[Shutterbug]

The steps involved. Someone asked me if this would void the warranty. Perhaps another vehicle. No Jeep service rep wants to own the statement, "Putting a winch on a Jeep will void the warranty..."

All the stuff. The winch frame and brush bars are from Rocky Road.
The winch is a Smittybuilt X20, because it fit and has a wireless remote.

Front panel off...

New frame and old frame...

Winch in the cradle...

Get it right the first time...

Using the most up-to-date tools...

Isolation solenoid and aux. fuse box....

Fini...

New cable tension and light pole test....

The Rock Rails are Mopar. One side took 2 1/2 hours. The other side
took two and half days.

There are several videos and tutorials out there concerning Mopar rock rail installation, so I won’t “re-invent”. But I will throw in my own observations.

A jack is best for moving that rear screw pad out of the way.

They give you a flexible allen tool to install the sill bolts, but a flexible magnet will aid in pulling the screw to the hole.

One or two of the sill screws at each end of the rail may be too short due to a slight curvature of the body panel. I picked up a few screws about 5mm longer from Home Depot, and glued on washers. This gave just enough “bite” to get the nut started.

The three main flag bolts that hang down from the center are supposed to attached with a large washer and a “push nut". This set up worked fine on one side, but on the other side it threw off the geometry of the rail. The extra hardware pushed the rail away from the center point. Consequently, I could start the sill bolts, but the stiffener bolts were too far down to start, and vise-verse. It was rocking back and forth from center - there are apparently "variations" in body and rail construction.


So I eliminated the large washer, and used a “spring nut” as a “stop” for the flag bolt plate. With a power driver and socket, and a little side pressure, the nut tightened up just fine. (Be sure the nut and bolt turn freely with each other. This will keep the flag bolt from spinning when being tightened.)

I prefer the aesthetics of the Mopar rails over the Rocky Road. The latter are supposed to be stronger, but they are designed more for the "wall climbing " crowd and folks who can go through a carwash with the top down.

 

[Telluride]

They look great. What year is your diesel WK2? Will these fit on a 2016? The dealer says there is no part for a 2016. Seems to me the 2015 part number should fit.

 

[Shutterbug]

I have a 2015. Some said the cutoff was 2014, but they did fit. You might check with dealer body shop. They could tell you if it's the same chassis. If the trim piece below the doors is the same part number, all the attachment holes will be the same. Rocky Road could tell you if they had to modify for 2016. The part # for this set is 82212157.

 

[Telluride]

I have a 2015. Some said the cutoff was 2014, but they did fit. You might check with dealer body shop. They could tell you if it's the same chassis. If the trim piece below the doors is the same part number, all the attachment holes will be the same. Rocky Road could tell you if they had to modify for 2016. The part # for this set is 82212157.

Just installed the Mopar rails on my 2016 and everything lined up

 

[Telluride]

Just installed the Mopar rails on my 2016 and everything lined up perfectly. Thanks for your help.

 

[JeepDsl]

Good to know they fit the 2016.I bought them for my '16 but hadn't attempted installation yet. They look great on your WK2!

 

[JohnnyJeep]

great looking ride you have there. any feedback on the winch? some photos are not loading. not sure why

 

[Shutterbug]

Thanks. It's coming up on a year old and I still love it. Several folks have asked if it's winch or just a tow rope. Found one guy in the parking lot at Home Depot with his head under the front end. The dealer wants to buy it back to put on their lot. If you're having loading problems, it could be a slow connection. I use a Mac, and I quit Safari and stick to Google Chrome - must faster.

That 2016 looks nice - I like that color. Crank it up to level two and you get a great door protector!

 

[Millertimez]

Hi guys I am just wondering where yall bought the rails at because Mopar does not sell them right now and I really won't them.

 

[Shutterbug]

I got mine from some boneheads on Amazon - it could be a Seinfeld episode. Just do a Google search for Jeep #82212157. There are several independent sellers listed. Look at the ones from Rocky Road as well.

 

[Myriad97]

Nice! Now I have decided to order the Smittybilt Winch I saw online.

 

[Marauderer]

Shutterbug, if you are still out there how about an update, especially on the winch install. I have the same set up in my garage and have some questions about suspension and handling.

 

[Shutterbug]

Just saw this. My notification didn't come through. Suspension and handling were not changed. I've had many issues with this vehicle but none related to my additions.

 

[sealurker]

Nice! Now I have decided to order the Smittybilt Winch I saw online.

I like Warn Winches better.

 

[benmond27]

I am impressed with your setup. I need more references for build like this.