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2012 JKUR Dozer - Let the mods begin!

64104 Views 114 Replies 39 Participants Last post by  SurfnSnow, 
UnlimiDozer
Actually, I guess that title is a little misleading. I've done a few smaller things already: Quadratec Ultimate floor liners, some Rugged Ridge grab handles here and there, and a Carolina Metal Masters custom black anodized billet grab handle with Ram Mounting Systems 1" ball mount (for iPhone / iPad mounting, which I love!). But the best mod so far has been the Star Fabricating Smart Door Stops. My driveway is on a pretty significant slope, so the doors were just a pain. Then my wife had emergency surgery mid-July to remove a massive tumor that had almost blocked, and had perforated her colon. So a door swinging back on her was just not going to be a good day. Yes, it was cancer, but she's doing fine now and tolerating the chemo exceptionally well. Now, back to the Jeep.

So, recently got some 37" MTR/Ks from vfireman309 over on Pirate 4x4 and settled on some black MB 72s to mount them on until I can save the money to go with either Hutchinsons or the HMMWV wheels from TrailWorthy Fab. Mock up is below.



Of course, that's at factory ride height. AEV DualSport SC 4.5" lift is on its way as of this morning and should be here Wednesday. It's anybody's guess when I'll be able to get to the installation, but it will be as soon as I can squeeze it in. I'll put up some pics whenever I do.

There will be upgrades to the suspension in the future - like I'm leaning heavily toward the Metalcloak control arms for their DuraJoint - but for now this made the most sense for me, all in all.

Although I haven't posted much here, I've spent a lot of time following different threads and learning everything I can from the information here, as well as on Pirate. Thanks to those who put the site up, and to all who have made it the quality resource that it is.


Edit: Running List of Upgrades and Modifications (updated as things change or I remember something :) )

Interior

Quadratec Ultimate Floor Liners (Front, Rear, Cargo)
MOPAR Entry Guards
Star Fabricating Smart Door Stops
Black/Coyote Paracord Grab Handles
Molle Panels (Fender Wells & Tailgate / Drop-Down Table)
Poison Spyder JK Bolt-In Cage Kit
Poison Spyder C-Pillar Kit
Carolina Metal Masters JK Billet Grab Handle & RAM Mount
Bestop Quick Disconnects For Soft Top Bows
Smittybilt JK Rear Security Storage Vault
SuperChips TrailDash
ARB 50 qt. Fridge/Freezer

Exterior

Quadratec Manual Mirrors (For When Doors Are Off)
Crown Automotive Mirror Relocation Brackets
Teraflex HD Hinge
Teraflex Adjustable Tire Carrier
Custom Garage-built Stinger Front Bumper
Custom Garage-built Rear Bumper
Poison Spyder Aluminum Crusher Flares
Truck-Lite LED Mini Marker Lights
Truck-Lite LED Headlights
Poison Spyder Aluminum Brawler Rockers
Poison Spyder Crusher Corners
Truck-Lite 4" LED Tail Lights.
Poison Spyder LED Backup Lights with Adapter Harnesses (at corners and in bumper)
Poison Spyder 50” LED Light Bar Windshield Mounts
LED Warehouse 50" Dual Row Light Bar
AEV Gen 2 Snorkel

Suspension / Tires / Wheels

AEV DualSport SC 4.5”
Goodyear Wrangler MTR / Kevlar 37x12.50R17
MB Wheels 72 (Black) 17x8.5, 5x5, -6mm offset
Synergy Tie Rod
Synergy Drag Link
Synergy Ball Joints
Synergy Front Adjustable Track Bar
Synergy Track Bar / Steering Sector Shaft Brace
Raceline Monster Beadlocks, 17x9.5, 5x5.5, (Black w/ Polished AL Ring) (Not yet Installed)

