JL Rubicon, Fresh From Factory, Gets Thrashed By Punishing Trail
Here’s how much abuse your Rubicon can take, courtesy of Lite Brite.
Jeep enthusiast Brittany Williams, who goes by the YouTube handle Lite Brite, may be one of the first people in the world outside of the factory to damage a new JL Wrangler. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.
The Jeep in question, a 2018 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, was fitted with some pretty aggressive 38-inch tall tires in preparation for a trip to Holy Cross Trail in Colorado. It’s a trail legendary for being difficult, and we’re impressed that someone was brave enough to attempt it in their own brand new Jeep. Williams even attempted one of its most challenging obstacles, Cleveland Rock, a steep, slippery climb if there ever was one.
So what was the damage? Up front, the plastic bumper trim was damaged, but overall it fared pretty well save for some minor nicks and scratches. The 38-inch tall tires have no clearance issues, even with just a 2.5-inch spacer lift from Rough Country.
Along the side, the rock sliders did their job, and are covered in small dings and long scratches, but protected the body itself from any damage whatsoever. The back bumper — with the new-car temporary tag still in place — took the worst beating of any part of the jeep.
The bumper, simply put, is just trashed, bent and crumpled in ways few could imagine. It seems like an aftermarket fabricated steel bumper may soon be in the cards for this JL Rubicon Wrangler.
Underneath, rocks and obstacles had their way with any part not covered by a skid plate, including the resonator, muffler and tailpipe. The rear diff cover looks pretty bad, too, but Williams apparently has replacements on the way.
The skid plates did their job, but the transmission skid plate has already begun to crack. Overall, it seems that, despite the abuse, the JL Rubicon Wrangler took the beating well. With a few choice upgrades, we think this platform will prove to be unstoppable.
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