Calling the cabin of the JK “cozy” would be an understatement and I’m always looking for new ways to mount accessories in the truck. Since the windshield is already pretty small as is, I wanted to avoid anything that mounted on top of the dash. With limited options, I took the advice of our own Jason Grogg and ordered a Carolina Metal Masters JK Grab Bar.
The JK Grab Bar is made of 6061 aluminum and is a perfect factory drop in for the OEM grab bar featured on the dash of every Wrangler. It’s claim to fame though is the 1″ 7075 aluminum ball bolt that mounts to either side and supports any RAM mount that uses a 1″ ball mount. With this mount, I’ll be able to utilize an iPad or vehicle navigation with ease.
Here’s everything you need to know about the install. Total install time is about 10 to 15 minutes and can be done anywhere.
What You’ll Need:
- Thin flat head screwdriver
- 8 mm socket
- 3″ extension (minimum)
- 5/8 socket
- 5/16 Allen Wrench
When you open the box, you’ll find the grab bar fully assembled and packaged in bubble wrap. It also comes with a very straight forward set of instructions that are impossible to mess up. After you unpack the bar, read the instructions and start taking the entire unit apart.
Removing the factory grab bar is pretty simple, just use a flat head to remove the insert in order to get to the bolts. Don’t bother with the bolts that are visible from the outside, they are just inserts and don’t actually hold anything in. This was pretty disappointing to find out, but hey I guess it’s a jeep thing?
Next use a 8 mm socket with a 3″ extension to remove the bolts that actually hold the grab bar in place. Make sure to save these bolts because you will be reusing them later to install the new grab bar.
Now that you’ve got the grab bar removed, grab the stanchions and get ready to bolt them in. Make sure you check them first though, one of them is notched should be used on the right side. Also when fitting the stanchions, you’ll notice they don’t just slide into the cut outs in the dash. You’ll have to use a little force to get them in, but the dash is flexible so don’t worry about using a little elbow grease.
In order to get the stanchions to line up, I loosely fitted them and then threaded the bolt in order to pull them flush with the dash. Just be careful not to cross-thread anything.
Once the stanchions are mounted, you’ll now have to mount the bar. You can choose which side of the truck you want the 1″ ball on, but I prefer to have it on the driver side so I can access the accessory that is mounted to it. Again you’ll have to muscle the bar into place. The trick is to get one side threaded and then use leverage to “pop” the other side in.
Once you have them lined up and threaded, tighten them down and you’re good to go. The entire process took me about 15 minutes because I was taking photos the entire time, you should easily be able to do it in under 10.
Fit and finish is excellent, and the dash will conform to the new bar. Most people who are not familiar with jeeps will probably think this is a factory grab bar. I went with the stainless/natural finish because I didn’t want to deal with scratched paint, but the black bar would probably look better against the dash. Overall I’m very happy with the purchase, but the one thing I’m worried about is the lack of texture on the ball. Hopefully it won’t be an issue and the ram mount will be able to grip on tight enough.
We’re going to mount up a few accessories over the next few weeks and see how this bar holds up. Keep and eye out for the long term review we’ll post in a few months.
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