Again, thanks guys for all input.

My tires and rims are stock right now. But like I said, I will be looking to change out items on the undercarriage/tires next. I am just doing the bumpers/ winch/ rack/ viair first. The winch is equipped with synthetic rope.

Again, I am in SoCal so mostly I will be in desert with some high elevation "alpine" type environment to ride. I like camping and hiking and getting away from dense populations- hence the jeep.

Oh, also, I am a chick- so yes I really do need all the help I can get from you guys on this forum- I admit it! If I apply myself I can understand this stuff, I just need some guidance.

Rack maxs out at 300lbs but I won't be cramming that much on as I like it fast and light. With a 90lb gsd aboard, my interior is all about securing/catering to him.

I am also open to suggestions on lifts and tires for my next step. Also, should I get a dual battery set up? Baja lights?

Thanks!

 

The stock non-Rubicon suspension in the JK (X, Sport, Sahara, 2 door AND Unlimited) is pretty soft and tuned for the road. You're adding 3 large people worth of weight to the car, before actually adding any people or additional gear. Especially with a heavy roof rack and gear packed on up there, your Jeep is going to become a bit unwieldily on road, and an absolute mess off-road. The soft shocks and springs with additional weight will cause the vehicle to pitch into corners with heavy body roll. Braking performance will be slightly reduced, and you'll probably notice a lot more nose-dive which is counter-productive to braking performance. Off-road, you're more likely to scrape and get hung up, and over rough terrain the whole thing will just be kind of a sloppy mess. We're just talking about the suspension, and we haven't even gotten to tires yet. Your Sahara probably has the 18" wheels with Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires. These are good tires, but technically they're a passenger car tire tuned for mileage and ride. You've added an additional 600lbs before any additional gear, and while you probably haven't exceeded the load index yet for your tires, it's generally advisable to run a beefed up LT (light truck) tire with a D load rating to safeguard against the heavier loads, and also ensure off road durability and safety. LT tires are generally more resistant to punctures and sidewall damage, which is very likely if you wheel in rocky terrain. If you're doing a lot of desert work, a beefier tread more in a mud or snow (or specifically for sand) pattern might do better. Depending on appearance and need, check out tires somewhere in the 33" to 35" range. The larger the tire, the worse your mileage gets, and the harder your gearing has to work against them. If you run a large tire, the Jeep will be sluggish around town and at speed on the highway.

So after you add your mods listed above, your JK might start to handle and feel slightly like a tour bus. This is where you might want to start thinking about a lift, but it's all relative to how much you'll really use the vehicle off road, and for what purposes. Small lifts really do a lot for a JK (2.5" or so), and the key is to go with a suspension lift (not a spacer lift), so that you're replacing the springs and shocks with stiffer versions designed to suspend heavier loads and also dampen them. There's a zillion great choices for lifts; do a search and see what people have to say. A lift and tires go hand-in-hand. Basically, your JK is wearing a pair of running shoes, when it should really be wearing boots, for where you plan to take it, if that makes sense, and you need to beef up the legs (suspension) to carry a lot of weight over rough terrain.

My guess is you don't need to/ aren't ready to reinforce the front axle. You're not carrying that heavy of a load yet, and it doesn't sound like you're doing a whole lot of extreme wheeling. That said, you are running a little heavier, but just make sure you're exercising good driving technique when crawling off road, being mindful of not binding up the axles, wheel hop, etc.

With regards to lighting, you probably don't need a dual battery setup if you plan to do a set or two of aftermarket lights, especially if you go LED versus a halogen or HID lamp. You may want to consider upgrading the stock battery (high CCA like an Optima or equivalent, there are a few good ones out there) if you plan to put in a winch. Consider a dual battery setup if you wheel in exceptionally remote places, are running multiple sets of high amperage lights and/or accessories, plan to have your own on-board welding setup, etc Consider replacing the stock headlamps as they truly are terrible. Simply replacing them with an LED lamp like Trucklites offers, can really solve a lot of lighting needs. There's endless aftermarket lamp configurations and products... my favorite vendors are Northridge and Quadratec. Swing by their websites and check out what they've got. If you're not a "wire it yourself" gal but can do basic stuff, adding an sPod controller with switches will simplify the electrical engineering needed to run aftermarket lighting. If it's just a single pair, or even two, wiring can be done without an sPod (and more, if you're talented), but if you're lazy like me and don't want to design an auxiliary wiring system, the sPod is a plug-and-play option and quite expensive, I might add.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck and post up more questions as they come!

 

I wouldn't worry too much maybe try and find lighter bumpers but KEEP your weight low....I see it all the time people loading weight too high then having fun on the rocks or off camber...
Definently beef the front axle up that has to do with thin tubes and c's bend...

