Project Blue Bruin

Warn Powerplant HD - Combination Winch & Air Compressor

2010-05-29T18:07:00.001-06:00

Sometimes things don't go the way you plan. This winch was one of those times.

I originally wanted a Smittybilt XRC10HD winch. It is the only other air compressor and winch combo on the market besides the Warn,except its HALF the price. Well, the problem turned out to be it really isn't "on the market". Let me explain. I originally placed an order with 4wd.com. After a month had gone by and the winch hadn't shown up in the mail, I called to see what was taking so long. They said it was on backorder and the expected stocking date wasn't for another month. I canceled my order figuring I could get it somewhere else that had it in stock. I called around but nobody had it... and I posted my frustration on JKO. RMD Offroad emailed me and explained that they were taking preorders, because the winch hadn't arrived from China yet, so nobody had it. You would never know that from all the sites selling the product. James was in direct contact with Smittybilt, so I placed an order with him. Every few weeks I'd check in with RMD, but the arrival date just kept getting pushed back. Finally after 5 months, I had had enough of Smittybilt's so called arrival dates and I canceled my order. Absolutely rediculous! Come to find out that the winch was still in "research and development" and all these people were out there selling it like they had it sitting in their warehouse. Nobody seemed to think it was a problem to just keep giving you false arrival dates. Finally I decided to spend the extra money and get a product that was actually for sale! Besides, its American made, not some knock off being reverse engineered in a factory in China. I ordered the winch and it was at my door no more than 3 days later!

Anyway, installation was a breeze. Everything comes totally assembled, you just bolt the winch in place and connect it to the battery. This winch has an internal air tank so you don't need to mount one somewhere under your jeep. The air compressor is powerful and it can keep up with air tools or airing up big tires without an external tank. That's a nice advantage over the smittybilt which needs a 2.5 gallon tank - where was I going to put that anyway!?

Before installation:

Back of the unit

I was able to slide the unit between the winch hoop (brush guard) and the front grill... BARELY. Good thing, otherwise I'd have to take the bumper off, install the winch, and reinstall the bumper.

Here is what my battery is looking like already.. good thing I did the auxilliary fuse box previously.

After the winch was installed:

I was amazed only these 4 small bolts hold the winch onto the bumper. I was expecting some beefy 3/4 bolts, but these are tiny, maybe only 3/8 or smaller. The back bolts were tough to tighten because of the frame cross member.

Superchips Flashpaq

2010-05-28T14:42:00.000-06:00

Fix your speedometer after you lift. Get better gas mileage, more horsepower, trailer towing, etc..

How much you speedometer will be "off" after a lift depends on what size tires came stock on your vehicle, what size tires you added, and what speed you are going. For me, going 65 on the highway was actually more like 75 or 80mph! That's a recipie for tickets. There are various devices out there that will fix the problem by reprograming your computer. There are extensive debates on JKO and JKF about which tuner is better, but I decided to go with the Superchips since it seemed the most widely used. When you are messing with your jeep's computer system, you want to use a proven product.

I have yet to keep track of mileage with and without the tuner. I've read it can improve your mpg's quite a bit. The jeep drives better after the tune, with less delay when you hit the gas and smoother engine operation. It also has a towing tune, which is good for me with my offroad trailer. Other jeep specific options include higher idle for winching and locker operation options.

Soft Top Saga

2010-05-17T20:08:00.006-06:00

What is one of the best things about a jeep? Going topless! But achieving jeep top nirvana is harder than it seems.

When I purchased the Jeep at the dealer, I got the dual top option. I also got the Gobi Roof Rack, but I never considered how the two would work together. I had a big "DUH!" moment when I tried to install the soft top for the first time. The factory soft top uses an internal framework and the top folds up and down. As it folds, it requires quite a bit of vertical height for the arms of the frame to swing back. With a roof rack you only have about 4" between your top and the bottom of rack, no where close to enough room to fold the top back. So.... Gobi thought of this, and they designed the rack to fold back also. But you have to unbolt it at the windshield frame to fold it back, not exactly what you want to do just to run to the grocery store! I decided to sell my soft top while it was still unused and in the box. I got $650 for it on craigslist, so I broke even since the dual top option was about that much when I bought the jeep. I decided to use the money to buy a Bestop Trek Top. It uses the roll bars as its internal framework (except the door surrounds) and the top just rolls up like a roll of carpet. So, you can put it on and off under the rack. Problem solved! Or so I thought... Here is what the Trek Top looks like with the part over the driver's cab rolled back:

Well, things didn't start off so good. When I installed the top, it was so tight that it ripped at one of the windows trying to stretch it into position.

The next challenge was getting the header bar to seat properly on the top of the windshield frame. It has a bow to it to keep things tight, but its SO tight I had to use gloves and literally HANG on the header with all of my weight just to get it to seat down far enough for the screw to thread. I drove the top for a couple weeks and it never got any easier. Here is how the header connects through the footman loop above your sun visors:

Again, not something you want to do to run to the grocery store. If you got caught in the rain you would be flooded out before you could get the top latched properly. This was a dealbreaker for me. So, I packaged it up and sent it back to Quadratec.

The next product I have decided to try is the Offroad Heros (California Tops) JK Whisper top or Cargo Top. They are essentially the same as a Trek Top, but the windshield header is built differently. We'll see how it works. I've heard the wait times for these can be insane, like 3 or 4 months.

Spidertrax Wheel Spacers

2010-04-24T20:46:00.000-06:00

Spidertrax spacers add 1.5" on each wheel to your axle width.

I decided to add wheel spacers for two reasons. The first is to make my stance wider to help avoid roll overs since I have a 6" lift. I alomst rolled my old TJ a couple different times and I don't ever want to experience that in a jeep this expensive. The second was to move my wheels out from my lift kit. The rear sway bar end links have bolts that come too close to the tires for my taste. Also, the bolt was scraping my frame at full stuff, so by moving the end link to the outside of the sway bar I gain some clearance from the frame.

The spacers are easy to install. I took it out for a test drive and it drives like normal.

I found one of the pairs on Spidertrax's website on the "outlet" page. That's why the color of the two are different. You don't ever see these unless the wheel is off, so I'll take the discount!

