2022 JLR Build Thread - Stacy

[Philly_]

KC Cyclone V2 Amber Rock Light Kit

So I have fallen pretty behind on adding to the thread, but that's just because I have been out using the Jeep!

Haven't had the chance to test these out on the rocks yet, but I have used them on more than one occasion to light up the underbody when checking for damage or finishing up projects that require me to be under the Jeep. They are bright as heck! I believe they are the brightest rock lights with the best spread you can buy at the moment.

Hardest part of the install is figuring out where you want to run the wires, but after that it's pretty straight forward. I ended up using 4 of the factory brackets, and then magnets on the rest. To make sure I had all 4 corners covered, I also purchased an additional two light kit with the wiring from KC to make it easy on myself.

The front lights are mounted on Z brackets from KC and required minor fender trimming. The next pair are mounted to a rock rail bolt and another factory bracket just behind the front tires, then another pair just in front of the rears using magnets (not shown), and then I placed the last pair with magnets on the body mount bolts in the rear. They haven't moved at all in ~4k miles of on and off-road driving.

I have KC's bus bar wired into AUX 3 of the factory switches and zip tied down to an existing wiring harness to be easily accessible. All the excess wire is folded neatly, zip tied, and then tucked under the bus bar. I only have six attached in the picture, but KC's bus bar supports up to 12.

Safe to say, I am a big fan and am looking to add some clear ones for additional interior and under hood lighting!

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[Philly_]

Mopar Premium Soft Top

This one isn't much of a "mod," but was a nice change of pace! Not sure I will ever pull my hardtop out of the storage unit I put it in... I run with the windows out almost every day, and only have to put the half door uppers in to shield 99% of the wind!

Pretty easy project to take on by yourself. I did it in the dark after work one evening and managed not to mess anything up, so I don’t think there’s much to worry about there!

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[Philly_]

Warn Zeon 10S and Winch Plate

This one I caved on, but am happy that I have it. Kept telling myself to hold off because I know I will tackle even tougher trails now, but everything Warn was 10% off during the 4WheelParts Truck and Jeep fest so I figured I could order it and I wouldn't see it for a few months... It arrived in less than a week! Naturally, I had to put it on ASAP!

This install is an absolute nightmare to tackle alone. It is doable, but just be ready to work for it! Also, unless you are extremely careful, and a little bit lucky, you will scratch the edges of the Zeon winches between the factory frame rails. I have maybe 1/16" on both sides before contact and I just don't know how anyone could manage that without scratching some paint. No big deal, but it sucks scratching a band new piece of equipment during install and not out wheeling.

You absolutely need wobblers for your wrenches, a few extensions of varying sizes, and deep sockets (18mm and 16mm) for the bumper bolts and the lower mounting brackets for the winch plate. If you have all these, install should go pretty smoothly, but will take some time using only hand tools.

I cannot recommend enough to tighten the inner bumper bolts first!! I tightened the outside, then the inside driver and went to tighten the inside passenger and my winch plate had shifted towards the passenger side and made it impossible to get the flange nut for the bumper bolt installed. I had to loosen up all the bolts, then take a screwdriver to the fairlead mount hole in the bumper and winch plate to pry it towards the driver side. It moved maybe 1/8", but this was enough!

Also, on my Jeep the bumper bolts weren't completely square (maybe from impact on rocks?), but it was a nightmare getting the thing lined back up and onto the Jeep by myself. Ended up sticking a pry bar through the frame to use as a guide for the one misaligned bolt and jammed it in. Once it was on, everything was relatively smooth. A second set of hands may have eliminated this by letting my mount the bumper on a different angle.

Last tip! When mounting the skid plate back up, start with the bottom two bolts. screw them in maybe 2-3 threads, then start loosely installing the front bolts. This is the easiest way to get everything back together, as the bumper now sits further out ~1/4". You do not need to make any of the holes bigger with this method, but I know many people do anyways.

Overall, I am very happy with the quality of the parts and my Jeep's driving dynamics have not changed much. I think the extra weight might actually smooth out the ride! In total, I lost 1/2" in height measuring from the front of the fender flares straight down. I don't think this is noticeable in person or pictures.

