4x4tographer 2,840 Posted October 6, 2019 I came across Molle Platform Solutions - a pretty innovative small business the is pumping out great steel Molle panels for a wide variety of rides out there. They've got about 6-7 different solutions just for the JL. I currently have their front overhead (with my CB and a Molle pouch mounted) and their rear panel which I modified to mount my fire extinguisher holder. I'm currently looking around for a larger "tear away" style pouch to hold my first aid kit for easier access. At the moment it's locked up in the rear Tuffy storage box, but I figure having it more easily available would be a good idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ob1jeeper 519 Posted October 7, 2019 Looking good Ryan... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzJeepChic 2,516 Posted October 8, 2019 Nice set up Ryan. Good to see you've got the safety and recovery basics covered. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 4,019 Posted October 8, 2019 (edited) glad you posted a build thread - you've got a really clean rig! i never even realized your LED fender marker lights weren't factory, nice upgrade. IMO the incandescent ones look out of place on the modern Jeep body. On 10/6/2019 at 3:08 PM, 4x4tographer said: I'm currently looking around for a larger "tear away" style pouch to hold my first aid kit for easier access. you might check out Maxpedition, Blue Ridge Overland Gear, and 511 Tactical Edited October 8, 2019 by theksmith Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 2,840 Posted March 2, 2020 Beefy birthday differential covers! A reusable gasket made it pretty easy, though it took me a min to figure out I had to jack up the Jeep on one side to get past the pesky trackbar front and rear. My first time ever swapping out diff covers. Did a test drive and everything seems good, no leaks so far. Real test will be on my commute tomorrow! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 4,019 Posted March 2, 2020 those are some shiny covers, nice! not sure if this applies to the JL or not, but just FYI: on the JK, a lot of aftermarket covers change the fill plug location making it easy to over-fill the diff. however, the JK is also prone to puking gear oil out the breather tube when overfilled even slightly. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 2,840 Posted March 2, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, theksmith said: those are some shiny covers, nice! not sure if this applies to the JL or not, but just FYI: on the JK, a lot of aftermarket covers change the fill plug location making it easy to over-fill the diff. however, the JK is also prone to puking gear oil out the breather tube when overfilled even slightly. Now ya got me paranoid! The ARBs come with a dipstick that you lay next to your old cover and mark the depth of the fill hole with a hasp or file. Hopefully I did it right! If the diff breathers barf, is it just a matter of replacing them? Or can they be blown out? Edited March 2, 2020 by 4x4tographer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 4,019 Posted March 2, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, 4x4tographer said: Now ya got me paranoid! The ARBs come with a dipstick that you lay next to your old cover and mark the depth of the fill hole with a hasp or file. Hopefully I did it right! If the diff breathers barf, is it just a matter of replacing them? Or can they be blown out? i'm sure you did it right... on the JK, several companies just move the fill hole up higher because the same covers also work with aftermarket axle housings - so then on the stock diff, you lose your fill point reference. sounds like ARB has a well thought-out product for the JL. if they puke it's just stinky used gear oil that runs out the top of the breather hose down on everything below - no major catastrophe, just a mess. i'm not sure where your breather hoses are routed. on the JK they end at the top of the shock tower in the front and top edge of the frame in the rear. Edited March 2, 2020 by theksmith 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 2,840 Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) Fell into the "lightbars before lift kits" trap - but I already had a 40" Black Oak LED from my previous Jeep KL, so I still maintain my cool points, right? I mean, the JLUR has lockers and a 1" factory lift. 🤓 The bracket is low profile and made by Rugged Ridge, and with the single row LED it sits low enough to not block the spray from my windshield sprayer nozzles. Also tried my hand at installing a custom blackout panel on the hood. Hand shaped/cut with some 3M knife-tape and 3M deep matte black vinyl film. Really interesting experience, and I learned a LOT about vinyl wrap work. My daily commute is 1 hour into the sun, both ways, and I'm half blind by the time I get home. 😫 Original plan was to have it follow the contours of the hood, outside of the hood vents. The JL hood is very shapely and, unfortunately, I applied a little too much heat when apply the vinyl around the left-hand vent and tore a small hole in it. I ended up falling back to just covering the "power bulge" in the center of the hood so as not to waste material. I might try again someday. This 3M vinyl is VERY forgiving and I highly recommend it. Edited March 12, 2020 by 4x4tographer 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 4,019 Posted March 14, 2020 the hood blackout came out really nice! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
