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Latitude Mod/Build by tbrou6229

60K views 198 replies 35 participants last post by  tbrou6229 
#1 ·
Hello KL Family! I have read through a few different threads and gotten some great ideas for modifications for my 2015 Latitude. I decided I would put my progress down on the forum for anyone who is interested!

I guess i'll start with the back story. If you don't care for the back stories, skip to the next paragraph! I bought my Cherokee in February 2015. I had really researched SUVs and cars, and started out as a hater of the front grille on the Cherokee. In fact, I wouldn't even look at them when I first started searching. However, it grows on you! Eventually, I had fully decided on getting a Cherokee Latitude and decided I would build one if I couldn't find what I wanted on a lot. While searching I found a 3.2L Granite-painted Latitude with ADII and the cold weather package... It was everything i was looking for! Unfortunately a bad experience with the dealer left me driving off the lot empty handed and sent me to another local Jeep dealer. At this next dealership, I found the Jeep Cherokee i now call my own-- a Brilliant Black painted 2015 3.2L Latitude with "Frost Beige" interior. Unfortunately, this one did not have ADII, or the cold weather package and the dealer couldn't locate the one I liked at the other dealership. So after some dealing, I ordered new Charcoal grey leather heated seats, signed the paperwork, and drove home in my new Cherokee. I'll admit I had some buyer's remorse at first, thinking about what I thought I should have got, but eventually began to enjoy it and learn the joys of modifications!

After getting the beige fabric seats taken out and the leather installed, I thought I would be perfectly happy... Well, enough is never enough, so I began the process of performing a "black-out" on my Jeep. I used to work for a local graphics company that has just gotten started into Plasti-Dip. I allowed the Latitude to be one of the first test subjects! I removed my chrome grille inserts and the silver roof rails and had them sprayed matte black. Once installed, they looked AWESOME! I decided then that I had to keep going... For the next step, I removed all of the chrome badging and emblems and replaced them with the grey emblems that are on the Trailhawk models. In addition to replacing the chrome emblems, I am putting matte black vinyl over the chrome window trim. I also put in an order for the Anthracite Grey plastidip and am currently waiting on getting my wheels back. BTW, if anyone is interested in getting their wheels dipped and wants to match the Trailhawk badge color, the Anthracite is almost a perfect match!

I figured that just modifying the overall look of my Cherokee was good, but what could I do to make it even better? After reading up on some of the threads here, I decided to purchase the Xenon Depot LED kit to install. I only read the first few posts on the thread and figured it would be easy.... Newsflash!!! Its not plug and play! SO i ordered resistors and broke out my soldering iron to fabricate a new wiring harness to make the LEDs work. (I haven't had the chance to install yet, so this is still a work in progress).

I have a few other projects in the works, and some ideas for upcoming jobs. After I get the LED headlamps installed, I am working on adding lighting in the undercarriage to mimic approach lighting found in some vehicles. I purchased LED strips which will be mounted to the frame near the doors. I have also been watching a thread on adding Puddle lamps to the mirrors, so I may attempt to do that as well.

As far as upcoming ideas, I would like to add heated mirrors. (I have them in some other vehicles, and truly miss them in my KL). I have also been looking at purchasing and installing the RRO slide rails...

I'll have more pics coming as things get completed. The first pic attached here is my KL before any exterior modifications.
 

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#2 ·
Nice! Looking forward to some pics. We have similar beasts/mods. I also have a black Latitude. I swapped out some emblems and the grille for the TH grey (like the way it looks against the black body) and used Anthracite for the others - a perfect match. I ended up buying the gloss black altitude roof rails which look great, and purchased the TH wheels and tires....which I might dip gloss black, haven't decided yet. I also bought the black vynil for the window surrounds, but haven't done it yet.
Awesome that you got leather seats installed! What was the $$ on that if you dont mind me asking? Was it the Katzkin leather seats done through mopar?
 
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#3 ·
@Dunx
I looked briefly at the gloss black rails, but having them sprayed seemed so much cheaper; I got the grille and rails dipped for $100 total. We will see how it holds up. My leather interior is the Katskinz Charcoal and I'm not exactly certain of the price. I got it done at the time of purchase so the cost was merged into my financing.

