Mild JK Build

[tondestr]

They are 35x12.5 r17 BF Goodrich KM3’s


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Great choice of tires.

[opossum5]

Wow! Great build. Is this seriously your DD as well?? I'm both very impressed and interested as I'm attempting to do the same thing with my JK.

[eric m]

Wow! Great build. Is this seriously your DD as well?? I'm both very impressed and interested as I'm attempting to do the same thing with my JK.

Thank you! Yep, it’s my daily, it can make the build up slower and more difficult than a trail only Jeep but life’s to short to drive a boring vehicle lol.


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[eric m]

Did a couple of things to the JK today...




Replaced my beat up winch cable with synthetic rope and an aluminum fairlead I got from Crawler Off-road. I also replaced my JL latches, I cut them down pretty good when I replaced the fenders as the openings weren’t large enough by a lot. I ordered these slimmer latches for a JL as well as I had already modified the hood etc...they are much more secure than previous.




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[mikeswillys]

I love those fenders and inners. What brand are they?


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[eric m]

I love those fenders and inners. What brand are they?


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The fenders are Smittybilt XRC Gen2’s. They’ve been out for around a year but I’ve not seen many sets yet. The inners are just some aluminum ones from Amazon, they were a gift so not sure which, ironically they attach more securely then the poison spyder ones I’ve seen.


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[eric m]

I picked up a used Bestop Trektop NX earlier this year. I have the space to store the hardtop for the summer and was happy to pick this top up. In full disclosure I paid $300 for it, I don’t know that I would pay retail ($1200+). If you’re considering this top here are some pros and cons I found.

Pros:

It’s the quietest soft top I’ve ever had.

It’s easy (ish) to remove or install by your self.

The zippers are really beefy compared to other tops.

Cons:

It’s either all the way on (with the sun rider portion flipped back) or all the way off. I guess you could fold/roll it up and carry it with you but it’s not as convenient as a factory style top that you can fold down.

The rear window to side window attachment is a pain unless it’s a hot sunny day and the fabric can stretch. I know this is always and issue with soft tops however it seems way more noticeable with this top.

Beyond that everything else comes down to personal preference. Is it a nice top? Yes if you can deal with the downsides. Would I buy it brand new? Absolutely not, it’s hugely expensive for what it is and how I intend to use it and the downsides are a real detractor. I figured I’d post an honest review for anyone looking for a soft top for their JK.



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[tondestr]

Did a couple of things to the JK today...




Replaced my beat up winch cable with synthetic rope and an aluminum fairlead I got from Crawler Off-road. I also replaced my JL latches, I cut them down pretty good when I replaced the fenders as the openings weren’t large enough by a lot. I ordered these slimmer latches for a JL as well as I had already modified the hood etc...they are much more secure than previous.


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I was checking out winches on 4wheelonline and was torn between Smittybilt and Warn Winch.

[eric m]

I was checking out winches on 4wheelonline and was torn between Smittybilt and Warn Winch.

The Warn is the better winch for sure. I’m not knocking the Smittybilt, I’ve used quite a bit for yard work, recovered my buddy and recovered myself on a really long pull. It’s held up well aside from the free spool lever sticking, that freed up however. If you can afford the Warn go for it, otherwise the Smittybilt has worked well for me and I don’t have a problem recommending it.


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[Jagered]

Very nice... gives me more ideas and more things for the wife to yell at me about!

[eric m]

Very nice... gives me more ideas and more things for the wife to yell at me about!

Thank you, you get used to being yelled at after awhile.


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[eric m]

I like my tire carrier but I hate the rattle and noise it makes. I have messed around a bit with some delrin and turned up some threaded pieces to use as spacers that ride on the spare tire delete plate. They only last for a six or so months before they where down or the threads where out from the abuse. I was tinkering with something more substantial, I used a TJ front bumper rubber crash pad that I cut down a bit, I used a piece of steel that I drilled to fit the end of a bolt on the tire carrier and the bolt on the crash pad. So far it’s been a huge improvement, I will see how long it holds up.


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[eric m]

Enjoyed my heated shop and knocked out a few things on the JK today. I’ve had the JKS rear track bar for more than a year and finally installed it. Did some new rear bumpstops, and installed the 3rd brake light kit my wife got me for Christmas. Supposedly it was plug and play for 2007-2018 JK’s but it didn’t plug in so it got wired in.


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[eric m]

I did the diff covers front and rear over the summer complete with Lubelocker gaskets. Used Yukon diff covers front and rear, just never posted them.


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[eric m]

I finally sorted my rear corner armor and fender flares out. I removed the Craigslist sourced narrow metal flares March 2021 when I sold the them with the fronts that I removed in June of 2020. I ordered some Smittybilt corner armor and some clearance priced Hammerhead flares from ExtremeTerrain. I cut up the fender flares to match the wheel opening of the armor and welded them up. I painted the armor body color because I like the look and it won’t be to hard to touch up once they get scratched up.


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[mikeswillys]

Wow, very nice work. Did you use anything to seal it to the original rear fender or is it just bolt on?


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[eric m]

Wow, very nice work. Did you use anything to seal it to the original rear fender or is it just bolt on?


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Thank you. The corner armor bolts to the tub using nutserts.


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[eric m]

Upgraded my stock radio, went with an Amazon special touchscreen unit that has fancy things like built in navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, etc...kit was actually plug and play and included everything I needed to install which was a nice surprise. I will add a backup camera and sub as this radio supports all of it.


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[eric m]

Finally got around to installing the speakers in my sound bar. I used Pyle speakers with tweeters. It’s sounds much better than the old speakers.


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[JPNinPA]

Did you fill behind the speaker at all?


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson