[dvdsjk]

Hello all. This can be an extremely helpful thread for for all the DIY JEEPERS. When you do a simple mod like mounting a sunglass holder or more involved mod such as lifts - PLEASE share your how to and an idea of how easy or hard the job was. Pictures are always a great help.

Last index update: 14 June, 2025

Modification Thread Index. .

Rock Rails, Bars, Sliders, Tow Hooks

Mopar Rock Rails Video

Running/Tubular bars

Rocky Road Slider Install

Mopar Rock Rails 2014 WK2

Trailhawk Sliders/Rock Rails

Trailhawk Rock Rails Install Tip

Tow Hook Install

Tow Hook Install Summit

Tow Hook Install High Altitude

Uneek Rock Sliders

2018 MOPAR Trail Hawk Rock Rails

Body Modifications, Running Boards

Pinch Weld and Tire Size

33s on 20s

Running Boards on 2015 Summit

Bumpers, Winches, Other Body Armor

RRO Bumper Winch Instal

RRO winch kit on a 2014

Chief Products / Warn Hidden Winch Installation (2017)

Chief Rear Bumper Guard Install

Mopar Skid Plates

Lower Front Guard

Chief Products Rear Bumper Guard

Offroad Animal Winch

Electrical Other Than Lighting

AlfaOBD Mod List

2011-2013 Sub and Amp

Aux switches to dash

Add Auto Climate your non-climate-controlled WK2

JW Speaker LED fogs

DIY Phone Mount

Trailer brake controller in center console;.... Trailer brake controller under dash

Dealer Anti-Theft System Removal

CB and HAM antennas ;.. CB in a 2014

Rear Camera Install 1, Backup Camera Install 2 ... (2014+)

Shark Fin Antenna 2011-2013

Dash Camera Install ;... Another Dash Cam

Passing Wires Through The Firewall : Photos Here

LED Roof Rack Cable Routing

Nexus 7 Mounting

Heated Steering Wheel

Swapping out RA2 to RA4 Radio on '15

Wireless Charging Phone Mount (2015)

Subwoofer, 2014

Aux Switch Panel

Cobra 75XB CB Installation (2017)

Ham Radio Install

Dual Battery Install

2018 Altitude Audio Upgrade

Updating Radio Firmware

Replacing 730n (RHR) with Kenwood Radio

UAQ install into 2016

Lighting

Rigid Industries Duallys in factory fog light housing

Light Bar

H11 5000k "Xtreme" kit in a 2015

2011 LED Fog Light Replaced With LEDS That Have Large Heat Sink

Rear Bumper Lights

LED Light Bars + and Switches

Projector Retrofit - 2015

Swap out halogen H11's to H9's (2018 Altitude)

HID-Halogen 2014 differences

Another Roof Rack Light Bar

Lifts

Rocky Road 2.5 lift Install

OME Lift Install

Eibach Lift Kit

Another OME Lift Install

QL Air to Coils Spring Suspension


Brakes and Other Suspension

Note that some WK2 have upgraded brakes where SD parts are replaced by HD parts. A fairly easy modification. The VIN will indicate SD brakes and brake shops will install SD rotors (solid rears) and maybe SD replacement calipers in the rear. The mismatch is not all that obvious but leads to uneven front pad wear, more stress on the rear caliper, and reduced braking performance. A vented rear rotor is a sure sign of HD brakes, but a solid rear is no longer a sure sign of SD brakes.

Installing SRT Sway Bars

Air Lift 1000

Sway Bar Info

SRT Brake Retrofit

Helwig 7732 Sway Bar

Trim

Chrome vinyl wrapping your running boards

Interior Trim Removal PDF

Replace your black roof trim with OEM roof rails

Replace your black roof trim with OEM roof rails more details

Another roof rail write up

Fascia Grille removal PDF

Grill Update 2014 Limited to Summit

Removing grill without also removing bumper cover

Rear seat belt extenders

STR8 Grill On a 2011

Side Window Deflectors

Exhaust Tips

SRT Style Engine Cover

Exhaust

Corsa exhaust install

2014 Summit-only 5.7L Corsa Cat-back and Volant CAI

Flowmaster Exhaust

Hemi muffler X-pipe substitute

Intake

2014 Summit-only 5.7L Corsa Cat-back and Volant CAI

Cargo Carriers and Racks, Hitches

Yakima Roof Basket Installation

Roof Rail Delete

2018 Altitude Hitch Install w/o Bumper Removal (at end of thread)

Another Hitch Install w/o Bumper Removal

Cargo Tie Downs

Chief Products Roof Rack

____

Are Aftermarket HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lights Legal?

