First Impressions:
- Very well made and the powder coat was perfect
- Very well packaged for shipment - arrived with no issues
- The wiring harness was perfectly laid out and designed
- Truly drill free with out needing to modify anything on my JL or the Steps
- Very nice fit on a factory level
- They need to give you more two sided tape (see below)
- Expensive but would definitely purchase again for another vehicle
What We installed:
- JL UNLIMITED 4 DOOR STEP SLIDERS - BD-SS-200-JL4
- JL STEP-SLIDER SKID PLATE - AX-SS-SP-JL4
- JL ROCKER GUARD - AX-SS-RG-JL4
- STEP SLIDER LIGHT KIT - SL-LK-LED
Basically, we uninstalled my factory Rubi Rails and set those aside, on a 3 day old Jeep, things were nice and clean and nothing was rusted on so that was a first! With that complete, we installed three brackets on each side and were then ready to install the trim piece that protects the body from the step itself and from bumps. These were affixed with automotive tape and were a really nice touch.
Once we had the strips up, we were able to test fit the steps and they are heavy! Much beefier than the DV8 steps I had on my JK. These claim to be functioning rails (they also have an optional skid plate) and it was clear that they are made much better than my previous ones. I think they could definitely survive minor bumps and bruises on the trail without much issue. Not sure they are really up for rock crawling but then again, neither am I.
After we test fit the steps, there was really no reason not to mount them fully as they fit perfectly. With all the mechanical parts of the install completed, it was time for electrical. Now my buddy Chris is the mechanical guy and I am the electrical guy, and between us, we do a pretty decent job. We bounce things off each other, along with his son Mitch, and can figure out most everything we have tried. These steps come with a very well made wiring harness and you start from the engine bay (battery) and work your way backwards to the rear seats where all the major install happens.
First, make sure you pull the blade fuse that is inside the red wire that you will be attaching to the battery's red terminal before you start. It is called out in the directions but I feel it is worth repeating here. Once that is done, go ahead and wire up the red and black wires to the red and black battery terminals and that step is complete. Run the wiring up and across the engine compartment and over to the drivers side just past the brake cylinder. There is a grommet here that lets you pass the wiring through the firewall very nicely. I removed the grommet and drilled a hole in it large enough to allow me to pass the wire with their connectors through, and then reinstalled the grommet. I used cable ties and the little square cable tie holders to secure the wire harness within the engine bay so everything was neatly run and out of the way.
Once through the firewall, I connected the first part of the wiring harness to the main section where all the sensors and "brain" resides. Then I installed the on/off switch under the dash as described in the instructions with one small deviation. I forgot my "Righty Tighty/Lefty Loosey" rule of thumb and broke the tiny little bolt that holds the ODB connector which is used to also mount the on/off switch. Chris spent the better part of an hour backing it out with vise grips and re-connecting with a nut and bolt (Wasted Time as it was too early for a beer at that point). Next you need to remove the inside trim along the body under the doors, front and back, left and right, and move carpet in several spots. This is mostly where the cursing took place. There are two plastic "plugs" (NOT the DRAIN PLUGS) on each side of the back seat floor that need to be removed and modified/cut to allow the power wires for the step motors and optional lighting to pass through the floor and under the Jeep to connect power to the steps and lights (pretty logical).
I would say that the next part, lining up the sensors and magnets, is what took the longest, but mostly because of me. They give you exactly 8 small foam, half inch square, two sided tape "pads"that you use for each of the four magnets and each of the four sensors. I mistakenly used two on the first sensor because it seemed too "loose" with only one and this came back to haunt me big time. I did the drivers side first and got everything lined up well and then moved onto the passenger side. As you may have guessed, I had run out of the two sided tape before I could affix my last magnet on the rear passenger door so I just "placed" it in position. I put the fuse back into the wiring harness up near the battery for the first time and the motors cycle. Everything worked great until I tried the rear passenger door, that magnet shifted and nothing would work. It went back and forth like this for a while. I could get everything working, then I would mess up the rear sensor and then it would screw up. I had to keep pulling and replacing the fuse to recycle the motor. After a while I decided I would give up until I got another piece of the two sided tape.
Long story short, (I know, too late) and that was the issue. Once I mounted the last magnet with the two sided tape so it was held in the proper place, the steps worked and continue to work like a charm. Moral to the story, buy extra two sided tape or "Trust" that what they supplied you is enough!
I can't wait to update you after I have had these on Great White for a bit, but I am really happy with them so far, as is my wife, and you know what they say, "a Happy Wife makes for a Happy Life"!
The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!
Nice car and cool that you have already begun customizing it just like you want it!
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