2022 Upgrades - Armor, Suspension, Programming and more....(PICS!)

[SROC3]

Great build and thanks for the detailed post! I really like the Rigid radiance pod lights and will be buying some myself.

Can you explain more about the Pedal Commander? I’m interested in this, but haven’t heard of it before. How does it differ from (or compliment) the GOAT modes (i.e. Sport Mode)? From the website, it looks like it has different presets that do the same thing the factory GOAT modes do. What happens if you put it in GOAT Sport Mode and then the Pedal Commander in Sport Mode too? Extra Fast?

Thank You

EDIT: Which mounting bracket did you use for the ditch lights and fog lights?

Thanks man!!

So the Pedal Commander (PC) lets you CONTROL the throttle curve. From the factory this is "dumbed" down by most manufacturers. With the PC you can simply attach the adapter plug in-between the throttle and the PC. This re-routes the signals and lets you take control of it. NO additional HP exists at AT ALL. But it feels like it because any delay from the factory is gone. It literally WAKES UP your Bronco from hibernation. It is so effective that I now drive in ECO MODE and set the PC to "CITY" (+3) - in each mode (there are 5), you can adjust from -4 to +4 depending how sensitive you want the throttle pedal to be when you depress it.

And yes it will feel bonkers if you put GOAT mode in "sport" then PC in "sport" as well.....there is also "sport+" mode for a super bonkers effect.....LOL.

What's even cooler is that you can link to Iphone APP and control everything from there

Here is a link to their site:
https://pedalcommander.com/products/ford-bronco

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[Dadsquatch]

Thanks man!!

So the Pedal Commander (PC) lets you CONTROL the throttle curve. From the factory this is "dumbed" down by most manufacturers. With the PC you can simply attach the adapter plug in-between the throttle and the PC. This re-routes the signals and lets you take control of it. NO additional HP exists at AT ALL. But it feels like it because any delay from the factory is gone. It literally WAKES UP your Bronco from hibernation. It is so effective that I now drive in ECO MODE and set the PC to "CITY" (+3) - in each mode (there are 5), you can adjust from -4 to +4 depending how sensitive you want the throttle pedal to be when you depress it.

And yes it will feel bonkers if you put GOAT mode in "sport" then PC in "sport" as well.....there is also "sport+" mode for a super bonkers effect.....LOL.

What's even cooler is that you can link to Iphone APP and control everything from there

Here is a link to their site:
https://pedalcommander.com/products/ford-bronco

Thanks! So helpful and I’m excited. I just bought it on Amazon for a Black Friday sale at $240!

Which mounting brackets did you use for the Rigid ditch lights and fog lights?

 

[SROC3]

Thanks! So helpful and I’m excited. I just bought it on Amazon for a Black Friday sale at $240!

Which mounting brackets did you use for the Rigid ditch lights and fog lights?

SPV has the brackets. Note - that you HAVE to also buy their custom harness so it connects properly to your "park lights."

Here's the link - https://specialtyperformanceparts.c...uding-brackets-harness?variant=43018391781608

I got the - "Mixed - 1 Radiance/2 Scene" (these are ONLY for the 6 lights in the bumper). You will have to buy additional PODs (1 set) for the Pillar lights. I got the - Radiance.

Radiance - more of a SPOT light so you can direct it.
Scene - more of a SPREAD of light.

I set it up in my Bronco like this:

On front bumper (if you are facing the front from the outside)
- FROM LEFT CORNER - SCENE/Radiance/SCENE
- FROM RIGHT CORNER - SCENE/Radiance/SCENE

The lights CLOSEST to the radiator - I use for DRIVING LIGHTS w/ my Headlights (w/ yellow film)
The lights on the CORNERS (outermost) - I use on dark roads with no street lamps (no film)
The lights in the MIDDLE - I use only on OFF-Road with all the other lights on (w/ yellow film)

The Yellow film you buy from LAMIN-X and it comes in small pre-cut squares. This is KEY for when you are OFF-ROADING and want to see through dust, rain, snow and fog. It CUTS right through it giving you excellent visibility. I also use my "Yellows" during daytime OFF-ROADING sometimes so the person in front of me can see me in his rear view much better.

