jk.bushwacker

well I feel a lil torn on this subject... yes I understand that finding good quality products these days can be tuff but they are out there. taking a no frills approach to building up your dream jeep might have been a better route to go. but I also know that if you own a jeep and really use it off road you will be repainting/repairing lots of stuff eventually. (unless you buy a new one ever so often) the bottom line is if your not willing to do the work to maintain your jeep this sports probably not for you. you cant really expect to buy anything (esp these days) that will last forever. yes there are poor manufacturing designs and poor quality products out there but if your into this sport you will need to pick up a wrench and splash some paint around once in a while. I do not feel that more expensive items would have been better for you, maybe just next time only get what you will really use/need. most of my mods are low end and I do have some maint with them but that's part of the deal, you cant expect to do this thing without getting your hands dirty.

Whiskey Bravo

Thanks Navin.

And yeah, mountain guy, take your time. No mod is better than "any" mod.

I like taking a wrench to my jeep as much as the next guy, by the by, and i did all the installs myself (except suspension), and honestly the mechanical hobby was half the reason for each buy. Nothing i loved more this past year than spending a day outside, rain or shine, with a Stella by my side and a shoddy instruction booklet somewhere under my toolbox. Those were awesome moments of peace and quiet in my mind.

It's the lack or respect for us that the manufacturers have for us that i'm gripping about. Not getting dirty maintaining the jeep! That's the fun part! (Yes, me and the rattle-can are very well acquainted

jk.bushwacker

well sounds like you have what it takes to keep the dream alive. what kind of respect are you looking for from these manufactures? I mean they sell you a aftermarket product that will never be as well engineered as an OEM part. some guy makes a bumper in his basement, so what if the hardware is crap and the paint flakes off, you saved a couple of hundred dollars right? roll up your sleeves, go to the hardware store spend $8 on some grade 8 sh!t and grab some paint while your there. youre gonna pull the part off anyways to replace the hardware might as well spay on a few coats. Whenever I get a new part in I always evaluate the hardware and upgrade if necessary and always paint it before it goes on the jeep. just part of the fun for me and keeps it looking good. as you know, its really not that much work and considering these are your only major complaints, I don't want anyone else to get as frustrated as you and shit can their dream jeep and all that $$ down the drain over something that would take $20 and a lil time to fix. just don't give up on it yet bro!

SBEII

I think you got unlucky with the warn winch. You see very few complaints on them. If you'd have researched the soft doors more, you'd see that they're FAR from perfect. I'm in a love/hate relationship with a set myself. I know your bumper/carrier was expensive but its not when compared with some options. I've seen countless people rush out and buy low end bumpers and such because they could get more mods for a certain amount of money, only to turn around in 2 years to buy what they really wanted in the first place.

mister ed

Sounds like if the problems arose as soon as they did you could have had it warrantied out. And you aren't exactly spending top dollar if you buy smittybilt. Like everyone said...a little planning could have saved a lot of head ache...especially knowing the driving conditions where you live. A little insight and common sense...but just my opinion.


Sent from my thingy.

JeepersKreepers

I somewhat feel the same... I had stopped modding for close to a year... until I gave in last week purchased bushwacker flat fenders, Rigid Dually Spots, and Rigid D2's...

I was doing so good at getting my finances in order up until then

Half of the mods I have purchased I RARELY use

Owning a Jeep is hard

Whiskey Bravo

...i didn't realize i had to spend more than 160$ on a jack for it to last one day...

Or more than 1.3k on a bumper. Cmon guys, i know it's not the 2k AEV one, but you'd expect a decent product anyhow. I wasn't in it for perfection, otherwise i would have spent 2k. But at 1.3 i think it is reasonable to expect a latch that stays closed and a system that does hold its own weight and does not hurt the other parts of my vehicle.

Sheesh. Common sense = "ok i'll buy the no-frills model thats mid-price to get a decent product". Not "ok i'll break the bank on a piece of steel so that i'm not a menace to other drivers." I could have bought the 800$ nameless piece of trash and deserved it. But this?

I love this mentality among jeepers that the problem is the guy that didn't try hard enough, not the product that failed him in seven different ways. Goes to maintain the perfect marketing storm these companies use to prop themselves up.

It's like the famous "If you wanted to save on gas, you should have bought a Prius" that somehow became the smartest thing someone can think of when a conscientious jeeper asks "how can i make this beast less thirsty."

I agree i was unlucky with some things, like the warn winch.

Maybe my biggest problem is i never found a decent shop in all of the province of Quebec. Up here they are either incompetent in service, or rob you blind while pushing you best-margin products over quality ones. A good community would have gone a long way for me.

Whiskey Bravo

I hear ya bud, i'll probably crack in a year too, and ironically for bushwackers as well!

Jonathan_JK

Unfortunately mother nature always finds a way to break down metals. Best thing you can do try to do preventive maintenance on your Jeep and Corrosion control. We have multi million dollar aircrafts that have to go through a Phase period where they are broken down cleaned looked over, parts are replaced due to corrosion and the number of flight hours. A Jeep is not going to be impervious to mother natures wrath.

Anyone knows if water can get in corrosion is going to happen. There is also corrosion called dissimilar metal corrosion.. This is where two different metals are making contact. i.e. Aluminum and steel. Unfortunately there is no way to stop corrosion, all you can do is try battle it by doing Preventive maintenance.

My Jeep is not my daily driver Garaged Kept, not driven in the rain unless I get caught in it, and I'v been under it with a wire brush and some cleaner protectant lubricant a few times in the past 9 months I'v owned it....

....And the Jeep still has Rust!!! I also live in the south so we don't have salted roads. Rust is a part of life the sooner you realize this the sooner you can start busting that rust and stop ranting about it.

P1Rh0

I don't think that is the mentality at all. We all know that manufactures cut corners on somethings (like the bolts they throw in) so we go out and better quality bolts or nuts or whatever to replace the ones that came in the box. I have had my share of going back and replacing cheap made parts because I took my own shortcuts, lesson learned. There isn't a product out there that is perfect, you just have to find the one that is made the best and learn how to maintain it.