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Zybane's "Arctic" Diesel Build

85K views 201 replies 58 participants last post by  mtnmerlin 
#1 ·
I am coming from a Rubicon Unlimited that I am used to modding. I have a Grand Cherokee Summit Diesel (Granite Crystal) inbound that I will customize for a more "off-road" flare/use. Any input/thoughts on the build are always welcome.

For modifications, I will start with purchasing a whole slew of items from Rocky Road Outfitters.

I have spoken with them and they are pretty sure the winch mount will be identical. They will just have to create a new bumper plate for the 2014+:




Since mine is a Summit, I will have to completely remove the lower front fascia. This will allow mounting of the OEM tow hooks and support for the winch mount. I am also interested in getting the above front prerunner skid plate, but I'd have to get pretty creative with custom mounting the adaptive cruise control "eye". Most likely cut a circle hole in the middle of the skid plate and use a custom bracket to mount the eye. Anyone know how the eye is mounted on the stock lower trim? Some sort of plastic bracket with screw "leveling"?

MOPAR trailhawk tow hooks:




For the winch, definitely going Warn since they are USA made and are top quality. I'd like to get a top of the line model with synthetic line, so thinking about the 9.5Xp or 9.5cti (not sure what the real difference is besides looks).

As for rocker rails, pretty much have to go with the MOPAR. They are the only ones that extend out and also go full-length that I could find:




Also being a Summit, I don't care for the body-colored wheel arch trim. I will be installing the Bushwacker flares and keeping them stock black:




Now, does anyone know if the OEM skid plates are any good? (The Summit doesn't come with any, so will have to purchase). They are pretty cheap on the MOPAR website, only around $80 each. Being that cheap, are they actual metal?

I will most likely end up with the Rocky-Road 3-piece set:




Is there any gaps that need to be filled between the Rocky-Road plates and the MOPAR ones? Are the adventure pack II skid plates plastic?

As for wheels, most likely going to go with the ones from the MOPAR buyers guide. 18" in black:




I'll just have to find the largest off-road tire I can fit on there with the air suspension and not rub. I know someone put 32" on there, thinking if I can make 33" fit maybe with a small spacer. Of course you then run into the issue of not having a spare of proper size. Diameter being the most important. Was considering looking for a tire not as wide as the stock one, but the same diameter as the off-road ones. Since the stock spare sit's in a recess in the trunk, a larger diameter tire would need to ride above the recess and hence be not as wide (tall) while laying flat. There happens to be enough room back there for a 32-33" tire with the removable "cradle" sections removed, but it would have to be pretty thin in order for the floor above the tire to lay flat. Not sure if such a crazy tire exists.

Not really worried about the small loss in performance with the slightly larger tires being a Diesel and all.

That leads me to all of the chrome on the Summit has to go! Is all of that chrome not actual metal but the standard chrome painted plastic? All of the chrome will be painted Satin black. Just curious about the way to go about it. Sand down the chrome, prime and paint? Looking for something that can hold up for years outdoors. Are those huge mirrors just "capped" with chrome or do I need to repaint the whole thing?

I'd like to get the SRT vented hood as long as the price isn't astronomical. When you order one of those things, do they come color matched or does your dealer need to paint them? So far I can not find the hood in the MOPAR system.

I'd be getting the full slush-mats front/rear and cargo tray.

Considering clear-bra'ing the hood/front bumper/fenders and sides of the car. Anyone ever price that out to help with minimizing pin-striping?

MOPAR also lists a rear fog light kit. Are the standard items on the bottom corners just reflectors? I am curious as to the wiring and how it would connect:




Other standard items I would have in the vehicle are:

Air compressor for airing up tires for after off-road
Collapsible shovel/axe/pick kit bag.
Tool/survival kit
Winch/snatch blocks/tow straps/shackles kit bag
10,000 lb Pull-Pal
Fire Extinguisher
MRE's/Water

And to top it off with the proper badges:




Should be fun!
 
