SmokeyTheJLU Build Journal

[Maverick909]

This is the build of my first Jeep I have ever owned. I have always wanted a Jeep and after the Unlimited Jeep came out i drooled over owning one. My dreams came true and this is were we enter Smokey. My 2018 JLU sport. with the 3.6L v-6 with the 6 speed manual.

First Picture of Smokey after driving 4 hours to pick it up. 01/05/2019

Full list of mods

1. JKS mfg. 2.5” lift with heavy duty springs and Adjustable Lower control arms

2. Installed new Rubicon Dana 44 wide axles with 4.10’s and E-lockers ( looking to re-gear to 4.88 with Yukon gear sets )

3. Maximus-3 with Rhino Rack platform.

4. Roam Vega bond roof top tent.

5. 35" Milestar Patagonia's MT's

6. Evo mfg belly skids

7. Rubicon take off Stubby Bumper with badlands 12K winch w/ syn. line with the ATP winch plate

8. Rear EAG bumper with tire swing out. ( will be changing this out. unbearable none stop squeaking )

9. Smittybilt Rock sliders with side steps.

10. Rock lights and front amber lighting for night driving also added rear lighting

11. Installed upgraded Power Stop big brake kit.

12. Installed the ST3.3 falcon shocks. best Upgrade so far

13. Installed new Method Racing 304 dbl standard wheels in bronze. 0/4.75" back spacing

14. Falcon adjustable steering stabilizer.


Current Wants in no order.


1. Long Arm kit with 3.5" HD springs debating between the Terra flex alpine kit and the new Metacloak long arm kit.

2. Half doors

3. Soft top

4. Yukon gears 4.88 in prep for possible 37's - ordered 12-20 just have to get an install date setup

5. 4:1 rubicon transferase

6. Replace EAG steel bump/tire carrier

7. Front and rear JE Reel drive shafts

8. 37" Milestar Pat MT's

9. Truss both Axles

10. Yukon chrome moly axle shafts

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[Maverick909]

Couldnt wait to get it on trail. 5 days after buying Smokey we went on our first Anza trip to camp and do some light wheeling week after that i ordered and installed a Rydonair Antenna flex 13" and the rubber tubing for the fenders to keep small rocks from getting stuck between the fenders and the painted body panels.

 

[Maverick909]

ive added take off Rubicon suspension, added 1.75" of lift to the jeep which will do me great tell i can save up for a 2.5" Lift kit! with adjustable shocks

 

[Maverick909]

Added some take of Rubicon wheels with some MT’s

 

[Maverick909]

out at clayhorn testing different tire pressures and trying new off shoots. love how capable this jeep is!

 

[Maverick909]

Smokey got a nice butt lift. added new EAG rear bumper with tire carrier. installed 3/4" brake lights into the rear bumper and deleted the big stock third break light.. and even more recently i added a Maximus-3 roof rack with a Roam VegaBond Roof top tent, and last but not least added a 3gallon rotopax fuel cell to the new bumper tire carrier

 

[Maverick909]

its been awhile for an update but much has not changes due to other projects being worked on. but front lighting on the bull bar have been changed from 4" white LEDS to 6.5" amber LED lights. starting to add Amber LED rock lighting and soon an switch Pod system to control everything. I will be adding rear back up LED and due side LED 4" pods for around camp in the near future but still trying to figure out my best wiring for going through the hardtop onto the rhino rack system where i will be mounting the side LED's

 

[Brian0128]

Nice setup. What are your plans for back up lights?

 

[Maverick909]

Nice setup. What are your plans for back up lights?

i added a single back up light to the rear bumper. i will be doing a huge update post

 

[Maverick909]

On order is the JKS mfg 2.5” Konnect lift kit. Have half the parts here waiting to go on. This COVID-19 crud has slowed everything down a bit. Cannot wait to get the other half of my parts though. Should be with in a week or two

 

[Maverick909]

Well it wasn't a week or two to get the parts like JKS had said.. it was a little over two months. But it did make it and i have done the install. First off the parts seem to be well made and the Instructions where on point except one minor thing on a socket size of a bolt was off but that isn't anything to cry about. It took about 6 hours to install in total including installing the Adjustable LCA's front and rear. If i where to order the kit again i would have gotten the preset just to make it a little quicker as i had zero knowledge on adjusting caster angle before this. I did find a great video... after i have everything taken apart that made a lot of sense and would have sped things up a lot with adjusting the LCA's but live and learn. I ordered the Kit with HD springs to help with the weight of the RTT front and rear bumpers and later down the road a winch and few other things like that. So with the tent off from the rubicon suspension i had on the jeep i gained 3.25" front and rear at the fenders. from the stock sport height i believe it added about 4.25" I Believe the 33" tires look great with the kit and ill keep them tell they wear out. and i swap to rubi axles in the future. once that happens ill add 35" tires or maybe 37" with a set of high fenders if i can find a take off pair that would be awesome. Anyways heres the pictures of during and after.

 

[Maverick909]

Next mod is on the freight truck headed to my localish dealer i like working with. hoping in the next 3/4 weeks ill find time to swap my dana 30/44 LSD axle set to the Rubicon axles with 4.10 and e lockers. just need to order the drag link and tie rod for the longer axles.

 

[Maverick909]

Update. Picked up my front axle today. New HD synergy tie rod is here.

 

[Tdkrum5]

Great job. I am starting something very similar on my Altitude. The Altitude came with the heavy duty brakes . So are those the same as the Rubicon brakes that may come with the Rubicon axles?

 

[Maverick909]

So far so good. Have the rear Dana 220 wide on in the rear loose right now as I ran out of blue lock tight and walked off from work without anti seize for the big bolts. Should have it dialed in today and ready to start the front Friday. Don’t mind me. I tend to only get a couple hours of daylight after work so it’s a slow process. Also hanging them on my own currently

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