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.
JK Lockers and Gears – Installed
Apr/071
We are just wrapping up the installation of 5.13 gears front and rear and Auburn ECTED lockers front/rear in our 2007 X model Wranglers. The installation was straightforward, but there are some things you need to know before cracking those axle open.
Finding parts for your axles is about as easy as fiding wheels, they are out there, but not readily available at most places. We had to get several parts from the dealer. Here is a list:
- Dana 44 ECTED Locker (3.73 & Down, our Jeeps use thick gears) $569.95
- Dana 30 ECTED Locker (3.73 & UP) $569.95
- Dana 44 JK 5.13 Superior Ring and Pinion $229.95
- Dana 30 JK 5.13 Superior Ring and Pinion $229.95
- Front Crush Sleeve (5183525AA) $1
- Rear Crush Sleeve (5066047AA) $10
- Front Pinion Nut (4720895) $11
- Rear Pinion Nut (sorry lost the part num/price)
- Pinion Shim Kit (4856368) <– This works on the front and rear pinion, but just has the .035-.039 thicknesses that we needed, you might need thicker
- Front Oil Baffle (68004076AA)
- Varying carrier shims for the 44 and 30. The dealer had a selection and let us just buy the individual ones we needed. These shims (both f/r) use external style shims.
- If you don’t have a high quality bearing puller, then get some new bearings and races from the dealer. The carrier bearings/races are the same as older vehicles, but the pinions are much different.
We started with disassembling the rear axle. Our luck of quality continued with this vehicle with the studs being loose that retain the axle to the housing. After squeezing some vice grips in to hold the stud we removed the shaft and sent it to the dealership to have the retaining plate and studs replaced.
Next we removed the carrier and pinion. We used a Yukon bearing puller to remove the bearings from the carrier and pinion, they were all reusable. We were left with plain old carriers and gears from the stock Jeep, now it was time to start the fun exciting part.
To install the ring gears on the lockers we started a couple ring gear bolts in the gears partially and then used a press to press the ring gear the rest of the way on to the lockers. On the Dana 44 locker, we had to drill the ring gear bolt holes out to 7/16″ from 3/8″. We have been told that newer 2007 models use 1/2″ bolts, but you will only want to drill out to 7/16″, that way your new gears will work with the locker without spacers. If you are installing a locker with your stock gears, then drilling to 1/2″ is required. After that, we pressed the carrier bearings on to the locker. There are no shims that go between the locker and bearings, which is convenient.
Next, we transferred the stock pinion shim to our new pinion gear and pressed on the inner pinion bearing. The stock shim is always a good place to start; Both of our axles were within a couple thousandths of the origional shim thickness.
Our first test fit left the carrier bound up because of too little backlash. We ended up having to make a drastic change to the carrier shims to get the backlash acceptable. A few fittings later and we ran a pattern that looked good.
Side Note: We have confirmed with Superior that the patterns on some of these gears are reading really weird. Specifically, our front showed the pinion to be too deep on one side of the tooth and too shallow on the other. Superior said to set up the gears as best as possible and they have been performing quietly and without trouble.
On the rear, we chose to route the wire for the ECTED locker through the differential cover. We usually try to run the wire through the housing, but it wasn’t practical to drill the housing without removing the axle from the vehicle in this application. There is nothing wrong with routing the wire through the cover, it just requires extra effort to remove and replace the cover. Luckily, these axle all have drain and fill plugs, so removing the cover shouldn’t be required.
At the front end, we did more of the same removal. It’s worth noting, the front pinion yoke fits extremely tight. The front locker also does not use any carrier shims between the locker and bearings, so you can press those on right away. We had to remove the magnet to fit the ring gear on the locker, but the magnet only uses a slip fit, so that’s no big deal. Again, our backlash was at about .013 on the front, we adjusted the shims and got it to .006, which is acceptable. We did manage to detroy the oil slinger when removing the inner pinion race, so we had to wait a few days on our local dealer to order one in. Other than that, the install was easy. It’s amazing how much smaller and lighter the Dana 30 parts are compared to the Dana 44.
Wiring the Dana 30 locker was done with a hole in the housing. We drilled it right by the vent tube. We had to remove the sway bar link to give room for our drill, but this location worked great. It is recessed away from the main part of the housing, so there shouldn’t be much oil slung in that area and, like stated above, we like running the wires through the housing whenever possible.
