Sherman's Journey

[TylerV76]

Been meaning to put this together for a long time but never got around to it. Sherman started out as a 2021 a Sport Altitude 2.0 Auto with 8 miles. I went with the Sport Altitude knowing I was going to build this as a fully capable off-roader that was just as enjoyable as a daily driver. The altitude gave me the better brakes and of course power windows and locks as well as push button start. Those were my only requirements. I considered a Rubicon but with the extra 15-25k I saved, I knew I could get a lot more for my money and have a lot more fun building exactly what I wanted.

10/19/2021
Brought him home

10/22/2021
New tires, Teraflex leveling kit, antenna, removed the euro dam and Rubi rails

10/23/2021
Replaced the halogens with some axial's I had for my daughters Jeep and some DV8 fogs.

12/24/2021
RC step rail. Really thought I was going to like these but that didn't last. More on that later.

1/14/2022
Stinger Heigh10. Another mod that didn't last long. Call volume and rear view camera issues became to much to overcome

3/17/2022
Picked up a soft top for $800. Found out it would be a couple months before I could use it consistently thanks to the Michigan weather.

3/23/2022
Axial headlights had to go so it was time for some Oracles. Took a while to get used to the cut off but couldn't imagine using any other headlights now.

6/10/2022
New Fuel Rebels and 35" KO2's. Debated on the gunmetal wheels for a long time and so glad I went that way.

6/16/2022
Mopar 2" lift with Teralfex front and rear adjustable trackbars as well as Fox TS steering stabilizer
Before:

After:

7/27/2022
Speaker upgrades. Kicker 3.5" dash and 6.5" sounder with JLJT Pods. Massive upgrade

8/29/2022
Rugged Ridge Arcus bumper and Smittybilt Winch. Also got a Kicker Hideaway installed into the rear cargo tub under the mat.

9/7/2022
Swapped the Swittybilt fairlead and hook for a Factor 55 Fairlead and Flatlink E

9/12/2022
Paint correction and ceramic coating for upcoming winter. Was able to get out almost all of the trail pin striping.

9/14/2022
I had been having some issues with my spare tire carrier for a while now. I tried a Rough Country tire carrier, a Mopar reinforcement kit and eventually a Teraflex Alpha HD carrier. Ultimately, the weight of the wheels and tires put a hairline crack in my top hinge. Likely had a faulty hinge to begin with. The noise I was hearing was the hinge separating. Added a Rugged Ridge Spartacus HD hinge kit and problem solved.

9/30/2022
Fluid Film the undercarriage before winter. Nasty stuff and smells awful but worth it.

11/19/2022
BulletPoint mounting system. Eventually I added another arm to the iPad mount to lower it next to the radio.

12/7/2022
Sold the Stinger and installed an 8.4 with Nav unit. Used Jscan to get the off-road pages. This is the way I should have gone from the beginning.

12/16/2022
Rough Country table and Voswitch JL300 went in. Huge install coming up and needed the switches in beforehand.

1/6/2023
This was the big one I've been waiting for. Axle swap to Rubi 44 takeoffs with lockers. Trusses and gussets with the Artec kit including the fad skid. Reid knuckles. Dynatrac ball joints, RCV front shafts with FAD, Dana Spicer rear chromoly shaft, AdvaTEK Dif covers front and rear, Steersmarts Yeti tie rod and draglink, ARB twin compressor on a M.O.R.E. cargo mount, and 37" KO2's.

1/12/2023
Rough Country Black Series cube lights and flashlight mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TR29JK4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

1/13/2023
Installed the warn power interrupt kit for my winch and wired it to the aux switches.

1/23/2023
I mounted a rear light under the bumper a week ago but decided to add the 2nd one today. One was good but 2 gave me exactly the amount of light I needed. I connected them to my aux switches so they weren't always on when reversing and only when I needed them. I wanted slim so they would tuck up behind the bumper and not get hit off roading. Nothing fancy but super bright. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2RF2KZW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

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[failsafe306]

From one Tool fan to another; nice rig man!

 

[TylerV76]

From one Tool fan to another; nice rig man!

Thanks! They are hands down the best concert experience Ive ever been apart of.

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Been meaning to put this together for a long time but never got around to it. Sherman started out as a 2021 a Sport Altitude 2.0 Auto with 8 miles. I went with the Sport Altitude knowing I was going to build this as a fully capable off-roader that was just as enjoyable as a daily driver. The altitude gave me the better brakes and of course power windows and locks as well as push button start. Those were my only requirements. I considered a Rubicon but with the extra 15-25k I saved, I knew I could get a lot more for my money and have a lot more fun building exactly what I wanted.

10/19/2021
Brought him home

10/22/2021
New tires, Teraflex leveling kit, antenna, removed the euro dam and Rubi rails

10/23/2021
Replaced the halogens with some axial's I had for my daughters Jeep and some DV8 fogs.