Installing HID's into a vehicle not originally equipped with them from the factory is technically illegal.

There is a lot of confusion around aftermarket HID kits. Many people want the benefits of brighter headlight bulbs and have seen HID on executive vehicles. There's a wide range of HID kits on the market and many are at affordable prices, but a lot of customers are not fully informed of the true picture.

Although there have not been any definitive answers to searches performed online to whether a particular aftermarket HID kit is legal or not, some States do have specific laws stated in written literature posted regarding the legality of specific headlight upgrades.

Your specific State's headlight upgrade laws can be found by typing in (your State) HID, High Intensity Discharge, or Xenon Headlight Laws.

HIDs installed in headlight systems designed for halogen lights produce substantially different beam patterns. They are difficult to aim, and emit light that exceeds the intensity allowed under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Also see HID Glare, and Headlight Glare.

Under federal regulation FMVSS 108, replacement lights must conform to the specifications for the original equipment manufacturer's system they will be installed in. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has determined that HID conversion kits can never be designed to meet this standard. The NHTSA declared HID kits illegal in 2004.

Installing HID's into a vehicle not originally equipped with them from the factory is technically illegal. Practically speaking, you stand little chance of being cited for them provided you educate yourself on the requirements of HID lighting and take the necessary steps to ensure you have the right equipment and adjustments to keep it safe. That is, make sure your vehicle's headlight assembly uses an appropriately designed projector lense (as opposed to a reflector), and of course that your headlights are properly aligned after installation. Many newer vehicles use projector lenses because stock halogen bulbs also benefit from the "light shaping", but having just any old projector lense does not necessarily ensure that the beam pattern will be correct. It is absolutely essential for HID's to give the light output a sharp cutoff line to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. As HID's become more popular, aftermarket projector housings are being produced for some vehicles.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) states that improperly-installed HID's are getting a lot of complaints. Vendors will usually include a disclaimer that they are intended for offroad use only, but it's no secret that people don't follow this rule. Now, there are a lot of aftermarket automotive parts that qualify as illegal but aren't strictly enforced. Logically, the safety implications of blinding oncoming drivers are more serious than, say, an exhaust that exceeds the legal noise level. So the DOT has actively gone after vendors of HID conversion kits, threatening monetary fines if they continue selling them, and consequently there are now fewer places to buy them.

Modifying Module parameters via Scan Tools

Just a warning that changing settings may void your warranty. Today every change is recorded in long term memory, which can not deleted. Partly for warranty purposes, as well as for ID purposes and fraud prevention.

The following two things are always recorded for every module affected:
Dealer code (none = unauthorized manipulation- voids immediately any warranty on this vehicle)
The changed "from - to" detail.

The memory is called automatically from dealer's DTS which is then checked and verified by FCA computers.

 

[ermatthe]

How to adjust your headlights

If you open your hood and look on the right or left side above each headlight you will see rounded slot about 1/2" X 1" on each side, Use a flashlight and look down thru the slot about 4-5 inches down you will see a white round dial with a phillps screw slot in it. You will need about a 8" long phillps screw driver to reach it. ( turn screw clockwise to raise headlight)
Make sure headlights are on dim NOT ON BRIGHT
Best done a night with car parked on level surface about 6 ft from wall, you will see where light shines on wall raise each about 2" ( It will take 2-5 turns on screw to raise them)
Go out on the road to test them do not raise them up to far as you will blind on coming cars.

Pictures to make it easier.

First, Where the location of the hole and the size screw driver you'll need, 8" as was stated.

Next, That flashlight in the cargo area actually came in handy.

Finally here's a view of the plastic screw itself.

 

[wxchaser]

Mopar Skid Plates

Below are pics of the skid plates installed on my 2012 GC Overland:

 

[padgett]

Tubular Aluminum Rails

I added the Tubular Aluminum Rails (side steps) p/n 82212130 and created a page with some notes to go along with the pictogram instructions. Took about two hours to install because am slow.

