2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 EcoDiesel Build

[CO_R1T]

I received the following parts from Chief Products on 9/12/2017 then completed the install (after 9 hours...) on 9/13/2017:

- (2) Recovery Hooks (Limited Edition Flaming Red)
- Lower Front Guard (w/ ACC Guard plate)
- Sump Protection Plate

It is incredibly well engineered, and I think I'll be holding off from putting on the lower fascia to test out if I like it this way or not. Plus I'll be adding the Nudge Bar and either some ARB spotties or 20" light bar to it eventually. Anyways, here's the end product.

 

[dorrson]

Excellent Build! I'd not considered a Grand Cherokee for overland travel until I read through your build thread here! I'll have to add a Diesel version to my possible go to list in the coming year or two!

 

[Jeff Graham]

I love your build. This is the vehicle my wife wants, with the eco Diesel. We are both subribed. Good looking rig?

 

[CO_R1T]

Excellent Build! I'd not considered a Grand Cherokee for overland travel until I read through your build thread here! I'll have to add a Diesel version to my possible go to list in the coming year or two!

It's wonderful so far! I'll be working on it and likely buying more stuph in a few weeks when I return from travel :-)

I love your build. This is the vehicle my wife wants, with the eco Diesel. We are both subribed. Good looking rig?

Thanks! The EcoDiesel is the way to go in my opinion. Maybe someday I'd opt for a V8, although the diesel may have higher resale value and more allure in the case that I decide to sell it down the road. It looks amazing in my opinion! It'll end up similar to the Chief Products WK2 build in terms of looks. Ideally I'd do more for overnight adventure by having more storage space up top with the rack, and some sort of trunk setup for storage. That said, I may just go all out and get one of those sweet overlanding trailers...

 

[wk2blackpearl]

Also agree - great rig. Was just looking into how I could add recovery points to the front on my WK2...

 

[CO_R1T]

Also agree - great rig. Was just looking into how I could add recovery points to the front on my WK2...

They were definitely a pain to put on if you're doing the job alone, but not that difficult really. I just have gloves for hands, which makes it a bit tight.

And thanks! As soon as the gloss black bull bar from Chief Products is back in stock, there'll be one with my name on it!

 

[CO_R1T]

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've posted, but in that time I've purchased a few new things for the rig, as well as went on a few trips with it. Two weekends ago (18-Nov) I drove up early in the morning to AOAA in Coal Township, PA for an Offroad Consulting 101 class. I figured why not see what they offer and try my rig at some of the more technical offroad terrain types I could be exposed to over the course of my ownership. The course was EXCELLENT and provided ample technical and challenging obstacles to overcome. While the other Wranglers in the crew were walking up most difficult terrains, I managed to keep up with plenty of guidance and 'finesse' from the instructor. The JGC has a pretty incredible capability, and the electronics that aid the offroad-ability are very useful and serve their purpose geniously, plus spending the day in 4WD LOW (amazing torque given that it's diesel, too...), OR2, Rock Mode (selec-terrain), and using the EVIC off road 'pages' made for a good feeling the whole day. After getting the hang of it, I really started to get into the flow of what my rig is capable of at the absolute limit. If you have any thoughts about attending one of their courses, I would definitely recommend it! Now, onto rig build updates...

It's been a while since I've added much to the rig. In that time, I purchased and installed the following items:

- 5th spare wheel (matching current set) + a BFG AT KO2 265/65/18 mounted. This spare is sitting *snuggly* where the spare sat under the trunk space.
- Smittybilt hitch D-shackle (red) + Connor Trailer Hitch Lock
- Hi-Lift Jack 48" (+ Front Runner Rack Mounting Kit /passenger side/) + Hi-Lift Jack Off Road Base (big orange plate in the trunk) + ARB Snatch Strap
- Bully Tools 12-gauge Shovel (+ Front Runner Rack Mounting Kit /driver side/)
- an ARB E-Z Deflator (because airing down with a sharp pebble just sucks...)

I mostly bought these items as requirements for beach driving on the east coast beaches, as well as recovery items I figured I'd use now that I'm taking my rig on more interesting trips.

The pictures of the above are seen below (+ a teaser shot from the AOAA trip ):

 

[CO_R1T]

It's been a while since I've posted to OB, but figured I'd add a short post and photo of the most recent addition to the Grand Cherokee.

I finally bought and installed the Chief Products WK2 Nudge Bar. The total install time was about 2-2.5 hours, and it was as simple as the install instructions guide. I had a few recommendations on how to clean up the install guide based on my install, but it was thorough and easy to follow. Soon I'll be getting a few ARB AR32 lights to put up front (one spot, one flood as that's how they recommend it), but for now just keeping it as is. I also reinstalled the lower front fascia as it was just collecting dust on the balcony and I didn't have any offroading trips planned. Looks pretty good if you ask me!

 

[GPsGeeps]

Looking good! I've been thinking about adding the Nudge Bar myself. Mainly so that I can install a light bar.

 

[365_Overland]

Very nice

 

[CO_R1T]

Looking good! I've been thinking about adding the Nudge Bar myself. Mainly so that I can install a light bar.

I was thinking about keeping the lower fascia off, but the area underneath is a bit unsightly and looks like it can rust easily with the metal frame/crash point exposed right there. I did see in your pictures you have a black tab covering that section. Where by chance did you get it or did it come with that plastic looking section (as in, was it already there when you removed the fascia)? Thanks!

