New Shoes...

I placed my order from Tire Rack on Tuesday 4/23 and my new wheels arrived on 4/24 at 5:00 pm!!! WOW, that was fast. They were mounted and balanced with TPMS sensors and all ready to be installed. Huge thanks to Julian at Tire Rack who helped me out! Must also offer quite a bit of love to my wife who has continued to support my crazy shopping for Great White the Jeep!

I did purchased 5 but the other was already installed before I remembered to take the picture!

Naturally, I immediately began installing them blind to the fact that we needed to meet our friends for dinner at 6:00 pm. Thankfully our friends are Jeep people as well and completely understood our arrival at 6:20...

Before

After

I was lucky to find a really great deal on the wheels, $2437.75 included:

• Granite Alloy 17x8.5 Dark Metallic Bronze Rims (5 on clearance for $108.87 each)
• Wrangler Duratrac 35x12.50x17 Tires (5 for $303.99 each)
• TPMS sensors 
• Mounting & Balancing
• Lug Nuts
• Delivered Next Day to my Door!

This is bringing me very close to the end of the goals I had for my Phase 1 build, only real remaining item is a rear bumper but I can wait on that for now...

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

Lifted - Finally!

I finally had some nice weather and was able to install the Rock Krawler Lift, Teraflex Falcon shocks and bump stops this past weekend. I am pretty excited and have already ordered my new wheels, 35 inch Wrangler Duratracs with Granite Alloy rims. Should have them today so will update shortly.

Pre-Lift

Scoring for the Rock Krawler Lift Kit install comes out to a 12 out of 15 so pretty good:

     Price - 2 ($669.72)
     Completeness of Directions - 2
     Completeness of parts/materials - 2
     Ease of Installation - 3
     Final Product - 3

Scoring for the Teraflex Falcon Nexus 2.1 Shocks install comes out to a 14 out of 15 so it's the best so far:

     Price - 2 ($597.64)
     Completeness of Directions - 3
     Completeness of parts/materials - 3
     Ease of Installation - 3
     Final Product - 3

Scoring for the Teraflex Bump Stops install comes out to a 15 out of 15 so it's the best so far:

     Price - 3 ($85.49)
     Completeness of Directions - 3
     Completeness of parts/materials - 3
     Ease of Installation - 3
     Final Product - 3

All installation directions are online And were provided by the manufacturer so that was great. I still have to say that I love the way Teraflex packages their products and includes really easy to understand instructions right on the packaging making them almost fool proof. The Rock Krawler instructions were almost as good but it did take me some searching and weeding through options to understand exactly what I needed to do. The Rock Krawler instructions cover several of their 2.5 lift kits under the Adventure Series so you need to skip the steps or add them in depending on which kit you purchased. It's not hard but I did something find myself into a step realizing a bit late that it did not apply to my kit. No harm, no foul though...

Basically the steps are as follows:

1. Start with the front of the vehicle. You will need jack stands and jacks to properly and safely lift the vehicle and support it throughout the various steps. PLEASE do not attempt this unless you know what you are doing and have the proper tools, you can either screw up your vehicle or severely injure yourself. Go to a licensed mechanic if you are not up to the task.
2. Jack up your vehicle and remove the two front tires - make sure everything is safely supported.
3. Disconnect the breather mounts
4. Disconnect the right and left brake line mount.
5. Disconnect the front cable for the electronic locker.
6. With the Jeep safely supported by the jack stands. Begin to slowly lower the axle to release the pressure from the coil springs. Once it is low enough, the coil springs will come out.
7. Remove and trash the old bump stops. They are simply pressed in and can be easily pulled out.
8. Disconnect the Sway Bar links and trash the factory ones (you will use the factory rear sway bar links for the front once you get there) 
9. Disconnect and remove the factory tie rod
10. Save all factory nuts and bolts according to the directions from the kits.
11. At this point, you have everything off of the Jeep that you are removing from the front and can start to replace with the new parts...
12. Install the new coil springs and the new lower mounts (you need to reuse the upper mounts) on both sides.
13. Install the new bump stops - they simply are pressed back up into the "cups" the old ones came out of.
14. Install the new Falcon shocks - We trimmed a little of the inner fender plastic to make it easier to reach the bolts for installation.
15. Pre-adjust the Tie Rod to the appropriate length (indicated on the back of the installation instructions that came with the kit) and install the new one. Torque is very important here as in many of the step so please make sure you read the directions and set everything properly to specifications.
16. Reconnect the breather mounts
17. Reconnect the right and left brake line mount.
18. Reconnect the front cable for the electronic locker.
19. Re-install the front wheels and lower the vehicle.
20. Move to the back and make sure to properly jack up the rear of the vehicle and support it on the jack stands.
21. Disconnect the rear E-Brakes and rerun the cables in front of the rear cross member to provide addition length.
22. Disconnect the rear cable for the electronic locker.
23. Remove the two rear wheels.
24. Remove the rear bump stops from their cups.
25. Remove the rear shocks
26. Again, please retain the factory bolts and nuts referring to the directions for use.
27. Loosen and remove the rear track bar from the axle end so you can install the adapter form the kit.
28. Lower the rear axle and remove the rear springs.
29. Remove the rear sway bar links and install these on the front of the Jeep.
30. Install the new rear coil springs, using the supplied bottom shims/mounts (these are side specific) and reusing the tops.
31. Install the new rear shocks.
32. Install the new bump stops.
33. Install the new sway bar links.
34. Reconnect the rear track bar to the new bracket on the axle.
35. Reconnect the rear E-Brakes and rerun the cables in front of the rear cross member to provide addition length.
36. Reconnect the rear cable for the electronic locker.

