What should be my next upgrade?

[driventoadventure]

So, I am in a bit of a quandary in that I am getting ready to do my next upgrade, and have a flexible budget to do it, but I can't decide WHAT to upgrade and I need to let people who are asking me what to do for me for Christmas know where to get me Gift Cards to buy the upgrade from... Please help me decide.

Should my next upgrade be a Lift, Skid plates, or a half-top?

The lift I am kind of wanting to delay, because I don't want to waste the factory tires I have and I am honestly surprised at how well I have been getting by without a lift.

The skid plates I am having a hard time deciding between the durability of steel or the weight savings of aluminum (The Artec Aluminum full pan is kind-of pushing my budget tbh).

The half-top I am debating on skipping all together now that I realize it only opens the front half...

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[aldo98229]

I’d do the lift first. It is the most functional mod. Depending on the wear on the tires, you can always resell them. The lower the wear, the easier they are to resell.

Second I’d do the bikini top. That is a strictly seasonal mod.

The OE skid plates work well 95% of the time. I’d keep them until they are so banged up that they need replacing.

Just my two pesos.

 

[jhackathorne]

If you are not wanting a lift yet, go with skids and you don't really need full underbody IMO. Also, do steel. Aluminum is more expensive and not as sturdy if you are in the rocks a decent amount. You can cover the essentials and be done. Oil/Trans and maybe transfer case skid. Then diffs and control arms. Skids are something you'll want even as you lift and get bigger tires etc. Checkout the link below. And they are CO based too.

https://mountainoffroad.com/

EDIT: If you are still low miles on your factory Rubicon wheels and tires, you can sell those and get new ones for less than a couple hundred. I sold mine for $1200 and paid $1600 for new rimes and 35's.

 

[Shibadog]

Before you mod figure out, for sure, what YOU want the Jeep todo, and build accordingly. Depending on what you’ll use your Jeep for you may/may NOT need either lift or skids. I personally like the sunrider to replace the freedom panels. With better tires and a winch I can go wherever I want to go. Please do not “build” just ‘cause without an end plan, preferably based on Your needs, but at least based on Your likes/wants.

 

[Heimkehr]

Should my next upgrade be a Lift, Skid plates, or a half-top?

The skid plates I am having a hard time deciding between the durability of steel or the weight savings of aluminum (The Artec Aluminum full pan is kind-of pushing my budget tbh).

Having used both types, I'm all in on the idea of aluminum skid plates, with a full understanding of how they compare to steel skid plates. Here's a brief tutorial regarding the two common alloy ratings that you'll likely come across as you shop for aluminum skid plates. Best of luck with the decision process.

 

[driventoadventure]

I’d do the lift first. It is the most functional mod. Depending on the wear on the tires, you can always resell them. The lower the wear, the easier they are to resell.

Second I’d do the bikini top. That is a strictly seasonal mod.

The OE skid plates work well 95% of the time. I’d keep them until they are so banged up that they need replacing.

Just my two pesos.

A quick clarification is that I already have a bikini/"Shade" top for the time of the year that is is usable for, but due to hoe much travel I do, I was looking into something more for when my jeep is waiting patiently at the airport for me.

Before you mod figure out, for sure, what YOU want the Jeep todo, and build accordingly. Depending on what you’ll use your Jeep for you may/may NOT need either lift or skids. I personally like the sunrider to replace the freedom panels. With better tires and a winch I can go wherever I want to go. Please do not “build” just ‘cause without an end plan, preferably based on Your needs, but at least based on Your likes/wants.

Apologies for omitting that information. The long-term goal is for this to be a Rock-Crawling dedicated rig. The short-term goal this is my Rock-Crawling rig that is also my D/D.

I realize that it's already a very capable rig, having already taken it up what were basically cliffs taller than it is in what used to be a quarry. What I want to do is augment that capability so that I am not hurting it when I am pushing it. I intend to get a lift eventually for better articulation and break-over clearance, but as you are suggesting, I try to be diligent and thoughtful about what/how/when I do those mods.

In response to multiple suggestions of this - how much life is still worth it to sell the take-offs?? So far I only have 13xxx miles on it, and the two rotations so-far have been five-tire... I figure they have about 66% life left - is this still sell-able?

