Phil Howell's 2022 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Xtreme Recon Build

[gek]

I really like those Method Bead Grip wheels.

I recommend them to anyone that asks. They are fairly light and I have seen them hold up to a fair amount of abuse.

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[There’sOnlyOne]

I wanted a low-mileage JL Rubicon, hopefully with the Xtreme Recon package and at a price I could afford. I found this used 2022 and bought it. The year wasn't as important as the miles and options. I wanted the 3.6 V6 and an automatic. This year came configured with the etorque system. That gave me pause, but after talking with my friend who owns a Jeep dealership (and REALLY doesn't like the 4xe because of warranty and service returns), I bought it. He said they've had no issues with either Ram or Wrangler etorques and that they have proven to be reliable. The etorque has a lot of torque off the line, and I'm impressed.

I wasn't planning on overbuilding this Jeep and planned on going no larger than 35" tires, as I mainly do backcountry exploring. The Xtreme Recon package comes with 315s and 4.56 gears - perfect for me. I planned on adding a Warn winch, better shocks, longer lower front control arms, and 315 or 35" tires, as the BFG KO2s that were on it were fairly worn. I added roof insulation to make it more comfortable inside and plan to add a Rugged Radios or Midland GMRS radio, as I already have the FCC license. I may add a couple of LED light pods up front. The Mopar tailgate reinforcement for the spare isn't as good as the Teraflex Alpha system, so I may add that. I also may replace the tie rod, drag link, and track bar. OMF has sent real beadlock rings for the Mopar wheels. I plan to mount the lightweight A/T Pro tires on a set of SCS K5 wheels for a lightweight combo, then mount other tires on the Mopar beadlocks. That's pretty much it.

Nice wheels. And great write ups on mods and why. You mentioned using OMF beadlock rings. Are you interested in selling the 25 bolt XR non beadlock rings?

 

[Phil Howell]

Nice wheels. And great write ups on mods and why. You mentioned using OMF beadlock rings. Are you interested in selling the 25 bolt XR non beadlock rings?

Thanks! I have the OMF rings with A/T4W tires mounted and will be writing them up next. I'm going to keep those non-beadlock rings. I may be using them again some time in the future.

 

[ArmyRN]

Phil, how are you liking your Milestar Patagonia A/T Pro AT tires now that youve had them for a bit? I'm debating between those and Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT tires in 315.70.17 to replace my BFG KO2 factory tires.

 

[Phil Howell]

Phil, how are you liking your Milestar Patagonia A/T Pro AT tires now that youve had them for a bit? I'm debating between those and Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT tires in 315.70.17 to replace my BFG KO2 factory tires.

I'm liking them a lot. While they're Load Range E tires, they're still lightweight. They're working and holding up well. I'm mounting A/T4Ws on the Mopar beadlocks, but that in no way diminishes the A/T Pros. I had the other wheels, so I decided to have two sets - a lighter set for high-speed running and a heavy set for slower four-wheeling.

 

[Phil Howell]

As you've seen, I mounted the Milestar Patagonia A/T Pro tires on a set of SCS K5 wheels I already owned. This lightweight combo allows the Jeep to perform well, especially at higher speeds off-road (less unsprung weight). Since the A/T Pro tires have been outstanding and the K5 wheels have already proven their worth, I’ll keep these as a lightweight set.

When I was Editor-in-Chief of 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine, I had used Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires and liked them, especially off-road. When Falken introduced the Wildpeak A/T4W tires, I was anxious to try them out to see what improvements had been made. I put a set of smaller, lighter A/T4Ws on my Grand Cherokee. While the GC was no rock crawler, I was able to evaluate the A/T4W’s off-highway, as well as on the pavement performance and was impressed. These 265 A/T4Ws didn’t have as much tread depth, nor did they have the more robust construction of the larger sizes, so when I was able, I put a set of 315/70R17 C tires on my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.

The Falken 315/70R17 C tires are a Load Range C, which is perfect for my Jeep adventures. While they’re a Load Range C, they’re a beefy Load Range C, weighing 75 pounds. They have a 19/32 tread depth and feature a Duraspec 3-ply sidewall. I mounted them on my Xtreme Recon package Mopar beadlock-ready wheels using real beadlock rings from OMF Performance.