I was looking for the Trailhawk wheels, 'cause I really liked the look of them. I probably would have gotten the silver/black ones, but that was before I started the blackout process. However, the anthracite on the latitude rims looks awesome! I'm looking forward to seeing it on the Jeep.
 

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#7 ·
looks great - looking forward to seeing those wheels on your jeep.
I originally dipped my rails with anthracite, but the first time I used a ratchet strap to attach something it shredded the dip right off in some spots, so unfortunately it's not durable if you plan on actually using the rails to fasten stuff to, so I bit the bullet and bought the black ones.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Here are some pics with the roof rails and grille dipped. Also, gotta love the black with a fresh polish. Its amazing how much depth it has!!!
 

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#28 ·
dude, fantastic job all around. looks awesome! i plan on blacking mine out as well, so i may bombard you with questions if that's cool. :nerd:


for starters: how easy was it to take the roof rails off? i've heard some horror stories about how the bolts strip really easily and whatnot, so that's been a worry of mine.
 
#6 ·
Got the Cherokee in to a garage to get the wheels done. While I had it in, I figured I would install my XenonDepot LEDs and the vinyl on the chrome. The back section of the chrome trim was a PAIN, and I actually had to cut a sheet of vinyl to fit as the tape wouldn't go around that curve.

As for the headlights, installing them while the wheels and plastic wheel well covers are gone made life SO MUCH EASIER!!! I'm hoping my wiring holds up, but everything seems to be working fine so far!
@Wisconsin Mike, did you ever measure the temp of the aluminum heat ribbon on those LEDs while they are running? I was able to cram all of that into my light assembly with some of the wiring, but I don't want my rubber grommets or anything else to start melting or burning some night...
 

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#8 ·
@Wisconsin Mike, did you ever measure the temp of the aluminum heat ribbon on those LEDs while they are running? I was able to cram all of that into my light assembly with some of the wiring, but I don't want my rubber grommets or anything else to start melting or burning some night...
I never actually measured the temperature of the heatsink ribbons because I didn't think it was necessary. They stay very cool. I have ran these LEDs for fairly lengthy stretches while tinkering with them and the ribbons just get slightly warm to the touch.

From your attached picture, it *looks* like you did not swap power resistors.

You mentioned fitting some of the wiring in the headlight housing and I just want to make sure that you didn't put the original 6-Ohm power resistors that came with the LED kit inside the headlight housings. Those resistors get VERY hot and could pretty easily melt plastic.
 
#11 ·
Hopefully this video uploaded right... Most recent addition to my KL, LED approach lights under the body.
 
#13 ·
whoa. grill lights as well?
 
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#14 ·
#16 ·
It was actually really simple... I couldn't find those little led squares @Bean had mentioned in his post so i used some of the excess LED strip from my undercarriage. It is flexible and has an adhesive on the back, plus it can be cut to size... I also didn't use anything to diffuse the light like the plastic he used... I just put the strip up where the grille inserts are solid so it shows under.

It is wired in with the same power as the interior lamps so when the door opens or unlocks the grille and lower lights come on. I liked the concept of having the grille lit up along with the headlamps, but in NC it borders on illegal... especially with how close they are to a blue tinge.

I will try to post some pics of the install later on... (I'm at work so i cant do that now!!!)
 
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#18 · (Edited)
I will try to post some pics of the install later on... (I'm at work so i cant do that now!!!)
I used an all-weather adhesive to secure the strips down on the undercarriage, then a clear weatherproof silicone on the edges and solder points to seal and secure them. I didn't use any adhesive or silicone on the grille strip so it should be easily removable if needed. Unfortunately the adhesive on the LED strip is kinda weak and it keeps coming loose, so I may have to put some silicone down anyways.

It may not look the best when you get under the hood or look under the sidewalls, but it's the best I know how to do at the moment, and IMHO, the finished product (from the outside) looks just fine.
 

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#22 ·
Nice job! Just curious... Do they fade up and down like the interior lights or do they simply turn on and off?
https://youtu.be/Nf698-dpTG0
I couldn't upload a video here, but here's a YouTube link for it.

