'22 JLR 2.0T build progress/wheeling thread

[Remorseless]

So, Metalcloak bumper reinforcement brackets are installed. Install wasn't too hard, hardest parts were the absolutely insane volume of dried up clay that constantly fell in my face and maneuvering the carriage bolts between the bumper and out through the inner and outer brackets. For this part I found one of those bendable shop magnets to be particularly useful. Anyway, painted black, the gold zinc ain't my jam:

Also, the closeout panel at the bottom of the fender flare that covers the front of the pinch seam at the rear of the wheel well was rubbing on my shocks pretty bad, so those got deleted at the same time:

Tires were rubbing on them decently so I'm not too upset to lose them, just really going to mean I need to watch that section of pinch seam for chips and rust and clean more mud out the bumper.

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[blnewt]

Glenn, looking clean AF!!!!
Sliders look just right too.

 

[Remorseless]

Glenn, looking clean AF!!!!
Sliders look just right too.

Thanks Brad! I'm definitely digging how she's coming along.

 

[Krondor]

Thanks Brad! I'm definitely digging how she's coming along.

Meh... it's alright...

 

[Remorseless]

Meh... it's alright...

 

[Krondor]

So, Metalcloak bumper reinforcement brackets are installed. Install wasn't too hard, hardest parts were the absolutely insane volume of dried up clay that constantly fell in my face and maneuvering the carriage bolts between the bumper and out through the inner and outer brackets. For this part I found one of those bendable shop magnets to be particularly useful. Anyway, painted black, the gold zinc ain't my jam:

Also, the closeout panel at the bottom of the fender flare that covers the front of the pinch seam at the rear of the wheel well was rubbing on my shocks pretty bad, so those got deleted at the same time:

Tires were rubbing on them decently so I'm not too upset to lose them, just really going to mean I need to watch that section of pinch seam for chips and rust and clean more mud out the bumper.

Got the MetalCloak reinforcements on the way, and also noticed the rear shocks getting rubbed by the closeout panel. No tire rub at the moment, so I might just cut enough out of the way so they don't touch the shocks?

 

[Remorseless]

Got the MetalCloak reinforcements on the way, and also noticed the rear shocks getting rubbed by the closeout panel. No tire rub at the moment, so I might just cut enough out of the way so they don't touch the shocks?

I tried to cut but I'd have needed to cut the panel down so much that I decided I might as well remove it since it'd be useless anyway. If you figure out a cut that works let me know.

 

[Remorseless]

Alright, JKS HD springs swapped in. Went really well - only had to pull the shock bolts on both axles (well, and the bump stop bolts on the front axle) and still had enough droop to get the springs out. These same springs are used with the longer travel kits JKS sells (3.5-4" lift length shocks) for the 2 door and if the rubber bushings have enough flex in them to remove the springs, then I'm not certain I'll change out to flex arms when I consider moving to the longer shock setup in a few years. I'd rather keep the ride quality of the rubber bushings.

Anway, some pics during/after the rear swap:

With just the rears in, as can be seen above, it sat pretty low in the nose. Had considered seeing if I could just get away with doing the rear, but with it raking forward so hard, nah.

So, the front was next:

Now she's sitting nice and level and actually getting the 3" advertised lift height (to JKS's credit, they did warn that aftermarket bumpers and a full size spare would likely warrant the HD springs, I just lost the gamble that the OEM stuff was light enough, so no shade being thrown at the SD spring setup - was a deliberate choice on my end). Anyway, she now sits nice and level at ~3" front and rear instead of getting ~2.5" out front but only ~2" out back.

 

[Philly_]

Can’t wait to see how those MC sliders do! After a TON of research I’ve settled on them as well, but not many people seem to be running them.

Unfortunately, my Jeep build has come virtually to a halt with my relocation to NYC this spring, so it’s going to be a while before I can justify and find the time to get my own set.