Engine, Exhaust, & Drivetrain

Sierra Gear 5.13s
Poison Spyder D44 Bombshell Diff Covers (2nd gen.) w/ custom Dozer painted Spyder's
Ten Factory Rear Axle Shafts
BR6 Heavy Duty Front Brakes
TeraFlex Rear Big Rotor Kit
Hawk Performance LTS Brake Pads
TeraFlex 241OR 2 Low kit (2 Wheel Drive Low Range)
Adams 1310 Front Driveshaft
Wicked Flow (MagnaFlow clone) 14" Muffler (in place of resonator. Includes OEM Muffler delete and custom tailpipe)
Supertrapp 5" Disc Only Exhaust Tuner/Spark Arrestor
RCV Front Axle Shafts (Not yet installed)
SpynTec Conversion Front Lockout Hubs (Not yet installed)

Communication

Yaesu FT857D All Band Mobile Amateur Radio (Remotely Mounted)
Yaesu ATAS-120A All Band Mobile Active Tuning Antenna System (Optional Antenna for HF/VHF/UHF)
Yaesu FC-40 Automatic Antenna Tuner
102" Stainless Steel Whip (HF Antenna)
Kenwood TH-215A 2 Meter Handheld
Kenwood TH-415A 440 Mhz Handheld
Uniden Pro 538W CB Radio
FireStik 48” CB Antenna
Rugged Radios RRP660 Intercom (3 H-22 Headsets, 1 H-15 Headset)
Rugged Radios Billet (Black) Tube Mounts

Recovery

Hi-Lift Xtreme in Custom Carrier (Mounted to Teraflex HD Hinge)
Smittybilt 3x30 30K Recovery Strap
(4) ¾” Screw Pin Shackles (Working Load Limit 6 1/2 Tons Per)
Warn Zeon 10-S 10,000 lb. Winch with Synthetic Rope
Factor 55 Pro-Link (Orange)

Misc.

PowerTank 10#
Fire Extinguisher, 5# (with PowerTank Mount)
First Aid (Molle IFAIK Bags - 1 Minor Trauma, 1 Major Trauma, Field Surgical Kit)
Max Axe (Military Surplus OD Green)

On the Wish List:

Artec Industries:

Rear Truss
Front Armor Kit (Truss, C Gussets, Track-Bar Mount)
Belly Pan

Metalcloak:

Duroflex Control Arms (Maybe Lock-n-Load Long Arm Kit)

Poison Spyder:

Inner Fenders (Maybe. Not settled on this. Maybe ACE Engineering.)

Rugged Ridge Heat Reduction Hood (Maybe)
SPOD? (Also considering SwitchPros SP-8100)
Cube Lights (flood pattern) for lower windshield corners
LED Fog Light replacements (JW Speaker or similar).
Corbeau Baja XRS Front Seats
TrekArmor Seat Covers (Maybe. Rear only.)
Tuffy or similar under-seat drawers.
AFE Y-Pipe With Loop Eliminator Down Tube or Magnaflow equivalent
Rear Drive Shaft as needed.
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S
UnlimiDozer said:
This is the most recent upgrade. I'll get back to adding the details here within the next few days.











Click to expand...

Looks good Scott! I did that same mod a month or two ago and along with the poly performance track bar, I really felt the steering tightening up. One of those easy to install and cheap mods.
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UnlimiDozer
5
PeteAnthony said:
Awesome Build...
Got some info on the radio install? (HAM that is..)
I've been looking for some good ideas, just not 100% with my antenna placement.
How is it having the CB and the HAM on the back together?
Click to expand...
Hi Pete (or is it Anthony who drives a Pete'?). Easy answer first: no issues with the 2M/440 antenna and CB on the back. I was a little concerned about interaction at first, but the resonant frequencies are so different, I guess that's why it hasn't been an issue. Also, the 2M/440 antenna is a no-ground-plane design, so even less potential for interaction. I have a plan in the works to move the UHF/VHF antenna to the OEM AM/FM antenna location though, so I'll post the results whenever that becomes a reality.

Now a clarification on the setup. The 102" stainless whip, which most people would assume is a CB antenna (and actually is, by design), is really my HF antenna, with the firestick in the middle for the CB.