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#4 ·
Sounds awesome! I will be following this build for sure. :thumbsup:
 
#6 ·
Thanks guys. Looking closer at this pic:



Look's like the winch setup may be close to those inner two proximity sensors, but may just clear.

Anyone interested in brand new Summit wheels and tires at a large discount? ;)


Good news is I found a picture of an unknown model with the lower facia removed:



Look's like the adaptive cruise eye has it's own bracket in the center. All I would need to do on the skid-plate is cut out a hole in the center large enough for it to "see" through.

Just checking some stock Summit photo's:



Man, they really made those wheel openings pretty small. The Summit has a stock 30" tire. Look's like the most that would fit would be a 32" with the closest tolerance being right in front of the rear wheels.

Those fender flares look a bit odd also, do all 2014+ have those same flares and are the same as pre-2014?
 
#7 ·
The model in the picture of a GC with the fascia removed is an Overland.

The Summit has different fender flares than the rest of the lineup.

It sounds like you may be better suited to an Overland. It is only lacking a few of the Summit's features, and will require a lot less work to get it where it sounds like you want it. I also heard that the Mopar Rock Rails don't fit on the Summit. The Summit's fascia is also technically not removable.
 
#8 ·
Very ambitious, but it sounds like it will be a very nice build when you are completed.

I'll echo some of JeepGCOverland's thoughts, however...the MY14 Summit has a lot of differences in the body from other trim levels that are going to make using certain aftermarket stuff a lot harder. Your work may end up being a lot harder than it might seem to be at first thought.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Nice, some good points guys. I had to go with the Summit as it had some must-haves for me like the 19-speaker Harmon/Kardon system, the Grand Canyon Brown interior and the adaptive headlights.

Now that you guys mention it, I've noticed that they have three different front bumpers on this vehicle! The Lerado, Limited and Overland share a bumper, Summit and SRT have their own. Look's like the fender "flare" is molded into the bumper. I just wonder if the wheel well flare on the actual fender is built in or is it secured over the side and mounted from below. Look's like I may have my work cut-out for me! (pun intended).

So that also begs the question, they have whole multiple fenders, rear doors and rear quarter panels on the 2014+ also just for the different models looks? Seems like a lot of expense if they do..

As for the MOPAR Rock [/URL]rails, looks like you completely remove the stock effects on the sides so I don't think there should be an issue there. You can get a good image of them in this video:



I'd also kill for those great custom fender flares on that concept.
 
#10 ·
Subscribed, congrats on the new rig and enjoy the build.

Check the tire/wheel subforum for some ideas. IIRC, biggest with quadralift is 32" rubber, though some may have tried larger with lifts. You'll maybe be wanting a new sub enclosure and separate amp. How about a roof rack?
 
#11 ·
Ya, I've been looking over there a bit and I think I will only know for sure once the vehicle arrives and I can crawl under/around it and take some measurements. Toss in some wheel spacers, trim some fender liners etc could make a large difference.

Could you elaborate more on the sub enclosure/amp? I think all of that stuff is built in with the 19-Speaker H/K setup. Been thinking about the RRO roof rack, but would only put that on when on a trip etc.

I think I may have a solution for the spare. Found a pretty narrow Silentarmor tire that is 32.x inches and it has a narrow tread width of only 9". If I deflate that and remove the stock spare tire cradle I may be able to get that to lay under the covering just fine.

Anyone else notice there is a lot of room under the spare tire area between the exhaust pipes? Already thinking of what I could store there lol.
 
#15 ·
Even though the Mopar Rock Rails are listed as not compatible with the 2014 Summit, it appears that they are:

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f176/2014-summit-modifications-so-far-67031.html

I am getting mine installed tomorrow and will post pictures of them installed in my thread (link is in my signature). Hopefully my pictures can give you a good idea of what they will look like on yours, even though mine is an Overland and yours is a Summit. :thumbsup:

Sorry to hear about all of the diesel delays. Hopefully you can get your Jeep in soon and start working on it. I cannot wait to see how this turns out!
 
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#16 ·
Sounds great. I can't wait to get this baby. Some other mods i am looking at:

4 way exterior video recorder setup
2 video camera underbody tied into lockpick
Laser interceptor and Belltronics 9500ci built in systems
Full vehicle plasti dip in anthracite metallic with black trim zero chrome for off road protection

Still having a heck of a time hunting down the part number and price of a SRT hood.
 
#17 ·
I've been looking into the video stuff as well, but it doesn't look like Lockpick has been released for the RA4 radio yet. The Plasti-Dip sounds like a good idea if you are using the Jeep for a lot of off-road use, which you will.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I'm getting the Overland with the same color and motor, and would like to make some (admittedly less extensive) mods in this direciton. Will be cool to see what you do! I definitely plan to do some plasti-dipping, but I'm going to a two tone between the Granite and flat or gloss black.

The mopar rock rails are a must, and it would be interesting to see if the winch affects your front sensors at all.

I'm also somewhat interested in an SRT hood. I love how it looks.

What cameras are you looking at getting? I was looking at the Blackvue dr550gw-2ch, but it's only front and back.
 
#24 · (Edited)
My beauty has arrived:



The vehicle is in great condition. After a few days going over it with a fine tooth comb, there are only two small blemishes. Just a tiny nick in the leather on the left passenger door that is fairly hard to see, and a missing plastic fastener underneath that connects the bottom bumper trim to the plastic skid plate.

Paint is great. Panel/lights/handle alignment is good. Fuel tank and DEF fluid 100% on delivery. I can't say enough good things about Hendrick Jeep in Fayetteville NC. Worked well with me on a trade-in and getting my unconventional method/purchase squared away.

This is a superb vehicle for the money. Friends at work can't get over all of the features.

Pros:

Fit and finish is superb for a vehicle of any price, let alone this price.
Haven't had a single mechanical/electronic hiccup. Nothing as of now needs to be replaced or fixed.
Diesel engine is quiet and pulls strong. Extremely satisfied with how it drives.
Transmission is like glass smooth.
Adaptive headlights are awesome!
Uconnect 8.4 is a marvel. Everything from changing temps via voice command to XM radio. The 19 speaker H/K is stellar!
110v power converter is a great feature.
You can feel the weight of the vehicle but it isn't a bad-heavy feeling. Drives solid like a tank yet is very smooth and quiet.
Cockpit lighting at night is great.
I was giddy the first time I used stop and go adaptive cruise. It worked amazingly.


Cons:
Uconnect doesn't play FLAC files. Hopefully something that they can update in a firmware patch.
Summit front lower bumper trim cannot be removed easily. I'm going to have to remove the whole bumper to figure it out. I have to remove the bumper anyway for winch install.


Today I've de-badged the car besides the diesel badge and the rear Jeep logo which will be blacked out. Tip: if you plan to de-badge do it when the car is new and the double stick tape hasn't set. I used a soft plastic trim removal tool in order to not scratch the paint, and those babies just popped off. :thumbsup:

Today ordered the off-road wheels, tires, winch, bumper, skid-plates, rock rails and a bunch of other stuff. Credit card is ballooning up nicely. :lol:

Overall, I haven't been this excited about a vehicle purchase since my Nissan GTR. Jeep has put out one hell of a product!
 
#26 ·
Thanks for the hint about your thread here - subscribed!

Can't wait to see how this evolves. And, at some point if you happen to post a pic of your "garage collection", that would be sweet, too! :D
 
#28 ·
Ohhh, my! :eek: Thanks for that brief distraction - that looks and sounds like an awesome machine.

And now, back to your Arctic build discussion, in progress...
 
#37 ·
That really looks great. I am going to plasti-dip my window trip this weekend and hopefully it turns out good.

If I may say so, I think your rig would look even more bad a$$ if you de-chromed the door handles.
 
#39 ·
Those wheels look so much better blacked out. Normally I don't like white as a color, but yours is done just right. Also, in the WK2 SRT8 section there is one that is just out of this world. Great looking rig..
 
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