What did you do to your TJ today?

Not sure exactly why but I had the desire not to modify the sub box if at all possible. Save for eight screw holes, I actually manged this.
Sounds good man.

I just wanted to open up as much internal volume as I could for the sub and add rigidity. I removed the amp and then sealed and mounted the plate back up. Then shaved down the enclosure and used some dynamat for the largest flat surfaces on the inside and then did the majority of the outside.
Part of the design scope was to keep the proudest feature across the face of the speaker below the surface of the sub box to avoid any direct contact with any other items. I was successful in this though I didn't account for small vertical ribs on the back of the bars in the console's speaker grille area. It looked a little close to the top of the foam surround (only) for my liking, so Inserted some 00 rubber faucet washers between the sub box and console at the three screw holes for an extra buffer. Bear in mind I am not running a high powered system here, this is stock in terms of output.

Yes that’s true abiut the output. I’m not sure how much the woofer moves, but if it doesnt make u happy go ahead and get an amp.

I did add some thin adhesive felt pieces at spots where I saw the potential for contact/vibration between the two. The Dynamat is not a bad idea.

here’s a couple of shots…that internal spot on the left was dynamatted and I firmed up some of the sanded areas with a layer of JB weld. I’ve been super happy. Anyhow just sharing in case u ever go further down the rabbit hole.

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I've seen a number of engine shots here now with folks sporting the reefer line heat shields. So you find those actually help with your AC's efficiency?

Lol the experiment worked for my car in Vegas so I did it to the Jeep last year while talking with @freedom_in_4low who knows the engineering side and was experimenting as well with his rig.

I didn’t do proper before and after testing bc my IR gun became unreliable and I didn’t want to hold up the job. But, I remember being happy with the little bit of extra coolong.

I don’t run doors or windows these days so I don’t really use my AC even though it’s been 110* out.
 
I've seen a number of engine shots here now with folks sporting the reefer line heat shields. So you find those actually help with your AC's efficiency?

While cooler air from the AC was certainly a consideration, a lot of the driver for mine was that any heat the AC picks up in the engine compartment ends up having to be rejected back through the condenser on the next go-round, which preheats the air coming into the radiator. I wasn't liking my coolant temps last summer when we were into the 110s on a regular basis.

This summer has been a lot cooler, we haven't even cracked 100 yet. So I haven't gotten a good apples to apples comparison.

From a refrigeration cycle and heat transfer standpoint, it can't NOT help, but the jury is out on whether it yields any tangible benefit.
 
The theory would seem to have substance.

Sorry for the double post.

On the AC side, once the refrigerant passes the orifice (which is at the condenser outlet), it's a liquid-vapor mixture. Any heat it gains evaporates some of that liquid, reducing what's left for the evaporator to use for cooling your interior. Once it's all vapor, it's not doing any more cooling.

I did not insulate the accumulator dryer because part of it's job is to catch and boil off any liquid that does make it through the evaporator, before it gets to the compressor. I doubt this ever takes place in the summer cooling season, but since the AC is active in winter when using the windshield defogger, best not to interfere with the accumulator's ability to do it's job.
 
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Did the first of many mods too the new to us TJ, got a killer deal on some Sahara wheels with some larger tires, larger then I wanted but we are going to keep her on the road for now, lets see how long that lasts until we raise a little.

I was gonna take the bars off and go black out but I got over ruled, oh well but it looks better then I thought it was going too.

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So the mid arm bracket goes right where the rearmost transfercase nutsert goes. I was going to trim both, and started to, but... I didn't like the idea of cutting the control arm bracket. So I ground the nutserts smooth and burned the brackets on. I'll trim the skid forward to clear and add another nutsert. I think the skid is strong enough to take that modifcation ok.

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I learned that these are not the same. Ignore the gauge, I wasn't aware 18 for gas and 20 is flux. I figured the flux would have been labeled flux somewhere. Another amateur mistake.

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Modified some brackets and slopped them together for mounting the spare carrier in the tub. Moving it back an inch to use up the space that was once occupied by a 37. Good thing they don't have to be pretty

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Painted some stuff.

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Just an update on this @All 4 Wheelin' it sounds like Hobart just struggles with labeling their stuff appropriately. There are a few caveats to what he says in this email but the gist of it the way I read it is that the wire is simply mislabeled. And unless it's been sitting on the shelf for 2 or 3 years, it's been mislabeled for a long time.

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Mine isn't that bad, but it's doing the same thing. It may just not look as bad 'cause it's red instead of black and I've avoided waxing it to not fill all the cracks with white wax residue.

Grab a bottle of turtle wax color tinted wax.

I wouldn’t have believed it but our motorhome has the micro checking in the darker (black) and the turtle wax does a great job of at least waxing the good part w/o putting white into the cracks to highlight them.
 
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Grab a bottle of turtle wax color tinted wax.

I wouldn’t have believed it but our motorhome has the micro checking in the darker (black) and the turtle wax does a great job of at least waxing the good part w/o putting white into the cracks to highlight them.

I just bought a bottle of the Turtle Wax tinted wax after @TheBoogieman's post. I didn't have high expectations and promptly returned it to Amazon. I tried it on a few imperfections I know I can get out if I break out the orbital, but thought I could cheap out on it...

I need to find the old Turtle Wax wax sticks or pony up for a good detail. I just have the time to do it.
 
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Did the first of many mods too the new to us TJ, got a killer deal on some Sahara wheels with some larger tires, larger then I wanted but we are going to keep her on the road for now, lets see how long that lasts until we raise a little.

I was gonna take the bars off and go black out but I got over ruled, oh well but it looks better then I thought it was going too.

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Nice Jeep! I have a very similar '03 Wrangler X, it has 2 1/2 in lift and 31" tires, I may go 32?
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