Friction additive comes with the ECTED units. Make sure to use 80W90 NON-synthetic gear lube and add the additive at a rate of 3 onces of additive to 1 quart of oil. The rear diff should use about 2.25 quarts, the front should use about 1 quart. Auburn sends the additive in a bottle that contains more additive than needed.
Check back with us for performance reports!!!!
Gears Preview
Mar/073
Here are some pictures of the new gears (next to older style D30 and D44 gears):
Here is the truth on JK gears:
- The Dana 44 gears use either 7/16 or 1/2 bolts depending on when your Jeep was made.
- The Dana 44 ring gears will work on 3.73 & numerically lower carriers/lockers.
- The Dana 44 uses totally different pinion shims, bearings, cups, crush sleeve and seal than any other.
- The Dana 44 uses the same carrier bearings and cups as older ones.
- You can install aftermarket lockers in the Dana 44 if you drill out the ring gear holes in the locker to the correct size!
- The Dana 30 uses 7/16 ring gear bolts.
- The Dana 30 ring gears will work with normal carrier/lockers depending on your ratio.
- The Dana 30 uses totally different pinion shims, bearings, cup, crush sleeve and seal than any other.
- The Dana 30 uses the same carrier bearings and cups as older ones.
- You can install aftermarket lockers in the Dana 30!
When installing new gears or a locker you will need:
- New crush sleeves (dealer only item, so far)
- Pinion shims (dealer only iem, so far)
- Pinion seal (may be able to reuse, dealer only item)
- Ring gear bolts
- Carrier shims. These are the same exterior shim style that the 03-06 Rubicon 44s used, but ours were thinner than most of the older Rubicon’s.
Tuffy JK Center Console Insert
Feb/071
First off, Tuffy has always made the very best quality storage boxes that we have seen. Their fit and finish is always supreme. This new insert is no exception. It gives you a very secure spot to store stuff and a much more comfortable place to rest your arm (with a lot less static than the stock unit).
Check out the install…
Use a T-30 Torx wrench to remove the four larger bolts that hold the console in place. You can get to all of these bolts with the seats in the vehicle, you just need to move them forwards and backwards. (Our Jeep had the head broken off one of these bolts thanks to the fine assembly workers at the Jeep factory.) Then remove the ten T-20 screws on the sides of the console, again, they can all be accessed with the seats in the vehicle.
Next remove the four T-20 screws that hold the factory rear panel/cup holder on the console. Our version of the instructions weren’t real clear on this. You need to hold the sides of the console away to access these screws (see picture). After these four screws are out you will have to gently pull away at the edges of the rear panel. There are some plastic pegs that keep this on that you must pry the lip over. Be careful to not break the rear panel, because it is needed for the Tuffy insert.- Now you just need to pull the factory console insert out. It should come out pretty easily. Install the rubber seal on the lid of the new insert. Make sure the lock and latch work as intended.
Optional: Place the insert where it will be installed and start a couple of the new screws that hold it in place to get the placement of the console established. Next, we put the longer bolts through and used a permanent marker to mark where the holes need to be drilled for the 3/8″ bolts. After that, remove the insert and drill the holes. Note the location at the bottom of your tub. Both of our holes hit the edge of some metal for a body crossmember and landed on a very curved part. This made it difficult to install the bolts. This step is not necissary if you don’t want the insert to be extra secure.
Attach the factory rear panel to the Tuffy insert using the supplied screws and a 5/64″ allen head wrench. Be sure that the bottom hole where the tab of the cup holder goes over has clearance for the bolt to go through the tab on the cup holder. (See picture)- Install the Tuffy insert in to the factory console using the supplied screws in the factory holes. Do not over-tighten the screws, they will go through the plastic if you aren’t careful. Also, get all of the screws started before you tighten any of them. Tuffy has a note that you may have to enlarge some of the holes in the console, but we didn’t find that to be the case on our install.
- Next install the four T-30 bolts that you removed at the beginning of the install in to the factory locations.
- If you chose to drill holes for a more secure install: Put the bolts with washers through the holes and put the other washers and nuts at the other end. Hopefully you drilled straight and didn’t get too close to a curve or crossmember! Be sure to paint any bare metal to prevent rust.
Status Update: Stage 1 Lift/Tires/Wheels
Feb/0710
We finally got to the first stage of the build up. The lift, tires, wheels and graphics are all in place. We still have a lot more planned, so keep checking back. Here are some pictures for now:
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.