I use a Yaesu FT857D, which is virtually all-band (there are a few of the less common HF bands it doesn't transmit on, doesn't do 220 MHz, and nothing above 440 MHz). But it does most HF bands, 2m, and 440 MHz. Since the FT857D has the remote mount capability, I have the power unit mounted in the cargo area over the passenger side wheel well. I found some Molle panels on eBay a few years ago that just use the same holes as the hard top to create a nice mounting surface for whatever, so I screwed the mounting bracket right to one of them. The picture below was taken before I added the Mac's Tie Down tracks, and to be honest, I haven't reattached the Molle Panel since installing those. Mac's sells a stud for their tracks so that you can just bolt something down if need be. I think I'll pick up a pair of those to reattach the Molle Panel. That way, I can maintain the quick-release system.


The control cables run along the passenger side with the other pre-existing wiring, up to the dash, then along the gap between the dash and the windshield to the control head. That's mounted to the cross-bar of the PSC Trail Cage using a set of 1.75" Bar Mounts from Rugged Radios (LOVE those things, but have to catch a sale because they're so freakin' expensive!)




I tried Yaesu's ATAS-120A automatic HF/VHF/UHF antenna for a while, but wasn't happy with its HF performance, although it did fine on 2m and 440. Plus, it just didn't strike me as very durable and I was always afraid I was going to catch it on a limb and toast it. So when I installed the PSC crusher corners, I welded on a bracket for the 102" whip, and ran coax through the body using UHF bulkhead connectors. The whip is attached to a repurposed spring from a military AS-3916 VHF antenna, then to a Breedlove #033 connector with a 1/2-20 stud to fit the military female thread. Because the base diameter of the 102" whip is larger than the original military VHF whip, I also had to slightly drill out the whip adjustment ferrule on the top of the spring.


I use a Yaesu FC-40 automatic tuner (see below) to match the antenna to the transceiver. HF performance is still not great, but at least in an emergency or camp scenario, the tuner gives me the capability to throw up a random wire, inverted Vee, etc, for "real" HF performance.



I think that about covers it. Ask questions if you have them.
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UnlimiDozer
One of the "in-progress" things I mentioned a few posts up, is an upgrade to the audio system. Since that post, I've modified the stock tweeters according to the recommendations in this thread: Stock Tweeter Mod - CHEAP - Jeep Wrangler Forum.

Replace the crossover capacitor on the tweeter with a 10 uf 100V electrolytic, non-polarized. I got mine from Parts Express (parts-express.com) for $0.67 ea. Shipping was $6.95 (flat rate), so the whole project cost me $8.29, some time, and some solder. Difference is aMAZing! Can't show that in a picture, but the justification and the process are shown in great detail in that thread. No brainer for the cost, and definitely worth the (small) effort involved.

There are also a handful of other "on-the-cheap" audio upgrade threads over there, dealing with the sub issue, and soundbar as well. Lots of good info and the main players in those threads are really helpful folks.
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UnlimiDozer
2
When California came out with its 1960 throwback plates, I knew I had to have one. I had tossed around about two dozen or so possibilities for a personalized plate over the last 4+ years but never settled on one. But now I decided it was time, so here's the new plate:


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UnlimiDozer
So I realized that it has been about a year since I did a significant build update and there has been a lot of water under the bridge in the last year.

There are more details in my “Cancer Sucks 2.0” thread, but In January 2016 my wife’s chemotherapy stopped working, and that set in motion a whole series of events which left me little time for Jeep mods, JKO, or virtually anything else but her care. Then she suddenly developed Acute Myeloid Leukemia in late October / early November as a side-effect from prior chemotherapy, and succumbed to the new disease very quickly. By November 7th, she was gone.

