Recalibrated Rubicon - 2012 JKUR MW3 Edition Build

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover

Hey Friends! :)

I Purchased my first Jeep in May of 2015, A tired 1999 Wrangler Sport that had spent its life in Maine.
It introduced me to the off-road world and the Jeep lifestyle.

1999TJFirstday.JPG


A few years later it looks a little different :unsure:

1999TjArmorinstall.JPG

1999TJarmorrear.JPG


I work in the Collision Industry, more specifically I'm a Painter. However, I wear many hats just like most people.
Jeeps have become my passion. If I'm not working on a Jeep, I'm learning about something Jeep or Off-road industry related.

1999TjMCcornerarmor.JPG



Fast forward to October 2018

We decided to add a 4 door Jeep to our life.

My wife, our Golden Retriever Sampson (Sammy) and I had been doing a lot with our TJ.


Rausch Creek September 2018
RauschCreekTJ.JPG



Somewhere on the Golden Road in Northern Maine
1999tjSammykayla.JPG


Sammyin1999TJ.JPG



We were beginning to lack the room in the Jeep that we would like to have.
We set the criteria for we wanted.

- 4 Door Wrangler
- 3.6 Pentastar
- Rubicon
- 4.10 Gears (So we don't have to re-gear first thing)
- Automatic

We picked this up the first week of October.

2012JKnew.JPG


2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon MW3 Editon.
65k Miles and very clean for a 2012 in Maine.
Mostly stock except for tires and the accessories that came with the special edition.
I honestly wasn't into the MW3 but it fit the criteria we wanted. I had already removed the emblems. (y)
The parts I didn't like were going to be replaced anyways.

Recalibration

Our goal is to have versatile daily driven Jeep that fits our lifestyle.

Some of the top things we do are:

- Long highway trips
- Winding mountain roads
- Rock crawling
- Camping
- Shopping Mall 🤷🏼‍♂️

Some of the things we would love to do are:

- Visit Tennessee (Smokey Mountains, Windrock, Nashville)
- Modern Jeeper Adventures - Rausch Creek, PA

Short term Goals:
Metalcloak Evap Canister Relocation
Motobilt D44 Front Differential Cover
Metalcloak Full Skid Integrated Armor System
Artec Inner C Gussets
Artec Front LCA Skids
Front Driveshaft

Long term Goals:
Big Brake Kit Front
Big brake Kit Rear
Regear
37" Tires
Portable Fridge
Beadlock Rims

Parts will be moved to the completed list after being installed.

Completed Modifications:
Spidertrax 1.5" Wheel Spacers
Motobilt Hatchet Front Bumper W/Fogs
Motobilt Stubby Rear Bumper
Teraflex HD Tire Carrier W/ORO LightPlate
Left Cylinder Head Replaced - Warranty 2/15/19
Metalcloak 2.5" Gamechanger Rocksport Edtition
Metalcloak HD Steering
Falcon 2.1 Steering Stabilizer
Metalcloak Overland front fenders
Metalcloak Overline corner armor w/flares
Milestar Patagonia 315/70/17
Metalcloak D44 rear DSP
JScan IPhone App for Calibration
Artec front Inner fenders
Trimmed Mopar rock rails
Warn Vr8s (for now)


Check out our build progress below:D

First things first a full detail was in order. Clay bar to remove contaminates, multi-step paint correction, paint sealant, and black out the frame were a few highlights from that process.

2012jkdetail1.JPG

2012jkdetail2.jpeg




Rugged Ridge Hood Latches installed. We had awful hood shutter coming home from buying the Jeep when going 70mph and these did the trick.


Installed the Spidertrax 1.5" Wheel spacers to prepare for the 315/70/17 Tires.
Install was very straight forward Spidertrax supplied a nice set of directions along with all necessary hardware and Red Loctite.
I have checked them twice so far with the torque wrench and report no loose lugs in 4k miles.