Still trying to figure where to put my size 11's so it is useful.

One of these is a diesel.​

 

[Big50]

Rocky Road Slider Install

Original thread here: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f309/rocky-road-super-sliders-installed-1362918/

Finally got around to taking some pix and video of the new rock sliders. The install was pretty strait forward. These do require you to drill into the uni body which wasn't to difficult. Except, I didn't pay attention on the passenger side when drilling one of the holes and the alignment was off. I was able to save it though.

Once you drill the holes you then have to use self tapping bolts which took some muscling to get them to catch. I recommend pulling off the slider after drilling the holes and use the drill and wiggle it around a bit to make the whole slightly bigger. Then once you get the bolt to catch on all the holes pull it out then put the sliders back on and bolt everything down.

I did this all by myself but could have used another set of hands. It does take pressing really hard on the self tapping bolts to get them to catch. I'm 6'4" 260 and it took me pressing as hard as possible.

Video:

Pics:

 

[trooper1968]

Adding Switches to Dash

Ok, I took the plunge and installed a bank of switches below the headlight switch (as you can see the space to the right of the headlight switch was a no go unless you want to do some MAJOR cutting).
For those who want to do the same, it is not for the faint of heart because of the amount of cutting to accommodate the depth of the switches. Anyways, I am pretty happy with the outcome, my only beef is that I sometimes hit the gas cap switch with my knee when I get into the Jeep because it is no longer recessed. I might switch the two power wires so that the switch is in the off position when it up instead of down.

Here is the lower portion of the dash opened up. You can see the new winch power, ACC and ground wires hanging out. You tap the orange w/grey wire for dash lights.

/cl

Switches installed and ready to go! The switch includes a red light for power and a green light tapped to the dash lights and comes on when the rest of the dash is light up.

The solenoid for the winch is installed under the hood, with the power cables routed under the truck back to the receiver hitch.

After the install the winch into the receiver, connect the power and you are ready to go.

Anyways, I pretty happy with the way it turn out.

/cl

 

[xJoshxx]

How to Add Auto Climate your Wk2!

I ordered Item # 55111916AP (2011-2013 without Heated or Ventilated Seats)

From Just for Jeeps!!

Step #1 Unbox and awe at the beauty of it.

Step #2 say good bye to manual HVAC

Step #3
Use the bottom lip of the trim and pull with 2 hands equally * mine took some force*

Almost there!!! I found it easier to start pulling and wiggling near the drivers vent!

***** Caution There are wires attached to the panel*****
Step #5 it's out!

Step #6 Requires a #15 Torx bit (at least that's what worked for me)
4x torx and the old HVAC will fall out!

Take your new Auto Hvac put it in place of the old put the screws back in.

Step #7 Trim the HVAC Harness Connector ** I used a razor blade to trim it **

Step #8 Plug your connectors back into the panels before putting the trim back in place and get it a good push to pop all the clips back in.

Step #9 Enjoy!!

Hope this helps!

 

[xJoshxx]

Very interesting on the HVAC auto climate control. Are there any temperature sensors already in the WK2 that just aren't utilized?

The solar load sensor which is incorporated into the Automatic headlights.

and the I believe the Auto HVAC has it's own infrared system see the center of the dial on the auto system.

 

[xJoshxx]

Dual Climate works perfectly and auto climate does like it should.

 

[JSRichar5985]

DIY factory remote start

I've been looking at adding a remote start to my wife's WK2. its cost about $220 to buy the kit and the dealer quoted like $500 for the installation. I was reading the installation guide and it seems fairly simple just alot of pulling interior parts out. Has anyone attempted this job on their own? Is it difficult?

here is the installation guide:

http://site.justforjeeps.com/guide/82212137.pdf

 

[wjnewguy]

DIY K&N Intake 3.6L

So Today I decided to make my own homwm brew version of an intake for $70 bucks, rather then $300 for a CAI.

All you have to do is go to PepBoys, get a 4" joiner tube, 4" K&N filter, and a small little mini cone filter for the secondary air tube coming off of the air box.

Here is the install pics, took literally 10 minutes to put everything together.



the sound is nice when you get on it, although thanks to the awesome sound deadening in our cherokees you cant hear it that well inside.

