New JKU Expedition build ?'s

[JKJenn]

Hi,

New to the forum and new to the whole concept of overland/expedition builds. I am mostly interested in modding my 20 for some mods in11 Sahara JKU for off-road/poor road driving for photography. I am hoping to get out to HITR road, Smoky Mountain Rd., and a few other Southwest areas in 2012. Right now, my vehicle is stock but I am looking to do some mods this year. I would love your advice/feedback. I am thinking about:

1. Skids - do I need a full skid system?
2. Replacing both bumpers
3. Gobi Stealth rack
4. A RTT (Mombassa)
5. Rocker rails

I know Gobi is more than Garvin, but I really like the lower profile and they seem to get the best reviews. I would love some advice on saving $$ because all of this adds up.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[Bigjerm]

For skids I say the oil pan and the evap canister is a must in protection for the JK. You can relocate the Evap but it might void the warranty if that is something you care about.

 

[Idlehour]

Takeoff Rubicon sliders can usually be found for cheap. They don't eat up any ground clearance and provide a good amount of protection.

 

[SulVento]

1. Evap cannister skid is a MUST.
3. Gas tank skid / other skids....eh....depends on how difficult a trail you intend to be on....
5. Sliders......Check JK forums (JKOwners.com----JKForum.com---Wranglerforum.com) and Craigs list for some guy taking his sliders off a Rubicon _or_ there are a plethora of other great choices. I run Poison Spyder Rocker Knockers personally.
7. When you get the chance, think about upgrading tires, perhaps even going a bigger size. If you go bigger size, you might need to consider a simple budget boost lift kit or similar.
9. If budget allows, it's never a bad idea to have a winch on the front when you upgrade the bumper.
11. Do a simple breather tube extension for your diffs etc..... It'll save you headaches from water crossings. There are even kits available and it's easy to do.
13. Don't feel like you have to do everything BEFORE you get out there on the trails...your rig is VERY capable just the way it is. Just be smart!

Last but not least....Tread Lightly... :smiley_drive:

 

[jomobco]

For HITR I would want a rear locker. I've seen a KJ get through with only a rear ARB. I would think the less you lift via tires/springs the more you would want skids. For bumpers I personally like aluminum (mine are from Nemesis Industries). Light weight and tough and with the 3.8 motor the less weight the better on a JKU.

 

[The Swiss]

I'm not exactly sure how much different the Sahara skid plates are from the Rubicon (except the rock rails obviously), but the stock skid plates did fine for me; I did bend the gas skid pretty good, but that is what it is made for.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record as I have written this many times before: I advise to everybody who just got a rig, regardless if it is a JKU, 4Runner, Xterra, new or used, to take it out first on a couple of trips before investing a lot of money. After a couple shake-down trips, you will know what you really need and want.

Just my 2 cents ...

 

[JKJenn]

So much really helpful advice, thanks so much!! I realized posting questions in the Jeep forums I was getting advice from people who interested in significant rock crawling or mudding and I am more interested in the destination or journey.


Thanks for the skid advice. I was leaning towards the River raider complete system. I might hold off and just prioritize individual skids for the sake of budget.

The Sahara comes with 33" tires. There seems to be a lot of debate about bigger tires. This is also my daily driver (although I work from home, so no real daily drive) so I have been considering remaining stock. Thoughts?

For HITR I would want a rear locker. I've seen a KJ get through with only a rear ARB. I would think the less you lift via tires/springs the more you would want skids. For bumpers I personally like aluminum (mine are from Nemesis Industries). Light weight and tough and with the 3.8 motor the less weight the better on a JKU.

I am thinking HITR road, not the trail. the trail looks a little beyond my skill level at this point. I was under the impression you could basically do that with a stock vehicle.

I am also considering an a transmission cooler because my Jeep is an automatic. From what I have read the 2012 models all come with this. It is a real shame the 2011 builds didn't all come with this.

Thanks, again, for the feedback.

 

[Bigjerm]

As long as your tires are some type of all terrain or off road tire I would leave them. For the short time I owned a 4 door JK Rubicon I did a lot with the factory 32's. I did the Teraflex 2.5 budget boost to pick the long belly up a little. Doing a simple lift would allow you to fit larger tires down the road. As Swiss said, wheel it with some friends first. Only reason I bought the budget boost for the Rubicon was I was tired of high centering on the simple stuff.