Winch - Purchase Link
Winch Plate - Purchase Link

** Added Bonus: I now have somewhere for my front plate so I am street legal for the first time!

No winch:

Winch installed:

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[Philly_]

Factor 55 Flat Splicer

I thought this one deserved a post of its own even though it's pretty straight forward.

Personally, I see this as Factor 55's best hook substitute. It eliminates multiple points of failure, is lighter than the Warn thimble and hook that came with the winch, and forces you to use a closed winching system. Also, it works with the factory tow hooks without a soft shackle or bow shackle if you need to use a snatch block.

The Factor 55 Splicer and Flat Splicer are essentially the same as running with a super beefy version of the thimble that comes on your winch line. This eliminates two potential failure points: the factory thimble, and the hook/link pin. Even with the use of a bow shackle or soft shackle at the end for rigging, you will never have more potential failure points than a standard hook, and will often have less.

The whole point of this for me was to simplify my winching system to keep things as safe as possible. Plus, it's very easy to splice on again if you damage or break your line.

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[gregeast]

Thanks for doing such a great job documenting your excellent build.

We have a '21 JLR in Sarge Green as well, do you have any pics of the half doors with the windows out and the top down?

I came "thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis" close to a set of Sarge half-doors that were near me but was about 20 minutes too late to respond

Cheers, winch is next for me I think.

EDIT: Stumbled on this thread again and thought I'd update it with pics of the half-doors on our Jeep, see below.

Here's ours on Method 702s and KO2 35's

 

[Philly_]

Thanks for doing such a great job documenting your excellent build.

We have a '21 JLR in Sarge Green as well, do you have any pics of the half doors with the windows out and the top down?

I came "thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis" close to a set of Sarge half-doors that were near me but was about 20 minutes too late to respond

Cheers, winch is next for me I think.

Here's ours on Method 702s and KO2 35's

Yours looks great!! I have a set of Titanium Method 704's that will make their way onto my Jeep soon! Love the 702's on yours!

Here’s a pic from today with the soft top folded back (just cleaned it so I had to take a pic).

Here’s one from when I pulled the hard top, but hadn’t installed the soft top yet.

And here’s one from the Jeep Jamboree on Drummond Island. Typically this is the way I run around to keep the Texas sun at bay.

 

[gregeast]

Thank you for posting the half-door pics, man that looks good!

Anxious to see how the 704's look, I assume you're going to 35's as well?

BTW, in looking at your last pic, we put on a set of Rokblokz quick-release front mudflaps and, that, along with the XR flare extensions, really cut down on the amount of 'schmutz' that accumulates on the side of the Jeep and saves the leading edge of the rear fender flares from rock dings.

 

[Philly_]

Thank you for posting the half-door pics, man that looks good!

Anxious to see how the 704's look, I assume you're going to 35's as well?

BTW, in looking at your last pic, we put on a set of Rokblokz quick-release front mudflaps and, that, along with the XR flare extensions, really cut down on the amount of 'schmutz' that accumulates on the side of the Jeep and saves the leading edge of the rear fender flares from rock dings.

Yes on the 35’s! I snagged a set of XR takeoffs with only 600 miles on them for cheap. End goal is 37’s and this will be a good middle ground and give me time to beef up steering and driveline components, as well as improving off road capability.

I have a Metalcloak 2.5” Game-Changer also sitting in boxes waiting for me to find the time to put it together!

And for mud flaps, I am going to have to seriously consider those. The stones have already chewed up my rear fenders a bit, but that’s part of why I opted for black.

Also considering the XR flare extensions, but it’s going to depend on how far my tires end up sticking out.

 

[Philly_]

Artec Rear LCA Bolt-On Skids

This mod was long overdue! Rolling on 33's and rock crawling, I have been constantly smacking and dragging my rear LCA and shock mounts over rocks. To the naked eye, it appeared there was no damage, but I definitely twisted them up a bit. This made it EXTREMELY difficult to bolt the skids up. If you are considering something like this, I recommend doing it as soon as possible as the factory metal in this location it very flimsy and prone to bending.

Anyways, install was pretty straight forward. Unbolt the control arm and shock, use a jack to take some load off the pinion (I used the factory scissor jack), slide on the skids, bolt back up with factory hardware, and set the torque. Also, the main reason I went with Artec is for the extremely tight fitment over the existing brackets.

