About Ju$t Empty Every Pocket

Welcome to Ju$t Empty Every Pocket! This is dedicated not only to my 2012 Rubicon, but Jeeps in General…and how we Jeep fans just empty every pocket to keep our passion for our jeeps alive!

We have a fantastic YouTube Channel full of content that ranges from product reviews to Adventure Films of our trail runs into the wild!

I am the original Owner of a 2012 Rubicon; I bought my Jeep brand new that same year. I opted for a 2-Door because I’m a bit of a purist at heart. That being aid, a 2-Door can be quite the pain in ass sometimes. Out on the Trail I love how nimble it is, but when it comes to packing for trips, it’s not fun with the limited space.

I wasted no time with modifications. Within 3 days of purchase, I put on a 3” BDS lift, 35×12.50×17 Summit “Mud Hogs” and SmittyBilt front and rear bumpers. I would regret the BDS lift though.

The BDS lift used the factory control arms so it didn’t handle well on the street OR on the Trails. After only one season of off-Roading, I took a break; mainly to pursue other interests. I was actually involved in the world of professional R/C Car racing! Around 30 people in the world get paid full-time salaries to race toy cars around a Dirt Track fr Bowling Trophies…and I filmed a documentary series around this sport.

I was involved in the R/C industry until COVID hit which effectively ended my series…rather unceremoniously I might add.

With little else to do with my time, and some KICK ASS camera equipment just sitting around collecting dust, I decided to start a Jeep channel. To keep my channel somewhat unique I wanted to focus my channel on:

• DIY mods & repairs
• Product tests & reviews
• Off-Road Adventures

The BDS lift was the FIRST thing to go! Rubi had developed a bad case of DEATH WOBBLE. The puny factory control arms were simply worn out. So I decided to upgrade to the TeraFlex ST3 Lift. Also decided to get back into off-roading! One piece of advice I’m going to give right now, is if you’re looking to get a lift. Don’t be cheap! Swap out the factory control arms. They absolutely suck!

Once the lift was done I did a bit of cleanup on the undercarriage. I covered the chassis, axles and basically the entire underside with POR15. To seal it I applied a coat of flat black on the axles as they were just a bit too shiny!

Then I did the Brakes; cleaning everything up as I went.

It’s always important to have recovery equipment; and since I knew that I could end up on some kind of solo adventure, I know a winch wasn’t an option. I added a Warn VR10s winch to my Rig. It has gotten me out of a few tight spots and even snagged me a super HOT Wife!

I also upgraded my steering system with the TeraFlex HD steering links. This was one of the most noticeable modifications I did. My Jeep drives so much better with a lot less wandering. I strongly recommend this kit!

They say the third time is a charm right? Death Wobble had taken out my factory box in 2018. My PSC stock replacement box was also not cutting it on most of the trails I was going on, so it was time for a big-bore box. I went with the PSC XD2 Big-Bore Steering box along with their high pressure pump. The kit is dubbed the “Adventure Kit”, and installing it sure was an adventure. It went in completely smoothly, but there are a LOT of pieces to this kit…including a massive cooler!

To keep the geometry dialed, I found a cool product from Synergy Manufacturing. They offer a Trackbar Stud for mounting the steering stabilizer. It doubles up as the trackbar bolt as well as a mount for the stabilizer shock. The nice thing about this mount, is it keeps the stabilizer out of the way of things.

My first addition would be the TeraFlex Falcon 3.3 Adjustable Reservoir shocks. The install was simple; 1.5 hours max. But be warned, these shocks are much longer than most other shocks. So when you install these shocks be sure to install longer brake lines. I went with the Rubicon Express stainless steel kit.

I couldn’t be happier with both on and off-road performance of these shocks. The adjustability is awesome!

• Mode 1: soft
• Mode 2: custom setting from 2.2-2.8 stiffness
• Mode 3: Firm

For around town and most trails I used Mode 1. For any technical sections needed full articulation I always use Mode 1. If the trail has a lot of lateral elevation changes I used 2.6 to make the ride a bit less of a back work-out. On the highway I also use 2.6 exclusively. The first thing I noticed was that cross wind didn’t affect my Jeep as much anymore. I have yet to find use for Mode 3; it’s just a bit too stiff for my 2-door. Maybe if I jumped it…

Because trail reliability is very important to me I moved away from my slightly modified Dana 44 axles and into a set of Dynatrac axles. The kit I selected offers a 1-ton ProRock 62 rear axle and their ProRock 44 “Ultimate” up front. They call this the "Serious Performance" package; I would consider this to be their “entry level” kit...but for my 2-door this is PLENTY! Also included in this kit are ARBs Legen…wait for it…dairy air lockers! Rubi is next-level aweomse now!

To continue with my theme of durability, I replaced my Rubicon Express 1310 drive shafts with a set of 1350s from Tom Woods!

I was never a big fan of the OEM clutch or the shifter. The clutch always had a weak engagement, and the shifter had a lot of throw and it never really felt in-gear…even when it was. So once my Jeep got close to 200,000 KM I swapped both the clutch and shifter out.

