Chris's Sport S Max Tow - Boring Daily 'Build'

[ChrisNLA]

Hey why not.

Newest updates photos and updates will be at the end of the thread.

'22 Sport S
Max Tow
Aux Switches
Tech Package
Preferred Equipment

Ordered it from the local dealer the first week of June '22 - received the first week of August '22. Two months to the day, order to delivery. This is my second Jeep. My previous ride was a '16 JK Willys that I bought new in April '16. I traveled / wheeled all over the country in it, adding 87,000 miles to the odometer. Sold it to family and bought the truck because well - I needed a more suitable daily (more space, better towing), but still wanted a Jeep and 4x4.

Here is a snip from my Google Doc that covers the mods. It's current as of 9/19/2025.

3W Floor Mats Installed Door Sill Guards Installed LED Headlight Bulbs Installed LED Fog Light Bulbs Installed Bed Mat Installed Rock Rails Installed TPMS Sensors Installed Rubicon Wheels/Tires Installed Window Tint Installed Air Compressor Installed Leveling Kit Installed Smittybilt X20 Winch Installed LOD Winch Plate Installed Fairlead Mount Installed Fairlead Spacers Installed Dead Pedal Installed Tool Box, TSC As Needed Spare Tire Installed Power Outlets, Back Seat Installed Mudflaps Installed Bed Tie Downs Installed Bulletpoint Phone Mount Sold Metalcloak Disconnects Sold Mopar Lower Control Arms Here Apex AutoLynx Sway Bar Disconnects Installed Bulletpoint Rubi Grid Installed Bulletpoint Radio Mount Installed Samsung A7 Tablet Installed KB VooDoo Max Modular Rack SOLD KB VooDoo Rack Mount Clips SOLD KB VooDoo Rack Mounts 1 SOLD KB VooDoo Rack Mounts 2 SOLD Ironman 4x4 Awning & Room SOLD DIY Bed Rail Mounts Installed Pelican Vault V800 Case SOLD Body Armor 4x4 Pike Roof Top Tent SOLD Aluminum 1/8" x 8' flat bar SOLD Trash Can Installed Alpicool 35QT Fridge Installed Iceco APL55 Fridge / Freezer Installed Frostking Weatherstripping Installed Noco Inlet 15A 120V Installed 15A Outlet Installed Cam Buckle Straps, 1 Meter Installed GPCA t-handle knobs and d-rings Installed ARB fridge wiring kit and outlet Installed ARB fridge cable Installed Stubby AM/FM Radio Antennas Installed Harbor Freight Roadshock 3" Lights Installed Light Brackets, Bed Sides, Send Cut Send Installed Kicker Subwoofer Installed Bilstein 5100 Shocks Installed Oracle Bumper Lights Installed

First two pics - my first time seeing the truck at the dealer, only a couple hours after coming off of the truck.

My previous 2016 two door with my new Gladiator.

Current picture from Mid April 2023.

Sponsored

 

[Plywood]

If you don’t want to spend a ton on a bumper to mount a winch this is a good cheap way to get the job done.

https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-90205.htm

 

[ChrisNLA]

If you don’t want to spend a ton on a bumper to mount a winch this is a good cheap way to get the job done.

https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-90205.htm

Thanks. I considered this as one option - also followed several builds of varying quality for recessing the winch into the factory plastic bumper. If I toy with that route I'll just go on FB and scoop up another stock bumper for a little bit of nothing to experiment with.

 

[just_another_guy]

It makes a lot of sense to slowly upgrade your truck as needed, rather than doing a cookie cutter build out of excitement with a new vehicle. Great choice on the color too ?

 

[Jaxmax]

Your choice of color Blue my mind! Welcome and have fun!….Jack

 

[DublF]

If you don’t want to spend a ton on a bumper to mount a winch this is a good cheap way to get the job done.

https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-90205.htm

I have this and I really like it. Got mine for $80 on Craigslist though.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Test fit some Mopar roof rails that I got for cheap locally. They'll work for the kayak. Removed them for now.

Also added two 12V outlets to the back of the center console.

Teraflex 1.5" Leveling kit is here, waiting to install. The lower control arms from the Mopar lift kit also arrived. While I hear they aren't necessary for the level, plenty folks suggested the extra caster really helps, so why not. I also have an LOD winch plate on the way to try a 'hide the winch in the stock bumper' project.

 

[ChrisNLA]

More odds and ends.

Teraflex 1.5" level kit when in Sunday morning. I have some Mopar lower control arms but didnt have sockets big enough for the axle side bolts. Will catch this on another weekend.

Installed LED headlight and fog light bulbs (Beamtech for headlight and SNGL for fogs) no flash or programming required (I had OEM halogens).

Found a great fitting box at Tractor Supply for $125 for some bed tool storage. This is an interim solution until I want to spend $1300 on the final bed cover - then this box will go in another truck of mine. Waiting on some parts to secure it to the bed with no modifications.

Tomorrow my winch arrives and then i am going to modify the stock plastic bumper to accept it using an LOD winch plate and a universal fair lead mount. Also have some bed tie downs and a dead pedal coming, and some materials to make removable front mud flaps.

