Off Roading
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 348
Likes: 3
From: Boise, Idaho
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: CA, san clemente
Armor armor armor! From all the mods I've done I should of started with armoring the fenders, quarters and pinch seems(rock sliders). If I could do it over again it would start there. Going through trails and coming out with body damage can be costly if you want your body lines right again.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 391
Likes: 0
From: West Bloomfield, Murder Mitten
Armor armor armor! From all the mods I've done I should of started with armoring the fenders, quarters and pinch seems(rock sliders). If I could do it over again it would start there. Going through trails and coming out with body damage can be costly if you want your body lines right again.
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JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 401
Likes: 1
From: location location location
FWIW I go on extended trips that encounter lots of mud and water for weeks at a time and never wash the jeep till we get home. sometimes days after (too lazy) hasn't broken a thing yet and we do it a lot. 
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: Reston, VA
Someone already mentioned it, but worth mentioning again...take it out stock and see what it can and can not do based on what types and difficulty of trails you're into.
The wife and I took her stock 13 JKUR out at Rausch Creek for the Topless For Tatas event and we made it through all the blues and some blue/blacks with the big boys running lifts and 35's+ in our group. After going through it, we inspected the Jeep - lots of scratches on the skid plates, diff covers, frame rails and wheels. That shows just how tough the Jeep is stock. After looking at the scratches on the wheels and in general, we understand why people run larger and wider tires for higher clearance and more rim protection.
But don't scratches add character anyway?!
The wife and I took her stock 13 JKUR out at Rausch Creek for the Topless For Tatas event and we made it through all the blues and some blue/blacks with the big boys running lifts and 35's+ in our group. After going through it, we inspected the Jeep - lots of scratches on the skid plates, diff covers, frame rails and wheels. That shows just how tough the Jeep is stock. After looking at the scratches on the wheels and in general, we understand why people run larger and wider tires for higher clearance and more rim protection.
But don't scratches add character anyway?!
JK Newbie
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 46
Likes: 1
From: California
Someone already mentioned it, but worth mentioning again...take it out stock and see what it can and can not do based on what types and difficulty of trails you're into.
The wife and I took her stock 13 JKUR out at Rausch Creek for the Topless For Tatas event and we made it through all the blues and some blue/blacks with the big boys running lifts and 35's+ in our group. After going through it, we inspected the Jeep - lots of scratches on the skid plates, diff covers, frame rails and wheels. That shows just how tough the Jeep is stock. After looking at the scratches on the wheels and in general, we understand why people run larger and wider tires for higher clearance and more rim protection.
But don't scratches add character anyway?!
The wife and I took her stock 13 JKUR out at Rausch Creek for the Topless For Tatas event and we made it through all the blues and some blue/blacks with the big boys running lifts and 35's+ in our group. After going through it, we inspected the Jeep - lots of scratches on the skid plates, diff covers, frame rails and wheels. That shows just how tough the Jeep is stock. After looking at the scratches on the wheels and in general, we understand why people run larger and wider tires for higher clearance and more rim protection.
But don't scratches add character anyway?!
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Cleaning mud that is caked on suspension parts, brake calipers, etc. just helps to prevent premature wear. I've been on camping trips where it wasn't practical to wash off immediately but it's still good practice to clean the underbody if you go mudding whenever you have a chance.
Same for me when I go beach driving. I don't want sand and salt spray to accelerate the rusting process. The jeep gets a good drenching after returning from the beach.
Last edited by brighton; Aug 13, 2013 at 08:40 AM.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,208
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Someone already mentioned it, but worth mentioning again...take it out stock and see what it can and can not do based on what types and difficulty of trails you're into.
The wife and I took her stock 13 JKUR out at Rausch Creek for the Topless For Tatas event and we made it through all the blues and some blue/blacks with the big boys running lifts and 35's+ in our group. After going through it, we inspected the Jeep - lots of scratches on the skid plates, diff covers, frame rails and wheels. That shows just how tough the Jeep is stock. After looking at the scratches on the wheels and in general, we understand why people run larger and wider tires for higher clearance and more rim protection.
But don't scratches add character anyway?!
The wife and I took her stock 13 JKUR out at Rausch Creek for the Topless For Tatas event and we made it through all the blues and some blue/blacks with the big boys running lifts and 35's+ in our group. After going through it, we inspected the Jeep - lots of scratches on the skid plates, diff covers, frame rails and wheels. That shows just how tough the Jeep is stock. After looking at the scratches on the wheels and in general, we understand why people run larger and wider tires for higher clearance and more rim protection.
But don't scratches add character anyway?!
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Clermont, fl
I was at T4T too and had the same experience! I ended up ordering the EVO Protek Skid System from Northridge 4x4 yesterday! Already had the EVO C2 Gussets and EVO Control Arm Skids installed before the event. Great tip to share though, I completely agree with armoring up the Jeep before beating it up off road!