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New Member Mike 54 years old from Spokane WA I bought a Jeep and set a new goal for 2023. I've never posted so this is third attempt, and I am writing this in Moab UT on a trial run for Jeep Safari 2023 my life goal for next year. I am very committed to my goals. I have a shop and a lift, I've been playing with cars my entire life. Not a pro, just a hobbyist. I got a chance to hike in Moab and caught the Jeep bug badly a few years ago, and when the chance to get this one came up from Kim C I had to have it. 2015 low miles and pretty, as new. It had Smittybilt Atlas bumpers and Kumho tires 33" x 12.5 x 18 and Fuel wheels, steps and some kind of lift.
My wife fell in love and it's her summer ride, I bought it and drove it home and she took it. This was mid summer 2022 end of June. Then I started buying stuff like a drunken sailor, or a kid with a new job and a credit card. I have not driven the Jeep at this point and had scheduled this trip to Moab to figure out what Jeep Safari was going to take and what to expect to make that happen because that is my Life Goal for 2023. I'm in Moab right now everything else will be posted as a thread off of this start. I have to go the wife is ready to explore.
I worked a lot the last few years, or should I say I carried a lot of vacation over. We decided after the purchase of the JK to set this goal and thought we better go check it out. We got to Moab late and I got the Smittybilt recovery bag in but not the highlight jack or the other stuff. My Jerry can is not a real Jerry can made out of modern plastic, it's plastic but wrong size for the Atlas bumper. I got a tow bar for the same front bumper, not sure why seemed like it needs it like grnadpas. Went straight to a difficult trail Fallen Peace Officer to Klondike Bluffs on accident-I read mileage she had roads-I know to do better here. . Scraped bumper here and there, the wheels and tires seem too big for the Jeep trail. Guy wouldn't align it two days before the trip due to tire cupping and I emergency installed KYB lifetime 2 1/2" longer front shocks they said standard rear. Also spacer lift kit no real suspension. I rotated there's and came here.Did the Willow Springs Trail to Eye of the whale then to Balancing Rock. Next day Gemini Bridges Trail Hwy 191 to 313. The Jeep needs some work to be better. Went up Top of the world 1.7 then we parked and hiked the rest. I think what I want are the proper 2 1/2" springs and stuff up front to match the shocks but no more lift because these will take 35" stock and I have the shocks. Then narrow or stock wheels for track and about 10.5 or 11" tires 6 ply. This place is really something
When we got to Moab you can see the original Jeep trails and the lines. It seemed like we are now bigger than the original trails. I like shinny and small and agile vehicles, but I'm sure they would be a bit trickier to road. I don't know, but in trucks the wide tires were for sand. lots of Jeeps are wider than stock out there. These wide 10 ply LT 12.5" Wide are not great here I want something different. I do not plan on going bigger than 35" tires and trails up to about a 5 according to the Red Rock scale for Safari.
When we got to Moab you can see the original Jeep trails and the lines. It seemed like we are now bigger than the original trails. I like shinny and small and agile vehicles, but I'm sure they would be a bit trickier to road. I don't know, but in trucks the wide tires were for sand. lots of Jeeps are wider than stock out there. These wide 10 ply LT 12.5" Wide are not great here I want something different. I do not plan on going bigger than 35" tires and trails up to about a 5 according to the Red Rock scale for Safari.
If you go 35" tires you will even be wider than now due to having less backspacing for clearance and you will be at least cutting the fenders. Your existing front tires are most likely rubbing on the sway bar when turning. Check the bar for shiny spots and adjust the steering stops a bit out by the steering knuckles. 33" tires are adequate. 35's may suck down on the power due to gear ratios.
Welcome and great goal for 2023.
I live 100 mi from Canada and 40 from Idaho so for me no wide tires. Also no 10 ply LT truck tires, I want A/T leaning aggressive with flex. I am building a trail Jeep daily driver but stout. Spacers affect geometry of the vehicle and I want narrow as possible and not outside my painted fenders (not common on a 2 door) so I want stock backspacing on a P tire not too wide and enough clearance for that set up to flex and that's it, I want a low center of gravity. Up here, you slide into trees in the mud on hills typically lol not roll off of rocks. It's a bit different. And I love all of it. I agree with you if I were using a 12.5" tire.
09-15-2022, 06:54 AM
First Jeep to Jeep Safari Life Goal 2023
