Whitney's Back to Stock Build: A Tribute to my first Jeep (04 Wrangler Sport, Light Khaki Metallic)

Before I get going on the speaker install, I want to run something past you guys. As I mentioned before, I’m using the Dash Pods for the front speakers. Should I also stuff some poly in any open space around the Dash Pods? Definitely planning to poly the sound bar prior to installing those speakers, but wasn’t sure about the front dash speakers. This feels like a question for @Jerry Bransford 😏
 
wborisenok said:
Before I get going on the speaker install, I want to run something past you guys. As I mentioned before, I’m using the Dash Pods for the front speakers. Should I also stuff some poly in any open space around the Dash Pods? Definitely planning to poly the sound bar prior to installing those speakers, but wasn’t sure about the front dash speakers. This feels like a question for @Jerry Bransford 😏
Click to expand...

@skrelnik is the stereo knowledge base
 
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wborisenok said:
Before I get going on the speaker install, I want to run something past you guys. As I mentioned before, I’m using the Dash Pods for the front speakers. Should I also stuff some poly in any open space around the Dash Pods? Definitely planning to poly the sound bar prior to installing those speakers, but wasn’t sure about the front dash speakers. This feels like a question for @Jerry Bransford 😏
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You can add a little in those Select Increment pods...and also, add some dynamat (or similar) to the face of the pods, like this picture. Not my picture:

8869c17d-6310-4191-95d8-ef6c1d5388cc-jpeg.318297
 
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Can someone help me figure out why this has happened a THIRD TIME? The part I’m replacing is on the left. Tailgate vent. The part I was sent (despite the listing showing the part on the left) is on the right. WTF? I’m losing my patience trying to replace this stupid part. This should be the easiest task. 🤬
 
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Finally got the car seats in so I threw the kids in the Jeep in their jammies and took them for ice cream. My 3-year-old has been patiently waiting for “Mommy’s new Jeep” to have her seat installed. Ha! Wasn’t sure how two seats would fit but it turned out great. Probably could even squeeze the dog in the middle. Loading my boy in through the back is so easy. After ice cream we went for a ride and ran it through the car wash so I couldn’t resist a shiny pic.

Tomorrow at 9 it’s going for a much needed alignment so the kids will be back in it bright and early to drop my daughter off at school!
 
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Got my dash pods and Polks installed this morning! Night and day difference in sound. Also added sound deadener the front face of the dash pods and stuffed the soundbar with poly. Biggest PITA part was cutting the deadener to size. The project got $27 more expensive when I was putting the factory grill back on the second soundbar speaker and tightened the last screw a bit too tight and it cracked. 🙄

New one will be here by Wednesday. Sorry I didn’t take a single picture, there was no time as my wife didn’t realize I bought new speakers so I was working in stealth mode. 🤣
 
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BIG mail day today. Finally just ordered a good condition secondhand tailgate vent off of eBay so I could get my brake light and spare tire mounted again. It arrived this morning and I got to work. Cleaned up real nice. Spare tire bracket and brake light went on just fine, though I did end up taking the brake light off again and adding 3/8” nylon spacers to make it sit a little higher. The 31” tire cleared, but visually it looked off. The spacers made it just right.

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Hit one snag when trying to get the tire on. Couldn’t figure out why the threads weren’t reaching through the wheel; there wasn’t enough for the lug thread to catch. Then I smartened up and realized the tailgate bump stops had to come off. So, I took them off and sure enough the tire slid right into place. I put the screws back in to keep a finished look and you’d really never even think twice about them missing. Anyway, my Jeep looks like a Jeep again and I am PUMPED.

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Yesterday I got a cheap set of hinge mirrors from Amazon and I put them on this morning to be street legal with the doors off. They’re junk and they’re going back ASAP. Tomorrow morning I’m going a few towns over to pick up a set of OEM mirrors for $30 and I’ll mount them to the windshield frame for the summer.

Slowly but surely coming together! A few more steps left before it’s complete. Well, “complete.” 🤣
 
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wborisenok said:
BIG mail day today. Finally just ordered a good condition secondhand tailgate vent off of eBay so I could get my brake light and spare tire mounted again. It arrived this morning and I got to work. Cleaned up real nice. Spare tire bracket and brake light went on just fine, though I did end up taking the brake light off again and adding 3/8” nylon spacers to make it sit a little higher. The 31” tire cleared, but visually it looked off. The spacers made it just right.

View attachment 425152

Hit one snag when trying to get the tire on. Couldn’t figure out why the threads weren’t reaching through the wheel; there wasn’t enough for the lug thread to catch. Then I smartened up and realized the tailgate bump stops had to come off. So, I took them off and sure enough the tire slid right into place. I put the screws back in to keep a finished look and you’d really never even think twice about them missing. Anyway, my Jeep looks like a Jeep again and I am PUMPED.

View attachment 425156

Yesterday I got a cheap set of hinge mirrors from Amazon and I put them on this morning to be street legal with the doors off. They’re junk and they’re going back ASAP. Tomorrow morning I’m going a few towns over to pick up a set of OEM mirrors for $30 and I’ll mount them to the windshield frame for the summer.

Slowly but surely coming together! A few more steps left before it’s complete. Well, “complete.” 🤣
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how are you liking the new speakers? need some myself.
 
txbemis69 said:
how are you liking the new speakers? need some myself.
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They are a nice upgrade from the stock speakers for sure. I do wish I had the factory sub to give a little more oomph, but they’re still worth it! May look into snagging a khaki console with sub because mine has some scratches on it and I was thinking about replacing it anyway. We’ll see!
 
wborisenok said:
BIG mail day today. Finally just ordered a good condition secondhand tailgate vent off of eBay so I could get my brake light and spare tire mounted again. It arrived this morning and I got to work. Cleaned up real nice. Spare tire bracket and brake light went on just fine, though I did end up taking the brake light off again and adding 3/8” nylon spacers to make it sit a little higher. The 31” tire cleared, but visually it looked off. The spacers made it just right.

