Phil Howell's 2022 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Xtreme Recon Build

[Upnover]

Thank you.

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[jeepingib]

I always enjoyed your articles and had a subscription for many years, glad to see you here. The winch instal is very clean. I see so many people are adverse to trimming even a little to make things fit better, and this just shows how well it can work if you are willing to do a bit of cutting.

 

[Phil Howell]

Napa had a Valentine's sale on, so I couldn't resist getting an Odyssey Performance ODP-AGM94R H7 AGM battery.

Once home, I inspected the battery I had purchased and contacted the manager at Napa, stating that it appeared to be used. He looked into it and found that yes, it was. He said it was the only one they had in Utah, so they put it back into stock as it tested as new. Unfortunately, when he checked his warehouse and then with Odyssey, there were no new ones available, so he couldn't tell me when they could get one to trade.

As I wanted a NEW battery, I traded for an Optima 94R H7 Yellow Top battery. The 94R H7 Yellow Top does not have the signature spiral cells found in other Optima models. It features proprietary AGM flat-plate technology, utilizing ultra-pure glass mat fiber separators between each highly compressed plate. The result is an increase in plate count, which significantly extends the battery's life and provides 880 CCA and 154-minute reserve capacity.

5 May 2026 UPDATE: I may have a bad Optima. If the Jeep sits for more than five days, the battery voltage drops to 12.1-12.4 volts. That's below half charge. I checked for parasitic draw, and it's only .014 milliamps, so that's not the issue. I recharged it using an Optima charger that didn't do much, so I charged it with my trusty Odyssey Ultimizer charger, which brought it back. But as soon as five undriven days pass, the Optima is back down to 12.1-12.4 volts.

This is obviously a used battery:

 

[Phil Howell]

I was sure my 2022 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon had a cast-iron steering box, but I was reading some who reported their '22 Xtreme Recons had an aluminum one. So, I checked, and my 07/2022 build Xtreme Recon has the cast-iron box. While on the highway, my Jeep had the usual slight wandering issue they all have. Increasing positive caster solves this. I wanted to use adjustable arms from Rock Jock, Synergy, or Metalcloak. Still, as cost is a factor, I decided to try the unbelievably inexpensive Mopar arms (P/N 68322798AA) that are included in their 2" lift first.

I've never had a problem removing the front lower control arm bolts before, but this time, they were a bear to remove. I soaked them overnight with Aerokroil, tried my long 1/2" breaker bar with a jack handle to increase the leverage, and then my 1/2" Ridgid cordless impact. Nothing worked! My neighbor Jonathan Summers kindly brought over his 1/2" air impact, and that did the trick.

With the Jeep on the ground (I always do this with the Jeep on the ground or my 8.5" ramps), the OE arms were dropped and the new ones installed. As the arms are only 1/4" longer, they were left loose until all bolts were installed. The holes lined up easily. Using the air impact, they were cranked down, then torqued to 190 ft-lb.

I didn't bother to check my before caster (duh), but the after was 6.5 degrees positive! I like 6.5-7 degree positive caster on my JLs. 6.5 is perfect, and I was surprised I ended up with this using the Mopar arms. In the past, I installed a pair on a Gladiator and only got 5 degrees. My Jeep drives perfectly now. I'm quite pleased.

 

[jadmt]

I was sure my 2022 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon had a cast-iron steering box, but I was reading some who reported their '22 Xtreme Recons had an aluminum one. So, I checked, and my 07/2022 build Xtreme Recon has the cast-iron box. While on the highway, my Jeep had the usual slight wandering issue they all have. Increasing positive caster solves this. I wanted to use adjustable arms from Rock Jock, Synergy, or Metalcloak, but as cost is a factor, I decided to try the unbelievably inexpensive Mopar arms that are included in their 2" lift (P/N 68322798AA) first.

I've never had a problem removing the front lower control arm bolts before, but this time, they were a bear to remove. I soaked them overnight with Kroil, tried my long 1/2" breaker bar with a jack handle to increase the length, and then my 1/2" Ridgid cordless impact. Nothing worked! My neighbor Jonathan Summers kindly brought over his 1/2" air impact, and that did the trick.

With the Jeep on the ground (I always do this with the Jeep on the ground or my 8.5" ramps), the OE arms were dropped and the new ones installed. As the arms are only 1/4" longer, they were left loose until all bolts were installed. The holes lined up easily. Using the air impact, they were cranked down, then torqued to 190 ft-lb.

