I do like to be on rocks lol..





I learned that I like to keep it as close to stock as possible, while being prepared.

I will look into the canister mod, and get those Cs braced. Any particular kit you guys like? What about just some steel plates welded on the Cs?

Any other ideas, please share..

 

There are several threads about people fabbing their own gussets, but I don't recall seeing anyone just welding steel plate in. Lots of different options for buying gussets, some do the uppers only (since it is taller and the more likely of the two to bend), others do both upper and lower.

If you can weld, or have a buddy who can, you might go ahead and look into further upgrades. Artec and PureJeep make very well reviewed trusses. Rockslide Engineering has a great internal/external sleeve package. And as noted, there are various versions for c gussets.

Keep searching and reading and see what, if anything, makes sense for your wheeling needs.

 

+1 on aEVO Skid set.
It was one of the first things I did on my 13 JKR when I bought it.
Recovery is a close second for me.

 

You must buy at least one thing off eBay. No car is complete without an eBay mod.

 

Wheel it as hard as you can while stock. Find out where your rigs limits are and then mod accordingly. The JK is fully capable of doing way more than mild trails. Find a good spotter and you can get through moderate to hard trails with some effort.

 

Since you like playing on the rocks I would sell that ARB whiile it still looks new and get something that wont mess with your aproach angles as much.

Besides the 3" lift I think my favorite/most used mods are my home made sliders and trail table.

 

One of my favourite interior mods is the Rampage Products LED Wraparound Lights. Install them on the rollbar for waaaay more interior light and they're actually removable, takes like 5 seconds if you need a flashlight or to inspect something. The back of the light is actually magnetized as well - I've even used them as rock lights in a pinch! For $20 each they're sweet.

 

You don't need a lot of armor, nor do you need a lot of axle reinforcement. This is just precautionary.

I do think that the c gussets are a good investment though. However, I had already wheeled moab on 35's without these and never had a problem. In fact, the axles were completely stock. I only ended up adding the gussets when I jumped to 37's. Although the actual tire/wheel combo was lighter, I did it because the tire was taller, thus adding to the moment the c's see.

I did get an Artec truss because I got a great deal on it, but never got around to installing it before the Rubicon trip we just took, but then again, no problems there either.

The JK axles are strong, it's just all in how you wheel/prefer to wheel. I mean, Dynatrac just came out with pro-rock 80 axles, because the 60 wasn't large enough...

Now, on to armor. I like armor, and I get it, but here are my thoughts. The Rubicon comes with armor, and it can take a beating (mine is BEAT), but most of the times when you use armor, it's because you needed .5-1" of clearance and you just used it to slide over something. The other scenario is that you come off of something wrong and you end up dropping the frame on something, and then its the frame, and largely not armor that is stopping you.

Back to the extra clearance idea. I've seen far too many people who put 500-700lbs of armor on and now they scrape more than ever. And it's funny because it's usually followed by "Glad I got that armor". My thought process is that of, I wonder if you would've hit at all if your jeep was 500-700lbs lighter. That much weight can easily drop a vehicle by half an inch (if not more) and that may be all you need to clear the obstacle. IMO, armor often creates its own need.

You've got stock skids, keep them for now. You've got solid axles, keep them for now. You are familiar with jeeps so go wheel and find out what you really need. You'll find that the breakover is not nearly as good as what you're used to, but they are more stable. Give and take...

 

Good post. I would add a good set of rock rails to protect the sides.

There's always aluminum for skids

 

Of all the armor, bumpers, mods, etc that I've bought. This badboy has by far gotten the most use:

Vertically Driven Products 31500 - VDP Trash Can with Cup Holders for 07-10 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec