Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

What to do first???

4K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  blackandlime 
#1 ·
So I just bought a 09 jk x and I need help trying to figure out what to do first. This thing is my DD so I'm not gonna do any major offroading in it. I will only wheel it on occasion but when I do I want to get back home( thinking about a middle of the road winch here). I would like a lift and new shoes one day but nothing huge. I just want it to have a good stance to it. Since I'm not going to wheel it very hard I was also thinking of the stubby bumper made from the factory bumper. With all the options available I just need help with what exactly to put on and what to put on first.
 
#2 ·
This would really depend on your budget. A smaller 2.5 BB lift would be fine for what you are talking about and no larger than 33's would fit your needs. You could even choose to stay with the stock rims to save cash if you like the style. In terms of a winch... I would get nothing less than an 8500. Shop around for the price I went with a smittybilt XRC and have been happy with it. I hope this helps...as for where to start..i'd say lift. That will open the doors for the tires. You'll want to wait on the winch until you get your bumper situated.

Sounds like you are just looking for a little more aggressive look overall. The tires and BB lift will get you that the quickest. :thumb:
 
#3 ·
A slighty more aggressive look is exactly what I'm looking for. I believe I am going to keep the factory wheels but was thinking of getting them powder coated to dark grey color or maybe black, although black is done a lot. Could someone post a link to a bb lift.

Here is a picture of how it sits now.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
YOu can find all sorts of them on Quadratec. I have a 3.25 lift on my JKU from rough country.

Here is a link to examples of some. Make sure to shop around and go with a brand you are comfortable with. Many fall into the BB (budget boost) category. Ask around and read reviews.

Jeep Lift Kits - Quadratec

Hope this all helps, feel free to PM if you have questions along the way. I am no pro, but know enough for starting off. There are some very seasoned JEEPERS here.
 
#4 ·
My rig is my DD too, I am building my rig so that it is over-engineered for the trails I will do so I can always get home. Every 3k miles I change my oil, rotate my tires, and have everything inspected, and every 15 change my diff oil. I expect people will post this is overkill yadda yadda, don't really care. Keeping my rig well maintained is part of making sure I can drive home every time.

If you just got your rig, then don't rush into buying upgrades. Spend some time and understanding what sort of wheeling you will do. Let the trail be your guide - as you wheel, see where you are challenged, and do upgrades accordingly.

Hard to say in what order, but let's say your are stock, then early mods would be tires, and as a result lifts. My experience with stock tires is that they take a beating on trails. I ran very easy trails with my stock tires and when I pulled them they have all sorts of nicks and gouges in them. Surprised one did not go down,

I am running 33" tires. To me its a good compromise between street and trail performance. A good tire with good grip will mean your rig will not work as hard. I would advise you to stay away from all-terrains. Get a decent mud-terrain. I say that as you live in OK; I am in NW AR, and I am assuming you will have similar conditions, which is a lot of smooth rock faces on trails. ATs really struggle and burn rubber on these. Have not seen one that doesn't. I am running Mickey Thompson Baja ATZs.

Also airing down is important around here. So getting setup to do that is a good idea. An ARB deflator and portable air compressor is all you need.

Armor is a good idea as well. I just put Teraflex diff covers on, and will do skid plates underneath soon.

Rocker protection is very important - cheap way to go is to put on rubi rail takeoffs. You can get them for about $50 around here. I am putting on Poison Spyder rockers this week as my long term protection. ACE Engineering also makes good sliders and front stubby bumper at good price point.

You don't have to put a front or rear bumper on immediately, as long as you understand your factory bumper will take shots. I am not a big fan of Mopar bumpers - Mopar, you can buy better but you can't pay more - but you will need to do something with a bumper to have a winch.

I put my bumper on first, with winch, and if I had to do it again I would lift and tires first, then bumper. I have a Teraflex 2.5" coil lift, and really love it. You can get good deals on Rock Krawler too. James at Evergreen is a sponsor who will give you a good deal on a lift. Great service too.