 

[JKJenn]

As long as your tires are some type of all terrain or off road tire I would leave them. For the short time I owned a 4 door JK Rubicon I did a lot with the factory 32's. I did the Teraflex 2.5 budget boost to pick the long belly up a little. Doing a simple lift would allow you to fit larger tires down the road. As Swiss said, wheel it with some friends first. Only reason I bought the budget boost for the Rubicon was I was tired of high centering on the simple stuff.

Thanks. Yeah, I was thinking about a 2" or 2.5" Teraflex lift to compensate for the load and to level after adding bumpers and rockers. I am bring a friend along, so I will have a spotter.

 

[SulVento]

I know I'm sounding like a broken record as I have written this many times before: I advise to everybody who just got a rig, regardless if it is a JKU, 4Runner, Xterra, new or used, to take it out first on a couple of trips before investing a lot of money. After a couple shake-down trips, you will know what you really need and want.

Just my 2 cents ...

EXCELLENT advice......that's two cents well spent... :bowdown:

 

[JKJenn]

I'm not exactly sure how much different the Sahara skid plates are from the Rubicon (except the rock rails obviously), but the stock skid plates did fine for me; I did bend the gas skid pretty good, but that is what it is made for.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record as I have written this many times before: I advise to everybody who just got a rig, regardless if it is a JKU, 4Runner, Xterra, new or used, to take it out first on a couple of trips before investing a lot of money. After a couple shake-down trips, you will know what you really need and want.

Just my 2 cents ...

This sounds like great advice. I will say, that I am driving form out east to the west, so I do want to be prepared enough to tackle a couple of roads without damage. I will probably start with evap & oil pan skids and go from the for skids.

 

[Ryanc]

Whats your budget? Im a firm believer in prevention vs reaction. I see a lot of folks buy cheap **** and skimp out and are constantly fixing something. 1. buy recovery gear, straps, d rings, etc. Let your lift be determined by what you want to do. The skid plates on the JKU are awesome. The evap on the 2012 comes with a skid plate which is new, but had been shown to tear up the rear DS so watch out. Bumpers and all the expensive crap worry about later. When you lift it do it right the first time, dont buy a cheap lift without all the components, this is were Swiss's advice comes in. Enjoy!!!

 

[JKJenn]

Budget - good question....working on that. I am not looking for a lift to do other than compensate for the drag of adding heaving equipment (skids, bumpers.)

Basically, I want to start with what I need to be able to drive some of the better traveled roads (HITR. Smoky Mountian, Toroweap, Shafer trail/Long Canyon) safely. If I can do that with stock equipment, I would be happy to hold off and then see what I need. Does that make sense? I am planning picking up a roof rack system and probably a rooftop tent to camp in while I am out there.

I appreciate the input.

 

[hagausaf]

I have an '11 JKU Rubicon and here's what I say are the priorities.

1. Transmission Cooler since you have an auto like I do. Helps a TON when traveling long distances.
2. Evap and Oil pan skids. The oil pan is so exposed and its a very high priority.
3. Sliders. Just get some cheap Rubicon rails. I have them and they're fine but I'm looking to get Poison Spyder ones here soon.
4. If you lift or get bigger than stock tires then you will need to re-gear. I have 35's and regeared to 5.38 just to get reasonable power and mpg's back.

I agree with the other poster that suggested you wheel a few times in areas that you would normally do to gauge just what you need before dropping the coin.

 

[JKJenn]

I have an '11 JKU Rubicon and here's what I say are the priorities.

1. Transmission Cooler since you have an auto like I do. Helps a TON when traveling long distances.
2. Evap and Oil pan skids. The oil pan is so exposed and its a very high priority.
3. Sliders. Just get some cheap Rubicon rails. I have them and they're fine but I'm looking to get Poison Spyder ones here soon.
4. If you lift or get bigger than stock tires then you will need to re-gear. I have 35's and regeared to 5.38 just to get reasonable power and mpg's back.

I agree with the other poster that suggested you wheel a few times in areas that you would normally do to gauge just what you need before dropping the coin.

Thanks for the feedback. I am starting to get a decent feel about what needs to be protected. I will keep you all updated as I get it ready.