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JK Show & TellWhether they're just poser shots in your driveway or hardcore action shots on the trail, if you've got photos or videos of your Jeep JK Wrangler (or any JK for that matter that you think is worth showing off, inside or out), we want to see them so please post them here! Likewise, if you are wanting to see a photo of something specific like an aftermarket JK part or poser shot with a specific setup, this is the place to ask for it.
Yeah I'm rarely suckered in by the personalized ads on the ol internet but I'd be lying if I said social media didn't profile me, pitch this thing, and laugh all the way to the bank as I clicked the buy button. Honestly though, it's a super solid piece of kit. I'm also looking forward to, after only ten years, being equipped to change a tire on the side of the road without calling my mom to bring me tools. I'm definitely not repping this for the manufacturer, but the jack, mount, and tool kit are all top notch. When I get it mounted up I'll show it off here.
Been busy this week. Alignment - made a huge difference. Oil change. Added a mesh grill backer, it really cleans up the look of the front end. Tire Cover. Got ducked.
Got my rear MC Overline fenders on today. It went really well and all my rivnuts lined up perfectly. Had to be patient and use a Dremel and open up a few of the holes on the side panels because they got too much Bullet Liner in the hole. Also had to cut and modify the MC rocker guards because they are the Overland version and not the Overline version. That took some time and a lot of patience too.
Protip- do not use drill bits when drilling into your body panels to set rivnuts. Use some annular cutters. They are like tiny little hole saws and they won’t catch and tear the thin sheet metal like a drill bit will. All my holes took about 30 seconds each to drill and there was absolutely no fear of messing up the sheet metal. All my holes came out perfectly with no burrs or chatter. I used some Hougen Rota-cuts in 17/32” and 3/8” for all my holes and I used the Hougen Skip Proof arbor. The pilot bit is spring loaded and all you do is put your cutter on the arbor and press hard enough to let the pilot but push in just a little bit. The spring pushing the pilot bit back towards the sheet metal is all the pressure it needs to start the pilot hole nicely, then just press the cutter up against the sheet metal and let the cutter do the work. Don’t run the drill at high speed. Low and slow will get you the best result.
For the few factory holes that had to be opened up to 3/8" for bolts to pass through, I used and electricians step drill bit. That also won't tear the thin sheet metal. I did not use this for the 4 bolt holes that I had to drill at the back where you accessed them by removing the tail light. Just FYI.
I also didn’t use my Astro Rivnut setting tool either. I preferred to use the small rivnut tool that Metalcloak provided and I used and 11/16’ wrench on the free float nut and a 9/16” socket on my Metabo 18v 1/4” drive impact wrench. I didn’t tighten down till the wrench stopped turning either. I let up once I saw the rivnut starting to dimple the sheet metal slightly. That ended up being the perfect amount of torque and every rivnut got set with none of them spinning and none of them stripped out.
Also, I used marine grade anti-seize on the bolt for the rivnut tool. It helped to ensure the bolt wouldn’t gaul into the rivnut and left enough compound for the bolts to go in without problems when I was putting the panels on.
Another thing I did was put some black silicone sealant around the entire rivnut under the flange before installing it. I figure doing that along with using self etching primer paint pens should be good enough to keep the holes sealed up and from rusting.
Typical rivnut hole cut with an annular cutter.
The best advice I have for anyone doing this is be patient, take your time, don’t be afraid of putting the template on and off and then back on again over and over. Check your work often and just make sure everything is lining up the way it should. Take your time.
03-29-2021, 11:00 AM
