profdlp's 2007 Liberty Project

[profdlp]

I'm going to try and keep a running list of upgrades here in this first post, then add details down the road. I figured it made more sense to keep it all in one place rather than have fifteen threads running at once.

(I reserve the right to ask dumb questions elsewhere and at any time, though.) :bleh:

I'm really hoping for some good suggestions and advice! :cheers:

Link to a little background info:

---> http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/f196/how-did-you-first-find-your-kj-25654/index5.html#post607325 <---

Here's the current list, in approximate order of what I plan to do:

• Roof Rack & Cross Bars <---DONE!
• Car Stereo Head Unit <---DONE!
• GPS <---DONE!
• CB Radio <---DONE!
• Trailer Hitch <---<---DONE!
• Frog Lights <---DONE!
• Hitch Mounted Bike Rack <---Maybe? (I might stick with spare tire mount)
• Window visors <---DONE!
• Spotlights for Roof Rack <---DONE!
• EVIC / OTIS <---DONE! (Garmin Mechanic will suffice)
• Rock Sliders <---DONE!
• Lift! <---DONE!
• Seat Covers <---DONE!

(I might lift it once I get enough dings in the Jeep to make me less paranoid about serious offroad adventures. For now, a side trip to a good fishin' hole will do.)

More to come, as ideas pop into my head. :happy107:

Here's what she looked like shortly after I first got her, 100% stock:

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[profdlp]

Roof Rack Candidates:

Amazon.com: Curt 18115 Roof Mounted Cargo Rack: Automotive $117 Free Shipping

Nifty extension for the above, bringing the whole works to a staggering 62.5" in length:
Amazon.com: Curt 18117 Roof Mounted Cargo Rack Extension: Automotive $56 Free Shipping

Amazon.com: Rola 59504 Vortex 48" x 37.5" x 4" Roof Mounted Cargo Basket: Sports & Outdoors $199 + $14 Shipping - Sturdiest of the lot.

Amazon.com: 62.5" Roof Luggage Cargo Storage Rack with Fairing: Rage Powersports: Automotive $110 + $35 Shipping

Amazon.com: 50"x38" Aluminum Roof Basket Cargo Carrier Rack Car Top Luggage with Cross Bars: Automotive $65 + $25 Shipping - Thanks for the tip, kj04libby!

For the Roof Bars, I will either make my own or get something like this:

TMS CROSSBAR-CH100 Aluminum Roof Rack Cross Bars Crossbars with Locking for Jeep Patriot Liberty Kia Sorento Sportage Sedona : Amazon.com : Automotive $39 + $15 Shipping - Cheap!

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Steel-Locking-Vehicle-Cross/dp/B0052WHK2W/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1376808963&sr=1-4&keywords=roof+bars]Amazon.com: 52-1/4" Carbon Steel Locking Vehicle Roof Cross Bars: Rage Powersports: Automotive[/URL] $60 + $12 Shipping - Carbon Steel!

 

[Luke]

Love that colour!

You asked for suggestions ... this is what I want.

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RockLizard

 

[profdlp]

I love the low profile. I'm trying to avoid having the thing look like I've got a half-built skyscraper bolted to the top of the Jeep.

That one looks like it's for a roof with channels and not bars along the sides. I'm assuming those are on the KKs? Or do you remove the bars and mount the Rock Lizard in the existing mounts?

And $450 - ouch! I plan a followup post tomorrow on aftermarket head units to replace the OEM radio. My thoughts on that vacillate wildly from "the ballgame will sound just as good on a $125 unit as it would on something more expensive", and "I want a unit that does it all, price be hanged, and that includes receiving alien messages from their mothership in Alpha Centauri...". If I go cheap on the stereo I might put the money into the Rock Lizard. It sure is nice.

Thanks for the tip, Luke!

 

[kj04libby]

Amazon.com: 50"x38" Aluminum Roof Basket Cargo Carrier Rack Car Top Luggage with Cross Bars: Automotive $65 + $25 Shipping - Thanks for the tip, kj04libby!

You're welcome! And don't forget this rack comes with the cross rails the only extra thing you have to buy is u bolts so its not a bad deal even tho its not a name brand it still holds this guy at 250lbs!

