Ares - A Build Thread

thehops

Observer
I've been active on this site for a little while now, though I tend to do more lurking than posting. Well, I'm on to my newest build, which I expect to be in long term, so I figured I would bring my build thread on over to here from the Jeep Gladiator forum so that like-minded folks could check out the progress and reach out if they had any questions. I'll try to keep this updated moving forward.

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02 JAN 2020

Happy New Year all!

A few days ago, I picked up my dream vehicle from the dealer: Ares is a brand new 2020 Gladiator Rubicon with a manual transmission in Firecracker Red. I took him off of the lot with just 18 miles on the odometer.

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted an off-road capable, 4x4 pickup with a manual, and Jeep definitely delivered on this one. I also entertained a newer Frontier or Tacoma, but after seeing my first Gladiator Rubicon in-person several months ago, I knew that was the route that I wanted to take. I had been hunting around for months for just the right deal, and I came across this one about 300 miles away from home, with just about everything that I wanted, at the right price point. After a few days of back-and-forth with the dealer, I had a one-way car rental from Nashville to Atlanta, and I was on my way to pick it up.

I've always been interested in the overland/long-range exploration scene, and I plan to carry on the trend of my previous builds with this platform. I have huge plans for this Jeep (Truck? Jruck? Teep?). I do plan on swapping out the wheels and tires asap in order to maximize resale on the stocks, however aside from that I do plan to enjoy it in (more or less) stock form for a little while. We'll see how long that lasts...the bug is biting hard, but I'm hoping to resist the urge on any major mods until at least the summer, due to several work trips scheduled between now and then.

The weather around here has been crappy for the past couple of days, but I did manage to snap a picture on the lot just before the sun went down. Believe me, there are many more pictures to come.

A brief dream sheet of mods on the horizon, in no particular order:

-Moderate (flush, or barely poking) offset (+10 to +30) 17x8.5-9.5 black wheels
-35x12.50R17 Ridge Grapplers
-High stage ICON lift (only stage 1 is available at this time)
-Find an OEM black hard top
-Tint the fronts to match the rear windows, add tint brow to windshield
-Line-x truck bed
-Mount my ARB dual compressor (I like the bracket that mounts under the passenger seat)
-Mount my fire extinguisher in cab
-Front and rear bumpers (currently leaning towards Fab Fours)
-Winch install (I currently have a brand new Superwinch EXP 10k synthetic, but may look to trade/sell for a similar WARN)
-Find means to mount rooftop tent (torn between tonneau/bed rack, or waiting on a suitable camper shell such as an Alu-Cab)
-Roof rack over cab and camper shell/bed rack
-Full skid/armor
-Install sPOD
-Wire in my two sets of Rigid pods (does anyone know of brackets that can mount pods behind the grille?)

Much, much more, but those are the major ones that I can think of at the time of writing this initial post.

This build thread will be slow going, but look forward to updates in the near future as I start getting parts in. I'm glad to be a part of the community, and look forward to learning/contributing!

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thehops

Observer
24 JAN 2020

Alright, so truth be told, I've been having so much fun with the Gladiator that I forgot that I had a build thread. Luckily, I've been taking a few pictures.

Coming up on a month of ownership, and things are going great. Mods/changes so far:

-Tailgate sticker (my first mod, woo!)
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-Tint (windshield brow, and fronts to match rears)
-Line-x bed
-EGR vent visors
-Installed my sPOD with HD series panel (mounted on a CMM grab bar ball mount, with a 67d arm and bracket)
-Wired in a set of amber spots, and a set of white side shooter spots on a rigid cowl mount
-New wheels and tires (Method 313, 17x8.5, +25 offset, with Nitto Ridge Grapplers in 35x12.50R17)

Wheel/tire before and after:
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(I had some other non-JT related wheel/tire work done at the same time, hence the 4 wheels/8 tires in the bed)
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(I got exactly the stance that I was looking for here, with maximum function and minimal poke. These wheels are the exact specs as the AEV wheels, but they're lighter.)

I'm beyond pleased with how the setup has turned out so far. I've got a whole lot of ideas, and a few more parts on the way. My next major projects to tackle are bumpers, wiring the remainder of the lights in those bumpers, and installing/routing air for my arb twin compressor. More to come!