Because my factory brackets were bent, and no amount of prying was fixing it, I ended up having to grind one of the holes on the driver side skid to be a bit bigger. With a little finesse, and a hammer, the bolt slipped right through.

The passenger side took no grinding, but I did have to use the scissor jack on the bottom of it to force it upwards with the weight of the Jeep. After that it was easy to slide the bolts through and torque everything back down.

Also, I coated the skids with black semi-gloss paint to match the factory chassis components and make touchups a little less obvious. I typically do this after every wheeling trip to prevent rust.

* While doing this mod, I also recommend flipping the shock bolts to face the other direction. This will help keep them from catching on rocks.

Here are a few pics and you can see where I put the factory jack!

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[Philly_]

Teraflex Alpha HD Hinged Spare Tire Carrier

It's likely a bit early for this mod, but it never hurts to beef up the factory hinges and tire carrier!

I went with Teraflex for this because I had the the JK version of this on my last Jeep and it was probably the best part I ever installed. Worked flawlessly for nearly a decade before I sold the Jeep, and continues to serve the current owner well. Another huge pro to me is that it's aluminum and does not tie into the rear bumper.

However, aluminum construction does not stop this from being a heavy beast. I was able install everything by myself, but a second person would have made it easier. Also, when it's 100+ and humid outside, painters tape does nothing to hold the factory tailgate up. It wasn't a problem for me as I needed to realign mine anyways, but might be frustrating for someone who still has perfect alignment.

I would say the most difficult part was installing the studs for the lug nuts. I was able to get one torqued to spec, but the two nuts the Teraflex provides would not bite on the other two studs so I just got those as tight as I could before the nuts would slip. I also used a generous amount of blue loctite because of this and haven't had any issues mounting and removing the spare tire several times already.

One last thing to note is that there are slots on the back of the tailgate hinge to run coax or wires for other accessories. You will want to make sure you do this BEFORE getting the hinge and tailgate in place as it will be a pain to do later. I also had to flip my CoolTech GMRS antenna mount to make sure it cleared the factory tire. I may need to take a die grinder to it when I throw my 35's on there, and relocate altogether when I eventually go to 37's.

All in all, this thing is super beefy and I am very happy to have it installed. I have no doubt this can support a heavier wheel and tire combo than I will ever throw at it, and I enjoy the improved visibility relocating the third brake light.

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[Philly_]

Method 704's and 35's

Finally mounted the wheels and tires I have been hanging onto since the beginning of summer!

Absolutely love the look, but I think some lift is needed. Definitely fine on street lock to lock and will probably be okay on some lighter stuff, but without extending the bumps I have no doubt I will rub while fully flexed.

Drivability was barely impacted. I noticed the Jeep felt more planted and a tad slower off the line and to brake, but not to the point that a regear is needed. I imagine most of this will go away when I recalibrate with a Tazer JL.

Wheels are 17x8.5 Method 704's in Matte Titanium with 4.75" of backspacing (0 offset).

Tires are XR takeoffs, so 315/70/17 BFG KO2's.

* Also, you hardly hear people talk about this one, but my turning radius has definitely changed with the widened stance. No big deal, but I go lock to lock a lot with my steering while navigating Uptown Dallas parking structures and traffic so it may be more noticeable to me than most.

I made a separate thread just for the wheels here if anyone is interested. I found surprisingly little on these over the past several months of searching and thought others might find it useful!

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[Philly_]

Method 704's and 35's

Finally mounted the wheels and tires I have been hanging onto since the beginning of summer!

Absolutely love the look, but I think some lift is needed. Definitely fine on street lock to lock and will probably be okay on some lighter stuff, but without extending the bumps I have no doubt I will rub while fully flexed.

Drivability was barely impacted. I noticed the Jeep felt more planted and a tad slower off the line and to brake, but not to the point that a regear is needed. I imagine most of this will go away when I recalibrate with a Tazer JL.

Wheels are 17x8.5 Method 704's in Matte Titanium with 4.75" of backspacing (0 offset).

Tires are XR takeoffs, so 315/70/17 BFG KO2's.

