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A little extra cash on hand dedicated to the Jeep - What would you recommend?

uawho

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With some good news from work, I now have some extra spending money and a green light from my wife for a few Jeep improvements. I'm looking for some advice.

With this in mind:
Generally, I tend to pay more for higher-quality stuff.
I do the work myself.
I'm not out rock crawling through extreme obstacles. Just running trails with the family and want to get through anything that looks fun. And I have to commute every day 20 miles each way with it.

Right now, mechanically, it's a stock JLUR. Stock suspension on stock 33" AT's with about 30k mile on them. Stock plastic bumpers and side rails. When I'm out on trails, I do drag the bottom a bit more than I want, but I've never been stuck.

Long term concept was a good quality 1.5"-2" lift. Some 35" AT's.
Steel mid size bumpers front and back with a winch up front.
And some better rock sliders for better protection and to help my wife and kids get in easier.


I can't afford all of that at once, but am looking for some advice on partials.

If I get 35's, without the lift. Will they look too stuffed and cause rubbing all the time that pisses me off?

If I get the bumpers only, will they be heavy and lower it down so much that I rub the belly even more?
etc.

Or better to wait and do everything at once?

I know this sounds like a nube question. So go ahead and rip away. I have thick skin.
But remember, if you're not careful, I'm just going to go buy some angry eyes for the front. I may even add the eyelashes!
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Odierub

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IMO Rubis should have 35s, stronger stance. Throw on 35s and a nice set of rails/steps.
 

rcadden

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Based on my research....

1. 35s + decent lift (installed yourself) is going to run you ~$4K-5K, though this is probably going to give you the most bang-for-your-buck, especially given that your current tires already have ~30K miles on them. The tires would be ~$1.5K, wheels another ~$1.3K, and the lift is somewhere around $1.5K-2.5K, depending on what you run with.
2. Steel bumpers + winch is going to be at least ~1.5K, up to 3K, depending on what you choose. If you're not out on big/hard trails, you don't really need the winch, tbh. Also, you're unlikely to get into anything with stock suspension/tires that you'd need to winch out of, anyways, IMO.
3. I haven't personally priced out sliders yet, but it seems like this would just be an in between solution to the 35s+lift.

You didn't mention what your actual budget is, but my completely uneducated recommendation would be to do 35s first. There are TONS of threads in the Tires/Wheels forum showing 35s on a stock Rubicon with no lift. My understanding is that you can absolutely do it, especially if you're not as focused on flexing (since you're not really rock crawling). They'll *fit*, and then you could determine if you need the lift or not.

I'd also prioritize the 35s over the rest because they're going to solve the belly rubs more than anything else - bigger tires actually raise your axles and all the other under-car guts. Suspension lift, etc will give you more height but not more clearance.

Going from 33's to 35's, you can expect to gain ~1" of clearance.
 

IdahoJOAT

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With some good news from work, I now have some extra spending money and a green light from my wife for a few Jeep improvements. I'm looking for some advice.

With this in mind:
Generally, I tend to pay more for higher-quality stuff.
I do the work myself.
I'm not out rock crawling through extreme obstacles. Just running trails with the family and want to get through anything that looks fun. And I have to commute every day 20 miles each way with it.

Right now, mechanically, it's a stock JLUR. Stock suspension on stock 33" AT's with about 30k mile on them. Stock plastic bumpers and side rails. When I'm out on trails, I do drag the bottom a bit more than I want, but I've never been stuck.

Long term concept was a good quality 1.5"-2" lift. Some 35" AT's.
Steel mid size bumpers front and back with a winch up front.
And some better rock sliders for better protection and to help my wife and kids get in easier.


I can't afford all of that at once, but am looking for some advice on partials.

If I get 35's, without the lift. Will they look too stuffed and cause rubbing all the time that pisses me off?

If I get the bumpers only, will they be heavy and lower it down so much that I rub the belly even more?
etc.

Or better to wait and do everything at once?

I know this sounds like a nube question. So go ahead and rip away. I have thick skin.
But remember, if you're not careful, I'm just going to go buy some angry eyes for the front. I may even add the eyelashes!
I think those are great questions.

Me personally, we're in MUCH the same spot as you with our BP JLUR, Kailani. We're set to tick over 37K this week.

That said, I prioritized living with it. Rear seat recline kit off Amazon was like $75 and my 14 year old loved it.

Then we did the Tyger 3 tube rocker steps, again off Amazon.

Stubby antenna for car washes.

Front passenger seat headrest for when my queen is sleeping.

Tailgate table for lunches and baby changes.

But by far I love the look of the Mopar 3 piece stock steel bumper. I got the Warn Low Hoop as well. With the option for a winch plate (you're like me and will need the metal skid plate hardware), even on a stock and VERY capable Jeep you'll be able to do much of what those with $1000s in lifts and tires can do.

