2022 JLR Build Thread - Stacy

[gregeast]

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!

Looking good man!

If you air them down to 15psi or so you'll be amazed how cushy the ride is off-road, especially with the sway bar disconnected.

Enjoy and thanks for the pics.

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[kubicon]

Love the look with the 704's!

 

[Philly_]

Love the look with the 704's!

Thanks! It was hard to pick them out because I don’t see them much, but I am glad I went with them!

 

[cornercanyon]

We also installed the Midland MXT275 routing the antenna to the rear. We have been looking to replace the ghost antenna that came with our bundle and like your choice. Would you select that antenna again? Do you hear it rattling against the top much?

Nice build. Great thread with the index. Thank you—

 

[Philly_]

We also installed the Midland MXT275 routing the antenna to the rear. We have been looking to replace the ghost antenna that came with our bundle and like your choice. Would you select that antenna again? Do you hear it rattling against the top much?

Nice build. Great thread with the index. Thank you—

Thanks! Happy to help!

The antenna has never hit the hard top on its own. The only time it makes noise is when a branch catches it and it swings back, or the one time I forgot to take it off in a car wash… that was loud.

Also, the way I mounted my traction boards it will sometimes tap lightly, but it’s not loud and a little bit of music drowns it out.

Overall, still loving the mount and antenna! It never comes off my Jeep.

 

[Ct_Formula]

Midland MXT275

My AUX wires were connected and routed a little different, but it was clear it was the correct bundle after I did some searching on the forum. You will only have these wires if you have the factory installed AUX switches. The kits installed after the fact do not have the wires I used to tap into the battery.


AUX wiring:

Radio wired and mounted:
- You can also see that I zip tied the AUX wires up along the existing wiring harness against the fire wall.

Wiring behind kick panel:
- Leftover antenna wire can be seen as well as the ground location used.

Hey Philly, Nice clean install!!

Can you point me in the right direction as to where you pulled 12volts from? I have 2 JL installs coming up and both have the factory aux switches.

 

[Philly_]

Hey Philly, Nice clean install!!

Can you point me in the right direction as to where you pulled 12volts from? I have 2 JL installs coming up and both have the factory aux switches.

Thanks! And absolutely! One of the wires in the interior AUX switch bundle will be red/white striped wire and this runs power straight from the battery. I like this because I can still use the radio even when my Jeep is off. You can also use the orange wire with a pink stripe and this will only deliver power w

Another option is to wire to one of the other switches’ wiring and use an AUX switch as a trigger, but I didn’t feel it was necessary.

Finding the bundle is tricky. It will be taped tightly in line with existing factory wiring and likely look like something you’re not supposed to mess with. Carefully unwrap what looks like your AUX wire bundle and you should find out pretty quickly if you were right.

From the first picture you replied to, you can see my bundle extended to just under the footwell light, then folded back onto itself so the ends were close to the transmission tunnel.

If you can’t find it, post a pic and I will see if I can point it out.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ct_Formula]

Thanks! And absolutely! One of the wires in the interior AUX switch bundle will be red/white striped wire and this runs power straight from the battery. I like this because I can still use the radio even when my Jeep is off. You can also use the orange wire with a pink stripe and this will only deliver power w

Another option is to wire to one of the other switches’ wiring and use an AUX switch as a trigger, but I didn’t feel it was necessary.

Finding the bundle is tricky. It will be taped tightly in line with existing factory wiring and likely look like something you’re not supposed to mess with. Carefully unwrap what looks like your AUX wire bundle and you should find out pretty quickly if you were right.

From the first picture you replied to, you can see my bundle extended to just under the footwell light, then folded back onto itself so the ends were close to the transmission tunnel.

If you can’t find it, post a pic and I will see if I can point it out.

Hope this helps!

Sweet Thanks Philly!! Yeah I have to tackle the wive's and mine and really didn't want to drill holes and go to the battery directly. Now to find the best antenna cable route.

 

[Philly_]

Sweet Thanks Philly!! Yeah I have to tackle the wive's and mine and really didn't want to drill holes and go to the battery directly. Now to find the best antenna cable route.

No problem! And I completely understand. I’m not a fan of drilling holes, but if you need to pass through the fire wall, I believe there is a rubber grommet you can pass through in the passenger footwell.

What are you thinking for antenna location?

 

[Ct_Formula]

Looking to use a Topsy fender mount and the Midland Ghost Antennas on the drivers side

 

[Philly_]

Looking to use a Topsy fender mount and the Midland Ghost Antennas on the drivers side

That’s a good spot. Check and see if you can find that grommet in the firewall I was talking about to run your coax, and then you can run it with the factory wiring at the cowl to get to the driver’s side and our from under the hood.

