**Billet to Blue**

[Lynn_F]

I just traded my 2020 Max Tow for a 2022 Sport S "Texas Trail" edition with the Ecodiesel. I documented my 2020 build in my showcase but regretted not doing a build thread so here we go!

Sponsored

 

[Lynn_F]

I had read a number of posts here and heard a lot about the offers people were getting for their trucks so I decided to put my info into KBB and see what came of it. The numbers looked good so I started searching for an Ecodiesel. I found 1 that was en route to a dealership in Houston and started the process. They offered me pretty much spot on what KBB had for my value. We got all of the paperwork done and I was ready to sign as soon as the truck showed up to the dealer. I got a call on 12/30 saying that the truck had shown up and was titled to the Texas RV-Boat-Auto show...so I wouldn't be able to sign and take delivery until the auto show was over. Fast forward to Monday when I was finally able to go and pick it up!! I've put ~700 miles on it this week and I love it!! The power is drastically improved and the mileage is awesome. I'm averaging about 22mpg so far. The available power does tend to make me get a little heavier into the skinny pedal but I'm sure that will settle down a little bit once I get all of my goodies installed...

 

[Lynn_F]

I had quite a bit of equity in my trade-in so I took some of that cash and turned it into a lift/wheels/tires/steps/bumper.

I had a frankenlift on my Max Tow: 4.5" Evo springs with Metalcloak CA's. This time I'll be going with an Evo 6.5" stage 3. I'll be adding my MC front upper and rear lower CAs to have full adjustability. I had Bilstein B8 5160 reservoir shocks last time and had no issue with them but this time I went ahead and splurged for the Evo spec'd Kings!

I was running 40x15.50r22 Maxxis Trepador radials on 22x10 Moto Metal Link wheels. I absolutely loved my wheel/tire combo but it was part of the value they gave for my truck so I had to leave them on for the trade-in. After quite a bit of deliberation, I decided to go with 40x14.50r20 Atturo Trail Blade Boss on 20x12 Vision Tactical in gun metal. I'm hoping the gunmetal goes well with Hydro Blue. The tire market is ridiculous right now and these Atturo's met my price point and availability needs. They have pretty good reviews so hopefully they'll work out.

I had the Rough Country DS2 drop steps and did not like them at all. They were a nightmare to install and started rusting within a couple of months. They also didn't provide much of a step for the amount of lift I had. I wanted to replace them but had a hard time spending money on the same thing twice. This time I'm going with RSE power steps and am probably most excited about this mod!! With the extra couple of inches of lift this will be a must have for the wife and kiddos.

Finally the bumper...I was torn about this. I had the RR Arcus and love the style of it. The only issue I had with it was that the powder coat started flaking off near the passenger side tow hook. I decided that i didn't want to be bitten twice on the same brand so I started looking for a stubby that would use the factory fogs and had the recessed winch mount. I settled on the Smittybilt Stryker...its a bit flashier than I normally would like but I like the stamped construction and design. We'll see how it looks.

Everything has been ordered and of course the winter storm slowed thr delivery down but parts are supposed to begin arriving today.

 

[jn18]

Looking forward to seeing everything installed

 

[glendawg1619]

congrats! cant wait to see the new setup

 

[Lynn_F]

Lift parts started arriving yesterday!!

I opened each box to verify everything was there and after making it through the component kit, front and rear track bars, rear upper CA's and rear springs I got to the front springs to find that I had been sent JK 3" lift front coils. The box had the correct label on it but the wrong springs inside...I knew something was off when I noticed that the box with the rear springs was a few inches longer than the front springs box.

I searched for weeks trying to find someone who has this kit in stock and stumbled across a company out of Canada that showed they had 1 left. I emailed them to verify that all parts were in stock prior to ordering because a few of the items were back ordered...I wonder how long I'll be waiting to get these springs? It's not the company's fault as the box appeared to have been mislabeled at Evo. Oh well...I'm also having to wait on the extensions for the RSE's and the tires which are both also on back order.

 

[cdyoung9799]

Congrats. Love the Hydro Blue. Looking forward to the build photos.

 

[Lynn_F]

The lower front CA's and shocks showed up!

I opened to check everything and got another potentially unwelcome surprise...the shocks are labeled for a 2.5" - 5" lift. I started googling to see if these were the correct shocks and found a couple of retailers that advertise these shocks with the 6.5" lift and others simply state Evo spec'd King shocks. I went to the Evo Mfg website and they have King shocks for a 6"+ lift so I'm reaching out to the distributor to see if the ones I received are correct...this sucks.

I've made my first few mods with some stuff I removed from my other Gladiator: bed cover, floor mats & dead pedal.

I bought some replacement led bulbs and they were a monster to change. The fuse box is directly in front of the bulb cap that has to be removed to replace the bulbs. My hands look like they've been run across a cheese grater.

I got them in though and they look great! I'll attach a pic once the fogs and DRL's arrive.

 

[Lynn_F]

Got the LED upgrade completed: Hikari Eye of Megatron headlights
Lasfit White/Amber fogs
I kept the LED DRL's from before I chopped the fenders on my 2020 - I can't remember the brand.

The headlights are the brightest ones I've found yet and the fogs are super cool!! They switch between white and amber by turning them off and back on.

 

[Snzzbry_Ovrlnd]

Got the LED upgrade completed: Hikari Eye of Megatron headlights
Lasfit White/Amber fogs
I kept the LED DRL's from before I chopped the fenders on my 2020 - I can't remember the brand.

The headlights are the brightest ones I've found yet and the fogs are super cool!! They switch between white and amber by turning them off and back on.

Did you replace the entire light housing or just the bulbs? If it was just the bulbs, did they come with transformers?

 

[Lynn_F]

It's just the bulb with a tranformer.

 

[Lynn_F]

I was finally able to get the bumper installed and it was a bitch. The instructions weren't great and so I referred to YouTube. The video I watched was very helpful but he had his grille removed and I found out at the end that you can't reinstall your grille after the bumper is in place. I've still got to install the led light in the bull bar and tension my winch rope but overall it turned out pretty good! It is quite a bit heavier than the RR Arcus and the winch sits a little higher but I do like the styling. I won't fully decide whether to keep it or not until the lift is on. Next up RSE step sliders!!

 

[Lynn_F]

Step sliders are on!! They were a pretty straightforward install. The only issue I had was a bad sensor on the front passenger side. All other doors deploy and retract as designed. I notified RSE today and they've already shipped a replacement - great service!!

 

[Lynn_F]

Oh yeah...my wheels/tires finally showed up today!!! I'll be installing the lift this weekend!

 

[Lynn_F]

Metalcloak HD steering, front upper and rear lower CA's prepped for paint. Going black to match the Evo gear. Starting the lift install tomorrow!!

Sponsored