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Jk Underbelly - Photo 66951595

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  • Both Synergy and Absolute Offroad have been modifying JKs for more than a few years now, so we knew we were bound to get parts and service that fit our shiny new Jeep well. Jason Seamons of Absolute Offroad quickly got underway installing Synergy’s heavy-duty skidplates on our green JK. This system replaces the stock crossmember with a transmission skidplate that has a bolt-on T-case skid and engine skidplates (PN 5709-BK, $1,250). We opted for the full black powdercoating option for maximum corrosion resistance. Here Seamons is installing the T-case portion of the skidplate system behind the new Synergy crossmember.
Both Synergy and Absolute Offroad have been modifying JKs for more than a few years now, so we knew we were bound to get parts and service that fit our shiny new Jeep well. Jason Seamons of Absolute Offroad quickly got underway installing Synergy’s heavy-duty skidplates on our green JK. This system replaces the stock crossmember with a transmission skidplate that has a bolt-on T-case skid and engine skidplates (PN 5709-BK, $1,250). We opted for the full black powdercoating option for maximum corrosion resistance. Here Seamons is installing the T-case portion of the skidplate system behind the new Synergy crossmember.
Ahh, our poor, poor, unsuspecting victim. Little does this brand new ’13 JK Sport know about what the future holds for it. While we are sure that the Commando Green is either a “love it” or “hate it” color, we are definitely in the first category. And the similarities to the green used on Sarge, Mopar’s J8 concept vehicle from a few years back, is undeniable. We like military vehicles, and we like Jeeps. Win-win! Ahh, our poor, poor, unsuspecting victim. Little does this brand new ’13 JK Sport know about what the future holds for it. While we are sure that the Commando Green is either a “love it” or “hate it” color, we are definitely in the first category. And the similarities to the green used on Sarge, Mopar’s J8 concept vehicle from a few years back, is undeniable. We like military vehicles, and we like Jeeps. Win-win! We managed to leave the little JK alone for a couple of months while breaking it in. After about 1,500 miles, we decided that we had to start making improvements. One of the first and easiest modifications we’ve done was to add Bestop’s Tinted Window Kit for ’11-’14 two-door JKs (PN 58134-35, $269.99). This replaces the side and rear windows on the Jeep with tinted versions. The install took just minutes, and the Bestop parts fit seamlessly. The tinted windows help keep the sun and prying eyes out of our Jeep and refines the look of an otherwise basic Jeep. First we used a plasma cutter to cut a 2-inch section of the square tube. Sure, we could have looked for a piece of 2x5x3⁄16 channel to use instead, but when scrounging for drop steel pieces, beggars can’t be choosers (and the remnants may become a rear bumper). The one other major component in this Sargesque bumper was a winch plate. After digging for a while we came across a 3⁄16-inch steel winch plate from Rugged Ridge (PN 12052.1710, $219.99) from our friends at Quadratec that we were pretty sure would work. We then notched the section of steel channel we’d cut to fit with the winch plate. Drill holes, add paint, and our clone bumper is almost done. The winch plate bolts to the top of the front frame horns as well as to the front bumper via some steel reinforcements that we added to the rear of the bumper shown here. All in all, the bumper and winch plate provide a solid mount for a winch as well as functional tow points. The last step in building our bumper was to fabricate some D-ring shackle mounts. To do this we used some 1⁄4-inch plate steel and Synergy weld-on Clevis Mounts (PN 3225, $20 each) and burned them together. These finish the look we are going for and add front tow points that we lost when we pulled the factory front bumper and towhooks. The bumper is sandwiched between the front frame horns and these clevis mounts. We’ve already mentioned that we believe that the new Commando Green paint on ’13 and ’14 JKs is probably a nod to Sarge, the Mopar Underground concept rig from a few years back -- but our plans for this Jeep takes that inspiration a little bit farther. We knew pretty early on that we wanted a winch and a simple front bumper. Despite the hundreds of winch bumpers available in the aftermarket for JKs, none really had that J8 Military look we were going for with our JK. So basically we searched images of Sarge and started concocting a way to make a clone J8 front bumper for our little green JK. To do this we ran down to the local steel shop for a drop piece of 5x5x3⁄16 square tubing. Once all the pieces were finished we fogged the bumper with Krylon’s Ultra-Flat Woodland Light Green (PN 4296), which almost matches the Commando Green factory paint. We then mounted up Quadratec’s Q9000s Self Recovery Winch with Dyneema Synthetic Rope (PN 92122.2030, $449.99). We have yet to get stuck in the new JK (not for a lack of trying), so we haven’t used the winch under load yet. We did, however, respool the winch rope and the winch ran quickly and smoothly while respooling. The controls were easy to use and straightforward. You can bet we will beat on this winch and get back to you with a full durability assessment in the future. The next item on our agenda was to get some better protection for the underbelly of the beast. Our JK came with factory skidplates, but they are made out of thin stamped metal and don’t even reach under the low hanging and vulnerable engine oil pan. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. With a quick call to Synergy Manufacturing we were literally covered with an upgrade. In need of a lift to make the install go more smoothly, we headed down the road to Absolute Offroad in Phoenix, Arizona, to have the skidplates installed.
Both Synergy and Absolute Offroad have been modifying JKs for more than a few years now, so we knew we were bound to get parts and service that fit our shiny new Jeep well. Jason Seamons of Absolute Offroad quickly got underway installing Synergy’s heavy-duty skidplates on our green JK. This system replaces the stock crossmember with a transmission skidplate that has a bolt-on T-case skid and engine skidplates (PN 5709-BK, $1,250). We opted for the full black powdercoating option for maximum corrosion resistance. Here Seamons is installing the T-case portion of the skidplate system behind the new Synergy crossmember. The skidplate system provides nearly seamless protection for our new JK’s belly. All of the skids are made of 3⁄16-inch crush-resistant Grade 50 A-572 steel plate for maximum strength while saving as much weight as possible. The skids also include Grade-8 hardware throughout. These skids are not only stronger than factory, but also span a larger distance covering more of the otherwise vulnerable areas of your Jeep’s underside. Now we don’t have to worry about that low-hanging engine oil pan. A gas tank skidplate is also available from Synergy (PN 5713 in raw steel, $400 or PN5713-BK in black powdercoat, $550). Next, Seamons started working on installing a pair of Synergy Rocker Guards (PN 5502, $475) that we’d just fogged in our Krylon Green paint before installation. These rocker guards attach to the body of the JK as well as integrate two of the body mount positions along the JKs frame. That’s stout. Here Seamons grinds at part of the factory body mount where the new rocker guards will bolt on. The best part is that these rocker guards fit tight against the body, providing protection and matching our simplistic yet durable military look. Once installed, we ran a bead of clear silicon over the upper seam between the rocker guards and rockers of the JK. We have yet to bash the rockers into anything too hard, but we know they are stout. The slim design also does little to impede entry and exit to the vehicle, which is nice. Here is a side view showing the order of things as they should be from bottom to top as they would go in the drilled hole. First, we have the body of the rivet nut with the knurled surface that will be inside the sheetmetal (here we used a piece of scrap metal as the sheetmetal). Then there is the outer lip of the rivet nut that rests on the outside of the hole with the tooth lock washer against it and then the larger nut (in this case, this nut is a 3⁄8-inch nut for use with a 5⁄16-inch rivet nut and bolt). Lastly, there is the 5⁄16-inch graded nut that grabs threads in the body of the rivet nut and collapses the knurled part against the inside of the sheetmetal. Here’s what it looks like when you install the rivet nut in the body of the Jeep. The key (once you have everything assembled correctly) is to make sure to hold the larger wrench closer to the body still while turning the outer wrench to collapse the rivet nut. This way, even if the hole is a little large or out of round, the rivet nut should still grab and hold.
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