Teraflex Kit Issues

2010-04-18T09:48:00.004-06:00

I love the 6" Elite LCG kit. It drives great on the road and performs great offroad. However, I've found some small problems.

Fully flexing out the kit in Moab brought to light some problems. I brought the jeep back to HCP4x4 where the lift was installed. I was told by a different shop the stock spring spacers had not been put back in like the tereflex kit calls for. HCP4x4 said they were in there and my issues where due to my heavy bumper and rack. They installed 1" spring spacers. I'm trying to get to the bottom of that issue.

Anyway, here are the places the kit is rubbing.

1. Rear bump stop extension pad is rubbing track bar bracket bolt.

2. Driver's side rear sway bar arm is rubbing frame at full stuff.

3. The inner fender plastic is hitting the tire. I think this is what is making most the noise. I will be trimming these and getting rid of the fenders when I put on tube fenders.

4. The rear driver's side shock is hitting the track bar bracket.

I'm not sure how you fix some of these. HCP4x4 claims "this is normal and all JK's with the teraflex kit do this". If I get any updates I will post.

Shift Knob

2010-04-14T22:29:00.000-06:00

The stock shift knob is a little boring. I probably won't keep this, but its fun to mess around with.

To get the stock knob off, I took a 5/8" crescent wrench and put it under the knob around the shifter shaft. I took a rubber mallet and hit it up a few times, it popped right off. The jk shifter knob is not threaded.

I took a 9/16" drill bit and put a 2" deep hole in this resin skull I got on ebay. I think it feels too big in my hand, so I am ordering a smaller one. The one I have on there now is nearly 4" long, 3" wide and 3.5" tall. Too big.

Cobra 75 CB Radio

2010-02-15T22:43:00.001-07:00

Having a CB radio is a requirement for most jeep clubs. Its also useful for weather updates and if you get into trouble.

The kit comes with a handheld unit that includes most of the normal functions that are in a larger traditional cb radio "box". You just need a small amp which can be located somewhere out of sight. I chose the location under the glove box.

When you take out our glove box, this what you see. You can mount the amp right to that metal bracket, like this. It took some creativity trying to drill the hole and get the screws mounted with such a small space to fit the drill into.

After getting that installed, I took the plastic panel off that fits below the glove box. I drilled a hole and installed the cb quick disconnect. This way, you can just store you hand held in the glove box and only plug it in when you need it. Next I ran the long cable from the amp to the rear of the jeep. I took the plastic cover off the inside of the tailgate. I used the existing hole here (had to enlarge it a bit with a 3/4" drill bit) to run the cable inside the tailgate.

The cable comes out the back side of the tailgate here.

There is a rubber stopper in this location that looks like this

I drilled a hole in the center of it, then cut a slit in the bottom of the stopper up to the hole with a bandsaw. This allowed me to slide the stopper around the cable, and then insert the stopper back into the hole in the tailgate, like this.

I fed the remaining cable into the inside of the tailgate, and then snapped the cover back onto thet tailgate.

I threaded the cable onto my cb antenna mount that I ordered with my Expedition One tire swing.

I wired my cb radio through a switch in the dash and then to my custom auxilliary fuse panel. See my previous posts for install info on those mods.

HD Customs Rock Sliders

2010-02-13T12:58:00.001-07:00

Want bulletproof custom sliders, welded to your frame for the cost of bolt-on's?

I was originally all but set on ordering some Shrockworks rock sliders. But I realized that with the long arm lift, the bolt on product might not work. Bolts on's require you to drill your frame and the brackets are in a fixed position front to back. When you have a long arm lift, your stock control arm brackets are cut off an new ones are welded in a different place. A lot of rock slider - lift kit combinations interfere. So, I called Shrockworks and they said the best they could do was ship the rear arm "loose" and I would have to get it welded to the slider once I knew the correct positioning. That also meant I'd have to fix the powder coat. This seemed like a jerry rig solution of sorts. So, I decided to go full custom. At the same time, I met Jarrett from HD Customs through my jeep club. He does amazing fabrication. So, I brought him some photos of the type of slider I wanted and he made them from scratch. Here is how the turned out!

I had him cut my pinch seam and cut back the stock rubicon sliders.

As you can see, I left the stock rubicon sliders in place. I looked at a bunch of photos of this style slider and I felt it left an awkward gab between the slider and the bottom of the body tub. Besides, if my new sliders ever were to bend (which I thin is near impossible) the stock slider would provide additional support.

Rock Hard 4x4 3rd Brake Light

2010-01-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

In some states, a third brake light is legally required. I decided to add one for added visibility regardless of the law in Colorado. The light only costs about $15 from Quadratec.com

Here is the kit:

Once you pop off the red plastic lens, you can see that its just an incandescent light bulb and two power leads.

The stock jeep wire harness used to plug into this spot on the back of the 3rd brake light. You can see that there were two pins.

I just cut a Size 8 stud crimp connector in half to make a "pin" for the end of each wire.

The I plugged these into the stock wiring harness and tapped it all in place securely. Then I traced the holes in the plastic backing of the light onto the spare tire mounting plate. Unfortunately they didn't quite line up with the pre-existing holes in my Expedition One carrier. I drilled out the holes.

Here you can see the stock wire and wiring harness with the Hard Rock brake light attached.

Screw the white plastic backing onto the tire carrier, and then snap the red lens back on.

That's it, you are done! Ok, maybe not. The light didn't work.

Turns out I blew a fuse. That's because the white wire has a stud crimp connector on it (the hoop) which the screw goes through. The screw is bolted into raw metal in the tire carrier which is connected to the frame, adn therefore grounded. So every time I hit the brakes, a ground fault ocurred and blew the fuse. I had to go back into the light and use a dremel to cut out part of the copper away from the mounting hole. Then I re-drilled a new hole to attach the white wire to the copper, leaving the mounting screw electrically disconnected from the white wire/copper. No more ground fault and the light works great.

DIY Gobi Rack Hi-Lift Mount for $5

2010-01-12T21:30:00.001-07:00

I fabricated my own hi-lift mount for my Gobi rack after seeing the +$100 price tag of the one Gobi offers.

I started with some flat bar stock, about 2" wide. I cut 3" pieces off and primed and painted them and drilled a hole in the middle.