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thehops

Observer
06 FEB 2020

Since my last post, I was able to knock out a few more projects. Mainly, I was able to get my aftermarket rear bumper installed. I wanted something that would provide extra protection from the crazies that drive around here, would have good off road recovery points, and would be able to house rear lights without modification. I went with the Road Armor Stealth rear, and ultimately plan on getting a matching front down the line.

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This bumper can take an 8000lb winch, though I haven't installed one (yet). Having the flexibility of ultimately having front and rear winches will inspire a lot of confidence when it comes time to push through some of the nasty stuff that I plan on encountering in my adventures.

For wiring the backup lights, I just tied them in on the same harness, fully enclosed the length in wiring loom and ran it along the right side frame rail, and up in to the engine bay to my sPOD. The connections are fully waterproofed and protected from abrasion. I also installed 4 small red marker lights in place of the parking sensors that I don't have. I have some waterproof quick release pigtails that I'll be splicing in to the factory harness with this weekend. It's going to turn out great!

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My next (planned) major project will be tackling the compressor setup. I know I want to mount it under the front passenger seat, but I'll have to plan on how to route the cables and air lines. It's pricey, but as of right now, I'm leaning towards an UpDownAir setup. We'll see!

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thehops

Observer
21 FEB 2020

Though I didn't technically add anything (yet), I'll still update with this:

After searching every day for about a month and a half, I finally came across a hard top kit! It was a long drive to go snag it (from TN to TX and back in one day), but it was well worth it, considering how critical it will be to my build. I had to have one in order to mount my eventual roof rack over the cab. That will be used to mount lights, as well as for miscellaneous and fuel storage (I typically carry four 5 gal jerry cans) for overland trips.

Ares took the trip like an absolute champ. Not bad fuel economy at all either, considering I'm on 35s, and that I was doing 75-80 through Texas. I think the engine is finally starting to break in. I plan on doing my first early oil change with Royal Purple and a fresh mopar filter next week, so maybe I'll see some more slight gains with the new lube. I think I'm going to hold off on upgrading the rest of the fluids until my second oil change.

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thehops

Observer
28 FEB 2020

I was able to set some time aside today to handle the hard top conversion. Once I figured out the bracket setup, it wasn't so bad at all. From the time I started tearing down the soft top, to my hard top test drive was a little over an hour. I went with the DV8 hard top brackets and they work flawlessly. I also had to purchase the weather stripping/gasket/trim that goes between the two freedom panels. The locations of the brackets that I had to install are pictured below.

Two behind the front seats, beneath the plastic trim, just above the dome light:

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And two (two pieces each that bolt together) brackets behind the trim above the rear view mirror:

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As mentioned in the post above, getting a hard top was critical to my build so that I can eventually put roof racks on top. I was lucky to find one as quickly as I did. I also like the look quite a bit more than the soft top.

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As a side note, I did my first oil change today at 3,326 miles. I run Royal Purple in everything I own, and I added a new mopar filter. Things seemed overall much smoother during my post-change drive

More changes to come!
 

thehops

Observer
Today was a beautiful day, and I got a fair bit done.

07 MAR 2020

I installed my Road Armor Stealth full width front bumper. I'm as impressed with the quality of the front as I am the rear one. I tossed in two sets of Rigid pods: a set of amber driving pattern lights to compliment the amber spots up top, and SAE fogs spliced in to the factory circuit for a bit of extra road-legal visibility at night. I'm working towards the perfect compliment of lights that have patterns that cover all sectors on/off road. I will be filling the 20" light bar spot with a hyperspot bar. I'm undecided on what to utilize the light tabs for above the winch mount.

Before:

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After:

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I forgot to measure heights beforehand, but after installing the front bumper (105 pounds) my Gladiator is dead level: 40" exactly from ground to bottom of fender on all four wheels.

Also pictured are a set of Rugged Ridge headlight guards. Great quality, and I can't wait for them to release the Gladiator tail light guards, since the JL ones don't work. Ask me how I know. Admittedly, it was kind of a spur of the moment purchase. They seem more cosmetic, since the openings are quite large...but they were on sale. They are made of metal (aluminum it seems) and some protection is better than none on these expensive Mopar LEDs!