Here's a second about learning where you tapped power... Wheels look good too since your bottom pic is first I've seen them mounted.
I tapped into the interior lighting in the floorboard (the yellowish LED, not the white one for the ambient lighting.) There is a red/black wire going in to this that I was able to splice in to on each side. From there I just ran wiring through a plastic grommett I found in the A-pillar and then out to the undercarriage.

Thanks on the wheels! I'm loving the look, and looking for some way to make it more permanent than the plasti-dip. May have to go with a powder coat if I can find one the right color.
 
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#20 ·
Here's a second about learning where you tapped power... I really like the look of the 'glow' on the grill; I may tap into the headlights and just run that look all the time - it's not really throwing a beam and as long as I keep the color mostly white, shouldn't be any legal issues. Wheels look good too since your bottom pic is first I've seen them mounted.
 
#21 ·
looks freakin amazing. I have a spare one of those led strips lying around actually. the ones where you can dial in any colour you want.
is yours actually purple? or is that just the photo hue?

edit: and yeah I would think a few small dabs of silicone on the back of that grille strip would work perfectly, and not be impossible to remove.

nice job!
 
#23 ·
Thanks Dunx,
The light is actually pretty white when you see it in person, but the camera always seems to capture it as blue/purple. It would be cool to be able to change the colors though!
 
#25 ·
Wow love the lights behind the grill & under. I dont know anything about wiring, would this void my warranty if I have someone do it?
I got the Jeep back in May '15.

The last thing I need to plastidip are the roof rails.
Were they hard to remove? I'm scared to try it but I heard its simple as long as you don't mess up the cover. I'm sure once they are removed it is easy.
 
#26 ·
I don't think I did anything that could void the warranty; unless I was trying to get the interior footwell lighting worked on under warranty... Then I think they would have an issue since I cut wires for my power.

The roof rails were easy to remove, just be careful prying out the little covers. They only come out one way, and make sure to do it when it's warm or you could break the tabs. Then get a big flathead screwdriver for the bolts. (The bolt holes look like a 3-point bit of some type, but I used a flathead just fine. After all four bolts are out, slide the rails (not sure if it's forward or backward) and they will come right off.

If you are looking for a permanent solution, plasti-dip isn't gonna hold up long on the rails if you actually use them or strap to them. I'm considering having them painted with a good enamel, or more likely, I'll buy replacements in the grey or black.
 
#27 ·
Just got my RRO steprails installed! They are looking awesome and like they can take just about anything. Unlike some of the other posts about RRO, I didn't have any issues with my product except that it took a while (4 weeks) for production... The parts came in perfect condition and I wasn't missing anything but one small (and very common) washer. The most painful part of the process was payment for the RhinoLining and install.
 

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#29 ·
I did not have any problems getting them off. The only things to watch out for are the covers over the bolt holes... They have little tabs on them that are easy to bend too far and break
 
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#30 · (Edited)
So, I've done a few more mods to my KL; nothing major but I figured it was time for an update. I really liked the matte look of the black plasti-dip on the rails, but I want to actually use them for stuff so I decided to replace them with factory painted ones. I bought the grey (Trailhawk) ones off another forum member for a good deal and installed them a few days later.

My most recent and probably most usable change was to add the OEM hitch and bezel. I was originally looking at replacing the entire rear fascia, but the bezel was less than half the price and looks pretty good. The hitch install was fairly straight-forward and there are several good posts on here about completing the install. I like the weight and strength of the hitch over the original bumper. The installed bumper (without tow package) is made of a fairly thin, hollow aluminum attached with a few bolts. The OEM hitch mounts in a manner that seems a lot more secure onto the frame and is made of a thicker, heavy steel. Removing the fascia and installing the bezel was fairly straight-forward as well, following the instructions and template provided.

While I had the rear fascia off, I decided to remove the chrome tips for the exhaust and paint them matte black to match the blackout scheme of my Latitude. Overall, I like the new look!

Now, lets see if these pictures will link right... I usually upload and attach, but i'm trying to link them from a Google account. And GO!!!

Installed Hitch



Bezel-Cutout


Bezel Installed


Finished product!


And with the (blacked-out) chrome tips)


If those don't work, here is a link to my google photos album with the pics.
https://goo.gl/photos/LECsZyuGSUnLtuvV6
 
#33 ·
Not right now... it's a bit too much money since I'm not planning on towing a trailer or anything like that. I mainly am going to use the hitch for a bike rack and possibly a cargo rack later on.
 
#34 ·
Latest update

Just finished a few more mods to my Latitude. First, (and smallest) I couldnt decide what to do with that bright chrome "Latitude" emblem now that nearly everything else on my KL is black or grey... so i pulled it off and i'll figure out something to replace it later!

I then pulled off my grille inserts and took the plasti-dip off them as it was peeling. I painted them with a matte rustoleum black.

Next, I worked on installing my new tow hooks. [SEE HERE FOR INFO] I had read a lot of posts on adding usable tow hooks to non-trailhawk KLs and I figured out a bracket that I think will work well. I had a local welding and fabrication shop build the bracket off some designs I worked up, then brought it home and painted it and added Curt tow hooks. (As said before in the above link, I'm not adding these to make it look like a Trailhawk... I am adding these to have the ability to pull myself, or someone else out of a bind.


Also, I just got my lift kit from @HazardSky [SEE HERE FOR INFO] and got it installed. Moving the front strut and drilling the hole was fairly simple and straight-forward. However, the back coil springs gave me a bit of a hassle. Took me a few hours to do the driver side; the passenger side was a bit easier once I figured it out. (It only took about one or two hours!). But it looks good with the lift installed!

Sorry I don't have any pics of the completed lift yet. By the time I got the wheels back on, It was getting late and a storm was coming through. I didn't have time to get all the trim and fascia put back on. (I also haven't had a chance to wash it yet!) Those pics will come later though. I PROMISE!

While I had the wheels off for the lift install, I took the time to paint the calipers with a high-heat black. I like how the matte looks, but I'm thinking a gloss black may look better. Time will tell, and I may change it after I get my new tires put on in a few weeks.

I am planning on having my wheels redone. I just havent decided between semi-gloss black in a spray-vinyl material (HaloEFX), or painted with a color similar to the plastidip I have now. I love the color I've got, so I'm leaning towards that.

More photos and mods to follow!!!
 
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#43 · (Edited)
Just finished a few more mods to my Latitude. First, (and smallest) I couldnt decide what to do with that bright chrome "Latitude" emblem now that nearly everything else on my KL is black or grey... so i pulled it off and i'll figure out something to replace it later!
...
More photos and mods to follow!!!
So i finally figured out something to replace that chrome Latitude emblem...



It looks yellow/orange in the photo, but its actually black reflective vinyl so its kinda stealth. The Transformers hype may be over, but its never too late for the Decepticons to make a comeback! :wink: (I've always been more on an Autobots fan, but the Decepticon personality seems to fit my KL better!)
 
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#35 ·
Latest pic with painted grille, tow hooks, HazzardSky lift, and a fresh polish!!!
 

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#36 ·
cant see any pics....
 
#37 ·
GRRRR... Lets try this...
 
#41 ·
Looks great! Did you need to get a realignment after the spacer lift? Also, did your Latitude have much rake b4 the lift? It looks pretty level now with the lift installed.
I need to get an alignment done; just haven't had a chance yet. As far a leveling, I don't remember it being noticeably lower in the front. I measured a stock Latitude and it was about 1 inch difference. Haven't had a chance to get a good measure on a flat surface.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
#39 ·
eh its ok..i guess..lol. just kidding ... looks great....
 
#40 ·
Don't make me unfriend you... Lol
 
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#42 ·
Hey again! I've created a folder in Google drive with some of the photos and documents I have collected while working on my Latitude. The folder is open to anyone who wants to check it out, ~HERE~. In this folder, I've got some of the pics from the front bumper removal, Mopar instructions on Rear bumper removal, Lift install instructions and writeups from other sites, and other stuff.
 
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