Winter Upgrades (42s, D60s, Atlas, etc.)
Nov/080
I just wanted to post an update on what we are going to do this winter. Here’s the grocery list:
- 42×15x17 Pit Bull Rockers
- SOLID Dana 60 axles front/rear
- ARB Air Lockers
- Superior 5.13 reverse cut gears
- 4340 Chromoly 35 spline inner and outer shafts
- SOLID ball joint knuckles
- SOLID high steer arms
- Mile Marker premium lock outs
- Raceline RT-233 Monster beadlock wheels
- Custom fender flares
- Leaf spring rear w/ traction bar
- Modify rear tire carrier to hold the new meat
- Atlas 2-speed transfer case
- 1350 CV driveshafts front/rear
- Extreme Duty front track bar
- Howe hydraulic assist steering
The parts have started showing up. Our goal is to have the Jeep back on the road and running smooth by March. We have a couple of customer vehicles to do in between this project, but we should have plenty of time left over to get this all finished.
Hanson Offroad Rock Sliders
Sep/080
We’ve been playing Russian Roulette for the past couple years by not having any rocker protection. There are a few dents in the rockers because of this, but luckily nothing major. We waited so long to get rocker guards because there are very few options for JK rocker protection on the market that we liked.
Our Requirements:
- Must bolt to the body to distribute force and maintain high ground clearance
- Needs to have usable steps built in
- Needs to be built with strong enough materials and workmanship to hold up to abuse
- Needs to look good
We happened to have our booth set up right next to Hanson Offroad while set up in Moab for Easter Jeep Safari. It was the first time that we saw their design and we really liked it. After looking around at other designs for a while we decided to go with the Hanson on our Jeep because nothing else fit our needs as well as the Hansons.
Like pretty much every other Jeep project we waited until the week before leaving on a trip to order the parts. Luckily the UPS guy dropped the rocker guards off today, so we have the weekend to get them on. In reality, it doesn’t look like it will take more than an hour to install them.
The Install
There are three body mount bolts that the rocker guards attach to. You will need to loosen those three (18mm socket) bolts enough to slide the guards above the washer, but under the rubber mount. You do not have to remove the bolt.
Now have a friend help you slide the rockers over the bolts and hold the guards up and against the body. Make sure the guard is held up high so that it doesn’t slide up while you tighten the body bolts and scratch the paint. While one person holds the rocker guards up, tighten the body bolts.
Mark the five holes that need to be drilled in the side of the body. Remove the rocker guards (opposite of how you put them on). Drill out the holes enough to fit the supplied threaded inserts. The hole that is closest to the front of the vehicle will have two layers of metal to drill through to give the insert enough room to be fully installed, all other holes just have the outside sheet metal layer.
Installing the inserts is probably the trickiest part of the install. We stripped the allen head off the install tool supplied. We ended up getting a hex head bolt to finish the install. The star shaped washer should keep the insert from spinning while you hold the nut with a wrench and torque down the screw. As the screw is tightened the brass fitting will flare and secure itself to the sheetmetal. To give you an idea of how tight it will hold, the inserts pulled themselves in to the vinyl of our wrap as we tightened them. After installing a few inserts, the inserts might start to spin as you crank down on the screw. If that happens you can try flipping the star shaped washer over or use a new star washer to keep a good grip on the insert.
After all the inserts are installed put the rocker guards back on. Install the five side screws first, then tighten the body mount bolts. THAT’S IT!
Preview: Power Plant Front Bumper for JK
Jul/076
Here is a look at the prototype for our new front bumper for the JK. It’s a super stubby bumper that mounts the Warn Power Plant winch as low as possible for maximum air flow in to the radiator.
We are still planning on making D-Ring mounts for the front that will attach to the mounting bolts and a small stinger/fairlead protector.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments area.
Tires: Pit Bull Rocker 37×13.50×20
Feb/072
We have ran Pit Bull Rockers on other vehicles, they are a great tire. One of the great features of a Rocker is the load ratings, you don’t have to worry about them on most vehicles. In addition, Pit Bull makes their tires a little wider than normal to give your vehicle an extra aggressive stance and more traction. Also, the tires make a much less annoying noise than something like a TSL. They still make noise, it just isn’t annoying. Oh yeah, did we mention that they ROCK off-road?!?
Here are the pics:
Wheels: KMC XD Rockstar 20×10
Feb/076
Breaking the PARADIGM!
Like it or not, the Jeep has 20s. We’ve sold hundreds of lifts and drove numerous lifted vehicles. You might think we are wrong for doing this, but we aren’t. There are many benefits to running 20 inch wheels on and off road.
Here are the on-road benefits:
- Less deflection of the tire when turning the wheel
- Less dangerous if a tire blows out at higher speeds
- Weighs less for better performance
Here are the off-road benefits:
- Less sidewall to roll on and be damaged
- Weighs less for better performance
Many people think that the wheels are more vulnerable to damage. They might be slightly more vulnerable, but we still have over 8 inches of sidewall all the way around, which is better than the stock tires and wheels. In addition, we went with an aluminum wheel so it can be repaired and the wheel is designed for off-road, so it has recessed valve stems that keep them protected.
About the wheels: These are 20×10, 4.5″ backspacing and dual drilled with both 5×5 and 5×4.5 lug patterns. From what I understand this is a new lug pattern for this wheel and we might have got the first set for a JK in the country. The size is perfect for running the 37×13.50×20 tires we have.
2007 Wrangler JK Lift Kit Install
Jan/074
We selected the Superlift 4″ kit because of Superlift’s reputation for quality lifts and the value of the lift. The kit includes everything needed to lift the Jeep including shocks and an adjustable front track bar. Honestly, this is probably the easiest complete lift kit to install we have encountered. The only others that would be similar in difficulty would be a CJ lift if the stock bolts weren’t rusted.
