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Kreepin1

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I was originally going to name this Jeep "Day Tripper" because that's what it's for - up to one day taking in the scenery on back roads and moderate trails. It has to provide an open air experience for my wife and I and safely carry our two small dogs.

I could have built my JKR, but the full cage, stronger axles, and higher roll center for reduced "head toss" convinced me to step up to a JL. I always wanted half doors on my JK and a buddy told me they had just become available for order. I took it as a sign it was meant to be :) and placed an order with the following options on 10/5/2020:

Sting Gray Rubicon
3.6 with Manual Transmission
Cold Weather Group
Trailer Tow
8.4" Radio and Premium Audio Group
Dual Door Group with Premium Uppers
Black Hard Top

The half doors delayed shipment long enough that I got caught up in the clutch recall Stop Shipment. Here it is when I finally received it on 3/9/2021. That's right, five months and four days after I placed the order!

Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3094.JPG
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Kreepin1

Kreepin1

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This is a place holder for mods and a current picture...

List of Mods:
Bushwacker Trail Armor Rocker Panels
LoD Destroyer Rock Sliders
Bestop Trektop in black twill
Custom Dog Crate install
Excessive Industries GTC Bumpers
MetalCloak Spare Tire Delete Kit
Hooker Blackheart high clearance cat-back muffler
Grimm Offroad ARB Twin Compressor Mounting Kit
ARB Twin Compressor
Baja Designs S2 Sport Wide Cornering fog lights
Tazer Mini
Synergy Front Track Bar and Sector Shaft Brace
Mojave Sway Bar
Synergy Quick Disconnects
Warn HS9500i winch
35x11.5R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers
Mountain Off Road Enterprises skid plates
Midland MXT115 GMRS and Uniden CMX660 CB Radios
Element 50 fire extinguisher
Livernois Flex Fuel tune


Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3396.JPG


Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3403.JPG
 
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FunWagon

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Woo hoo... congratulations... beautiful... love the half doors.
 
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Kreepin1

Kreepin1

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Rocker Protection
I am a fan of Low Center of Gravity rigs. My wife struggles to get in Jeeps and so I hoped to not only protect the rockers but also have a useful step. It was a waste of time, she still steps into the Jeep and hops up, completely skipping the step. I asked "How much higher can I go?" Her reply? "An inch or two." Well, at least now I know what I'm shooting for!

Bushwacker Trail Armor Rocker Panel
Reading this forum I had seen several cases where rock sliders kissed the sheet metal after a hard hit. So my first mod was to install these with the hope that they will provide some additional protection.

This is a pretty easy mod. The directions were clear and they fit great.
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3130.JPG


LoD Destroyer Rock Sliders
The Destroyer sliders were incredibly well packed. The instructions are great. Above you can see how to support them so installation is a one-man job.

Mostly they reuse existing holes in the frame. Thankfully you don't have to remove the troublesome body mount bolts. You do need to clearance the skid plate. Here are the tools to make this a breeze:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3127.JPG


They only problem with using a carbide burr is the nasty metal slivers it makes:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3128.JPG


I'm disappointed with the fit of these sliders. There was 1/2" gap at the rear and 1/4" gap on the driver front while the passenger front was tight against the Bushwacker Trail Armor. Not Good.

So I call LoD. The sales gal tells me the issue is that I have a manual transmission and the skid plates are different than on a "regular" Jeep and I need to put some washers in to adjust them. I ask her what that has to do with the sliders since they mount to the frame, not the skid plate. She takes my number and says she'll have someone call me. Ha! Crickets.

So for now I've got 1/4" spacer out and 3/16" spacer down. I'll revisit this after I get some better skid plates.

Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3143.JPG
 

AMKRubicon610

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Rocker Protection
I am a fan of Low Center of Gravity rigs. My wife struggles to get in Jeeps and so I hoped to not only protect the rockers but also have a useful step. It was a waste of time, she still steps into the Jeep and hops up, completely skipping the step. I asked "How much higher can I go?" Her reply? "An inch or two." Well, at least now I know what I'm shooting for!

