Jeep Wrangler reliability

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by stevemoores

Bought a JK Sahara last November, keeping the Readybrute, using a Currie baseplate so just needed to buy new clevis adapters and a replacement brake cable.


Steve

That is the route I went for our 2011 JK. I am having the devil of a time trying to get the straight dope on which clevis ends I need for the NSA Ready Brute Elite tow bar. The Currie Industries tow plate came with Demco style adapters which fit on my Reese solid tow bar, but not on the Ready Brute. I caught the NSA-RBE tow bar on sale from PPL Motorhomes a few weeks ago. They were supposed to have come with the clevis ends, but it didn't. They are working to fix that problem. When I contacted the folks at NSA, they suggested that I needed the Blue Ox clevis. When I look on their website, I see the Demco style clevis ends are available, and look just like the ones that came with the CE baseplate. What the heck is the right answer here? PPL has ordered my a set of Demco clevis ends - I haven't picked them up yet. I sure do hope that is the right answer.

So, which clevis ends did you use, and where did you attached the brake cable loop at the front of the vehicle? I will be drilling holes and installing the brake cable assembly this weekend.

[hbrob]

Originally Posted by Wolfy58

Will a Jeep register miles while being towed?

No, since transfer case is in neutral. Just tires.

[cj23andout]

Originally Posted by DryCreek

That is the route I went for our 2011 JK. I am having the devil of a time trying to get the straight dope on which clevis ends I need for the NSA Ready Brute Elite tow bar. The Currie Industries tow plate came with Demco style adapters which fit on my Reese solid tow bar, but not on the Ready Brute. I caught the NSA-RBE tow bar on sale from PPL Motorhomes a few weeks ago. They were supposed to have come with the clevis ends, but it didn't. They are working to fix that problem. When I contacted the folks at NSA, they suggested that I needed the Blue Ox clevis. When I look on their website, I see the Demco style clevis ends are available, and look just like the ones that came with the CE baseplate. What the heck is the right answer here? PPL has ordered my a set of Demco clevis ends - I haven't picked them up yet. I sure do hope that is the right answer.

So, which clevis ends did you use, and where did you attached the brake cable loop at the front of the vehicle? I will be drilling holes and installing the brake cable assembly this weekend.

Currie says Blue Ox. That's what I got for my RBE/Currie set up and they work great. One or the other came with a set of plain black steel clevis connectors that look paltry in comparison. Of course, Im comparing steel to aluminum. The Blue OX are aluminum.

I did have to file on the Currie tabs a little to get the parts to fit. I think the Currie was off just a little.

Also, my 2013 Jeep had residual steel at the bottom of a vertical frame member that had to be ground off. Don't know if Jeep still does this or Currie has modified to adapt? When I researched it, Currie advised that was a new thing they were noticing on 2013 Jeeps. I guess Jeep smoothed that out of prior years.

Good luck,. It was a fun but challenging instal for me -shade tree mechanic with limited tools and no lift. Took the better part of a day and a half working off and on.

[DryCreek]

Well, I just got everything all put together yesterday. I had the big old Blue Ox clevis ends that came with the Ready brute Elite system - as advised by the folks at NSA. I never got an answer when I queried Currie Industries. The Currie tow plate shipped with those Demco style steel clevis ends. They are made to bolt onto the end of a standard tow bar like the Reese or Demco. They fit on the end of my rigid frame tow bar that I have for my YJ. What I found was that the braces on the outside of the tabs on the Currie Industries tow plate interfered with full downward travel of the clevis when the Blue Ox style were used. Even though they slid right over the tabs, I only had about 50 degrees movement up and down. The upper end of the arc was limited by the plastic bumper cover on my JK Sahara. I have a set of the Demco style clevis ends on order - they will give you almost 90 degrees arc since they do not have any material outside of the tow tabs. You should verify that you have a full arc by inserting the Demco style clevis' shipped with your tow plate, setting the pin through the clevis and "ears" and then swinging the clevis though its full arc. Compare that to the range of arc you have with the Blue Ox clevis.

I ended up having to fabricate a mount for the front connection of the surge brake cable on the Jeep. I just used some leftover angle steel I had from the last smoker build project and bolted it right to the bottom of the stock bumper.

As general information - the Blue Ox clevis will fit inside the standard Reese style tow tabs.

Staring with 2011 (and some late 2010's) Jeep extended the vertical bracing beyond the bottom of the cross member. It just took a little time with the 4-1/2" angle grinder and a cutoff wheel to make it flush for the tow plate. I think the Currie plate it the way to go. You don't have to pull the whole bumper off like on the Roadmaster and Blue Ox tow plates.

Originally Posted by cj23andout

Currie says Blue Ox. That's what I got for my RBE/Currie set up and they work great. One or the other came with a set of plain black steel clevis connectors that look paltry in comparison. Of course, Im comparing steel to aluminum. The Blue OX are aluminum.

I did have to file on the Currie tabs a little to get the parts to fit. I think the Currie was off just a little.

Also, my 2013 Jeep had residual steel at the bottom of a vertical frame member that had to be ground off. Don't know if Jeep still does this or Currie has modified to adapt? When I researched it, Currie advised that was a new thing they were noticing on 2013 Jeeps. I guess Jeep smoothed that out of prior years.

Good luck,. It was a fun but challenging instal for me -shade tree mechanic with limited tools and no lift. Took the better part of a day and a half working off and on.