I mounted the beadlocks myself, then took the tires to Rocky’s Big Brand Tire & Service Center in Spanish Fork, Utah, to be balanced. The tires balanced perfectly. The max pressure in these load range C A/T4Ws is 35 psi. I put 32 in mine.

Driving home, the first thing I did was run up to 75 mph, and there was absolutely no shake, bounce, or shimmy. The on-road performance, road holding, and stability are impressive. The tires are very quiet. Most new all-terrains are fairly quiet, but I can report that those I had installed on my Grand Cherokee almost two years ago are still quiet. I expect these 315s will be the same. Off-road, the Wildpeak A/T4W tires work well. In loose dirt and sand, they hook up. When high-speed dirt driving, which I like to do, the tires tracked straight and afforded outstanding control when turning. One other thing — as I mentioned, these are beefy, heavy tires, even though they are Load Range C. While I usually air down substantially, this time I didn’t air down when I took them off-road. I was surprised at the soft ride I was experiencing with the new A/T4Ws. In fact, they rode almost as well aired up as some other tires I’ve tested when aired down! I didn’t get to experience any snow or slickrock, but the way these tires grip the pavement, I’m sure slickrock performance will be good. As they have the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol, snow performance will be optimal, too.

I’m impressed with these 315/70R17 C Falken Wildpeak A/T4W tires. I’m sure I’ll be enjoying them a long time, too, as they carry a 65,000-mile Limited Tread Life Warranty.

The 315/70R17 C Falken Wildpeak A/T4W tires look great mounted on Mopar beadlock wheels with OMF Performance beadlock rings. Besides the staggered shoulder blocks, note the red dot on the sidewall. These Falkens came with a red dot and a yellow dot to aid in mounting. The red dot on a tire indicates the point of maximum radial force variation (the tire's stiffest or "high" spot). When mounting, align this dot with the wheel's lowest point (often marked by a dimple, notch, or sticker on OEM wheels). The Mopar wheels come with a sticker marking the lowest point. This match-mounting process prevents vibrations and ensures a smooth ride with less wheel weights. If a tire doesn’t have the red dot, or your aftermarket wheel doesn’t have the low point mark, the yellow dot should be aligned with the valve stem. As I used the red dot, I removed the yellow dot to silence the “You should have put the yellow dot at the valve stem” comments. The OMF beadlock rings come with a small relief for the valve stem, but it's still quite hard to access the valve cap.

I mounted the tires on the beadlock wheels myself. Easton at Rocky’s Big Brand Tire & Service in Spanish Fork, Utah, performed balancing duties. When I brought the tires in, he said that most beadlocks don’t balance well. Imagine his surprise when the second tire/wheel he balanced took no weight at all! The first one he balanced turned out to be a flyer, taking 9 ounces; the second took no weight, the third three ounces, and the fourth four ounces. The tires ride great.

All the information you need is molded on the tire sidewall, even the overall diameter and overall width of the tire.

The severe-snow-rated A/T4W was engineered to perform in harsh winter conditions, with full-depth sipes providing traction for the life of the tire. Proprietary 3-ply DURASPEC sidewall protection fends off sidewall abrasions. The sidewalls are quite thick. I was surprised the tires were so supple and rode so well even though they did have these thick three-ply sidewalls.

A high-silicon rubber compound allows the A/T4W to work well in all environments and on all surfaces. The full-depth sipes work even when the tire is worn. I don’t know what the engineers did when designing this tread, but it’s a quiet tire - quieter than many other all-terrain tires. While this is not designed to be a mud tire, the tread voids well for an all-terrain, and the kerfs (wider grooves) shed rocks that want to stick in the tread.

The deep tread leaves a nice track in the dirt.

 

[Bdoza10]

I’ve been eyeing those lock rings for a long time. Glad someone finally posted a set. Good to know about the valve stem cap. We air down nightly so that might get old. But omf is about 4 miles from me so if I ever order a set I might ask about milling that area out a bit

 

[Phil Howell]

I’ve been eyeing those lock rings for a long time. Glad someone finally posted a set. Good to know about the valve stem cap. We air down nightly so that might get old. But omf is about 4 miles from me so if I ever order a set I might ask about milling that area out a bit

I''m going to ask them about milling the rings out for easier valve stem access, also. I'm sure you'll like the rings. Plus, they're less expensive than the Mopar rings.

