61,000 miles and you’re sad? And I thought mine was low at 101,000. Hang in there. As you implied, it’s miles of smiles.
2005 Rubicon; A Rubi Brother
- Thread starter Jamison C
- Start date
61,000 miles and you’re sad? And I thought mine was low at 101,000. Hang in there. As you implied, it’s miles of smiles.
OP
OP
OP
The sliders shipped separately than the control arms and Johnny joint. However, the product I wished to receive this weekend arrived today!!!
I will also say the McMaster Carr is on top of orders and shipping. I ordered the nutserts Blaine recommends for the actual slider on Friday night and they arrived today. Super stoked to tackle this this weekend.
I will also say the McMaster Carr is on top of orders and shipping. I ordered the nutserts Blaine recommends for the actual slider on Friday night and they arrived today. Super stoked to tackle this this weekend.
OP
Almost had one side done, but had to stop because I foolishly did not check to see if I had a 17/32 bit for the nutserts. Have to wait till the hardware store opens 
But it’s coming along nicely. The preload thing can be confusing until you start playing with the rockers and seeing how they move with the jack and form against the tub. I started with a ton of preload on the bottom, then adjusted my ends with some C clamps and got a nice even reveal between the rocker and the door sill, clamped it against the side really well, then unloaded the bottom and reloaded it. Made for a really snug fit on the bottom and sides.
Holes drilled, can’t go back now!
But it’s coming along nicely. The preload thing can be confusing until you start playing with the rockers and seeing how they move with the jack and form against the tub. I started with a ton of preload on the bottom, then adjusted my ends with some C clamps and got a nice even reveal between the rocker and the door sill, clamped it against the side really well, then unloaded the bottom and reloaded it. Made for a really snug fit on the bottom and sides.
Holes drilled, can’t go back now!
OP
One side on. Man there’s a lot of trial and error on the first one. I know exactly what I’ll run into when I do the passenger side.
OP
Ok one more update for today. The slider portions are on. I thought the passenger would be easier since I got all of the trial and error out of the way on the driver. It turns out I was foolishly optimistic about my chances. It really took some finessing to get on and preloaded properly, but I had to remind myself I only get one shot at this and to breathe and take my time. The passenger side looks just as good as the driver.
I’ll be painting and installing the steps tomorrow, along with my flares, so I will leave you all with a few progress pics.
I also kind of fixed the corner that landed on the rock a few weeks back. Significantly better.
Huge thanks to @mrblaine and his various tips he leaves around the forum despite folks’ inability to listen to basic instructions. And @Irun for his thread regarding tips and tricks to installing these.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...alling-savvy-rocker-guards-and-sliders.55049/
I’ll be painting and installing the steps tomorrow, along with my flares, so I will leave you all with a few progress pics.
I also kind of fixed the corner that landed on the rock a few weeks back. Significantly better.
Huge thanks to @mrblaine and his various tips he leaves around the forum despite folks’ inability to listen to basic instructions. And @Irun for his thread regarding tips and tricks to installing these.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...alling-savvy-rocker-guards-and-sliders.55049/
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OP
Well everyone, the painting is done and I am quite pleased with the results. The rockers and flares definitely add a fresh new look.
Now let me just say, clear coat is a game changer if you're doing rattle can paint jobs, even for trim. I only used the clear for added scratch/UV protection and it completely transformed the finish.
I’ve never been good at getting neat finishes with rattle cans, unless it’s SEM. They’re usually 90% there, but I always seem to run into issues with faintly seeing my lines/passes. The same was the issue when I applied the base coat to all of these parts. It was splotchy and didn’t lay down even, making it really difficult to get it evenly “wet” all around. I followed the flash time procedure and once I felt it was good enough, I added the clear. Hold that thought.
I made the mistake a few years ago by spraying clear out of a can on some door panels. Using the clear wasn’t the mistake, it was my application. The can said to hold the paint about 10-16” away from the surface. I couldn’t see the spray hitting the surface to overlap my lines (inadequate lighting) so I held it way closer and did my thing. This resulted in horrible tiger striping, which was cause by the clear not being able to spread and atomize. The paint stacked up like welds almost. This left a bad taste in my mouth regarding spray can clear.
Fast forward to this week. I did my normal routine with prep, primer, and base. I used Rustoleum 2 in 1 Primer and Filler, ACE Rust Stop Satin Enamel, and planned to finish it off with Rustoleum 2X Satin Clear.
The base came out pretty good, but it wasn’t perfect. In hindsight I should have gotten pictures of what I mean as examples but here we are.
