Oh, Lord, what have I gotten myself into??
06-09-2016 | 07:43 AM
#12
JK Freak
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 538
Likes: 11
From: Huntington Beach, CA
Congrats!
Welcome to the awesome world of Jeeping!
Yes you can leave your Jeep stock and have amazing adventures and a ton of fun!! Just get out there and enjoy it. As you have discovered you have many options before you when deciding to make modifications. Many people will tell you just keep it stock for awhile and enjoy it but truth be told it is addicting and very fun to make it your own with some customization. You don't have to go crazy. There is plenty you can do over a couple of years that will make it stand out, improve it's performance, or increase your comfort and ease of use.
The biggest reason people will tell you to hold off on some of the big stuff is so that you can learn by experience what upgrades you may actually need. For me in a two door I found out very quickly that I needed a way to carry gear. So instead of a lift my first purchase was a roof rack. After a few more runs I found out that for the things I was interested in doing it didn't appear that I needed larger tires or a lift right away. So, I focused on a few other things instead. Now a few years after purchasing it I think it looks pretty damn good, is completely identifiably mine, and I built it slowly over time. Oh, and I still don't have a lift with no plans of one in the near future.......Or that's what I tell my wife anyway.
Yes you can leave your Jeep stock and have amazing adventures and a ton of fun!! Just get out there and enjoy it. As you have discovered you have many options before you when deciding to make modifications. Many people will tell you just keep it stock for awhile and enjoy it but truth be told it is addicting and very fun to make it your own with some customization. You don't have to go crazy. There is plenty you can do over a couple of years that will make it stand out, improve it's performance, or increase your comfort and ease of use.
The biggest reason people will tell you to hold off on some of the big stuff is so that you can learn by experience what upgrades you may actually need. For me in a two door I found out very quickly that I needed a way to carry gear. So instead of a lift my first purchase was a roof rack. After a few more runs I found out that for the things I was interested in doing it didn't appear that I needed larger tires or a lift right away. So, I focused on a few other things instead. Now a few years after purchasing it I think it looks pretty damn good, is completely identifiably mine, and I built it slowly over time. Oh, and I still don't have a lift with no plans of one in the near future.......Or that's what I tell my wife anyway.
06-09-2016 | 07:43 AM
#13
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
From: SW MO
Thanks for the information, Dirtman! A quick Google search yielded a web address...
Hot Springs ORV Park |
Looks like it's located in Hot Springs, AR. Sounds like a nice little day trip for my hottie and me!
Hot Springs ORV Park |
Looks like it's located in Hot Springs, AR. Sounds like a nice little day trip for my hottie and me!
07-13-2016 | 04:55 AM
#14
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
From: SW MO
Woo hoo! My JKU arrived and I was able to get it off-road before it was a week old! My dealer installed a 3.5" lift with 315/70/17 BFG AT tires as soon as it arrived off the truck so I'd be ready to go ASAP. After throwing a couple of accessories on it, Mrs. Tickbait and I went wheeling for the very first time at the Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch in Seymour, MO. Absolutely awesome. Of course, she wasn't too happy about a scratch here or there, but mainly they were in the factory plastic bumpers and fenders. Those will be changed out in the foreseeable future. Can't wait to go again!!