View attachment 425152

Hit one snag when trying to get the tire on. Couldn’t figure out why the threads weren’t reaching through the wheel; there wasn’t enough for the lug thread to catch. Then I smartened up and realized the tailgate bump stops had to come off. So, I took them off and sure enough the tire slid right into place. I put the screws back in to keep a finished look and you’d really never even think twice about them missing. Anyway, my Jeep looks like a Jeep again and I am PUMPED.

View attachment 425156

Yesterday I got a cheap set of hinge mirrors from Amazon and I put them on this morning to be street legal with the doors off. They’re junk and they’re going back ASAP. Tomorrow morning I’m going a few towns over to pick up a set of OEM mirrors for $30 and I’ll mount them to the windshield frame for the summer.

Slowly but surely coming together! A few more steps left before it’s complete. Well, “complete.” 🤣
Click to expand...

Take a look at the DieTech brackets, they use factory mirrors in the stock location when the doors are off
http://www.dietechoffroad.com/products/tj0306mirrorbracket.htm
 
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Started taking off the bumpers and receiver hitch today to prepare for sandblasting. I was going to look into getting them painted, but I’m thinking I may just paint them myself. Hit them with a primer and the a couple of coats of black. Haven’t decided on color yet, but I thought I read some good things on here about Kryon? I’ll dig into it tonight
 
wborisenok said:
Started taking off the bumpers and receiver hitch today to prepare for sandblasting. I was going to look into getting them painted, but I’m thinking I may just paint them myself. Hit them with a primer and the a couple of coats of black. Haven’t decided on color yet, but I thought I read some good things on here about Kryon? I’ll dig into it tonight
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https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/2005-rubicon-a-rubi-brother.55498/post-1204537

My experience with painting parts. If you go that route, look into using a clear to finish off the base. Absolute game changer and I will never not use a clear again.
 
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Jamison C said:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/2005-rubicon-a-rubi-brother.55498/post-1204537

My experience with painting parts. If you go that route, look into using a clear to finish off the base. Absolute game changer and I will never not use a clear again.
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I think i’ll go ahead and follow this exact process. And, I think I might as well do my original flares while I’m at it! They’re already off waiting for attention, I just wasn’t sure if I was going to pay someone to paint them or attempt it myself. I feel confident I can handle it with your specific instructions. My only issue is figuring out the best way to paint thing…like how to set it so that I can get the whole part without needing to flip. I may try to rig up some sort of hanging system for the bumpers and hitch receiver. And it looks like you had no problem covering the whole thing with it just sitting on a table?
 
wborisenok said:
Hit one snag when trying to get the tire on. Couldn’t figure out why the threads weren’t reaching through the wheel; there wasn’t enough for the lug thread to catch. Then I smartened up and realized the tailgate bump stops had to come off. So, I took them off and sure enough the tire slid right into place. I put the screws back in to keep a finished look and you’d really never even think twice about them missing. Anyway, my Jeep looks like a Jeep again and I am PUMPED.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that the bumpers do serve a purpose. They help keep the tailgate from cracking due to the torque put on it every time you hit a bump and the tire's weight pulls on the tailgate. The bumpers use the tire to rigidly hold the tailgate and body together (that's what the one on the valance below the tailgate is for.) Although most of the cracking noted on this forum is from tires larger than 31", I suspect that it just takes more miles to see it with a smaller tire. Manufacturers being driven by the bottom line, it's unlikely Jeep would have used them if they were optional.
 
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sab said:
Keep in mind that the bumpers do serve a purpose. They help keep the tailgate from cracking due to the torque put on it every time you hit a bump and the tire's weight pulls on the tailgate. The bumpers use the tire to rigidly hold the tailgate and body together (that's what the one on the valance below the tailgate is for.) Although most of the cracking noted on this forum is from tires larger than 31", I suspect that it just takes more miles to see it with a smaller tire. Manufacturers being driven by the bottom line, it's unlikely Jeep would have used them if they were optional.
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Thank you for this. Maybe I could cut them down? Or maybe they make smaller ones for this situation. I’ll do a bit of research (y)
 
wborisenok said:
Thank you for this. Maybe I could cut them down? Or maybe they make smaller ones for this situation. I’ll do a bit of research (y)
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Most of the time, when owners go to bigger tires and change wheel backspace, they are too short, and we make spacers. I'm not sure the best way to cut them down so that they are shorter. I think there's a metal plate molded inside at the base, though I'm not 100% sure of that. Also, the mounting hole is counterbored, I think. For that reason, it would be best to remove material from the side that contacts the tire, rather than the side that contacts the TJ body. A benchtop disc sander would work great for that, if you have access to one. You want a little bit of pressure against the tire, so you'll have to cut and fit, and cut and fit, to get it right.
 
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Finished up taking off the bumpers and receiver hitch tonight. Ended up with a problem bolt on the hitch so had to pick up a breaker bar today to get it off. It’s amazing what 12” of additional torque can do. (That’s what she said?).

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Everything’s loaded up in the back of my truck and I’m going to drop it off at the sandblaster tomorrow. While it’s there I think I’ll hit the tops of all the bolts that show. There are also a couple of spots on the frame I’d like to take a wire brush to and then repaint:

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