FunWagon - 37” tires, 3.5” lift, half doors, manual

[FunWagon]

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[FunWagon]

THE TAILGATE

I finally installed this spare tire delete made by Bodyguard. I love it.

(more pictures below)
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Description: It replaces the spare tire carrier, relocates the stock center brake light and stock rear view camera, and adds lights for the license plate whichyou can relocate.

I kept the license plate in its stock location on the bumper, so I didn’t bother installing the license plate lights and channeling the wiring through the tailgate then floor then the bumper then into the license plate bracket to tap into the wires there.

Review based on first impressions:

• I love the look. Some other brackets either look too primitive or are too over the top. For me this one feels just right.
• It meets my three functional requirements: (a) brake light, (b) rear camera, (c) license plate with license plate lights.
• There are a lot of companies making this type of bracket, but not all have all three functions and (in my opinion) it’s the best looking (to date).
• Easy to install with proper tools. I didn’t install the license plate lights (maybe in future) which would have been the biggest pain to wire.

Questions:

• How well will it resist rusting over the years? (In East cost weather). All aftermarket parts on my previous Jeep rusted over time.
• How well will it protect the wiring inside, to the lights and camera, from water? There are a lot of openings for water to come in and the connector thingies seem quite exposed.

 

[FunWagon]

 

[FunWagon]

AM I GOING CRAZY?

Oh my gosh… ha ha… three months into owning my Jeep… all along I thought I had the eTorque engine… but I just realized I don’t!!!

I don’t know why I thought I had eTorque. I think when I was looking to order, I used the Build & Price on the Jeep website, and the only 3.6L V6 option for my configuration back in March was with eTorque. I could have sworn also seeing it on my build sheet.

For a while I’ve considered getting full underbody protection (plates end to end), but learned many brands didn’t support Jeeps with eTorque at the time because of some eTorque mechanism under there on the other side of the gas tank. So I did all this research for brands that work on Jeeps with eTorque.

I got suspicious that I don’t have eTorque, when I looked under the Jeep and didn’t see any such mechanism under there… just big empty space.

I just checked my online window sticker and, darn, it says “3.6L V6 24V VVT Engine Upg I w/ESS” not “3.6L V6 24V VVT eTorque”. I could have sworn my build sheet said eTorque. Am I going crazy or is something fishy happening. I gotta find a paper copy of my build sheet now. Did I overpay $750? It’s probably just me.

EDIT: Looks like it was just ignorant me.

 

[FunWagon]

CONFIGURATIONS

The various combinations… it’s like lego… and if I take the doors off or put on the full doors then there are more of course, but that is more of a hassle, not a daily thing. Below are the daily quick changes I can make.

 

[RTJ]

Looks fantastic! I used Clayton's 2.5" Overland lift w/adjustable sway bar links. Built freakin tough. The half doors will be my next big addition. I had the on my '04 Rubicon and they are the best. I will be getting some black body wrap/sticker material and covering that sliver of white between front and back doors on each side. It'll really finish the look. Keep it up!

 

[rlong69]

That looks great and makes me wish I had ordered half doors! Question, How tall are you at the highest soft top bow?

I have the exact same tire and lift kit on order for my 21 JLUR. Looking at all the lift you got out of that makes me nervous, I ran an RK 3.5" lift on my 18 JL and yours has a lot more lift.

 

[FunWagon]

That looks great and makes me wish I had ordered half doors! Question, How tall are you at the highest soft top bow?

I have the exact same tire and lift kit on order for my 21 JLUR. Looking at all the lift you got out of that makes me nervous, I ran an RK 3.5" lift on my 18 JL and yours has a lot more lift.

Awesome!

I wonder if my Jeep is lighter than most typical Jeeps because of the half doors, soft top, no spare tire/wheel on tailgate, plastic bumpers, and manual transmission.

I think vendors design lifts with a Jeep in mind that is more: full doors, hard top, steel bumpers, automatic, which is heavier and also leave room to accommodate for aftermarket add ons like over-landing stuff.

Things don’t always look the same in person compared to in pictures. In person I think it looks less crazy than it seems in the pictures.

I’ll measure the height as soon as I have my Jeep back. I just dropped it off at the shop to adjust some thing (slight vibration at speed and pulls a bit right).

 

[rlong69]

Awesome!

I wonder if my Jeep is lighter than most typical Jeeps because of the half doors, soft top, no spare tire/wheel on tailgate, plastic bumpers, and manual transmission.

I think vendors design lifts with a Jeep in mind that is more: full doors, hard top, steel bumpers, automatic, which is heavier and also leave room to accommodate for aftermarket add ons like over-landing stuff.

Things don’t always look the same in person compared to in pictures. In person I think it looks less crazy than it seems in the pictures.

I’ll measure the height as soon as I have my Jeep back. I just dropped it off at the shop to adjust some thing (slight vibration at speed and pulls a bit right).

To be clear, I am only nervous about getting in my garage. I like the look a lot.

Thx

 

[Jeepeto]

CONFIGURATIONS

The various combinations… it’s like lego… and if I take the doors off or put on the full doors then there are more of course, but that is more of a hassle, not a daily thing. Below are the daily quick changes I can make.

I always loved #3, the top on, windows out. It was the perfect setup, and part of the reason I love the JL factory soft top so much. Looks even cooler with your half doors.

 

[FunWagon]

I always loved #3, the top on, windows out. It was the perfect setup, and part of the reason I love the JL factory soft top so much. Looks even cooler with your half doors.

you know, me too.

 

[AcesandEights]

No reason to add those skids for light off-roading, especially if you're trying to keep everything light; counter-productive.

 

[FunWagon]

Question, How tall are you at the highest soft top bow?

I just measured 81 inches using a tape measure from ground to top bow. I think I got it accurate but take with a grain of salt.

 

[rlong69]

I just measured 81 inches using a tape measure from ground to top bow. I think I got it accurate but take with a grain of salt.

Thanks a bunch for that measurement. That will clear my garage by about 2" so I am good!

 

[jhackathorne]

Could look into the aluminum skids to keep weight down if that is a focus and only light off-roading. ASFIR and M.O.R.E both do aluminum for that motor.

I like the rear delete, but I am always concerned when off-road if I had deleted and needed it I would regret it. Can't plug a slash in the sidewall. May want to check out Vector Off Road UFO kit to fill the holes in the rear from hardware/bumpstops. https://vectoroffroad.com/collections/jl-wrangler-products/products/ufo-jl-rear-tailgate-delete-set

Looks great!

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