JL after market support missing

[ReefGoat]

It's not only 2 doors. It's JL in general. There are some parts that I liked from the JK that I've contacted companies about and they stated that they had "no plans" to enter the JL market as of right now. For instance, soft top cage style roof racks. Basically the only one you can get is from GOBI. While I do agree that you get the quality with GOBI. I just don't really want to spend 2200 dollars plus wait 12 weeks for them to make it upon my purchase. No thank you i'll just buy a hard top and get one of the options there are for the hard top. Not only that there's just a huge list of things that aren't being designed and marketed fast enough or at all for the JL. I mean it's been out almost 2 years. I figure that these companies know that the aftermarket for the JK isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The research and development they would need to put into the JL just may not be worth it in some of their eyes. It's the only thing I could think of to explain the problem with aftermarket JL parts coming so slow.

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[JcrOffroad]

We have aluminum skids available for the 2 door.
https://www.jcroffroad.com/category/JLSKID.html

Not sure on the Crusader sliders in aluminum at this point. They weigh 100lbs in steel and would weigh about 50lbs in aluminum if we made them. Is this something people would be interested in?
https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/JLSL-CRL-2D.html

 

[JcrOffroad]

It's the only thing I could think of to explain the problem with aftermarket JL parts coming so slow.

The JL market has been interesting. It's certainly drawn in different buyers with very different aftermarket needs (and opinions on products) I think most are just waiting to see where all the cards are going to fall before they redesign JK product for the JL that won't sell.

 

[mikej]

Have you tried pulling your inner fender liners and giving it a go? You can always put them back if you don’t like it. There are many JLUR folks running 35s without a lift, usually by YOLOing it, but some are just removing their liners. No idea if this works for the JLR, but it’s easy enough to try and reversible.

I think the “may rub” verbiage comes from the wide variety of tire size of “35 inch” tires. Some are significantly smaller than others (the 315 KO2s seem to be the smallest).

 

[KPersCO]

First I agree with the crux of the conversation here. I'm surprised vendors don't have enough feedback/data from JL/JLU owners to be moving on new product designs.

I think I've read every post but lmk if I missed the answer. Why not go with JLU suspension? I'll second what was mentioned above that there are various suspension setups direct from the factory depending on options. Just a quick search came up with a few threads of people putting JLU tareoffs on JL's and getting results right around what you are looking for. If you don't want to risk getting something used you can certainly get the part numbers and order new.

IE:
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/4-door-rubicon-suspension-on-a-2-door-sports.30263/

 

[AnnDee4444]

We have aluminum skids available for the 2 door.
https://www.jcroffroad.com/category/JLSKID.html

3.6 only.

 

[Alanscott1]

The JL market has been interesting. It's certainly drawn in different buyers with very different aftermarket needs (and opinions on products) I think most are just waiting to see where all the cards are going to fall before they redesign JK product for the JL that won't sell.

@JcrOffroad What’s the biggest shift in the market you have seen between the JK and JL?

Just browsing user responses on this forum, personally it seems to me, that for quite a few the JL is their first wrangler and aren’t used to it “isms”. Also seems like the buyers income brackets are a tad higher compared to the JK, and have accordingly higher expectations of the vehicle and aftermarket support.

 

[KPersCO]

I'll try this again not sure why that link isn't working but this thread is fairly recent so you should be able to ask for the part numbers they used:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/4-door-rubicon-suspension-on-a-2-door-sports.30263/

Here is are a couple of threads that have part number information

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...jl-rubicon-suspension-on-my-jl-sport-s.19356/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/rubicon-vs-sport-suspension-height.4347/

Seems like this would net you exactly what you are looking for in the lift department. Also potentially cheaper then something from the aftermarket.

 

[JcrOffroad]

JCR, how much does the full belly pan weigh in Aluminum? Also is there any ground clearance loss or gain vs. factory skids?
BTW, I’m really keen on boat sided sliders that extend down to the frame rails. Looks like your Crusader sliders mount to body only?