After base had flashed correctly, I whipped out the clear coat and went over the instructions one more time. Sure enough, it said to hold the can 10-16” from the surface. I decided I would follow these directions this time to see what happened.
I made my first few passes and was absolutely blown away at how it went on. The best way I can describe it is like when someone gets shot on TV and you see the blood spread on their shirt. The clear laid down in that manner where you could see the initial impact, then watch it flatten and spread over the surface. Overlapping lines was very simple as you could clearly see how it blended, spread, and atomized. It also made any wet/dry areas in the base coat completely disappear. Once the first coat was down, I waited a minute or two for it to cure a tad and then sprayed a second coat with the same process; not any lighter or heavier. I had a super glossy coat by the end and while I knew it was wet, I was afraid I had sprayed it on too heavy, but after some drying it turned out just right.
I let the fender flares and rails cure for 24 hours just to be safe. And the results were phenomenal. I only took one picture of the clear right after it was sprayed, and while glossy, you can see how even it looks.
Below is another flare that I had finished which had been drying for about an hour at the point of the photo above. This dried in the satin finish I was hoping for, and the base was still even looking.
Here are some pictures of the rears and the rails. The rears are in rough shape with lots of scratches and rock pits, but considering these flares are gonna see abuse it didn’t try to clean them up. The rails turned out great. I had a couple small runs on the rears and rails as I was afraid of not being close enough, but I quickly realized I needed to add more distance and that helped a lot. I used these lessons learned on the front flares and I think they turned out perfect.
Rears and rails.
The big key here as I said before was the clear. I think it atomized with whatever splotchy areas I was dealing with on the base, and evened it out. I had full coverage in terms of color, there were just “wetter” areas than others. Following the flash time for the base allowed the clear to bond with it. I was amazed at the difference, and now I won’t do any other trim parts without clear.
Now it’s Saturday, and I have some Savvy arms to install Stay tuned!
Now let me just say, clear coat is a game changer if you're doing rattle can paint jobs, even for trim. I only used the clear for added scratch/UV protection and it completely transformed the finish.
I’ve never been good at getting neat finishes with rattle cans, unless it’s SEM. They’re usually 90% there, but I always seem to run into issues with faintly seeing my lines/passes. The same was the issue when I applied the base coat to all of these parts. It was splotchy and didn’t lay down even, making it really difficult to get it evenly “wet” all around. I followed the flash time procedure and once I felt it was good enough, I added the clear. Hold that thought.
I made the mistake a few years ago by spraying clear out of a can on some door panels. Using the clear wasn’t the mistake, it was my application. The can said to hold the paint about 10-16” away from the surface. I couldn’t see the spray hitting the surface to overlap my lines (inadequate lighting) so I held it way closer and did my thing. This resulted in horrible tiger striping, which was cause by the clear not being able to spread and atomize. The paint stacked up like welds almost. This left a bad taste in my mouth regarding spray can clear.
Fast forward to this week. I did my normal routine with prep, primer, and base. I used Rustoleum 2 in 1 Primer and Filler, ACE Rust Stop Satin Enamel, and planned to finish it off with Rustoleum 2X Satin Clear.
The base came out pretty good, but it wasn’t perfect. In hindsight I should have gotten pictures of what I mean as examples but here we are.
After base had flashed correctly, I whipped out the clear coat and went over the instructions one more time. Sure enough, it said to hold the can 10-16” from the surface. I decided I would follow these directions this time to see what happened.
I made my first few passes and was absolutely blown away at how it went on. The best way I can describe it is like when someone gets shot on TV and you see the blood spread on their shirt. The clear laid down in that manner where you could see the initial impact, then watch it flatten and spread over the surface. Overlapping lines was very simple as you could clearly see how it blended, spread, and atomized. It also made any wet/dry areas in the base coat completely disappear. Once the first coat was down, I waited a minute or two for it to cure a tad and then sprayed a second coat with the same process; not any lighter or heavier. I had a super glossy coat by the end and while I knew it was wet, I was afraid I had sprayed it on too heavy, but after some drying it turned out just right.
I let the fender flares and rails cure for 24 hours just to be safe. And the results were phenomenal. I only took one picture of the clear right after it was sprayed, and while glossy, you can see how even it looks.
Below is another flare that I had finished which had been drying for about an hour at the point of the photo above. This dried in the satin finish I was hoping for, and the base was still even looking.
Here are some pictures of the rears and the rails. The rears are in rough shape with lots of scratches and rock pits, but considering these flares are gonna see abuse it didn’t try to clean them up. The rails turned out great. I had a couple small runs on the rears and rails as I was afraid of not being close enough, but I quickly realized I needed to add more distance and that helped a lot. I used these lessons learned on the front flares and I think they turned out perfect.
