9 Jeep Wrangler Upgrades I NO LONGER HAVE
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- I spent a few days cleaning up the garage and came across many pieces of gear I had previously installed on my Jeep Wrangler and have since removed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes you install something and realize later that you just don’t need it or you eventually outgrow the capability, this has been my case for a few items. In this video I share with you some of the Jeep mods I know longer have installed.
My Jeep Exterior Upgrades: • Let’s Talk JEEP WRANGL...
My Jeep Interior Mods: • Functional JEEP INTERI...
🌐 TRAILRECON.COM 🌐
trailrecon.com
Check out our website if you’re looking for off-road or overland gear and equipment for your next rig and your next off-the-grid adventure. We have everything you need, including recovery gear, tents, cooking and kitchen gear, sleeping bags, TrailRecon clothes and stickers, and a lot more.
If you’re interested in reading in-depth articles about the places we go, products we use, and our personal insights about overlanding, you’ll want to check out our blog.
trailrecon.com/blog.asp
********************
📲 SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS 📲
Facebook: trailrecon
Instagram: trailrecon - Auta a dopravní prostředky
My wife.
She's no longer in my truck.😀
But seriously, I would greatly appreciate it if people would stop using non-DOT headlights. So, thank you for touching on that subject.
Mort Homer constantly getting blinded by other Jeeps with upgrades lights not aimed, and my JL sits up pretty tall
Just don't tell anyone where the body is, you should be ok...And yes, being sheer blinded by headlights, not a fun time.
I used to have a Wife 1.0 system, too.
And it was great, but kinda plain and boring in the long run.
So I upgraded to Wife 2.0 and all hell broke loose !
Turns out that Wife 1.0 is not compatible with Wife 2.0, so I had to get rid of the old one
Unfortunately, Wife 2.0 was a terrible cook, and I had to invest in the Twin Sister upgrade … ohh boy !
Don't get me wrong, the Twin system was REALLY good looking, and while one was a bad cook, the other
was a GREAT cook, and the first one was amazing at cleaning, I thought I had this in the bag !
That's when the Jealousy Bug on Wife 2.0 kicked in.
They said all I needed was a software upgrade on Wife 2.0, and the silicone upgrade looked great, so I bought it!
But then the Twin Sister caught the bug instead ! So I bought the silicone upgrade for the Twin Sister as well.
Again all hell broke loose !
The company's lawyer has now stripped me of Wife 2.0 and Twin Sister upgrade for "improper use",
and claims I have to pay HALF of everything I own in repairs !
Man, I should have stuck to Wife 1.0 ! 😢
@@Grumpy_old_Boot should have just got Wife 3.0 with Long Arms
@@JesseePDX
Alas, I have yet to unlock Wife 3.0
But I *have* found "Ugly Lover" with the "Reach Around Favor" modification.
Unfortunately she also came with the "Kinky Traits" modification, that I cannot seem to uninstall.
She gets it into her head to do it just about anywhere - almost got me fired from my job too.
Over the few years you have been upgrading your jeep and giving the reviews of the products, you have saved me hundreds of $$$$$$$$. Thanks very much for this video.
Wow, this video brings back memories. Some "upgrades" I honestly don't know what I was thinking in the first place,. Most are like your's....I out grew them or "upgraded" to the next level. One thing I'm learning is to just do the right thing first instead of getting there in steps. GREAT channel.
Thanks for the honesty, i really respect you for pointing out the mods that you no longer use, the "mod" that i just got rid of was my JKU Rubicon on 40s" with a winch and armor, and now i've got a JT Gladiator Rubicon that i'm starting to mod out.
I just want to say that this was a genius video idea. Having a father with a Harley, I remember his garage being filled with pipes, seats, helmets, foot pegs, you name it. Everyone talks about all their favorite or least favorite new mods, but looking back and seeing/discussing what you've grown out of or ended up not using is, to me, incredibly helpful and interesting. Great great video. More Jeep folks should make videos on this subject.
can't wait to see the DIY storage solution! Its been something I've been struggling with too
Thanks for this video! Appreciate the honesty and feedback on items you've changed your mind on. Very helpful with all the awesome gear that's out there.
