KP's JKUR Build

Tumble Weed

I haven't modded anything in weeks and I think I'm starting to get a little Jeep stir crazy!:gaah:

Mr. K has me thinking lift kits and is tempting the hell outta me with a great deal on a new set of Rigids for the front and another tire thread has got me wondering just what tire I plan to run if/when I do lift it. Curse this whole budget thing!
 
I haven't modded anything in weeks and I think I'm starting to get a little Jeep stir crazy!:gaah:

Mr. K has me thinking lift kits and is tempting the hell outta me with a great deal on a new set of Rigids for the front and another tire thread has got me wondering just what tire I plan to run if/when I do lift it. Curse this whole budget thing!

I hear ya I thought I was going to be happy with just a jeep ha , now I try to budget any way I can but keep ending in the short side if the stick. I still have a blast when I get out anyway. I got my cb in so I'll be happy fir awhile.

Sent from my HTCONE using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
I've got plenty of mods to do, it's just that all the parts are in transit somewhere.

Just get out and use it mate, it's set up pretty well already.
 
I'm in the same boat KP...I'm saving for a winch but fenders are next to be ordered. Sometime soon I need to get my JKUR suspension installed but that'll mean paying for a alignment too so it'll probably have to wait a lil while haha I'm so broke it's not even funny. BUT I'm pretty confident that after I get all that done I'll be content for a while ... long enough to save up some more money to buy other crap that I randomly decide I want lol. Por ejemplo; I'm randomly wanting a new exhaust set up. Just a muffler...I want a good little growl but nothing too loud when driving on the highway. Who knows, we'll see what happens haha
 
I'm in the same boat KP...I'm saving for a winch but fenders are next to be ordered. Sometime soon I need to get my JKUR suspension installed but that'll mean paying for a alignment too so it'll probably have to wait a lil while haha I'm so broke it's not even funny. BUT I'm pretty confident that after I get all that done I'll be content for a while ... long enough to save up some more money to buy other crap that I randomly decide I want lol. Por ejemplo; I'm randomly wanting a new exhaust set up. Just a muffler...I want a good little growl but nothing too loud when driving on the highway. Who knows, we'll see what happens haha

Funny you mention an exhaust set up. Swapping out just the muffler looks super easy and shouldn't break the bank. I'm looking at a full high tuck exhaust kit for myself. I figure, I'll need it eventually when I lift the Jeep, and in the mean time, I'm shaving off weight, getting better sound & air flow, and increasing my departure angle. Yes, I've been beating up my submarine can muffler and exhaust tip already.
 
A few months ago, I went out on a wheelin’ trip into some muddy & wooded parts of the east coast on an all breeds trip. Some folks brought out their FJ Cruisers, I saw a handful of Land Rovers, a couple full size trucks, but by far it was mostly Wranglers. One of the wranglers that stood out to me had these silly looking panels all over it called TrailSkinz. I of course immediately started laughing... Who would need such a thing? That looks just silly! That's not a real Jeep product! I kept on walking and checking out rigs, but that almost stock Jeep kept popping up in my mind. We armor everything below from rocks, so why not armor the paint too? As the day wore on and the brush got thicker and meaner, I started thinking more and more about that lady in her JKU with her silly panels. Each nasty sounding scrape down the side got me thinking that perhaps maybe aren't so silly after all.

I staked out the website for a month or so waiting for a good deal and ordered a set just before my next wheelin’ trip to RC. They arrived in a tube and I didn't take them out until it was time to put them on the morning before setting out on trail. Doing a little walk around, found that I actually kind of like that flat black look on the billet silver. It doesn't hurt that it makes you a little more fearless on the thicker trails too!

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There wasn't a ton of brush on the trails I went on, but what there was the TrailSkinz handled with no problem. When you are done with trail, just pull them off, take some mild soap and a soft sponge to them. Lay out to dry for a few minutes, then roll them back up in the tube they came in until the next trip. I went out looking for a fancy art tube with a screw top to store them in, then thought about just making something out of PVC... but in the end, the wife helped me duct tape the hell out of the shipping tube and it seems to be working great!

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Were you up there on June 29th? I saw a Jeep at the gas station down the road around 8:30 am Saturday morning that had skins all over it. I didn't wheel with the wayalife group so we never would have met.
 
Were you up there on June 29th? I saw a Jeep at the gas station down the road around 8:30 am Saturday morning that had skins all over it. I didn't wheel with the wayalife group so we never would have met.

Yes sir. That was me while grabbing a double croissan'wich and a bag of ice for the cooler. That was an excellent RC trip, hope you can make the next one.
 