Rears and rails.
The big key here as I said before was the clear. I think it atomized with whatever splotchy areas I was dealing with on the base, and evened it out. I had full coverage in terms of color, there were just “wetter” areas than others. Following the flash time for the base allowed the clear to bond with it. I was amazed at the difference, and now I won’t do any other trim parts without clear.
Now it’s Saturday, and I have some Savvy arms to install
Stay tuned!
Well everyone, the painting is done and I am quite pleased with the results. The rockers and flares definitely add a fresh new look.
View attachment 365331
View attachment 365332
View attachment 365333
Now let me just say, clear coat is a game changer if you're doing rattle can paint jobs, even for trim. I only used the clear for added scratch/UV protection and it completely transformed the finish.
I’ve never been good at getting neat finishes with rattle cans, unless it’s SEM. They’re usually 90% there, but I always seem to run into issues with faintly seeing my lines/passes. The same was the issue when I applied the base coat to all of these parts. It was splotchy and didn’t lay down even, making it really difficult to get it evenly “wet” all around. I followed the flash time procedure and once I felt it was good enough, I added the clear. Hold that thought.
I made the mistake a few years ago by spraying clear out of a can on some door panels. Using the clear wasn’t the mistake, it was my application. The can said to hold the paint about 10-16” away from the surface. I couldn’t see the spray hitting the surface to overlap my lines (inadequate lighting) so I held it way closer and did my thing. This resulted in horrible tiger striping, which was cause by the clear not being able to spread and atomize. The paint stacked up like welds almost. This left a bad taste in my mouth regarding spray can clear.
Fast forward to this week. I did my normal routine with prep, primer, and base. I used Rustoleum 2 in 1 Primer and Filler, ACE Rust Stop Satin Enamel, and planned to finish it off with Rustoleum 2X Satin Clear.
View attachment 365336
The base came out pretty good, but it wasn’t perfect. In hindsight I should have gotten pictures of what I mean as examples but here we are.
After base had flashed correctly, I whipped out the clear coat and went over the instructions one more time. Sure enough, it said to hold the can 10-16” from the surface. I decided I would follow these directions this time to see what happened.
I made my first few passes and was absolutely blown away at how it went on. The best way I can describe it is like when someone gets shot on TV and you see the blood spread on their shirt. The clear laid down in that manner where you could see the initial impact, then watch it flatten and spread over the surface. Overlapping lines was very simple as you could clearly see how it blended, spread, and atomized. It also made any wet/dry areas in the base coat completely disappear. Once the first coat was down, I waited a minute or two for it to cure a tad and then sprayed a second coat with the same process; not any lighter or heavier. I had a super glossy coat by the end and while I knew it was wet, I was afraid I had sprayed it on too heavy, but after some drying it turned out just right.
I let the fender flares and rails cure for 24 hours just to be safe. And the results were phenomenal. I only took one picture of the clear right after it was sprayed, and while glossy, you can see how even it looks.
View attachment 365335
Below is another flare that I had finished which had been drying for about an hour at the point of the photo above. This dried in the satin finish I was hoping for, and the base was still even looking.
View attachment 365337
Here are some pictures of the rears and the rails. The rears are in rough shape with lots of scratches and rock pits, but considering these flares are gonna see abuse it didn’t try to clean them up. The rails turned out great. I had a couple small runs on the rears and rails as I was afraid of not being close enough, but I quickly realized I needed to add more distance and that helped a lot. I used these lessons learned on the front flares and I think they turned out perfect.
Rears and rails.
View attachment 365339
View attachment 365340
View attachment 365341
The big key here as I said before was the clear. I think it atomized with whatever splotchy areas I was dealing with on the base, and evened it out. I had full coverage in terms of color, there were just “wetter” areas than others. Following the flash time for the base allowed the clear to bond with it. I was amazed at the difference, and now I won’t do any other trim parts without clear.
Now it’s Saturday, and I have some Savvy arms to install
Let's Roll!
Well everyone, the painting is done and I am quite pleased with the results. The rockers and flares definitely add a fresh new look.
View attachment 365331
View attachment 365332
View attachment 365333
Now let me just say, clear coat is a game changer if you're doing rattle can paint jobs, even for trim. I only used the clear for added scratch/UV protection and it completely transformed the finish.
I’ve never been good at getting neat finishes with rattle cans, unless it’s SEM. They’re usually 90% there, but I always seem to run into issues with faintly seeing my lines/passes. The same was the issue when I applied the base coat to all of these parts. It was splotchy and didn’t lay down even, making it really difficult to get it evenly “wet” all around. I followed the flash time procedure and once I felt it was good enough, I added the clear. Hold that thought.