 

[blnewt]

Alright, JKS HD springs swapped in. Went really well - only had to pull the shock bolts on both axles (well, and the bump stop bolts on the front axle) and still had enough droop to get the springs out. These same springs are used with the longer travel kits JKS sells (3.5-4" lift length shocks) for the 2 door and if the rubber bushings have enough flex in them to remove the springs, then I'm not certain I'll change out to flex arms when I consider moving to the longer shock setup in a few years. I'd rather keep the ride quality of the rubber bushings.

Anway, some pics during/after the rear swap:

With just the rears in, as can be seen above, it sat pretty low in the nose. Had considered seeing if I could just get away with doing the rear, but with it raking forward so hard, nah.

So, the front was next:

Now she's sitting nice and level and actually getting the 3" advertised lift height (to JKS's credit, they did warn that aftermarket bumpers and a full size spare would likely warrant the HD springs, I just lost the gamble that the OEM stuff was light enough, so no shade being thrown at the SD spring setup - was a deliberate choice on my end). Anyway, she now sits nice and level at ~3" front and rear instead of getting ~2.5" out front but only ~2" out back.

Great job there, nice to get the lift dialed in just to your liking. BTW, how are you liking those Generals? Seen quite a few running them in smaller sizes but I think you're the only one I've seen running the big boys.

 

[Remorseless]

Can’t wait to see how those MC sliders do! After a TON of research I’ve settled on them as well, but not many people seem to be running them.

Unfortunately, my Jeep build has come virtually to a halt with my relocation to NYC this spring, so it’s going to be a while before I can justify and find the time to get my own set.

I can't wait either lol. And it was my same experience when researching. @Krondor has been running the Overland version of the rockers and digs them. It was his experience with the Overlands that convinced me the Overlines would probably be good for me.

But, I'll keep the thread updated as I use them. Never been to Windrock before, so not sure if I'll use them there, but I'll keep everyone updated.

Great job there, nice to get the lift dialed in just to your liking. BTW, how are you liking those Generals? Seen quite a few running them in smaller sizes but I think you're the only one I've seen running the big boys.

I'm digging them - they grip well and they've got a nice flexible sidewall. Still haven't balanced them, only got a little vibration starting at 75MPH. Probably won't have them balanced unless it gets bad lol, but will rotate them each winter I think during the Uwharrie off season, whether they need it by mileage or not.

I will say they're not a quiet tire - I don't particularly care, I have no problem with a loud Jeep; MTs and a soft top have never been an issue for me - and the compound is rather soft. This is great for grip, but if you're someone who cares about longevity, they will wear quicker. They also flat spot a little bit when they sit for a while, but that works itself out as the tire warms up over a few miles.

Overall I'd recommend them as a KM3 or Baja Boss MT alternative for a Jeep that's more off road than on road focused. They're not stickies, but they're pretty good off road (at least at Uwharrie). Decent enough on road to live with.

 

[Remorseless]

Getting stoked for the Windrock trip, leaving next Wed, wheeling Thur and Fri, and then back to NC next Sat. Currently thinking trails 51, 26, 22, and, depending on weather, 16 are on the table for this first trip.

That being said, looking for some advice from folks who've been there in the past - given my Jeep and my buddy's Jeep (JKU, 4" lift, 35s, open/open, D30 front) - any trails y'all recommend that we should consider doing instead of/in addition to the above? We're not opposed to scenic trails, but ideally looking more for technical trails versus dirt roads - though I'm the only one with a winch, so also not looking to be dragging my buddy around all day.

 

[GATORB8]

Getting stoked for the Windrock trip, leaving next Wed, wheeling Thur and Fri, and then back to NC next Sat. Currently thinking trails 51, 26, 22, and, depending on weather, 16 are on the table for this first trip.

That being said, looking for some advice from folks who've been there in the past - given my Jeep and my buddy's Jeep (JKU, 4" lift, 35s, open/open, D30 front) - any trails y'all recommend that we should consider doing instead of/in addition to the above? We're not opposed to scenic trails, but ideally looking more for technical trails versus dirt roads - though I'm the only one with a winch, so also not looking to be dragging my buddy around all day.

One thing to consider with WIndrock is the massive size of the park, and how long it takes to get place to place.

