surferbandit
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- James
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2018
- Threads
- 16
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 57
- Location
- Atlanta Georgia
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sport
- Thread starter
- #1
This forum is great and has been extremely helpful in the deciding what to buy and then modding advice. I wanted to post what I’ve learned so far, in the hopes that it would help someone else in their decision to buy a JL (and then when the go to modify it).
I just sold my JKUR (2.5 lift and 35’s) and JK 2 dr Sport (33’s) and bought a base model JLU Sport. The only options it had were tinted windows and an automatic transmission. I really wanted the JL and wanted to switch to an automatic. I drive an hour each way to work and had been using the 2 door manual. The automatic is just easier and the 8 speed transmission is fantastic. love the Jeep!
My jeep came with the base model black steel wheels and it looked too low to the ground for my taste… so the first thing I wanted to do was wheels, tires, and a lift. There seems to be a lot of info online but some of it seemed to be contradictory. Also, a lot of posts were from rubicon owners and since it’s a different suspension the end result would look different. Still helpful info, but I wanted to post photos for any sport owners looking to do the same.
Wheels:
A buddy of mine runs a tire shop and helped me to pick the Pro-Comp 7069. It has a -6 Offset and 4.75 backspace. I read a lot about backspace and offset and ended up confused. I wanted it to stick out some but not a lot. Once it was all said and done it does stick out a bit more than I intended but am happy with the way it looks. They’re sold as “flat black” but really look like they were just powder coated… a little more grey than black.
Tires:
I had originally planned to get 33x12.5’s but I had trouble finding photos of 33’s with a 2 inch lift on a sport. I was worried the tires would look too small. I ended up going with similar tires to the Rubicon I just sold. Duratrac 315/70/17’s. They measure 33.75 mounted. I read on this forum that you needed to remove the bumper inserts (Euroguards?) to fit 35’s without a lift. I personally don’t like how they look so I removed them using a video on youtube from Quadratec. Now they looked too stuffed without a lift and will definitely rub off road so I’m having a 2 or 2.5 inch lift put on next week.
A couple of things worth noting
- My tire / wheel is 6 lbs over the 85 lb limit for the tire carrier. That doesn’t seem like much to me… what do you guys think?
- The spare tire hits the bumper when it closes. I can still close it but it definitely rubs and takes a little extra push. I think this takes weight off the rear hinge so am going to run like this until I see a carrier I like
- The rear camera cover could not go on with the longer lug nuts I used so I had to use a different lug nut on the bottom for the spare. It’s tucked under and you can’t really see it.
-The rear view camera sucks with the new wheels and tires (see pic) but its still better than no camera
-There aren’t many aftermarket parts yet. It seems like each day there are more and more, so I’m waiting to see a more economical tire carrier and some different rear bumper options to come out.
The only frustration I have, besides the ginormous key
, is that it seems like the seat sits too high. I reused my 2 door JK’s spiderweb shade and my hair touches it when I’m not driving (I’m 5’11”). My head is slightly higher than the bottom of the roll bar which means that any bikini top or mesh will touch my head.. The other things is that I don’t like the look of the soft top up with windows out… that part in the back is just floating.
Other than those two things, I love my new Jeep. I hope some of this info helps those just getting their jeep.
I just sold my JKUR (2.5 lift and 35’s) and JK 2 dr Sport (33’s) and bought a base model JLU Sport. The only options it had were tinted windows and an automatic transmission. I really wanted the JL and wanted to switch to an automatic. I drive an hour each way to work and had been using the 2 door manual. The automatic is just easier and the 8 speed transmission is fantastic. love the Jeep!
My jeep came with the base model black steel wheels and it looked too low to the ground for my taste… so the first thing I wanted to do was wheels, tires, and a lift. There seems to be a lot of info online but some of it seemed to be contradictory. Also, a lot of posts were from rubicon owners and since it’s a different suspension the end result would look different. Still helpful info, but I wanted to post photos for any sport owners looking to do the same.
Wheels:
A buddy of mine runs a tire shop and helped me to pick the Pro-Comp 7069. It has a -6 Offset and 4.75 backspace. I read a lot about backspace and offset and ended up confused. I wanted it to stick out some but not a lot. Once it was all said and done it does stick out a bit more than I intended but am happy with the way it looks. They’re sold as “flat black” but really look like they were just powder coated… a little more grey than black.
Tires:
I had originally planned to get 33x12.5’s but I had trouble finding photos of 33’s with a 2 inch lift on a sport. I was worried the tires would look too small. I ended up going with similar tires to the Rubicon I just sold. Duratrac 315/70/17’s. They measure 33.75 mounted. I read on this forum that you needed to remove the bumper inserts (Euroguards?) to fit 35’s without a lift. I personally don’t like how they look so I removed them using a video on youtube from Quadratec. Now they looked too stuffed without a lift and will definitely rub off road so I’m having a 2 or 2.5 inch lift put on next week.
A couple of things worth noting
- My tire / wheel is 6 lbs over the 85 lb limit for the tire carrier. That doesn’t seem like much to me… what do you guys think?
- The spare tire hits the bumper when it closes. I can still close it but it definitely rubs and takes a little extra push. I think this takes weight off the rear hinge so am going to run like this until I see a carrier I like
- The rear camera cover could not go on with the longer lug nuts I used so I had to use a different lug nut on the bottom for the spare. It’s tucked under and you can’t really see it.
-The rear view camera sucks with the new wheels and tires (see pic) but its still better than no camera
-There aren’t many aftermarket parts yet. It seems like each day there are more and more, so I’m waiting to see a more economical tire carrier and some different rear bumper options to come out.
The only frustration I have, besides the ginormous key
, is that it seems like the seat sits too high. I reused my 2 door JK’s spiderweb shade and my hair touches it when I’m not driving (I’m 5’11”). My head is slightly higher than the bottom of the roll bar which means that any bikini top or mesh will touch my head.. The other things is that I don’t like the look of the soft top up with windows out… that part in the back is just floating.
Other than those two things, I love my new Jeep. I hope some of this info helps those just getting their jeep.
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