I just out a deposit down on a '10 Sport 2dr with AT and AC.

Uses will be DD and moderate off-roading on days off consisting of mostly dirt, firetrails, mud, snow, and hills. Nothing extreme but definitely something to keep me entertained.

My question is how do I develop my rig to handle this without a lift? (Note: Spacers for leveling are OK in my book)

I will say I am planning on some rock sliders, off-road lights, skid plates/evap cover/diff cover, aftermarket shocks, and some interior stuff like mats, handles, seat covers, and mirror relocation. I am hoping 32" with AT will be good. Spacers if needed like Spidertrax.

Any thoughts are great. I have been using the idea of plan a build and build the plan. Money on Jeep = first step. WooHoo!

 

I no longer have a lift on mine but I do have a winch which I've used a few time because of being high centered. Long story short I go any place I want to go without much of a problem. They will surprise you in there stock form.

 

Good tires, lockers, good shocks, sway bar disconnects. Add some body protection and you will have a very capable rig.
Tom

 

I know this is going to sound really bad but the only off-roading i've done is quad riding. What exactly are the purpose of lockers and sway bar disconnects?

DXU

 

Fellow Western PA'in/Yinzer, CONGRATS on the down payment.

Your Jeep is very capable in stock form. Having said that let me share a little info. Tires tires tires. This is the most important choice. A good performing tire and some 4x4 experience can take you on the trail a LONG way.

If you can be patient I guarantee you can find a nice set of lightly used (AND I MEAN LIKE 1,000 miles lightly used factory Rubicon wheels and tires) Some people take these off right away to add bigger ones. They are 32" and IMO the best do everything off road tread made. (Sucks they only make this in the one size. ) They will fit on your Jeep with no lift or spacers needed. They drive on the street great and off road they are just incredible. (Again to the BFG gods...please make these in the other sizes)

Rock rails are a good idea and again if you are patient you could get a nice used set from a Rubicon. These rails are perfectly fine and functional.

Winch? NO. Not yet. You get what you pay for with a winch and until you really know that you need one this will save you from spending over a grand for a good winch and bumper you will need to have a winch.

Get a HI-lift jack. 48" . Get some recovery straps. (2) 2" x30 ft will be fine. You already have tow hooks front and back. Aside from the lifting function a Hi-lift can be used as a hand winch should the need arise. A small army type shovel is a good idea especially wheeling in snow. (The kind that folds up)

Lockers? No. Not until you are convinced you need them.

Skid plates? MAYBE. I would say at first no. If you find yourself on a trail and the terrain is saying to you I'm gonna hit the underside of your Jeep..... At that point turn around or go around, and then back at home order some skid plates.

Skid plates really is a tough one. This is really based on the trails you will run. You dont want to smash something and say boy I wish I plated that. On the same note you can get carried away with all the skid plates they offer now and add about 300lbs. to the underside of the Jeep that isn't really needed.

IMO, that is all you need to get you started off-roading.

Good luck

 

It always depends on what you do off road--how big for rocks, dips, how steep the hills. If you are doing small stuff, then you don't need much more than stock. Based on the list you have, looks like you will be doing a little more challenging stuff, or at least planning on it.

I think your list looks good. If you will be doing steep stuff, especially loose steep stuff, then lockers are important. Lockers make the wheels rotate together. Makes a big difference on steeps, slippery, etc. Slipping and getting sideways on a hill is bad juju.

I agree with the others that recovery gear is a must. A strap, at least a come-along, a winch if you have the $. Tow points.

 

You can do plenty of four wheeling without a lift kit, specially on JK with stock 32" tires and you won't have to deal with all of the additional mods required, maintain the warranty without hassles and experience higher reliability. There are also plenty of lifted JKs used as DDs. It all depends on your taste and needs.

A leveling kit is a very moderate lift kit, so if you install it you will be subject to some of the consequences of installing any lift kit, albeit in mild way.

Driving off road usually boils down to traction and clearance. The stock JK has pretty good clearance so focus on the traction. Your tires will impact your traction more than any other component followed by the differential (gearing and slip). If you don't want lift it, stick with the stock 32's but consider a wider tire with a more aggressive tread. You mention AT tires, but many of today's MTs provide much better traction off road with just a small compromise of road manners.

A winch, a high lift jack, a shovel and particularly driver skill can make your Jeep almost as effective as many of the built up rigs you encounter on the trail.

Other than changing the tires, drive it for a while and determine what additional mods you want.

 

Thanks for the help so far guys. Truly appreciated.

I live south of Pittsburgh in the Greensburg/Ligonier/Connellsville area, all of which have some amazing off-roading adventures including one or two parks. Most of my off-roading will be dirt, snow, trails, and my favorite, MUD!!! Rocks are rare and hills are just part of everyday life here, lol. JKAY, whenever I get my JK we should def go wheelin'.

Riptide, you asked about why no lift? Mostly budget reasons. Seeing as a BB of high quality is ~ 250 to 300 bucks and adding some extras to complete the setup like discos or control arms, shocks, etc will cost me a pretty penny, I find it financially impractical at this point. Plus I really am comfortable with the height of the JK already. I would much rather enhance the stock setup with some of the things mentioned before.

Regarding tires/wheels, I love the stocky stance so I will probably spend the money to get some 17 steel wheels and a wider tire (suggestions for stock if you have any would be great).

I will probably shell out the funds for at least a diff cover and evap cover along with some rock sliders and other little body armor pieces. Plus mirror relocation and cruise control along with interior goodies. Also daystar hood latches and the awesome new off-road lights that attach at that point as seen on 4wd.com May also shell out funds for the Bilstein shocks and maybe a spacer to level the front of the JK. Don't know if I can change coils out with better ones or stiffer ones without causing any problems.

Sorry for rambling just really excited!