2014 Jeep Rubicon X Build

[professorkx]

New to this forum, but I've been reading posts, and the info here is often different than other forums, so very good addition to my knowledge base.

I've owned Jeeps and dual sports for years, and been doing mods like motor/trany swaps on jeeps for decades. However, I decided I wanted a new Jeep that was a great start on and Expedition Jeep since I spend a ton of time out in the mountains and desert all year long.

My objective is to be able to take on any terrain in our path that is doable with a 4 wheeled Jeep, and spend 6 days without needing to resupply with food, fuel or water. We just spent a week in Moab over Thanksgiving, so I know I've got the Jeep prepped for rock crawling. Now I need to prep for all other terrain types.

Base Jeep - 2014 Rubicon X (I ordered this Jeep so I would get what I wanted). It came with 4.10 gears, front/rear lockers, electronic sway bar disconnect, heavy transfer case with 4:1 low range. Of course, it also came with lots of creature comforts, and I purchased the 1 million mile warranty from Chrysler with the zero deductible, so the drive train has to stay pretty much stock.

Modifications so far:
- Miximus 3 winch plate and bull bar (they have a picture of my Jeep towing a broken red YJ in the snow that required winching over 100 times with the YJ in tow. see their products-overview page)
- Warn Zeon 10S winch
- Rugged Ridge Hurricane Flat Fenders
- ARB compressor for tires mounted to the brake booster under hood
- Warn 6.5 inch lights with remote control
- 50" light bar (we tend to wheel in the mountains well after dark, so wanted more light)
- A Pillar switch panel
- 35/12.50-17 KM2 tires on stock rims (narrow rims help with breaking a bead since I air down to as low as 5 pounds)
- CB Radio mounted above rear view mirror
- Superchip Flashpaq (improved mileage 3 mpg and better towing power. Crawl mode is awful)
- Rough Country Leveling kit (both my 2009 and 2014 have the same kit, and the 2009 passed it's 60 month warranty inspection, so this kit doesn't flag as a modification that voids the warranty)
- Carpeted wall behind the rear seats with shelf above the rear cargo area. This provides secure storage behind the tailgate and I don't have to unpack the items on top of the shelf to get to the items on the bottom. Wasn't sure about this addition until our week long Moab trip, where it was a great addition.

Items on Order:
- King OEM Performance 2.5 shocks with external reservoir and compression adjusters for all four corners. While in Moab, the sand washes showed the weakness of the stock shocks, so these King shocks will remedy this problem. Remember, I want to tackle any terrain before me, including sand wash whoops.
- MORE Off Road Transmission and Oil Pan skid plate
- MORE Off Road Transmission skid plate
- MORE Off Road dual battery Tray
- Poison Spider Rock Brawler II rear bumper with swing away tire carrier mounted to the tailgate. I have 4 Rotopax Gans to mount to the tire carrier, plus a jack, tire, shovel, Ax and basket, so needed a tire carrier with a bearing pivot. I will be fabricating some of the mounts for all the gear.

Still on the Hunt:
- New 4 man tent. I am 6'5" tall, and I'm tired of crawling around in the tent we use for dual sport adventures, so wanting something more comfortable since I have the room.
- 12 volt cooler or ARB fridge. No cooler on the dual sport, so we are used to multi-day adventures without a cooler and without supply stops. Not sure we need a fridge yet.
- HAM radio
- Small Air Tank to mount under Jeep. I have already tested the ARB compressor with a small tank, and I have enough air to remove a tire or other impact needs, with fast enough recovery to allow for more frequent work. Don't really want to carry battery tools.
- Bestop NX soft top for spring and summer runs
- Rock Lights
- rear facing LED lights
- Extra set of rear axles. Rear axles stop your trip cold. Drive lines can be removed and you can keep going the one that's left, and front axles can be broken and removed and you can keep going, but rear axles require immediate attention, so a set will be with me at all times.
- Two Rotopax tanks for water supply.

Other:
- I already have a welding system in the Jeep that uses two batteries, so we are set for welding repairs
- I have a Cobra 1500 Watt inverter to install under the passengers seat.
- I already have a portable toilet so my wife is a happy girl when nature calls...especially at night when the bears are out.
- I have all of my backpacking/dual sport equipment and waterproof bags for sleeping bag, etc.
- I already have tools, including four 30 foot straps, D rings, snatch blocks, hand tools, lights
- I have an organized assortment of SAE and Metric bolts
- I have a well stocked First Aid kit (soon to be even better supplied) with the help of my son who was a combat medic with lots of combat experience tending to those who were in need.
- I have enough emergency supplies in the Jeep to camp for a week and eat well. In addition, we have not used matches or a lighter to start camp fires for years, as we use what we find and pyrophoric steel...of which we have a good supply.
- I have an MSR water filtration system with a micro filter, and we have used these systems for years without getting sick. On a dual sport, there is limited room, so we have to filter water at least twice a day depending upon temperature, so finding water is a normal part of our adventure trips.

