mtbjeep
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
So, after 4 years of planning (day dreaming), saving (figuring out how old I will be when I can retire), and researching (I actually did this for once in my life), I was able to put together my goal; a “stock” looking Jeep that would be perfect to my eye, due to some very unstock stuff. I really appreciate the simple rugged good looks of the Jeep, as well as its history, and I didn’t want to minimize that with, well, …..stuff. So here’s the list of “stuff” that helped my achieve that, as well as some details:
2018 Granite Crystal Sahara
Metalcloak 2.5” Dual Rate suspension lift with Rocksport shocks & Front Driveshaft
Metalcloak drag link & tie rod
OX elocker
Revolution 4.56 gears
Borla S-Type catback exhaust
285/75 r18 Maxxis Razr At tires on stock wheels
Teraflex Alpha HD Tire Carrier
The Jeep
When I purchase my Jeep in 2018 I couldn’t find any reason why I would want a Rubicon over a Sahara. Well, as it turns out, I probably would have been pretty happy with the Rubicon, I just didn’t know it at the time. Also, if I’m being honest, I don’t care for the looks of the higher front fender and I have really enjoyed monkeying around with my Jeep to make it approach Rubicon capabilities. If I were to buy a new Jeep today it would probably have the XR package, but again that eliminates a lot of the fun of researching and building out. As to the color; Granite Crystal looks very plain Jane in pictures; irritatingly so. However, in person, it is a phenomenal color with its industrial, gun metal, quasi-military thingy thing. The color is in one word, Bad Ass….or two, whatever.
The Shop
Ratchets Offroad Auburn New Hampshire. So glad that I found these guys via. Google and this forum. Keith Daigle, the owner, and his staff, are some of the nicest and knowledgeable people I have had the pleasure of meeting. They patiently helped me in with every decision, answered every annoying question and instilled a real sense of confidence in their craft. The work, and the education, was top notch and their passion for everything off-roading is palpable. The shop is also super cool by the way. Ridiculously cool retired military vehicles sit on lifts awaiting new lives, motorcycle gas tanks and 40” wheels are strewn about for the right ambiance and a cool office/reception area makes you realize you have made the right choice. Keith, if you read this, get a liquor license and make your shop a bar. Sitting in that environment, watching your creations take shape, with a cold beer….need I say more. The riches await.
facebook link
Metalcloak 2.5 Dual Rate Lift With Front Drive Shaft
Metalcloak is obviously one of the well respected names in the offroad world. What this kit provides is extremely well thought out and well made. We will see if life requires the Game Changer in the future but the dual rate is far more complete than the Mopar lift I had been considering. It even came with quick disconnect front sway bar links which I really appreciated. Very happy that I made this decision. I am also a fan of the “engineered system” approach where current, future and seemingly unrelated elements can be counted on to work together having been spawned from the same brain. This lift, in my opinion, was the perfect size for a non-rubicon on 35’s. It is, from an aesthetic stand point, exactly what I was looking for and the quality exceeded expectations. I will really miss the carwash.
OX elocker
This one stung a little. My Sahara came with the factory LSD. I really like LSD’s and they are perfect for how I use my vehicle. The factory LSD is, well, a piece of trash. It started grenading itself about a year into ownership. The dealership, who I like, couldn’t diagnose the issue even though the internet has just about a billion gigabytes of data stating exactly what the problem is. They, understandably so, dislike internet chatter because it is the death blow to all their BS. FCA apparently did address the issue by “developing” a new diff, or just changing the part number; not entirely clear on what they actually did. Either way it was supposed to be less prone to explosive decompression. With little to no faith in FCA’s ability to fully correct the issue, after all they had used/created the crap in the first place, I turned to the aftermarket. Eaton; now there’s a company with limited slip experience, I mean a lot of slip experience, not limited experience; well f**ck you get the point; they’re good at what they do. However, neither Eaton or any other company made an LSD for the JL. As such I turned to a locker as my traction device. Now, of course, the week I had the locker installed Eaton came out with their long-awaited JL LSD. Such is life, bummer. The one very cool thing for me at least was the locker activation switch which was in honor of my 85-year-old father, who was a fighter pilot in his younger years. My locker activation switch is a safety toggle commonly used in planes to launch missiles or other FU ordinance. So in the end, while I would have preferred the LSD , I’m sure I will use and come to depend on the locker; especially if there are any Migs on the trail.