Next I bought some 4.5", 1/2" diameter threaded carriage bolts. I tried using grade 8 hex bolts, but the thread is only on the end 2" of the bolt, so they don't really work. You sandwhich the tubes of the Gobi rack between two of the plates you fabricated, and bolt it tight.

Next slide on the hi-lift. Then use some wing nuts and a large washer to secure it.

That's it! I chose the passenger side since the ladder is on the driver's side. The "foot" of the jack hangs off the back. This adds some height to your overall jeep with the arm sticking out from the jack, but I have an 8ft garage door so I am ok.

Hopefully it will hold up offroad. If not, I'll update this post.

3/4" D-Ring Schackles

2010-01-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

I purchased 4 3/4" D-Ring Shackles for my front and rear bumpers.

I may weld a bolt with a hole drilled to it to the end of the center pin. That way I can add a codder pin and keep the center pin from backing out and the shackle falling out on the road. That happened to me when I had my TJ.

I also purchased Daystar isolators. They are urathane rubber inserts that you put in the ring to keep it from clanging into your bumper, possibly chipping your powder coat, and annoying the heck out of you!

Gobi Light Bar Visor

2010-01-11T20:35:00.005-07:00

I was pretty dissapointed when I fired up my new PIAA 2100XT lights mounted to the light bar on the Gobi rack for the first time. You could hardly see out the windshield there was so much glare.

Here are some photos I took to try to show the glare, and how much better it was with the visor. The pictures don't do it justice - you could hardly see out the windshield the glare was so bad.

Basically, I welded some tabs onto a piece of flat bar stock. Then I test fitted it onto the jeep.

I then rounded the edges with a jigsaw to give a nicer profile to match the round rack.

Painted it with primer first.

Then bolted it up. If you decide to make one, the Gobi Stealth rack has a 30 deg pitch.

Done!

Expedition One Bumper, Tire Swing, & Hitch

2010-01-01T21:06:00.002-07:00

I ordered a custom made Expedition One bumper with the smooth motion tire swing. The swing connects via a coupling to the tailgate, eliminating the need for a separate latch or handle for the swing. You just open your tailgate as you normally would and both open togther. I had Expedition One build a 2" receiver hitch into the back of the bumper rather than reusing the stock hitch which would hang below the bumper reducing clearance.

First remove you spare tire and the mount. Then remove your stock bumper.

The bumper comes in a huge box via FedEx. They use expandable foam to fill the box and keep it all undamaged.

Unpack your bumper. The hardware and bearings come in a separate box. Here is a look at the back of the bumper.

Here is a closeup of the reinforcement under the spindle/bearing.

Here is the back of the hitch, where E1 added extra reinforcement for towing.

I used the directions I found on E1's website, and also the Youtube video of the install.

E1 recommends water proof and high temperature bearing grease. I found mine at Checker auto parts.

Next, if you have a tow hook and a hitch, unbolt them if you are not using them.

I have a Gobi Stealth Rack. Here is the rear leg of the rack where it bolts to the pinch seam, and a bracket that ties it into the rear frame.

I unbolted this bracket so that I could test fit the bumper. I put a 2x4 under there in case the weight of the rack was too much for the connection to the pinch seam. It turned out to be no big deal so I got ride of the wood supports.

Next I slid the E1 "L" shaped brackets that have a nut welded to them into the frame rails.

Then slide the bumper around the frame rails for a test fit. When I did this, I immediately noticed the Gobi rack bracket was not allowing the bumper to fully slide on. You can see them hitting here and the bolt holes are not lining up.

I decided to cut a notch out of the Gobi rack bracket to allow the E1 bumper more room.

After that the test fit worked fine. Before I installed the bumper, I noticed some chips in the powder coating.

I touched them up with spray paint.

I put the bumper back on and bolted it down.

Next I installed the bracket that the coupling mounts to the tailgate on.

Here is the coupling with the bushings installed.

Next I installed the plate with the wheel studs on it into the back of the wheel, and set the tire swing in place.

Mark the depth of your tire/wheel combo with a marker.

Make it a little tighter than your line and bolt it into place.

Next, install the bearings after greasing them into the housing of the spindle. Set the arm in place, and then bolt the coupling into place. After installed the spare tire, you may find you need to unbolt the coupling and adjust its length in order to get the swing to fit tightly against the bump stops on the back of the tailgate.

I had some left over parts when I was done. I realized this package was the extra CB radio antenna mount that I ordered.

You can bolt it onto the swing arm anwhere up and down it that you like. I chose directly next to the spindle to keep the overall height of the antenna lower.

The remaining parts I had looked like this.

It took me a few days before I realized what they are for. They are reinforcement for my hitch! The bolts go through the rear frame rail cross member in the holes where the stock hitch went. The "L" shape of these brackets meant they would not be able to slide into place behind the bumper. So, I cut the tab off, and after A LOT of tring, I managed to get them behind the bumper and the bolts in place. I had to remove my muffler to get enought room to work.

Here is the finished product.

GPS, Camera, & Computer System

2009-12-13T19:12:00.004-07:00

This has been the most complicated modification I’ve done to date. This is going to be a LONG post!

Here is a wiring diagram of what the finished product looks like:

Download the full resolution pdf of the wiring diagram here.

I described a portion of this system previously in my post called “auxiliary fuse block”. This provided an auxiliary fuse block to connect all of my accessories I added in this build and for ones I’m planning in the future.

The finished system includes the following parts:
1. Onboard Computer System

2. Topo USA GPS Navigation with detailed, extensive trail maps of the entire United States. Coupled with a large LCD monitor, this is a powerful program that can help you find your way through the backcountry better than any hand held device.

3. 8” LCD Touch-Screen Computer Monitor and DVD screen to watch movies via the stock jeep in-dash player.

4. Backup Camera for keeping an eye on your trailer when towing, and for backing up when wheeling.

5. “Rock Cam” Under Jeep camera to check your clearance over obstacles

6. Switch Panel for future loads including the following:
     a. Backup Lights
      b. Brush Guard Mounted Driving Lights
     c. LED Rock Lights
     d. CB Radio
     e. Computer (to keep the battery from charging every time the engine is on)

The first step in the project was to select a suitable laptop computer. I have a HP dv1000 laptop that I bought before I went on a world trip a few years ago. It’s taken some abuse but still runs pretty fast and has enough speed and memory to run Topo USA 8.0. It’s also small enough to fit nicely under the passenger seat.