We will be doing Rubicon Trail once or twice in 2016, as well as several of the Discovery Routes in the Northwest, so our adventures will be several thousands of miles, and I don't want problems. As soon as I am able to post pictures, I will provide pictures of our Expedition build for those who are interested.

 

[Coby65]

Reading through you thread seems like you have it figured out for most of your needs.
The only thing I would question is your lift. I have a LJ set up for trails and took a friend of mine and his JK across the Rubicon this summer. His JKU had 2.5 inch lift and 35's and he beat the skid plates up alot. enough that he is upgrading to a Metalcloak 3.5 to gain some lift and articulation. There were a few places he could not follow me and was amazed at how easily I could go up Caddilac with no spotting. I will say I have bit more experience but most of his issues would have been fixed with a 3.5 lift and 37's.

 

[Comanche Scott]

I would definitely agree with Coby65. If you are going somewhere you think you'll break axles, You're going to need more ground clearance, along with a good set of skid plates.
fwiw: I've never broken an axle. I don't carry them. U-joints, yes, but not axles. Maybe upgrade your axles, and run 1310 joints w/grease zerks. Always a chance of damaging the shaft or yoke if it breaks, but 2wd and a winch, snatch strap will get you through a lot.
Good luck. Look forward to following along with your build and adventures. :beer:

 

[professorkx]

Unfortunately, I really don't want to risk voiding the zero deductible million mile warranty that I bought with the Jeep, so I am stuck with the 2.5 inch leveling kit, as I know that won't void my warranty since my wife's 2009 passed the 60 month inspection with the same leveling kit and 305 KM2 tires. I am considering 37 inch KM2 tires for the X, but I think I will need to add small bump stop extenders in the front and rear to keep from rubbing the fenders on full articulation, which isn't a problem. I would gain an inch height, and that might be enough. Your comment is also the reason I am adding the two skid plates, and know that the gas tank skid plate is going to take some abuse, just means I will have to periodically replace.

I've been rock crawling CJ5s and CJ7s for 30+ years, so have more experience than the average wheeler. In fact, I am currently working on a 1978 CJ5 that was setup for rock crawling, and converting it to long arm, coil overs and moving the axles forward/rearward for a different kind of Adventure rig. The CJ5 will be for my youngest son, with the same goal of being able to drive 1000 miles one way to wheel and make it home without having to be towed because things broke. Just means he will have to carry extra axles since his rear end is different than the rest of our rigs.

After spending a week in Moab with 4 other jeeps about a month ago, we did fine on Poison Spider, Golden Spike, Metal Masher and others, just a matter of picking the right lines through the rocks. Of course, on the big drops, I used the frame and gas tank skid to slide on until the front wheels hit the landing below, which is why I am switching to the Poison Spyder Rock Brawler II to eliminate the stock receiver and gain another 2 1/2 inches on my departure.

The first time over Rubicon with the X might change my mind about a lift, we will see...

 

[professorkx]

While in Moab, one jeep broke a rear axle on Golden Spike about 2 in the morning. Another JKU running a 6 inch lift and 37 tires bent his drag link, which we removed and repaired after he crossed the crack on Golden Spike. A third Jeep broke a rear drive line trying to get of one of the "hot tubs" on Hell's revenge, so I know things can break in the right situation. I've broken ujoints and drive lines as well on my CJ5, and carry extra extra ujoint and slip yoke for the rear drive line.

The 44 in the 2014 is not prone to broken axles, but since a rear broken axle is one of the few axle related issues that will keep me from driving home under on my own, it's worth the $500 to keep spares, just wish the shafts were the same length so I could just carry one axle.

Once I can post pictures, I will post a few from our Moab trip showing the X in full articulation...

 

[Blue Baby Sound]

That's a great list!

If it were me:
Front 44 C gussets at a minimum, sleeves or truss would be extra insurance.
Replace rear shafts with 4340, don't worry about carrying extras
Swap ball joints with heavier duty version
CA skids
HD duff covers
Big brake kit
Heavy duty track bar brackets (these seem to be a common failure)
IF you go 37s I would suggest new gears.
Maybe I missed it, how are you handling the extra weight of the spare?

 

[professorkx]

Parts started arriving, but haven't yet updated my build, as I've been busy installing parts.

1. MORE Engine/Transmission and Transfer Case skids are installed..,yes, my stock cross member has taken a beating, but my Jeep gets a lot of use in all kinds of terrain, including rock crawling, so I view the skid plates and cross member as disposable items. When they get too beat up, I'll replace them.




2. King shocks arrived, so installed the same day, as they only took a couple of hours.





3. Dual Battery Tray is in hand, but I need a full day to install, as I want to wire the battery solenoid at the same time. Pictures when it's done

4. Poison Spyder rear bumper painted and installed. Since this picture, I added the mount for the other Rotopax on the other side of the tire, as well as adding 2 rotopax water tanks. Built the shovel and ax mount this week, and will install this weekend. Final picture of the rear next week.