Another random purchase are the side vent turn signals. I came across an install of them on the facebook group and loved them, I'm actually blown away by the quality, and the brightness. Definitely no regrets on these. I don't have pictures with the lights on, but I think they're great, and they look factory. The more "PAY ATTENTION" lights around here, the better.

Before:

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After:

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The order of precedence on my mods is a bit out of whack at this point, since I'm just nabbing up whatever happens to be on sale at the time that my budget is free. As of right now, still on the radar are:

-Install/wire compressor (leaning towards an UpDown air setup for my ARB twin compressor, under front passenger seat mount)
-Winches for front and rear bumpers (WARN VR EVO 12S or 10S for the front, and a 10S or 8S for the rear, pending a weigh in after installation of these bumpers and current winch costs)
-Small lift kit, with replacement ICON or King shocks
-Figure out the roof rack setup (currently leaning towards Frontrunner roof racks, with an A.R.E. CX HD camper shell, if/when it is released)

As always, more to come!
 

thehops

Observer
25 MAR 2020

No major updates, but the next few days will be beautiful so I took the top and doors off, went out for a drive, and took a few pictures.

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I'm very happy with the direction of the build thus far. I haven't seen any decent sales yet on items on my mod list, so I'm holding off for the time being and I'm just kind of enjoying the Jeep as-is. I don't have any major trips planned until late summer (unfortunately the work life is interfering with that) so I'm not in a huge rush to get the remaining "core" parts on it. With that being said, the grand scheme hasn't changed:

-The build is centered around maximum functionality, focusing on sustained off-road travel, reliability, and self-recovery
-Minimal lift (if any, still undecided, I may just upgrade the stock parts and keep stock height) to maintain a low center of gravity, economy and drivability
-A waterproof bed solution that can fit my Dometic fridge (vertical space), and also mount my ~190 pound rooftop tent (leaning towards a reinforced camper shell at this time; hopefully ARE releases their CX HD for the JT)
-Roof racks over cab and bed, providing a level platform for spare gear, fuel and my tent, as well as 360 degrees of lighting

It's a work in progress, but I'm loving every minute of ownership!
 

thehops

Observer
01 APR 2020

I tackled a high priority project over the past 3 days (mainly spent waiting for parts): Installing my compressor.

Day 1 was all about customizing the harness and figuring out the wiring. I decided to go through the passenger door jamb, similar to how I did with my sPOD on the driver side.

I started by mocking up the wiring to see how much harness I would need. After establishing that and chopping and splicing a bit, I started routing. From under the rear passenger seat, I ducked in to the floor trim by way of the passenger seatbelts at the floor.

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From there, I ran the harness through the floor trim on the passenger side, and up beside the glove box.

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After running the harness part way up, and out of the trim beside the glove box, I dipped in between the foam padding on the trim piece, and the door frame, and up under the cowl in to the engine bay.

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There is very little pinch on the wires (they're also sheathed), and the door continues to close with minimal force. It was a good alternative for me instead of trying to punch or drill through the firewall. Tucking the wires in to the engine bay, that concluded day 1.

Day 2 was unfortunately spent waiting for the mounting/air system and a crimp tool that I needed to make sure the job was done right.

Today however, on day 3, I was able to complete the project. I started by putting the new crimper to use and prepping the terminal ends of the harness. They're not the prettiest in the world, but they are rock solid.

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Shortly before I finished, the second package of the day arrived with my Innovative JK Products ARB CKMTA12 system. First impressions were that it's a simple, but great piece of kit. I ended up opting for this over the UpDown Air setup mostly because of the simplicity...and the price. This kit will do everything I need it to, with minimal hassle.

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After laying out the pieces, the real install began. I grabbed my trusty old ARB and threw it on the mount. Two bolts is all it takes to bolt this up, though the seat bolts are fastened with red loctite. A small impact made short work of it.

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After that, slight modifications are needed for proper install. Two 1/4" holes need to be drilled per side. I did this very roughly, by using the bracket itself and a paint marker, then going at it with a step bit. There were no issues with this method. After mounting the air chucks (not pictured) in the bracket, it bolts right in to place.