 

[Phil Howell]

I took the Jeep in to Doug Smith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in American Fork, Utah, to take care of the 21D/NHTSA 26V-363 Electric Hydraulic Power Steering Pump and harness recall. When I drove into the service bay, they plugged in their wiTECH scan tool that downloaded the Jeep's information and also checked DTCs. My Wrangler didn't have the U0131 DTC that would have required steering pump and harness replacement. They then inspected the electrical connectors as called for in the recall instructions. Everything was fine, so they sent that information to Jeep and gave me paperwork to show that the recall was performed. I was out of there in 20 minutes.

Doug Smith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram's service staff is impressive. They were professional and knew exactly what was up and what to do; they did everything fast and sent me out the door quickly.

I'm glad everything checked out on my Jeep, and I didn't have to have the steering pump and harness replaced. I've heard that the majority of recalled Jeeps are fine. Remember, while we can check for the DTC and inspect the connectors for peace of mind, a dealer needs to do this, too, so they can show the recall was performed.

 

[Phil Howell]

After using my ZEON XC winch for an extended time, correctly winding the rope under load with the engine idling, I was surprised to find the battery wasn't discharged at all. I wondered what the generator or PPU was pumping into the 12-volt battery. This is what I discovered:

The eTorque’s Power Pack Unit (PPU) is pumping a massive 3,000 watts (3 kW) of continuous power into the 12-volt system via its integrated DC-to-DC converter.

Because an eTorque engine does not have a traditional alternator, the 48V motor-generator charges the underbody hybrid battery pack, which then uses the DC-to-DC converter to step that juice down to power the 12V electronics and winch.

The Math Behind the Winch Setup

• Amperage Capacity: At standard running voltage (approx. 14.2V), a 3,000-watt converter delivers up to 210 to 220 Amps of continuous current to the 12-volt battery.
• Alternator Comparison: A standard non-eTorque Jeep Wrangler alternator generally puts out around 180 to 240 Amps, but only at high engine RPMs. At a standard warm idle, a traditional alternator's output drops significantly (often to less than 100-130 Amps).
• Why the Battery Stayed Charged: An average 10,000 to 12,000 lb winch pulls anywhere from 70 Amps (no load) to over 400 Amps (maximum capacity load). During normal or intermittent winching, the eTorque PPU provides a flat, rock-solid 210+ Amps even at a dead idle. The hybrid system was actively matching or exceeding the winch's electrical demand in real time, keeping the 12V battery fully stabilized.

Is This Safe for the eTorque System?

Yes. The PPU has built-in thermal and over-current protections. If the winch load pulls more than the 210-220 Amp maximum output for too long, the 12V battery bridges the deficit by supplying the extra remaining amps, exactly as it is designed to do.

 

[Tech Tim]

The Math Behind the Winch Setup

• Amperage Capacity: At standard running voltage (approx. 14.2V), a 3,000-watt converter delivers up to 210 to 220 Amps of continuous current to the 12-volt battery.
• Alternator Comparison: A standard non-eTorque Jeep Wrangler alternator generally puts out around 180 to 240 Amps, but only at high engine RPMs. At a standard warm idle, a traditional alternator's output drops significantly (often to less than 100-130 Amps).
• Why the Battery Stayed Charged: An average 10,000 to 12,000 lb winch pulls anywhere from 70 Amps (no load) to over 400 Amps (maximum capacity load). During normal or intermittent winching, the eTorque PPU provides a flat, rock-solid 210+ Amps even at a dead idle. The hybrid system was actively matching or exceeding the winch's electrical demand in real time, keeping the 12V battery fully stabilized.

Is This Safe for the eTorque System?

Yes. The PPU has built-in thermal and over-current protections. If the winch load pulls more than the 210-220 Amp maximum output for too long, the 12V battery bridges the deficit by supplying the extra remaining amps, exactly as it is designed to do.

That's some solid tech Phil, thanks for sharing!

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