Bushwacker Trail Armor Rocker Panel
Reading this forum I had seen several cases where rock sliders kissed the sheet metal after a hard hit. So my first mod was to install these with the hope that they will provide some additional protection.

This is a pretty easy mod. The directions were clear and they fit great.
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3143.JPG


LoD Destroyer Rock Sliders
The Destroyer sliders were incredibly well packed. The instructions are great. Above you can see how to support them so installation is a one-man job.

Mostly they reuse existing holes in the frame. Thankfully you don't have to remove the troublesome body mount bolts. You do need to clearance the skid plate. Here are the tools to make this a breeze:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3143.JPG


They only problem with using a carbide burr is the nasty metal slivers it makes:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3143.JPG


I'm disappointed with the fit of these sliders. There was 1/2" gap at the rear and 1/4" gap on the driver front while the passenger front was tight against the Bushwacker Trail Armor. Not Good.

So I call LoD. The sales gal tells me the issue is that I have a manual transmission and the skid plates are different than on a "regular" Jeep and I need to put some washers in to adjust them. I ask her what that has to do with the sliders since they mount to the frame, not the skid plate. She takes my number and says she'll have someone call me. Ha! Crickets.

So for now I've got 1/4" spacer out and 3/16" spacer down. I'll revisit this after I get some better skid plates.

Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3143.JPG
I have the bushwhacker rocker protectors and like them a lot. I noticed tho that they are a super tight fit when the door is closed. Are you worried about the paint on the bottom of your door rubbing these rocker panel guards over time?
I had these on a 2016 ram 1500 and they didn’t rub the doors when shut
 

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Kreepin1

Kreepin1

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Bestop Trektop
On the trail I like to run a Bikini top. For this rig I needed a way to seal it up when rain is in the forecast. I don't like the way the factory top overhangs so far in the rear. This top checks all my boxes. Bikini? Check. Soft top? Check. Good looks? Check.

Everything was packed great. The instructions were stellar. This is a pretty time consuming job but I didn't take any pictures as it's a straight bolt on affair.

Half Door Adjustment
With the top on I was finally ready to adjust the half doors. Mopar has a great video on Youtube showing the steps which are also well documented in the paper instructions that ship with the doors. There are two adjustments they want you to make, center the latch and make sure the uppers have a good seal.

Center Latch Adjustment
They make is look so easy. Loosen the four torx bolts and adjust. HA! Here is the trick I used. First, slide a tapered wedge between the door and sill about 1/3 of the way from the handle. Now loosen the bolts while prying up on the wedge. Reach around to the inside of the door and give it a couple of good smacks so the door actually moves up. Lightly tighten the bolts and check the latch alignment. Also check how even the gaps on each side and under the door are. Repeat as needed. Torque the bolts to spec.

Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3135.JPG


Upper Seal
The video and instructions are spot on here. Mine had a small gap at the front passenger corner. Just loosen the lock nut and adjust the screw counter clockwise to tip the upper in.

Before:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3137.JPG


After:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3138.JPG
 
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Kreepin1

Kreepin1

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I have the bushwhacker rocker protectors and like them a lot. I noticed tho that they are a super tight fit when the door is closed. Are you worried about the paint on the bottom of your door rubbing these rocker panel guards over time?
I had these on a 2016 ram 1500 and they didn’t rub the doors when shut
They were close on mine to start with, but did not rub. I worked hard to get them tight to the body before pulling the first adhesive strip. I increased the gap at the bottom when I adjusted the half doors so now everything is peachy!
 

danzy55

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Bestop Trektop
On the trail I like to run a Bikini top. For this rig I needed a way to seal it up when rain is in the forecast. I don't like the way the factory top overhangs so far in the rear. This top checks all my boxes. Bikini? Check. Soft top? Check. Good looks? Check.

Everything was packed great. The instructions were stellar. This is a pretty time consuming job but I didn't take any pictures as it's a straight bolt on affair.

Half Door Adjustment
With the top on I was finally ready to adjust the half doors. Mopar has a great video on Youtube showing the steps which are also well documented in the paper instructions that ship with the doors. There are two adjustments they want you to make, center the latch and make sure the uppers have a good seal.

