JK Wranlger Questions

[Nomad_K]

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).

 

[Revyjku08]

hope this helps out

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.

I have not heard much but they did have a recall earlier on for something that was not done correct...can't remember what it was for.

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.

The Freedom tops are pretty leak proof and the leaky roof has been a problem for some +2007 and up JK's. It's just part of owning a removable roof....but if you install the panels correctly you won't have much issues.

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.

I have been happy with my OME HD coil lift it has been great for running larger tires as well has not sagged from the added weight (bumpers & winch). AEV is good...but IMHO is pretty spendy vs other great lifts on the market (OME, Rock Krawler or TeraFlex)

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.

As soon as IPF came out with the H13 conversion kit I dropped the cash for these lights and it has been well worth the money! The stocks are horrible!

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.

I have not upgraded my stock skids except adding Poison Spider EVAP skid for protection.

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.

As for bumpers...you have lots of selection and it's up to you how much you are willing to spend and the type of protection you want stubby, mid-width or full size bumper! If you are considering bigger then 35" tires down the road look at a rear tire carrier and bumper the stock swing gate is pretty thin and with the added weight you may eventually see spot welds popping.

Winch - have you considered a Warn Powerplant with air compressor? nice to have if you are planning on airing down for some of your trail rides. For me I am a Warn guy...as they have never failed me on the trails. With an Unlimited I would look at +9000lb winch but an 8000lb will work with snatch blocks if you are in a tough situation!

 

[drgnhrt1979]

my sugestion for a winch would the a "TUFF STUFF" from truckandwinch.com. I have one and I love it. its not a name brand but its up there and the price cant be beat. for less than $400 you get a 12.5K LB winch with goodies. something to look in to.

Some may say 12.5K LBs is a bit much, but I dont believe there is such a thing as over kill. Better to have and not need than to not have and need.

 

[mrshish]

I have a 2012 Rubi Unlimited and so far haven't had a single problem. I sat down with the service manager at my dealer and asked about problems. At the time he said they really haven't had any and definitely nothing epidemic. From what I've read the Pentastar is a great engine. It's been rated in the top 10 engines of all time (I can't remember where I read that) and it's used in several vehicles so I wouldn't worry too much about the engine. I also haven't had any problems with the tops leaking but I haven't had it on and off to much since the weather hasn't been super warm since I got it.

As far as modifications go I don't think you are out of line with your thoughts. I haven't done any yet but have a fairly similar plan to you. For the lift I'm planning on a 3.5" AEV lift but will also run larger tires. If you go over 2.5" you'll need to look at a new crossover exhaust like the Terraflex spacers or aFe Y pipe as well as a new drive shaft. The AEV lift seems to have great on road/on trail manners which is important for longer trips.

As for lighting I can attest that the JK sucks. I picked my wife up from the airport a couple weeks ago. After sitting in the parking lot waiting I got the call and drove over to pick her up. When I pulled up she said my headlights weren't on. It was just bright enough in the airport complex I couldn't tell if they where on or not. It's kind of sad really. For lighting upgrades there are a couple solutions but right now I'm looking at the Truck Lights Phase 7 replacement LED headlights. They seem to be putting out reasonable light and being LED means I never worry about breaking a bulb or burning one out. It's also easy to mount auxiliary lighting on after market bumpers or on the windshield A pillars. My future plan is to do both with Ridged Industries LED lighting.

Since I'm not planning to go hardcore rock crawling I'm also planning on aluminum protection but haven't spent the time looking at things much. I like the idea of keeping weight down and also saw someone offering a replaceable polymer skid plate. It's light weight, fairly strong, and can be swapped if you damage a section.

I think the stock bumper is fine but it's going to be easier to mount a winch on one designed for it. If the bumper is coming from someone reputable then I say pick the one you like the style of best. They all tend to do a good job at taking a beating. For a winch I was originally looking at Warn just because I wanted something very reliable. I recently changed my mind and I'm planning an Engo 12k. It's over kill but at $350 I can't complain about the price. In a recent Four Wheeler magazine shootout it basically won the test. The magazine had to skew the results to let Warn win since they are a heavy advertiser. Here's the article: http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/129_1107_massive_multi_winch_shootout/viewall.html

For a dual battery setup Nemesis is getting ready to release a dual battery tray and they are the only one so I hope it works. I'm planning on a Hell Roaring isolator for it since it solid state. For the compressor the best under hood solution I can find is Dominion Off Road's bracket for a Viair 400: http://www.jeepswag.com/jeep_jk_on_board_air_basic/index.htm

Overall I think you are on the right track and if you go that way I think you'll be really happy.

 

[Black09JK]

I have an 09 unlimited. I didn't see whether you were looking at a hard or soft top so I'll just give you my experience with my soft top. It leaks. In the same spot on both driver and passenger sides. The water comes down from directly over the door handles on the inside. It leaks in any type of soaking rain. It's so convenient that it hits the door handle surround since that allows the water to splash and soak the front of the driver and passenger seats.

