G'day guys and gals,
I am looking at a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited (probably a Rubicon) and had a few questions.
First - has anyone had problems with their Pentastar? I read a few stories about the Pentastar in the 2012's needing to be replaced, but I am hoping this is a rarity, and not the norm.
Second - leaking tops - I test drove one before heading out on TDY (on the way home now) and had no complaints, except, my better half thought the roof might have leaked a bit (few drops). I thought the leaky top was a 2007/2008 issue, however, any experience with leaks (or better yet a lack thereof) would be appreciated.
Third - if I am comfortable with the answers to one and two, the only other question would be about ... modifications :sombrero: .
Now, I am going to try a light trip or two with a backpack set up for an overnight hike, a tent, a fishing pole, fish taco fixings, an ice chest (stocked in case the fishing doesn't go well), extra water, and a friend who has a winch on his Suburban.
Depending on how that goes, I am thinking about the following and would appreciate any advice, experience you would like to pass along, or correction of glaring errors in judgement. In general, I would like a few mild modifications to make things a little more comfortable on weekend or week long trips, to add a little insurance in case things happen, and avoiding a pig of a rig. I am not going rock crawling in this, and don't intend to do anything too stupid on desert and beach trails.
1) AEV 2.5 inch suspension or OME 2-2.5 inch lift. If I end up in Africa with longer open runs I might go for some remote reservoir shocks, we'll see.
2) Lighting upgrade - the best salesman I have met in ages was pretty up front and said that the stock lighting was... fill in your favorite colorful language. He said the dealership had a few upgrade options, but thought I might want to look around.
3) Aluminum skids - I am mostly going to be on light trails, but occasionally out of the way - I like what I have read about River Raider - any other recommendations? I am on the fence with this as the stock Rubicon armor would probably work for what I have in mind.
4) Winch and bumper -
a) I am in between on whether to get a winch plate for the stock bumper or an aluminum set up from one of the following companies: Aluminess, Under Cover Fabrication, Nemesis, or T&T Customs. All of them look great, and while I really like the look of the UCF Mid Width Bumper, however, for my intended use and likely locals (up for relocation), I am a little unsure about something that doesn't extend out to help protect the front suspension in the event of an unlikely animal strike or a more likely inattentive driver - thoughts?
b) Winch - I have an affinity for MileMarker based on experience with their hydraulic winches, however, I am thinking about the Milemarker SEC8 or a Warn M8000-S. If anyone has compared these in person, let me know.
5) Other than the above, I planned to drop the rear seat for long trips where my girlfriend and I are the only people in the Jeep (weight reduction). If I do end up overseas I will probably pick up a dual battery, air compressor and fridge.
Do the modifications above sound sensible, somewhat silly, or am I still recovering from jetlag (i.e. am I way off in my planning).
I am looking at a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited (probably a Rubicon) and had a few questions.
First - has anyone had problems with their Pentastar? I read a few stories about the Pentastar in the 2012's needing to be replaced, but I am hoping this is a rarity, and not the norm.
Second - leaking tops - I test drove one before heading out on TDY (on the way home now) and had no complaints, except, my better half thought the roof might have leaked a bit (few drops). I thought the leaky top was a 2007/2008 issue, however, any experience with leaks (or better yet a lack thereof) would be appreciated.
Third - if I am comfortable with the answers to one and two, the only other question would be about ... modifications :sombrero: .
Now, I am going to try a light trip or two with a backpack set up for an overnight hike, a tent, a fishing pole, fish taco fixings, an ice chest (stocked in case the fishing doesn't go well), extra water, and a friend who has a winch on his Suburban.
Depending on how that goes, I am thinking about the following and would appreciate any advice, experience you would like to pass along, or correction of glaring errors in judgement. In general, I would like a few mild modifications to make things a little more comfortable on weekend or week long trips, to add a little insurance in case things happen, and avoiding a pig of a rig. I am not going rock crawling in this, and don't intend to do anything too stupid on desert and beach trails.
1) AEV 2.5 inch suspension or OME 2-2.5 inch lift. If I end up in Africa with longer open runs I might go for some remote reservoir shocks, we'll see.
2) Lighting upgrade - the best salesman I have met in ages was pretty up front and said that the stock lighting was... fill in your favorite colorful language. He said the dealership had a few upgrade options, but thought I might want to look around.
3) Aluminum skids - I am mostly going to be on light trails, but occasionally out of the way - I like what I have read about River Raider - any other recommendations? I am on the fence with this as the stock Rubicon armor would probably work for what I have in mind.
4) Winch and bumper -
a) I am in between on whether to get a winch plate for the stock bumper or an aluminum set up from one of the following companies: Aluminess, Under Cover Fabrication, Nemesis, or T&T Customs. All of them look great, and while I really like the look of the UCF Mid Width Bumper, however, for my intended use and likely locals (up for relocation), I am a little unsure about something that doesn't extend out to help protect the front suspension in the event of an unlikely animal strike or a more likely inattentive driver - thoughts?
b) Winch - I have an affinity for MileMarker based on experience with their hydraulic winches, however, I am thinking about the Milemarker SEC8 or a Warn M8000-S. If anyone has compared these in person, let me know.
5) Other than the above, I planned to drop the rear seat for long trips where my girlfriend and I are the only people in the Jeep (weight reduction). If I do end up overseas I will probably pick up a dual battery, air compressor and fridge.
Do the modifications above sound sensible, somewhat silly, or am I still recovering from jetlag (i.e. am I way off in my planning).
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