Great video. I like keeping my jeep trim & fit too so I have thought long and hard about each of the mods that are on it. Sometimes less is more. I still enjoy my pedal commander, but I always switch it off and go back to the stock programming when I'm offroad.
You know what- I love all the jeep information and the down-to-earth, truthful experience sharing. But, the thing I like best is that you just seem like a solid guy and it is nice to have you around. So- thank you for sustaining such a great channel. I'd love to go out on a wheeling adventure with you and your crew.
You are too kind man, thank you very much. Would be great to see you out on the trail sometime.
I ran BF Goodrich for many years in the oilfield and decided to try tried Cooper, I was very disappointed with the wear patterns and overall on road durability but really liked the off road performance. I decided to try them again 2 years ago and have been rotating and balancing every 1000-1500 miles and they have performed great on both with minimal road noise and decent wear. I'll be getting my HAM this summer for back country communication but will keep a hard mounted CB specifically for highway travel. I use it to communicate with truckers to get travel/weather condition updates. It has been useful more times than I can count.
I appreciate the minimalist, "its OK to not have all the stuff" vibe of this episode. So many of the videos I watch tend to make me want more stuff. The cool factor, the new factor...it all adds up to not enough money for gas. Its more about getting out there and collecting memories with friends and family.
I own three, green,1999 XJ's at home and a fourth Red, 2001 out of state with my oldest son. Four Jeeps doesn't seem excessive.
I also agree on the hood glare. I keep all my front facing lights on the front bumper. The higher angle of the roof mounting can be a benefit, but for now, the bumper keeps the hood very dark. My favorite treat is to take the Jeep to a proper vantage point to watch sunrises. This means I do a bunch of driving in the dark, just before dawn. Twilight can be tough on the eyes, so lots of light is a big help.
Great video Brad. I have done that with a few components myself like originally I went with a mid-width front bumper. On 37’s now I found it rubbed so I went to a LOD Signature Series Shorty Front bumper. I also added 1.5” spacers to my 2.5” Lift Springs and Bilstein Shocks. but now am running Synergy 4.5” Springs and a 1” spacer in front and Falcon 2.1 Sport shocks. so my father in law got 3.5” Lift components and Bilstein shocks from us for Xmas to get rid of his teraflex 2.5” budget boost haha he loves it and can now follow us a lot more places. It’s definitely an evolutionary process as we have grown our trails have gotten a lot tougher so our needs are constantly changing. Killer idea for a video we have loved watching you over the years and constantly take inspiration from your videos to try and grow and make our CZcams Channel better so thank you for doing so awesome teaching everyone so much.
looking forward to the storage project upcoming. I like how you explained each product. Keep up the cool videos.
Great video Brad, I do the same with my tactical gear every year or so. Learned a lot, thanks.
I also upgraded to the dual ARB, although the single did a great job I wanted to cut my time in half and found the opportunity to upgrade so I did and really noticed the difference!
great video, glad to hear i'm not the only one who has to "upgrade" on the "upgrade"
Oh I can relate! I gotta make a video about this too, I also have a corner of my garage devoted to "Jeep parts that aren't being used anymore"
Chris Meacham I know that game all too well. Good wall decor for the garage!
There's a lot of add ons I see in your Jeep vids that I don't see you really using homie. You make Jeep ricer vids IMO.
Jack Fu interesting perspective 😀
I have a garage half full of fox Mustang parts, and now I'm starting to fill the other half with YJ parts.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your personal experience.
Looking forward to the diy storage system! 👍🏻
Another great informative video. Things that didn't work out: I bought some 7" LED Cube style lights with spots and wide-angle floods. Like your hood-mounted LED light bar there was too much hood glare and the wide-angle lights projected too much light back into the cab. Now I have a 4" cube with spots only. Simple and effective along with the 50" bar on the roof.
Another great video, Brad! Thanks!
Love your stuff. Very well done.
Very informative video, I like it!
