Jeep My Overland Project, the RME JKU

[Greg]

My updates have been falling behind.... there haven't been a lot, but in order to catch up....

I've been using the stock radio with an external Garmin GPS and Sirius Satellite Radio receiver for quite sometime... it worked, but by dash was crowded. I love having my satellite radio for my music and having a GPS for navigating on road and off, but wanted something that could do it all. I've wanted to upgrade for a lone time, decided to get the Kenwood DNX573S at BestBuy and had them install it. - http://www.kenwood.com/usa/car/navigation_multimedia/dnx573s/

Bluetooth for hands free calls, Garmin GPS, Sirius satellite radio, as well as all kinds of other neat features. I've been very happy with the radio/GPS/Sirius/handsfree upgrade!

This is one of those items that you say, 'Why didn't I think of that?!' After lifting your JK, you see how vulnerable your ABS and Brake Line are to getting damaged. There is a lot going on behind the tires on the front of your JK and the ABS line and Brake line are both very vulnerable and important pieces to keeping your Jeep moving.

Before -

Enter the TeraFlex Brake Line Anchor, your ABS and Brake Lines now have a mount that holds them away from harm, but is still flexible for movement when the axle is under droop and compression. Bolting them on is super simple, they mount to the lower shock bolt and the other end secures the Brake line inside a molded rubber mount with a recessed channel for the ABS line, with provided zip ties to keep them in place. You can angle the Brake Line Anchor Kit based on your Jeeps suspension and lift height. This is a great way to keep your important lines from getting smashed in the shock, grabbed by a tire or getting hooked by trail debris and keeps them out of harms way.

Seriously.... why didn't I think of that. Great product from the brilliant minds at Teraflex!


I do have some upcoming maintenance, my front rotors are starting to pulse under braking. Thinking I may as well upgrade rather than go back to stock. We will see what upgrades end up on my JKU. Also, my unit bearings have gone bad.... again. I think it has something to do with my Jeep getting jumped at speed during a recent trip to Moab. My stock tie rod and TRE's are getting a little loose too...

And a quick vid from the last Moab trip -
[video=youtube;ohZ3cZJxxn4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohZ3cZJxxn4[/video]

 

[Greg]

Lower, Lighter and Longer.... that sums up my next round of mods for the JKU.

Lower- I want to lower the GOC when loaded up for long trips; water down low, additional gas too. Currently my shower/camp water ends up on the roof rack in a 12 gallon FrontRunner tank. My 2, 5 gallon NATO gas cans sit in another FrontRunner mount on the roof rack as well. That's 100#'s of water and 60#'s of gas.... all up high! Planning to add a Titan Fuel Transfer Tank, which sits behind the spare tire. Thankfully I have the Teraflex spare tire carrier, so I know it's up to the challenge of carrying the weight. The Titan can hold up to 12 gallons, I'll probably just keep 4-5 gallons in it most of the time just in case, then fill for longer trips as needed.

Lighter- Lighter and smaller method of airing up, CO2 tank is great, but heavy and bulky even with an aluminum tank. I've been carrying it around in the footwell of the 2nd row and it takes up so much room! I plan to upgrade to a ARB Dual Air Compressor, from Kurt and the guys @ Cruiser Outfitters.

Longer- More time away from civilization with improved electrical management system. I plan to install a dual battery kit from Genesis, so that I can have a 2nd dedicated battery for the fridge, compressor, additional lights, etc. Then still have a battery that can start the Jeep, after using the fridge and other accessories while at camp.

ARB Dual Air Compressor - http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-On-Boar...-Volt-Twin-Air-Compressor-CKMTA12-P21341.aspx

ARB Dual Compressor mount - https://www.mountainoffroad.com/arb-air-compressor-mount-07-14-jk.html

Titan Fuel Transfer Tank - http://titanfueltanks.com/titan-trail-trekker-ii-4040287

Front Runner Footwell 10 gallon water tank - https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/front-runner-footwell-water-tank.html

Genesis Dual Battery kit - https://www.genesisoffroad.com/JKDualBatteryKit-p/131-jkdbk.htm

sPOD relay, switches and air pressure gauge - http://www.4x4spod.com/product_p/610-0915.htm

TeraFlex JK Dual Rate Anti-Sway bar - https://teraflex.com/shop_items/528ffa7fead962f416e72e1e


I've started gathering some of these parts, hoping to pick up the others over the next several months. Jeep upgrades aren't cheap... :-\

 

[Bart]

Nice upgrades and well thought out. It's turning into a heck of an overlander. I love my dual pump ARB.