They attach to the body and body mounts. There is really no reason from a strength standpoint to go to the frame as that would be the only attachment point (you can't connect the frame to the body without a mount that flexes just like the factory body mount.) We've beat this style of slider on our rigs for a long time with no damage.

3.6 only.

Working on the Turbo 2.0 (and JT) design.

 

[JcrOffroad]

@JcrOffroad What’s the biggest shift in the market you have seen between the JK and JL?

Just browsing user responses on this forum, personally it seems to me, that for quite a few the JL is their first wrangler and aren’t used to it “isms”. Also seems like the buyers income brackets are a tad higher compared to the JK, and have accordingly higher expectations of the vehicle and aftermarket support.

The biggest shift we've seen in the bumpers and armor market is people shopping solely on price. Lots of imported products that look "interesting" with little in the way of quality or performance. American manufacturing can't compete on price with a $300 bumper if we want to pay fair wages and use quality raw goods.

Really not a lot of that happening here (I agree with your income bracket comment if we are talking only about this forum) but elsewhere on the web, it seems to be more commonplace.

We see a lot of built JLs, but seeing less and less built for 4 wheeling if that makes sense. The American made Jeep armor market is in one of those "evolve or die" moments

 

[JcrOffroad]

Okay thanks . How much do they weigh ?

100 lbs for the 2dr, 140 for the JLU

 

[JcrOffroad]

Got something wrong there I'm thinking. haha

Haha, fixed sorry.

 

[spies]

I have great interest in purchasing aluminum boat sided rocker sliders for my JL. looks like JCR now offers one, thank you JCR on behalf of all us 2 dr. owners. You are the only one ready for delivery.
My only problem is the 180* different engineering, design (what ever) mounting points that will be offered. Just earlier today on another thread the Nemesis name came up. I called them and they are R&D'n one for the JL 2dr.. Talking with them more about their future product I was told, "it has to be mounted to the frame on a JL unlike their JK version. Jk's have a different body structure. Because of that, their JL boat side slider will be a metal sub-structure with an aluminum skin and weigh significantly more. Their words not mine.
One mounted body only and one offering frame mounted and both contradicting. I have seen GenRights version but only for 4 drs. which is tied to frame and body. So that is a third idea.

I am wondering what others think about these three mounting point ideas ?

You can't mount to the body and frame at the same time. You will tear the skins off your body the first time you hit a bump and your tub flexes. Genright does not tie to the frame, they have tabs that sandwich between the body mounts. Same thing with JCR and Evo MFG. This still allows them to flex with the body, they are not hard mounted to the frame.

 

[spies]

Looking at GenRights 4 dr. version you are correct Sir and I stand corrected and will correct post. They do not mount to both body and frame, My Bad. GenRight statement was a last minute thing I should have looked at better. I agree about not tying to both body and frame BTW. Some bumpers with tire carriers are tired to both and I didn't like that idea when doing bumper research.
So there is still Nemesis who just before ending our conversion said do not buy one mounted to body tub. looks like that opinion is not that of GenRight ,JCR and Evo. Wonder why Nemesis says, JK it's okay but not for their JL version ? Maybe I got a bad salesmen or it was the janitor.

Both genright and evo will tell you straight up that a steel slider welded to the frame is what you need for hard core rock crawling. Thats why they make both kinds. You just have to decide if you’re the .1% of people who needs something more than the body mounted boat side.

 

[bumpit]

We see a lot of built JLs, but seeing less and less built for 4 wheeling if that makes sense. The American made Jeep armor market is in one of those "evolve or die" moments

Things could also change over the next year or so. If I remember the jk took a bit to see them out on trails now I almost see them as a majority.

I also think a lot of aftermarket bumpers miss the mark on the jl lines. So many bumpers look out of place on the jl that are on the market now. (Fyi the old crusader stubby hands down my favorite)

As far as sliders go for the 2 door we will probably have more options in a year or two. Most companies will r&d the 4dr first since it sells 4 to 1 over the 2 door.

TNT customs made a great slider for the jk I hope they do a version of for the jl.

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