Got a fab four vengeance rear bumper on my 05 tacoma. Nice looking but it's the first thing I upgraded out of into a high clearance dual swing out with hidden hitch under license plate by CBI.
Nice video. Keep them coming.
Nice to know!! Such a teaser as well... Can’t wait..
Absolutely love your videos. I feel you give a honest and complete review in all of your videos. Like the fact that you can go back and do a video like this one where you say yes it was great back then, but because of XXXX I now like YYYY better. None of us get it perfect every time as things change and so does our needs. Great video. Thanks for taking the time to produce it.
Thank you! I have learned a lot over the years and I'm sure there will still be some other pieces of gear in the future that will get replaced or tossed.
We ares still so new to the Jeep Camping stuff, that I don't have a lot of stuff I have used that I no longer use. But i will second the GPS TRX system. One of the issues I have found with mine here in Oklahoma is you can be going along on some of these old logging roads and trails, and it shows you one coming up on the left or right, and it is not there. 1/4 mile away you will see it, but it is no longer on the GPS screen. So I don't use it much anymore, I figure it was actually too unreliable here for our needs especially if there was a true emergency, It don't know where you are half the time. Thanks for sharing what you have gone through and sharing it with us, it will help save me money. I appreciate you and I hope you have a blessed week.
Dale
Great video! Never seen another one like it on CZcams. We all have “upgrades” we don’t use anymore.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesom jeeps bro 👍well done
Great post. Very informative. Also a good self assessment of money spent.
I want to thank you I am going to try to do what you have inspired me to do get a jeep and work on it with my son!!
Thank you for the ever interesting Jeep content! You are very professional and easy to listen to. Great job!
Thank you!
Very interesting vid and helpful thanks
I like the KC LED headlights too. Just wish they come out with a heated lens for us northern folks.
Love your videos. Starting watching your channel before I even had my TJ.
Right on, thank you!
Thanks for sharing this, Brad. I’ve been pretty meticulous about planning my build (a classic case of more time than parts money, LOL), so there isn’t much I’ve removed that wasn’t planned to be a temporary improvement. My recent addition of a set of painted Sahara flares is a good example. They’ll eventually yield to some flatties, but look so much better than grey plastic!
I’m not surprised about your CB move, as I’ve noticed for some time Jeepers on the coasts leaning heavily on GMRS or HAM. In Texas, CB still rules the roost, but I’ve seriously contemplated adding a GMRS setup as well for the day I’m able to start taking some Jeep trips outside this area.
What did surprise me - and is educational to boot - is your evolution on onboard air. I’m tempted to go with the single ARB, as I’m on 33s now, with 35s to come in a year or so. But, as pricey as it is, the twin is just so impressive.
Again, thanks for sharing your experiences with us!
GMRS is a great options, I only know a few folks here that use it. The twin compressor is pricey, but honestly, its worth saving up for in my opinion if you are running 35 or larger tires.
Another helpful video from my favorite Jeep CZcamsr! Thanks Brad and greetings from the Midwest! 🤙🏼
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
love your hotwheels box in the back
That single ARB Compressor would probably be a nice addition to your sons XJ. 😉
I like your way of thinking!
Just say’in. 😉
Or you could sell it or gift it to one of your viewers. 😉
It would, alternately, make a nice addition to my XJ. 😉
Why is everyone winking 😉
Very helpful vid. Can't wait to see the storage system.
Right on! Info on the storage system coming soon!
Thank you for sharing ur experience with us. ( be honest I own rubicon hard rock edition but I kept mine everything’s in stock n lot lot of people said looking good )
"c'mon guys you know you stare at your Jeep in the garage"
Man, I thought I was the only one.....
Me 🙋🏾♂️😅
Really enjoyed this flavor of presentation(much like the '5 things we Hate about our new jeep'!) the headline caught my eye, but subsequently following them (w/you, marco, & fabulous overlanders w/lite brite) has been a surprising jeep education for me. quick aside, it's always painful to watch a jeep crawling up then swapping rubber side & not rubber side in quick succession downhill with coolers, etc spewing like crazy, BUT!!! the mere thought of a rig like yours or marcos rolling is just UnThinkable!! Anyway, back on topic, my hat is off to someone like yourself that has & uses the wisdom to periodically stand back, evaluate what you've done, and act on the choice to part ways with an earlier aftermarket infatuation if it's not measuring up. i also gotta say, the look on britt's face when she tasted that streak marco cooked up, Totally Priceless!! Happy Trails,...
Enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing
Great video Brad
Great vid Brad and very true...
Great video!
your videos are my favorite out of all the jeep channels!!
I'm truly humbled, thank you!
Love this video Brad! You rock, as usual :)
Thank you!
Great video! In the future, I’m interested to learn more about the navigation apps you use. I seriously thought about the TRX7 at one point, but reviews on speed and updating software turned me off. I like GAIA on my phone so far. Easy to use and lots of overlays.
Great Info!
Awesome as always! I can't wait for the storage system!
Thanks! I'm so excited to get the storage system built... going to be awesome!
the hinge step (not that model) was the first thing I did to my jeep. I absolutely love it. I have the Smittybilt Atlas. As a 5'5" person it's an absolute must and it looks great.
My gas cap did the same thing for a while. I eventually just drilled the top and bottom holes and found bolts that matched and put on nuts from the rear tail light. Snug as a bug now!
Great video. Thanks !!!!
6:59 Brad, I have the same fuel door. It's loose too. But with a couple pieces of 1/2" double sided body tap it'll be solid as a rock.
Watched a couple video's now and noticed a little Americana and wanted to say thank you for your service Brother.
Great video
AWesome Video thanks
I run a CB simply for the fact that truckers are great entertainment and give useful information on road conditions and traffic. They don't use it much on the highway home but mine faintly picks up traffic from the main interstate about 13 miles away.
Those steps would make a great Valentine’s Day Present
TrailRecon great video. I have the same fuel door as your American flag one but opted for the 7 slot logo. It was much cheaper than the Mopar one and seemed to get better reviews.
Look forward to the rear storage video.
I bought some rubber floor mats in a set that were listed as being made specifically for my year and model. The front row floor mats were great. The reader floor mats were half the size they needed to be and weren’t even in the right shape. It was and still is the greatest waste of money I have ever spent
New subscriber here. Love the videos and very informative. First time commenting on any CZcams video. Keep up the great work.
The mod I'm going to be taking off my yj is the front shackle reversal kit. While it fixed one common issue I've been experiencing it created two different bigger issues.
Welcome to the channel and thank you for sharing your comment!
For the Fuel Lid, try some butyl rope from Second Skin Audio. You can pull it to make it thinner and put a small "bead" around the diameter. I kept a couple speaker crossovers in place with it in a door panel, and it stood up pretty well in New Mexico desert heat! And if you have some clips paired with the butyl rope, I don't think it'll go anywhere. Note, I don't know what it will do to paint in the long run...
With that said, I love your videos! Great shots, high quality, just enough information and background on the trails. You truly do a great job.
Great video and honest reviews on reasons why you're not using some things anymore. My wife just walked by and laughed at me...She saw me watching TrailRecon Videos and I happened to have on my TrailRecon Tee Shirt!
LOL! That's awesome! Thank you for the support!!!!!
Cant wait to see what kind of storage solution you are going to come up with.
I would imagine Marco may have a hand in the rear storage system. I built on myself using 1” aluminum square stock and handmade wooden drawers. It also contains the ARB roll-out and the ARB frig. Great unit but a bit heavy. Would appreciate info on the final weight of your system (and Marco’s) when available. I may take another shot at building a second rear storage unit if the weight savings warrants the build.
Thanks Brad.
If you need a good home for any of your old gear...I'll happily pay the shipping to Canada!
The mod I wish I would not have done would have to be my Rough Country 50" black series light bar. The bar itself has given me no problems and it is extremely bright, a FANTASTIC product and greatly enhanced the looks of Bertha. My biggest complaint is the wind noise while driving. Not only is it unbearable to drive down the highway without blaring my music, I have to yell just to talk to the people in my Jeep with me. The light bar is currently still on the Jeep but I plan on taking it off soon.