Center Latch Adjustment
They make is look so easy. Loosen the four torx bolts and adjust. HA! Here is the trick I used. First, slide a tapered wedge between the door and sill about 1/3 of the way from the handle. Now loosen the bolts while prying up on the wedge. Reach around to the inside of the door and give it a couple of good smacks so the door actually moves. Lightly tighten the bolts and check the latch alignment. Also check how even the gaps on each side and under the door are. Repeat as needed. Torque the bolts to spec.

Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3138.JPG


Upper Seal
The video and instructions are spot on here. Mine had a small gap at the front passenger corner. Just loosen the lock nut and adjust the screw counter clockwise to tip the upper in.

Before:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3138.JPG


After:
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3138.JPG
Great job, Jeep looks outstanding with those half doors!
 

jessedacri

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I have the bushwhacker rocker protectors and like them a lot. I noticed tho that they are a super tight fit when the door is closed. Are you worried about the paint on the bottom of your door rubbing these rocker panel guards over time?
I had these on a 2016 ram 1500 and they didn’t rub the doors when shut

I don't have the rocker protectors and I've worn the corner paint and primer down to the bare metal just getting in and out of the jeep on my lifted JLR over the past 20 months, so I'd probably rather have the paint on the underside of the door come in light contact with the rocker guards than my shoes on the rocker itself. It's visible from outside the jeep and I really gotta take care of it with some touch up paint or something - I'll grab a pic next time I'm outside. I'm thinking of doing these rocker protectors myself but since mine is white I'm less enthusiastic about how visible these are against the white paint.


OP, jeep looks awesome - I keep telling myself I don't want half doors but seeing another JLR with them makes it tough to not want them lol
 
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Kreepin1

Kreepin1

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My next priority is safe and comfortable accommodations for our two small dogs. The flapping rear seat belts had do go since I won't be running a rear seat. I also took this opportunity to pull the carpet. Is it just me, or does the manual have the steps in the exact opposite order they should be in? I ended up pulling the rearmost section first and working my way forward.
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3153.JPG


Pulling the rear seat belts was pretty uneventful - until the last torx bolt stripped. And then it was a scene. I ended up borrowing my buddy's induction heater and working it out slowly with a pair of vice grips. FCA puts that damn locktight on everything!

At any rate, I wanted to use those upper seat belt mounts to secure the crates with a piece of 1" x 1" x 1/16" aluminum tubing. Here is the contraption I came up with to attach to the roll cage. I put a small bend in the eye bolt and used some tapered washers from a heavy-duty concrete anchor to clear the plastic trim and center the eye bolt.
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3170.JPG


I rested the front edge of the crates on a piece of 1-1/2" x 1/8" aluminum angle. I had to use a 1" spacer below the rail. This should work with the hard top if I ever decide to switch tops.
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3169.JPG


I used heavy duty (175 lb rating) zip ties in the front and regular zip ties everywhere else. The crates are rock solid. You can also see where I'm planning to store the half door uppers when not in use...
Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3172.JPG


Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3173.JPG
 

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ThirtyOne

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Subscribed! Looks great!
 

JPAloha

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Half doors look great!

They’re on my to-do list for my JLR.
 

JPAloha

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You're killin' me. My favorite color AND half doors?
Within a year hopefully...maybe less if I can find someone ordering new and they don’t want the dual door group for themselves.
 
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Kreepin1

Kreepin1

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Excessive Industries GTC Rear Bumper
Since this is a LCG build, I was looking to increase rear bumper clearance and these bumpers fit the bill. Few things are as annoying as coming off a ledge and hearing "CLANG!"

The stock bumper measured:
18-1/2" under hitch
20-1/2" under bumper
18-3/4" under tow hook
6-5/8" from body to rear of bumper

The GTC bumper measures:
23-1/2" under hitch
21-1/4" under frame rails
4-1/4" from body to rear of bumper

Jeep Wrangler JL Wilson - a Sting Gray touring and trail JLR w/half doors IMG_3231.JPG
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