 

[Greg]

Nice upgrades and well thought out. It's turning into a heck of an overlander. I love my dual pump ARB.

Appreciate it Bart!

 

[Herzog]

Good list! I've been kicking around the idea of a the dual pump ARB.

 

[TRD270]

Good list! I've been kicking around the idea of a the dual pump ARB.

Buy one, and i'll give you $20 for the one in the Tacoma

 

[Herzog]

Buy one, and i'll give you $20 for the one in the Tacoma

That's just a lowly single pump. And, no way!

 

[SnwMnkys]

Genesis Dual Battery kit - https://www.genesisoffroad.com/JKDualBatteryKit-p/131-jkdbk.htm




I've started gathering some of these parts, hoping to pick up the others over the next several months. Jeep upgrades aren't cheap... :-\

Thought of building your own dual battery setup? The hardest part would probably be the tray. But here are the major electrical components in the Genesis kit.

https://www.waytekwire.com/item/770...nwddHXIMDBtmeaQ6-Jag7FfRC2hPK21BoCTO0QAvD_BwE
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/44155/Cole-Hersee-9231-Momentary-Switch-SPST-/
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/47226/Power-Post-Red-3-8-160-Amp/
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/47225/Power-Post-Black-3-8-Amp/

 

[Greg]

Good list! I've been kicking around the idea of a the dual pump ARB.

It's a big list! Lots of work to do... I love how quick the CO2 is, but it's just so much size and weight. It would great to reduce it to the ARB Dual Compressor that's about the size of a shoebox... and put it under the hood!

Thought of building your own dual battery setup? The hardest part would probably be the tray. But here are the major electrical components in the Genesis kit.

https://www.waytekwire.com/item/770...nwddHXIMDBtmeaQ6-Jag7FfRC2hPK21BoCTO0QAvD_BwE
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/44155/Cole-Hersee-9231-Momentary-Switch-SPST-/
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/47226/Power-Post-Red-3-8-160-Amp/
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/47225/Power-Post-Black-3-8-Amp/

I would love to DIY it and I'm sure I could build the required battery tray, I just don't feel comfortable making the dual battery components on my own. The Genesis kit is spendy though! I'll have to do some more research & reading, see how difficult it really is to build one.

 

[ChestonScout]

Mine has the dual arb compressor mounted under the passenger seat. It’s a little noisy but good use of useless space

 

[Greg]

Mine has the dual arb compressor mounted under the passenger seat. It’s a little noisy but good use of useless space

I've thought about that too, Teraflex makes a seat mount bracket just for that. I would prefer to have the compressor inside the Jeep, rather than under to hood simply to keep it out of the dust/dirt.

 

[DAA]

My dual ARB has never known the comforts of being inside. Been under the hood of my LJ it's whole life. Which, I can't really remember how long I've had it. Four or five years maybe? Originally had it in the factory air box location. But got rid of the crappy CAI that I was using and went back to the factory air box, so moved the compressor to the ABS tray on the driver side. I think it's not too affected by the harsh conditions.

- DAA

 

[Greg]

My dual ARB has never known the comforts of being inside. Been under the hood of my LJ it's whole life. Which, I can't really remember how long I've had it. Four or five years maybe? Originally had it in the factory air box location. But got rid of the crappy CAI that I was using and went back to the factory air box, so moved the compressor to the ABS tray on the driver side. I think it's not too affected by the harsh conditions.

- DAA

Good to know, thanks Dave!

 

[SnwMnkys]

I would love to DIY it and I'm sure I could build the required battery tray, I just don't feel comfortable making the dual battery components on my own. The Genesis kit is spendy though! I'll have to do some more research & reading, see how difficult it really is to build one.

We are backwards. Wiring is the easy part for me. I did a dual battery swap in my Bronco years ago.