Revolution Gears
Sweet Jesus this was the best decision I have ever made. 35” tires and 4.56 gears are amazing with the 6-speed manual. My original plan was 4.88 gears but Ratchets talked me out of it. Their reasoning was two-fold: this is a daily driver, not a tow to the trail-head rock beast and I do need to be somewhat respectful of fuel consumption, and 2, I seriously have no ambitions for larger/heavier tires. With the 4.56 gears on 35 inch tires all the 6 gears make way more sense than they did before. They complement themselves and work in harmony to produce a vehicle that wants/begs to move forward at low rpm. The comatose haptics from the JL clutch no longer matter. I’ve driven standards my entire life and this factory clutch is (embarrassingly so) very easy to stall. Now the drivetrain no longer gives a f**ck as the vehicle wants to move forward and run with the slightest of throttle inputs. Go dog go. 2nd gear was always stally-stally when the going was slow but first was just too short. Take my road for instance, a very small, slow suburban backroad. My choice was 3500 rpm in 1st bucking like a drunk rodeo clown or just barely stalling in 2nd. No longer, 2nd, and even 3rd, are slow speed beasts. Lastly 6th gear is no longer an abandoned step child. 4.56 for the win. As an added bonus I also get to learn how to reset the PCM and do the manual transmission top gear reset procedure. So many unexpected goodies.
Borla S-Type Exhaust
Being a manual transmission driver, I tend to drive with my ear. Not literally. The engines note queues my brain as to which gear needs to be selected. I have relied on this, rather than the tachometer, for as long as I can remember. After (what feels like) a lifetime in construction and general age-related systems collapse my hearing isn’t what it used to be. So, two things combined here: a need to hear the vehicle’s operating parameters and a solid mid-life crisis. Enter Borla. The S-Type was publicly reviewed as a exhaust that was quiet when you drove like Aunt Marge, and tastefully loud when you pushed Aunt Marge out of the vehicle. It did not disappoint. I am now officially a kid trapped in an adult’s body. Borla S-Type is the blue pill for the 50+ jeep crowd.
Maxxis Razr AT Tires On Stock Wheels
When I first bought the Jeep in 2018, I immediately replaced the tires with the largest tire that would fit on the stock wheel without a lift (33’s); because, well, I guess it was because I love red meat and football and still think women are attracted to big tires. I of course know that they’re not, I think, but it’s hardwired into my DNA anyway. Nonetheless the reason to keep the stock wheels was for 2 reasons: One; I did not have the knowledge necessary for all the intricacies of a lift kit, backspacing, etc., and two; I really love the look of my stock wheels. If I put them up against every aftermarket wheel out there, they win. Lastly, I don’t like tire poke. I’m a pizza cutter kind of guy. So stock it was.
Regarding the tires, I had used Maxxis for years on my mountain bikes and considered them to be the gold standard of bike tires. I foolishly had no idea that they also made vehicle tires. When I found out I immediately began researching them. The Razr AT had incredible reviews so I was really psyched. I have not had the opportunity to get them on the trail or the snow yet but they are as quiet as a church mouse on the road, light, and 3-Peak rated; a huge must for me as the Jeep is my family’s ski vehicle. They also look like they would eat Mad Max’s face and liver for breakfast Honey Badger style. They make me smile.
Teraflex Alpha HD Tire Carrier
What a great piece of kit. Sharp looking and built like a tank. Plus, the spare tire now clears my hitch rack. Out of everything I did, that one simple thing, being able to open the tailgate all the way when the hitch rack is on, has quite possibly brought me the most joy.
So there it is. Now that all the work is done I do miss all the obsessive planning and researching. But soon I will fill the void with ski trips, camping trips and the trail. Maybe another small mod here and there along the way…..Thanks for reading.
Sponsored
Last edited:
