Just going to throw this out there from today's experience
Don't use any sort of stripper on the interior trim. I painted my trim a few weeks ago and didn't really like the way it turned out. Attempted to take a single layer off with some spray stripper and ended up melting a ~1/16" of the surface off all my a/c vent bezels
I painted my trim yesterday and it's the first mod I actually regret. For starters, one of my vents simply refused to come out; the other 3 came out effortlessly. I had to track down a 9/32" socket in order to take off the dash so I could get the thing out.
Then, painting itself was another hassle in itself. My vent rings and grab bar came out nice, but the door inserts came out looking terrible. No amount of sanding would help. I ended up tossing them in the garbage out of frustration and ordering a new can of factory paint ($30) and new set of trim ($110). I'm sure the end result will look nice, but if I knew it was going to be such an expensive headache, I would've never attempted this.
Tuffy Security Deck 275 in a 2 Door - the side mounts only use 1 hole so I couldn't get to sit straight and got my rookie scars on those holes. Also, a nut stuck out just enough to hit the bent soft top bar when attempting to put down. Currently working on a salvage plan to secure it without those mounts. It sits in a little loose now but is almost usable and I'm trying to figure out how to secure it to the back seat mounts.
Building a compromise machine. I'm an off road guy and paying twice....
Bought Duratracs, now MTRs
Built up Dana 30, now saving for 44
Spent extra for tire swing, now spare is inside
Full size bumper vs shorty. It looks good now but should have thought ahead to when my jeep will be lifted and the fenders will be trimmed or replaced.
I'm not a huge fan of my flat fenders. I didn't plan on going bigger than 33", but now that I have those and the flatties I want either more tire or less gap between the tire and fender. I'm debating going back to factory style.
Edited - Just read the post immediately above ^^^ Perhaps I did it the right way after all?
I've modded my Jeep in small increments mostly because I was new to modding and gaining experience and confidence in what I was doing... Hindsight being 20/20 and knowing what I know now I wish I would have skipped several of the intermediate steps (and the $$$ that went along with them) and moved straight to a larger build from the beginning. But I suppose that is the price that comes with learning.
Not exactly a "mod", but I regret paying $495 for "Max Tow" -- which on a Rubicon is just the hitch and wiring. Fully knowing it was a bit pricey compared to aftermarket, I still got it because I figured a factory install just had to be cleaner and better than aftermarket.... specially with the wiring...... WRONG!
Soon after ordering, I started reading and discovered that all the wiring is plug and play and an OEM equivalent or better hitch can be had for less than 1/4 the price. For less than half the price, I could have had a much-superior-to-OEM VersaHitch... <<kicking myself in ass!!!>>
I console myself by saying that if this is the costliest mistake I ever make with this Jeep, I will be doing pretty good compared to some of the multi-thousand-dollar horror stories I've read.
Yep - me too... mine was $395, but learned right after I ordered how inexpensive and easy it would've been. Like you said - could have been a mistake with more zeros.
Hothead Headliners. I know a lot of folks here like them but they were a PITA from the moment I received them. The tape didn't stick all the way around. The head liners sagged and warped after that NOTHING could straighten them out and make them stick. Called the company and they sent out more tape which did nothing. I tried black VHB tape and ran it next to the grey VHB tape but nothing could fix the sag/warp. This spring the tape started failing on the non-warped pieces. That was it. I pulled it all out and went with the OEM headliner. So far so good.
LOL.... I was considering the same exact headliners but went with OEM at the last minute. Thanks for confirming I made the right decision and glad yours turned out OK in the end.
That said, learning from my previous mistake, I ordered the OEM ones from Mopar through Amazon and installed them myself. Half the price of the same things installed at the factory. Install was nothing... clean the inside of the top with alcohol, peel, and stick. Go figure!
Got LED tail lights probably too soon. They look great, don't get me wrong but that $300 could have been something else. Like proper headlights. Ah well!
I also regret NOT buying quality seat covers from day 1. I have WeatherTech floor mats and a Rugged Ridge Cargo liner, which is great but I have the cheapest seat covers on right now. It literally feels like a T-shirt. I wanted Treks very badly but poor planning and over spending on other stuff really limited me.
I've had the Treks(Bartact) seat covers for a few weeks now. They were pricey, but sure are amazing. It's such a relief when I see my dogs' sharp claws and hair all over the seat covers knowing it will all wipe off at the end of the day.
Really very little. I am a little uncertain about having gotten "E" load rated Duratracs--even with my Rancho 9000's turned down low, they ride a bit more roughly than stock. However, I did that for hopefully better sidewall protection off road.
Well when a rock hit my windshield at the very top edge of it last week I briefly regretted my 2.5" lift and 33's. It woulda barely sailed over my jeep when she was still stock. But after remembering my insurance covers rock damage I was thankful I still had my lift and tires.:happyyes:
mopar CIA .. although i do love the sound that it makes (the only reason i got it .. knowing no hp would be made) .. the $$$ that i had spent / installed in my "deal" from my dealer at purchase .... totally in hind sight would use that 400 bucks elsewhere
Changing my tires and rims without changing the gearing as well... probably spent more money in gas since my bigger tires than it would've costed to get the gearing done along with the bigger tires all at once. For anybody curious, I get 12 MPG on a good day...
Yup.
I made sure the 2015 JKUSS, I was buying off the lot, had 3.73 gears...added a $80 hitch kit from Quadratec and got my "Max Tow" package.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Ask a question
Ask a question
Jeep Wrangler Forum
9M posts
468K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to Jeep Wrangler owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about reviews, performance, trail riding, gear, suspension, tires, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, for all JL, JT, JK, TJ, YJ, and CJ models!