Overhead Console | Jeep Wrangler CJ, YJ, TJ - 1976-2002

My fiancé purchased this console for me for my birthday last year; I'd been drooling over it for some time. The first console that came had a clearance issue with what I suppose I'd call the "bolt" of the locking mechanism. I sent Tuffy an email about the problem, and Brian Teece got in touch with me very quickly. We talked via phone and also email trying to identify precisely what was going on. After doing a bit of measuring on the unit I had, Brian offered to simply replace the unit rather than try to replace individual components. He got the shipping of the new unit as well as the return shipping covered for me, and the new console showed up pretty quickly. The replacement console went together with no issues whatsoever, and installation in the Jeep was about as close to a "snap" as I think anything can be in a 30-year-old Jeep. (Vehicle is a 1988 YJ Sahara) After installing the console, I went about installing the electronics I intended to keep in it: a Yaesu FT8900R and a UNIDEN 510XL Pro CB in the front and rear drawer, respectively. After a little fabrication to create a secure mounting spot for both radios, they both fit with plenty of clearance and "breathing" room for the cooling fans to circulate air. The wiring was quite easy to run; I ran the antenna coax cables and the power connections before installing the drawers - doing it this way, you can literally reach your arm all the way inside the console to move wires around and get the tied into the wire ties. I'm extremely happy with the console; none of my previous attempts at mounting solutions for both radios worked quite as well, nor provide the level of security and peace of mind that the Tuffy console does. The mounting location is also much more convenient in terms of accessibility, as well as keeping the radios out of the way of everything else. Just yesterday I finished installing a panel-mount 3.5mm jack into the console, tied to a DPDT switch. All of this is wired into the audio out ports of the radios, which allows me to hear them despite the huge amount of ambient noise present when driving my old Jeep. Despite how much "stuff" I already have in there (2 runs of coax, 2 sets of power wires, the 2 radios, 2 mics...) there was plenty of room for the switch, 3.5mm jack, and the new runs of wire to hook all of it up. I give 4 stars only because there is one area where I think there could be improvement, and one option/feature I'd really like to see. First, the locking mechanism is a little finicky. I think perhaps the tolerances are maybe a bit tight or something along those lines. The drawers have to be in precisely the right spot for the lock to fully engage, and it can be a bit pesky. It has gotten somewhat easier over time, but it's still not exactly "easy". Second, it would be very convenient for radio enthusiasts, like myself, if the drawers features cutouts for mic cords on both sides of the drawer. Currently, there is a hole towards the left-hand side of the bottom of the drawer, which is perfect for the Uniden. The mic on the Yaesu, though, connects on the right-hand side of the radio, and the wire length is a touch short to reach all the way over to the left. It does work, mind you, but it would be a convenient feature if there were holes predrilled for left- and right-hand mounted mics. Excellent product and I highly recommend.

It fits great and everything seemed to come together well but one of the drawers catches when you try to close it and the key that comes with it won't turn the lock