First impressions are very stock-like, but a bit more solid? Not harsh at all and drives great. I was expecting it to be stiffer to be honest but there you go. This will change as things break in and I get the alignment dialed in.Amazeballs! Jeep looks very good. How's the ride?
Looks great!Got the Jeep back.
Next project: Lights!
Solid.How's the steering with the Steer Smarts equipment?
Which lights and mount did you use for the winch loop? They look great.Next project: Lights!
Hi Gary,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.
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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: I've failed to stave off the upgrade bug. I got larger tires and a 2.5" lift. The trails call, and I will go see what's out there with a bit more clearance and travel.
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I named the Jeep: Wanderer
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
Updated
- Recovery: Warn Zeon 10-S winch, Warn OE Rubicon winch plate, Factor 55 FlatLink E (Expert) Shackle Mount Assembly in Gray with Rope Guard, Factor 55 Hawse Fairlead 1.0, Factor 55 HitchLink 2.0, Factor 55 Fast Fid, tow strap and tree saver, Bubba Renegade Rope 3/4th 20ft, 3 red Bubba Rope Gator Jaw soft shackles, and 2 D-rings.
- Performance: MetalCloak's 2.5" Game-Changer Suspension System w/Rocksport Shocks, MetalCloak's DuroSpring Microcellular Replacement Bumpers, MetalCloak's JK/JL Front Driveshaft, MetalCloak's RockSport Axle Disconnect Skid Plate Upgrade Kit, Steer Smarts Yeti XD Draglink and Yeti XD Tie Rod, Method MR701 17x8.5 4.75 offset - (30.2 lbs) with Milestar Patagonia M/T LT315/70-R17 OWL Tires - (68.7 lbs), and WheelPros 14x1.5" Black Spline Lug Kit.
- Protection: Rexing car dash cam, Mopar grill & winch guard, Mopar floor liners, Mopar door sill guards, Mopar tailgate reinforcement kit, screen protector, Door hinge protection from Red Rocket Racing, EVO Manufacturing JL ProTek Exhaust Loop & Engine Trans Skid, and Roam Rock Rails
- Comfort: Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop, Hotheads headliner, Neoprene foam tape, Bestop Trektop NX Soft Top, Dynamat and fiber fill used for the speakers, Tesa 51608, 25m x 19mm adhesive wiring cloth tape, JL Key FOB Holster from Gibson Leatherworks
- Safety: (2) Element Fire Extinguishers (Smaller, lighter, no expiration, and works longer!), rip-away EMT molle pouch, and Mopar Mounting Brackets with 7" & 5" LED Offroad Lights
- Storage: Tie down rings for cargo management, a bag to store the back seat, Ridgid Pro Box tied behind front seats, Powertank 10/15lbs Nitrous Bottle Super Bracket to hold the CO2 tank, Trasharoo Spare Tire Trash Bag Black
- Looks: Painted the dash Punk'n, painted the muffler black, and stubby antenna.
- Communications: Baofeng Walkie Talkie UV-5R5 5W Dual-Band Two-Way Ham Radio
Planned
- Bestop Retractable Sunshade - Pending release?
- Uniden CMX760 Bearcat Off Road Series Compact Mobile CB Radio
- CHMSL - Mopar?
Removed
- Artec spare tire delete and license plate lights - Reinforcement kit installed instead. Gotta have a spare.
- Dynamax muffler delete - I didn't really like the sound.
- Trim-Lok rubber tubing seal - it was simply collecting dust and acting as sandpaper.
- Audew Rectangular Adventure Mirrors