[jliu]

Hello everyone,

I"m planning on buying a JKU rubicon in the next couple months.
I do not plan on taking it on any trails or on off road excusions.
This primarily is a extra vehicle that my son/wife can drive. We needed something that is rugged and can fit our tibetan mastiff as well as have peace of mind in case of any major natural disasters.

Would people mind giving some recommendations on Dealer Options that I must have and Dealer Options that I definitely should NOT get?

Also a list of modifications that people in general really like to do to this vehicle with my use case above.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[dalearyous]

"I do not plan on taking it on any trails or on off road excusions."

Then don't buy a Rubicon, get a fully loaded Sport or something and call it a day.

 

[panthermark]

"I do not plan on taking it on any trails or on off road excusions."

Then don't buy a Rubicon, get a fully loaded Sahara or something and call it a day.

^This times 1000000000000000000

 

[ratchettt]

"I do not plan on taking it on any trails or on off road excusions."

Then don't buy a Rubicon, get a fully loaded Sahara or something and call it a day.

x2

 

[scipio337]

^This times 1000000000000000000

times 1000000000000000000, plus 1.


"something that is rugged and can fit our tibetan mastiff as well as have peace of mind in case of any major natural disasters" ≠ Rubicon

As far as I know, a mastiff will fit just as well in a Sport.

 

[jliu]

Getting the sport or sahara was definitely a consideration but since price really isn't a major factor ... I might as well get the best there can be.

Also when I drove a sahara with the 3.21 I didn't like it in comparison to the 4.10 of the rubicon. Perhaps the 3.73 would have been better to test drive. I didn't really feel like the sahara drove any smoother than the rubicon and I don't really care about louder tire noise.

btw since the all the posts above this are about getting a sport ... are you all saying that in a natural disaster situation you would prefer a sport over a rubicon? From what I can tell this is just a cost vs value prop and in my case doesn't apply.

 

[basecamper]

If your dog sheds get leather and some rubber liners, I have Weathertechs, it will be much easier to keep clean. Also know that the carpet in the Wrangler is a hair magnet its a real PITA to remove hair from. I have two huskies

 

[jliu]

thanks basecamper ... thats the type of advice I"m looking for.

I am planning on getting leather just for that reason. The tibetan mastiff sheds like crazy for several months and I don't want to get all that hair out of cloth.

I'll definitely get some rubber liners. Do you have some type of seat covering for the rear seats?

 

[panthermark]

Getting the sport or sahara was definitely a consideration but since price really isn't a major factor ... I might as well get the best there can be.

Also when I drove a sahara with the 3.21 I didn't like it in comparison to the 4.10 of the rubicon. Perhaps the 3.73 would have been better to test drive. I didn't really feel like the sahara drove any smoother than the rubicon and I don't really care about louder tire noise.

It isn't just about cost. There are features on the Sport and Sahara that are better suited for daily driving. (Better on road tires and the option for limited slip instead of lockers).

Have you considered a Grand Cherokee? Those are really nice, are fairly capable, and would probably be a bit more comfortable for your dog. With the rear seat folded down (on a Wrangler), there is a gap between the rear seat and the rear cargo area that can be dangerous to paws (unless you put something there). I thought hard about one of those (a Grand Cherokee), and it would probably suit my needs better...but the top does not drop.

With that said, if you are intent on a Rubi JKU and cost is no concern.

Get 4.10's

 

[SBL]

If money is no object I would choose a rubicon over a sahara for one simple fact.
I do not like body color wheel flares.

 

[jliu]

Thanks panthermark.

I'm not concerned on tires ... I can always replace those. Could you please explain why having a limited slip vs lockers is better for daily driving?

Regarding Grand Cherokee I did consider that but like you said you can't go open top and just seems to me that the Wrangler is cooler ... : )

To be honest, I was expecting to not like the wrangler before the test drive but I was surprised by how comfortable it was. The pentastar motor seems to have a decent enough pick up and the handling was ok.

 

[panthermark]

Thanks panthermark.

I'm not concerned on tires ... I can always replace those. Could you please explain why having a limited slip vs lockers is better for daily driving?

Regarding Grand Cherokee I did consider that but like you said you can't go open top and just seems to me that the Wrangler is cooler ... : )

To be honest, I was expecting to not like the wrangler before the test drive but I was surprised by how comfortable it was. The pentastar motor seems to have a decent enough pick up and the handling was ok.

Do you know the mechanics of an open differential? (If not, you will be treated to an old shool youtube video from the 1930's that is awesome at explaining it). I can't get to it from work, but I'm sure someone can post it. Outside of the long intro..it is a really good video.

Rubicons come with "all or nothing" lockers.

