I am brand new to Jeeps.. Educate me please

[flexbuffchest21]

Hello everyone! Just picked up a new 2020 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited with 90,000 miles (2.0 4 cylinder W/8 speed auto).

I have been doing lots of reading on these rigs.. however I am brand new to jeeps. It's a little overwhelming because there are SO many different opinions and info out there..

I have been combing through this site reading different stuff and I haven't been able to find a post that covers what I am looking for so please bear with me.

Can you guys enlighten this newbie about my jeep? things that I should know and be aware of? Like I already stated, I am brand new to this world and I don't want to be in the dark..
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So here comes my questions.

1.) What are the bolts by the A-pillar for? Are those just there for aftermarket light bar brackets?

2.) Since I am at 90,000 miles what do I need to start looking at replacing? (the jeep goes into a shop soon for inspection..)

3.) Where do people store their doors and hardtop when they go wheeling?

4.) any must have mods or replacements?

5.) how do people store things in the rear cargo area? Shelf? Bags? Totes?

6.) anything I should NOT do?
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I am new to jeeps but I am not new to going off-road. I don't do anything crazy.. I take it to the mountain to go skiing, forest service roads and mild obstacles (small rocks, mud, snow, sand, steep incline/decline etc)

What I want to do is..

-33" tires
-2" lift or 2.5" (not sure if I should do spacers or full springs and shocks)
-Front and rear bumper
-winch
-light bar
-skid plate
-front hood locks
-trailer wiring
-roof racks or cross bars (I want to put my thule box on top)

I will be daily driving it and taking my family on camping trips so I don't see myself ever getting 35's

Thanks for reading and let me know what you guys think!

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[Old Dogger]

Welcome to the Forum!
With that many miles on it, I would start out by having all of the fluids' changes. Also, for safety, check the brake pads and tires. Follow the recommendations of your owner's manual.

 

[Heimkehr]

@flexbuffchest21
2020 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited with 90,000 miles (2.0 4 cylinder W/8 speed auto).

Since I am at 90,000 miles what do I need to start looking at replacing?
Fluids, as mentioned. In particular, the transmission fluid and filter. While the DIY process is somewhat prescriptive, you can keep several C-notes in your pocket if you perform the work yourself.

Where do people store their doors and hardtop when they go wheeling?
Made-for-purpose hangers are available for the doors.

Any must have mods or replacements?
The best advice is to just drive your Jeep for now. Acclimate to it, continue perusing the forums, and ask questions about the particular accessories that you are specifically interested in purchasing.

 

[ForgottenTaco]

6.) anything I should NOT do?

-Don’t get a stupid angry grill.
-don’t waste money on a blinker stalk extension.
-don’t start a thread about oil. That’s @Jeep Junkie job.

 

[Reinen]

1.) What are the bolts by the A-pillar for? Are those just there for aftermarket light bar brackets?

They hold that body panel on.
And the hinge to fold the windshield down.
And they are a convenient mounting point for aftermarket parts and brackets. Jeep owners love accessible bolts for whatever they can think of doing with them, and they do think of things to do with them.

2.) Since I am at 90,000 miles what do I need to start looking at replacing? (the jeep goes into a shop soon for inspection..)

First and foremost, make sure the shop inspecting it knows Jeeps well. They're different and have Jeep specific quirks and priorities that don't apply to most vehicles.

Since your Jeep is a 2020, make sure it doesn't have the aluminum steering box. These were recalled for premature wear and replaced with steel. Black box good, shiny box bad.

90k mi is enough to look for worn suspension bushings. If these cause any looseness or play in the suspension and steering it can result in death wobble which you don't want to experience.

3.) Where do people store their doors and hardtop when they go wheeling?

Generally in their garage. There are ceiling hoists, racks and wall mount brackets specifically for storing these. I wheel in the desert so I always take them all with me for a desert dust-free bubble. Just do whatever works for you.

4.) any must have mods or replacements?

Only in your opinion. Mods & replacements are extremely subjective. A must-have for one is pointless for another. There will be as many opinions on this as there are forum members. That's the greatest strength of a Jeep. There are endless options to make it exactly what works for you.

But my advice is not to get any mods. At least not yet. Get to know your Jeep and think about what would really be better for you. What seems must-have to you now now can easily change in 3-4 months. Don't get things because others say they can't do without them. Get things that really benefit you specifically and don't apologize for your conclusions.

5.) how do people store things in the rear cargo area? Shelf? Bags? Totes?