 

[yellocoyote]

I dig the color of your KJ - not one I see too often. (cool)

 

[Luke]

Their design eliminates the weak points in the stock system. It bolts in right where your stock rails are connected. :waytogo: They also have another design. Mr Mudd has it on his KJ .. check the link below the pic.

FYI... the stock rails are only rated for around 100 lbs .. my renegade rails are even weaker. You might be able to sit 250lbs on it... but it will be riding on your roof eventually

 

[Luke]

I plan a followup post tomorrow on aftermarket head units to replace the OEM radio.

You'd probably have one already if it were not for that damn foreigner! :chair:

 

[kj04libby]

Their design eliminates the weak points in the stock system. It bolts in right where your stock rails are connected. :waytogo: They also have another design. Mr Mudd has it on his KJ .. check the link below the pic.

FYI... the stock rails are only rated for around 100 lbs .. my renegade rails are even weaker. You might be able to sit 250lbs on it... but it will be riding on your roof eventually

Its not 250 on each rail. People forget that the weight is evenly distributed across both rails. So its 125 lbs on each rail. And I understand that is more than what they're rated for. But the basket can have 200 lbs in it and the rails will be fine.

 

[profdlp]

You'd probably have one already if it were not for that damn foreigner! :chair:

Oh, you must have bought the Clarion. :icon_wink:

It's not as though it Feels Like The First Time that I've felt Cold As Ice and Hot Blooded while having Double Vision because a Dirty White Boy played Head Games with me. On the other hand, it's not that Urgent that I be a Jukebox Hero in my Jeep. :33:

(I would go for the whole Top Ten, but I think I'd be better off leaving Waiting For A Girl Like You and I Want To Know What Love Is out of this one...) :hidesbehindsofa:

Truth be told, I'm glad you got it. It was like a siren song tempting me, but I really think I want a brand new unit. That makes my decision a little easier. :favorites13:

 

[Leeann]

I dig the color of your KJ - not one I see too often. (cool)

That's the color of Sam's cousin's '06. It's even better in person. And the only one that color around here.

 

[profdlp]

That's the color of Sam's cousin's '06. It's even better in person. And the only one that color around here.

Here's another one with a little more light on it. The picture in the first post was taken very late in the day.

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[TheBlueKJ]

Very clean

 

[profdlp]

OK, dumb question #362:

Concerning this rack:

Amazon.com: 62.5" Roof Luggage Cargo Storage Rack with Fairing: Rage Powersports: Automotive

It measures 62.5 x 45 x 6.2 inches. I measured the rails and the separation between them is 41" at the front and 39" at the rear (I.D.) Being as this rack is 45" wide, is there any reason I couldn't U-Bolt the rack directly to the rails and forego the crossbars altogether?

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This one seems to have a finer wire grid at the base so I might look for one with a sturdier bottom on it.

Would this work?

 

[profdlp]

Got my scholarship money today and finally was able to get off the pot!

:big_banana_Dance:

After all the hemming and hawing, here's what I just ordered:

LINKS:
RB-DLX-V2 Vehicle Roof Cargo Storage Basket : Amazon.com : Automotive

24" Extension for the Black Widow RB-DLX-V2 Roof Cargo Basket : Amazon.com : Automotive

Wind Fairing for the Black Widow RB-DLX-V2 Roof Cargo Basket : Amazon.com : Automotive

49-3/4" Roof Rack Cross Bars (Pair) : Amazon.com : Automotive

Thanks to everyone for all of their input. All of the suggestions were great ones and they all had their points. It came down to a combination of what I'd be using it for and what I wanted appearance-wise. As soon as the stuff gets here and I get it installed I will post some pictures of it on my Jeep. :burnout:

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[YT]8Mx7DyxcuKk[/YT]

 

[profdlp]

The next step, I think, will be a new aftermarket head unit to replace the factory radio. Like a lot of my mad scientist schemes, the idea started with a simple need for a minor upgrade, grew into a grandiose project of epic proportions, and is now being scaled down to a more reasonable size.

