ChryslerChris

Hi all. As you can tell from my newbie status, I'm new to the forum and a new, proud owner of a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport (Detonator Yellow - yeah baby ).



I am still in the honeymooning stages of my ownership so I haven't hit any rock piles or mud pits... yet. But I bet by this time next year I'll be trying to find a nearby rough terrain spot or pond to climb through!

But on the other hand, I have a 60 mile round-trip commute to and from work each day which demands good MPG.

I have a nice, long and expensive wish list of things I want to do with my mean yellow beast - winch, offroad bumpers, 2 to 3 inch lift, 35 inchers, lights, racks, snorkel, and many others. My question is what is the best setup to offroad without too badly affecting MPG? My dash tells me I'm getting over 19 MPG in mixed driving right now, which I love, and I might entertain going down to 17 or even (ouch) 16 MPG. But any lower and I might have to lease myself a Fiat 500 just to be able to free up enough gas money to have lunch every day!

The top of my wish list are a snorkel, Warn winch, offroad bumpers and lifters/35 inch tires. Can I pull that off without going under 17 MPG?

Appreciate the help!

snowbilt

Congrats on the ride and welcome to the detonator crew. What model is your wrangler? Honestly I would wait on the snorkel unless you an on doing some deep water. If your going for the look, you could spend that money on other aesthetic mods that look really good. Be on the look out for people selling there rubi rails and Moab take offs. That would be a good start on the sport. You may even be able to pick up rubi springs and shocks on the cheap as well.

If your commuting, I would look at ways to make your ride more enjoyable while going topless. Spider shade would be the first 100 I would spend. Also search for "free mods" that should keep you busy for a while...

newbiejeeper

+1 on the spiderwebshade. Awesome mod. Best 100.00 I have spent so far. Oh and a Tuffy under the seat locking box.

ChryslerChris

Gotta love the Detonator Yellow! Thanks for the tips, guys! I never considered Spider Shades. I'll have to look into that.

I heard rumors that a snorkel acts like a CAI and can improve fuel economy. Is there any truth in that? And how big a tire can I use without a lift kit?

ChryslerChris

Mine's a good ol two-door

wvxlt

Evap skid. $100 buys a lot of peace of mind on trails, especially if you aren't going to lift it for a while. Also, jk forum stickers Best mod $10 can buy.

Merlin4979

I'm in a very similar situation with the daily commute (50+ mile daily round trip), and with your 2 door, you can easily get away with a Teraflex Leveling Kit, and up to a 34" tire. Here was mine with just that lift and a Toyo Open Country 295/70/17 tire



With the Sport model, you also have a chance to pick up a set of JK Unlimited Rubicon shocks and springs from someone else who might be lifting their jeep. That can gain you a little more lift as well. I'd also recommend picking up a Superchips Flashpaq to add a little more oomph to your engine.

Since that last pic, I've also added flat fenders to clear room for 35" tires eventually. And I'm still getting between 16-17 MPG with my 4.10 gears and Flashpaq.

ChryslerChris

This post made me very happy. That's the look I'm going for (add a snorkel)! There's hope yet!!!

Christine

Mine is a DD. I'm running 33" tires. I do off road SAR and go to the grocery store, so it's good for everything. I'm also running the Superchips Flashpaq. I get right about 17 mpg. I have since taken off the roof rack and replaced it with a cargo pod for wet weather.

Merlin4979

Glad to help! Yeah, if you plan on playing in the water or mud - the AEV snorkel should be up on your list.

Oh, also - you definitely need to look into extending your breather tubes. You can get this kit from River Raider:

h ttp://www.riverraider.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=38&product_id=82