MountaineerTom's 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

MountaineerTom

LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Joined
Sep 25, 2018
Messages
5,573
Location
Sumter, SC
Purchased June 2016 with about 93,000 miles. I'm the 3rd owner. Pretty much stock except for the RallyTop hard top, Olympic rear tube bumper, Kenwood radio and the KC fog lights on the bumper.

IMG_0576.JPG IMG_0579.JPG IMG_0577.JPG IMG_0578.JPG
 
Since then added:
Bestop soft top, Smittybilt winch plate, Warn VR8000 winch, LOD front stubby bumper, LOD signature series rear bumper/tire carrier, LOD trail rack, Pro Comp 15x8 wheels, 31x10.50-15 BFG KM2's, Rubicon fender flares, Rubicon rocker guards, Savvy engine skid (mounted to OEM transfer skid), OME 2.5 inch spring lift, JKS front and read track bars, JKS front quick disconnect sway bar links, JKS rear sway bar links, Poison Spider hood vent, B&M auot trans cooler and trans temp gauge, Rusty's Off Road radiator skid, 30 inch locking tool box mounted in the back (easily removable to reinstall the rear seat when needed).
IMG_6341.JPGIMG_6339.JPG

IMG_6265.JPGIMG_6075.JPG
2.JPG Z.JPG IMG_5020.JPG IMG_5211.JPG IMG_3112.JPG
 
Great looking LJ, did you use the seat mounting bracket locations to bolt in the tool box or just mount to the tub?

I set it on hockey pucks to raise it up high enough to clear the floor mounted seat tracks, used a 7/16 - 20 bolt into where the seat belts go and two J hooks into the footman loops in the floor. I also cut some fuel line I had laying around and split it down the side and put over the edge of the seat tracks in case they did hit the bottom of the tool box, so it wouldn't rattle. It works out really well. I've since put a sleeve over the threaded part of the bolt under the tool box so someone couldn't turn the bolt out with pliers. It holds quite a bit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JASGJ4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

IMG_3099.JPGIMG_3101.JPGIMG_3098.JPGIMG_3100.JPG
 
Last edited:
After getting a good deal on some new MOPAR rock rails from @rubicon 3 , I pulled the diamond plate rubicon rocker guards off and put these on. My Jeep isn't a Rubicon so it didn't come with the nutserts installed. I bought some and installed them when I bought the diamond plate rockers from someone. These bolted up to the same nutersts. And for reference, those are the wider Rubicon fender flares.

Thanks @rubicon 3 . Good guy to deal with.

1.JPG 2.JPG 3.JPG 4.JPG
 
I’m happy with them. When I bought the lift, I got the body lift and MML also that comes with the Ultimate kit from DPG Off road in case I decide to go to 33’s. But if I do that I think I’ll have a buddy of mine regear it to 4:88. The 31’s do fine with my 42RLE Auto Trans.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT
70’s/80’s temps in central SC the last few days means the windows get to come out. A very slight chance of rain each evening though so I left the doors on in case it did rain. : )

76450
 
Installed one of the two LOD jerry can mounts for the Signatures Series swing out tire carrier. They aren't something I'll use often. I don't even have any jerry cans or water cans yet. I got them in case I wanted them in the future and the company went out of business, who knows. They are actually supposed to sit a little lower in holes that are already drilled in the sides of the tire carrier. I felt they were to close to the top level of the brake lights and was afraid they might block the lights. I mounted the bottom hole of the mount to where the top hole of the mount is supposed to go on the tire carrier and just drilled a new top hole on the tire carrier. The plan is to get some OD green Wavian NATO cans and some OD green Scepter water cans sometime in the future.

The mount base with bracket that holds the can in place weigh 10.4 lbs each.

IMG_7432.JPG


IMG_7433.JPG


IMG_7434.JPG
 
Last edited:
A few updates:

Rancho RS5000x shocks for 2-3” of lift installed from and rear.
32FBDFD6-1063-4A4A-BB0B-4837623D9821.jpeg


Green LED dash lights. Not sure on how I feel about these yet. I like the green, but I don’t like that the gauge needles don’t show up very well. We’ll see, I may go back to the cool white. And a new Kenwood KDC-BT375U stereo. I’m going to put the older Kenwood unit I had in there into my old Silverado.
38B70FFD-EB83-485F-9E6F-7727BFFB526F.jpeg

51FB7AF5-BE04-4D95-863A-59A9683F5D66.jpeg

F2FE696B-C7D6-4031-9CF5-43EE42A7F2C6.jpeg


Had a buddy weld a safety chain loop to the bottom of the rear bumper hitch.
8B559D64-CD16-425B-AB1E-7280E135AA2C.jpeg

60DDB0CB-BE82-4C6B-BDEA-2FC6E9A8FD90.jpeg

589CC644-024B-4EBB-A3DE-3652B6882730.jpeg

B387C28F-7F7B-4582-91FC-0F0AABEF5600.jpeg

7C3E30B2-91BD-4B62-ADD5-B32BA0B05743.jpeg
 
I never really documented my lift installation here. This was installed in May of 2018. In May of 2019, I replaced the OME nitro shocks for Rancho RS5000x's posted above.