I made the solo drive back from Virginia in my new Jeep via the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a semi-scenic but mostly boring route with the only entertainment being what you brought along yourself. With radio limited to a bunch of 5-Watt AM stations you either rescanned every mile and a half or played what you had. In my case, it was a little mp3 player being pumped through an FM transmitter which turned out to be a complete waste of $30. After I got home I researched other options and found a nice little gizmo you could plug into the empty CD changer connection on the factory radio which allowed for an external device to play through it via a pair of RCA connections.

Then I got to thinking that a brand new unit with mp3 capability built-in would be nice. And why not a nice big screen for album art, etc. And if you've got the big screen, why not a rear-view camera? And a built-in GPS? Shoot, some of them could play DVDs! If you're going that far, I thought, mount a tablet computer in the Jeep (but where?) and have all the comforts of home. I could even write SQL scripts while on my way to school. (OK, that last one is kind of out there. I have enough trouble writing them as it is.)

Trouble is, none of them would fit in the dash without some major modifications. I would need to build my very own custom dash bezel, so I studied working with fiberglass long enough to realize that my beautiful new Jeep would not be a good candidate for what was likely to be a shaky first effort.

So, I am currently looking at single-DIN units with all the basics and none of the "you-must-be-high-on-drugs" frills. Native mp3 playback is a must, as is AM/FM. Don't need a disc player of any sort, though the deck I get might have one anyway as there aren't too many of the better units which leave that out.

I can find about ten units which each do about 80% of what I want (not always the same 80%), and I think if I can find something closer to 90% I'll jump.

The leading candidate right now: Amazon.com: JVC KD-AVX77 El Kameleon DVD/CD/USB Receiver with 5.4-Inch Monitor, Proximity Sensor, Touchscreen Controls, Built-in Bluetooth, iPod/iPhone USB 2.0: Car Electronics

 

[Snail Farmer]

Here's a link to the specifications page on JVC's website: Bluetooth(R)/DVD/CD/USB Receiver - KD-AVX77 - Specification

Which features are missing from this unit that you were wanting? This actually looks like a decent head unit looking at the specs. But if you let me know what else you're wanting, I'll do some research to help you find something that will be "your" perfect.

 

[profdlp]

In no particular order:

• A USB connection for mp3 playback from a thumbdrive
• An actual rotary knob for the volume
• Radio preset buttons (real buttons)
• Decent sound, but don't intend to pay for audiophile-grade for the Jeep
• No intention of adding amps or subwoofers
• Don't need a disc player of any sort
• Bluetooth for phone (I despise phone use in vehicles; might need it for job in January)
• Easy to read display, but don't need fancy graphics

A lot of that may seem at odds with my previous post where I described GPS, DVD, etc. If I had a decent sized screen the GPS built in would be nice, though I do hesitate on that somewhat due to the location of the radio on the dash. I used a friend's Magellan unit suction-cupped to the windshield and felt like that was a better place for it than down low. I don't want to be glancing down all the time if I'm trying to find someplace. I'm also a little leery of the future availability of map updates with some of the all-in-one units.

It's probably also weird to want knobs and buttons, then look at a 100% touch screen operated unit. I have to admit, the great reviews and "wow - cool" factor has influenced me. Plus, it allows for a few gestures which look viable. On the other hand, I have a whole closet full of "wow - cool" stuff which I didn't like after trying to actually use it. :icon_wink:

I've also gambled ten bucks on this:

(The adapter only)

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It's a Double-Din adapter which every online retailer assures me won't fit in my Jeep. I might be willing to do the Double-Din mod if I had a more attractive way to frame it. One of my classmates did something similar to his Liberty, though he was happy just using a hacksaw and leaving a slight gap around the radio.

Here's why I think it might work:

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Between the 3-1/4" space the factory radio uses and the extra 1" below that I can meet the 4" Double-DIN requirement. Since I know I can actually fit the big radio and have seen it done, the only problem becomes making it look less hillbilly. lol3.gif

 

[Snail Farmer]

I know what you mean, I'll do some research and see what I can come up with for you. I've been meaning to do that same project for awhile now, but just haven't gotten around to it. Always something I gotta do with the kids.

 

[QuickSilver]

I'm thinking with that olive paint, plasti-dipping the wheels black would give your KJ a military look. Stencil your social security number in white along the edges of the front fenders and you could probably roll onto any base without a credentials check LOL.