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Smittybilt winch, EVO tire carrier and a few other goodies installed

jjonesx86

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Working with Northridge4x4 on some upgrades has been painless and I’m loving the results. Most of the off-road trips that I’ve done so far have been solo or family so a winch was top priority for self-recovery. I went with the Smittybilt X20 G2 10K because it has a great reputation and was on sale. From what I can tell, both Smittybilt and Warn have their loyal followers and their equal share of horror stories so I went with the option I could get for 1/2 the cost.

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The winch fits perfectly with the OEM steel bumper. I used the Artec winch plate and Factor 55 flat link. The black bracket is to install a front license plate which is required in Seattle and they like to ticket for it.
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The license plate goes on with a few thumbscrews but sure doesn’t look as nice.
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The EVO tire carrier looks and fits perfectly. My new wheels and tires haven’t arrived yet but I’m ready when they do.
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I love how flush the EVO carrier sits and there is zero tire movement on or off road.
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I used the Rugged Ridge third brake light kit for a cleaner look. The OEM wheel backspace requires a wheel spacer with the EVO kit and doesn’t leave me enough room to re-use the OEM camera cover. As soon as I have my new wheels on there I should be able to re-use the cover for a cleaner look.
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I love the GPCA grab handles and have them by all 4 doors and on the back of the headrests. They look and work great and I like the pocket on the drivers side...perfect place for my pocket knife. Originally I had the Mopar grab handles but they hang down way too low...these fold up out of the way when not in use. Great addition to the interior look and utility.
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Next up - My wheels/tires a front bumper bar and some lights. So far I’ve resisted the temptation to lift the Jeep and I’m sticking with 35s for now. I’m optimizing for camping, off-road exploring and some local ORV parks but nothing too extreme. It also needs to get me to work every day
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Fastmover

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The Artec site does not say it is compatible with the Smittybilt X20. But you had no problems? Dunno why they wouldn't mention Smittybilt then.
 
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jjonesx86

jjonesx86

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The Artec plate worked great and was a bit cheaper than some of the other options from a company I trust. Sometimes I think the list of compatible models has more to do with marketing agreements than it does with actual fit. The Warn plate works great for the Smittybilt X20 (according to Northridge4x4) but of course they would never say that :)
 

jpb

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This is great. I have had 6 jeeps, but just custom ordered my first car ever, a JLR in January and waiting for it to get here. I opted for the steel bumper group instead of aftermarket because I like the look. The site said winch capable but was disappointed that you have to buy a winch plate first. I think im going with the arctic one now that I read this. I was hoping for a cheaper winch though....I currently have a steel barricade 9500 pound one and would like to get a synthetic one around the same payload, except a cheaper brand. Any recommendations that will work with the winch plate thats on the cheaper end like barricade or rugged ridge? Its a JLR so really looking between 6-9k pound payload
 

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Fastmover

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....... Its a JLR so really looking between 6-9k pound payload
Believe it or not, the JLR weighs almost as much as the JLUR. You may want to up the winching spec to 10K pounds to be safe.
 

IndustrialAction

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Doesn’t the RR 3rd brake light say that it isn’t DOT approved as a replacement? I love how they look but I didn’t think you could run that alone
 
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jjonesx86

jjonesx86

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I have searched and cannot find any reference to whether the RR 3rd brake light (or any aftermarket 3rd brake light) is or isn't DOT approved. They don't have any legal caveat on their site that I can find but if you know of one, please post it.

Either way, I live in Washington State and we don't have any formal vehicle registration inspection/safety checks like I was subjected to when I lived in Virginia. We have annual emissions but they don't check for anything else. I guess it could be possible to get a ticket but the officer would need to have knowledge of what is standard or aftermarket on a Jeep AND give a crap about it. Only time will tell.

In terms of recommendations for cheaper winch alternatives, I'm far from an expert and have limited personal experience. I just did a pretty deep dive comparison between Warn and Smittybilt and couldn't find any compelling reason to pay more for Warn. I didn't extend my search for any other models.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
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jjonesx86

jjonesx86

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I did some additional research on whether the RR third brake light is legal / DOT approved and it isn't perfectly clear. Here is the WA State law language:

(3) Any vehicle may be equipped and when required under this chapter shall be equipped with a center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) mounted on the center line of the rear of the vehicle. These stop lamps shall display a red light visible from a distance of not less than three hundred feet to the rear in normal sunlight, and shall be actuated upon application of a service brake, and may not be incorporated with any other rear lamps.

Based on this alone, I would say that the RR is good to go. It is red, centered horizontally, highly visible, works with the service brake, is a solid light and not incorporated into the other rear lamps.

When I read more about CHMSL on a less authoritative but more detailed site - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting#Centre_high_mount_stop_lamp_(CHMSL) there is some more specific language that could be problematic:

The height of the CHMSL is also regulated, in absolute terms and with respect to the mounting height of the vehicle's conventional left and right stop lamps. Depending on the left and right lamps' height, the lower edge of the CHMSL may be just above the left and right lamps' upper edge.

While the top half of the RR brake light is above the left and right lights, the bottom half overlaps.

Given the WA State language, I feel comfortable with the RR third brake light and very confident that it is even more noticeable (brighter and larger) to drivers behind me and therefore should be just as effective at accident avoidance.
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