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I didn't take many pictures of this next part. Numerous cuss words and body contortions aside, it wasn't too bad, but it would be too tight to take usable pictures. After sliding the front seats all the way forward, you'll see two panels (one on each side) you pop out with a trim tool. Undo the bolts, and the console lifts up partially, allowing you to route the air line from the compressor to the drive side air connection. The air line is routed beneath both seat brackets, and under the emergency brake cable inside of the console.

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Once that's done, it's a simple matter of plugging in the hoses and co ducting a pressure test. My system held maximum pressure for 8 minutes without issue before I decided it was good enough.

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All in all, I love the product, and I know it'll serve me well. The next project I'm tossing around is installing my 600 watt pure sine wave inverter. I'll be using it to charge camera equipment, and run the fridge out of the cab in the rear seat.

As usual, more coming soon!

EDIT 28APR2020:

I can no longer recommend routing cables through the door jamb. I noticed soaking wet carpet beneath my floor mats on both sides. After some testing, I discovered that water would get in to my wiring loom inside of the cowl, and would channel down inside of the loom through my doors, rendering the weather seals useless. This routing method may work just fine on bare wiring since there'snothing to use as a channel, however I rerouted all wiring through the front floor drain plugs instead just to be safe. As of the time of this update, I am running with plugs out. I'll likely end up cutting very small slits in the plugs for wires to pass through, in order to maintain sound and weather resistant properties.
 

thehops

Observer
05 APR 2020

Another small project knocked out. I blame coronavirus.

I installed an old inverter that I had in a previous rig that I used to run small electronics in the cab. It's a 600W pure sine wave inverter. I'll be using it to constantly power my massive Dometic fridge, as well as to charge my laptop and camera/drone equipment while off grid.

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I took pretty much the same route as with my air compressor wiring, just mirrored to the driver's side. I installed it behind the rear driver's side seat using heavy duty velcro, and ran 8 gauge wire the whole way. Running the wires down to the opening at the base of the seatbelt, I took them through the driver side floor trim towards the driver floor well, and up and out in to the engine bay through the door jamb and cowl. There, it's attached to a 50a circuit breaker that is secured in the engine bay with double sided tape above the firewall

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This was a fairly low priority mod for me, but I had all of the parts laying around (except for the circuit breaker that I ordered) and I had the time, so I figured why not? I did a test fit with my fridge and made sure the inverter was functioning properly. I even popped the rear passenger door back on to make sure I had clearance. No issues whatsoever.

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All in all, it was a pretty quick, easy and useful mod, and it gave me something to do while debating what my next big project will be.
 

thehops

Observer
09 APR 2020

Another small project knocked out.

Today I installed a dedicated 12v port for my camp fridge, behind the rear drivers side seat to complement the inverter that I recently installed. That inverter will now be freed up for the sole purpose of powering small electronics and camera gear while off grid.

The project itself was very easy, since I already had power run from the battery behind the seat for my inverter (see previous posts for that). I found an ARB surface mounted threaded socket for about $15 to use for the install. This allows me to screw in my fridge power, so there's no worry of it shaking loose while on rough roads. I did slightly modify the housing, drilling out an inlet to 5/8" to comfortably run the wires and loom in.

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I decided to use the small removable panel behind the seat for mounting, so that I could easily replace the panel with no evidence of drilling at a later time if need be. I simply lined up the ARB housing, centered it, marked and punched out two small holes with my dremel.

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After that, I cut two feet of positive and negative 10 gauge wire, and crimped on one ring terminal to piggyback off of the studs on my inverter, and one blade receptacle to attach to the ARB housing on each end of each wire. I sheathed the wires in loom, stuffed them in to the ARB housing, and secured it all with a thick zip tie so they could not back out of the hole or off of the blades.

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I then bolted the housing on to the panel with two sets of 3/4" long bolts, flat washers, lock washers and nuts, snapped it back in to place, and that was that!

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Again, a very easy, cheap project, but one that will be very useful once I get off grid and start camping. Shout out to @Capercrew02 for schooling me on why running my fridge off of the inverter wasn't the best idea. Never stop learning!