Post Lift

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

As Grandmaster Flash would say, "Let's get higher baby!"

Now that I got that tune stuck in your head, I just picked up new parts for my JLRU build...

Pretty excited to get this install moving, really hoping for some nice weather this weekend! I shopped local and the guys over at Globex Performance hooked me up, they gave me some great suggestions and the best price around including online. It's always worth checking out the local guy, they might be the one you need to count on in an emergency. Ask for Glen or Mike and tell them Dan from NJJA sent you...

Hear's the breakdown:

• Rock Krawler Adventure Series Stock Mod 2.5" Lift Kit
• Teraflex Falcon Series 2.1 Monotube Shock Kit
• Teraflex 1959200 Falcon Performance Bump Stop Kit

This is the first time I "built" my own lift kit instead of just buying a complete set and I did it fir a couple reasons... Primarily, I wanted a lift kit that I could upgrade and adapt as my driving needs change over time. On my JKU, I installed the AEV 2.5 lift kit and while I loved the ride and the way the kit performed, you needed to completely replace it if you wanted to ever go higher. With this Rock Krawler kit, I can just add additional components as I go. Next, I would say my OCD took over, since I already had the Teraflex Steering Stabilizer (and really love the performance), I wanted to stick with Falcon and install their shocks. I would have really loved to install the Teraflex Falcon Series 3.3 Fast Adjust Piggyback Shock Kit but that was a bit out of my budget at this point. Finally, I chose the Teraflex bump stops as I really like the simplicity of the design.

Anyway, I will update one I get the installation done. I will take some before and after pictures as well as record the actual lift change once complete.

Now I just need to upgrade the tires and rear bumper to complete Phase 1 of my build...

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

LOD JL Signature Series Shorty Bumper Install

So this is probably about the 6th or 7th bumper that I have installed over time and I think this had the worst directions of any including the used ARB bumper that had no directions. Now I liked everything else about the bumper and the install but just had to call out that some of the directions were just wrong or missing. It was odd to see and in some places, we just made our best guess.

Scoring for the Bumper install comes out to a 12 out of 15 so pretty good:

     Price - 2 ($621.24)
     Completeness of Directions - 2
     Completeness of parts/materials - 2
     Ease of Installation - 3
     Final Product - 3

Scoring for the Skid Plate install comes out to a 14 out of 15 so it's the best so far:

     Price - 2 ($119.99)
     Completeness of Directions - 3
     Completeness of parts/materials - 3
     Ease of Installation - 3
     Final Product - 3

Basically the steps are as follows:

