I had to work with though so I used a flapper on a grinder and massaged several spots just enough to get the winch to sit flatly on the winch plate. THEN…trying to get the supplied nut plates started in that 3/4” gap on each end…well I ground on the nut plates extensively too to narrow them up to fit down there. For two nuts, I had to guide them down a screwdriver and contort with another screwdriver to hold it from turning, while not dropping it, while turning the bolt on the other side. I had to cut an 1/8” off the inner tabs of the frame rails too. A pain. I’m fine with some fabrication and have done my fair share but this was…avoidable by Genright for a very popular winch. I can’t endorse the product only because of the install.
After I get some use out of it, I’ll probably swap it out. The aluminum didn’t keep the front from dropping 3/4” after the winch/bumper install.
The plan was to add some lighting but using the existing factory fog light wiring and switch. Baja Designs has a plug and play solution when you purchase the adapters to go with their reasonably priced Squadron Sport wide cornering lights, with which I chose the amber lens to better cut through dust.
Last Fall I spoke with Randy’s Ring and Pinion and the tech was very helpful in figuring out what I needed to make my Ox locker swap. I have the M200 but it has the narrow M220 chromoly Yukon axles. Stock gears until Winter 2021. It’s electric/cable actuated. The switch is behind the OBD port and easy enough to reach.
And the Mopar tailgate reinforcement. If that doesn’t work out well, I’ll try the new Teraflex hinge replacement setup that came out a couple of days ago.
I wanted better recovery points so I have Maximus 3 tow loops in black out back.
I needed more storage, a place to put my recovery boards, and more fuel because we are taking two Jeeps on this trip and since some of my kids will be with us, we don’t want to be stranded. I went with the XG Cargo Gama bags and a Rightline recovery board bag mounted across the framing of the Gama bags and wedged into the sport bar. I used industrial Velcro to hold it to the sport bar and two rubber twist ties to hold the recovery board bag’s handles and tied offto the Gama bag framing.
I also mounted my Element 50 fire extinguisher to one of the frames. The bags keep on giving…
For fuel storage, the slightly cheaper and aesthetically better looking option to me was the Rebel Blackout kit with 2 Two gallon Rotopax containers and locks. I created my own lock covers with Plasti Dip.
The fenders and the rear bumper end caps were changed from painted Sahara to those of a Rubicon too. Thanks to Benny at Allmoparparts for the correct part numbers.
I went with the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T’s (73 lb tire and 25 lb Sahara upgrade wheel) and despite having 17’s, stuck with the 18’s because of the balance between width and height. I needed a spacer too because they rubbed at full lock and I wanted some lateral stability back but don’t like much poke out of the tires so I had Bora make some 1” spacers that don’t require grinding of the stock studs when using stock wheels. That’s as far as you can go though. The stock pockets are 3/4” and these protrude through the spacers .410”.
And an Asfir 2.0 engine skid plate.
Now, fully loaded with a full tank of gas and after installing Synergy 1” rear springs, we have too much rake. We’re at 1.25” right now and if we unload and use fuel, it’ll be worse. Trying to strike a balance, I’m going to remove the 3/4 Daystar spacer I had put in last time and it’ll be what it is. Trying to make it a daily and not squat with gear etc is what I’m after. I don’t want a slippery slope of other changes going too high either. If I was able at the time, I’d of started with a Rubicon. lol I have a few more parts left to install.
I decided the name Ox makes sense since the rear diff cover says it and then I liked the Ox locker stickers enough to put them on the Jeep. There also wouldn’t be two names on the Jeep. It’s simple and works. Kinda like I think this Jeep will work for our needs.
Thanks to those on the forum who’ve helped along my journey from being a non-Jeeper to a Novice.
I’ll update the thread with updates and mods as they come. I might share moments of our trip we’ve been prepping for here too.
Here’s our white Rubicon we picked up to help haul everything we need for our big trip. I call it the Chuck Wagon but my wife calls it Betty White. My oldest daughter (in the pic) and I went to Indiana and picked it up. She’s a new driver and will be piloting this Jeep at times when on our little adventure.
Things worked out and the craziness of 2020 is in the rear view mirror for us. We are thankful for hard work paying off, patience, and life getting back to normal. We’ll never forget these times.
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