The main problem with most laptops is that the power switch is located under the lid (see red arrow in the photo), making it impossible to turn the computer on and off without taking the laptop out from under the seat and out of any box you put it in. You can buy “Car PC’s” which don’t have this problem, but I didn’t want to spend the money. I decided to mod my laptop instead.

I used a dremel to cut out the plastic over the area containing the power button.

Once the actual button underneath the plastic key was exposed, I used flexible 100% silcone sealant to glue a small screw onto the circuit boards power button. I ground half of the head of the screw down at a 45 deg angle first. Then I cut a slit into the side of the laptop case and glued an old school camera “remote” cable in place. This allows me to close the lid of the computer and just push the remote cable which hits the angled top of the screw glued to the power button, turning it on or off. You might be able to avoid this if you have a computer with a brand new battery that can sit in hibernate mode for extended periods of time between engine startups. I also cut off the little rubber “button” which told the laptop that the lid/screen was closed. This way, the computer doesn’t enter power save or hibernate when I have the lid closed and the computer stored under the seat.

Next I built a mounting system for the laptop under the passenger seat. I wanted it to be raised off the floor in case of minor water accumulation (say from leaving the jeep in the rain). I also need to access the computer. So I bought some cheap drawer slides from Home Depot and screwed them into the seat brackets.

I cut a piece of plywood to size and mounted the other half of the drawer slides to it. It fits under the seat like this:

Next I mounted some wood strips to the top of the plywood to elevate the latptop since the laptop “breathes” through vents on its underside. I don’t want it to overheat.

Then using thin metal bar stock from a local steel supplier, I welded a rectangular frame to enclose the laptop.

Next I used a FedEx envelope which is made of Tyvek. Tyvek is dust and waterproof, but breathable “material” that is super strong. I glued it to the metal frame using Gorilla Glue.

I added tabs with bolts to hold the “lid” down over the latptop. The whole assembly fits onto the drawer slides and tucks under the seat.

Next I turned my attention to the monitor.

I needed a place to mount it that it would be easy to manipulate the touch screen. With a touch screen no mouse or keyboard is needed. That makes using Topo USA on the go really nice. I saw others mount a 7” screen above the rear view mirror, but I knew my cables wouldn’t be long enough, and it would be uncomfortable working on the screen at that height. Next option was to mount to the top of the dash, but it takes up too much of your view out the windshield. This could be problematic offroading, plus I didn’t think it would be stable enough during heavy offroading. I came up with a system to mount it in front of the stock radio. You may be wondering at this point why I didn’t just get an in-dash car pc or a double din stereo with monitor. Read about that at the end of this post.

I didn’t want to drill any holes in my dash in case I reconfigure my system in the future. After taking the front of the dash plastic off, I noticed 4 nice screws that hold the stereo in place.

I used shelf brackets from home depot like this:

I cut them down to size and bent them into shape. They mount like this:

Getting the dash back into place is tricky. You have to put three brackets on, then wiggle the dash back under them, and install the 4th bracket after the dash is loosely in place. You don’t have much room, but with a tiny socket set I managed it.

Since I finished the project, I went back and used some rubber weather stripping. I cut out a little square and put it on the top two brackets. This way, when the monitor mounting plate is attached, it doesn’t rattle or squeak.

Next I made a mounting plate that attaches to the back of my monitor in the place where the monitor’s original dash mounting bracket was supposed to connect. I used thin sheet steel scraps I had laying around, like this:

I ordered tiny little “cam latches” from McMaster Carr’s. They have little “spring” wires in the back that put increased tension on the bracket as you turn the handle that sticks out the front of the mounting plate. The mounting plate has two halves. The top half holds the monitor, the bottom half is hinged and has wing nuts holding it in place. This allows the whole assembly to be quickly taken off the dash, leaving only the little mounting brackets behind. You can store the monitor in your glove box or seat pocket out of the way when not in use.
Here’s a look at the setup.

Here is what it looks like with the monitor attached:

This puts the monitor at a nice comfortable spot for both drive and passenger to see and use.

If you need to use the radio, you twist the cam latches and the top half with the monitor folds down. I decided not to run all of the cables behind the dash for a few reasons. 1. I couldn’t figure a way for the cables to exit the dash at the monitor location without drilling holes. 2. A fair amount of the cable would be exposed anyway since the monitor has the cables coming out of the bottom front before the cable “jacks”. 3. I’m lazy and didn’t want to tear apart the whole dash. 3. Technology changes, and when this system is out of date, I don’t holes left in the dash. I just bundled the wires and used the plastic automotive wire jacket to run up the side of the dash. I used zip ties and those sticky back squares to mount it to the dash.

Next I took apart the dash again once I knew my stem worked and took out the stereo. Using the writeup from a member on the JK Forum, I connected an “LED” power wire from a dead pc at work to the correct pins on the back of the stock stereo unit.

The unit plays dvd’s but the jeep has no screen to show the video. So, all you have to do is hook up your own monitor, and presto, you have movies in your jeep! (Don’t watch while driving). You take a yellow RCA cable and spice it to the HDD LED wire. The RCA just plugs into the AV input on your monitor. Make sure you know which is ground and which is power (see the writeup HERE)

Here is what the back of the unit looks like with the HDD LED wire plugged in. I took the forum’s advice and secured the wire to the back of the unit with a screw and washer to keep the LED wire from getting pulled loose.

Next I started working on my switch panel. There are 5 possible locations as I see it:
1. Door Pillar (windshield column)
2. Above rear view mirror
3. Between vents in center dash if you don’t have power mirrors
4. Below center dash in front of shifter
5. Above driver’s side in-dash speaker

I chose location 5 since it was easy to get wires in and out of this spot. You just pop the side panel like this:

I drew up the area in Autocad to plan out my panel.

Then I transferred the pattern to steel and cut it out.

