DanW
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I just thought I'd lay out what I've done so far with my Rubi since picking her up in January (Or was it early Feb? I forgot the birthday already, dang it!).
My goals were to first and foremost, keep the weight down, as much as possible, while increasing off-road capability. I also wanted to maintain a nice on-road ride, as I'll do lots of long trips in this thing over the years. The less weight, the less tractive force required to get it moving, which means the less likely to get stuck. Also, less weight means less wear/tear/fatigue on the driveline and suspension components.
So, here we go.
What's been done, with notes...
315/70/17 BFG KO2's, C rated--light weight (64lbs), kept much of stock driving feel, and just an outstanding tire, on and off the road. They don't wander in road troughs and grooves, either. Amazing in sand and on dunes! Better than I though they'd be in the mud. I kept the stock wheels, because I like them and again, it keeps weight down.
2" Mopar lift--The ride was exactly what I wanted, which is smooth, but controlled. I love the way this suspension works, again, on and off the road. The Fox shocks are easily the best I've ever had. The height is perfect, as is the stance (Not too much rake, not too nose-high). Breakover ange was DRAMATICALLY improved. It also handled the winch without any sag. I do have the bowing driver side spring, but it still has not contacted the bump stop. I'm still going for the Mopar fix, but no problem with this yet, after 4,000 miles and one day of fairly hard off roading. I'd buy this lift again, in a heart beat. Solid as a rock, with no noise that I often hear in the suspension from other lifts.
JCR Winch Plate--Works great. It has slightly thinner steel (Lighter weight? Maybe, maybe not) but more anchor points than others I saw. The powder coating quality was outstanding. Install was a little challenging due to slight warp/misalighment, but some Kentucky english solved it and it went right on and the fit was perfect, once bolted down, meaning it was perfectly level and the winch fit with no trimming.
Smittybilt XRC9500 Comp Winch-- I almost went with the X20, but this one was lighter in weight...46 pounds shipping weight, and I caught a killer Black Friday deal last November, so I was able to stick tightly to my weight saving plan. It fit the JCR plate and the Jeep bumper perfectly.
Mopar Grab Handles-- Meh. They are ok, I guess. I don't hate them and don't love them. I may or may not keep them. I do occasionally like to hang my arm from them. If I tend to do that with doors off, I'll keep them. If not, bye bye...maybe.
Factor 55 Splicer-- WInch shackle/hook replacement. I love this thing. Yeah, it looks funny, but I don't care. It is for safe winching and to protect my rope end from UV and hawse fairlead from hook damage. I added a Factor 55 Fast Fid for splicing, and it helped me put it on the Smittybilt rope, as the hook had no release. I like the Splicer so much, I bought one for my JK, too.
Inspired Engineering 14" light bar--This thing is interesting. It throws light pretty well at a distance, but didn't quite give me what I wanted in terms of flood lighting. I'll keep it, because the extra light will still be welcome. It is a Prismatic light, so it will have backlighting that can be used on-road (amber) as a fog light. I haven't wired up or used that feature yet, so I don't know how bright it is. It is bluetooth controlled, so it has a thousand colors and can change to the beat of music, so my girls will go nuts dancing in front of it. We'll see how that works when I connect it. Silly, but fun. Btw, the mounting system for their lights is THE BEST. It is variable width, and rock solid.
Cooltech CB Antenna Mount with Firestick--This mount is GREAT! Right on the tailgate support. So far, the reception appears good, and superior to my Cooltech license plate mount on my JK. (Anything outperforms that.)
Uniden Bearcat CMX760 CB Radio--So far, I'm impressed. It is an all-in-mic unit, so there is no bulky box to mount. It also came with a microphone cord extension, which is a blessing. Reception seems great, and after radio checks, transmission range seems ok. I'll be getting inside it to dial up the power, at some point. (I'll probably let a pro actually do that, so it is done correctly and maximizes output as close to 4w as possible.) The mic mounted right on the flat spot to between the tuner and chicken bar. Perfect. I need to test it on the trail still.
Barricade Mirrors--From Extreme Terrain. These go in the hinges for doorless running. I went with the round ones, and they are nice and big! I haven't run them yet, so the jury is out, but they look like they'll do the job, as long as the wind at highway speed doesn't fold them in.
