Specs, Mods, Photos
- MODEL YEAR
- 2022
- MAKE
- Jeep
- MODEL / TRIM
- Unlimited Saraha
- COLOR
- Snazzberry
- ENGINE
- 3.6L eTorque
- TRANSMISSION
- 850RE
- PACKAGES
- Cold Weather Group, Trailer Tow & Heavy Duty Electric Group, LED Light Group, Safety Group, Advanced Safety Group
- FACTORY OPTIONS
- Almost everything I could get
- MODS - WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
-
Moto Metal 0804 Spider
Maxxis Razr AT
- MODS - TIRE SIZE
- 35" Tires
- MODS - SUSPENSION / CHASSIS
- MetalCloak True Dual Rate 2.5” Suspension Lift
- MODS - LIFT HEIGHT
- 2.5" Lift
- MODS - EXTERIOR
- Rugged Ridge Spare Carrier
- MODS - LIGHTING
- MOPAR LED Light Group
- MODS - SOFTWARE / TUNE / PROGRAMMER
- Tazr - JL mini
- HISTORY / EXPERIENCE / COMMENTS
-
This is my first Jeep and was purchased as a retirement daily driver / fun vehicle. Have had several friends with Jeeps but a first for me. I decided to go with the JLUS instead of the Rubicon partially due to budget constraints and secondly due to lack of true need for the Rubicon features vs the extra cost. I wanted to be able to build a slightly modified Jeep which looks good but still maintain the ability to be a solid/dependable daily driver.
The wife and I went back and forth on buying slightly used (budget) vs new (getting what we wanted) and finally decided on ordering new. During the fall of 2021 Jeeps were not easy to come by around here. Living in central Illinois there is not an abundance of trails, etc. to do a lot of wheeling on. I wanted to build something which could do some mild trails if the opportunity presented itself but again, it’s my daily driver not an off-road beast. We ended up purchasing from a dealership where a couple of friends have purchased previously. Unbeknownst to me this dealership has a parts guy and mechanic who have been working together and mod’ing Jeeps for the past 15-20 years together.
Taking advice from some friends and from the dealership parts guy I felt pretty comfortable with some of his advice after I told him what I was after for my build. I already had in mind the wheels and tires I wanted for the build. The parts guy ended up recommending a tire substitute after I received sticker shock on the tires I originally wanted. Some may not like the 20” wheels on a Jeep but I like the look. The dealership also navigated me toward a Metalcloak True Dual Rate 2.5” lift kit but also provided me with a couple of websites which have tons of photos to look at different Jeep set ups so I could view different set ups prior to agreeing to purchase anything. I found this very helpful. I also ended up getting a set of the Rock Slide power steps (to assist the wife get in and out of the lifted ride).
Outside of the Tazr programmer that is all I have completed to this point. I believe my next upgrade is likely to be a regearing job. After reading many threads on this site I have experienced the lack of power and ability to hold 7th & 8th gear that many talk about. I will admit I have been a little disappointed to learn my Jeep is only equipped with the (M200) rear axle. Apparently I didn’t option it correctly to get the (M220) on the back end. Either way it is more of a daily driver rather than a off road machine and overall I am very happy with it. Looking forward to eventually getting a few more upgrades to complete my build.