My next major mod planned is the vehicle winch setup. After that, I'll be diving in to a dual battery setup, and will be laying the framework for a solar system to support all of these electronics while I'm off grid. As always though, the order of my big mods tends to be dictated by current sales.

More to come!
 

thehops

Observer
10 APR 2020

More additions today. I decided to take advantage of the cool weather and sunshine.

I picked up an Airaid intake on a decent discount a little while back and it arrived this morning. Truth be told, I'm kind of disappointed in the build quality. I had the same intake on another vehicle and it was great. On this one, various mounting points didn't match up well, and I had to drill out holes on panels in order to get the hardware to line up with their threads properly. Those issues aside, installation was pretty straightforward.

That aside, it sounds great under load with a distinct intake howl, and the engine seems to rev a bit more freely.

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First impressions: I wouldn't buy it again (at full price). I have no plans to add a snorkel though, and I got a great deal on this, so overall no regrets. We'll see how the long term opinion is as far as economy and power. Airaid claims +12hp, but we all know how that goes.

After that, I was bored and stared at the Jeep for a while, trying to come up with something else to do, and managed to come up with a way to make my old Bracketeer work for my 2.5lb extinguisher. I noticed that I could strip some of the hardware from the bracket, invert the mounting feet, and they'd slip right in under the seat bolts!

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It ended up being rock solid. I've used this bracket on my past two vehicles, but this improvised fitment is the best use of it yet. Due to it being behind the seat now, I may get an Element to mount in reach on the roll bar for in-cab/immediate emergencies (trapped in a rollover with fire spreading to my body, etc...I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it).

Aside from that, I repositioned and inventoried my medical bags. They're no longer quick release, but they're now tucked up much higher on the seat back and they won't flop around or fall off of the velcro backing every time I hit a large bump. I have a red trauma bag for life/limb/eyesight, and a black first aid bag for your typical ouchies, pills, bandages, etc.

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That's all for now!
 

thehops

Observer
21 APR 2020

Today was a big day. I completed a huge priority mod towards my build...

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That's right! It's the Genesis Offroad dual battery kit. The two Odyssey 25 series batteries I used are rated at 850 CCA and 65 ah each. I've been wanting to install a dual battery system in my last two vehicles, but there were no kits readily available for what I drove, and I never got around to drawing up my own plans. This will go a long way towards making sure that my food stays fresh, my devices stay charged, and that I don't get stranded due to a dead battery while off grid. With the solar setup that I'm piecing together as well, I should never be left needing more power.

Install was surprisingly easy, though a bit time consuming. It's hard to say exactly how long the process should be, as I was purposely killing time installing the kit while waiting for the FedEx guy to show up with my batteries, but all in I'd estimate it would have taken me 2.5 to 3 hours straight through. I do however have a lot of wires in my engine bay that I took the opportunity to reroute/clean up to optimize space, so YMMV.

I didn't really take detailed pictures or notes on the install, as the Genesis Offroad JL how-to video is more than sufficient for the JT install. Their instructions are very well done. I did take some pictures at key points though just to show what I was working with. This was my starting point:

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After yanking the tray, stock battery, auto stop/start battery, fuse box and air box:

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Cables everywhere there. I'm not going to lie, it was kind of nerve-wracking. I genuinely hate messing with vehicle electrical systems, as it's pretty easy to jack things up, but the detailed and easy to follow instructions from Genesis Offroad gave me a lot of confidence throughout the process.

Here's the new battery tray bolted in:

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Great built quality, and the powder coating was flawless. This thing is rock solid, and supported 100 pounds of battery without complaint.

A few pictures of me slowly getting things back together; routing wires and replacing the fuse box and sPOD:

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Once the batteries showed up, it was just a matter of dropping them in and tightening things down. I did spend a fair bit of extra time rerouting wires, crimping new terminals, adding extra wire loom and just generally trying to clean things up. It certainly doesn't look flawless, but everything is manageable and most importantly, done safely. I will however continue to play with the setup in order to improve the overall look as time goes on.

