New Jeep Owner with DIY questions

[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

Morning all. I hope everyone had a great Holiday, whatever you celebrate. I also hope each of you were able to celebrate. Now, my question/issue is that I haven't worked on automobiles (much) in my life. For example, I have swapped tires, an alternator, and shocks on my old Isuzu Trooper back in the 90's. However, I haven't done anything extensive, or recent, yet I would like to start doing some things, because I know the labor to make some of the mods I want will be quite costly.

For example, I would like to change out my own bumper and grille, when I buy some. I would also like to possibly install my own air compressor to fill my tires, once I buy bigger ones. I have watched some videos, but I really wonder how easy these things are for someone that is an idiot when it comes to my jeep, AND I want to make sure I don't do anything to void my manufacturer warranty. My truck was built this month, so to say it is new is an understatement.

I am looking for some sage advice from the wonderful and most esteemed members here. Thanks, and happy trailing.

Here is my 99% stock 2021 JTO in Snazzberry Pearl. So far, I have added a Bullet Liner bedliner, a stubby antenna, all-weather floor mats, and door sill guards. Small upgrades, but it's a start,

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[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

FYI, I have jotted down the following items to add, or replace, the stock parts of my JTO.

• Hothead headliner
• Hood Cover bed reflector (may wait to swap hood)
• Start-X Remote Start
• short or stubby bumper
• Tubular Doors (for summer)
• Larger tires (not sure what kind but want 35's)
• Small lift 2-2.5". Not sure what kind (full suspension vs. spacer lift)
• Gladiator decals for hood and bed Vortexsigns.com (may wait to swap hood)
• 813 Fabrications kit and ARB Air Compressor behind the seat install
• New hood (no specific model picked out yet)
• Tonneau cover (want a hard cover, but they cost so much)

 

[BLK HOLE]

Google/Youtube is your friend.

(most) Lifts/bumpers/winch/headliners/air-compressors/hoods are all easy installs.

 

[Klutch]

FYI, I have jotted down the following items to add, or replace, the stock parts of my JTO.

• Hothead headliner
• Hood Cover bed reflector (may wait to swap hood)
• Start-X Remote Start
• short or stubby bumper
• Tubular Doors (for summer)
• Larger tires (not sure what kind but want 35's)
• Small lift 2-2.5". Not sure what kind (full suspension vs. spacer lift)
• Gladiator decals for hood and bed Vortexsigns.com (may wait to swap hood)
• 813 Fabrications kit and ARB Air Compressor behind the seat install
• New hood (no specific model picked out yet)

A remote start install can be pretty complicated. I would suggest you have a shop install that. A lift is a little involved, but really no big deal. Just give yourself plenty of time to overcome any obstacles.

Same with replacing a bumper. It's just removing and reinstalling bolts. But again, give yourself plenty of time. If you're going to do any real off-roading, I would suggest getting a winch plate and a winch. I like bumpers that allow the winch to be installed low instead of on top, but that's just a personal preference thing.

I'm not sure why you'd want to replace your grill or hood, but those are easy peasy. (Gee, I really hope you're not planning to install an "angry" grill.)

An onboard compressor is nice, but I have an ARB compressor with its own box and it works really well for me. It looks like a plastic tackle box and it holds the compressor, electrical connectors, hose and fittings. You might consider that option before going all way into an onboard compressor install.

 

[ShastaJT6]

Nice ride, congrats! You had mentioned a grille and a bumper. I recently replaced these on mine. Neither of them were particularly difficult, but I found these videos useful to give me an overview of the stacking order / steps involved.

Grille Swap:


Bumper swap:

 

[JeffInFLA]

I was able to get the Mopar headliner from my dealer at just over the hotheads price... I find the Mopar to be a better, cleaner appearance, but thats just my opinion.

My dealer provides pretty decent discounts on Mopar accessories... I was actually surprised.

 

[93civej1]

I'm not sure why you'd want to replace your grill or hood, but those are easy peasy. (Gee, I really hope you're not planning to install an "angry" grill.)

I know its not the "cool" thing to do, but I dont see why everyone get so butthurt on people modding their OWN vehicles to how THEY want to do it.

 

[syreeves]

[Sorry for the long note - I bolded the items I would add so you could skip the editorial content ]
Depends - if you are going to use off road then consider tires first (or tires and lift). If you are staying mostly on road then I'd look to a Tazer Mini (or one of the alternatives- there are threads but I only seem to find those at 3am) to make some usability adjustments like sticking your stop start status, alarming the hood, lighting etc. I've been modding my LR Discovery for years and am waiting on delivery for my new 6MT Rubicon. You should address your primary needs. here is how I went about thinking this through:

My first mods are being done at the dealership mostly because I want them covered under warranty/financing etc and I don't have tools for these kinds of things: Mopar 2in lift, 35s, wheels and a smittybilt xrc gen2 bumper for my winch. I'll move over my 10K Smittybilt X2O winch that is currently on my landrover by myself and most mods I expect to make after that don't require airtools or a lift bay. I've got the following list to work on:
- Tazer Mini
- Ball mount for a Ram phone holder - i don't plan on a ton of dash mounted accessories (like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B85B9XY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A1V7K390MMOUY3&psc=1
- Lockable rear seat storage (definitely doing something DIY)
- Locking hood catches or hood pins (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TKJ5P8R/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=A3A7QZT98J4YCQ&psc=1
- New dashcam (my current one is fine and installed well so not sure i want to take it out of the Rover). I've had great experience with Rexing and I would probably put in something like: https://www.amazon.com/Rexing-Generation-Supercapacitor-G-Sensor-Recording/dp/B07FCSMJZB/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=QG3W961MTCTF&dchild=1&keywords=rexing+dash+cam&qid=1609265679&s=electronics&sprefix=rexing,electronics,203&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A6UEJTLUY290N&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyR1o3U0pSREJLUEs1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcwMTEzMlJST00zOVI3ODJFUiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDc3NTUzMUhPV0RCNE0yU0Q2RyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
- Passenger door rain visors so I can keep the windows cracked with interior dry - sucks in MN if you forget and then it blizzards 3 inches in your back seat...

I would consider the above items "must haves" - but I already got the LEDs, a factory bed liner (which you already did) and a roll up toneau cover to keep stuff in the bed mostly dry and out of sight while giving me some instant flexibility for Home Depot shit... If I hadn't ordered these I would probably looking at addressing these as part of my early upgrades. Think about where you will store valuables in the bed too... I won't be storing any valuables in the bed unless/until i have a lockable storage box that I can chain lock to the bed or until I have a more permanent cover - looking at RSI Smart Cap or possibly the GoFastCamper but that is $$$ and I'm not sure I need to carry a roof top tent permanently as this will be replacing my daily driver.

In the longer term I'll be building drawers (assuming I get some kind of waterproof cap - I am not going to do Decked solution because the are pretty space inefficient...), adding a Genesis dual battery set up, a rear fog light (for crappy MN weather days), better front foglights, rear and side work lights (depends on what I choose for a bed cap), and eventually some additional front lighting (but I think you can waste a lot of $$$ here for lighting that you may not be able to use much on road and that may be sort of unnecessary off road except in very limited, hard core situations - not to mention the added wind noise). Extra water and fuel storage are going to be DIY and not permanent. Same with onboard air - one of these [ https://www.amazon.com/STORM-BRO-Cy...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==] is a lot cheaper than anything ARB makes... . I don't do enough rock crawling for that. And there isn't enough sun to make solar worth it up here : )

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to organize my thoughts. To summarize - do what you want and consider what your primary needs are. Of course if you are just building a mall crawler then ignore everything above. I would suggest (but I am not speaking with any expertise) that you start thinking about color matching your springs with your factor 55 link and then everything else will fall into place from there - you can add 2 or three spacer kits in a row to get 40s on 22in rims and then start to save your money for rock lights - but they are only worth it if you can get infinitely variable colors - better still if you can link them to your head unit so they change with your music. Sorry if I offended anyone but your fault for reading all the way down. I'm going back to work now.

 

[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

Google/Youtube is your friend.

(most) Lifts/bumpers/winch/headliners/air-compressors/hoods are all easy installs.

You are so true about Youtube. Thanks.

 

[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

A remote start install can be pretty complicated. I would suggest you have a shop install that. A lift is a little involved, but really no big deal. Just give yourself plenty of time to overcome any obstacles.

Same with replacing a bumper. It's just removing and reinstalling bolts. But again, give yourself plenty of time. If you're going to do any real off-roading, I would suggest getting a winch plate and a winch. I like bumpers that allow the winch to be installed low instead of on top, but that's just a personal preference thing.

I'm not sure why you'd want to replace your grill or hood, but those are easy peasy. (Gee, I really hope you're not planning to install an "angry" grill.)

An onboard compressor is nice, but I have an ARB compressor with its own box and it works really well for me. It looks like a plastic tackle box and it holds the compressor, electrical connectors, hose and fittings. You might consider that option before going all way into an onboard compressor install.

So, not sure about an "angry" grill, but I was thinking about something not stock for my JTO. I would want the grill to go with whatever bumper I ended up choosing. I watched a video of a remote start install, and he did it in about 10 minutes (which means I should be able to do it in 3 hours or so). I definitely want a bumper that can hold a winch, but that would be a separate, future, purchase. Thanks for your comments.

 

[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

Nice ride, congrats! You had mentioned a grille and a bumper. I recently replaced these on mine. Neither of them were particularly difficult, but I found these videos useful to give me an overview of the stacking order / steps involved.

Grille Swap:


Bumper swap:

Thanks for the helping videos. I watch YT a lot, but learn very slowly (when it comes to trucks).

