theksmith 5,778 Posted April 9, 2023 5 hours ago, johnpa said: Kris, what did you do with that triangle piece behind the rear wheel that sticks out. Cut it bend it back so it doesn't hit the tire? i trimmed just slightly more than where the white line is in the photo below, and that was all i needed to clear the 37's. of course it depends on your bump-stop extension height and where exactly your control arms have your axle sitting too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnpa 926 Posted April 10, 2023 Just trimmed mine 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted April 10, 2023 16 hours ago, johnpa said: Just trimmed mine so you gonna post a photo of your rig with the new bigger meats? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted April 16, 2023 had to install a new power steering pump this week, Mopar part #5154400ac. it was a pretty straightforward job, took about 2 hours. 151k miles on the original! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted April 19, 2023 (edited) i posted a while back about the frame-end DDB (bushing) in my Synergy trackbar wearing out rather quickly... this week i got a Johnny Joint rod-end with the correct threads to replace that DDB rod-end, but found that the 12* angle on the Synergy one was in fact critical. the JJ version was not available in an angled version - so i cut, bent, then welded up the JJ one myself. ugly welds, but i think maybe they will hold. i built up from the center of the rod with several layers, stopping to thoroughly clean each bead since i'm using flux-core wire. installed: i put the original DDB one in my spare parts bag just in case my custom solution ever breaks. i didn't want to drop $300 to $400+ on a different trackbar, nor keep replacing the frame-end bushing yearly. but my main motivation for keeping and improving this trackbar was that it clears my Synergy steering box brace and a lot of other won't. i also like having the sleeved length adjuster instead of a jam nut. Edited April 24, 2023 by theksmith 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted April 24, 2023 (edited) received a new VKS Fab "Felon" front winch bumper today! this was an unexpected purchase, though i've had it on my "one-day" list for a while. then last week i heard VKS Fab was shutting down. i was able to find a place with one still in-stock, so i snapped it up. it has somewhat of a unique design in that it's an extreme clearance frame-chop style, yet the winch is still recessed below the Jeep's grille (so as to not restrict air flow to the radiator). all the other frame-chop ones i've seen have the winch mounted at least partially in front of the grille. besides prep and paint, i've got a little bit of work to get this installed. i need to relocate the JK's vacuum pump to under the hood, modify the winch controller box mounting, and adjust my shower nozzle placement. Edited April 24, 2023 by theksmith 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) been working with the bumper some this week... i rounded the sharp edges of the d-ring tabs so they could be used with a soft shackle. cut out the logo, welded in some filler metal and ground it all down smooth. removed the front 2 rock lights, grille, shower nozzle, winch control box, winch line, winch, lower skid plate, vacuum pump, and then finally the old bumper could come off! then yesterday evening i started cutting. hope it's right - there's no "undo" button on a sawz-all! Edited April 28, 2023 by theksmith 5 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted April 29, 2023 slow going, having to rearrange some of the winch wiring because everything will be packed in tighter. also need to figure out exactly how to relocate the vacuum pump - all the common under-hood relocation brackets mount in places that i already have something else! finished cutting and drilling, cleaned all that up and painted the bare metal. stuff that was cut off (the rest of the lower "crash bar" was already removed for my previous bumper): 3 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