I've never owned a hard top for it so I can't speak on that. Other than that one area though, the top is water tight.

 

[Septu]

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.

Haven't really heard much about engines needing to be replaced. There's been a few minor issues I've heard about which have been covered under warranty. As for the leaky roof, my hard top leaked once on my 07 due to me not putting the panels in correctly. Only had the panels off once on the 2012 due to it still being winter. However I don't really expect any issues - at least with the hard top.

Mods:
1 - Can't really offer any advice. But there's lots of options out there. I've heard really good things about AEV, however their price point is pretty high.
2 - There's a couple decent options here. Cibies (~150) are generally considered the best aftermarket halogen headlight you can get. Hella's (~90) seem to be the next best. However I've heard really good things aboat Trucklites Gen 2 lights (~500/600). Personally am more of an HID person than LEDs but if you don't mind spending the coin, LEDs are suppose to be pretty good. One of the only reasons I'm hesitant with going to HIDs (55w HID projectors) is concerns over how effective it'll be after I've lifted the JK while not blinding ppl. Whatever you do get, buy or make an after market harness
3 - If you're not constantly playing on the rocks you should be fine.
4 - bumper is really personal preference. Figure out what features you want (full, midsize, stubby, foglights, hidden winch, etc), and then decide what meets it.
5 - winch... I had a m8000 and it did me just fine. Worked every single time I needed it to. Was exposed to the weather (rain, -40 temps, + 35c), and worked every single time I needed it to. I sold it with the 07 JK, and want something a tab bigger for the 2012 - likely 9000/9500 lbs. I'm not sure I need that, but my 07 was 5000 lbs with just winch, heavy front bumper and tires. Figure it's a case of bigger is better.

 

[Revyjku08]

As for lighting I can attest that the JK sucks. I picked my wife up from the airport a couple weeks ago. After sitting in the parking lot waiting I got the call and drove over to pick her up. When I pulled up she said my headlights weren't on. It was just bright enough in the airport complex I couldn't tell if they where on or not. It's kind of sad really. For lighting upgrades there are a couple solutions but right now I'm looking at the Truck Lights Phase 7 replacement LED headlights. They seem to be putting out reasonable light and being LED means I never worry about breaking a bulb or burning one out. It's also easy to mount auxiliary lighting on after market bumpers or on the windshield A pillars. My future plan is to do both with Ridged Industries LED lighting.

The LED headlights do kick butt.....but not for +$250/light! IPF H13 headlights will run you about $150 for the Pair. IMHO, I would spend left over money on a LED light bar vs LED headlights.

 

[Nomad_K]

All,

First, thank you for the quick and thorough responses!

As far as lighting - I appreciate the feedback - I probably won't drop $600 for headlights, however, a nice upgrade to the stock set up and perhaps an LED driving light down the road sounds good.

Engine - a little more reading and a phone call turned up a potential head issue, but I don't see multiple threads on every Jeep forum, so hopefully it isn't common. I was surprised initially, because, as mentioned above, several other cars (and at least the Jeep Grand Cherokee as well) have used the Pentastar before.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f33/update-on-ticking-pentastar-new-head-137608.html

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f96/2012-rubi-check-engine-light-1299151/

Suspension - AEV is definitely not the least expensive option and I am looking at a few. However, the good reviews for on road handling having me looking that way, and their 2.5 inch lift is not too much more than the OME spring and shock combo.

Tops - I was looking at a hardtop - so I guess I will pay attention when putting the roof back on.

Finally, on winches, armor, and bumpers, yes, the world is my oyster. I am leaning towards a full width bumper, although the weight savings and clean look of the UCF mid are attractive.

Thanks again!

 

[HOOLIGAN]

There have been a couple of issues with the Pentastar. Look at the JK specific forums like JKOwners.com for better info. Here's a quick search for ya. link

- Leaky tops are hit and miss. Always have been with Jeeps (I know...not an excuse). I have an '07 (got it Oct '06) and my soft top finally started leaking this season. I also have the original plastic header so I'm lucky I made it this long. All of the JK's from '08 and on should have the metal header. I have both tops. My hard top is still going strong. It also only takes a couple of minutes to take off and put on (with two people).

- Headlights suck, but I've had worse. Replace them with IPF's or one of the other headlight conversions.

- You should be fine with the stock skids. The only one you might consider would be an oil pan skid. The JK's is unprotected. I've been rock crawling for years with the stock skids and haven't had an issue....knock on wood.

- Look at Rock Krawler for lifts. I have several friends running these and they are impressive. By far the best I've seen out there. I'm not running RK...but wish I had gone this route. Live and learn.

- On winches. I have a Smittybilt XRC10 with Amsteel Blue synthetic line. I have used it A LOT. Several hard pulls and it's still going strong. Remember with winches...you get what you pay for, and stuck in the middle of nowhere isn't the time to say..."I should have gone with ____."