I didn't bother to check my before caster (duh), but the after was 6.5 degrees positive! I like 6.5-7 degree positive caster on my JLs. 6.5 is perfect, and I was surprised I ended up with this using the Mopar arms. In the past, I installed a pair on a Gladiator and only got 5 degrees. I should have checked the Jeep before modifying. Oh well, it drives perfectly now. I'm quite pleased.

I have done 3 new rubicons recently and they all have had the front lower control arms torqued to about 500 ft/lbs I kid you not..just did a new xtreme edition and I swear my 3/4" breaker bar was going to break. the 1/2" breaker bar would not even begin to touch it without snapping.

 

[Phil Howell]

I have done 3 new rubicons recently and they all have had the front lower control arms torqued to about 500 ft/lbs I kid you not..just did a new xtreme edition and I swear my 3/4" breaker bar was going to break. the 1/2" breaker bar would not even begin to touch it without snapping.

My trusty Craftsman 40-year-old breaker bar was bending with the leverage I was applying with the jack handle, so I gave up. Luckily, it straightened out after the leverage was removed. The air impact gun had a hard time, but finally prevailed. I can't believe what these bolts were torqued to at the factory!

 

[jadmt]

My trusty Craftsman 40-year-old breaker bar was bending with the leverage I was applying with the jack handle, so I gave up. Luckily, it straightened out after the leverage was removed. I can't believe what these bolts were torqued to at the factory!

they were, as the 3 recently did were all brand new including my own. mine had 7 miles when I picked it up and the buddy who had one of the extremes just bought it new and pretty much drove it home and I put the lift on. I was thinking maybe the robot was on steroids.....

 

[Phil Howell]

When the Warn winch and mounting plate were installed on the Jeep, the front end dropped exactly 1". I needed to restore that height. Teraflex for some reason doesn't like me, so while I'd rather not promote them, truth must prevail. Their quality products work well. Teraflex spacers are among the best available today. They have locating pins for both the upper spring bucket and slots for the rubber upper coil spring isolator. The pins also locate more than one spacer together, although I wasn't going to need more than one 1" spacer on each side. I purchased them from Northridge 4x4, the one-stop shop for many of the parts in this build.

The floor of my garage is my shop. After putting the Jeep on jack stands, I removed the front wheels, unbolted the brake lines, the lower shock bolts, the lower swaybar links, and the track bar bolt. I watched carefully as I lowered the passenger side of the axle, and I didn't need to disconnect the FAD plug. On the driver's side, I did have to disconnect the front locker plug and vent line. The passenger side lowered enough to get the coil out. After installing the 1" spacer, I tried to get the coil back on the axle seat. It wouldn't go. A big pry bar didn't work. Desperate, I tried bouncing on the disc brake rotor to get the axle to come down just a little more. It didn't move. This was weird, as every time I've done this over the years, the axle would always bounce a little. I inspected the jack and found the steering stabilizer was sitting on the floor jack arm. I readjusted the jack, and the axle dropped another inch, all I needed to install the coil. Whew. The driver's side was no problem at all.

The Jeep now sits 1" higher in the front. It still has a small rear-to-front rake, which I like (I don't like a nose-high stance). The Teraflex spacers don't look like much, but they're a cheap alternative to purchasing new coils.

Here's a side view of the Jeep with the spacers imstalled after getting a new set of shoes at the tire store:

 

[Phil Howell]

My 2022 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon has some rusted bolts and nuts. I wanted to replace these, including the front lower control arm bolts and the shock hardware (when I replace the shocks). I also planned to replace the track bar's upper and lower hardware. Unfortunately, Mopar replacements are (way) overpriced, and most aftermarket bolts and nuts are Chinese junk.

While searching for quality parts, I discovered Region Offroad, based in Indiana. They specialize in being a one-stop shop for fasteners and other hard-to-find Jeep parts. Here's what I ordered from them:

- Jeep Wrangler JL Shock Bolts Complete Set Front/Rear Upper Lower 10.9

- Jeep Wrangler JL Track Bar Bolts with Flag Nut 9/16" Front or Rear, SET 1

- Jeep Wrangler JL JLU Front Lower Control Arm Bolts UPGRADE

Everything arrived quickly, and the bolts and nuts look outstanding. After searching and finding hardware that turned out to be too expensive, sub-par, or unavailable, Region Offroad is a breath of fresh air and the place I'll be going from now on.