 

[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

[Sorry for the long note - I bolded the items I would add so you could skip the editorial content ]
Depends - if you are going to use off road then consider tires first (or tires and lift). If you are staying mostly on road then I'd look to a Tazer Mini (or one of the alternatives- there are threads but I only seem to find those at 3am) to make some usability adjustments like sticking your stop start status, alarming the hood, lighting etc. I've been modding my LR Discovery for years and am waiting on delivery for my new 6MT Rubicon. You should address your primary needs. here is how I went about thinking this through:

My first mods are being done at the dealership mostly because I want them covered under warranty/financing etc and I don't have tools for these kinds of things: Mopar 2in lift, 35s, wheels and a smittybilt xrc gen2 bumper for my winch. I'll move over my 10K Smittybilt X2O winch that is currently on my landrover by myself and most mods I expect to make after that don't require airtools or a lift bay. I've got the following list to work on:
- Tazer Mini
- Ball mount for a Ram phone holder - i don't plan on a ton of dash mounted accessories (like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B85B9XY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A1V7K390MMOUY3&psc=1
- Lockable rear seat storage (definitely doing something DIY)
- Locking hood catches or hood pins (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TKJ5P8R/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=A3A7QZT98J4YCQ&psc=1
- New dashcam (my current one is fine and installed well so not sure i want to take it out of the Rover). I've had great experience with Rexing and I would probably put in something like: https://www.amazon.com/Rexing-Generation-Supercapacitor-G-Sensor-Recording/dp/B07FCSMJZB/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=QG3W961MTCTF&dchild=1&keywords=rexing+dash+cam&qid=1609265679&s=electronics&sprefix=rexing,electronics,203&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A6UEJTLUY290N&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyR1o3U0pSREJLUEs1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcwMTEzMlJST00zOVI3ODJFUiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDc3NTUzMUhPV0RCNE0yU0Q2RyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
- Passenger door rain visors so I can keep the windows cracked with interior dry - sucks in MN if you forget and then it blizzards 3 inches in your back seat...

I would consider the above items "must haves" - but I already got the LEDs, a factory bed liner (which you already did) and a roll up toneau cover to keep stuff in the bed mostly dry and out of sight while giving me some instant flexibility for Home Depot shit... If I hadn't ordered these I would probably looking at addressing these as part of my early upgrades. Think about where you will store valuables in the bed too... I won't be storing any valuables in the bed unless/until i have a lockable storage box that I can chain lock to the bed or until I have a more permanent cover - looking at RSI Smart Cap or possibly the GoFastCamper but that is $$$ and I'm not sure I need to carry a roof top tent permanently as this will be replacing my daily driver.

In the longer term I'll be building drawers (assuming I get some kind of waterproof cap - I am not going to do Decked solution because the are pretty space inefficient...), adding a Genesis dual battery set up, a rear fog light (for crappy MN weather days), better front foglights, rear and side work lights (depends on what I choose for a bed cap), and eventually some additional front lighting (but I think you can waste a lot of $$$ here for lighting that you may not be able to use much on road and that may be sort of unnecessary off road except in very limited, hard core situations - not to mention the added wind noise). Extra water and fuel storage are going to be DIY and not permanent. Same with onboard air - one of these [ https://www.amazon.com/STORM-BRO-Cy...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==] is a lot cheaper than anything ARB makes... . I don't do enough rock crawling for that. And there isn't enough sun to make solar worth it up here : )

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to organize my thoughts. To summarize - do what you want and consider what your primary needs are. Of course if you are just building a mall crawler then ignore everything above. I would suggest (but I am not speaking with any expertise) that you start thinking about color matching your springs with your factor 55 link and then everything else will fall into place from there - you can add 2 or three spacer kits in a row to get 40s on 22in rims and then start to save your money for rock lights - but they are only worth it if you can get infinitely variable colors - better still if you can link them to your head unit so they change with your music. Sorry if I offended anyone but your fault for reading all the way down. I'm going back to work now.

Thanks so much... There is a TON of information here. I will definitely be reading this quite intently. So many good ideas.

edit: Did you choose those locking hood latches because they look so cool? They are more expensive that some others that are highly rated and also lock. Just curious. I do like the looks of them also.

 

[mike921921]

As noted above, once you decide on which model/manuf. gear to buy, many have their own install videos which help with their special requirements. Just go slow and don't be shy about asking others when you get stuck - when you have an issues you'll be surprised how many have already dealt with the exact same thing. ?

 

[Klutch]

Also be aware when it comes to Jeep accessories, you typically get what you pay for. You might find yourself excited about some really cool looking stuff at really low prices. Likely, that's very low quality Chinese stuff that will rust and won't last long. At the other end of the spectrum would be the factory Jeep accessories which tend to be good quality, but but priced very high.

 

[Kevin_D]

Did you choose those locking hood latches because they look so cool? They are more expensive that some others that are highly rated and also lock. Just curious. I do like the looks of them also.

Be careful when buying locking hood latches. I got a highly-rated pair that looked almost identical to stock (the same brand that @syreeves mentioned,) and the shiny bits, which were supposed to be stainless steel, were rusting within 2 months.
Then I find out that the hood is alarmed: if the Jeep's alarm is set, and someone opens the hood, the alarm goes off.
And the Jeep horn is VERY LOUD!

Kevin

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