The mule is caged!

I got the cage and corners back from the powder coater last week. SK Finishing in Lorain, OH did a really good job on these. Started with a zinc rich primer and then the top coat of Carbine Black Textured.

Picked up this Jeep branded fuel filler spout from a jeep forum. Removing the old one gave me an opportunity to smooth out the wave that the sheet metal sustained when my old Bushwacker flare was jammed into a tree.

Also picked up this JCR Offroad transfer case skid. I installed it and reinstalled the JCR engine skid I had removed before winter. I installed a small spacer between the cross member and the skid. With the Teraflex exhaust spacers, I have to separate the skids from the exhaust loop or it will rattle.

I think removing the skids each fall and installing back in the spring will be SOP for me unless it becomes a garage queen. NE Ohio salted winter roads are murder on these.

The only thing I don’t like about having a full transfer case skid is I can no longer get to the transfer case side of my drive shaft to grease it. That means I am going to have to remove the transfer case skid every 5,000 miles. Hmmm.

Spent an afternoon and got the cage installed. Took my time. The extra thickness of the powder coat made it a little bit of a challenge, but it went in pretty easy. I am so glad I had these colored black. I was originally going to do them in blue and my wife made a weird face. I took that as a sign.

I had planned on upgrading my climate control to Auto Temp (I have most of the parts) before putting the cage in. Maybe in the fall. It would be nice to have this installed before winter.

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