 

[whitechocolate]

great posts Phil, been enjoying the Yellow top i installed last fall with no issues

 

[Phil Howell]

My son-in-law purchased a set of Milestar Patagonia A/T Pro tires and installed them on his JK Rubicon Unlimited. After riding with him on and off-road, I was impressed. So much so, I wanted to put a set on my Jeep.

The Milestar Patagonia A/T Pro tires are manufactured in the USA and carry a 55,000-mile warranty. They have the 3PMS symbol, so they're rated for severe snow conditions. The all-terrain tread design features large voids (for an A/T tire), kerfs, and sipes for good performance off-road. On-highway performance is good, too. While all new all-terrains are usually fairly quiet, the A/T Pros are very quiet. Their Miletech advanced compound technology improves sidewall and tread strength, and also allows the tire to grip on the pavement and off-road. In fact, their off-road performance is what impressed me when I was exploring with my son-in-law.

Matt at Point S Tire in Spanish Fork, Utah, dismounted the BFGs and mounted and balanced the A/T Pros. They exhibited no radial or lateral runout and took very little weight.

The 315/70R17 BFG KO2s that were on the Jeep are a load range C, which is perfect for my use. The 35x12.50R17LT A/T Pros are load range E, 10 PR, which I thought might be too heavy-duty for this application. Not so. The A/T Pros weigh five pounds less per tire than the BFGs and, once on the Jeep, proved to provide a supple ride. Very nice.

The Milestar Patagonia A/T Pros look great on the Mopar beadlock-ready wheels. I removed and reinstalled the ring bolts while Matt was balancing each tire after the rings were reinstalled. 125 bolts. Whew.

Check out this great-looking and performing tread:

You can see the voids in the tracks the A/T Pro leaves:

 

[TrustWonUSA]

My 2022 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon has some rusted bolts and nuts. I wanted to replace these, including the front lower control arm bolts and the shock hardware (when I replace the shocks). I also planned to replace the track bar's upper and lower hardware. Unfortunately, Mopar replacements are (way) overpriced, and most aftermarket bolts and nuts are Chinese junk.

While searching for quality parts, I discovered Region Offroad, based in Indiana. They specialize in being a one-stop shop for fasteners and other hard-to-find Jeep parts. Here's what I ordered from them:

- Jeep Wrangler JL Shock Bolts Complete Set Front/Rear Upper Lower 10.9

- Jeep Wrangler JL Track Bar Bolts with Flag Nut 9/16" Front or Rear, SET 1

- Jeep Wrangler JL JLU Front Lower Control Arm Bolts UPGRADE

Everything arrived quickly, and the bolts and nuts look outstanding. After searching and finding hardware that turned out to be too expensive, sub-par, or unavailable, Region Offroad is a breath of fresh air and the place I'll be going from now on.

Thats pretty cool they had the flag nut too

 

[ArmyRN]

My son-in-law purchased a set of Milestar Patagonia A/S Pro tires and installed them on his JK Rubicon Unlimited. After riding with him on and off-road, I was impressed. So much so, I wanted to put a set on my Jeep.

The Milestar Patagonia A/T Pro tires are manufactured in the USA and carry a 55,000-mile warranty. They have the 3PMS symbol, so they're rated for severe snow conditions. The all-terrain tread design features large voids (for an A/T tire), kerfs, and sipes for good performance off-road. On-highway performance is outstanding, too. While all new all-terrains are usually fairly quiet, the A/T Pros are very quiet. Their Miletech advanced compound technology improves sidewall strength, allowing the tire to grip on the pavement and off-road. In fact, their off-road performance is what impressed me when I was exploring with my son-in-law.

Matt at Point S Tire in Spanish Fork, Utah, dismounted the BFGs and mounted and balanced the A/T Pros. They exhibited no radial or lateral runout and took very little weight.

The 315/70R17 BFG KO2s that were on the Jeep are a load range C, which is perfect for my use. The 35x12.50R17LT A/T Pros are load range E, 10 PR, which I thought might be too heavy-duty for this application. Not so. The A/T Pros weigh five pounds less per tire than the BFGs and, once on the Jeep, proved to provide a supple ride. Very nice.

The Milestar Patagonia A/T Pros look great on the Mopar beadlock-ready wheels. I removed and reinstalled the ring bolts while Matt was balancing each tire after the rings were reinstalled. 125 bolts. Whew.