5. After a lot of reading and searching on tents, I settled on a Standing Room XL hanging tent, which will arrive on Monday. This tent hangs from an EZ-UP, so you can walk upright wall-to-wall. I have small tents for dual sport camping, but wanted a comfortable tent with the Jeep. I already have a waterproof EZ-UP with wall and a Buddy Heater, so we should be set in the Tent area. Here's a link to what I bought, the XL version on the bottom right.

http://www.standingroomtents.com/

6. I spent just over $100 on medical supplies to restock my trauma kit and add some items I've not carried before, as it's been depleted over the years when I come upon accidents with injuries. In the last 20 years, I've been first responder on a ton of accidents in the middle of nowhere, 15 of which required Life Flight. This is really just a manifestation of the amount of time I spend as far away from civilization as possible, coupled with the lack of thought most folks put into self-rescue.

7. This wasn't on my list, but my wife has always wanted one, so looking at personal locator beacons. Right now, I am leaning towards the DeLorme InReach, but still researching.

Still more to do before spring arrives, so my checking account will no doubt be drained a little more...but I am having a BLAST prepping the Jeep!

 

[Comanche Scott]

Great additions! :victory:

Friends, family and I really like the InReach due to the password protected web site, that allows them to follow along, or just check in to see where I've been.
I read somewhere Spot has the same thing now, with texting via bluetooth through the smart phone (that's how I use the InReach). So might be worth looking at them too.

Sincerely hope none of us ever need the SOS button. :beer:

 

[professorkx]

Final pictures of the rear tire rack with all the additional brackets for Rotopax cans, shovel and ax.

From the top


From the back


Next up, install the MORE dual battery tray...

 

[fercho]

can you please post more pic of the rotopax brackets im thinking about doing something similar, thanks

 

[professorkx]

Another picture will have to wait until I remove that HEAVY 35 inch tire, but I can tell you how I made the bracket.

1. I started with 4" x 48" x 1/4" flat steel.
2. I found the 24 inch center of the flat steel as my starting point, then measured 18 inches from the center to each side and marked a line with a silver permanent marking pen.
3. Using a 20" brake press I build to use on my 20 ton press, I bent a 90 degree bend on each end of the flat steel.
4. Using my center mark, I placed the tire mounting bracket (which was also 4" wide) on top of the flat bar and marked/drilled the 4 mounting holes, as the flat steel for the rotopax tanks would mount between the tire mount and the swing away tire carrier. Painted and bolted to the swing away tire carrier.
5. Using the same size flat steel, I cut two pieces, 12 inches long, and rounded one end to match the Rotopax mount that would be bolted to this piece later. You see these two pieces in the first photo I took from above.
6. I clamped the two 12 inch pieces at an upward angle to the two legs that were bent at the ends of the 48 inch long flat bar in steps 2 & 3 above so the rotopax tanks would mount just above the tail light line of site, and welded in place. Small sections had to be trimmed on the bottom to conform to the shape of flat steel for aesthetics.
7. I was concerned about the strength of the 90 degree bends holding the weight of the gas and water, so I cut a 3 inch piece of 2" x 1/4 flat bar, bent a 90 degree angle using the brake press and welded these pieces to the inside corners.
8. The final step was to bolt the rotopax mounts to the 12 inch arms so the tanks would be properly oriented to the back of the jeep and ground when installed. This was done by eye, not measured.

Sounds more complicated that it was to build, but more detail in the absence of photos is usually better.

The shovel/Ax mount is built out of 3/8" x 1 1/2" flat bar. I just bent a 90 degree so I had a 5 inch mounting leg with 9 inches over the tire. My shovel and ax sit in pockets created by cutting 2 inch square tubing in half and welding them to the 3/8" bar, but the legs for each tool are different sizes because of the different thickness of the tool shaft. The top bracket was a pain to make. I used 3/16 x 1 1/2" flat bar, scored the bar with a cutoff wheel for each bend, bent in a large vise, and welded on the inside of the bend where I scored before I moved to the next bend. This makes each bend very sharp, and since one leg was only 1/2", my brake press couldn't be used. So the top bracket was built one bend at a time.

I added a piece of 3/8" flat bar on right mount that extended at a right angle under the ax, drilled a 5/16 hole in the thin part of the head of my ax, drilled a corresponding hole in the flat bar and welded a 5/16 bolt to the bar to hold the ax secure.

I also added a 3/16" x 1 1/2" flat bar at an up angle and used one of the holes in the back of the shovel to secure the shovel to the mounting bracket. You can see the bolt/nut in the shovel in the picture. You will also notice that the shovel sits over the ax so everything is kept very compact.

Finally, I purchased 4 inch flat self stick furniture pads from Home Depot hardware department, cut with scissors and added to the pockets and bottom side of the top mount so the shovel/ax wouldn't rattle going down the road. The entire system holds the shovel/ax very secure.

Half the fun of owning a jeep is building stuff...

 

[fercho]

that was a nice explanation, thank you too much for taking your time, nice build by the way.

 

[NeverLost]

I may have missed it, but how do you like the Kings so far?