Pictured at lower left under the red rubber boot is the positive bus bar. I ran both of my positive leads for the air compressor here, with their 40a online fuses tucked between the air box and battery box. Also, I ran the sPOD positive wire here, and the positive wire for my inverter/12v port combo, from their circuit breakers mounted behind the engine on the right side of the picture. Here's the final few pictures before taking it for a test drive:

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No dash lights, no issues, and no fire! All in all, I'm incredibly pleased with the product. I spent about 5 hours under the hood by the time all was said and done. This definitely wasn't the cheapest mod, but I have no doubt it'll keep on benefiting me for years to come.

So what's next? Who knows. I've stopped trying to predict it at this point. But one thing is for sure...there will be more. Stay tuned!
 

thehops

Observer
24 APR 2020

It sounded like today was going to be the nicest day for us here this weekend, so I took the time to do some pretty extensive rewiring and engine bay organization.

All of my wires that were ran in to the cab through the door jambs have been pulled, and rerouted through the floor drain holes. Unfortunately, I discovered some nasty leaks associated with that wire routing. The water was not getting through the seals, rather it was using my own wire loom essentially as a waterslide, riding it down through my door, in to my trim, and settling in the carpet. Luckily there was no water intrusion anywhere other than at floor level, but I knew I had to fix that. Truthfully, the drain holes seem to be a much easier route to run. I can't have the plugs in place though, so we'll see how watertight this option is. If it becomes and issue, I may end up drilling paths in the plugs and sealing around the wires with silicone sealant.

Along with rerouting, I reorganized the electronics. I thought it was alright before, but it's much better now.

Before:

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After:

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More improvements coming!
 
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thehops

Observer
28 APR 2020

Installed Rock Hard 4x4 Patriot sliders today. Blown away by the quality of them. Removing the rubi rails and installing these was very straightforward. I did lose two captive nuts though for the body bolts somewhere up in there. I was able to pull down one with a telescoping magnet and a long flathead, but the rear driver side one is currently MIA. Hopefully with enough bouncing around in day to say driving it'll shake loose from wherever it's hiding and I'll be able to get a magnet on it to pull it back in to place.

Also, I did have to drill out some of the holes in the pinch seam to ensure good fitment (due to slight misalignment from the factory; the slider instructions warned about this) but it was nothing major.

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All in all, I'm very happy with them. They're exactly what I wanted, and I know they'll serve me well against both rocks and door dings.
 

thehops

Observer
22 JUL 2020

I've been out of town for a little while so I haven't had much in the way of updates, but I knocked out a couple of projects this past week.

First on the agenda: I added a set of Rokblokz. They're XL/Original size, black with red emblem. I was on the fence about what size to go with, but they provide perfect coverage for my 35x12.50s. I hit a gravel road at high speed the next day with the doors off, and the dust/dirt/rock fling was significantly reduced. And personally, I think they look great. Happy customer here. Install was pretty straightforward.

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Up next, I finally added a WARN VR EVO 10S on the front bumper. I have plans to drop a matching one in the rear bumper down the road. I took the lazy route, and didn't disassemble my front bumper at all, and I kind of regret it. Getting this thing installed was an absolute pain in the ass. Also, there is *barely* enough clearance between the rear of the winch and the grille on my Road Armor Stealth bumper. All is well that ends well though, and it's on, secure, and fully functional, wired direct to the aux battery on my Genesis kit. I would like to add a power interrupt in the near future for peace of mind, but it is fine for the time being. I added a WARN Epic 1.5" thick hawse fairlead, a Factor 55 Prolink, and wrapped the winch in a WARN cover to protect the synthetic rope from the elements. I have no doubt that this system will come in handy out on the trail if I find myself or someone else in a sticky situation.

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The list of remaining mods is really starting to wind down. As of right now, the final "primary" mod, as far as I'm concerned, is the bed and roof setup. Currently I'm leaning towards the RSI SmartCap. I'm considering pre-ordering this week. I'm also looking at the maximus 3 roof rack setup for the cab and a matching rhino rack for the rear.

There are still quite a few secondary projects to knock out, and I'll be tackling those as they become convenient. Up next is likely finalizing my cockpit setup.

More to come.
 

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