There have obviously been a lot of adjustments over the last 3 months, even more so due to the fact that my youngest daughter and I relocated to the Central Valley in December. This had been planned for November, but when Sandy (my wife) got so sick, and then passed away, we had to postpone. But things are getting better day by day and I have been forced to give some attention to the Jeep in order to keep it on the road; it has been my only transportation since December of 2015, so I have to keep it roadworthy.

Details to follow . . .
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UnlimiDozer
2
Brakes!

First thing (chronologically) was the brakes. In May, I upgraded the fronts to the BR6 components and added Hawk LTS pads all around.



You can see the difference in rotor size in this pic:


My parts list, sources, and thoughts on the upgrade can be found in the “JK BR6 Heavy Duty Brake Components” thread. I used Silver Caliper Paint (can't remember the brand right now, but will update later) on the calipers and brackets, but High Temp Black on the centers and edges of the rotors. The black was a mistake, as I found that Brake Parts Cleaner will take it right off. Live and learn. Wasn't willing to re-mask the wear surface, and repaint with caliper paint.

More recently I have discovered that the rear brakes are wearing extremely quickly after this upgrade, so I’m probably going to be upgrading the rears as well soon.
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UnlimiDozer
In July, I finally broke down and spent the scrilla on an ARB 50 qt. Fridge/Freezer. Don't have any pics, but you've seen an ARB FF before. :) First thing I did was crank it down and use it for ice cream storage on the 4th. Have to say, one of the best decisions I’ve made. Can’t say enough good things about this unit. The only negative I have seen so far, is that when it’s empty, the interior basket rattles around, which annoys me sometimes. I guess the solution is to keep it full! :D
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UnlimiDozer
2
By October I was noticing something going on with my front end again. It wasn’t exactly like Death Wobble, but it was reminiscent of it. So I started checking things out. One thing I was pretty sure of was my shocks needed replaced. About 30k to 35k on them, with some pretty serious (if not frequent) trail use, and the right rear was leaking. I had seen some uneven tire wear beginning, but had attributed that to the previous issues with steering components, and my occasional lack of diligence in rotating them on schedule. But this new problem felt like the left front tire was bouncing under certain conditions, so could be a weak shock at the left front. (Edit: still haven't replaced them, but they're on the way at least. Just went back with the AEV Bilstein 5100s)

First step to solving that problem was to have the tires re-balanced. That seemed to help some, but it did not eliminate the problem. I was trying to make up my mind whether to go back with the AEV Bilstein 5100s, or upgrade the shocks to something better (read that, “more expensive.” Like 4-5 TIMES more expensive!) While I was pondering that, I crawled under the rig and started checking things out for loose bolts, loose nuts, loose joints, etc., etc.

Long ago, the expansion boot on my front driveshaft had gotten the standard tear in it from getting against the exhaust crossover pipe. This had allowed water and grit to enter the slip joint, the result being that now the slip joint was a slop joint. I immediately recognized that this was probably the root of my current vibration issues. I had also recently seen some horror stories where the front output section of the transfer case just fell out, so I wasn’t super excited about leaving that stress-inducing wobbly drive shaft in place. I pulled it out and while I was there, checked the front output of the T-case for play knowing that the vibration in the drive shaft could wear the bearing prematurely. Sure enough, there was play in that bearing. It wasn’t bad, but it was there. You can see a video in my “T-Case Output Shaft Play — Opinions?” thread.

I had been wanting to install a Teraflex 2 Low kit for a while, so this looked like a good opportunity since I’d need to split the case anyway to replace the bearing. I ordered up an Adams 1310 drive shaft (because I’d rather replace u-joints than gear sets) and the 2 Low kit from Marcus at River City Offroad (Thanks again Marcus, as always!), and got the seal and bearing from the local Jeep dealer. They came in within a few days, but this was about the time my life was blowing up for real, and there just wasn’t time to install the parts right then. But I left the drive shaft out and just had a 2 wheel drive JKU for a while. I think that used to be an option didn’t it?

Finally got that project done this past weekend.




