RubiSc0tt's Big Orange Jeep build

[RubiSc0tt]

take a look at [Banned Site]’s overhead cb bar kit he sells. Maybe it is further forward. my concern would be the risk of head injuries with any steel obstacles mounted directly in the occupants motion safety zone. A seatbelt would not stop you from hitting the overhead crossbar if you are tall or if the seat is up all the way, especially off road.

when it says "banned site/user", that means It's an auto moderation feature installed on the forum. I've seen some hilarious uses of features like that on other forums in the past.

As time went on, that was my concern too. it was padded, and cleared my own head, but the brim of my hat kept getting caught up, so I figured it was more than time to remove it. I'm working on something with similar positioning to the JKs- there was a bracket that used the bolts on the footman loop to hang the CB above the rear view mirror against the windshield frame.

I know who you're talking about, and his site. I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm also not paying $120 for something that easily cost me ~$40 in materials. I'd rather take the time to do it myself than overpay for basically the exact same thing I had. That's actually a key point of my build- Spend the money on the things that matter (armor, winch, tires, suspension), DIY a clean solution for everything else.

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[JWAustinVTX]

How are the Quadratec Skids holding up?

 

[RubiSc0tt]

How are the Quadratec Skids holding up?

Skid clearances

Aftermath:
Aluminum skids took a beating, got bent upward a bit but otherwise held up. Everything else took some decent shots but held the line.

All things considered, they're doing good. When I say they took some shot, I mean I basically parked the weight of the Jeep on them and then dragged it off of them. It wasn't intentional but that's what skid plates are there for. There is very little warping or bending which is good- considering all the paranoia around how "weak" Aluminum is; Overall I like them and I'd do it again if I had to purchase skid plates. I know it's Quadratec vs. something from a smaller fab shop/ company but for the value and completeness of the system, I highly recommend it.

 

[JWAustinVTX]

Scott,

Thanks for the info. I'll be looking to order this soon. Hopefully Quadratec has a black friday special.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

Scott,

Thanks for the info. I'll be looking to order this soon. Hopefully Quadratec has a black friday special.

As the Mandalorians say: THIS IS THE WAY. Hahaha

I built my entire Jeep summer 2019 based on sales and promotions. saved a good amount with discounts and free shipping (skidplates, bumper, winch). That's going to be my strategy from now on: If I can wait, save up the money and hit the next big sale. Good luck! I've got install pics and details in an earlier post in the thread so if you have any questions- feel free to reach out.

 

[JWAustinVTX]

As the Mandalorians say: THIS IS THE WAY. Hahaha

I built my entire Jeep summer 2019 based on sales and promotions. saved a good amount with discounts and free shipping (skidplates, bumper, winch). That's going to be my strategy from now on: If I can wait, save up the money and hit the next big sale. Good luck! I've got install pics and details in an earlier post in the thread so if you have any questions- feel free to reach out.

THIS IS THE WAY

 

[RubiSc0tt]

So, quick update:
Scored some JCR Off road classic sliders from a buddy. These should help my kids get in and out of the Jeep a little better and provide some additional protection. Got them installed and I can confirm: that front body bolt was installed with red loc-tite and was a real BASTARD to get out. I got my arm workout for the day, that’s for sure! The good news is that once out, I wire brushed it, and all threads came clean. Everything got a coat of Never-Seize and was reinstalled, torqued to spec.

This is how far the bar sticks out, and the protection it offers the tub on the rail. it's not super useful as a step for me, but my son (3) can now climb in and out of the Jeep on his own.

These things are BEEFY. Definitely had to use a Jack. Followed their install video on their Youtube Channel and it helped A LOT.

Next up was the update to the overhead CB Mount. In retrospect, I had a bunch of ideas that were all overthought, overcomplicated, and just terrible. What did I do? Measured, and re-drilled another hole. Worked beautifully, moved the bar and CB forward and out of the way, and although it was kind of tight: kept access to the hard top panel clamps. The key to anyone doing this: stage your cross bar at the notch closest to the front door surround hole. Your L-brackets should fit just fine, and mine even slid under the edge of the windshield frame to hold them tight. It can be a little snug when putting the hard tip panels back on but that’s mainly due to the padding I put on it, I think.

Here, we see the original hole vs. the new one. New one started small, then bored out to the same size with a step up bit.

Test fit

Clearances

Hard top panels fully reinstalled.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

For @JWAustinVTX :
Some more up close, detailed pics of the carnage from wheeling at Rausch Creek this summer.

a few notes:
The aluminum gets SHARP when scuffed. I had a small sliver penetrate my glove (and I wear Mechanixwear Mpacts), and had to pull it out with the pliers on my multi tool.

Again, the plating is 1/4” aluminum and they’ve held up well. Little bent but not badly.

the severely bent ears on the cross members are 3/8” steel that was BRUTALLY DRAGGED across rocks. Only so much can be expected. You could either trim it up, or add steel to box it out. The important part is the reinforced crossmembers that came with the skidplate kit did not bend, warp, or yield. They held strong and that’s what I am most concerned about.


overall, still very pleased with these. I think they’re good option with fantastic upsides.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

Cold sunrise over the lake after work.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

EDIT: REMOVED 11/2021:
These were good for a while but they kept coming apart and getting caught on things. This was a huge pain in the ass, especially w/ the 52qt Yeti knock off cooler that was FULL. I scored a regular mat with mud terrain treads on it for cheap on Black Friday. Works much better.