If it were me I'd go with side steps, then bumper.

To answer you though:

No the 35s won't look stuffed. I think anyone on 35s with stock JLUR suspension looks good. They do rub a tiny bit from what I've seen, depending on the tire make/model.

The Mopar steelie front bumper drops the front by 3/4".
 

Steph1

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The Rubi already clears 315/70s very well, but to keep to stock looking appearance/clearance, you could install 3/4 inch coil spacers all around and call it a day.
 

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Heimkehr

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@uawho

You mention that you're already driving the Rube on trails. With that in mind, and in your position, I'd prioritize a winch purchase, and whatever else is necessary (e.g., a compatible front bumper) to accommodate its installation.
 

entropy

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Sounds to me like you really don't need to upgrade your Jeep for the kind of wheeling you are doing.

Now if you upgrade, maybe you'll be more comfortable taking more difficult lines/trails?

I'd say get 35s that fit and take it for a ride see how it goes. Keep the rubi rails since you are not doing anything too hard. Metal front and rear and a winch could lower your height, but that can be fixed with spacers.

Metal bumpers and a winch are a good idea. I would find the lightest combo possible and then you can order rubi springs with the highest numbers (those that come from a fully loaded rubi). Then you can drop a 0.5 spacer up front to make sure you don't droop at all. Mine drooped less than 0.5inches with a light bumper/winch combo on the stiffest rubi springs.

Going full lift is expensive, and an ordeal. But you would get better articulation and belly clearance. I wouldn't go full lift in your case though, it sounds like you wont truly benefit much from it. Keeping a stockish suspension has its benefits.

If you ever feel like you need/want the lift you can buy it later. Also, in the near future there will be plenty of XR takeoff suspensions for sale and that might fit you just fine.

I am running a rubi suspension and 33inch M/T falkens on my 2 door sport. I've been doing trails where we all get stuck, including rubicons on 35s with fancy coil lifts. I don't even have lockers (yet), and still manage to finish these obstacles. That should give you an idea on the capabilities of your stock rubicon.
 
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uawho

uawho

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You guys are great... great advice all around.

Budget wise, $3k-$4k is not out of the question.

And maybe just stuff the 35's in there and see how it goes is the right interim mod.
Add the rock rails to keep the family happy.


For the lift, I didn't mention before, but we drag our teardrop trailer around too (1800-2000 lb total). And eventually, I want to find some better solution there where the back doesn't droop down so much. Picking the right lift with stiffer rear springs was part of my thinking to solve that problem too.
 

HungryHound

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Lightweight front bumper and winch. As others gave alluded, it's a Rubi and doesn't need anything else for overlanding. I beat mine in Moab with a front metal bumper and winch without any issues. No droop. Leave the plastic in the rear until you go with bugger tires and need to handle that weight.
 

vegasblue

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If you don't have one yet, I would invest in onboard air and a HAM or at least CB radio. I'm personally a big fan of purchasing some decent rock rails as the damage in this area doesn't come cheap. I do like the idea of 35" tires. You can run stock wheels and be fine so you are only looking at the tires and associated installation costs. Discount Tire has a credit card that gives you six months no interest. Might be a consideration. I would suggest a look see at Rusty's bumpers. I run stubby so weight effect was not as severe. You could look toward aluminum but the cost to play steps up. You mentioned you tow a trailer, I would say check out Clayton. They utilize a slightly stiffer spring in the back to account for gear. I have the 2.5" Overland system and it rides just as good or better than stock.

1) Onboard air and radio (recovery gear first aid kit, TP!)
2) 35" tires
3) Rock rails
4) Lift
5) Bumpers (winch)
6) Skid plates
7-infinity) the rest!
 

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omega145

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You should just do the lashes and angry eyes. Seems like a majority of your questions would be answered by spending some time browsing the forums seeing how others built their JL.
 

The Last Cowboy

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Just putting 35/315s on with no lift will only net you about 1" more clearance at the axle level and slightly increase your breakover angle. To get a better breakover angle you will need a lift of some sort.

Plan your lift to go with the bumpers you intend to get any potential future mods. You could use a spacer lift in the interim to get that extra 1.5-2" you want and it wont cost you much. That will give you time to plan a comprehensive suspension to match what other mods you want to do in the future.
 
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uawho

uawho

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You should just do the lashes and angry eyes. Seems like a majority of your questions would be answered by spending some time browsing the forums seeing how others built their JL.

OK, that's it. Angry eyes and lashes just for you!


and FWIW, I have read just about all of the threads here on these mild mods. I'm not asking for specific help that I couldn't find with a google search. Just friendly chat.
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