We were concerned about vibrations and wobbles, but there are absolutely none. The longer control arms from the factory make lifting the JK a lot less problematic than the TJs were. Additionally, there is no drilling required with the front track bar to cause possible slop up there. Finally, the new steering setup is much better than the older Wranglers.
Read on to the next page to see our write-up on the installation of this kit and tips to make the install go smoother.
Adding a New Key
Jan/072
From time to time we have to give the Jeep to other people (for warranty service, cleaning, valet, or just loaning it out). Giving out your entire key ring with other car keys, house keys and flash drives is not a good idea. Also, if you ever loose a key it is more expensive to get a new key made when you only have one key, due to a different (dealer only) programming process that is required. We highly recommend getting a third key as a “valet” key.
Our local dealer wanted about $60 for a blank key and $35 to program a key, the local locksmith wanted to charge $35 to program any key we brought them as well. We got the key and had it cut for less than $30 total.
The following is the process to get yourself hooked up with a spare key for minimal cost. For this write up we will be using a Rock Key that works just like a factory key with the transponder, but looks and feels better. The Rock Key has the same type of transponder built in, so everything is 100% compatible with your stock Jeep.
- Purchase a Rock Key.
- Get your rock key cut by a local locksmith. We prefer locksmiths over Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, etc. because they are usually better trained and if the key is cut wrong you will have to buy a new one.
- Get two of your existing keys and your new key and hop in the Jeep.
- Insert the first key that is already programmed into the ignition switch and turn the ignition to ON for 3-15 seconds then turn the ignition OFF and remove the key.
- Insert the second key that is already programmed into the ignition switch and turn the ignition to ON within 15 seconds of removing the first key. After 10 seconds, a chime will sound and the key indicator light on the dash will begin to flash. Turn the ignition OFF and remove the key.
- Insert your new key which has not been programmed yet and turn the ignition to ON within one minute of removing the last key. After 10 seconds, a chime will sound and the key indicator light will stop flashing.
- Your new key as now been programmed and should work as a normal key.
Notes: (1) The key indicator light is a little red LED light on the far right side of the instrument cluster. (2) Our Jeep didn’t chime, but the key still programmed correctly.
Sirius/XM Installation
Jan/072
Our JK didn’t come with the Sirius capable stereo option (even though we were told it did when purchasing the Jeep). The dealer wanted to charge us a little under a grand for a new radio and the Sirius antenna, we said no. Luckily we had a Sirius Starmate from another vehicle that we could install. This install should be pretty much the same for any of the plug and play style Sirius or XM satellite radio units. We tried to locate the antenna as close to the factory mounting position as possible (even though we weren’t 100% sure where the factory one would go).
The antenna will be mounted on the roll bar behind the front passengers seat. There is a triangle gusset above the sound bar that has a very good flat mounting surface. Don’t worry about the roll bar padding and soft or hard top. Satellite signal can travel through cloth and fiberglass without any issues.
Step 1: Removing the top. We had the hard top on, so we had to remove the t-tops and raise the front of the hard top over the sound bar and support it with a block of wood wrapped in a cloth so it would stay a few inches off the roll bar. You could also completely remove the hard top and it would be a little easier to work. All of the Torx bolts are a T-40 size. This is the same size that TJ hard tops used as well.
Step 2: Removing trim for wiring. We will be running wiring from the dash area to the top of the roll bar. We will need to remove the glove box by opening it and pressing in on both sides so the retaining posts will clear the dash. The the plastic trim covering the threshold and B-pillar will need to be loosened enough to fit the antenna wire under them. Again, removing these pieces will make it easier to run and secure the wire. Finally, you will need to remove the padding that is around the roll bar where the antenna will be mounted and the wire will be ran. This should be everything that needs to be removed.
Step 3: Mounting the antenna. The antenna is magnetic so it is brainless to mount. We mounted ours towards the back of the plate because the hard top steps up a little before there so it will have a little more clearance.
Step 4: Running the antenna wire. This step takes the most time out of everything. You just need to be concious of any moving, sharp or hot objects the wire could be routed near. Of note are the seat belt mechanics, the very sharp metal support under the glove box and the heater lines running near the transmission hump. Just rout the wire and secure it with electrical tape or wire ties along the way. Be sure to use looming anywhere that the wire could be damaged by something sharp or hot.
Step 5: Mounting the unit. We mounted the unit in front of the 4wd shifter. There really isn’t a spot that seemed better and we wanted to be able to remove the unit if parking somewhere that it might get stolen. We ran a wire from the aux jack of the stereo to the headphone jack of the Starmate. Then plugged the cord in to the aux power jack in the dash.
That is the installation in a nutshell. It’s a simple procedure and has worked great for us so far. We still plan on purchasing a used satellite ready stereo in the future for a cleaner install, but this works for now.
If you have any questions on the install or other tips, post them in the comments. Also, sorry for the poor picture quality; the camera was set on the wrong settings.
Finding the Right Gear Ratio
Nov/060
Regearing your JK will be beneficial once it is lifted with some bigger meats. Here are our recommendations for a ratio:
stock-33″ Tires: 4.10 (stock)
35″ Tires: 4.56
37-38″ Tires: 4.88
40″ Tires: 5.13
These ratios will keep you close to the same RPMs as a stock JK with 32 inch tires and 4.10 gears. We know that not all JKs come with that combination, but many do come with something close to that and it works well. Also, you will usually want to gear a little aggressive to help make up for the extra rotational mass of larger tires.
See the cart below (courtesy of Superlift):
Note: RPMs may not reflect your actual RPMs due to different transmission gearing.