I made the mistake a few years ago by spraying clear out of a can on some door panels. Using the clear wasn’t the mistake, it was my application. The can said to hold the paint about 10-16” away from the surface. I couldn’t see the spray hitting the surface to overlap my lines (inadequate lighting) so I held it way closer and did my thing. This resulted in horrible tiger striping, which was cause by the clear not being able to spread and atomize. The paint stacked up like welds almost. This left a bad taste in my mouth regarding spray can clear.
Fast forward to this week. I did my normal routine with prep, primer, and base. I used Rustoleum 2 in 1 Primer and Filler, ACE Rust Stop Satin Enamel, and planned to finish it off with Rustoleum 2X Satin Clear.
View attachment 365336
The base came out pretty good, but it wasn’t perfect. In hindsight I should have gotten pictures of what I mean as examples but here we are.
After base had flashed correctly, I whipped out the clear coat and went over the instructions one more time. Sure enough, it said to hold the can 10-16” from the surface. I decided I would follow these directions this time to see what happened.
I made my first few passes and was absolutely blown away at how it went on. The best way I can describe it is like when someone gets shot on TV and you see the blood spread on their shirt. The clear laid down in that manner where you could see the initial impact, then watch it flatten and spread over the surface. Overlapping lines was very simple as you could clearly see how it blended, spread, and atomized. It also made any wet/dry areas in the base coat completely disappear. Once the first coat was down, I waited a minute or two for it to cure a tad and then sprayed a second coat with the same process; not any lighter or heavier. I had a super glossy coat by the end and while I knew it was wet, I was afraid I had sprayed it on too heavy, but after some drying it turned out just right.
I let the fender flares and rails cure for 24 hours just to be safe. And the results were phenomenal. I only took one picture of the clear right after it was sprayed, and while glossy, you can see how even it looks.
View attachment 365335
Below is another flare that I had finished which had been drying for about an hour at the point of the photo above. This dried in the satin finish I was hoping for, and the base was still even looking.
View attachment 365337
Here are some pictures of the rears and the rails. The rears are in rough shape with lots of scratches and rock pits, but considering these flares are gonna see abuse it didn’t try to clean them up. The rails turned out great. I had a couple small runs on the rears and rails as I was afraid of not being close enough, but I quickly realized I needed to add more distance and that helped a lot. I used these lessons learned on the front flares and I think they turned out perfect.
Rears and rails.
View attachment 365339
View attachment 365340
View attachment 365341
The big key here as I said before was the clear. I think it atomized with whatever splotchy areas I was dealing with on the base, and evened it out. I had full coverage in terms of color, there were just “wetter” areas than others. Following the flash time for the base allowed the clear to bond with it. I was amazed at the difference, and now I won’t do any other trim parts without clear.
Now it’s Saturday, and I have some Savvy arms to install
That is some damn good painting!
OP
OP
Need to rotate more to the side to highlight the Savvy sliders
Best I can do is poorly coordinated photo.
OP
OP
So I dropped my Jeep off at the shop today for the 5.13 gear install. I won’t get it till Thursday-Friday next week but that’s ok. It definitely feels weird leaving it in the hands of others.
As a side note, I forgot to wash the Jeep after my last outing so it was covered in mud and dirt. There was lots of pin striping visible on the new flares and rails but after I took it through the wash, they looked brand new! So the clear coat definitely did it’s intended job at protecting the base coat and holding up to smaller scratches. Hoping it’ll last in the AZ sun too.
As a side note, I forgot to wash the Jeep after my last outing so it was covered in mud and dirt. There was lots of pin striping visible on the new flares and rails but after I took it through the wash, they looked brand new! So the clear coat definitely did it’s intended job at protecting the base coat and holding up to smaller scratches. Hoping it’ll last in the AZ sun too.
OP
Well guys. Just got home from picking up my Jeep from the gear shop and running errands. Man this thing just absolutely glides at 70mph. There’s such a difference in the performance and I’m so glad it’s finally done. 5.13s are recommended on 33s but I’m sitting on 32s so it’s just the right amount of gear I think. Can’t wait to use it off road for the first time but I have to finish the break in period
Also big thanks to @PRNDL for selling me a Speedo Healer that’s been sitting in my closet for a year lol. It’s finally being used, and working!
Also big thanks to @PRNDL for selling me a Speedo Healer that’s been sitting in my closet for a year lol. It’s finally being used, and working!