Lockers "lock" both wheels on the same axle together...so both wheels rotate at the same speed no matter what. This is awesome for off-roading, or driving in conditions with near zero traction (deep snow, heavy mud, ect..), but useless for driving on pavement because in order for a vehicle to turn a corner, the wheels must be able to rotate and different speeds. (Which is why Lockers are set up to only be used in 4 lo). Unless you are pulling a stump out of the ground or something...never use your lockers on dry pavement....especially if you will do any turning. With lockers both wheels get equal power no matter what...even if one wheel is off the ground. (Again, this is awesome for crawling over rocks where you might only be on two wheels).

Limited slip falls somewhere between an open diff and lockers. The Wrangler version of limited slip is pretty "meh", but what limited slip does is allow both wheels on the same axle to rotate at different speeds, while still applying some power to the wheel that is turning slower.

Open diff - Wheel that is turning the fastest gets the power. (This explains why only one wheel spins when you are on ice).
Limited slip - Some power is transfered to the slower spinning wheel
Lockers - Wheels are locked together, so equal power is applied no matter what.

However, all Wrangler come with BLD (Brake Lock Differential), which tries to simulate limited slip. And if you are in Cali, you may not need limited slip as much as us unfortunate souls that have to live through Chicago winters.

 

[jliu]

yes I'm familiar with open diff and limited ... just not familiar with locking.

So the negative for the rubicon on normal street driving is that under cornering you have less traction that say a sahara with limited slip.

BTW congrats on your new vehicle ... looks like you just got it delivered today! : )

 

[panthermark]

yes I'm familiar with open diff and limited ... just not familiar with locking.

So the negative for the rubicon on normal street driving is that under cornering you have less traction that say a sahara with limited slip.

BTW congrats on your new vehicle ... looks like you just got it delivered today! : )

Correct...but on dry pavement, it may not matter so much. A lot of people buy Wranglers and don't bother with the factory limited slip because it is pretty blah. But in general, limited slip is better than no limited slip for daily driving if you will be dealing with rain, light snow, patchy ice, ect. When this current version of the Wrangler came out, the Rubicons were given lockers only. So you are either locked, or open diff. The previous version of the Wrangler Rubicon had lockers which included limited slip....the best of both worlds.

Oh and thanks...it showed up today, but I can't get it until Thursday.

 

[dalearyous]

if money is no option, and you want the best, and can stand the decals and interior, just buy a call of duty edition one and call it a day.

 

[jliu]

chuckle I can't stand the the gaming decals etc. Not to mention I don't want to get a 2012 and find out I have one of those crappy heads.

 

[MTH]

If you're buying a Rubicon, you're buying the most capable offroad vehicle ever commercially produced in the United States. You don't need to do anything as you'll already be well beyond the capabilities of typical vehicles (except for mpgs) that would help you out of hazardous terrain.

That said--as you may already know--these are Wranglers and the aftermarket options are endless.

So if you want to add disaster type stuff, I'd look to make it an "expedition equipped" vehicle. Front and rear steel bumpers that can hold things like a winch up front and extra fuel cells in the rear. A sturdy roof rack for carrying additional provisions. If you expect substantial water crossings, extend your differential breathers and maybe add a snorkel. Install one or more of the various steel bolt-in lockboxs for safekeeping of valuables. Install a discreetly hidden fuel pump kill switch so it's more or less impossible to hotwire. Steel skid plates. Install a good CB radio and antenna. Gather together a good set of all the typical roadside repair stuff you could need--fuses, coolant, some oil, fix-a-flat, etc. as well as basic survival provisions and keep it in a large duffle or two that you can readily toss in the back.

How's that?

 

[Jeeperz Creeperz]

My 2 cents:

I was going to purchase a Rubicon Unlimited just to have all the features, just in case. After reading up on the features, I realized I would never use the "lockers" feature because they would only be used in 4 low below 8mph (I think).

I am not going to ever rock crawl and couldn't justify buying something I wouldn't use. I went Sahara instead and couldn't be happier.

The Sahara happened only because there were no sports or other models that had all the feautures I wanted in a 600 mile radius.

As far as capablity, even a base Wrangler will get you where you want based upon your description of usage.

 

[jliu]

awesome mike.

Thanks for the advice. Any particular model and manufacturer that you recommend for the modifications you mentioned?

 

[paleh0rse]

if money is no option, and you want the best, and can stand the decals and interior, just buy a call of duty edition one and call it a day.

Better yet, order one of the JKUR packages from AEV (where they take delivery of your Jeep and then install all their mods before you ever see it) so that you don't have to deal with all of the ugly CoD decals and accents...