Also about to order some Metalclaok swaybar disconnects and have them milled down at work to be shorter to work at this height. Doing that because when I lift the truck higher later with an MC lift I want their links to fit, so I don't want to cut the passenger swaybar ear off for other brands.

 

[redline61]

Looks great man!

 

[ChrisNLA]

All sorts of junk arrived.

Stuff to make quick detachable front mudflaps. Actually its enough to make three sets so depending on how nice they turn out i may sell a couple ?

Stuff for additional bed tie downs since I don't have the trail rail system.

Hardware to secure the TSC toolbox to the factory front tie downs.

A dead pedal. Really miss having one like on my previous JK.

And the put a winch where it wasn't supposed to be starter kit.

 

[ChrisNLA]

So - I crammed a Smittybilt Gen 2 X20 Winch into the stock front bumper. Used an LOD Signature winch plate, a Harbor Freight fairlead mount, a couple cheap aluminum fairleads from Amazon to act as spacers, and a lot of cutting and fitting. Love the result.

Read more about it here.

Made some custom quick release front mudflaps. It's just plastic sheet from Amazon (I forget exactly what kind) and some thumb screws and flange nuts to attach them where the push clips used to be at the bottom of the fender. On and off easily, seem to hold up fine enough for trips down forest roads. Was $25 worth of materials and I had enough stuff to make four sets, lol.

They aren't RockBlokz, but it was a fun project.

Installed Apex Autolynx Disconnects. This is the 8" version. Love them so far.

I was up in Hot Springs, AR for a few days - so I took a day to make a short run through Ouachita National Forest north of Winona Lake. Learned more about Gaia GPS and dropped some pins on interesting places - such as this overlook.

Upgraded my Bullet Point phone mount to include the Rubi Grid system. I have a Go Pro mount now (may swap this to hold an InReach device), a place for my handheld GMRS finally, and I added a Bullepoint tablet mount off the passenger grab handle and picked up a new (basic) Samsung tablet to run Gaia with on future trips we are planning.

 

[ChrisNLA]

With plans for Colorado in summer '23, and other small trips in the middle, my shopping list is potentially, and in this order (sort of):

- Additional front lighting (style / location TBD)
- Additional side lighting, Quadratec side shooters mounting low just behind the cab
- Additional rear lighting (style TBD)
- Rock lights (style TBD)
- Chase lights (probably small LED lights on a license plate mount)
- Teraflex cargo rails
- Deezee or similar inside tailgate cover
- Bed Cover (Undercover tri-fold?)
- Bed sliders / rock rails
- Engine / trans skid plate (probably not a full set, due to cost)
- Takeoff front bumper skid from a Rubi
- Diff covers (really like the ARB)
- Updated recovery kit

I am not super interested in building the truck up big. It's a lot of money for the minority of how my truck get's used ($7K+ for a quality 2.5" lift, 35s, and full belly skids in current market). The idea is have it well setup to use it's level kit and 33's the best I can for general overlanding routes and adventure. Ever seen Venture4WD/Chris Shontz, Coyote Works, etc. That.

 

[John in the Woods]

Chris from Venture4WD is one of my heroes.

Great work, and love the slower and deliberate approach. I hope you get to hit Colorado next year in style.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Chris from Venture4WD is one of my heroes.

Great work, and love the slower and deliberate approach. I hope you get to hit Colorado next year in style.

Thanks! Growing up nobody really had fixed up 4x4's. Everyone was just plant workers and welders driving 4x4 trucks with leveling kits and meaty tires stuffed on stock wheels. So - I'm going that approach. Function, then form. This will go where I want it to 95% of the time and the last 5% I just jump in with a friend in a built rig - and then I play camera man / spotter / winch line guy.

I like what Chris said recently. He said he enjoyed wheeling but it was the longer, more methodical adventures that he truly enjoyed. I am pursuing forest and BLM roads, camping, and getting to places to fish, kayak, or just escape the rest of humanity for a short bit, lol. The more I keep the build modest for my true needs vs wants, the more money I can spend on the journey.

 

[ChrisNLA]

So my buddy was selling his KB VooDoo 18" aluminum bed rack and I picked it up for a good deal. We do some camping and road trips (I'm not a fan of the term 'overlanding', lol), so I wanted an awning like I had on my teardrop a few years back, and more storage up high. I want to keep the bed as empty as possible when not on trips so I can use the truck like a truck.

Rack, Ironman 4x4 6.5 awning, Pelican Vault V800 case.

Made my own rails to mount the rack with. This is the deep galvanized super strut from Home Depot. I primed it and painted it matte black.

I don't typically keep my hatched, hand saw, or tripod and light up here but this gives you an idea of the space. My two camp chairs, foot stool, straps and ropes, gloves, awning stakes, and recovery bag stay up here all the time - leaving a little space for mission specific extras.

If I like the box over the next month or two, I'll buy another one for the driver side.

I'm going to take the straps out of their fancy box and make them more compact to give me more space. If I took the 2.5" of foam out of the lid I'd have even more space to use.

Sponsored