 

[wjnewguy]

More photos

 

[FAUEE]

DIY/Review: Chrome vinyl wrapping your running boards

So first the few obvious questions:
1) MORE CHROME!?
Yes, more chrome. I like the chrome running boards.

2) Why not just buy the chrome Mopar boards?
There's no fundamental difference between the chrome boards and the black boards, just an appearance coating, and this is way cheaper than buying another set of $500 boards.

So first off, this RVinyl Chrome wrap doesn't work like normal vinyl. You don't want to use heat on this stuff, or it ends up like this.

So basically, this is what you'll start with when open the box.

To do this, you'll want to order the 24"x72" piece. Then cut it in half (hot dog style for those of you who capped out in artistic ability at Kindergarten like myself). This stuff is quite reflective. It looks great.

So the first thing we need to do is remove the boards. There's 3x 10mm bolts that hold them to the brackets. The plastic step pads are held on by 2 and 3 Phillips head screws.

Next we need to clean the heck out of these, because they're dirty.

So clean it off with soap and water really well. You'll be amazed how dirty these things are.

Time to actually put it on. Start by lining up your starting edge near the hole for the mounting brackets. This lets us hide the transition line. Get the whole thing lined up, and start wrapping around.

Using the low friction squeegee is CRITICAL. Chrome vinyl will show scratches very easily, so make sure you use it. If you don't have it, a piece of felt may work. Continue wrapping your way around the board.

Once you've wrapped around the board, you can re-attach the hardware pieces. Since you've got them off, it's not a bad idea to give them a good cleaning and use some sort of protectant on them (I used Turtle Wax F21 - this stuff works great but makes it very slippery, so make sure you give it a bit of time before you intend to step on them).

You can see in that picture an area where I jacked it up. This film supposedly has air release and should fix that. We shall see in the morning.

I put it back on the Jeep just to see how I liked the look. I do like the chrome, and the vinyl looks great for chrome. However, I didn't do very good job with it, and so it didn't turn out as well as it could have. I have no doubt a professional with this film could make these look flawless, and fantastic, but the RVinyl chrome is somewhat difficult to work with.

Overall, the product is good, with awesome looks - it looks as good as a lot of OEM "chrome". But it's hard to work with, so unless you are pretty skilled with it, I'd limit it to smaller areas. And don't try to use heat on it

 

[FAUEE]

Looks good now. Curious to see how it looks a month from now.

It didn't actually look that good. I did a pretty terrible job In putting it on, so I had ridges and such at the ends of the bars. So, I took it off already. I expect that it would have held up pretty well had I left it on.

 

[JasonJasoff]

Interior Trim Removal PDF (Possible Sticky?)

I was curious about replacing the factory subwoofer and wanted to see if, instead of buying this (to save some cash):
www.crutchfield.com/S-CBs04HYf6Zp/p...Bs04HYf6Zp/p_13694508/JL-Audio-Single-10-Stealthbox.html?tp=113#accessories-tab

... I would attempt to remove the factory sub myself and do some math to see if I can just buy a sub (of my choice, even though this JL sub above probably rocks) and stick it in the factory's place (even if it involved some DIY tactics).

Looking at all the trim panels though, it appeared it could possible be a litte tricky to remove though so I did some google searching and came across this:
http://www.wk2jeeps.com/interior/2011_wk_interior_trim_removal_001E.pdf

I wanted to share that link with you all because this could be helpful for many different reasons for people wanting to do things themselves.

Seems like a worthy "sticky" link to me :2thumbsup:

 

[ColdCase]

There is a lot of information on WK2jeeps that is useful, some wiring diagrams, manuals, spec sheets, TSBs ..... Everyone should have the site bookmarked for easy reference. Allpar.com can also contains good info.

The service manual CD is now available at techauthority.com . It is browser based, unlike the older PDF versions and runs best on a Windoze XP machine and Internet Exploder 8. Anything else is an adventure due to obsolete code and plug ins. CD does not include wiring diagrams in section 8W.