Budget boost with cheap shocks. Swapped em out after 4 months for OME springs and shocks
Awesome tips
Looks like your going to have a garage sale soon lol. Looking forward to your storage solution videos . Take care my friend .
I had a hi-lift jack mounted on my front TJ bumper for years and never used it. Finally I sold that thing. Another unused item was the soft top window bag. I used that thing a couple times when the Jeep was new and I didn't want to damage my windows. Now I just throw them in the garage. One of the best accessories I put on my Jeep has to be the mirror movers. My mirrors are attached to the jeep and not the doors so when the doors are off, my mirrors stay. Take that Mr Copper!
Truly a Jeep family! Great videos bro!!! Keep them coming!!!
Hey Brad.. nice video as always. Since I got my 15 JKU I've depended on videos like yours so that I can avoid buying things I dont need for my JK. I have my other truck an 08 Tahoe, and over the years I learned what works and doesnt and spent alot of money on things that didnt quite stand up to the hype. So tks for all your vids, great work, love TR. I'm also a ham and just am not putting a CB system in mine, but do carry a handheld when going out with guys that only carry CB. Keep up the great work TR.. Also I must say that I have had serious concerns over using CO2 in Tires. CO2 is highly reactive with moisture which builds up in tires with pressure changes. It then becomes acidic and apparently has a negative effect on rubber. When you switched over to CO2 I was intrigued with the speed of inflation, although CO2 is expensive in NYC. I also use the ARB dual compressor installed in my JK. Works great, I have a VIAIR system in my Tahoe with a tank. I would love to see TR do a video with technical data on the pros-cons of CO2 and whether or not it will affect or damage your tires.
Well done
Awesome 👍
Those KC headlights look nice. I went with JW Speaker 8700 Evolution which are equally expensive but they are amazingly bright and have nice horizontal separation so I don’t blind oncoming traffic. My JK has 3” lift w/37” so I had to angle headlights downward a tad. High beams are like turning on the sun. Lol. I love them.
I added the molar tailgate reinforcement and tire relocation brackets to my JL. They will be coming off soon because I'm going to be ordering the LOD back bumper and carrier package. I should have one down that route day 1, but I got the steel bumper package and felt silly removing the stock steel bumper that I technically paid extra for.
I can't wait to see the DIY storage system.
Not a jeep, but I took the bumper mounted LED light bar off my Xterra. When it was first installed in 2012, there were not many people using them. It was either Rigid, BD, Totron, or Aurora...all decently expensive. People asked about the light bar and it functioned well for me. Now, I honestly don't even want to have one installed on my vehicle for a couple reasons: 1) They are sold so cheap that people install them just for looks/without wiring. 2) They really do have a bad reputation now. Too many idiots using them on road and as a replacement "headlight flasher/get off my tail" light.
So, still looking for a better option. May go with a single row bar for the roof when the time comes, but that'll be tucked into the Gobi and out of sight.
Love your videos and workshop...could you upload a review of your workshop? And all your stuff of course, i'm a new subscriber so i don't really know if you have one of those videos. Congrats and keep going further than you are now
One time I bought 22inch wheels with 35s for the mall runs but I couldn’t handle the stress of constant humiliation from other fellow jeep buddies. So I only run 17s with 40s now. :)
I agree on the hood mounted light. Don't like em. Too much glare.
Yes!
I have one mounted in front above my winch fairlead.
JeepSolid especially with lighter color Jeeps
Totally agree. Jjeepers that put them on spend more time at malls than they do in the backwoods
I have a black poison spyder louvered hood panel so I don't get much glare from mine, unless it's raining. Not the ideal location for a primary light, but it does what I need it to do when my lights on the bumper aren't enough to see what's needed.
Glad to hear you've got your ham license. From day one, I've only had a ham radio in my rig (currently have a 2m and HF), and have thought about adding a CB but honestly no one I go out on the trails with have either one. I usually have to remind my friends who are licensed to bring their handhelds since they don't have a mobile mounted. The biggest problem I've had is that I typically ride with the doors/windows off so the wind noise during commuting or getting to/leaving the trail is picked up a lot on my mic. Been thinking about what I want to do to resolve that.