Sleeves or truss, c-gussets, control arm skids, raise rear shock mounts and add skids....

That is just prudent planning given those areas and lack of heft or protection.....

These things are heavy to begin with.


I would NOT worry about underside skids just add oil pan skid and use stock stuff.....after it takes a massive beating which it will just cine then upgrade or replace....aftermarket is HEAVY and the aluminum is costly where stock works fine...

I wheel some NASTY stuff...and don't back off stuff, anyone that wheels with me knows I don't like spotters, stacking rocks or winching and don't really fear a line.....winching is a last resort.....
Keep the weight down as stated above stock suspension will wander with more weight so heavier springs may be an option....

Weight doesn't kill the axles up front, hard hits and load from wheeling....so I'd look to be ahead of the possible damage there...

 

Thanks JK_Sea and BRUT4CE. Wow, really great info.

I will get an spod and go for the optima for sure.

So it looks like there are two camps pretty much in jeep mods- rock crawlers and expedition types. I am more for the expedition set-up.

BUMPERS- in California, do I have to have the full bumpers by law?

What are the pros and cons of full to mid to stubby bumpers?

Am I shooting myself in the foot by going with full front and rear hard rock bumpers?

What companies would you recommend in SoCal for mods?

Why don't websites list weights of components?

Thank you in advance!

 

Yes.....shooting yourself in the foot with full rock hard bumpers. That's a hella lotta weight and would be detrimental. Aluminum bumpers sound to be more your speed with keeping an eye on weight. My rear weighs in at 20lbs.

 

Honestly, I would go with a Teraflex HD tire carrier, and forgo a rear bumper.. Maybe even just go the route of the EVO rear d-ring mounts. With a larger rear tire, it would save a LOT of weight, and add that much more departure clearance. As for the full width front bumper.. I would go with a stubby instead.. A bumper will stop forward movement every time up again an obstacle.. An unobstructed tire will, possibly, go over it. Plus the more aggressive look is pretty awesome. The winch.. Ehhh.. I've got no experience with that, but I would say move up a peg on that, and go with at least a 9k winch. I got the RECON 10.5k and I'm loving it 2 years later. Beyond that, I'd just say to move away from the stock suspension as quickly as possible.. It's great for a stock rig.. but as soon as even the most tame of upgrades are added, I see it begin to suffer.. alot. I'd say go with a 2-4 inch lift, some of winch perform quite admirably for very little. My $500 Rough Country lift did the trick, and for expedition type stuff.. Is great. Plus as it isn't too expensive, it allows for more money later down the road if you want to upgrade to a more substantial shock/coil setup later. Like I did when I upgraded to the EVO plush ride coils.

Now, as for axle armor(and an oil pan skid)... GET IT. I was told by several people that I wouldn't need anything, and somewhere, somehow, I managed to put a minor bend in my stock d30. So slight it wasn't noticable, but the eventual effects.. Not fun. It destroyed my ball joints quickly, as well as destroyed my tires about 5k earlier than I projected them needing replacement. I upgraded to a d44 instead of repairing the damage, which worked in my favor, as the BULLETPROOF axle that was built for me by BRUT4CE, has so far been absolutely amazing. I definitely recommend a truss, c-gussets, and lower control arm skids. Not necessary mind you.. But it's much better than a bent axle, wrecked tires, ball joints, etc. Personal knowledge in this sucks, lol.

The only other things I can recommend to start off with is 1, getting a chromoly tie rod( the stock one bends infront of ant hills. Practically.) 2, getting the JKS Steering Gearbox Brace. The stock box is notoriously weak, and if it breaks, it will probably take out your clockspring as well. Once again, personal knowledge. Best to avoid all of that as well.. Cuz that's a 2kish+ repair. And 3, to get some rock sliders, preferably weld on(to avoid bolt on woes). Nothing hits the ego worse than avoidable body damage from a momentary lapse of attention or foresight. This recommendation isn't really necessary for expedition type stuff.. but if you ever decide to play in the rocks.. piece of mind is amazing.

Outside of these.. Experience itself will be the best guide as to what you need, or don't.

Beyond that, it's FANTASTIC that you asked first! I know alot of people who haven't.. and spent alot more because of it.

 

You could go stubby in front and bumperless in rear. I'm running Warn stubby and EVO shackles in rear. I also have Engo winch. I am thinking about Diehard opposed to Optima. Have read some bad feedback that they are not what they use to be. As for lift. I run higher rate of coils from 4 door 18/59's. Rubi shocks helped with ride as well. Depending on your numbers on springs. You could also add a spacer too. I also am running the TF leveling puck kit. Very happy with my choices so far.