Front and Rear Motobilt Bumpers Installed

The Rear Stubby bumper was fairly straight forward unbolt the old one and install the new one. I did have a problem sliding the new Motobilt Rear bumper on. The drivers side frame bracket seemed to be welded in at a very slight angle and was only able to slide the bumper on about an inch until it started to bind. My friend and I were able to persuade the bumper all the way on with a BFH and once it was in place we were good to go.





The Motobilt Hatchet Front bumper required a few more hours to install than the rear, but SO worth it! It is a frame chop from bumper so the crossmember and frame ends had to go. While I was in there I rotated the Rubicon sway bar E-Disconnect up 90 degrees and out of the way. The vacuum pump relocation was on the list to do that day as well.





I think we can all agree it looks a little empty without a winch :sneaky:







Lifestyle and Adventure:giggle:


First ride with the new Jeep! Kancamagus Highway, Lincoln, New Hampshire. Fall 2018





White Mountain Jeeps Annual New Years Ride. January 2019







If you made it this far, Thank you for Viewing!
All Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated :)
 
Last edited:

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member

Hey Friends! :)

Purchased my first Jeep in May of 2015, A tired 1999 Wrangler Sport that had spent its life in Maine.
It introduced me to the off-road world and the Jeep lifestyle.

View attachment 1861

A few years later it looks a little different :unsure:

View attachment 1862
View attachment 1863

I work in the Collision Industry, more specifically I'm a Painter. However, I wear many hats just like most people.
Jeeps have become my passion. If I'm not working on a Jeep, I'm learning about something Jeep or Off-road industry related.

View attachment 1864


Fast forward to October 2018

We decided to add a 4 door Jeep to our life.

My wife, our Golden Retriever Sampson (Sammy) and I had been doing a lot with our TJ.


Rausch Creek September 2018
View attachment 1867


Somewhere on the Golden Road in Northern Maine
View attachment 1868

View attachment 1865


We were beginning to lack the room in the Jeep that we would like to have.
We set the criteria for we wanted.

- 4 Door Wrangler
- 3.6 Pentastar
- Rubicon
- 4.10 Gears (So we don't have to re-gear first thing)
- Automatic

We picked this up the first week of October.

View attachment 1866

2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon MW3 Editon.
65k Miles and very clean for a 2012 in Maine.
Mostly stock except for tires and the accessories that came with the special edition.
I honestly wasn't into the MW3 but it fit the criteria we wanted. I had already removed the emblems. (y)
The parts I didn't like were going to be replaced anyways.

Recalibration

Our goal is to have versatile daily driven Jeep that fits our lifestyle.

Some of the top things we do are:

- Long highway trips
- Winding mountain roads
- Rock crawling
- Camping trips
- Shopping Mall

Some of the things we would love to do are:

- Visit Tennessee (Smokey Mountains, Windrock, Nashville)
- Modern Jeeper Adventures - Rausch Creek

Short term Goals:
Metalcloak 2.5" Gamechanger Rocksport Edtition (Ordered 1/29/19)
Metalcloak HD Steering
Falcon Steering Sabilizer (Gift from a friend 12/18)
Metalcloak Aluminum Hardline Flares
Teraflex HD Tire Carrier (Bought 11/24/18)
Milestar Patagonia (5) 315/70/17 (1/25/19)
Metalcloak Evap Canister Relocation
Motobilt D44 Front Differential Cover
Metalcloak D44 Rear Differential Skid (Not released yet)
Metalcloak Full Skid Integrated Armor System
Artec Inner C Gussets
Artec Front LCA Skids
Calibration Tool (Leaning towards Procal)
Winch W/Synthetic Line

Parts will be moved to the completed list after being installed.

Long term Goals:
Big Brake Kit Front
Big brake Kit Rear
Regear
37" Tires
Portable Fridge
Beadlock Rims

Completed Modifications:
Spidertrax 1.5" Wheel Spacers
Motobilt Hatchet Front Bumper W/Fogs
Motobilt Stubby Rear Bumper


Check out our build progress below:D

First things first a full detail was in order. Clay bar to remove contaminates, multi-step paint correction, paint sealant, and black out the frame were a few highlights from that process.