I connected all the RIGID PODs to my AUX switches - AUX 2, AUX 3, AUX 4, AUX 5. I left AUX 1 free for bigger lights in the future (as it has the biggest amp fuse), maybe for a light bar. Also left AUX 6 free too - maybe if I get in internal ARB compressor.

Hope this all helps and feel free to ask me any more questions

 

[Dadsquatch]

SPV has the brackets. Note - that you HAVE to also buy their custom harness so it connects properly to your "park lights."

Here's the link - https://specialtyperformanceparts.c...uding-brackets-harness?variant=43018391781608

I got the - "Mixed - 1 Radiance/2 Scene" (these are ONLY for the 6 lights in the bumper). You will have to buy additional PODs (1 set) for the Pillar lights. I got the - Radiance.

Radiance - more of a SPOT light so you can direct it.
Scene - more of a SPREAD of light.

I set it up in my Bronco like this:

On front bumper (if you are facing the front from the outside)
- FROM LEFT CORNER - SCENE/Radiance/SCENE
- FROM RIGHT CORNER - SCENE/Radiance/SCENE

The lights CLOSEST to the radiator - I use for DRIVING LIGHTS w/ my Headlights (w/ yellow film)
The lights on the CORNERS (outermost) - I use on dark roads with no street lamps (no film)
The lights in the MIDDLE - I use only on OFF-Road with all the other lights on (w/ yellow film)

The Yellow film you buy from LAMIN-X and it comes in small pre-cut squares. This is KEY for when you are OFF-ROADING and want to see through dust, rain, snow and fog. It CUTS right through it giving you excellent visibility. I also use my "Yellows" during daytime OFF-ROADING sometimes so the person in front of me can see me in his rear view much better.

I connected all the RIGID PODs to my AUX switches - AUX 2, AUX 3, AUX 4, AUX 5. I left AUX 1 free for bigger lights in the future (as it has the biggest amp fuse), maybe for a light bar. Also left AUX 6 free too - maybe if I get in internal ARB compressor.

Hope this all helps and feel free to ask me any more questions

Thanks for all this info! Very helpful and have what I need now.

 

[jdmstuff]

Great review on the eibachs. Now you have me reconsidering the kings. Lol.

 

[Dadsquatch]

SPV has the brackets. Note - that you HAVE to also buy their custom harness so it connects properly to your "park lights."

Here's the link - https://specialtyperformanceparts.c...uding-brackets-harness?variant=43018391781608

I got the - "Mixed - 1 Radiance/2 Scene" (these are ONLY for the 6 lights in the bumper). You will have to buy additional PODs (1 set) for the Pillar lights. I got the - Radiance.

Radiance - more of a SPOT light so you can direct it.
Scene - more of a SPREAD of light.

I set it up in my Bronco like this:

On front bumper (if you are facing the front from the outside)
- FROM LEFT CORNER - SCENE/Radiance/SCENE
- FROM RIGHT CORNER - SCENE/Radiance/SCENE

The lights CLOSEST to the radiator - I use for DRIVING LIGHTS w/ my Headlights (w/ yellow film)
The lights on the CORNERS (outermost) - I use on dark roads with no street lamps (no film)
The lights in the MIDDLE - I use only on OFF-Road with all the other lights on (w/ yellow film)

The Yellow film you buy from LAMIN-X and it comes in small pre-cut squares. This is KEY for when you are OFF-ROADING and want to see through dust, rain, snow and fog. It CUTS right through it giving you excellent visibility. I also use my "Yellows" during daytime OFF-ROADING sometimes so the person in front of me can see me in his rear view much better.

I connected all the RIGID PODs to my AUX switches - AUX 2, AUX 3, AUX 4, AUX 5. I left AUX 1 free for bigger lights in the future (as it has the biggest amp fuse), maybe for a light bar. Also left AUX 6 free too - maybe if I get in internal ARB compressor.

