GrayWolf 3.0 | 2025 Rubicon 3.6L - Build Thread

First weeks of November 2025, made the hard decision to rush and trade-in my 4xe at good market value before the 68c recall becomes official and the VINs get loaded. I was already unhappy about how jeep handled the battery recall in 2024 and their continued lack of transparency in telling us what is the design flaw in the battery that is causing thermal runaway and admit that they have no deterministic way of narrowing down batches. I did not want to deal with this anymore and keep dealing with "park outside", "don't charge" - then subsequently deal with "can't get on the ferry" and eventually "can't trade-in but for abysmal value"

Leaving the previous rigs build thread linked here: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/graywolf-2-0--2024-4xe-rubicon-build-thread.119377/

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Intro

Since this was a rushed trade-in, my friend at the dealership worked on getting this jeep shipped from vancouver island to lower mainland. This was a left over 2025 stock that came with a 10k CAD discount on price. It was an interesting build set that someone custom ordered but decided not to buy. Anvil is an interesting color - it had shades of both my previous jeeps - it looks earl-like in full sunlight and darkens to almost sting gray in dim light. I will miss the earl color, but I think this one will grow on me just like earl did.

I transferred over pretty much all of my suspension components from the 4xe as is - excluding the springs. New AEV 2.5 springs set for 3.6/2.0 was put in. I don't think this thread will be as eventful and planned out like the 4xe. Nevertheless, looking forward to many more off-road miles with this jeep.

Factory Options: (Build Sheet)

• 4.88 Axle Ratio (Comes with cast iron knuckles)
• Nappa Leather Faced Seats
• Convenience, Technology and Safety Groups
• Mopar HD Rock Slider with step assist
• Jeep Trail Rated kit.

Build Info

Suspension

• AEV 2.5" Springs
• Fox 2.5 Performance DSC Shocks
• Clayton Off-road Front and Rear Adjustable Track bars
• Synergy - Rear Track Bar Relocation bracket
• JKS Geometry Correction Bracket
• Daystar coil spring isolators (for bow prevention)
• Teraflex 2" bump stops (front and rear)
• Rancho Front and Rear Sway bar links (2-3" lift)

Wheels and Tires

• BFGoodrich KO2 37x12.5r17 C
• Defiant DF03 Satin Black - 17x9 -12ET

Exterior Accessories, Recovery and Protection

• Rugged Ridge Venator Front Bumper
• Smittybilt X20 Gen3 12k Winch
• Factor 55 UltraHook
• Mopar HD Rock Rails with step assist
• Rival 4x4 Full-width aluminum rear bumper
• Mopar tailgate hinge reinforcement bracket
• Rival 4x4 muffler skids
• RockHard 4x4 - Front LCA mount skid plate
• RockHard 4x4 - Rear Shock mount skid plate
• Cascadia 4x4 - Flipster v3 licence plate mount
• Trailrax Pakrax carrier system
• Deezee roof rack

Interior Accessories

• Outback Adventure Products - Trailgater Table JL
• Epic Adventure Outfitters - Kraken 4-tire inflation system
• @ARB4X4 Dual Compressor
• SHEAM dead pedal
• Jecar copilot mounting system for 2024+ JL passenger handlebar
• RT-TCZ Dash mount molle panel
• Auxbeam 8-gang switch console
• Bulletpoint mounting hard top hinge mount 20mm ball

Lighting

• Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport Fog lights (bumper mounted)
• Oracle smoked pre-runner LED lights (amber)
• Novsight Cyber Series 3" Pods (Flood and Driving beams)

Stock State:





After Swap of Suspension - @ Adams Offroad Shop




Current State (Nov 13th 2025)

Not liking the red decal and emblem on Anvil. Considering the following options

• Matt black with dark gray accents (eg. Moab and Willys trims)
• 4xe electric blue accents (just like what anvil 4xe rubicon would have looked like)
• 392 Gold accents - it would be cheesy to do this, likely wont

Flexing after the suspension was put together.

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TODO / Want List:

• @ASFIR4X4 or @ROCK HARD 4X4 - Aluminum Skid Plates
• 1/4 Coil Shims for passenger side (AEV doesn't sell those along with coil set)
• Inspired Overland - Carbon RTT
• A compact diesel heater

My wife says “nice”.

I like the 4.88’s

Sorry to hear about the rush sale of your last rig - FWIW I had a ‘23 Rubicon 4xe that was a lemon, moved on to a 3.6 and lever looked back. Took advantage of it by playing around deeper with it than I would have with the 4xe (afraid of getting shocked).

have you thought of one of Genesis’ dual battery systems?

Bill_BCNtoNY said:

Sorry to hear about the rush sale of your last rig - FWIW I had a ‘23 Rubicon 4xe that was a lemon, moved on to a 3.6 and lever looked back. Took advantage of it by playing around deeper with it than I would have with the 4xe (afraid of getting shocked).

have you thought of one of Genesis’ dual battery systems?

Click to expand...

I've known about them for a while (I had a 3.6 Sahara before the 4xe) for the amount of weight added and the complexity+ cost they are not great on the actual usage value and utility.

A simple Jackery 500 or equivalent would pack a lot more usable kwh for the size and weight of LiFePO battery packs. If you are going all in on DC to AC inverter systems, it's better to do that in the rear cargo cubby area with lithium batteries and redarc.

I tie down my Eco River 750 (0.75kwh) portable on top of the rear cargo rack shelf using straps. It's good enough for the fridge, heated sleeping blanket and heated sleeping bag.

@GrayWolf.Overland, It’s going to be a great build!!

Question for you: on the build sheet, why do you list an adjustable rear track bar AND a rear track bar relocation bracket? Isn’t the relocation bracket not needed when you have the adjustable track bar?

Wabujitsu said:

@GrayWolf.Overland, It’s going to be a great build!!

Question for you: on the build sheet, why do you list an adjustable rear track bar AND a rear track bar relocation bracket? Isn’t the relocation bracket not needed when you have the adjustable track bar?

Click to expand...

Yes you are right, you don't need both of them. I bought the track bars first when I had Mopar lift, then when I went AEV, there was much more lift and the roll center (plus the horizontal ness of the track bar) wasn't right. AEV does provide those towers as part of kit.. Since I only bought their springs, I added a similar rear trackback tower from synergy.

Love the build. The. 4.88 option is such a bargain.

painted the emblems instead of buying a willys set for $80 cad a piece.
0.7 tip oil based paint marker


Came out very well. this will do
Now the jeep emblem needs to be plastidipped and then its just the decals left

Installed @ORACLElights pre-runner lights and @Diode Dynamics SS3 fog lights

Cable Management so far. I still need to add 2 sets of cowl/a-pillar lights but those harnesses run along the back line - into the auxbeam hub. So it should look the same even after those 2 lights.

I added these battery terminal extenders that have helped cleanly organize things
https://a.co/d/1OqRw3y

Heh, I just did almost the exact same thing, I had a 22 4xe Sahara that I was planning to do some stuff (finally put a lift under it, etc) next year and this recall dropped and while I have had zero trouble and actually liked my 4xe, I couldn't in good conscience put any more money into it

So I found a 2024 Rubicon very similarly optioned to yours this weekend and did the trade

My wife still has a 4xe Grand Cherokee, we'll probably go through the recall process and keep it. She loves it and Jeep will be on the hook to make this right or buy us out based on the warranties we have on it