 

[txwest]

RRO Bumper Winch Install

Well, It has been a few weeks since I did the install. Been a crazy summer here at work, but I finally have time to put together all the pictures from the preparation, to the install. A BIG shout out to Jackal01. He was willing to provide a shady spot to do the install and several critical tools needed for the install. I of course provided the Jeep and the ice chest of Beer. :cheers2:
I know he enjoyed cutting up my Jeep and I look forward to helping him install his winch, roof rails, skid plate, etc, etc, etc... as his list grows...lol:thumbsup:

There will be numerous pictures posted as I like to take a bunch. It lets me look back at a picture later that day so I know what all the parts look like and how I can brainstorm the best way to situate them under the hood.

Here are some pictures of the parts as they came in.
All of mine were shipped UPS, and RRO even 3-day'd the winch mount so I could have it in time. Those guys are awesome!

Winch Box exploded in my spare bedroom...I clocked the motor while it was in here because it was easier to do than once it was in the driveway...

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Synthetic rope came with a hook woven onto it...

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So I got a buddy with an air tool and cut-off wheel to get rid of it...:thumbsup:

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The RRO Mount when I picked it up from UPS

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Unpacking...

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The two small t-like brackets are the light mount tabs that bolt into the roller fairlead holes...(I have not yet attached these)

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There are more holes in this one than what is on the instructions...not big deal that means I don't have to re-coat the bolt holes since they are already powder coated

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The facia and chrome overlay from the grill removed
(the easiest way to get the push-pins off from the side molding and fender wells is to just cut them with an exacto-knife. Save the ones from underneath as they go easily back into place unless you install the skid plate)

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Useless piece of foam removed...

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[txwest]

#2

OEM Support Removed (Save the bolts/nuts from the splash guards and the compressor mount)

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New Plate pre-install. Look around, see what Holes line up, you can wiggle it up/down and side/side to get it as close as possible.

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Make Sure that your tow Hooks are right-side up when you mount the bracket. (we had to completely un wire and un install the mount to fix one of them that had spun around)

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There is plenty of room around and underneath the mount for additional accessories, like onboard air that you thought you couldn't have because of the lack of clearance for you Warn 9xi.....pun intended

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WIRING BEGINS

This gigantic annoying box was the first thing I got rid of, once I opened it up and saw that the weather resistant plug could be un-attached.

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[txwest]

#3

Standard 4 gauge battery cable I got from the auto parts store along with a box of heat shrink and wire looming. I cut the 3 cables at 8 feet, but 7 feet looks like it is the perfect size to go from the location next to the terminal, all the way down to the winch. I used the black ground cable that came with the winch, and one of the short red cables. The small black ground from the solenoid reached perfectly over to the negative post by routing it under the plastic wall with the other loomed cables. ( Yellow arrow in picture #8 in this post )

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Trying to find a good place for the solenoid.
And test running the wires.

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Negative post wiring.

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Drilled holes and bolted solenoid to the indention on the plastic wall.
This piece easily comes out for you to drill and mount, out of the Jeep. :thumbsup:

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After Looming and taping all the wires together it was too big to fit under the wall in the factory wiring pass-through holes, so we cut an opening in the wall at the top. Once re-installed, the wall weather-stripping covers the top of the hole and it looks very clean.

View attachment 636729

 

[txwest]

#4

We found a good place to run the wires behind the top of the coolant reservoir and around the bottom of it, in between the body frame where the mount bolts, away from the radiator and other heat/moving parts.

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Winch bolted and test-fit wiring to get correct length. (make sure you have the mount and all its bolts in and fastened before you begin mounting the winch, if a few of the bolts are off, you will have to take it out again)

TEST TEST TEST TEST YOUR WINCH!!!!!!!! make sure it all works before you zip-tie and spray and bolt it down later on. DO NOT LEAVE IT BOLTED IN NOW. (we removed this one 3 or 4 times due to our brains being tired...this led to Lunch)

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Remove the winch after testing so you can place the fascia back on and mark the holes. A dremil is perfect for this job, make sure you have a plunging bit, not just a cut wheel. The wheel works, but the bit would be easier and have less cleanup.

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Another reason we had to un-mount the winch was because the clutch lever was too high on the Smitty 8k. Follow the instructions in the manual and rotate it toward the radiator. It does not hit, and it makes it perfect for releasing and engaging the clutch with an allen wrench. (no holes in your grille!!)

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Grille backing re-installed to check clearances one more time.

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