Yes, yes and yes.
Or drawers.
Or a big pile.
Or they're like me and store things in a slide-out kitchen.
Again, do whatever you prefer and find convenient. It's YOUR Jeep, do it your way.

6.) anything I should NOT do?

Angry Grill, headlight eyelashes, and 24" wheels with rubber band tires.
There is no excuse for any of these on a Jeep in the US.
(*Angry Grills are only acceptable in the Philippines due to "cultural differences")

 

[Mocopo]

I know you say never doing 35s... but just saying, a 2.5" lift with 33s may make you look like you missed leg day. And even for easy dirt roads leading to camp sites, extra sidewall to air down more and make it a nice cushy ride for the family will help make the trip more enjoyable. Just saying... don't throw 35s out the window just yet...

 

[flexbuffchest21]

I know you say never doing 35s... but just saying, a 2.5" lift with 33s may make you look like you missed leg day. And even for easy dirt roads leading to camp sites, extra sidewall to air down more and make it a nice cushy ride for the family will help make the trip more enjoyable. Just saying... don't throw 35s out the window just yet...

I guess I am not totally opposed to 35's but I just dont know if I need them.. I also like the idea of saving on MPG with 33s...

The jeep I just got has brand new KO3s so maybe I should just do a lift when those are worn out

 

[travis304]

1. Ignore what Stellantis says about transmission fluid
2. Change the ZF8's fluid with OEM fluid, and replace the filter
3. Change the fluid in the t-case and diffs
4. Make one of these things for like $20

 

[Jeep Junkie]

Start with a good oil bro. Welcome to the forum!

 

[AFD]

-don’t waste money on a blinker stalk extension.

Never in a million years would've guessed that was actually a thing that existed.

So.. what exactly is it supposed to help with? Operating the turn signals is super easy, but I do find it unusually uncomfortable working the stupid push-forward high-beams a million times each night (versus the regular pull-back style I've had in every single vehicle I've owned during the last half-century). But I'm guessing adding an extension really wouldn't help with that either and would likely make it even more awkward and less ergonomic than it already is.

 

[Roky]

Can you guys enlighten this newbie about my jeep? things that I should know and be aware of? Like I already stated, I am brand new to this world and I don't want to be in the dark..

Welcome to this board brother,

there is a shit ton of info in here…. Best thing I found to do is google search your questions, 99 percent of the time a list of answers come up from this forum. Just look at what sub forum it’s in and what thread, you’ll find more information and opinions than you’ll ever need….

Also don’t be hesitant to reach out to us individually for any specific questions, for the most part we all enjoy helping people spend their money…

 

[2nd 392]

Never in a million years would've guessed that was actually a thing that existed.

So.. what exactly is it supposed to help with? Operating the turn signals is super easy, but I do find it unusually uncomfortable working the stupid push-forward high-beams a million times each night (versus the regular pull-back style I've had in every single vehicle I've owned during the last half-century). But I'm guessing adding an extension really wouldn't help with that either and would likely make it even more awkward and less ergonomic than it already is.

….. dimmer switch

Much better

 

[Zandcwhite]

As much of a fan as I am of big tires, unless you plan to wheel it hard I'd stick with the 33s on a sahara. The 3.45 axle gears won't like 35's+ in my opinion. The sahara doesn't have high clearance fenders, so even with 2-2.5" of lift it won't look bad even with 32-33s. It will look more like a stock rubicon with a leveling kit. Because your track bars, control arms, shocks, etc are all pushing 100k miles I'd go with a full kit that replaces all of it. I'm partial to metalcloak and rock krawler personally but they are on the higher end side. If you're looking for a more budget friendly option JKS kits are affordable and quality. The benefit there is most of their kits include sway bar disconnects for the front.
This jks kit is under $3k and includes a quality fox 2.0 shock.
https://jksmfg.com/products/2-5-lift-kit-j-krawl-wrangler-jl-4-door
Or you can spend a bit more and get a really long travel kit that includes a front driveshaft to accommodate the massive droop (2x the suspension travel of the stock sahara) from metalcloak.
https://metalcloak.com/jl-wrangler-2-5-game-changer-suspension-system.html

 

[jbcrane]

1. Ignore what Stellantis says about transmission fluid
2. Change the ZF8's fluid with OEM fluid, and replace the filter
3. Change the fluid in the t-case and diffs
4. Make one of these things for like $20

Nice garage man.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

Also don’t be hesitant to reach out to us individually for any specific questions, for the most part we all enjoy helping people spend their money…

This is true…

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