Yep! There is only one mod that I want right now and thats an lod rear bumper/tire carrier but money is a little bit tight
 
Funny you mention an exhaust set up. Swapping out just the muffler looks super easy and shouldn't break the bank. I'm looking at a full high tuck exhaust kit for myself. I figure, I'll need it eventually when I lift the Jeep, and in the mean time, I'm shaving off weight, getting better sound & air flow, and increasing my departure angle. Yes, I've been beating up my submarine can muffler and exhaust tip already.

Mines got a good sized dent too ... you aren't alone haha Dynomax has some Pro Crawler or whatever one thats tucked away and stuff, I WANTZ IT!
 
The controversial CAI! - Volant’s 17636 PowerCore® Intake System

In the absence of any current mods, I'd like to take this opportunity to write about one other mod I’ve done recently. As with all my other mods, I did more than a little reading before deciding that there are, actually, some gains to be made out of installing a new intake on the 3.6L Pentastar engine. Sure, the dyno charts I saw for some open box tests were good but what really sealed the deal was looking at the OEM intake in all its glory and seeing just how hard it must be for the air to get from the outside, through the filter, and into the engine.

As I am a bit… (ahem) particular… I wanted a few specific things out of a new intake. First off, I didn’t want anything with a wide open filter. I love to play in the water waaaay too much to run an open filter and the risk of hydro-locking the engine just isn’t worth it. I liked the idea of a long life filter and I also didn’t want to discount the idea of a snorkel mod down the road. I compared products from AIRRAID, Banks, CORSA, K&N, and Volant. Unfortunately, K&N only offered an open filter set up, so they were off the table immediately. The Banks kit promises some excellent gains, but the inlet opening is almost like an open filter set up, so that’s out too. The AIRRAID kit shows promise, but there’s no chance of moving to a snorkel with this kit in later years. The Corsa & Volant kits look like they’ll both fit the bill. High intake locations that aren’t gigantic, long life filters, and the ability to convert to a snorkel kit down the road.

Comparing the Corsa & Volant kits, the only thing I could find different between the two was the price and the logo. I really and honestly can’t tell the difference between the designs other than the colors. I have to think the guy that designed the part for Corsa went to work for Volant and took the patent with him maybe? I found a stellar deal on the Volant kit on the internets and it arrived a few days later.
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Removing the OEM intake is pretty darn easy. A flat head to undo the clamp at the throttle body and a socket (10mm maybe?) to remove two bolts holding it to the radiator and voila!
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This little guy is a bastard! While easy to remove, make sure to be very, very careful not to bend or break it during re-installation in to the new intake tube. I think each one is $35 or so at the stealership?
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Drop in the Air box (it just rests in place) which you should have assembled on your work bench (don’t over tighten the short screws holding on the cover!) and then with the air flow sensor installed; loosely fit the intake pipe using the supplied rubber grommets. Attach the clamps to the throttle body and fire it up! I haven’t dyno’d it, so I can’t claim any better/worse power. The butt dyno wants to say more power tho. I haven’t babied it, so I can’t claim better/worse MPG’s. But I can tell you for a fact that it sounds fantastic! When I get the engine really breathing, it sounds like a Corvette’s LS7 and when I lay off the throttle I can barely hear it in the cab. Other than the fact that it’s not helping my MPG’s courtesy of the amazing engine intake note, I’d have to say I’m really happy with it.
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Starting, idling, and revving with the stock air intake


Starting, idling, and revving w/ the Volant PowerCore® Intake System


In cabin audio w/ the Volant PowerCore® Intake System - typical around town driving


In cabin audio w/ the Volant PowerCore® Intake System - gettin' on it!
 
