Jeep JL Wrangler Goes from ‘Meh’ to Marvelous on a Budget
Got a new Jeep JL and want to give it the full custom treatment but don’t have much to spend? Here’s a road map for success.
There’s no denying the awesomeness that is the brand new Jeep JL Wrangler. Jeep managed to retain the Wrangler’s legendary off-road capability while also adding quite a few new creature comforts in what is essentially a no-compromise vehicle. There’s just one problem, of course. Wranglers aren’t exactly cheap these days, so you might not have a lot of coin left over to modify you shiny new ride. But thanks to Extreme Terrain, you don’t need to break the bank to totally transform your JL.
In fact, they even put together this cool and informative video to demonstrate exactly what’s possible on a budget. And all it took was a little bit clever shopping and choosing the right combination of parts. That starts, of course, with a suspension lift. In this case, Extreme Terrain went with an affordable yet formidable Mopar 2-inch lift kit with Fox shocks. You could certainly opt to go with cheaper shocks, but there are lots of benefits associated with this extra cost. “They’re a big step up from those factory twin tubes as far as performance goes,” Extreme Terrain points out. “But it’s not over the top as far as a reservoir or a piggy back shock would be.”
The lift also makes room for a set of larger wheels and tires. In this case, Extreme Terrain went with a set of 17×9-inch Mammoth D Window Black Steel wheels wrapped in 285/70R17 Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. “The tire size is perfect for our application,” Extreme Terrain notes. “It’s very functional for what we need it for and it also looks very aggressive.”
That wheel and tire choice is also very affordable, which leaves money for some extra mods. In this case, that means lots of functional armor. Out back, ET goes with the Barricade Extreme HD rear bumper, which features D-ring mounts and a built-in hitch. On the side, a Mopar fuel door is a nice visual upgrade over the exposed stock unit. Mopar door sill guards offer up a little protection on the inside, while a set of Redrock Side Armor step pads keep rocks from smashing up your Jeep from the bottom.
One of the biggest visual and practical upgrades takes place with the addition of a Redrock stubby front bumper, however. Not only does the stinger look awesome, the bumper also comes standard with extra lighting and a pair of tow hooks. But in case that isn’t enough light (is it ever?), ET also added a set of 3-inch Raxiom square LEDs mounted on Mopar A-pillar brackets. On the inside, a Mopar Auxiliary light switch bank controls all of the bright stuff.
Capping off our budget Jeep build, literally, is a Bestop Trektop soft top finished in Black Diamond. Flexible, easy to remove, and quite stylish looking, this top offers up numerous upgrades over the stock hard top. Even better, it also packs a built-in sunrider feature that makes folding back the front section as simple as unhinging a pair of latches and pushing it back.
Overall, this Jeep JL build offers up plenty of added capability coupled with great looks for a small outlay of cash. “Our main goal was to find functional parts that worked very well together, not only aesthetically but could also provide us some performance,” Extreme Terrain says. “What we really like about the build though, is that it’s affordable and in reach of any JL owner who wants a mild build for their Wrangler.”
All together, this combination of parts will only set you back around $5,300, which is pretty amazing considering how comprehensive it is. And as always, you can tailor your build to your own particular budget and taste. And there’s no better place to do that than over at Extreme Terrain!
Join the JK-Forums now!
