BACK IN THE SADDLE
A ’14 JEEP JKU RUBICON BUILT FOR THE TRAILS AND THE MALL
Family first is a motto that many people live by and for Ricky Dones, its one that he lives by. He had stopped all of his hobbies in order to focus on the birth of his daughter. This halt to his enthusiast activites also included selling his prized ‘09 Jeep JKU now that he had more important priorites. Yet, he always knew one day he would hit the trails again and get behind the wheel with a new project.
Growing up in a family that obsesses about anything automotive, it became inevitable that Dones would eventually follow in his dad’s fuel-filled footsteps. The plan was originally to own a sports car such as a Porsche or Audi R8. Dones grew up with a background rooted in the import car scene and has owned a few other vehicles including a BMW M3, Mini Cooper, and even a lifted Toyota Tundra, but it was his first Jeep that really connected with him. He loved its off-road capability and that it allowed him to
explore the outdoors.
Bit by the Bug
The outdoor life was initially introduced to Dones by his adventurous wife. He decided to purchase a Jeep for her and started with a few basic mods, including a modest lift. Eventually, his wife handed the keys of the Jeep back to him, and his interest peaked due to the countless possibilities this platform offered. Many hours were spent reading about Jeeps, talking to other Jeep enthusiasts and researching what modifications were available. He then began taking the Jeep out on the trails and was immediately hooked.
Four years passed since selling his first Jeep and the urge to own another Jeep-based project vehicle proved to be strong. Dones decided that it was time to get back in the saddle. He reasoned that owning another Jeep would be more practical and useful in terms of family transporation, as well as offroad adventuring, over a sportscar. The hunt for a new ride began.
The Search
For a couple of months he searched used vehicle listings until he found a Northern California listing for a ‘14 Jeep JKU Rubicon with a mere 15,000 miles on the odometer. It was finished in the dark grey anvil color that he was looking for, too. He made the trip up north from Southern California to check it out. Upon inspection he found the Jeep to be in pristine condition with the original owner being just as meticulous about his vehicle as Dones was about his own. Dones immediately took possession of the Jeep, and while driving it home, he was reminded why he loved Jeeps so much; plans quickly began for its inevitible transformation.
Experienced Planner
The experience of owning a Jeep prior to this new one came in handy in the build’s planning process. He learned a lot from the initial Jeep and had a clear vision for what he wanted to do on this new project. His goal would be to build a Jeep that could be taken out on rocks, overlanding, and even streetable enough to take to… yes, you guessed it, the mall.
The exterior needed to be beefed up to han
dle the trails that he had planned on visiting. He added a collection of Poison Spyder products including a steel front JK Brawler Lite bumper, aluminum lower body armor, rear steel Crusher corners, rear aluminum Crusher flares, and steel Rock Brawler II with tire carrier rear bumper. A Warn 9.5cti winch with wireless remote was added to the front bumper, as well.
The next step was to improve the suspension for rocky terrain. Off Road evolution bolt-on coilovers were installed in the front and rear and were paired with MetalCloak adjustable control arms. In the front, King hydraulic bump stops, Evo Rock Star lower shock relocation skids, and Synergy front lower shock mount brackets were added. In the rear, more Synergy components were installed including 3-inch bump stops, track bar bracket, and sway bar end links.
Even More Upgrades
With the first round of essential mods done, he took to the trails. After some time in the driver seat wheeling, he was able to determine the next set of modifications to help further improve his trips. He decided that wheels and tires would be the next step and went with a set of 17x9.5 Raceline RT233 beadlocks wrapped in 37x12.5x17 Cooper STT Pro tires. The benefits of his chosen wheel and tire package include improved grip while wheeling.
To improve overall performance, Dones opted for a K&N drop-in filter, Flowmaster exhaust, and an AEV ProCal module, which provides the ability to correct the speedometer and gear ratio when larger tires are installed along with the ability to recalibrate factory Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPS) to avoid triggering the dash light, and increase engine idle speed for optimal performance.
Dones also equipped his Jeep with Currie Enterprises Dana 44 differentials for smooth cornering on the roads, crawling between rocks, and staying straight through the mud. Additionally, he installed carbon off-road front and rear chromoly axles, Synergy rear weld-on truss, Teraflex HD ball joints, Poison Spyder front and rear bombshell differential covers, and Coast 1350 front and rear drive shafts. These upgrades help increase the reliabilty and capabiltiy of the Jeep.
For improved steering, no stone was left unturned with a host of parts from Synergy including a steering stabilizer bracket, tie rod, tie rod steering clamp, high steer drag link, front track bar, lower track bar bracket, and a sector shaft brace kit. Reid Racing knuckles and a Fox steering stabilizer was also added.
Further Improvements
Dones built this Jeep not only for overland adventures, but also to be capable of rock crawling. To protect the undercarriage of the Jeep from the various rock obstacles, a host of parts from Evo were installed, including a rock sliders, which were frame welded, cross member skids, transmission skid, and an oil pan skid.
Lighting up dark paths is a Baja Designs XL Pro light bar controlled with a SPOD 4x4 6-switch panel. Communications come in the form of a Baofeng HAMM hand held radio. Dones has a couple essentials he keeps packed for his journeys that include a Hi-Lift jack and small shovel to help get out of tight spots.
His longest journey took him to Zion National Park in Utah and for the 8-hour drive entertainment was needed. The Alpine ILX-F309 head unit and Polk Audio speakers kept the music going for the trip. A Goluk driving camera records his adventures so he can easily share them with his friends and family on social media. Jeep grab handles and a Hothead headliners roof kit round out the interior upgrades.
Memorable Experiences
It took a combination of these modifications to get him through a tough spot while on the annual Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari. Dones had come across a large hill, but couldn’t see what was on the other side. As he crested over, he realized how steep it really was, but there was no turning back so he was forced to stay on it—almost rolling over in the process—but he made it safely and now has a memorable experience that he can look back on. “My buddy’s face was priceless because he was watching the whole time!” recalls Dones.
With a trip to Moab already on the calendar this year, Dones couldn’t be happier with the decision to own another Jeep. Perhaps in the
future he’ll get that Porsche or Audi R8 he’s dreamt about to add to his collection, but for now, Dones enjoys his monthly excursions and can be found roaming the hills of Big Bear and terrorizing shoppers at his local mall.