* Also, you hardly hear people talk about this one, but my turning radius has definitely changed with the widened stance. No big deal, but I go lock to lock a lot with my steering while navigating Uptown Dallas parking structures and traffic so it may be more noticeable to me than most.

I made a separate thread just for the wheels here if anyone is interested. I found surprisingly little on these over the past several months of searching and thought others might find it useful!

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Finished adjusting the Teraflex hinge and carrier this morning! What an absolute nightmare.

Definitely not Teraflex's fault, but adjusting the tailgate is brutal. It's very hard to leave one bolt tight and still get the adjustment I needed so I ended up loosening all of them and then repositioning by hand. This worked great, but somehow the tailgate slipped almost completely to the passenger side without me noticing and totally screwed up the gaps.

I ended up doing exactly what Teraflex tells you NOT to do, and pried the tailgate into place, but I used a nylon trim removal tool so the likelihood of damage was minimal. Also, once things were closer, I used the single tight bolt and pivot method Teraflex mentions in their instructions, but I also did it in reverse next to raise the hinge side of the carrier.

I was extremely surprised at how much I had to lift my carrier to close smoothly. When the tailgate is unloaded I can't even latch it without leaning on it. Likely due to stacked tolerances. Everything functions perfectly, but the hinge side of my tailgate sits a bit high. This is because my tailgate is level while unloaded and the weight of the spare sags the latch side to close level. Purely a cosmetic issue, and not one I plan on messing with until I go to 37's.

On another note, I did not have to make any modifications the CoolTech GMRS mount! Hopefully when I go to 37's I will only have to do a bit of grinding instead of a full relocate.

My next challenge is going to be seeing if my traction boards can still mount into place, and allow me to open the tailgate fully without smashing my passenger side taillight.

 

[Philly_]

Anxious to see how the 704's look, I assume you're going to 35's as well?

704's and 35's are on!

Few more pics above or in the 704 thread I made to help others see what they might look like and get an idea of color/fitment.

So far I love them and the Jeep rides great! Feels nearly identical to stock after calibration, but the added weight gives me a planted feeling.

Finally feels like a Jeep!

 

[J0E]

67 Designs Rail

Another day, another mod! Today my 67 Designs Rail and phone mount arrived! I purchased the bundle that includes the second phone mount for a passenger (per my favorite passenger's request) and a GoPro mount, but did not mount either yet. I don't like more clutter than there needs to be and the additional mounts can be added and removed quickly.

Install was extremely simple and only took about 20 minutes. I did not fold the windshield to install the additional screws. Instead, I used a socket wrench with a phillips head bit inserted, applied some pressure, and started ratcheting. Took a bit a force for the threads to bite, but very little pressure is needed after that.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the quality of all components. My only complaint is that the arms and mount are still able to slide left to right a bit when I apply pressure to insert my phone. They may still have a bit of grease on them from the manufacturing process. At this point, all it does is prevent me from mounting and removing my phone with one hand. Not a deal breaker, but I am definitely going to see if I can get the joints tighter or clean any remaining grease off.

EDIT: Definitely not greasy, I just needed to adjust the angle the arm was sticking off the rail. I now have it much closer to parallel rather than the near 90 degree angle I had initially. Now there is no movement with one handed operation.

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The 67d X-plate is the best way to mount your mic. After trying the best double sided tape, I epoxied it.

Midland MXT275

Lastly, I want to comment on the Midland mic mount. It's light and a good size, but the adhesive is terrible. I left the mic hanging over night after letting the adhesive set for 24 hours and I came out to the mic resting on the floor. I have since removed the remaining foam and adhesive and used 3M indoor/outdoor double sided tape to replace it. It feels exponentially more solid and it has only been sitting for a couple of hours. I will update on this if it fails too.

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Yup, and even the best adhesive doesn't work long term. I too tried the 3M indoor/outdoor double sided tape and it worked for a week or two before it failed. Epoxy is 50 times stronger.

 

[Philly_]

The 67d X-plate is the best way to mount your mic. After trying the best double sided tape, I epoxied it.


Yup, and even the best adhesive doesn't work long term. Epoxy does.

I actually combined a few different parts and came up with this! Hasn’t budged since the install and has nearly identical placement as the stick on mic.

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