Rugged Ridge Elite LED Tail Light Guards

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Sep 26, 2010
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Added some Rugged Ridge Elite Tail Light Guards to the Rubicon today. Fairly easy to install, though for the price Rugged Ridge should have pre-cut gaskets for the whole housing and not foam tape that you have to piecemeal on the perimeter of the housing.

Front LED headlight guards are next, but will be a bit more work because I will have to move the winch control head to gain enough clearance to remove the grill.

[Linked Image from iili.io]
 
Looks great, I Love the new Jeeps. I did a good bit of off-roading for the 50k on mine, the suspension is the only thing that has displayed signs of wear. Everything else still works fine. Done with serious off-roading, but will still likely attend some shows. Would like to get a more luxury SUV in time, but can't stomach parting with my Jeep just yet.
 
Originally Posted by montero1
Looks great, I Love the new Jeeps. I did a good bit of off-roading for the 50k on mine, the suspension is the only thing that has displayed signs of wear. Everything else still works fine. Done with serious off-roading, but will still likely attend some shows. Would like to get a more luxury SUV in time, but can't stomach parting with my Jeep just yet.
I have been buying Metal Cloak suspension and steering hardware to be installed soon (waiting to see if they have a July 4th sale so I can pick up the tie-rod). MC stuff is seriously heavy-duty and should be a marked improvement. Keep your Jeep--this is my first one and think it is the perfect vehicle for me. I should have bought this instead of the AMG that I traded for it.
 
Forgot to mention the guards are anodized aluminum and are fairly beefy.
 
Me likes ! However wife and I will start out slow on things like that ! I did get it off the blacktop yesterday ... shrimp & oysters along the way 👌ðŸ¼

64BFFDBB-F53C-406F-B3DA-96BA9F918372.jpeg
 
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I had most of the suspension components replaced slightly over 50k, it now has 57.5 on it. Paint is in such great shape, people that don't know much about Jeeps think it's new.. Inside is like new as well. Doesn't burn oil, ,and the only time it left me waiting for a tow truck turned out to be rusty shifter linkage that snapped and wouldn't let me shift out of park. It's been a great vehicle.
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
Me likes ! However wife and I will start out slow on things like that ! I did get it off the blacktop yesterday ... shrimp & oysters along the way 👌ðŸ¼


Just curious from looking at your picture, do you air down before going onto the sand?
 
No, with fair sized tires I don't need to. And that picture is taken in the maintained section … once past that we went through lots of deep sand as I was learning what driveline combinations work. I've had all kinds of gears. (4.56 being lowest) and transfer cases and transmissions … but honestly with 4.10/4:1/8 speed … what mode it makes you lock in … I found myself back using 4Hi and momentum in sections I could …Well, the rolling to go 4Lo ? I had to go down to the oceans edge to do that … you can't free roll in deep sand. I only locked the rear … lots of large drift wood to dodge etc …
 
I installed the Rugged Ridge Elite LED Headlight Guards today. Hardest part was gaining enough clearance between the grille and the winch power head to pull the bottom of the grill loose. Otherwise, they installed like a dream with 6 bolts total.


[Linked Image from iili.io]



I also did the mechanical work related to wiring my new Baja Designs Cowl lights. I mounted the second relay on the awesome machined aluminum mounting plate (with heat sink grooves underneath) that a fellow Jeeper did for me some time ago.

I am using a solid-state relay on the cowl lights because AUX #3 is last open switch that I have and although it may carry the load just fine, the wiring on the switch is a 22 gauge (or smaller) and so I will use it to pull the relay in and will run power from the battery to the relay.

Once I build the wiring harness for the cowl lights, I plan to clean up all of my wiring with the red/black braided covering as seen on the other wiring (removing the split loom stuff) and heat shrink tubing--I have learned a few tricks along the way.


[Linked Image from iili.io]



I bought the single cowl mount (https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/2018-Jeep-JL-A-Pillar-Mount-Kit.asp) to go with their XL-R Sport High Speed Spot Lights (https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/xl-r-sport-led-high-speed-spot.asp)

After installation of these cowl lights, I will be "done" in the lighting department and will be focusing on Metal Cloak Suspension and Steering Upgrades next.
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
No, with fair sized tires I don't need to. And that picture is taken in the maintained section … once past that we went through lots of deep sand as I was learning what driveline combinations work. I've had all kinds of gears. (4.56 being lowest) and transfer cases and transmissions … but honestly with 4.10/4:1/8 speed … what mode it makes you lock in … I found myself back using 4Hi and momentum in sections I could …Well, the rolling to go 4Lo ? I had to go down to the oceans edge to do that … you can't free roll in deep sand. I only locked the rear … lots of large drift wood to dodge etc …

Which beach? I am assuming in the Galveston area?
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
Matagorda … pretty much my lifelong stomping grounds …

Gotcha! I took mine to Jamaica Beach a while back. I was surprised to see so many people stuck in deep sand. I stayed in 4H and the Falken Wildpeaks did great.
 
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