1. Remove the old bumper - be sure to unplug the wiring harness for the fog lights on the passenger side (frame rail where the bumper joins the frame)
2. Separate the inner part of the old bumper to remove the fog lights and the wiring harness for reuse on the LOD bumper
3. Next I removed the frame cross member that ties the two sides together
4. I then installed the fog lights into the mounts on the new bumper and ran the old wiring harness to connect them
5. The next step is to mount the two frame brackets with the spacers so you can install the winch plate. This is a relative easy step but takes a little "magic" to align everything and have it remain in place while you fit the winch plate and secure it. Extra hands help! This is also where the directions became a bit "loose". Additionally in the pictures it shows what looks to be grade 8 bolts but what I got in my parts box looks like grade 5.
6. Once you have all 8 bolts in place, you can test fit the front bumper. Use a nut on each side to help secure it while you are working.
7. Once everything looks good, you can tighten down the bolts and connect the wiring harness back up for the fog lights.
8. Next step is to install the winch (if you have one). This is pretty simple with just four bolts to secure it to the bottom of the winch plate and then wire it up.
9. Last step is to install the skid plate underneath the bumper and running to the cross member. This was five bolts, three in front and two in the rear and everything was done!

I like the look of the new bumper and love having my winch mounted up again. This bumper looks very well made and I like the powder coat they used. It is slightly glossy but not "shiny" and looks like it will last. The only caution I have is that this Shorty bumper combines a recessed winch mount AND the fog lights and if you have been shopping for bumpers you know this is a tough combination. The fog lights sit in front of the winch so it extends the front of the bumper out a bit. I knew this going in and accepted the trade off, make sure it works for you before you buy it. With the winch fairlead, this sticks out even more. I have already ordered a new synthetic winch line and hawse failrlead so I will be able to reduce the weight and length somewhat. I will post new pictures when they are installed.

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

Falcon Nexus EF 2.2 Steering Stabilizer Install

I should have written this last week but life got in the way, I am sure you can all relate...

Two weekends ago, I headed over to Chris' house and we set about installing the new Falcon Steering Stabilizer, front LOD Stubby bumper, skid plate and associated lights and winch! It was about 2-3 hours worth of effort combined and I think it went pretty well.

Scoring for this install comes out to a 13 out of 15 so pretty great:

     Price - 1 ($332.49)
     Completeness of Directions - 3
     Completeness of parts/materials - 3
     Ease of Installation - 3
     Final Product - 3

First up was the FALCON NEXUS EF 2.2 FAST ADJUST Steering Stabilizer from Teraflex and it was a fast and easy install. This is my first Teraflex product but if it is any indication of the quality and future longevity of their products, I am very impressed. My initial reaction is that I really liked the look and feel of the product.  The installation included everything required and was a picture on the inside of the box! There are several instructional videos online as well but you really don't need them. The picture was enough! You start out by removing the factory steering stabilizer:

1. Remove the tracbar bolt on the passenger side
2. Remove the two factory bolts that connect the old steering stabilizer to the tie rod (Turn the steering wheel fully to the right to allow the bolts to slide out from the top)
3. Next remove the three bolts that connect the old steering stabilizer to the axle
4. Remove the remaining factory bolt that connects the old steering stabilizer to the tie rod bracket and save it for reuse
5. Install the Falcon Steering Stabilizer to the axle using the factory hardware and torque to 30 ft pounds
6. Insert a provided carriage bolt into the new top bracket and spacer
7. Install it on top of the tie rod bracket and insert another carriage bolt
8. Put the bottom bracket into position and install the two nuts
9. Using the factory bolt that you saved from step 4, install the bolt into the remaining hole in the mounting bracket attaching the steering stabilizer in the process
10. Tighten all three of these nuts to 59 foot pounds
11. That's it, Go for a Drive!

I think short of a light, this is the easiest thing I have installed to date on any of my Jeeps. You can also notice the difference immediately, the settings are as follows:

• Soft, intended for off-road and rock crawling, gives you really good feel
• Medium, intended for normal driving and some trails, feels more "responsive"
• Firm, intended for highway driving, is very "tight" as it's name implies

I drove it around for the past two weeks trying out each setting and settled on Medium for the daily driver chores. Saturday I leave for Florida and plan to set it to Firm for the long ride down. When I hit the trials next, I will give Soft a try to get a really good feel for the differences.

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

Plans for the weekend...

In my previous post, I shared that I was quite excited last week to take delivery of my new bumper only to be disappointed when only the skid plate showed up. Fast forward to today and I have received the bumper and also my Alien Sunshade.

Test Fit everything on my kitchen table - I have a great wife!

Tomorrow I am hoping to get it all installed. Plans include (in order of importance):

• Help my buddy install new wheel bearings on his truck
• Remove JL Bumper
• Remove JL stock Steering Stabilizer
• Install Falcon Nexus Steering Stabilizer
• Install LOD Bumper
• Re-install my SmittyBilt Winch
• Install LOD Bumper Skid Plate

If I can get all this done, it will be a great day! I am not sure I can get the weather to cooperate but going to give it a try, my kingdom for a heated garage!