So now I'm happy to say that my rig is a 4x4 again, and now with the ability to use low range with locker, etc. in 2 wheel drive. Why they didn't include that option from the factory, I'll never know. It's such a simple change in the cam design, it would literally cost them nothing, and they could use it as a marketing point -- "Look what we've got that nobody else has!"
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UnlimiDozer
Beadlocks, SpynTecs, & RCVs, oh my!

Just about the time the parts for the Transfer Case came in, in mid-October, Robbs2008JK made me an offer I couldn’t refuse on his pull-off Raceline Monster Beadlocks (For Sale thread here: http://www.jkowners.com/forum/sale-jeep-parts/336178-raceline-monster-beadlocks.html). I squeezed the trip from Livermore to Rocklin into my crazy schedule and before Halloween, had a stack of Racelines in my garage. Sweet!

Installation was another matter, as I’d have to convert to 5 x 5.5, and either get another set of tires or dismount my existing tires (on my only vehicle) and reinstall them on the Racelines. Plus, I was trying to move. Those beadlocks remain in my garage (albeit now in a new garage), but I’m getting closer to getting them installed.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/...2 Jeep Wrangler JKUR/IMG_5180_zpsymsv0qcg.jpg


While Robb and I were visiting, he said he had a SpynTec conversion with RCV shafts he was needing to sell as well. I told him I’d have to pass on that, it was just outside my budget at the moment. I assumed they’d be gone by the time it was inside my budget.

But in a few weeks, Robb got back in touch and said they were still available. He made me another deal I couldn’t refuse, so now my 5 x 5.5 conversion challenge was taken care of (my Ten Factory rear shafts are double drilled), along with a lot of other really cool stuff! So for under $3k, I now have a set of SpynTec hubs, RCV shafts, and Raceline Monster Beadlocks. That’s like getting the Beadlocks for almost free! Thanks Robb!

No pictures of SpynTecs and RCVs, but will click some off when I'm doing the install.
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UnlimiDozer
2
Zeon!

Back in December when 4 Wheel Parts was running their "12 Days of Christmas" sale, they were having some insane deals for one day only. I did read that they brought all 12 deals back for one more day, but the very first one was a Warn Zeon 10-S for $899. Plus, Warn was running a rebate program at the time for $100 back by mail.

I had wanted this winch ever since it came out, but could never bring myself to fork over the $1100, which later became $1250. Yikes! So I continued to limp along with my Smittybilt XRC-8 "borrowed" from my Chevy Colorado, which has been in a perpetual state of "suspended animation" for the last 5 years or so. I shouldn't say "limp" because the Smittybilt has gotten me out of a few jambs. But it is showing its age and its capacity is just a little borderline for my JKU as equipped and especially when loaded.

So when I saw that I could get the Zeon for ultimately $799 (+ the governor's share, unfortunately), it was just too good to pass up. But that was another thing that had to sit in the garage until there was time to "git 'er done." And last week that day finally came.

Birdie likes the new winch:


Actually, she likes the closed-cell foam on corrugated cardboard. It was a little cool out that day and she just wasn't crazy about laying on the concrete. Go figure. We call her Birdie because she's a bird dog (German Wirehaired Pointer), and because she was a jailbird. We got her from the animal shelter in Sacramento. She was a stray they rescued and I had been looking for a GWP for quite a while so we adopted her. She was about 6 months at the time and is making a pretty good companion and "Jeep dog." Anyway, here's the finished product:


You can see that I also picked up a Factor 55 Pro-Link for it. I've liked that design ever since it came out and found one on Amazon from SDHQ that was Orange, so I had to go that route.

I was actually going to install the winch a couple of weeks ago, but found that the depression in the center of my bumper was too deep for it to fit. I knew this had been a problem on the Poison Spyder bumper mine is patterned after, but I thought I had accommodated the dimensions of the Zeon when I designed my bumper. Not so. In fact, I had to use more spacer than PSC recommends to make the Zeon work with theirs. Still scratching my head over how that happened, but it is what it is.