73
N4DBV
Nice vid. Hope soon i get my ham radio license. I Don't like bar lights and love my twin ARB👊
I forgot about your WJ! 4 Jeeps that’s awesome!
We haven't done any project with the WJ yet, but have been chasing some electrical gremlins... not my favorite thing to do!
One thing I got rid of was my Owl Cam long arm like the one if your rig. They have a new one that doesn't stick out so far and is made for steep windshields.
I was just looking at that online the other day and thinking of ordering it... you just made up my mind, thank you! Love the Owl Camera!
Bought some extended rear sway bar end links at the same time I bought some quick disconnects for the front. When I got underneath the jeep, I realized that they are way too long and would cause a clearance problem. Now they are just sitting in the garage waiting until I add some more suspension lift to the jeep.
Fuel door/cover option...I ended up plasti dipping (spraying) the fuel cap, blacking it out, and it looks amazing! I tried the Mopar door and it just seemed too bulky.
I got rid of my entire 2007 JK 2dr because I couldn't afford it when my other vehicle broke down and I needed a better commuter car for gas mileage. Happy to say that after six years, I will be getting a 2006 TJ Rubicon in Stone White in a week!
I enjoyed your video it was step by step of what you had and what you upgraded. tapped on your video to watch you about your air compressor. I'm running 36 IROC off-road all terrain tires. I just put in a on board air tank system wasn't impressed it had a 2.0 gallon tank I ran it 120 PSI. lowered the air pressure in one of my tires, and before I knew it the air tank went from 120 PSI to 80 psi, I was told to do run to tanks. Like you said sometimes in your video it take some time to get used to.
One of my major upgrades on my TJ that I'm getting rid of is my rough country suspension lift. They're terrible and I'm replacing them with rancho 9000 XLs
Most of the stuff I don’t use in my jeep is pretty small... like you, I took my CB radio out, though I still have it and can put it back in when I go to Easter jeep safari or other events where a CB radio is desired/required. My buddies and I use mostly ham radios or short range walkie-talkies when we are out on the trail.
I have an old CB antenna mount that came off when I replaced it with a larger highlift carrier that had a CB antenna mount on it.
Most of the time my third row seat is up on the shelf in my garage, I don’t keep it in my jeep so I can utilize the storage space. If we are going somewhere with the whole family, I put it back in.
Looks like many other people are trying to get your stuff you’re not using. If I can make a suggestion: maybe you could auction it off on eBay or something and have the proceeds go to charity...
Excited to see what you are doing in the back of your jeep… I’m guessing Marco is going to help you build something? Looking forward to seeing what you choose!!
Thanks for sharing! I should have mentioned, like you, my CB is still wired up and I can re-install it pretty easy if needed.
Jeremy McLerran I thought about doing a giveaway for some of my parts too. Pay it forward, you know!
With how easy it is to get your initial HAM license, and the fact you can buy a handheld Chinese radio clones for like $40, i really think it just makes sense to use that instead of hard-mounting something. Heck, we even use the handheld HAM radios to keep in touch among the family when we visit theme parks, lol
Get a BNC to PL259 adapter for the handheld CB and use it with an external antenna when you need it. Works nearly as well as a permanently mounted radio but you can disconnect it and throw it under the seat when you don't need it.
Great video. I was just looking at that Vector Off-road rear platform last night. Glad I watched this before pulling the trigger on it. Also...would love to hear thoughts on your roof rack now that you have had it for awhile. I'm sorting through options for my JL and am hesitant to drill into the top.
I've been VERY happy with the roof rack. Perfect for my needs.
Like you I have a love-hate relationship with my Magellan. I purchased it around the same time as you did thinking this is going to be the future. Garmin has been reaching out asking what’s needed to make it more useful? We’ll see what they do. Currently I use it in my HD2500 as a speedometer. Great content as usual!
Like the channel! Home boy has some money haha
Liked and subscribed