Hopefully, my next posts will be installation reviews for the above...

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

Well Packaged - Alien Sunshade

I just received my order from Alien Sunshade for my new sun shade for the JL. Nothing too awesome in that except for the fact that it was one of the first things I have received in quite a while that was packaged really well. I am a little "sensitive" to this as I also received my new bumper this week and it was a bit different...

Now I realize that a bumper is quite a bit heavier than the sun shade is but with everything we order for our Jeeps, you would think they could do a better job on shipping. The bumper was packed in an appropriately sized box but they used spray foam to surround the bumper which led to two things:

• It was a mess, not quite as bad as packaging peanuts but a pain in the ass to open and dispose of.
• The two points on the bumper pushed easily through the spray foam and the box to protrude through the cardboard

To add to the issue, the bumper is about 75 pounds so the FedEx driver decided that dragging it on end to my door was better than carrying it! Needless to say, I had to paint to two ends of my brand new bumper to cover up all the scratches. Luckily there was no damage to the bumper and the scratches were superficial so it was not worth sending it back or making a big deal about it.

Today, as comparison, I received the box from Alien and it was packed really well without any mess and seems to be mostly recyclable.


It's not a big deal but when I opened up the box, it just seemed like whomever packed it really knew what they were doing and cared to make sure it looked great inside and out. By contract, the bumper showed up in decent shape but scratched and in a package that my recycling garbage men will not take so it all goes to the dump.

Either way, I am really excited to "install" both this weekend and hopefully grab some time to also get my Falcon Nexus steering stabilizer in as well.

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

Expectations vs. Reality and a Rattle Can!

So in my last installment, I let you know that I had just ordered my front bumper and was quite excited for its arrival. Jump ahead to this past Wednesday and I received shipping information from FedEx that it would arrive by Thursday, shorty mini-snow storm and the date shifted slightly until to today! Imagine my excitement when I heard the knock on the door and my dogs going crazy, each bark and snarl letting me know that it had arrived... Now imagine my horror when I realized that only the skid plate for my bumper had shipped and nothing else...I did not pay enough attention to the shipping note to see that it was only 18 pounds.

So now my weekend plans for my new bumper install are on hold and I am forced to sit and stare at my relatively useless (until everything else shows up) skid plate, what to do, what to do???

I know! Let me spray paint it with something blue! In keeping with The Great White the Jeep theme, I think a Shark would be appropriate and I think the skid plate will make a perfect pallet for my artistry.

Arts & Crafts Time!

Once I found a suitable picture and printed it out, I used my trusty Exacto Knife to cut out the appropriate sections.

 Next, I centered and mounted it to the skid plate with blue painters tape and took it outside.

Over spray, can be a bit of a problem so I added more tape and some newspaper to cover the entire skid plate.

 From here, I just used sprayed away until I felt I had good coverage.

Once it was dry enough, I brought it inside the house to finish drying as it's really too cold outside right now. As you can see, my stencil failed in places so once it is all dry and set, most likely tomorrow, I will go over it with black paint to sharpen the blur. I will do this with a brush so I have more control. All in all, it made the missing bumper sting just a bit less, can't wait to show you everything installed and ready for the trails!

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!

Ordered my Front Bumper from Northridge 4x4

I finally pulled the trigger on my front bumper. I picked the LOD JL Signature Series Shorty with Bull Bar. This bumper has the fog light cutouts and recessed winch mount that I was looking for in a very nice looking package.

Northridge 4x4 was not running a specific sale but Sean (Thanks!) gave me a discount code to use that saved me some cash along with the free shipping so that was great. I purchased the following parts:

• LOD JL Signature Series Shorty with Bull Bar Tube Guard
• JL LED Light Brackets
• JL Signature Series Bolt on Skid

I plan on ordering the matching rear bumper once I have a bit more cash or I see a nice enough sale come along. It will most likely be the LOD DESTROYER FULL WIDTH REAR BUMPER.

So now I just need to wait till they drop ship from the factory so hopefully that will not bee too long. I would like to get everything installed in the next few weeks if possible. Until then, I have this picture to look at...

Not my JL but similar!

The Journey is what counts, Adventure Awaits!