If you like camping, check out overlanding. Its a great way to combine the two and run trails without hammering your rig. Its a lot of fun
 
#7 ·
Irongrave said:
why lift it you can run 35s if you take a knife to the flairs. There is 0 reason to lift a 2 door JK that's not going to be a trail rig.
Is there any truth in this? Could I buy aftermarket flairs and run up to 35's. As long as I throw some new gears in and probably wheel spacers.
 
#9 ·
okie said:
Is there any truth in this? Could I buy aftermarket flairs and run up to 35's. As long as I throw some new gears in and probably wheel spacers.
Yes. But I did the 2"budget boost by skyjacker. And 31" tires and I wheel all the time with no problems EVER and since you said you didn't want anything crazy cuz it's your DD I'd go this route. And it saves you from needing a re-gear and a new speedo gear. And saves money in the tire department.
 
#11 ·
I got factory stiffer coils which raised mine 1.5" and a 1" teraflex front coil spacer and went to 285/70/17 with stock wheels (did add wheel spacers because they rubbed a little) and I think it looks nice

 
#14 ·
Yea I don't want to go hardcore offroader( at least not yet :) ) but I do want to know all my options for what I'm trying to do and a little larger tire is a plus in my book. I definitely don't want a smaller tire than what I'm already running.. Is there bb lift that is recommended?
 
#17 ·
okie said:
Yea I don't want to go hardcore offroader( at least not yet :) ) but I do want to know all my options for what I'm trying to do and a little larger tire is a plus in my book. I definitely don't want a smaller tire than what I'm already running.. Is there bb lift that is recommended?
I have re skyjacker 2" BB lift. Its a 4point coil spacer and shock replacement. There's two diff types of shocks available with it. Hydro 7000 and nitro 8000. There's about a $50 diff between the two final prices I believe. Depending on which one it's about $300 give or take
 
#18 ·
daggo66 said:
A little while ago you wanted no lift and 35's. Now you want a 2" lift and 33's. You should take a deep breath and figure out what you really want.
Well there shouldn't be so many choices :) that being said.... I came here because this forum seemed like a good place to get good, well informed, answers. I'm a country boy from down south and honestly, it's killing me to keep this thing half way mild. But because of "your president", it has to stay economical (a little).

Now that u know where I'm coming from, maybe u will understand why my ears perk up when I here I can put bigger rubber on, with little modification.

I'm just trying to figure out what I can do and how to do it. I don't need any criticism for my indecisiveness. By the way thanks for all the ideas and comments.
 
#20 ·
:) :facepalm: What Tom was saying in his oh so delicate manner is that you need to drive it stock for a little while and soon enough you will have your decision made for you.... He's trying to save you from yourself. We all immediately think we need giant tires and stuff to make our Jeeps the beasts we've always dreamed of, but then the reality of $$$ and such sinks in. There are many different ways to accommodate what ever your heart and Jeep desire. Spend some seat time with the Jeep, and some seat time at the 'puter reading this and maybe some other forums and you will learn a lot, make some friends and everything will be sunshine and lollipops! :D If you rush into things you end up spending $ two or three times undoing what you wish you'd done the first time. And don't mind Tom, his bark is worse than his bite..... ;) Oh, and I'm pretty sure "his President" is no more his than he is yours...... just sayin'. We're all stuck in the same sinking ship, with the loonies in charge.
 
#19 ·
Mikekaz1 said:
I have re skyjacker 2" BB lift. Its a 4point coil spacer and shock replacement. There's two diff types of shocks available with it. Hydro 7000 and nitro 8000. There's about a $50 diff between the two final prices I believe. Depending on which one it's about $300 give or take
Thanks Mikekaz1. What shocks do you have? I've heard the nitro shocks made for a really rough ride. How long have you been running that lift?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top