Check out this great-looking and performing tread:

You can see the voids in the tracks the A/T Pro leaves:

I put a set of these on my 46 flatty. Size 31x10.5x15" LT. I wanted an aggressive AT tire that was 3-peak rated. Got five of them at Discount Tire. Sadly, they don't make a MT BB AT in a 31x10.5x15" LT tire.

 

[Phil Howell]

I like my Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, but it swayed and rocked, even on pavement. The stock red Xtreme Recon shocks on the Jeep were horrible. They seemed to have no compression or rebound damping at ride height; when compressed past ride height, they were quite harsh. Once I removed them, I found the right front and left rear were leaking. Come on, Jeep, these only had a little over 36000 miles on them!

Something had to be done. In the past, on magazine projects, we always used the best shocks available, which were great, but expensive. That couldn't happen this time. Fox Factory has always offered premium products, so I decided to install their entry-level Fox Performance 2.0 IFP shocks and, while I was at it, try their Performance Series 2.0 TS steering stabilizer.

Other than the one-inch spacer in the front, which restored the stock ride height after the winch installation, I've made no other suspension modifications and the Jeep sits at OEM height. After checking shock lengths front and rear, I decided on the 2.0 IFP 0-1.5" lift shocks. The part numbers are 985-24-171 front and 985-24-172 rear. The red OEM front shocks measure 17.25"-24.38" with 7.13" of travel, and the stock rear shocks measure 19"-27.38" with 8.13" of travel. The Fox 985-24-171 front shocks measure 16.93"-25.92" with 9.62" of travel, and the 985-24-172 rear shocks measure 16.8"-26.92" with 10.12" of travel. Front and rear Fox shocks feature shorter compression lengths than OEM, but with the Xtreme Recon bumpstop extensions, that's no problem. While the specs show the Fox rear shocks are approximately 1/2" shorter than the stock rear shocks, in reality, they are 1" longer.

When it isn't failing, the OEM steering stabilizer works okay. On this particular Wrangler, even after increasing positive caster that allows the Jeep to track straight, hitting aberrations in the road would deflect the steering a bit. Aftermarket stabilizers I've tried in the past push the steering in one direction. I didn't like that. After the success of their ATS adjustable reservoir stabilizer, Fox introduced the less expensive Performance Series 2.0 TS (Through Shaft) Stabilizer, which delivers neutral and consistent damping of unwanted steering feedback. I wanted to replace the OEM stabilizer, so the Fox stabilizer is now on the Jeep.

Here are the Fox Performance Series 2.0 IFP smooth body shocks, the Region Offroad shock bolt kits, and the Fox Performance Series 2.0 TS Stabilizer. The shocks feature aluminum bodies to stave off corrosion and 5/8" shafts. The Internal Floating Piston mono-tube design separates the shock oil from the high-pressure, nitrogen-charged gas chamber. This eliminates oil aeration, allowing outstanding performance from the factory-tuned valving that is application-specific. After installing them and taking a couple of test drives, I'm impressed. The compression and rebound damping is perfect on the Jeep and the ride is plush, yet with good control when hitting potholes and rocks that I aimed at.

The right front and left rear OEM Xtreme Recon shocks were leaking at a little over 36000 miles. They didn't do the Wrangler any favors in the ride department. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

I used a cheap flap disc from Amazon on my drill to trim the fender liner for easy access to the upper front shock bolts.

The front shocks were an easy bolt-in. You can see the OEM Xtreme Recon bumpstop extension that limits up travel (maybe too much).

The rear shocks also installed easily. Note the Xtreme Recon upper red bumpstop extension and the OEM pad on the axle housing that looks suspiciously like a Metalcloak product.

I first installed the left rear shock with the Fox logo upside down. My OCD dictated this was sub-par, so I quickly reinstalled the shock with the logo correct, lol.

The Fox Performance Series 2.0 TS (Through Shaft) Stabilizer mounts in the stock position, using the supplied Fox axle bracket. The sleeve that the bracket attaches to came from the factory so the Fox logo would be upside down. Once again, this wouldn't do, so I loosened the set scrow on the sleeve and clocked it so the logo would be right side up. Don't believe the reports you read that this stabilizer isn't any better than the OEM part. It is wildly better, and it stabilized my steering, damping whatever bumpsteer I encountered.