Starting to spec out the next phase of the build- looking at/ waiting for sales, and hoping to get out a little more this year. We'll see.

General Plan:
Rock Krawler 2.5" kit
37x12.5x17R tires
Possibly new wheels
Rear bumper and tire carrier.

No specifics yet as orders have not been placed and money has not been spent. The jury is still out. I may not lift it for another year. I keep going back and forth. I've got some other (non-Jeep) stuff planned that may require attention and efforts so I may wait a year for Jeep stuff.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

Quick update:

Any experience with Body Armor 4x4 Full Width bumper and tire carrier?

Looking at these:
https://www.bodyarmor4x4.com/product/jl-tire-carrier/
https://www.bodyarmor4x4.com/product/jl-rear-bumper-2018-2020/

Design, Construction, and price point seem good. Fits up to a 40, retains OEM tow hitch and camera, wrap around protects the tub, and includes a plate mounting kit. my buddy can get them for me at a small discount. It hits all my marks.

Most of the ratings/ reviews I was able to find were from JK’s. Not sure how much translates.

Any experience with this company or these specific models?

if I missed a thread with info/ review on these, feel free to link me.

Thanks in advance!

Just pulled the trigger on these as discussed in this thread. I ordered from ExploreOverland.com, which is my buddy's business. They deal primarily with Toyotas but there is some overlap.

Overall, I was impressed with the design and completeness of the kit for the price point. I'm less stoked about the whole "Single action" tire carrier thing, but for the price and the rest of the package, you can't beat it so I'll deal. We'll see how this goes.

Once I get it I'll probably order some LED's for back up lights because the factory reverse lights absolutely blow. I have to ride the brake to see anything. Likewise, I'll probably start working on some sort of DIY plate relocation. I've got an idea that is both convenient and slick but again- we'll have to see how it goes.

Finally, it's time to start researching tires. As it stands right now, after talking it over with a few "trusted advisors" from my Jeep club who talked some sense into me: I'm going to look at tire prices. if it looks feasible, I'm probably going to run 37's on the OEM Rubi wheels with a Rock Krawler 2.5" kit. As for which kit- I'm down to 2: Max Travel TT and the entry level Adventure series, but adding the rear LCA's and the No limit Swaybar links. Max Travel is part of the XFactor line, and I love that- I've used it on my past Jeeps- high flex/ performance, you can't beat it for an off the shelf kit. The Adventure Series line is less maintenance and more budget friendly, but slightly less flex/ performance. I need to see what the guys at RK can do for me in terms of kit lead time and pricing, again- if this is feasible. I've set a salary cap for myself with the Jeep this year and it's looking like I'll probably end up pushing off some "convenience" projects (DIY heated seats, remote start, and multi-hose air up line) if I do the lift and tires.

Truth be told: I love doing this stuff, but given the way things are, I don't want to run my reserves as low as I have in the past.

Also starting to consider some other Jeep related projects- but those are just planning phases at this point.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

I have the bumper and carrier sitting in my garage in boxes. Shoutout to my buddy Will (and his big White '21 Tundra on 37's) from Explore Overland for hooking it up and even dropping it off after work. As soon as I get some time, and it warms up a bit, they're getting installed.

Likely going to buy my buddy's 38" Milestar Patagonias from him- That is, if he ever gets his new 35 Spline axles and 39" BFG Red Label Krawlers on his CJ-7. He's leaving for Moab at the end of April though, so it's not looking promising anytime soon, which is fine-more time to plan/ save.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

Can’t remember, might be a repost, but here’s what I did with my Badges of Honor:
Tied them into some Orange paracord, looped them through itself on the mirror. I may seek out a different alternative as I collect more, but for now, I like this. It’s inside, away from all the road salt and corrosion and it’s still on (obvious) display.

 

[Longhair1957]

I have the bumper and carrier sitting in my garage in boxes. Shoutout to my buddy Will (and his big White '21 Tundra on 37's) from Explore Overland for hooking it up and even dropping it off after work. As soon as I get some time, and it warms up a bit, they're getting installed.

Likely going to buy my buddy's 38" Milestar Patagonias from him- That is, if he ever gets his new 35 Spline axles and 39" BFG Red Label Krawlers on his CJ-7. He's leaving for Moab at the end of April though, so it's not looking promising anytime soon, which is fine-more time to plan/ save.

I have the BA4x4 rear bumper. I’ve been waiting to find some real experiences with the tire carrier.
is it rattle prone? Are you happy with tire carrier or wish youwent another way??
Btw, the small business I bought my bumper was very helpful as well. Clint picked it up and hand delivered it. Nice guy.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

I have the BA4x4 rear bumper. I’ve been waiting to find some real experiences with the tire carrier.
is it rattle prone? Are you happy with tire carrier or wish you went another way??
Btw, the small business I bought my bumper was very helpful as well. Clint picked it up and hand delivered it. Nice guy.

It's still sitting in my garage. I ordered some KC square pods w/ Flood beam from Explore Overland for that bumper as back up lights. They just got here on Thursday. Currently purging the garage of stuff we no longer use while waiting for my childcare (AKA: Mom and inlaws) to finish their COVID vaccines and clear protocol to have them come over and watch the kids while I pull a garage day for that and some other projects. I will post a write up with pictures when i get the chance.

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