A further complication was the fairlead mount I had built for the bumper. I think it shows in earlier posts, but the swept back front braces sweep too far back and interfere with the motor and gearbox housings on the Zeon. Rather than fab up new pieces, since my shop/garage situation is still kind of a mess, I just picked up the PSC fairlead mount and 3 sets of their spacers as well. I know that will increase the rotational moment on the bumper, but there are two factors that make me OK with it. The first is that I replaced the "8.8" metric bolts Warn supplies with the winch, with "10.9"s. And the second is that I added some bracing to my bumper design that PSC did not have in theirs. So all in all, I'm satisfied with the setup, although I do recognize it's less than ideal.

I realized once I had everything back together, that I'm going to have to do something else with my license plate. There's just no way to access the drum with it in place. I have some ideas, but haven't settled yet on how to mount it. I also had to use the "acorn" nuts Warn sends for the fairlead on the inside rather than on the outside as they intended. There just isn't room to get the bolts in between the winch housing and the fairlead support. And that winch is a bear to get on there so I wasn't about to undo everything just so the fancy nut could be on the outside!

I think that brings everything up to date, but I'll post up again if I remember anything else. Thanks for looking.
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UnlimiDozer
TeraFlex Rear BRK

Back in February, about the same time as I ordered the replacement Bilstein 5100 shocks, I ordered in a TeraFlex Rear Big Rotor Kit. I noticed in the process of doing a tire rotation that the rear pads were getting much thinner than I would have expected for no longer than they had been on. I had installed the Front BR6 parts, including Hawk LTS pads, in May of 2016 but had also installed the same pads on the rear at that time. With only about 10-15k on them, they were about half thickness, while the fronts showed virtually no wear, which seemed unreasonable to me. Evidently I didn't take any pictures, but you've seen brake rotors and brackets before, and that's all there is to the kit. Installation is straightforward as well. As always, post up or PM with questions, constructive criticisms, or helpful advice. (More info here: http://www.jkowners.com/forum/modif...70-jk-br6-heavy-duty-brake-components-17.html, Post # 403).
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gt1guy
I believe most of the work all the nanny shit on the Jeeps do, is done through the rear brakes. So while you might not be pushing the peddle, the rears are still getting a workout.
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UnlimiDozer
gt1guy said:
I believe most of the work all the nanny shit on the Jeeps do, is done through the rear brakes. So while you might not be pushing the peddle, the rears are still getting a workout.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that was pretty much my take as well, and the crux of what I posted in the BR6 thread. Just didn't want to write it again. I have checked again since the TF BRK install and wear rate seems to have returned to normal.

IN OTHER NEWS:

For whatever reason, PhotoBucket has decided they need $399 PER YEAR for me to be able to share my pictures from there with this forum, so I'll be looking for a means to reinstate all those photo links that went dead yesterday. Apologies to anyone looking at this thread in the meantime. Kinda pointless without pics sometimes.

Edit: Updated Photos on this thread. Currently using PostImage (www.postimg.org) as a photo hosting service after PhotoBucket went full retard with their 3rd party linking policy. Would have been bad enough if we had any warning, but as it is it was an arbitrary change and people were only notified after the fact. Bye bye Felicia! :rolleyes:
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UnlimiDozer
10
Been a while since I updated this, so here goes:

I mentioned earlier in the thread that I had gotten some goodies from Robbs2008JK -- Racelines, Spyntec, and RCVs. Unfortunately, that stuff had been sitting around my garage for the better part of a year, in my way and not doing it's job, so I finally just made the time to get the stuff installed. Got some help from Valley Off Road, in Visalia, for the dismount and remount of the tires. I still don't have 220 in my garage to run my compressor, so didn't have any way to air up, if I had tried to do the mounting myself. Also had a buddy with a pickup haul them back and forth to and from the shop for me, so that was cool. So while the shop was doing the tire work, I was busily doing the rest.