Hope this all helps and feel free to ask me any more questions

Did you also buy the flip brackets from SPV for the fog lights to attach to their bracket right-side up? These are the ones I'm talking about: Rigid D-Series Cube SS REVERSE Brackets For Sale (specialtyperformanceparts.com)

My order is coming soon so I was watching an install video, and just realized I didn't buy the flip brackets so my "RIGID" words will be slightly visible upside down which I don't want that look.

 

[SROC3]

Did you also buy the flip brackets from SPV for the fog lights to attach to their bracket right-side up? These are the ones I'm talking about: Rigid D-Series Cube SS REVERSE Brackets For Sale (specialtyperformanceparts.com)

My order is coming soon so I was watching an install video, and just realized I didn't buy the flip brackets so my "RIGID" words will be slightly visible upside down which I don't want that look.

No I got different brackets. But those will work just fine. If it realyl bothers you.....you could technically remove the front panel and flip it. only 4 screws.

 

[Dadsquatch]

@SROC3 I'm considering the DV8 rock slider steps. I also have an OBX with the factory running boards that the DV8 would be replacing. I know my factory running boards seem to stop a lot of rocks from flinging up at the paint due to the SAS tires. How would you say the DV8 ones compare for stopping rock fling vs. the factory running boards?

Also, it appears the DV8 sit up a little higher and actually somewhat cover the pinch weld seam. Can you confirm that? Would you say in general the DV8 sit up higher than the factory OBX running boards?

It's kind of funny as I read your posts on the forum, because I'm ending up with a lot of the same accessories as you after doing my own research and following your build, lol. Currently I have the Rigid Radiance fog set from SPV, just bought the RCI skid plates, Kicker Key amp, and now looking into these DV8 rock slider steps.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[SROC3]

@SROC3 I'm considering the DV8 rock slider steps. I also have an OBX with the factory running boards that the DV8 would be replacing. I know my factory running boards seem to stop a lot of rocks from flinging up at the paint due to the SAS tires. How would you say the DV8 ones compare for stopping rock fling vs. the factory running boards?

Also, it appears the DV8 sit up a little higher and actually somewhat cover the pinch weld seam. Can you confirm that? Would you say in general the DV8 sit up higher than the factory OBX running boards?

It's kind of funny as I read your posts on the forum, because I'm ending up with a lot of the same accessories as you after doing my own research and following your build, lol. Currently I have the Rigid Radiance fog set from SPV, just bought the RCI skid plates, Kicker Key amp, and now looking into these DV8 rock slider steps.

Thanks for all your help.

Happy to help anytime man : ) So the stock boards are def better. BUT - the DV8 ones have protected me very well. And I drive fast on rocky trails and gravel - so I tend to kick up a lot of rocks for sure. The DV8s hav these tiny "cupped" areas on the brackets.....and they catch a bunch of pebbles every now and then. Just FYI . Small Annoyance. When you get them and see them in person - you will HAPPY you got them. Best build quality of any sidestep out there. Hands down.

I would really invest in the MABETT Mud Guards. SUPER easy to install and I ALWAYS have the rear ones on. Moving forward, when I do easier trails I will be using the mud guards for the fronts. The rears have worked flawlessly, EVEN on some of the hardest trails here in NV. The design is really good and stays within the confines of the Broncos' approach/departure angles.

Yes, the DV8s sit up almost 2 inches higher than the stock steps. BIG difference.

Haha - yeah I did do a TON of research for the mods I put on.......I would also highly recommend my "winch setup" - IF you get the Eibach Pro Lift Springs. Its the lightest winch/winch bracket combo around and I only about lost 1/4 inch on the front in terms on suspension drop. But the approach angel of the winch mount is SOLID. On the most recent, very technical trail I just did, I didn't hit that winch mount once.

Feel free to ask more questions! And btw - isn't the Kicker Key amazing???? Technology rocks......