 

[Headbarcode]

Going by the info you've provided about how you use your Jeep and what you're wanting to hold off on for now: my suggestions are a winch, recovery gear, onboard air, and an extended t-case lever. Those few items will help make you and your Jeep more independently reliant.

 

[driventoadventure]

Going by the info you've provided about how you use your Jeep and what you're wanting to hold off on for now: my suggestions are a winch, recovery gear, onboard air, and an extended t-case lever. Those few items will help make you and your Jeep more independently reliant.

I have bumpers/winch/recovery gear/air (even made a system to in/de-flate all four tires simultaneously) already. Is there a benefit other than ease of reach for the extended t-case lever? I already find myself wanting to grab that instead of the shifter often enough, and right now I am at the function is more important than form stage of mods...

FWIW I do appreciate the advice though, always open to ideas for improvement that I haven't thought of.

 

[Beachcomber72]

So, I am in a bit of a quandary in that I am getting ready to do my next upgrade, and have a flexible budget to do it, but I can't decide WHAT to upgrade and I need to let people who are asking me what to do for me for Christmas know where to get me Gift Cards to buy the upgrade from... Please help me decide.

Should my next upgrade be a Lift, Skid plates, or a half-top?

The lift I am kind of wanting to delay, because I don't want to waste the factory tires I have and I am honestly surprised at how well I have been getting by without a lift.

The skid plates I am having a hard time deciding between the durability of steel or the weight savings of aluminum (The Artec Aluminum full pan is kind-of pushing my budget tbh).

The half-top I am debating on skipping all together now that I realize it only opens the front half...

Start with a good vehicle first-aid kit, or recovery gear, a fire extinguisher, shovel and traction boards, A-pillar brackets and two 4 inch light pods, a BOLT hood lock kit, build you a vehicle family bug-out-bag, a GMRS two pack radio kit, hardtop headliner kit, 12v air compressor kit, glass breaker-seatbelt cutter tool. These are all things that are easily available and friendly on budgets.

 

[driventoadventure]

Start with a good vehicle first-aid kit, or recovery gear, a fire extinguisher, shovel and traction boards, A-pillar brackets and two 4 inch light pods, a BOLT hood lock kit, build you a vehicle family bug-out-bag, a GMRS two pack radio kit, hardtop headliner kit, 12v air compressor kit, glass breaker-seatbelt cutter tool. These are all things that are easily available and friendly on budgets.

Fwiw, I am ordering my GMRS radio after my current work and family-Christmas travel, now that my regular off road club is migrating from CB...

Not sure how much of your post was humor (omg autoassume almost made that a funny sentence) but I assume the lights, bug out etc part was.

Some of those actually are really good ideas instead of gift cards towards my real mods.

 

[Beachcomber72]

Fwiw, I am ordering my GMRS radio after my current work and family-Christmas travel, now that my regular off road club is migrating from CB...

Not sure how much of your post was humor (omg autoassume almost made that a funny sentence) but I assume the lights, bug out etc part was.

Some of those actually are really good ideas instead of gift cards towards my real mods.

Everything I posted was 100% honest/serious viable ideas.

 

[GATORB8]

Well, if the tires are keeping you from lifting, I say ask for discount tire gift cards.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

I did the Bestop Sunrider for hardtop as my 1st mod because I wanted that quick and easy open air experience when daily driving my Jeep.

Second I started hitting the trails and buying skid plates for the areas I noticed were rubbing (1st were rear shock/LCA skids and diff skids).

Third came the lift and bigger tires.

That said, to each his/her own. It all depends on what you do with your Jeep and what you goals are for driving pleasure.

 

[driventoadventure]

Well, if the tires are keeping you from lifting, I say ask for discount tire gift cards.

It's an "I abhor waste of both money and material" thing. The gift cards part only comes in because of my in laws always want to do something "big". I should have just bought new tires and a lift right off the bat, but I assumed that doing so would wind up with perfectly good tires just going to the landfill or recycler...

 

[driventoadventure]

I did the Bestop Sunrider for hardtop as my 1st mod because I wanted that quick and easy open air experience when daily driving my Jeep.

How easy is it to remove when you want to go full on topless?

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