View attachment 1869
View attachment 1870



Rugged Ridge Hood Latches installed. We had awful hood shutter coming home from buying the Jeep when going 70mph and these did the trick.


Installed The Spidertrax 1.5" Wheel spacers to prepare for the 315/70/17 Tires.
Install was very straight forward Spidertrax supplied a nice set of directions along with all necessary hardware and Red Loctite.
I have checked them twice so far with the torque wrench and report no loose lugs in 4k miles.



Front and Rear Motobilt Bumpers Installed

The Rear Stubby bumper was fairly straight forward unbolt the old one and install the new one. I did have a problem sliding the new Motobilt Rear bumper on. The drivers side frame bracket seemed to be welded in at a very slight angle and was only able to slide the bumper on about an inch until it started to bind. My friend and I were able to persuade the bumper all the way on with a BFH and once it was in place we were good to go.





The Motobilt Hatchet Front bumper required a few more hours to install than the rear, but SO worth it! It is a frame chop from bumper so the crossmember and frame ends had to go. While I was in there I rotated the Rubicon sway bar E-Disconnect up 90 degrees and out of the way. The vacuum pump relocation was on the list to do that day as well.





I think we can all agree it looks a little empty without a winch :sneaky:







Lifestyle and Adventure:giggle:


First ride with the new Jeep! Kancamagus Highway, Lincoln, New Hampshire. Fall 2018





White Mountain Jeeps Annual New Years Ride. January 2019







If you made it this far, Thank you for Viewing!
All Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated :)
Great write up. I’m really going to enjoy watching you build this thing. When you make it down to TN, shoot me a message. I live here in Knoxville and I’m only 10-15 mins away from Windrock. 👍🏻
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Great write up. I’m really going to enjoy watching you build this thing. When you make it down to TN, shoot me a message. I live here in Knoxville and I’m only 10-15 mins away from Windrock. 👍🏻
Thank you for your support, I will absolutely send you a message when we nail down the dates that we will be there. I've been watching some videos of Windrock on youtube and if you live that close I will say I'm a little jealous. :cool:
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
We had a check engine light come on for a cylinder 6 misfire during our New Years Jeep ride back in January. My first thought was a faulty plug or coil but we decided to err on the side of caution. We brought it to our local Jeep dealership to perform a cylinder leak test. Prior to shopping for a JK I learned a bunch of 2012's had head issues and Jeep eventually put out a bulletin that covered replacing the head with a new design. These Jeeps were covered with an extended 150k/10 year warranty on the cylinder head. If the leakage is greater than 25% the head will need to be replaced. Our Rubicon came back with around 40% leakage and we scheduled to bring it in the end of next week for repairs.

UPS is paying us a visit tomorrow... :giggle:
 
Last edited:

TJ_Tim

Jeep Newb
I love adjustable hood latches. It's the simple things really. lol

I'd love to be able to paint. I've tried on multiple occasions but can't get it down. I'm a rattle can specialist but lose all cognitive ability and motor function when I'm handed a legitimate gun.
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
I love adjustable hood latches. It's the simple things really. lol

I'd love to be able to paint. I've tried on multiple occasions but can't get it down. I'm a rattle can specialist but lose all cognitive ability and motor function when I'm handed a legitimate gun.
Thank you for reading my build thread.

It is! I didn’t realize how bad my factory ones were until put these on. They secure the hood very well.

Haha, it’s like second nature to me now but its all just repetition. More practice = better results! I still pick up a rattle can now and then 😝
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Dropped our Rubicon off at the dealership this morning to have the cylinder head replaced. Planning to have it back for the weekend if all goes well.
I could have a worse loaner :whistle:




 

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member
Dropped our Rubicon off at the dealership this morning to have the cylinder head replaced. Planning to have it back for the weekend if all goes well.
I could have a worse loaner :whistle:




Yeah that is a super nice loner....but I think the dealership may have just pulled off a bait and switch on you...:unsure:
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Happy to have my Jk back 👍🏻 I will say that JL was too fancy for my taste but it drove great. I did like the new transmission is has!

Small update -
MetalCloak’s Valentines Day Free Shipping we ordered

MC HD steering
MC Rear Differential Skid (Just released)
MC Overland front fenders
MC Overline rear fenders

I was almost dead set on the Aluminum Hardlines, but I made a last minute decision for the Overland front and Overline rear. I’m running a stubby rear bumper and I didn’t like how the Overlands weren’t dovetailed on the back. Also the Overline mounting panel on the rear makes it very strong.

Going to have a lot of work to do 👌🏻
 

juniormb

Jeep Newb

Attachments

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
When you get to doing the Big Brake Kit front and rear, if you are changing the front calipers to a dual piston highly recommend the J8 Master Cylinder and Brake booster. Improves the pedal feel and flow to the brakes immensely. https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/brake-components/p5160050-mopar-j8-master-cylinder-and-brake-booster It's a little bigger so if you plan on on board are you will have to put it somewhere else than above the master cylinder.
Hey Juniormb, I recently did a little reading about that setup because of a post on the Metalcloak Owners Club Facebook! Were you the one who mentioned it? I haven’t done a ton of research into the brakes yet but I will be once it gets closer. I also looked into the Dynatrac setup very briefly.

Your input is greatly appreciated, do you have the master cylinder and break booster on your rig? What’s your setup?

Thank you 😎
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Still accumulating parts... 😳

I picked up an ORO Liteplate to use with the Teraflex HD Tire Carrier that I will be installing soon. I drilled two holes into the Liteplate and bolted it to the supplied bracket for the factory 3rd brake light in the Teraflex Kit.

I opted for the Liteplate with the quick release plug which will make removing the setup very easy when I remove the spare.





Stay tuned! 🍻
 

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member
When you get to doing the Big Brake Kit front and rear, if you are changing the front calipers to a dual piston highly recommend the J8 Master Cylinder and Brake booster. Improves the pedal feel and flow to the brakes immensely. https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/brake-components/p5160050-mopar-j8-master-cylinder-and-brake-booster It's a little bigger so if you plan on on board are you will have to put it somewhere else than above the master cylinder.
How tough of an install is that brake booster to do?
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Installed the Teraflex tire carrier yesterday to prep for the 35’s we’ll be putting on this build. This setup is solid, I’d have a hard time trusting anything bigger than stock on the factory carrier.









 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Few small updates,

More gold goodness! I can't wait to see how this holds up compared to the old fashion way ;)


All Metalcloak armor prepped for corrosion resistant primer.
Removed contaminants, prepped with 80 grit then 120 grit, followed by another round of surface cleaner and etch wipe.


Primer surfacer applied.


Hope to be nearing the end of Winter....supposed to be around 40 all week!


 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
Armor is all painted!
I was going to do the tubes in a satin clear but I'm really digging this full color match right now. What do you think?

My thoughts are I can always do the tubes satin later when they are on the vehicle if I change my mind.
Yes, they are going to get scratched. :D



Here is a quick picture I took of the Milestar Patagonia 315/70/17 next to the Goodyear Duratrac 265/70/17 on the Jeep.



Going to start on this thing the first weekend in April!
Our plan is to install the armor, tires, and trim the rock rails on the first Saturday. Then the following weekend install the lift and steering. (y)
 

MaineJeeper

Jeep Lover
She is looking good. How was the install on the Rear Diff Skid?
It’s sitting on a bench still. 😆 Going to put it on along with the lift next weekend. It looks easy to install just 3 u-bolts that go around the axle tubes and the pinion. I’ll have lots of pictures of the install process.

Flares and armor are going on today 🤘🏼🤘🏼
 
Top