I have a couple of projects coming up that are exciting, so keep an eye out for more on these.
Rock Slide Engineering Steps - UPDATE: Completed in October
Desperately didn't want these, mostly because I'm 6'1 and with around a 3.5" lift and 40s, it's not hard to get into the truck. That's a different story for my wife, my mom, and someday, my son (1 year old).
Right now I have two M.O.R.E. Hide-A-Steps on the passenger side. Those are OK, but they don't help all that much and after forgetting to remove them off-roading this summer, I nearly destroyed one of them. For accessibility purposes, I really needed some legit steps, and RSE is the only manufacturer of reliable ones.
I'm only including this because I picked up the Gen 3. It's just a little bit of a different design that contours with the truck a bit better, and I haven't found many good pictures of them online. So, this is more to share that I'll be sure to take some better pictures and post them. Should be shipping this week (been waiting for 9 weeks), so hopefully they'll be on in the near future.
DV8 Ultra Slim Rear Bumper - UPDATE: Installed in November; custom hitch receiver wrapped up early January
Since the moment it came out, I was all about the JCR Rear Bumper. But, after a while, my interest started to fade. Here were some issues I had with the design:
Sticks out a lot
I prefer something as short as possible (like the 4X 2nd Gen Taco)
The swingout can't position a tire in the center, plus I didn't feel like I could realistically store a 40" tire on it, even after reinforcing it
Don't get me wrong; it's really a great bumper. I just wanted something a bit different. For a while, I was dead-set on building my own. Then, just the other day, I happened upon the DV8 Ultra Slim.
To be clear, it's not perfect either. I think the look is pretty solid and the size and stick-out are about what I was shooting for. I just think it's missing three things:
Backup sensor cut-outs
Recovery points (seriously?)
A legit hitch receiver
I intend to order one and make some modifications. I will definitely be scrapping the hitch receiver entirely and building a new system for that (plans nearly complete) and the bumper brackets will need reinforcing to support recovery points. I also have plans for the sensor cut-outs and realize they won't operate exactly the same after I'm done, but they should still get the job done. Lastly, no way in hell I'm using their license plate relocation bracket; I'll instead use a flip-up or hitch-mounted plate.
When it's all said and done, I'm expecting to have a super-slim bumper with all the usual stuff, including a hidden (functional) hitch. Super important because I expect to pull a small off-road trailer in the future, and using a hitch that looks like it would barely support a loaded bike rack doesn't inspire much confidence.
Really excited about this project!
Spare Tire Weight
If you read one of my recent posts, you'll know that I used a patio umbrella weight filled with 150lbs of sand to weigh down the rear end. It has worked beautifully, but it's not a beautiful design.
Once I determine how much more the new bumper weighs than the old one, I will subtract that from 150 and figure out a way to add some weight to the spare tire area. Right now, I'm imagining some heavy-duty rectangular tubing filled with sand and bolted to the spare tire carrier under the bed, probably in a stackable system.
Not really looking forward to this so much, but it's an eventual necessity.
New Axle Shafts - UPDATE: Completed in December with trusses front and back
This winter, I expect to swap out the shafts for chromoly ones. Initially, I determined that I would drive on the stock Dana 44s until something breaks, but worrying about the stock axles is causing some unnecessary stress on the trails and it would be great to just not think about it.
Following the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" moto, I've been wanting to sort out the rear bumper and a few other things before spending anything on replacing working parts, so that's why it's further down the list. Still wouldn't be surprised if next summer rolls around and I'm still sitting on stock axles, kicking the can a little further down the road.