12/24/2021
RC step rail. Really thought I was going to like these but that didn't last. More on that later.

1/14/2022
Stinger Heigh10. Another mod that didn't last long. Call volume and rear view camera issues became to much to overcome

3/17/2022
Picked up a soft top for $800. Found out it would be a couple months before I could use it consistently thanks to the Michigan weather.

3/23/2022
Axial headlights had to go so it was time for some Oracles. Took a while to get used to the cut off but couldn't imagine using any other headlights now.

6/10/2022
New Fuel Rebels and 35" KO2's. Debated on the gunmetal wheels for a long time and so glad I went that way.

6/16/2022
Mopar 2" lift with Teralfex front and rear adjustable trackbars as well as Fox TS steering stabilizer
Before:

After:

7/27/2022
Speaker upgrades. Kicker 3.5" dash and 6.5" sounder with JLJT Pods. Massive upgrade

8/29/2022
Rugged Ridge Arcus bumper and Smittybilt Winch. Also got a Kicker Hideaway installed into the rear cargo tub under the mat.

9/7/2022
Swapped the Swittybilt fairlead and hook for a Factor 55 Fairlead and Flatlink E

9/12/2022
Paint correction and ceramic coating for upcoming winter. Was able to get out almost all of the trail pin striping.

9/14/2022
I had been having some issues with my spare tire carrier for a while now. I tried a Rough Country tire carrier, a Mopar reinforcement kit and eventually a Teraflex Alpha HD carrier. Ultimately, the weight of the wheels and tires put a hairline crack in my top hinge. Likely had a faulty hinge to begin with. The noise I was hearing was the hinge separating. Added a Rugged Ridge Spartacus HD hinge kit and problem solved.

9/30/2022
Fluid Film the undercarriage before winter. Nasty stuff and smells awful but worth it.

11/19/2022
BulletPoint mounting system. Eventually I added another arm to the iPad mount to lower it next to the radio.

12/7/2022
Sold the Stinger and installed an 8.4 with Nav unit. Used Jscan to get the off-road pages. This is the way I should have gone from the beginning.

12/16/2022
Rough Country table and Voswitch JL300 went in. Huge install coming up and needed the switches in beforehand.

1/6/2023
This was the big one I've been waiting for. Axle swap to Rubi 44 takeoffs with lockers. Trusses and gussets with the Artec kit including the fad skid. Reid knuckles. Dynatrac ball joints, RCV front shafts with FAD, Dana Spicer rear chromoly shaft, AdvaTEK Dif covers front and rear, Steersmarts Yeti tie rod and draglink, ARB twin compressor on a M.O.R.E. cargo mount, and 37" KO2's.

1/12/2023
Rough Country Black Series cube lights and flashlight mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TR29JK4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

1/13/2023
Installed the warn power interrupt kit for my winch and wired it to the aux switches.

1/23/2023
I mounted a rear light under the bumper a week ago but decided to add the 2nd one today. One was good but 2 gave me exactly the amount of light I needed. I connected them to my aux switches so they weren't always on when reversing and only when I needed them. I wanted slim so they would tuck up behind the bumper and not get hit off roading. Nothing fancy but super bright. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2RF2KZW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Nice looking build Tyler! Keep up the great work?

-Steven

 

[DMFish]

Beautiful rig mate, what is your favorite mod or mods you've done?

 

[TylerV76]

Beautiful rig mate, what is your favorite mod or mods you've done?

Mods Ive personally done would be the bumper and winch just because it gave me the confidence to get stuck.

Mods Ive had done is the axle swap hands down. When I wheeled it with the sport axles I was legitimately terrified and waiting for something to break. Now I can spend a bit more time appreciating what these Jeeps can do.

Granted, its far from indestructible, but it is incredibly capable at this point.

 

[TylerV76]

Got the new sliders installed today. Went with Smittybilt SRC Side armors. I had the Rough Country steps and they caused me to get hung up on the leading edge a few weeks ago at Holly Oaks. That was the end of those.

Packaging was insane, in a good way.

The install wasn't awful and I was able to do it by myself. Took about 2 hours. The hardest part was lining up the nut plate that goes in the frame on the welded wire. Drivers side was a nightmare. Passenger went in within 30 seconds. Pretty sure I got lucky there.

They are pretty stout and weigh 75lbs each. Should be able to take a solid hit and I love that they dont sit right against the body just in case they flex at all. The extra width should help with slinging mud as well. They also come with the pinch weld plate which is a great touch.

All in all, very happy with them and at $400, they are worth a shot.

 

[TylerV76]

Few mods and problems resolved since the sliders were installed. .

