sanjosebass

Hey Everyone, I'm going to be spending some serious money on mods these next two weeks and I'm reaching out to you for some guidance. If you own one of the mods mentioned below I'd love to hear from you....

My Jeep: 2008 Rubicon Unlimited - Automatic with Hard Top

Let me start out by saying I don't plan on wheeling all that often. The main reason why I bought my Jeep because it fits my lifestyle (fishing, camping, mountain biking, etc..) and my kids ABSOLUTELY love the idea of cruising around without the top. I also bought it because 4WD is a requirement (family cabin in South Lake Tahoe) and I needed a vehicle that could tow my boat (1800 LBS). My Jeep is my DD and while I think it looks great stock I'd like to personalize it a bit.

Now that you know how I plan on using my Jeep I sure would appreciate some input.....

Here's what I plan on purchasing over the next two weeks:

1. 2.5" Teraflex Lift with Adapters (Purchased)
2. 17" XD Addicts (Purchased)
3. 315/70/17 GY Duratracs
4. Rock Krawler LCA's and Trackbar
5. Garvin Roof Rack (Like how it "sits" low - and I need to put our Labrador in the back on road trips)
6. RIPP Headers with Diablo Tune
7. AEM Brute Force Intake
8. Magnaflow Resonator and Cat Back Exhaust
9. MyGig Lockpick
10. LOD Front and Rear Bumpers
11. 5.13 Gears (for obvious reasons - automatic)

If you think I should change or add something based on your experience feel free to let me know. This forum has been a great place for me to learn about my JK, which is a lot different than the 1975 CJ5 I owned while in high school. ;-)

Thanks to everyone for answering my PM's and questions (Northridge 4X4 and RIPP), you guys ROCK!

nthinuf

I would add a programmer/tuner to your list, and you might consider 5.38's instead of the 5.13's. Doesn't sound like pinion size will be an issue for you, so double check the rpm chart and see what you think.

sanjosebass

Forgot to mention that I plan on going with the programmer from RIPP. They have a headers/programmer combo that I was planning on buying.

robsjeep9

Curious what brand of gears are you going with?? Wow a few mods??? Lol
Looks like you're doing ok there.
How about some decals personalized ones.... Or some Dirtydog cargo area netting?

LaRose

I'm still a bit of a newbie, but Rock Krawler makes great equipment. So you can feel confident there!

Battlefrog

I'm not sure I'd even go with 5.13's if you don't plan on serious wheeling or crawling. Not getting on the above post for mentioning 5.38's, but it would seem like an overkill. Even 4.88 would be plenty for what he plans on doing with the rig... Just a thought.... As for rest of the list, sounds like it's well thought out...

MikeyB

I think you have a good idea and setup but I would suggest holding off on gears until you have driven it a bit. I also have an auto rubicon and with OD off it drives just fine. I DD mine with 35s and take multiple 400+ mile trips.

Itll save you a good amount of money and you might find it isnt bad at all

wazooz2424

id ditch the exhaust and headers you wont see much gain for the money. in place of that, check out Safari Straps cargo net. it will help keep the Lab in. and people seem to like the superchips for programmers. also, you may not need LCA's. if you do, look at the TF ones.

Battlefrog

X2 on the exhaust... I have friends who've changed out exhaust only to go back with original setup. The programer will come in place as well, being that you will still be running the factory settings....

sanjosebass

Wow! This is sort of getting interesting. I thought gears would be a great addition, and I was actually looking forward to is based on what I've read here on the forum.

It's my understanding that the gears would help me stay in OD while cruising up highway inclines (not all inclines of course), especially with 35's. The feeling I have after driving it for 10K miles is that it's somewhat "undergeared" for even the stock Rubicon tires. At the slightest incline the amount of shifting seems un-necessary and I'm sure it's hurting my MPG's a bit.

Keep in mind that I know it's a Jeep, and I'm not looking for a Ferrari by any means. I'm just looking to add a little UMPH and it was my impression the gears would do just that. I also thought it would help with the MPG's since it wouldn't be shifting in and out od OD so much.

Thanks again for the help!