For the clutch, I chose to go with the ACT Heavy Duty Street Performance clutch along with the Pro-Mass fly wheel. To tighten up, and shorten my shifts, I installed a B&M performance shifter. Both these upgrades were amazing. I can’t say enough good things about the ACT clutch; and that shifter reminds me of my Dad’s 1990 5.0 Mustang!

To keep things beefy, I installed the Clayton Heavy Duty Cross-Member. The OEM counterpart was starting to get a bit beat up; and since it’s just cast from flimsy steel, this was a great upgrade to boost frame strength. This is also a required part for the Clayton fuel & t-case skid places that are coming soon!

For the PSC Steering install I had to swap out my OEM serpentine belt for a longer one. I had also swapped the pulleys and the tensioner. I went with all NAPA components. I have to say, their pullies are AWESOME; they feature an oversized bearing as well as all metal construction!

Ok, so because I run the infamous 3.6L I do have the dry-start issue. I decided to try out the Baxter Oil Filter adapter. This adapter claimed to reduce dry-starts and for the most part it did...unless my Jeep sits for more than 3 or 4 days. 

Did I waste my money? Maybe...maybe not. I do like the fact that I can run a larger filter AND a higher quality filter like the Royal Purple 20-500. Was it worth the $350 I paid? The jury is still out...it definitely helped the dry-starting but it did NOT cure it. I still do the clear-flood starting method when my Jeep sits for more than a day.

I have always run mud tires. They might not be the best on ice but in mud and deep snow you’ll have a hard time convincing me they’re not the best. I’ve had several differen brands but I’m loving the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ 37×12.50×17!

When I first got back into wheeling, I wanted to keep things simple. Thus, I had a very basic compressor setup. A portable DeWalt. To be blunt, that thing was a piece of shit! It took me nearly an hour to go from trail to highway pressure.

I was over being the last one done and because my future plans include swapping out my eLockers for ARB air lockers, I invested in ARBs twin compressor. Using the MORE (Mountain Off-Road Engineering) mount, I was able to install the compressor cleanly under my hood. Now I can do each corner in less than 2 minutes. The ARB Twin has 100% duty cycles so it doesn’t slow down; 2 tires were done in under 4 minutes and all 4 tires done in less than 8 minutes! I’m now he FIRST one done airing up!

Since my eLockers are long gone, I also use the onboard air to power my ARB Air-Lockers!

To keep things a bit simpler, I removed the “SmartBar”; also known as the electronic disconnectable swaybar. It was getting too problematic and due to the moist environments I was wheeling in, I was worried about a short at the connector which would no doubt take the CanBUS with it. Not something I want to have happen out on the trails.

Yes, I have lost some convenience as manually disconnecting and reconnecting will ALWAYS be more work than pressing a button…but at least it’s reliable!

For keeping my devices firmly mounted and in a convenient spot, I use the Bullet Point mounts for iPhone and iPad mini sized devices.

Because storage space is so limited, I wanted a nice way of storing my external fuel & water tanks. I had my pal Ty Tessmann fabricate up a mount for me. It worked beautifully!!!

Keeping with the theme of limited storage space in a 2-door; I wanted a better spot for my firearms. I had a local shop fabricate me a simple bar and attached the Great Day rifle mounts to it. Keep my firearms in a nice secure spot and easy to get to when I need them.

I like my Jeep looking clean. I’ll drive it through pretty much anything, but after the trip is over I want my Rig to be clean. I also don’t want any body damage so for the hard-top I sprayed it with Raptor Liner!

The liner will keep the hard-top looking brand new for years to come. Now for the body I took a different approach. I Still wanted Rubi to look good, so I enlisted the help of “The Tint Factory” and they installed the HEXIS BODYFENCE Self-Healing PPF. Before the PPF could be installed, a deep power polish had to be performed to rid the body of the ravaged clear-coat. The PPF is essentially the clear-coat layer now.

While I did invest in auxiliary lighting, I didn't go crazy on my lighting system. I really don't do a whole bunch of night-wheeling, and the lights I have chosen are more than adequate for the amount I do after the sun sets.

I have a pair of 6" KC Apolos mounted to my bumper, and a set of 5" mounted on my A-Pillar. These are both the wide beam variants and do a good job of iluminating the trail.

Where I did go a bit bigger spend-wise was on my headlamps. I went JW...

It's not he JW that you might be thinking of though...JW Speaker! Really weird name, but awesome lights. I went with the 8700 Evolution J2 Series LED Headlight was designed specifically for the 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK. It's completely plug and play featuring factory style connectors and built in anti-flicker modules. They are also DOT approved so the PoPo won't give me any problems...well...not with the headlights at least.

Because a Jeep is never actually done, I still have a lot of plans for Rubi:

• Decide what to do with the 3.6L. HEMI/LS Swap or get another 3.6? I love how light my Jeep is with the V6; it feels very nimble on the trails. The fuel economy is also a HUGE plus…especially on longer trail runs. The power & roar of a V8 would however be absolutely AWESOME!!!
• Bead locks
• Nemesis Industries flat fenders?
• New Seats?
• There is still a TON to do to Rubi before she’s “finished”!!!
  
  

Here is a listing of all the parts (both Mopar & Aftermarket) that have made their way onto my Jeep!