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The sPod Power source and AeroForce Tech gauge are probably the priciest small components I've ever put into a Jeep. Period! I first heard of sPod from a random guy in a '12 Rubicon that I parked next to near a U-Haul parking lot to talk Jeeps. At the time, mine was bone stock with new car smell wafting out the windows, but his had a few goodies on it. One piece that really caught my eye in particular was his collection of switches above the rear view mirror. So neat and tidy and oem looking! My Jeep obviously needs this. He told me about the sPod set up, what it was, and why he thought it was good. Coming from a man who is a professional electrician, I took his view on the subject with more than a grain of salt. I did a little research online and after dragging my feet for a few weeks at the cost, I pony'd up for an sPod w/ pod gauge cut out and an AeroForce Tech gauge.
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Everything un-boxed and laid out for install. The concept isn't too hard to wire. The AeroForce Tech gauge is one cable that plugs directly into your OBD II port, while the sPod is one wiring harness that you'll run through the firewall. One thing to keep in mind if you get the AeroForce Tech gauge, (wish I knew this) make sure you ask for the LONGER cable. I ended up having to extend my wiring.
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Please do yourself a favor and cover your a/c vents with a little painters tape. If you don't, be prepared to watch a washer or a screw take up permanent residence in your hvac system.
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This is what the bare metal and that top panel looks like from behind. Take note of where the little metal clips live so you can slide them back when you are wrapping up the job.
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To make the system fit nice and flush, you'll have to notch out that top panel just a smidge. A hand saw should do it, or if you have one, a Dremel will probably do the trick too. Once the piece is notched out, refit it LOOSELY back into position around the sPod mounting bracket.
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The AeroForce Tech gauge is simply a pod gauge and is held in place with the bezel ring. Tighten everything in and prepare to pop it into the Jeep.
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Lining everything up, tucking the wires in, and getting it all buttoned up can be a bit of a pain. May I suggest zip-ties?
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2 screws later, the whole thing is in position. Now you just need to run your wiring through the firewall.
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Under the hood, the sPod source is attached on the driver's side directly behind the CPU using OEM bolts and an included bracket. You'll want to run the wiring around the edge of the engine compartment, on the firewall and connect it to the battery. But that's pretty much it for wiring.
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Don't worry about your hard top or soft top, there's plenty of space to close everything. Here's a shot with the top on, the jeep idling & all 6 switches flipped on. (No, nothing is connected to them... yet!) The AeroForce Tech gauge is displaying battery volts (14.2) up top and engine load (33%) on the bottom. If your ECU tracks it, then the AeroForce Tech gauge can probably display it. I usually run mine on instant MPG on the bottom and battery volts on top on the road and adjust to a different set up when I'm wheelin'.
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The finished product looks like it came with the Jeep from the factory and is, overall, a great product. True, it's a little on the pricey side, but if you plan to run a bit of lighting, electric lockers and/or a compressor, it's very easy to fill up six switches. It's great to get all that wiring done at once AND basically have a standalone electrical system which makes connecting new goodies to the sPod actually very, very easy.
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can you give me an update on how you like this set-up? pros and cons of it. what makes it worth the price tag? please and thanks!
 
Mmm I got a good smirk when I heard the revving...sounds good! That really makes me want an intake with a nice muffler. I take it the Volant system is expensive?
 
Wow, that looks very clean installed. Nice upgrade!:thumb:
Thanks! Under the hood, that cover looks fantastic. And the small clear plastic window is a nice touch imho.


Mmm I got a good smirk when I heard the revving...sounds good! That really makes me want an intake with a nice muffler. I take it the Volant system is expensive?
The Volant system is not very expensive as far as full box intake kits go. The Corsa is the same thing (I think) but much, much more expensive. Q-tech lists it for around $360, but I saw it on Amazon today $241.50 w/ free shipping. Search for it by company and part number "Volant 17636." I added 2 more video clips to hear the engine sound from inside the cab.
http://youtu.be/2fy9jyRvkLA - Normal driving
http://youtu.be/7rwAU6C8JPw - Aggressive acceleration
 
can you give me an update on how you like this set-up? pros and cons of it. what makes it worth the price tag? please and thanks!

I'm still loving my sPOD. Thus far, it's one of those parts you buy where you do end up spending a little more than you planned but it goes in easily, looks fantastic, and just works. No issues, no adjustments, no fuss, no shorts, no problems, it just works.

Pros:
  • Fits & looks like it's an OEM product.
  • Not made from cheap plastic, it's very sturdy.
  • I like that it's a standalone system w/ fuses and relays for each switch connection.
  • Once installed, makes wiring accessories much easier. On previous builds, I'd buy some lights and run the wiring. Then later on, I'd buy something else and run more wiring, then something else, etc. Getting through the firewall and keeping the wiring clean in the cab took a ton of install time, but with the sPOD it's all done at once in one neat package. When I install something else, I'm just connecting it to the existing switch box and fuses of the sPOD Source.
Cons:
  • Really, just the cost. It's bloody expensive for a switch cluster.

Honestly, if you are on the fence, just do it. Yeah, it's a good chunk of change (I cringed!), but if an OEM look/fit is important to you and you don't want to fabricate one yourself, this is the product for you.
 
I haven't even bought the Jeep yet, but now I know what my first mod will be. Hello, Volant. That sounds VERY nice! I will, of course, be PM'ing you to let you know when everything has arrived in case you wanted to lend some expert advice. I also predict I will have too way too much beer and/or pizza, and will need assistance disposing of it (after the installation, of course)!
 
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