Next I drilled my holes for the switches:

Then I placed the steel over the dash and drilled out the dash holes

As it turns out, the original switches I purchased on ebay were faulty. They blow the fuse every time you switch them. So, I had to buy some new ones at Radio Shack. They aren’t quite a nice looking, but they are much better quality. As a result, the holes I drilled in the dash are about ¼” too high and the larger Radio Shack switches hit some plastic inside the dash here:

This meant I had to enlarge the dash holes to allow the switches to shift down slightly. Now my metal plate doesn’t line up with the dash correctly. I will remake it later when I have time. This didn’t turn out as well as I hoped. Nonetheless, here is the end result:

When I was running power the monitor I made a huge mistake. I spliced a 12V power jack to a power feed from my aux fuse block, but I failed to pay attention to which wire coming out of the jack should be positive and which negative. Luck would have it that I did it backwards. When I hooked up the monitor, I TOTALLY fried it! It popped and sizzled, smoke came out… not good. So, I had to buy a new one. Don’t make the same mistake I did, check using a voltmeter which is which wire. Read more here. On mine (and I think all 12V jacks) the center should be connected to the positive terminal of your car battery, and the outside to ground.

I purchased a cheapo backup camera on ebay for $20. It was meant to mount to your license plate. I decided to mount it here instead:

I ran the power cable from my auxiliary fuse block and the rca cable from my monitor a/v input. The wires go the back of the jeep inside, then come out under the hard top and travel up the arm of my Gobi rack. The camera is mounted at the top of the rack giving my a bird’s eye view of everything behind me. When I’m pulling my camping trailer, this is especially nice to I see over it.

Lastly I installed a magnetic GPS receiver I also bought on ebay. I mounted this to the front of my Gobi rack, here:

Additional Background:

I researched a lot of different options to run my gps system. My main goal was to run Topo USA. My first preference was to find an affordable double-din in-dash stereo replacement unit. I’d be able to just take out the stock stereo and drop in a slick new unit that did the following:

- Touch Screen
- Car Computer with Windows XP
- Double Din
- No motorized screen (these flop around and will break offroad)
- Radio
- DVD Player (for movies)

Amazingly, it is exceptionally difficult to find a product that does all of these things. I almost placed an order for a RevoSys X400 2DIN Car PC for $584. Then I found it has no radio tuner. Are you kidding me? Another option is the XENARC MDT-X7000™ which costs $675. But I’m afraid of that screen breaking offroading.

They also make those remote “car pc’s” which are just a cpu that you mount in your trunk or under a seat. But I didn’t really want to buy a computer when I already had a laptop I could use. I’m sure in a few years the in-dash units will be cheap and will contain all the features you could ever want. At that time I’ll probably swap out my current system for something simple.

Future Additions:
You can see in a previous photo that there is a silver toggle switch below the row of LED switches. All of the LED switches are SPST (single pole single throw) switches, or in other words they are “On/Off “. The silver toggle is a DPDT (double pole double throw) “on/off/on” switch. I will wire the power wires (positive only) to the switch from two different cameras; the backup camera, and a “rock camera” mounted under the jeep to watch my clearance. Since I only have two A/V inputs into the monitor and one is used for the dvd player, I decided to switch between the rock cam and the backup cam with a toggle switch. The rock camera is a small CCTV camera that I bought a few years ago to make a helmet cam system.

Its waterproof, but I’m going to mount it inside a jar anyway since road grime will be tough on it.

I just shopped around the grocery store to find the right size jar without makings or patterns in the glass on the bottom of the jar. In the end I used a jar of baby food. I’ll be mounting this somewhere near the back axle pointing towards the front of the jeep. Maybe it will help my choose my line in difficult situations.

Well, that's about it. I'm sure I'll make future additions and modifications. But for now, overall, it seems to work great and I’m happy with. It’s a big improvement over my wife having a laptop in her lap every time we take the jeep out!

You can still access the radio, by turning the cam latches and flipping down the monitor, like this:

Grill Mod

2009-11-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

One common modification people make to their JK is putting some type of expanded aluminum or perferated metal sheet behind the plastic grill to hide the radiator.

I decided to give it a try since its non-destructive and cheap.
The first step it to remove the plastic "screws" that are along the top of the grill when you open the hood. I found using a paint can opener worked well.

Here is what the "screws" look like. There is a small inner screw that you have to pull out. That releases the tension on the plug and you can then pull that out.

After that you can tilt the grill down, and pull the bottom away from the jeep. Its connected by some clips that just pop in and out. Its tight and it feels like you are going to break something, but you won't.

Next, unclip your blinkers.

Once the grill is off, it will look like this.

Here is the piece of aluminum I found at Lowes. It was in the nuts&bolts isle by the small amount of raw steel they carry. It was $25 which is cheaper than ordering from McMaster Carr's like a lot of people do, plus you don't have to pay shipping.

I chose this clover leaf pattern. They had a few different options, but I thought this looked good and will let enough air through.

Next, take a piece of cardboard and make a template. Put the cardboard behind the grill so you can see how everything is going to line up. You'll have to make cut outs where the clips are on the back of the grill.

Here is what my finished template looked like. You fold over the top part to make a "L" shaped overall piece. The top of the upside down "L" hangs on the top of the radiator frame where the grill attaches. Basically, you are mirroring the shape of the grill.

And here is what it looks like sitting on the back of the grill

Next, trace the pattern onto your aluminum sheet.

I used electric metal sheers to cut this out, but metal tins snips work fine.

Then, put the sheet behind the grill for a test fit. I'm sure a lot of people would like the aluminum look, but I decided to go black to make it "go away" a little more. I'm not into the chrome accent look.

You don't really need to attach the sheet in any way, it will be held behind the grill with the pressure of the grill pushing on it. However, I noticed during my test fit that the sheet tended to bow and create a gap at the bottom of the grill slots. So, I used another popular method to attach the sheet, which is using zip ties. First you get the sticky backs and attach them to back of the grill. I used gorilla glue to attach them since the sticky backing never holds.

Here is what the grill looks like. You can see my zip ties holding the grill at the bottom.

Here is the finished product! You can't quite see what it will look like because I have my bumper off for my next mod...

Wheel Caps

2009-11-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

When I picked up my wheels and tires at 4 Wheels Parts they sent me home without the wheel caps.

They later mailed them to me and they've been sitting in my garage waiting to be installed. I got them put on yesterday. They don't make a huge difference in the way the wheels look, but its a little cleaner than seeing the hubs underneath.

