Krondor
Well-Known Member
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My first Jeep was a 2006 LJ with 4.5" lift and 35" mud terrains. I loved that Jeep. It got me anywhere I wanted to go and a few places I didn’t.
Being my first Jeep I had no idea what my goals were or what I needed to get there. So I followed a meandering build path that led me to much heavier tires on a Jeep that was too tall and no longer fun to drive on the streets. Acceleration, braking, cornering, talking to the wife at speed, all took a hit for the ability to crawl over rocks I wasn’t looking to conquer.
I bought the new 2018 JL to start over. The goal is to wander more and worry less.
I chose the 2 door manual because it’s more suited to my needs/wants: Fun and easy to maneuver. The 4 door auto may have been a better choice for an overlander, but I’m stubborn that way.
Update
Wanderer Plans
Some Information
Index
Being my first Jeep I had no idea what my goals were or what I needed to get there. So I followed a meandering build path that led me to much heavier tires on a Jeep that was too tall and no longer fun to drive on the streets. Acceleration, braking, cornering, talking to the wife at speed, all took a hit for the ability to crawl over rocks I wasn’t looking to conquer.
I bought the new 2018 JL to start over. The goal is to wander more and worry less.
I chose the 2 door manual because it’s more suited to my needs/wants: Fun and easy to maneuver. The 4 door auto may have been a better choice for an overlander, but I’m stubborn that way.
Update
After failing to stay stock, I changed a few things and then changed them again! This Jeep continues to surprise me on trails I thought I really should not be here on. Amazing what these machines will do, even fresh off the showroom floor!
Wanderer Plans
Lighter and more Mojave than Rubicon.
With no Wrangler Mojave in sight, I decided to change things up on my own Jeep to go more into that direction. I tend to enjoy exploring unmaintained dirt roads, deserts, and getting to hard to reach trailheads more than crawling rocks anyway.
As my only vehicle, I’ll be sliding the rule back toward daily driving comfort as well. So with that in mind, I made changes to my suspension and will be doing things to make the Jeep lighter. Not sure yet if I want to ditch skids, spare, or winch yet, but I will see what can be done to keep it from getting any heavier.
Wanderer is ever changing, as will the paths I follow. Life is the adventure, live well.
Some Information
Ordered on: Saturday 2/3/2018
Born on: Thursday 6/7/2018 at 8:00 PM (MDH: 060720 322AA)
Delivery on: Friday 6/22/2018
Pinch Seam Height
- Factory BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT285/70-R17C tires = 17.25"
- Milestar Patagonia M/T LT315/70-R17D tires = 18.75"
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT315/70-R17C tires & MetalCloak lift = 21" Front and 21.5" Rear
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT315/70-R17C tires & MetalCloak lift & skids =
- Driver Front 20" Rear 21"
- Passenger Front 20" Rear 21.25"
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT315/70-R17C tires & JKS JSPEC Standard Duty 2.5" springs =
- Driver Front 20" Rear 20.5"
- Passenger Front 20" Rear 20.5"
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT315/70-R17C tires & JKS JSPEC Standard Duty 2.5" springs & skids =
- Driver Front 19.75" Rear 20.25"
- Passenger Front 19.75" Rear 20.25"
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT315/70-R17C tires & JKS JSPEC Heavy Duty 2.5" springs & skids =
- Driver Front 20.5" Rear 21.5"
- Passenger Front 20.5" Rear 21.25"
Mileage
- Stock averaged 21 mpg
- Bigger tires averaged 18.5 mpg
- Bigger tires and lift averaged 17.5 mpg
- Bigger tires, lift, and off road lights averaged 16.5 mpg on winter fuel and 17.3 mpg on summer fuel
- Bigger tires, lift, off road lights, and 4.88 gears averaged 17.5 mpg on winter fuel and 18.3 mpg on summer fuel
- Bigger tires, lift, off road lights, 4.88 gears, and full skids averaged 16.9 mpg on winter fuel and 17.1 mpg on summer fuel
Overall Life Average = 17.1 mpg
Index
- Adventures
- Mount Antero plus a few I actually hiked.
- 2019 King of the Hammers - To watch a neighbor race.
- Badge of Honor trails in Ouray.
- Ouray 2020, because once is never enough.
- Bunce School Road to go see the T33 plane crash.
- More pictures of some of my hikes.
- Moab 2022 - Scouting before the JHWR meetup, and to just play.
- Webster Pass & Red Cone - Because I remembered to take pictures.
- 2022 JHWR Moab Meetup - Epic gathering, and some even took video!
- Upgrades
- Suspension - Stuff that helps you see stuff without fuss.
- Safety & Recovery - Stuff that helps save your bacon.
- Convenience - Stuff that made things nicer.
- Purdy - Some paint and decorative bits.
- Audio - MBQuart 6 speaker setup and some damping efforts.
- Reviews
- No longer in service
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