Specs, Mods, Photos
- MODEL YEAR
- 2018
- MAKE
- Jeep
- MODEL / TRIM
- Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited
- COLOR
- Sting-Gray
- ENGINE
- 2.0L 4-cyl Turbo eTorque
- TRANSMISSION
- 8 speed auto
- PACKAGES
- Cold weather group, LED lights, Alpine premium audio w/8.4 nav, steel bumpers, etc.
- MODS - WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
- The factory BFG KO2's are outstanding tires for all-season use (bonus is the "3-peak mountain snowflake" rating, which is considered the same as a studded tire here in Oregon), but my driving habits often require a mud terrain. BFG KM2's have really impressed me over the years, but they don't offer a 285/70/17 in a C load rating; however, FALKEN DOES, and so that's what I'm running now and so far I like them a lot!
- MODS - TIRE SIZE
- 33" Tires
- MODS - SUSPENSION / CHASSIS
- None necessary
- MODS - LIFT HEIGHT
- Stock (Factory Height)
- MODS - POWERTRAIN / DRIVETRAIN
- None necessary- Jeep got it right with the 2.0L 4-cyl turbo and automatic transmission! And yes, I LOVE the etorque!!
- MODS - EXTERIOR
- Mopar grille guard, Warn Zeon 10-S winch with Factor55 hardware; Delta 6.50-Inch 150 Series round fog lights in AMBER (and I won't cry when a rock smashes one); GTS yellow fog light covers; Ceramic tinted (50%) both front door windows for UV protection; Cascadia flip-up front license plate bracket.
- MODS - LIGHTING
- 3 words for you: amber amber AMBER... cuts through fog, dust, smoke, and snow like those high color-temperature LED bright whites never could.
- MODS - RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
- Warn Xeon 10S, Factor 55 flatlink "E", soft shackles, hard shackles, anchor straps (aka, "tree savers"), snatch blocks, kinetic recovery rope, Hi-lift, shovels (dirt and snow), pulaski, tools, air compressor, ActionTrax boards
- MODS - INTERIOR
- Dominion Off-Road Stealth Hi-Lift Mount w/accessory bars and hand tools; Mopar grab handles, Quadratec door entry guards and slush mats; custom DIY wooden tailgate table and cargo shelf for the ActionTrax
- MODS - IN-CAR ELECTRONICS
- RAM ball mount, fitted to the driver's side dash (see photos)
- MODS - SOFTWARE / TUNE / PROGRAMMER
- Just the quirky Uconnect 8.4 nav- now Android Auto compatible!
- HISTORY / EXPERIENCE / COMMENTS
-
Hello from eastern Oregon (the "dry side").
This is my 4th Jeep (2000 TJ, 2008 JKUR, 2014 JKUR, and now this one). I owned several small pickups before that. Turns out everything I needed to know about off-roading I learned driving a 1977 two-wheel drive Datsun pickup with a manual transmission (it's all about where you put the tires, right?).
I spent thousands of $$$ on my previous Jeeps, modifying them in predictable (and expensive) stages to do what this one is ready to do straight from the factory and under warranty. This is how I think Rubicons should always have been made in the first place: front and rear lockers, basic armor, and 33's that do NOT rub (even when the anti-sway bar is disconnected!). This Jeep will do 90% of what I want to do these days, without any mods necessary (the other 10% should make me pause anyway). Purrs down the highway, snarls on the trails. (24 MPG!? More like 18, but hey, I'll take it.) Probably THE most versatile vehicle ever made, if you demand variety and capability in one rig that does it all.
CAN you build your Jeep up into a beast? Yes. Should you? Debatable!
BTW, the first JL that I drove was what I thought I wanted: an unlimited Rubicon, 6-speed manual with a 6-cylinder, but it seemed really mismatched; the shifter was not ergonomically friendly, and the combination of that engine on that transmission in that model just didn't drive the way I hoped it would; maybe it was a fluke, or specific to the Rubicon, I don't know...but I was seriously underwhelmed, and that was BEFORE I learned about the tiny, hidden, problematic auxiliary battery that comes with the new ESS system (!). A couple of months later, on a bored day I test drove a JLUR 4-cylinder turbo with the automatic and eTorque, and was completely blown away. As much as I like driving a stick, Jeep got it right with this combo, IMO. Remember, my FIRST choice was a 3.6L with a manual transmission!
The performance of the eTorque 2.0L turbo matched with this transmission is simply excellent. If I were still into smashing up the undercarriage on rocks, I probably would not have the eTorque because of the 48V battery location underneath (albeit with a skid plate), but then you have the hidden, PITA , hidden tiny auxiliary battery issues, so... just depends on how you drive your Jeep I think. I'd prefer no ESS, but even that has got to the point where I don't even notice it anymore (etorque helps with that, too) and have come to appreciate it at stoplights and drive-thrus.
Most recent change: Swapped my BFG KO2's for a set of Falken Wildpeak MT's (yes, MT) for year-round use in all kinds of conditions and weather. I loved my KO2's but needed a more aggressive tire, and I don't like swapping tires out twice a year just for winter. So far I've been very impressed at their performance in winter snow, ice, slush... even being a mud-terrain, even without the 3-peak mountain snowflake, even without added siping.
If you haven't already, check out OFFROAD PORTAL- "Helping the Off-road Community" and pass it on!
https://offroadportal.org/