Wheel Locks

2009-11-14T16:59:00.001-07:00

With each wheel and tire costing over $600, I decided a set of $20 wheel locks would be a good investment!

You just replace a lug nut with a lug nut with a unique grooved "key" that you have a corresponding "chuck" for. The drawback is these can strip if the lug becomes frozen to the stud. This happened to me on my TJ and I had to weld a bar to the top of the key to twist if off. If this happened on the trail, it could be a disaster. But, I don't want to replace $3000 worth of wheels and tires.

The wheel locks I chose are McGard 24538 Locks. They come in a set of 5 so you can lock your spare. They were $20 from Summit Racing with $6 shipping.

ARB Differential Covers

2009-11-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

High Country Performance 4x4 includes a 500 mile check up in the price of the lift install to make sure all the bolts stay tight and everything looks good after some time on road. At that time its also necessary to service the differentials and check them for any undesirable gear wear, metal shavings, or chips etc.. So, I decided that would be an opportune time to have new differential covers put on for free!

I ordered ARB differential covers for both the front and rear Dana 44's. They came from 4wd.com like this:

I ordered a couple cans of Mopar spray paint from the local jeep dealership. The paint code is part of your VIN number which is found on the driver's door pillar.

Next I used a scuff pad to scrub off the gloss finish on the covers.

Then I taped the threaded drain and fill holes.

I put on a couple coats of spray paint and it looked like this.

Then I used a grinder wheel on my dremel to take off the paint on the ARB letters.

Lastly, I used spray clear coat to put on a few layers of protection. Here they are all glossy!

Today I had my appointment at HCP4x4 and they were installed. I think they look great.

Auxiliary Fuse Block

2009-11-03T10:16:00.072-07:00

As I move forward with the build-up, I know there will be a long list of 12V devices that will be added to the jeep. Rather than creating a rats nest by the end of the project, I decided to add a 2nd fuse box under the hood to kee things tidy. For added protection, the fuse block has a 70A cicruit breaker protecting it, and a 75A relay which only allows the fuse block to energize if the ignition is on.

In the future, I plan to connect the following devices:
- Laptop Computer
- 8" LCD Monitor
- 120V Power Inverter
- Back up Lights
- Back Up Camera
- LED Rock Lights
- Air Horn
- CB Radio

The winch/air compressor power plant I plan to install will be connected to the battery directly.

Originally, I was looking into Painless Performance's kits. The CirKit Boss®™ Heavy Duty Auxiliary Fuse Block caught my eye. However, it only has 7 Circuits so I kept looking.

I ended up purchasing a Blue Sea Systems 5026 fuse block. Its weather resistant and good for 100A of load. I purchased the fuse block from ProductShipMarine.com for $38.61.

Individual fuses protect each circuit. However, to protect the whole fuse block and wire to the battery, I installed a 70A circuit breaker. I purchased the relay from ProductShipMarine.com for $36.

To make sure I don't leave something turned on and drain my battery, I installed a relay. This basically is a switch which only allows power to flow to the fuse block when there is power from a second source. The second source is the auxiliary 12V power outlet in the jeep (cigarrette lighter) since this wired such that it only has power when the ignition is switched on. The reason you use a relay rather than wiring directly to the cigarette lighter is that the cigarette lighter has a tiny 18 guage wire feeding it. It probably has a 10 or 15 amp fuse protecting it. These are hardly sufficient for the amount of load I'll eventually be adding to the jeep.

Here is a look at the setup: (click on photo for full size image so you can read text):

At first I was confused about which terminals on the relay went to which thing.... after looking on the internet, I determined the correct wiring.

Here is the relay I bought:

I bought it on ebay for $27. I read somewhere you should mount the relay terminals down to prevent water leaking into the relay.

I decided to install the fuse block inside a plastic case to help keep water and dirt out. I've seen some other people mount this fuse block on top of the lid to the jeeps fuse box. The case I chose was a Polycase dc58f-g. It cost $17 with shipping from polycase.com.

Finding a place under the hood of a JK for anything is tough. This isn't a very big box, but trying to mount it somwher away from engine heat, excessive water, and accessible was tough.

In the end, I chose the corner up by the master cylinder.

I fabricated a small bracket that utilized existing bolts to mount the box to.

I mounted the fuse block inside the box, and then mouted the relay and circuit breaker to the outside of the box.

Next I wired the thick #8AWG wire between the fuse block and breaker, and the breaker and relay. I installed conduit fittings in the sides of the box that will later route all the branch circuit wiring through.

The cap to the master cylinder is still accessible, but its easy to disconnect the box from the mounting bracket if you need to move it out of the way.

Next I opened up the dash to get to the cigarette lighter to tap the power wire for my relay.

Here is a photo of the power wire of the cigaretter ligher that I spliced.

I unclipped the wiring harness in the back of the socket and then cut the red wire. I used a regular wire nut and electrical tape to splice it. I ran #14 wire back through the dash and into the engine compartment to the relay. (#1 wiring harness, #2 wire nut splice, #3 wire from relay)

I reset the circuit breaker, put the key in the iginition, and used a voltage meter to test the fuse block. Works great! Here's a look at the engine compartment after the install:

UPDATE:
I realized the cigarette lighter on the passenger side marked "Battery" is constant power. The lighter on the driver's side is ignition only power. So, I had to switch my splice for the relay over to the driver's side.

Lift Before And After Shot

2009-09-04T09:51:00.001-06:00

I took these before and after shots of the lift. I also took measurements to see what the real results of the lift were.

The lift leveled out the jeep's "rake". So, depending where you measured, you got different amounts of "lift". 2.5" of my lift are due to going from 32" tires to 37" tires. Points B& E are measured from the ground to the underside of my differentials. They increased 2.5" which verified the tire size was a true 37" diameter.

The amount of lift achieved were as follows:
A = 9.75"
B = 2.5"
C = 9.25"
D = 8.5"
E = 2.5"
F = 8.0"

That changes my breakover angle from 21.5deg (Stock Rubicon, 17.8deg Stock X) to 37.4deg!

Lift Installed! Its a MONSTER!

2009-09-03T16:44:00.003-06:00

The lift is done, and its a beast! When my wife stands next to the jeep, the window is above her head.