It sounds simple enough -- pull the front shafts, reinstall the Spyntec/RCVs as an assembly, pull the rear shafts, press out the studs, re-press the studs in the 5 1/2" pattern, reinstall the rear shafts, and go on down the road. In reality it wasn't exactly that simple. For starters, the Spyntec/RCV assembly is not light. The first install on the passenger side, I left the rear brake dust shield out, so I had to remove the assembly and start over. No biggie, right? Wrong. The Spyntec hub is ever so slightly larger diameter than the unit bearing and was a real challenge to remove. After it finally came loose I installed the dust cover, reinstalled the Spyntec/RCV assembly, and moved to the driver's side. In between, I took the opportunity to use some crocus cloth on the mating surfaces of the hub and knuckle, plus some anti-seize to make removal easier the next time -- which, unfortunately, would not be long.

Robb had kindly supplied the hubs with ABS sensors installed, and not being one to fix what ain't broke, I left them in place. Murphy was sitting back drinking a beer and snickering the whole time. I wondered what was up, but I finally got the joke. While the sensors themselves are interchangeable, the length of the wire pigtail on the 2008 ABS sensors is considerably shorter than on the 2012 sensors. So while Murphy cackled, I removed both Spyntec/RCV assemblies this time, so that I could change out the ABS sensors. Naturally, you can't just slip a ball-tip hex wrench into the space between the dust cover and the rotor; the sensor is too big to slip out between. :mad:

So after stabbing the Spyntec/RCV assemblies for the third time -- oh, and did I mention that the anti-seize didn't really make them much easier to remove? -- I greased and reinstalled the calipers and the front was done. Cool. On to the rear.

Ten Factory rear shafts do not use OEM spec wheel studs. That's all I'll say about that, except that this has been a sort of constant irritation over the last few months. I broke a stud back in July and had no end of grief trying to get the right one. I ended up paying $5.00 a piece for a couple at the stealership, but had plans to replace all of them with this project, just for my own piece of mind. I bought the studs a couple of weeks in advance so they'd be on hand, because I needed to fit this all into a one-day window. With the first of the axle shafts on the press, I realized that the studs I had were not the right ones, not the same as those in the Ten Factory shafts. So I reused the Suspect studs, just because I had to get it back together.

While I had it apart, I replaced the generic O'Reilly rear brake pads I had thrown on with the TeraFlex Big Rotor Kit, with a new set of Hawk Performance LTS pads. Well worth the effort and the (relatively small) expense. Definitely a noticeable difference.

So with the change to 5x5.5" for the Spyntecs, my TeraFlex HD Tire Carrier no longer fit my spare. TF to the rescue with a new mount plate, drilled for the correct pattern. The one snafu was that the original license plate/CHMSL mount that came with my TF carrier was designed to stab through the two unused lug holes in the spare wheel, with nuts holding it in place. Now the spacing there was wrong as well. Doug Henderson at TF sent me out the parts to correct this, but they only offer a CHMSL mount for the 5x5.5" pattern, not a license plate mount. So out came the grinder, drill, and welder. An hour or so later, I had modified the original tag mount plate for the 5x5.5" spacing, and drilled new holes in the new 5x5.5" HD Tire Mount Plate and everything was back to normal. I also had to devise a new CHMSL, since I no longer have round holes in my wheels to hold a 2" LED Marker Light. I found a solution at a truck stop and with a little modification, had what I think is a pretty good looking solution. (I will have to post a better picture of that later, but will edit it in here).

So here are the post-project pics (like that alliteration?)


Raceline, Spyntec, sweetness VVV


(Very greasy) RCVs VVV




VVV Yeah, I know, this is kind of ugly, but I had to fill the holes and it will never be seen.




And, the finished project VVV. Not sure I'll be keeping the rear center caps, but maybe. The Ten Factory shafts were getting a little rusty, so this seemed like the way to go, with the lockout hubs in the front, but that may change.



And just for kicks and grins, my new toy :D






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S
Looks good Scott! I've been kicking the idea of upgrading the brakes and this is pushing me to pull the trigger.
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