I purchased the kit with the Brown Dog motor mount lift and JKS body lift just in case I wanted to install them down the road. After having it the way it is over 1-1/2 years, I don't see my self installing them, so I'll probably end up selling them.

——-

IMG_4992.JPG


IMG_4984.JPG


IMG_4985.JPG


IMG_4987.JPG


IMG_4986.JPG



Although I don't live in the rust belt and don't have all the problems involved with rusted hardware like so many do, I've been soaking the applicable nuts and bolts with some Kroil. The upper shock mount bolts are easily sprayed from between the frame and fender liner once the wheels are removed.

IMG_5020.JPG


IMG_5018.JPG




Little by little, as time permits. Got the rear done except for adjusting/installing track bar and tightening up the control arms once it set back on the ground.

When removing the jounce bumper cup to install the spacer, I found the recessed area where the bolt goes though packed full of sand. After cleaning it all out I used some rubber plugs I laying around and found a couple that fit in the hole above it. Hopefully it will keep it from filling up again.

Only got the front springs and sway bar links removed today before having to stop and get ready for work.

IMG_5040.JPG


IMG_5050.JPG


IMG_5044.JPG


IMG_5039.JPG




Had to stop for the day. Thought I had a 9/16 drill bit for front track bar installation, but turns out I didn’t.

IMG_5066.JPG


IMG_5067.JPG


IMG_5069.JPG



I only got one day before work, to work on it this past week. Got the front springs, shocks and steering stabilizer in. The cavity right above where the jounce bumper cup is bolted to was completely full of sand. I cleaned it out really well and used a couple 1-1/2 inch rubber table let tips to jam in the hole from the top to keep that from happening again. I wasn't man enough to force them in, so I picked up some spring compressors from Harbor Freight. They worked very well. Wheels/tires on, sat it on the ground and the front wasn't quite as high as I wanted it. When I was ordering, Dirk told me it probably wouldn't be with the aftermarket bumper, winch plate and winch I had, so he suggested I get some factory spring isolators and stack with the original, so he added them to the kit. The spring isolator was about 3/4 on and inch thick. Got springs and shocks reinstalled but still haven't got to get it back on the ground. I need a job with less hours. LOL

I also installed some spring retainers from Clayton Off Road.

IMG_5100.JPG


IMG_5109.JPG


IMG_5071.JPG


IMG_5098.JPG


IMG_5106.JPG


IMG_5107.JPG


577b9997-08e0-48da-afdf-3b0c22a3f4ee.jpg


IMG_6892.JPG



Finally finished installing this lift, and very happy with it.

Setting the toe-in went pretty easy. I followed the directions I seen posted by Jerry Bransford, using the method of 2 aluminum square tubes clamped to the rotors, marking them for your tire size and then measuring the difference front an back until you get 1/16" - 1/8" closer in the front. Not pictured, but put a couple lug nuts on snug so they hold the rotors tight. Aligning the steering wheel was even easier, but took a few tries to get it just right. As mentioned in an earlier post, Dirk at DPG suggested I get another set of the factory spring isolators to use as spacers in case the front didn't get the full lift. He said with my bumper, winch plate and winch, I'd probably need it. He was right, it initially was only 1-3/4 inches higher than before the lift, so in went the isolator. They are 3/4 inches thick. It's just barely higher in the rear than in the front. I'm going to give it a little time to settle in then I may add the 10mm OME trim spacers to the rear. (It never sagged and I never did add the spacers)

One of the best parts of doing the lift, no trouble with removing any of the hardware. : )


Along with the lift, I did the following:

- Replaced rear sway bar bushing on the axle with Moog K3160.
- Replaced front sway bar bushings in front of grille with Moog K7352. (These things squeak like hell when cold, even though I put some lube on the bar. Concidering going back to regular rubber bushings)
- Added front spring retainers from Clayton Off Road.
- New jounce bumpers all the way around.

IMG_5137.JPG



Before and after.

IMG_5177.JPG