I purchased the 6" Teraflex Elite LCG Long Arm kit. I also installed Yukon 5.38 gears front and rear. I had the lift installed at High Country Performance 4x4 in Denver, Colorado. They have a great reputation, and from what I can tell so far, they did a great job. Since I had to have someone install the gears anyway, I thought paying an extra $800-1000 to have the lift professionally installed was worth the price. Especially since you had to cut off all the stock brackets off the frame and weld new ones on and removal of the gas tank was necessary to install the lift.

I picked up the jeep and drove it to work where my coworker has a stock 4-dr JK. Looks pretty funny sitting side by side!

I drove the jeep home up the mountain hills and it did pretty good. The 5.38's mostly kept power, I only had to drop into 4th gear on the steepest part of the drive. It did start to wobble a bit on a few straight aways, where you feel like the steering wheel might get out of control, but it was just a small wobble. So, when I take the jeep back in to have the differentials serviced (you have to do this 500 miles after installation of new gears) they will take a look and see what they can tweek.

MORE PHOTOS HERE!

Yukon 5.38 Gears

2009-09-03T16:00:00.000-06:00

After much research, I decided to go with a 5.38 gear set on my jeep since I would be running 37" tires. Many people felt 5.13's were all you need. However, since I will be driving in the mountains extensively as well as pulling my offroad trailer, I felt the possible decrease in fuel economy was worth it. Plus, the gears are the same price. When I went into HCP4x4 they told me that 5.38's would not physically fit inside the Dana 44 housing. I did more reasearch and found out they were wrong. I called them and after they called Yukon and they stood corrected. After driving the jeep with the lift installed, I think I made the right choice. The jeep drives almost the same as stock. Had I gone with 5.13's I think I might have been dissapointed.

Lift Is Done!

2009-09-01T13:31:00.002-06:00

I went by High Country 4x4 today, the lift is installed. Looks pretty funny on stock 32" tires!

I was dropping off my new tires and wheels and when I rolled up my JK was sitting out front. I snapped some shots so you can see what it looks like before the big meats are put on.

Picked Up New Wheels and Tires

2009-09-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

I went to 4 Wheel Parts this afternoon and picked up my new wheels and tires. I don't own a pickup truck and my JK is in the shop getting the lift put on so...... I drove our Honda Element. Luckily the seats fold flat because I needed every inch of room in the car. Three fit inside the back, you can see on in the passenger seat, and the fith is strapped on the fold down tailgate. These things are monsters! They weight about 150lbs a piece and you can see the element is sagging pretty low in back. Can't wait to get them put on the jeep.

Fumoto F106N Oil Drain Valve

2009-08-21T11:47:00.003-06:00

These oil pan drain valves replace your pan drain bolt and make chaning your oil easy and clean!

You can buy them here: http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

I bought the F106N version, which includes a nipple that you can connect a plastic tube to. This way, you can connect the tube, flip the valve lever, and drain the oil right into a container, no mess!

May want to consider a oil pan skid plate to protect the valve since it will be more suseptable to damage offroad.

Toyo Open Country Mud Terrain Tires

2009-08-20T12:24:00.007-06:00

I decided on Toyo Open Country Mud Terrain tires for my JK.

Just like wheels, tires play a big part of the way your jeep looks. I wanted something with a square profile and large side lugs.

This is basically how they will look on my jeep. The wheels in the picture are Eagle 137 wheels. I don't know how this guy go a black bead lock ring. I called Eagle Alloys and they don't make it. Its either a chrome wheel with black ring, or black wheel with chrome ring. Anyway, I love the way the tires look.
I am concerned about gas mileage and power on the highway since I usually take the jeep on road trips and long drives to trails. Therefore, I was concerned about weight. There is much debate in the 4-wheeling community about "unsprung" weight and how it affects your jeep. Some say it is negligable, some say every lb of unsprung weight is the same as adding 10 lbs of cargo in your jeep.

The four main tires I was considering were:
BF Goodrich KM2 - 37x12.5R17 (72lbs)
Toyo Open Country MT - 37x13.5R17 (92lbs)
Nitto Mud Grappler - 37x13.5R17 (91 lbs)
Goodyear MRT Kevlar - 27x12.5R17 (74lbs)

I really don't like the look of the new MTR's. Too bad, because the kevlar is supposed to work great and they are light. The mud grapplers look awesome, but I hear they sound like an airplane on the highway and get worse with age. I experienced that with the old MTR's in my TJ and don't want to repeat it. I was all but decided on the KM2's, but in the end I decided to just go for the tires I really liked best, the Toyo's. Hopefully the extra weight will not hurt me too much. Everyone raves about them on and off road.

Pro Comp Series 8179 Wheels

2009-08-20T12:07:00.007-06:00

One of the biggest influences on the way your jeep turns out looking is the tire and wheel package you choose. I researched this tirelessly and finally decided on the Pro Comp Series 8179 wheels.

I finally called 4 Wheel Parts in Denver and placed my order. I purchased 17x9 wheels, 5x5 bolt pattern, and 4.75 inches of backspacing. The wheels are cast aluminum and only weigh 26 lbs, which is 2 lbs more than the stock 17" rubicon wheels. There are numerous black wheels that look similar to this one, many are steel wheels. I like the traditional round hole look, but I also wanted the bead lock style. I found out that these wheels actually accept a bead lock ring (non-functional) which bolts on over the polish lip. I don't really care for the polished lip and wouldn't have chosen these wheels if the bead locks were not an option. Here is the final product I am going for:

The bead lock rings are usally listed as working on the 1079 and 6079 wheels. The only difference with the 8079 is that it is black, so they work! 4 Wheel Parts does not list the rings on their website, but if you call them up, they do carry them for $58 each in 17" diameter. The nice thing is that it will protect the lip of your wheel and keep a nice tight seal. If you trash the rings on rocks, can simply remove them and give them a coat of paint. Or if they are real bad, just buy new ones. Plus, I think they look great.

Soft Top & Gobi Rack Compatability

2009-07-21T13:32:00.007-06:00

OEM Soft Top's cannot go up and down with the Gobi rack in place. You must unbolt the roof rack and fold it back on its hinges to allow space for the soft top to go up or down.