 

[Dadsquatch]

Happy to help anytime man : ) So the stock boards are def better. BUT - the DV8 ones have protected me very well. And I drive fast on rocky trails and gravel - so I tend to kick up a lot of rocks for sure. The DV8s hav these tiny "cupped" areas on the brackets.....and they catch a bunch of pebbles every now and then. Just FYI . Small Annoyance. When you get them and see them in person - you will HAPPY you got them. Best build quality of any sidestep out there. Hands down.

I would really invest in the MABETT Mud Guards. SUPER easy to install and I ALWAYS have the rear ones on. Moving forward, when I do easier trails I will be using the mud guards for the fronts. The rears have worked flawlessly, EVEN on some of the hardest trails here in NV. The design is really good and stays within the confines of the Broncos' approach/departure angles.

Yes, the DV8s sit up almost 2 inches higher than the stock steps. BIG difference.

Haha - yeah I did do a TON of research for the mods I put on.......I would also highly recommend my "winch setup" - IF you get the Eibach Pro Lift Springs. Its the lightest winch/winch bracket combo around and I only about lost 1/4 inch on the front in terms on suspension drop. But the approach angel of the winch mount is SOLID. On the most recent, very technical trail I just did, I didn't hit that winch mount once.

Feel free to ask more questions! And btw - isn't the Kicker Key amazing???? Technology rocks......

Thanks for all the help. I'll likely pull the trigger on the DV8s here very soon. I'm also running RekGen mudflaps in the front only, and those have helped big time. I assume I'll be able to make them work with the DV8 rails, as they worked fine with the factory running boards.

And yes......the Kicker Key is amazing. Now you need to get the Mabett 6.5" rear pods. I just installed mine this past weekend with 6.75" Kicker KS speakers and huge improvement. I still need to re-run the DSP again now that I have the bigger speakers back there, but even without DSP re-ran big difference. Do that next!

 

[SROC3]

Thanks for all the help. I'll likely pull the trigger on the DV8s here very soon. I'm also running RekGen mudflaps in the front only, and those have helped big time. I assume I'll be able to make them work with the DV8 rails, as they worked fine with the factory running boards.

And yes......the Kicker Key is amazing. Now you need to get the Mabett 6.5" rear pods. I just installed mine this past weekend with 6.75" Kicker KS speakers and huge improvement. I still need to re-run the DSP again now that I have the bigger speakers back there, but even without DSP re-ran big difference. Do that next!

I was just about to say - yes that is my next mod.....and you have NO rear sub correct?

 

[Dadsquatch]

I was just about to say - yes that is my next mod.....and you have NO rear sub correct?

No rear sub.....but I actually installed a JBL BassPro Nano under my backseat. It's amazing and fits really well. I've never had a sub in any of my vehicles before, but this is a gamechanger. No speakers can produce lows as well as a sub (even this small). Here is a link to what I did if you're interested: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/mini-sub-install.40952/post-1684638

 

[SROC3]

No rear sub.....but I actually installed a JBL BassPro Nano under my backseat. It's amazing and fits really well. I've never had a sub in any of my vehicles before, but this is a gamechanger. No speakers can produce lows as well as a sub (even this small). Here is a link to what I did if you're interested: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/mini-sub-install.40952/post-1684638

Cool! I might have to copy you this time around and set that up......I might do this before the Pods. How did you "mount" the sub? screws? Great spot for it actually....then I assume if seats down then just unplug and remove it. Can you give me some guidance on the wiring of it? like panel removal, where you tapped it, etc....I SUCK at wiring.......lol. (no rush and only when you have time). I'll be purchasing it over the weekend most likely and do the install next week.

 

[Dadsquatch]

Cool! I might have to copy you this time around and set that up......I might do this before the Pods. How did you "mount" the sub? screws? Great spot for it actually....then I assume if seats down then just unplug and remove it. Can you give me some guidance on the wiring of it? like panel removal, where you tapped it, etc....I SUCK at wiring.......lol. (no rush and only when you have time). I'll be purchasing it over the weekend most likely and do the install next week.