It's been a year and a half since we've been, but the "gravel" roads aren't technical, but they are rough enough to slow you down pretty good, which can mean hour plus trail to trail commutes.

IIRC, 26 ends in a west side location you can cross the creek and exit the park to asphalt, 16 is pretty central, and 51 is at the east end. Over by 51, there is asphalt access.

26 is the most rocky and more immune to mud, 51 was a bit of a mix, and the mud on 16 was the biggest challenge.

51 was by far the busiest, and we ended up getting sandwiched in a huge, slow group. I think I'd shoot to hit that one by asphalt to start the day you pick and work your way back into the park from there.

 

[Remorseless]

One thing to consider with WIndrock is the massive size of the park, and how long it takes to get place to place.

It's been a year and a half since we've been, but the "gravel" roads aren't technical, but they are rough enough to slow you down pretty good, which can mean hour plus trail to trail commutes.

IIRC, 26 ends in a west side location you can cross the creek and exit the park to asphalt, 16 is pretty central, and 51 is at the east end. Over by 51, there is asphalt access.

26 is the most rocky and more immune to mud, 51 was a bit of a mix, and the mud on 16 was the biggest challenge.

51 was by far the busiest, and we ended up getting sandwiched in a huge, slow group. I think I'd shoot to hit that one by asphalt to start the day you pick and work your way back into the park from there.

That's a good reminder on the size of the park. I think we're optimistically hoping to be able to hit 2 trails each wheeling day (and recognize that it's optimism and an early start to the day at play in that goal). We're certainly not married to those trails though.

The mud on 16 is why it's iffy for us - watching vids, I think we'd have no problem in the dry, but the wet would potentially be a problem for my buddy (his ATs are, well, ATs, and they're getting low on tread to boot) depending on how wet it is. He's also right on the line as far as tire poke and the rut/embankment situation on 16 and not tearing off his fenders.

51 is the one I'm least interested in, though the view does look nice. I'm not collecting the badges, but more using the badge trails to kind of get a feel for the park and their difficulty ratings. Not overly looking to sit in line for a view though...

26 seemed like a good warmup trail, viewing it like a Falls Dam+ before they filled it in.

You mostly run the badge trails there? If you ran any outside of the badge ones, recommendations on some good ones? In terms of technicality - so long as it's more rock than mud and not like guaranteed major body damage - we're game for some fun stuff.

 

[GATORB8]

That's a good reminder on the size of the park. I think we're optimistically hoping to be able to hit 2 trails each wheeling day (and recognize that it's optimism and an early start to the day at play in that goal). We're certainly not married to those trails though.

The mud on 16 is why it's iffy for us - watching vids, I think we'd have no problem in the dry, but the wet would potentially be a problem for my buddy (his ATs are, well, ATs, and they're getting low on tread to boot) depending on how wet it is. He's also right on the line as far as tire poke and the rut/embankment situation on 16 and not tearing off his fenders.

51 is the one I'm least interested in, though the view does look nice. I'm not collecting the badges, but more using the badge trails to kind of get a feel for the park and their difficulty ratings. Not overly looking to sit in line for a view though...

26 seemed like a good warmup trail, viewing it like a Falls Dam+ before they filled it in.

You mostly run the badge trails there? If you ran any outside of the badge ones, recommendations on some good ones? In terms of technicality - so long as it's more rock than mud and not like guaranteed major body damage - we're game for some fun stuff.

Well, it wasn't our intent, but basically all we could get done was the badges in the two days we were there (April, so we had less light), and it was wet.

We explored a little and got 16 done on Friday after a late start. Saturday the combination of taking the Gravel road all the way from the entrance to 51, and then having a traffic jam was a huge time suck. We had to bail to asphalt after 51 and go back in the entrance to make it through 26 by dark. We stayed in a cabin by the west 26 exit, so taking that was the best way out.

Your assessment of 16 sounds pretty accurate, the mud made the rutted section not fun simply because you think you'll tear your fenders off the whole ride. There's some pretty cool stuff, including a waterfall in it, so I'd definitely recommend it if it's dry. There was a pretty solid hill climb toward the end.

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