Well, I didn't get more than 30 seconds into trying to install my soft top for the first time when I had the horrible realization that it was not going to work with my Gobi Rack. I never had a soft top with my TJ and I didn't think much about it when the JK I bought off the lot came with the dual-top option. You can see in these two photos from an installation video on Youtube that when the top goes up and down, it requires a lot of verticle height. With the rack on, you only have about 4 inches of space between the rack an the roof.

Technically the rack and top do work together, but you have to unbolt the rack at the front and then fold the whole rack back on its hinges to make room for the soft top to go up or down. Not exactly what I want to be doing when it starts pouring... The Gobi rack doesn't fold all the way back flat, it only goes 90 degrees vertical. So you need second person to hold it (which is awkward and heavy) or you have to devise some sort of leg or support, and pray a big gust of wind doesn't come. None of this is what I had in mind.

So, I decided that the top had to go. I checked out Quadratec and the jeep dealership, both sell the Mopar Sunrider top for $1500! I tried unsuccessfully to sell the top on craigslist and jeep forums for a while. In the end, I had to lower my price to $650 to sell it. My plan is to purchase a Bestop Trektop.I'm not too concerned about cargo space with a roof rack and an offroad trailer. The top of the top just rolls up, so I am hoping I can sqeeze it under ther Gobi Rack.

Seat Glovers & Quadratec Molded Floor Mats

2009-06-22T20:51:00.002-06:00

One way to help protect the inside of your jeep is with molded floor liners and seat covers.

I purchased Quadratec molded floor liners for the front, rear seats, and the cargo area. I also got a set of Seat Glovers for all my seats. So far, they are both working out great. The seat covers installed easily, but one of the straps broke when trying to pull it tight. I emailed seatglover and they FedEx'd me a bunch of new straps and plastic buckles. The covers fit "like a glove" as suggested by the name. They are neopreme and the website says they are "waterproof" but after seeing some water spilled on the seat I'm not convinced. The water doesn't bead up or pool up... it soaks in. I don't know if its making it all the way down to the actual seat underneath or not. But if you get caught in a downpour, you'll have wet seat covers to sit on. Not quite what I was hoping for.

The floor mats are great, the front pair and rear cargo area mats are nice and bowl shaped, catching all the dirt. The back seat mats are connected over the center hump, so its near impossible to take them out without spilling all the dirt they caught right back on the floor. Plus they are not a complete bowl shape, so dirt migrates out the back of the mats. However, overall I like them, they are thick and sturdy and should last a long time.

PIAA 2100XT Driving Lights

2009-06-22T20:17:00.001-06:00

PIAA 2100XT Driving Lights installed on Gobi Stealth Rack.

Today my PIAA 2100XT driving lights were installed on the light bar of my Gobi Stealth Rack. I purchased these with the rack through the dealership where I bought my JK. Installation was part of the deal. However, when Chysler filed bankruptcy they closed the dealership where I purchased the jeep. I called Gobi directly and they were happy to finish the installation.

The lights tuck neatly inside the rack, protecting them from damage offroad, and keeping a nice low-profile. This will help me keep the jeep fitting under an 8ft garage door.

Fitting in the Garage

2009-06-19T10:05:00.001-06:00

Before you lift your jeep check the height of the garage door opening. I didn't want my garage to look like this the first time I tried to pull in!

Before I bought the JK, I measured the depth of my garage to make sure it would fit. But, I didn't give much thought to the height of the garage door opening. When I was at the dealership, I thought the Gobi racks looked too cool to pass up, so I got one. I didn't consider the additional height this would add. I measured last night, its 7.5" above the hard top in the front of the stealth rack, and 6.0 inches in the rear. Even though that's low profile for a roof rack, its still a significant add to the overall height of the finished jeep.

I am considering a Teraflex 6" long arm kit and 37" tires. That's an additional 8.5" of height. According to the jeep website, the Rubicon sits at 72.3" stock with a hardtop. The tires are approximately 32" diameter.

My garage door is a standard 7 ft door opening. (84"). So.... 7.5" rack + 8.5" lift is 16" increase in height. 72.3 + 16" = 88.3"

Damn! Time for a new garage door. I'm looking at 8ft insulated doors and will have to reframe the opening. I explored other options, but I don't want to leave the jeep outside for a few reasons:
1. The winters where I live are harsh and hard on vehicles
2. Frequent hail storms in Colorado
3. If I cant' pull it in the garage, I can't work on the jeep for all the upgrades I plan to do, and my driveway is ice & snow 70% of the year. And mud the other 30%.

I did read about one guy who airs his tires down so he can fit under the door. That is a possibility if I can't get a new door installed.

UPDATE: I installed the new door. Due to my roof trusses being 9ft clear underneath, I had to install a "low headroom" kit on the 8ft door. This sacrifices some of its clearance. When it was all said and done, I have about 7'-6.5" of clearance (90.5") clear. Hopefully this is enough!

Gobi Stealth Rack

2009-05-24T22:46:00.004-06:00

Gobi racks are strong, light weight, well made, and they look bad-ass! I bought the "Stealth" Rack with four PIAA driving lights.

I purchased the Gobi Stealth rack from the dealership when I bought the jeep so I could roll the cost into my loan. The PIAA lights I ordered with it were backordered, so I brought the jeep home with just the rack installed. The rack is hinged in the back so you can flip the whole thing over and take the top off. The back of the jeep has a built in ladder. No dilling required, the entier thing bolts into stock bolt locations.

UPDATE: After taking the top off the jeep I noticed a VERY annoying sound every time I made the slightest turn. Offroad it was even worse. There was something (sounded like metal shavings?) inside many of the horizontal tubes that make up the rack. As you turn, they would roll/slide down the tube making a loud sound. Also, on my first trip to Moab one of the welds that holds the screw down foot that puts pressure against the back quarter panel of the jeep for lateral stability broke. I took the jeep to Gobi here in Denver they were happy to help. They put expandable foam in all the tubes to encase the little pieces in there. This mostly worked, but I've still heard a few of them on sharp turns. They also replaced the back vertical supports with a new one with correct welds, and put wear plates under the screw feet to protect the body of the jeep. They stood behind their product. Since then the rack has been great and I am happy to recommend them to any JK owner.

More Photos

Even More Photos

Brand New Stock

2009-05-24T22:40:00.000-06:00

2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Totally stock.

More Photos