en480c4
Observer
I realized I hadn't posted a thread here about the build on my Jeep. It's slow going, but a lot of progress was made this spring and after finishing my trailer and some work around the house, I'll get going with the next phase.
My wife never cared for my '05 Unlimited. The 2 door thing was a pain, and even though we don't have kids yet, our 65 lb greyhound takes up a lot of space. The '05 needed some attention, so the options were to spend money on it or put it down on a new Jeep. During our honeymoon last August (3,000 mile road trip in 8 days, Vegas/San Francisco/Eugene/Seattle/Twin Falls/SLC/Vegas), she convinced me the new Jeep was the way to go. The '12s were just showing up when we got back from the honeymoon, and I knew I wanted the new engine. But I also wanted Sahara Tan, which was already out of production. Luckily my local dealer was able to get me a good trade number on my '05 and find the last Sahara Tan within 500 miles.
In the first 8 months, my only mods were a pair of take-off JKU Rubicon rock rails and buying the Mopar heated seat kit, which still sits uninstalled in the back of a closet.
Fast forward to this spring and it was time to get going. I had done a lot of research, and I decided to go with the AEV 3.5" SC DualSport lift. I wanted improvements on all fronts, and the lift hasn't disappointed. Improved on-road ride and handling, and it's gone everywhere I've pointed it off-pavement. Though admittedly I haven't pushed it hard, but I also haven't added the requisite recovery gear, so...
Before wheels and tires:
I also added the AEV Savegre wheels in matte black, and the AEV rear swing-away tire carrier for use (for now) with the stock bumper. Usually I've not a fan of black wheels, but the silver wheels never looked right with the tan color. I definitely liked the two-tone look on these, and I'm glad I went this route. Finally, I went with 35" BFG KM2s. I'm a little concerned about performance this winter, but after narrowing it down to MT/Rs with Kevlar (wasn't happy with my last set), the KM2s and Duratracs, I decided the KM2s were worth a shot.
Before installing the tire carrier:
With the tire carrier:
Up at my cabin in the White Mountains:
And finally, I decided that I didn't want to add a roof rack. Between ease of putting down the top, potential for noise and how rarely I'd really need it, I decided to add a trailer. I have a build thread for that (see signature), but here are a few shots. The plan is to finish cleaning it up, get it painted to match the Jeep, and use it for a utility trailer short-term. Long-term, I'm planning on adding a lid, rack and RTT so the wife and I can get out. If I'm able to wrap it and the Jeep up in time, we're even contemplating a cross-country trip to Moab next spring.
Bringing it to my folks' place to start the work on a borrowed trailer:
Where it sits now, awaiting welding the tailgate back in, final prep and paint.
So that's pretty much where I stand now. The next phase of the Jeep build will either be regearing to 4.56 and adding lockers. Then I'll add a winch and AEV's front bumper. Their rear bumper and some additional skids will round out the exterior mods. Once I get the hard top back on this fall, I'm planning on getting a liner/insulation kit to improve the feel in the winter and quiet it down a bit. I'm also planning on adding Rock Hard's sport cage kit as well.
So far I've been pleasantly surprised by the 3.6L's performance with 3.21 gears and the (admittedly undersized) 35" tires getting between 17 and 18 mpg calculated. But I'm looking forward to getting the 4.56 gears in there and seeing 6th gear again. I can't say enough about how versaitle the JKU platform is. The space is great, refinement is well balanced with maintaining capability, and I think the Jeep will serve us well for years to come.
My wife never cared for my '05 Unlimited. The 2 door thing was a pain, and even though we don't have kids yet, our 65 lb greyhound takes up a lot of space. The '05 needed some attention, so the options were to spend money on it or put it down on a new Jeep. During our honeymoon last August (3,000 mile road trip in 8 days, Vegas/San Francisco/Eugene/Seattle/Twin Falls/SLC/Vegas), she convinced me the new Jeep was the way to go. The '12s were just showing up when we got back from the honeymoon, and I knew I wanted the new engine. But I also wanted Sahara Tan, which was already out of production. Luckily my local dealer was able to get me a good trade number on my '05 and find the last Sahara Tan within 500 miles.
In the first 8 months, my only mods were a pair of take-off JKU Rubicon rock rails and buying the Mopar heated seat kit, which still sits uninstalled in the back of a closet.
Fast forward to this spring and it was time to get going. I had done a lot of research, and I decided to go with the AEV 3.5" SC DualSport lift. I wanted improvements on all fronts, and the lift hasn't disappointed. Improved on-road ride and handling, and it's gone everywhere I've pointed it off-pavement. Though admittedly I haven't pushed it hard, but I also haven't added the requisite recovery gear, so...
Before wheels and tires:
I also added the AEV Savegre wheels in matte black, and the AEV rear swing-away tire carrier for use (for now) with the stock bumper. Usually I've not a fan of black wheels, but the silver wheels never looked right with the tan color. I definitely liked the two-tone look on these, and I'm glad I went this route. Finally, I went with 35" BFG KM2s. I'm a little concerned about performance this winter, but after narrowing it down to MT/Rs with Kevlar (wasn't happy with my last set), the KM2s and Duratracs, I decided the KM2s were worth a shot.
Before installing the tire carrier:
With the tire carrier:
Up at my cabin in the White Mountains:
And finally, I decided that I didn't want to add a roof rack. Between ease of putting down the top, potential for noise and how rarely I'd really need it, I decided to add a trailer. I have a build thread for that (see signature), but here are a few shots. The plan is to finish cleaning it up, get it painted to match the Jeep, and use it for a utility trailer short-term. Long-term, I'm planning on adding a lid, rack and RTT so the wife and I can get out. If I'm able to wrap it and the Jeep up in time, we're even contemplating a cross-country trip to Moab next spring.
Bringing it to my folks' place to start the work on a borrowed trailer:
Where it sits now, awaiting welding the tailgate back in, final prep and paint.
So that's pretty much where I stand now. The next phase of the Jeep build will either be regearing to 4.56 and adding lockers. Then I'll add a winch and AEV's front bumper. Their rear bumper and some additional skids will round out the exterior mods. Once I get the hard top back on this fall, I'm planning on getting a liner/insulation kit to improve the feel in the winter and quiet it down a bit. I'm also planning on adding Rock Hard's sport cage kit as well.
So far I've been pleasantly surprised by the 3.6L's performance with 3.21 gears and the (admittedly undersized) 35" tires getting between 17 and 18 mpg calculated. But I'm looking forward to getting the 4.56 gears in there and seeing 6th gear again. I can't say enough about how versaitle the JKU platform is. The space is great, refinement is well balanced with maintaining capability, and I think the Jeep will serve us well for years to come.