One last modification I made was replacing the worthless stubby antenna that the original owner had installed with this 31" black stainless antenna from Amazon. Built by The Antenna Source in the USA, its quality is evident, and its performance is fantastic. I can now pull in stations I didn't know existed.

 

[TrustWonUSA]

I like my Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, but it swayed and rocked, even on pavement. The stock red Xtreme Recon shocks on the Jeep were horrible. They seemed to have no compression or rebound damping at ride height; when compressed past ride height, they were quite harsh. Once I removed them, I found the right front and left rear were leaking. Come on, Jeep, these only had a little over 36000 miles on them!

Something had to be done. In the past, on magazine projects, we always used the best shocks available, which were great, but expensive. That couldn't happen this time. Fox Factory has always offered premium products, so I decided to install their entry-level Fox Performance 2.0 IFP shocks and, while I was at it, try their Performance Series 2.0 TS steering stabilizer.

Other than the one-inch spacer in the front, which restored the stock ride height after the winch installation, I've made no other suspension modifications and the Jeep sits at OEM height. After checking shock lengths front and rear, I decided on the 2.0 IFP 0-1.5" lift shocks. The part numbers are 985-24-171 front and 985-24-172 rear. The red OEM front shocks measure 17.25"-24.38" with 7.13" of travel, and the stock rear shocks measure 19"-27.38" with 8.13" of travel. The Fox 985-24-171 front shocks measure 16.93"-25.92" with 9.62" of travel, and the 985-24-172 rear shocks measure 16.8"-26.92" with 10.12" of travel. Front and rear Fox shocks feature shorter compression lengths than OEM, but with the Xtreme Recon bumpstop extensions, that's no problem. While the specs show the Fox rear shocks are approximately 1/2" shorter than the stock rear shocks, in reality, they are 1" longer.

When it isn't failing, the OEM steering stabilizer works okay. On this particular Wrangler, even after increasing positive caster that allows the Jeep to track straight, hitting abberations in the road would deflect the steering a bit. Aftermarket stabilizers I've tried in the past push the steering in one direction. I didn't like that. After the success of their ATS adjustable reservoir stabilizer, Fox introduced the less expensive Performance Series 2.0 TS (Through Shaft) Stabilizer, which delivers neutral and consistent damping of unwanted steering feedback. I wanted to replace the OEM stabilizer, so the Fox stabilizer is now on the Jeep.

Here are the Fox Performance Series 2.0 IFP smooth body shocks, the Region Offroad shock bolt kits, and the Fox Performance Series 2.0 Stabilizer TS. The shocks feature aluminum bodies to stave off corrosion and 5/8" shafts. The Internal Floating Piston mono-tube design separates the shock oil from the high-pressure, nitrogen-charged gas chamber. This eliminates oil aeration, allowing outstanding performance from the factory-tuned valving that is application-specific. After installing them and taking a couple of test drives, I'm impressed. The compression and rebound damping is perfect on the Jeep and the ride is plush, yet with good control when hitting potholes that I aimed at.

The right front and left rear OEM Xtreme Recon shocks were leaking at a little over 36000 miles. They didn't do the Wrangler any favors in the ride department. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

I used a cheap flap disc from Amazon on my drill to trim the fender liner to easily access the upper front shock bolts.

The front shocks were an easy bolt-in. You can see the OEM Xtreme Recon bumpstop extension that limits up travel (maybe too much).

The rear shocks also installed easily. Note the Xtreme Recon upper red bumpstop extension and the OEM pad on the axle housing that looks suspiciously like a Metalcloak product.

I first installed the left rear shock with the Fox logo upside down. My OCD dictated this was sub-par, so I quickly reinstalled the shock with the logo correct, lol.

The Fox Performance Series 2.0 TS (Through Shaft) Stabilizer mounts in the stock position, using the supplied Fox axle side bracket. The sleeve that the bracket attaches to came from the factory so the Fox logo would be upside down. Once again, this wouldn't do, so I loosened the set scrow on the sleeve and clocked it so the logo would be right side up. Don't believe the reports you read that this stabilizer isn't any better than the OEM part. It is wildly better, and it stabilized my steering, damping whatever bumpsteer I encountered.

One last modification I made was replacing the worthless stubby antenna that the original owner had installed with this 31" black stainless antenna from Amazon. Built by The Antenna Source in the USA, its quality is evident, and its performance is fantastic. I can now pull in stations I didn't know existed.

Right on time with those measurements, I am considering a spring lift just 2” to get up off these bump stops some.

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