Bright Source

High

Stakes

Rugged Ridge and Island Off Road team up to build an incredible Wrangler for the True North Jeep Giveaway

When Rugged Ridge Canada approached Island Off Road to build the True North Jeep Giveaway, who were we to say no? We quickly set out to find the ultimate vehicle to build, and we needed to find a per- fect starting point. Something with a clean straight body, not beat too bad, and able to showcase all the cool add-ons and accessories Rugged Ridge has to offer. We chose a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It was perfect. We wanted to build a “weekend warrior.” Something that would drive well during the week, but handle the challenges thrown at it on the weekend.

First on the order of to do’s was the suspension. It was stripped, cleaned and made ready for re-assembly. We completely rebuilt the front and rear differentials, adding Rugged Ridge heavy-duty ball joints and new brakes all around. We added the Rugged Ridge Boulder Aluminum Diff covers front and rear for ease of fluid changes and impact resistance. For lift we went with their 4-in. coil suspension lift. This kit is complete with a rear track bar brace (not

normally found in other brands), front sway bar disconnects (also not normally standard), heavy-duty extended control arms and urethane bushings. We also added the heavy-duty front adjustable track bar and frame brace kit, dropped pitman arm and front steering stabilizer.

Once installed, these components made handling extremely better. Rugged Ridge goes the extra mile; also included in their kits are a pair of grab handles, windshield sticker and an owner’s manual case. It’s the little things that matter. We already knew we wanted to run a thirty-five-inch-tall tire, so we chose the Mickey Thompson ATZ P3’s and mounted them to a set of 17-in. XHD aluminum hub centric wheels in gunmetal grey.

Next, it was time to add some protection. We needed stout bumpers able to carry the Rugged Ridge 9,500-lb Nautica winch with

synthetic rope, as well as provide recovery points. What better than the XHD Modular bumper system. We used the XHD centre section bumper with the double X Stryker and stubby end caps on the front, and the XHD Xtreme heavy-duty rear bumper. Due to the weight of the spare tire and the weak JK tailgate, we also added the Spartacus HD tire carrier. For rock protection we chose the XHD

Rock Sliders with integrated steps. The fit-and-finish was second to none. We have no worries about hitting rocks or rubbing trees with these sliders.

It was now time to personalize the True North Giveaway Jeep. We chose the Spartan Grill with black mesh screen, Elite headlight, tail light guards, fuel door and door handle inserts. These textured powder-coated aluminum accessories added the rugged look we were after. The install was easy with no drilling required, and the use of factory mounting points. To help clear those Mickey Thompson tires, we also replaced the factory Wrangler flares with the rugged looking Hurricane Flat fenders. We picked the black textured finish to match the finish of the bumpers and sliders.

Why have a Jeep if you never take the top down? True North originally came with the factory hardtop, which had seen twelve years of abuse and was ready for a change. We had no choice but to install the Rugged Ridge Exo Top. This top is the most versatile top on the market. It allows you to mount gear to the Exo cage while still being able to conveniently lower, raise or remove the top. With a 300-lb capacity, we will never have an issue carrying the off-road goodies we need.

We wanted to be able to night wheel, so lighting was a necessity. We mounted the hood light bar kit with 5 LED lights as well as the Elite Fast Track 50-in. LED light bar and A-pillar kit. This kit was amazing. It gave us the ability to have a 50-in. LED light bar across the top of the windshield, while providing a track system up the Apillars to mount lights, GoPro’s, mirrors or even antennas. We chose to mount an additional 4 LED lights angled to see well in to the darkness alongside of us.

To top off the exterior, we installed a hood-mounted off-road jack holder, aluminum hood hold-downs, and a hood protector. Now it was time to address the interior. We stripped the old rotten carpet in favour of Bedrug’s liner kit. This is not a carpet kit. Bedrug’s liner is made of Polypropylene. It’s mildew and stain resistant while being 100-percent waterproof. We also added Rugged Ridge All-Terrain Floor and Cargo liners, along with neoprene seat covers front and rear with a matching console arm rest.

To house our electrical switches, we used the A-pillar switch pod loaded with colour-coded rocker switches. We didn’t upgrade engine performance, but we did need it to sound good, so we installed the stainless steel axle-back dual-tip exhaust system, and for those deep water crossings, we went with the XHD Modular Snorkel kit. This kit can be installed with a low-mount snorkel, but we wanted that aggressive off-road look and went with the high mount with Ram intake.

Rugged Ridge is a leader in Jeep accessories. Their quality, fit and finish were ideal for this build. Island Off Road was proud to be a part of such a great build. We only wish we were the winners of the True North Jeep Giveaway.