Added highline fenders to get some clearance for the 37's Gained 2 1/4" up from and 1 1/2" in the rear. May still need to gain another 1/2" in the suspension, or raise the bump stops, but won't know for sure till I can get it on the ramp. The rear pinch seam is going to be really really close. Also replaced the halogen bulbs in the fenders with LED's.

When doing the fenders I decided to add a Rugged Ridge HD rear bumper which led to having to relocate the license plate. I used a Rugged Ridge corner mount and at first was really happy with it. That turned out to be a huge mistake as you'll see soon.

Friday I got the floating feeling resolved finally. After the axle swap and tire change I noticed a swaying/floating feeling. Had to replace the upper and lower control arms to get the alignment dialed in properly. Went with Teraflex Alpine uppers and lowers. Much better ride now.

Then Sunday I decided to go through a carwash. When I got home I noticed something hanging from the rear end of the car. The car wash had caught the license plate bracket and since it was screwed into the rear panel with 2 self tapping screws, it snapped it in half. It was hanging on by 1 wire from the led. Had to J-B weld the holes closed so they dont rust and use some touch up paint to make it blend as well as I could. My ORV tags will go there from now on so it will be covered. I had to overnight a Rough Country license plate mount and run new wires since the Rugged Ridge one has you cut the original license plate light wire. Didn't want to tap into the brake lights.

Unfortunately that's not the only issue to arise from the car wash. One of the reverse lights I added had moisture in it. When I took the cover off I found out why. They sealed them with silicone caulk and it looked like a 2 year old did it. The wire was also breaking at the light connection. So those got tossed. Now I'm on the hunt for a better light.

 

[TylerV76]

Going to try out one of these hitch mount system for lights. In theory its kind of perfect because I can use any lights i want and not lose the function of my hitch like I would with something like the DD hitch light. However its an Amazon item and those rarely last. Lights came with it but I will probably swap them out for something slimmer like the baja designs s2’s.

If this doesnt work I’m going to need to find someone to cut into my bumper and add flush mount bumper lights.

 

[BajaDesigns]

Going to try out one of these hitch mount system for lights. In theory its kind of perfect because I can use any lights i want and not lose the function of my hitch like I would with something like the DD hitch light. However its an Amazon item and those rarely last. Lights came with it but I will probably swap them out for something slimmer like the baja designs s2’s.

If this doesnt work I’m going to need to find someone to cut into my bumper and add flush mount bumper lights.

Reach out when you're ready to get those switched out. This seems like a good workaround for the Diode hitch light that will block any use of the hitch if towing. Are you still able to slide a pin behind the mounts?
Best,
Brandon

 

[TylerV76]

Reach out when you're ready to get those switched out. This seems like a good workaround for the Diode hitch light that will block any use of the hitch if towing. Are you still able to slide a pin behind the mounts?
Best,
Brandon

I am. Theres about an inch and a half from the back of the bracket to the pin opening.

I’ll definitely reach out when Im ready to swap them. Thanks!

 

[TylerV76]

Took the NoBo north for some trail riding and winter camping. What should have been a 2 1/2 hour drive turned into 4 1/2. We had sustained 20mph winds and constant gusts up to 37mph. Made for a tense drive. At one point I was getting 6mpg.

Got through some mud holes and ruts on some forest roads and found a great spot to camp in the Manistee Nat’l Forest. And yes, my buddy has angry eyes. To be fair he bought it with them and has been looking for a stock grill for a while now.

After the awful drive everyone decided to lay down for a bit and just relax. About an hour later I got a knock on the door and I could tell by the look on my buddies face it wasnt good. The wind was whipping so hard it collapsed his tent. It was done for. So we unfortunately had to pack it up and drive about 45 minutes to his families property. I stayed in the NoBo out in the woods for the night with the dog to test out the generator and heat. Was pleasantly surprised how comfortable it was.

Got up in the morning planning to go do the trails with a local group. While watching the morning news they were warning about a storm coming in a few hours that would last all day. Said screw it and decided to head home. A 1 1/2 hour drive turned into 3 thanks to more heavy wind, snow covered highway and heavy snow.

All in all, an awful weekend. No trails, tons of harsh driving, but did get to briefly test the trailer. Found out the group we were going to ride with spent the majority of the ride stuck in some deep ice holes in 17 degrees with 30+mph wind. So we didnt miss much.

Off to Tennessee for a week next weekend!

 

[TylerV76]

Been a year since Ive updated this but today was worthy of an update.

Finally got rid of the last bit of the Mopar lift by replacing the springs and shocks. Went with AEV 2.5” springs and Falcon SP2 3.3 fast adjust shocks all around and Metalcloak adjustable bump stops. Also ordered my Tom Woods front and rear so should get those put in shortly.

Fox shocks started leaking after 1 1/2 years and I wanted just a bit more clearance for the 37’s. Appeears Im getting another couple inches of extension out of the falcons also, which should help going down rocks.

Its time I start focusing on skid plates though.

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