Lange Hoist-A-Top Simple...It will be installed in my garage soon, so I can get the soft top on! Can't wait! FAST shipping, from Extreme Terrain! Lange sent me the JL bracket, btw.
MyMedic First Aid Kit--Professional grade, and molle webbing compatible. This is on the back of my seat. It is LOADED with stuff!
Barricade Winch Recovery Kit--Nice kit with a nice quality bag! It has gloves, shackles, a snatch block, tree saver, BIG tow strap, and a chain. All for just over 100 bucks at Extreme Terrain. This is one of the best values I've seen for one of these kits. It has pockets to hold other stuff, like tire plugs, my Smittybilt rapid deflator, etc.
Glock 20 10mm--For bear country. LIght, POWERFUL, and loaded with 15 rounds of Underwood Extreme Penetrators, nearly 1500 feet per second and over 700ft lbs of energy. Proven to take down the largest bears. Works on 2 legged predators, too.
More to come...
Future Mods...
Midland MXT275 GMRS Radio--Coming when released! This is another all-in-the-mic radio. I bought a bigger antenna and have a couple ideas for mounting. I expect much longer range and clarity than with the CB, plus I have two GMRS handhelds for spotting and friends. It puts out 15 watts of power. I applied for my FCC license last night (70 bucks, 10 years, no test.) It is a bit of a gamble, but I'm anticipating it will work well. I have another GMRS unit for my JK, with a larger antenna and magnetic mount for the hood, which won't work on the JL, thanks to the aluminum hood! Lol. I'll test these on the trail when the MXT275 arrives.
Soft Doors/Half Doors/Tube Doors--Not sure which, but eventually they will happen.
Fire Extinguisher This is a must.
I don't have too many more to go, at least for major modifications. Of course, a Jeep is never done, but this one is getting close. I may change my mind on some of these, but most will eventually happen.
I'll update this original post occasionally, as things change. So far, so good, though. I've kept the Jeep light as possible, while significantly increasing capability. I'tll get off road throughout the Midwest this summer. The big test will come in Moab, in October!
My goals were to first and foremost, keep the weight down, as much as possible, while increasing off-road capability. I also wanted to maintain a nice on-road ride, as I'll do lots of long trips in this thing over the years. The less weight, the less tractive force required to get it moving, which means the less likely to get stuck. Also, less weight means less wear/tear/fatigue on the driveline and suspension components.
So, here we go.
What's been done, with notes...
315/70/17 BFG KO2's, C rated--light weight (64lbs), kept much of stock driving feel, and just an outstanding tire, on and off the road. They don't wander in road troughs and grooves, either. Amazing in sand and on dunes! Better than I though they'd be in the mud. I kept the stock wheels, because I like them and again, it keeps weight down.
2" Mopar lift--The ride was exactly what I wanted, which is smooth, but controlled. I love the way this suspension works, again, on and off the road. The Fox shocks are easily the best I've ever had. The height is perfect, as is the stance (Not too much rake, not too nose-high). Breakover ange was DRAMATICALLY improved. It also handled the winch without any sag. I do have the bowing driver side spring, but it still has not contacted the bump stop. I'm still going for the Mopar fix, but no problem with this yet, after 4,000 miles and one day of fairly hard off roading. I'd buy this lift again, in a heart beat. Solid as a rock, with no noise that I often hear in the suspension from other lifts.
JCR Winch Plate--Works great. It has slightly thinner steel (Lighter weight? Maybe, maybe not) but more anchor points than others I saw. The powder coating quality was outstanding. Install was a little challenging due to slight warp/misalighment, but some Kentucky english solved it and it went right on and the fit was perfect, once bolted down, meaning it was perfectly level and the winch fit with no trimming.
Smittybilt XRC9500 Comp Winch-- I almost went with the X20, but this one was lighter in weight...46 pounds shipping weight, and I caught a killer Black Friday deal last November, so I was able to stick tightly to my weight saving plan. It fit the JCR plate and the Jeep bumper perfectly.