 

[Overland510]

WK2EcoD nice build you've got going on. I have a 2014 WK2 Overland. Have been wanting to toy around with some mods, but honestly I'm nervous about interfering with the QL system. I see you put some KO2 265/65/18. I really like my 20" wheels, but the tires bore me. Looking for something "meatier" and potentially a little wider. Would prefer to stay with 20s, but not sure the wheel well will support both 20" wheels and fatter tires.
How tight is that spare in the cargo space? Any recommendations on wheel/tire size??
Also, have you equipped any performance parts? Intake, exhaust, etc.? I have the Hemi, which is already a beast, but extra juice never hurt anybody, right??

 

[GPsGeeps]

I was thinking about keeping the lower fascia off, but the area underneath is a bit unsightly and looks like it can rust easily with the metal frame/crash point exposed right there. I did see in your pictures you have a black tab covering that section. Where by chance did you get it or did it come with that plastic looking section (as in, was it already there when you removed the fascia)? Thanks!

The black plastic was already there when I removed the fascia. I wonder why some have them and some don't.

 

[KINGHAWV]

Nice ride!

 

[leonbmx]

Awesome setup! Have you looked into the GDE tune at all? I have it on my 2015 Summit Ecodiesel and I love it! Plus it will extend the life of the engine, since that whole EGR mess might be good for the environment, but it sure kills engines!

 

[CO_R1T]

WK2EcoD nice build you've got going on. I have a 2014 WK2 Overland. Have been wanting to toy around with some mods, but honestly I'm nervous about interfering with the QL system. I see you put some KO2 265/65/18. I really like my 20" wheels, but the tires bore me. Looking for something "meatier" and potentially a little wider. Would prefer to stay with 20s, but not sure the wheel well will support both 20" wheels and fatter tires.
How tight is that spare in the cargo space? Any recommendations on wheel/tire size??
Also, have you equipped any performance parts? Intake, exhaust, etc.? I have the Hemi, which is already a beast, but extra juice never hurt anybody, right??

My apologies on the delay! I seemingly haven't been very active on the forum for about 6 months or so. The spare is super tight in there, and it actually left the cover lifted a bit. It was fine for loading stuff on it, but it wasn't the cleanest look. I'll make another post below with more info (and new photos) as to updates, but I've since purchased the Wilco Hitchgate Solo and mounted the spare tire and hi-lift on it. I imagine a 265/60/18 would be just the difference in measurement to fit the tire snuggly in the spare area. Also, it did require removing the bins. As for performance, none so far. I am still on warranty, so I'm waiting for that to end before I go GDE, since there's not a lot available otherwise for the diesels (at least to keep it close to stock...).

Nice ride!

Thanks!

Awesome setup! Have you looked into the GDE tune at all? I have it on my 2015 Summit Ecodiesel and I love it! Plus it will extend the life of the engine, since that whole EGR mess might be good for the environment, but it sure kills engines!

Good call! My extended warranty is set to run out in about 2 weeks, so that'll be the first thing to come next!

 

[CO_R1T]

So it's been quite a while since I've commented/posted to Overland Bound. After April 2018, the year became quite hectic with lots of work travel and then starting a new job. I haven't really been able to make any overland trips of note, other than a 10 day drive to the easterly most point in USA (Lubec, ME) over 1,820 miles (there and back). Since my last postings earlier in 2018, I've added quite a bit to the rig.

The last photo is a picture of the second vehicle I acquired just a few months ago... complements the slow diesel nicely.

- Chief Products Transmission Protection Plate (completing underbody protection plating)
- Wilco Hitchgate Solo Tire Carrier (+ Hi-Lift Jack Mount. The mount point on the Front Runner rack was loose and caused noise, so I mounted on the carrier).
- Black Oak LED 7" Round Lights [x2] (Mounted on the nudge bar up front).
- 2017 Trailhawk 18" Wheels (+ whatever is left of the Goodyear Wrangler AT Adventures) to be mounted eventually. The road noise from the BFG KO2s is unbearable, time for something different!
- (planned) Falken Wildpeak AT3W's in 265/65/18 to mount on the Trailhawk wheels.
- (planned) GDE Tune - once warranty runs dry...

I did end up preordering the Chief Products Rock Rails, but decided to cancel my order to save some money at that point in time. Apparently it was a good call since there were a bunch of ordering issues by WK2 owners.

Pictures below!

 

[Derek50]

What did you use to cover the mirrors and door handles? Or did you plasti dip them as well?

 

[chithead]

Wow! I am getting tons of inspiration from your build. Love it! Awesome choices with your upgrades too!

 

[CO_R1T]

What did you use to cover the mirrors and door handles? Or did you plasti dip them as well?

I purchased this set from eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-Mirror-Covers-Door-Handle-Covers-FOR-Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-Dodge-Durango/222000859437?fits=Year:2014|Model:Grand+Cherokee|Make:Jeep&hash=item33b048492d:g:CN0AAOSwLnlWoACY:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

I was a bit nervous to buy something like this from eBay, but it looks great and you can only see the fact that it's an overlay if you look close enough. It does beat spending $500-700 and hours of labor for OEM parts to replace these items, though!

Wow! I am getting tons of inspiration from your build. Love it! Awesome choices with your upgrades too!

Thank you! Much appreciated. I just recently sold the rear tire carrier, and now it looks naked... haha. That said, I can actually use the rear camera, and easily use the trunk once again. I'd like to go with the Chief Products Rear Bumper Protection eventually, but I'm in no rush. From my last offroading session, it wasn't scraped nor touched, so I don't see the point (other than 'it looks cool').