My JK had the Genesis kit in it, but someone or the owner removed the whole top section from the Jeep when it went through insurance. So I have the tray, just not the hold down bracket or the components. So thats why I was sourcing the components.

 

[Anchor_Mtn]

Lower, Lighter and Longer.... that sums up my next round of mods for the JKU.

ARB Dual Air Compressor - http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-On-Boar...-Volt-Twin-Air-Compressor-CKMTA12-P21341.aspx

ARB Dual Compressor mount - https://www.mountainoffroad.com/arb-air-compressor-mount-07-14-jk.html

Titan Fuel Transfer Tank - http://titanfueltanks.com/titan-trail-trekker-ii-4040287

Front Runner Footwell 10 gallon water tank - https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/front-runner-footwell-water-tank.html

Genesis Dual Battery kit - https://www.genesisoffroad.com/JKDualBatteryKit-p/131-jkdbk.htm

sPOD relay, switches and air pressure gauge - http://www.4x4spod.com/product_p/610-0915.htm

TeraFlex JK Dual Rate Anti-Sway bar - https://teraflex.com/shop_items/528ffa7fead962f416e72e1e


I've started gathering some of these parts, hoping to pick up the others over the next several months. Jeep upgrades aren't cheap... :-\

Sounds like Kurt has you covered on the ARB gear..... just FYI, we are dealers for the rest of that list.

 

[Greg]

Sounds like Kurt has you covered on the ARB gear..... just FYI, we are dealers for the rest of that list.

Good to know, I'll hit you up when I'm ready!

 

[Greg]

I haven't updated this thread in awhile, there have been some pretty big changes to catch up on! As mentioned above, I went forward with adding the following;

ARB Dual Air Compressor from Cruiser Outfitters & ARB Dual Compressor mount from MORE, Titan 12 gallon Fuel Transfer Tank, sPOD relay, switches and air pressure gauge from Anchor Mountain Overland, TeraFlex JK Dual Rate Anti-Sway bar and new Falcon 3.4 shocks. I also upgraded my Warn Winch line to their Spydura synthetic rope, a new Warn fairlead and hook. Lastly, I added a set of LED rear backup lights, for better visibility while backing up at night.

I needed the ARB Dual Air compressor and sPOD to help control the Falcon 3.4 shocks, which are adjustable on the fly, from the drivers seat. Of course, having the ARB compressor allows me to leave the CO2 tank at home and makes airing up tires less hassle. The compressor takes longer to air up tires, but won't run out like the CO2. The TeraFlex Dual Rate anti-sway bar has been great, it's adjustable in terms of how firm or soft you want the sway control and when in 'Trail' mode, you still have a lighter rate of body roll resistance.

Here's some pics from the installations; TeraFlex Dual Rate anti-sway bar-

Titan Transfer Tank-

Warn Spydura, Fairlead & Hook-

LED Reverse Lights-

Halogen bulb on Left, LED on Right.

sPOD and ARB Compressor-

Falcon 3.4 shocks-

Combined with the adjust-ability of the Falcon 3.4 shocks, you can truly tune the suspension and ride for the trail conditions and speeds, which is amazing. I'm finding that if I want to bomb down a smooth road and really carry speed but retain control, I can set the Teraflex Dual Rate in 'Trail' mode with the Falcon 3.4 shocks in 'Firm' and have plenty of wheel travel for the big bumps, but also plenty of suspension control with the firm shocks. If the trail gets rougher and rockier, set the shocks to 'Soft' and get bounced around even less.

Here's my separate thread about the Falcon 3.4 shocks, lots of info there.- https://www.rme4x4.com/threads/falcon-3-4-shocks.114065/

I didn't do everything I mentioned previously, but have added to the capability, drive-ability and safety of the Jeep. I was able to get out and test these mods over EJS, when I was able to hit the trail with the Warn Industries Flat Iron Mesa, with Jessi Combs and Shannon Campbell!

This is Jessi and her boyfriend Terry, watching me drive the hardest obstacle on Flat Iron Mesa!

And her KOH Class Winning JK!

I'm really happy with where the JKU is these days, it's come together quite well with the addition of a lot of great parts, from excellent companies.