Mopar Grab Handles-- Meh. They are ok, I guess. I don't hate them and don't love them. I may or may not keep them. I do occasionally like to hang my arm from them. If I tend to do that with doors off, I'll keep them. If not, bye bye...maybe.
Factor 55 Splicer-- WInch shackle/hook replacement. I love this thing. Yeah, it looks funny, but I don't care. It is for safe winching and to protect my rope end from UV and hawse fairlead from hook damage. I added a Factor 55 Fast Fid for splicing, and it helped me put it on the Smittybilt rope, as the hook had no release. I like the Splicer so much, I bought one for my JK, too.
Inspired Engineering 14" light bar--This thing is interesting. It throws light pretty well at a distance, but didn't quite give me what I wanted in terms of flood lighting. I'll keep it, because the extra light will still be welcome. It is a Prismatic light, so it will have backlighting that can be used on-road (amber) as a fog light. I haven't wired up or used that feature yet, so I don't know how bright it is. It is bluetooth controlled, so it has a thousand colors and can change to the beat of music, so my girls will go nuts dancing in front of it. We'll see how that works when I connect it. Silly, but fun. Btw, the mounting system for their lights is THE BEST. It is variable width, and rock solid.
Cooltech CB Antenna Mount with Firestick--This mount is GREAT! Right on the tailgate support. So far, the reception appears good, and superior to my Cooltech license plate mount on my JK. (Anything outperforms that.)
Uniden Bearcat CMX760 CB Radio--So far, I'm impressed. It is an all-in-mic unit, so there is no bulky box to mount. It also came with a microphone cord extension, which is a blessing. Reception seems great, and after radio checks, transmission range seems ok. I'll be getting inside it to dial up the power, at some point. (I'll probably let a pro actually do that, so it is done correctly and maximizes output as close to 4w as possible.) The mic mounted right on the flat spot to between the tuner and chicken bar. Perfect. I need to test it on the trail still.
Barricade Mirrors--From Extreme Terrain. These go in the hinges for doorless running. I went with the round ones, and they are nice and big! I haven't run them yet, so the jury is out, but they look like they'll do the job, as long as the wind at highway speed doesn't fold them in.
Lange Hoist-A-Top Simple...It will be installed in my garage soon, so I can get the soft top on! Can't wait! FAST shipping, from Extreme Terrain! Lange sent me the JL bracket, btw.
MyMedic First Aid Kit--Professional grade, and molle webbing compatible. This is on the back of my seat. It is LOADED with stuff!
Barricade Winch Recovery Kit--Nice kit with a nice quality bag! It has gloves, shackles, a snatch block, tree saver, BIG tow strap, and a chain. All for just over 100 bucks at Extreme Terrain. This is one of the best values I've seen for one of these kits. It has pockets to hold other stuff, like tire plugs, my Smittybilt rapid deflator, etc.
Glock 20 10mm--For bear country. LIght, POWERFUL, and loaded with 15 rounds of Underwood Extreme Penetrators, nearly 1500 feet per second and over 700ft lbs of energy. Proven to take down the largest bears. Works on 2 legged predators, too.
More to come...
Future Mods...
Midland MXT275 GMRS Radio--Coming when released! This is another all-in-the-mic radio. I bought a bigger antenna and have a couple ideas for mounting. I expect much longer range and clarity than with the CB, plus I have two GMRS handhelds for spotting and friends. It puts out 15 watts of power. I applied for my FCC license last night (70 bucks, 10 years, no test.) It is a bit of a gamble, but I'm anticipating it will work well. I have another GMRS unit for my JK, with a larger antenna and magnetic mount for the hood, which won't work on the JL, thanks to the aluminum hood! Lol. I'll test these on the trail when the MXT275 arrives.
Soft Doors/Half Doors/Tube Doors--Not sure which, but eventually they will happen.
Fire Extinguisher This is a must.
I don't have too many more to go, at least for major modifications. Of course, a Jeep is never done, but this one is getting close. I may change my mind on some of these, but most will eventually happen.
I'll update this original post occasionally, as things change. So far, so good, though. I've kept the Jeep light as possible, while significantly increasing capability. I'tll get off road throughout the Midwest this summer. The big test will come in Moab, in October!
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