I can’t find the post right now, but there’s a wiring tunnel under the cowl in the engine bay that’s hidden very well. Wish I would have known about it before wiring my rock lights and compressor, but wasn’t worth re-doing anything… at least not yet.

 

[Ct_Formula]

A wiring tunnel? WOW!

I'll dig in for the grommet thanks. I'm getting more OCD in my installs and want everything as neat and top notch as possible.

 

[Philly_]

A wiring tunnel? WOW!

I'll dig in for the grommet thanks. I'm getting more OCD in my installs and want everything as neat and top notch as possible.

Check out the video here! Should be queued up to the correct starting point, but it’s about half way through if not.

I guess “conduit” is the proper term, but it looks pretty easy to stuff wires in there if you have the slack.

Here’s a pic of how my wiring is zip tied to the outside and I don’t even notice it anymore, but it does sag a bit in the middle from the engine heat. I might reroute at some point, but it works for now and I know it will be a bigger project because I will have to swap some harnesses or my rock lights to get the necessary length.

 

[Philly_]

Metalcloak 2.5" Game-Changer

This one was a long time coming and actually in boxes since the Independence Day sale this summer. Lots of details in this one, but I will try and keep it concise!

Purchase Link

Install is far more straight forward than many think, with the hardest part (in my opinion) being grinding the window for the front track bar. It's not that it is truly that difficult, but it may be a bit out of some people's comfort zone. With a good bit and a die grinder, this can be accomplished in 10-15 minutes and then sprayed with some paint to prevent rust.

I did the entire install by myself using two 3-ton jack stands, two 6-ton jack stands, and a floor jack (taller is better) in my driveway. The 6-ton jack stands were required to achieve the necessary height for the axle to fully droop and accept the new springs without a spring compressor. Total time was between 12-14 hours, but I could have shaved off 2-3 easily if I had printed the instructions or even had someone to hand me tools. My Milwaukee M12 impact has more than enough torque for all of the bolts, and made the process much more enjoyable.

For my initial control arm and front track bar measurements, I opted to go with Rock Krawler's rather than what Metalcloak has in their instructions. I liked that they push the axles out a tad and found this centered my tires a bit better in the wheel wells. Also, the front track bar measurement was dead on (MC doesn't provide one) and needed no adjustment after initial install. The rear track bar was guess and check for me, as Rock Krawler's measurement requires a relocation bracket in order to be accurate.

My caster up front is just over 5 degrees, and in my opinion, it feels super strange, but definitely drivable. I was almost exactly at 4 degrees stock, which many say they do not enjoy, but I have become quite accustomed to it. I think I am going to try decreasing caster to get closer to 4 degrees and see how I like it. Also, with the new driveshaft, there is some pretty significant vibration while using 4H-Auto at the current pinion angle. I was prepared for this as it is a common issue with 392 owners, and now that I am back in Michigan, I plan to minimize (or hopefully eliminate) the vibration before the snow and ice arrive.

For the driveshaft, I went with an Adam's 1310. I opted for a 1310 because you get a slight amount more flex out of the smaller joints before binding and it should be more than enough for the way I wheel and a maximum size of 37" tires planned. So far, so good there!

Finally, I paired my suspension with Metalcloak's Rocksport shocks. I don't know who says these are too stiff for a two door, but I LOVE these. They are much smoother than my factory Rubicon shocks, while still being stiff enough for some abuse. In my opinion, these are an excellent all around shock for this suspension.

Overall, this suspension absolutely blows me away! Compared to any Jeep I have ever been in, it feels like I am floating down the road now, and I cannot believe the amount of flex I can get. Could not be happier with the performance and can't wait to push it to its limits in the years to come! Also want to add the Metalcloak customer service is top notch. I called with concerns around my 4.75" backspacing wheels, and was assured that they would be fine for my application (maximum of 37/12.5r17 tire) because of the wide Rubicon axles. After install I put it to the test and there is 0 rubbing anywhere! I was very happy my concerns were addressed in minutes rather than rolling the dice myself, and it was made clear to me that help would be available throughout the process if I needed it.

I tried to cover everything, but if you have questions, please ask!!!

Total height gained: (before settling)
Front Driver - 3"
Front Passenger - 3"
Rear Driver - 2 3/4"
Rear Passenger - 2 13/16"

** I do believe the larger lift up front is compensating for the sagged stock springs from my winch.

Before:

After:

Front sway bar/shock clearance at full stuff:

Rear sway bar clearance at full stuff:

** Something that was not in the instructions was relocating the parking brake lines. These were by far the largest limiting factor on my rear suspension while I was trying to get my axle to full droop, and well worth the reroute. Pic of new position below.

Return to Index:

 

[Walker Texas Wrangler]

Man look at all that awesome work you've put in since the spring. Looking great, buddy. Looks like I'm going to have to try to find another stocker to trail on the rocks. Great job!

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