Here is my input on the rear pods......if you have the sub like I have, then the rear pods aren't necessary from a driver and passenger standpoint. You won't really hear them. However, if you have people in the backseat then they will sacrifice sound. Going with the 6.5" rear pods will add more lows and mids, but not deep bass. So you will get some more bass out of the rear 6.5" pods, but more midrange and definitely still not what a small sub can produce. I wanted some more sound back there for my backseat passengers.

As for how to mount the sub, I used heavy duty velcro strips from Home Depot (see link I sent in prevoius post for how I attached the velcro). It's very strong and if I ever want to remove it to fold the seats down, I just unplug it and unvelcro it (although the velcro is so strong my carpet will likely be pretty frayed, but not a concern).

Now for the wiring & panel removal.....the best bet is to get the PNP kit for the Kicker Key 200.4 that already comes with the powered sub wiring harness built in. But if you're like me and didn't think you were ever going to add a sub, then you likely didn't get the sub harness. However, you can request it from the PNP guy and buy it that way. It then just directly plugs into your original harness and he'll tell you exactly where. The caveat to that though is: 1.) you have to dismantle the dash again to get to the high level inputs, just like when you originally plugged in your PNP harness. 2.) PNP will send it to you with the molex pins already attached, and it's very fragile when you fish it through your dash again. So ultimately better to just buy it from the get-go and install it once, but that's not how life happened for me, lol.

Once you get the PNP harness for the powered sub installed, you now need to run power, ground, your PNP harness, and the sub remote control wire all the way to under the backset. Here's how you do that:

1.) Power - Buy a 10GA sub/amp kit that includes the power & ground wire. Here's the one I got: Crutchfield CK10 10-gauge amplifier power wiring kit — includes power wiring only at Crutchfield
You need to run power from the battery, through the firewall grommet, behind the left kick panel speaker panel, under/through the driver sill plate (it easily pops off), fish through/under the driver seatbelt panel (at the very bottom), then under/through the backseat passenger sill plate (it easily pops off too), then up under and back out the backseat passenger seatbelt panel and now you're under the backseat.
2.) Ground - This one is easy.....it's a much shorter run. Mount ground cable to the backseat bolt where the sub is going and it only runs a couple feet to the sub itself.
3.) PNP high level speaker inputs - I believe you have your Kicker Key mounted to the steering column, so follow that route for the PNP powered sub harness, get behind the driver side kick panel speaker (just like the power cable), and follow the same path as the power cable. It then terminates at the sub.
4.) Remote Control Wire - The sub will come with that nifty sub control dial. You don't have to use it at all, but it's a nice feature. Mount the dial where you want, but you'll have to run the remote control cable that comes with it from the dial to the sub. I mounted mine on the side of the driver's seat and had the remote control wire follow the same path as my power and PNP harness wires.

This is definitely an undertaking, and will take you probably 4-6 hours. I'd allow for a full day just in case since your Bronco will basically be torn apart in the process. The hardest parts are panel removal (not really hard, just time consuming since you're dealing with fragile plastic clips), and fishing wires through all the panels so everything is clean and tight (but not too tight to allow some slight slack).

This is a good starter post so you know what you're getting yourself into. There's probably some other misc. little details I left out.

 

[Merc4x4]

@SROC3 Love the build!
I'm looking to build out my suspension and am wondering why you chose the RockJock trailing arms and Icon track bar, vs all Icon (Icon trailing arms) or all RockJock.

I ask, because I would like to go with:
SDI EClick coil-overs (but they don't exist yet, not a priority, but on their radar)
Icon front upper
RockJock trailing and track bar

But will probably go with Icon CDEV IIC shocks. Since Icon mounts the rear shocks upside down, their billet lower arms have a secure way to route the remote reservoir extension line. They have clips for their steel option, so I'm pretty sure it would be secure enough on the RockJocks.

Do you think the RockJock Johnny Joint will give better articulation in the rear over the Icon? Would that come with more noise or vibration over the Icon?

Any thoughts on your rear setup are greatly appreciated.

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