I would replace the battery on/before 3 years. It's just good insurance. If you live up north and it's bitterly cold, it take a toll on the "old crank box". Rule of thumb, for fishermen, they never keep a battery more than two years because of that same reason. I think a Jeep needs to have a good preventative maintenance schedule and have the oil and fulids checked and changed on a regular basis. The battery is one of the "most" important things that have to be very dependable when you turn the key.

 

3.5 years on mine and still going. Now that I've said that it'll crap out tomorrow, thanks everyone.

 

My Ford Ranger's original battery lasted 9 years before it started sounding sluggish. My Wrangler's battery is going on 5 years old and has never been weak.

Wasting years of battery life is environmentally wasteful and expensive to boot. Listen to your vehicle.....It'll tell you when something like a battery is needed.

 

Easy decision for me...buy the new battery and keep it in the back. When your factory one craps out, you have a replacement ready. No need to fix/replace something that isn't broken, but having one ready for when it does makes good sense to me

 

That is not a bad idea but I would be afraid of getting battery acid on the carpet (have to use some kind of pan to put it in).
I just dont understand the idea or thinking of replacing something that is not giving you problems or is bad. Batteries are pretty simple items, they are either good or bad. When they go bad most of the time they will give you a warning.
I dont know about any of you but even if my battery goes out and leaves me stranded I am only a phone call away from help. Even if I have to leave my Jeep where it died, I can go get a battery and come back.

 

Got almost 42 months out of the stock battery. Died out of nowhere one day, that kind of ruined it for me. With winter being so close it was inevitable

 

True story the JK gets CRAZY when you try to run without a battery like this. Everything flashes even with nothing on its the weirdest thing Ive ever seen

 

In the old days there was a generator in the vehicle and it made direct current without any need for any input to do that. Now everything uses alternators and they have to have voltage going into them to create the output that charges your batt. No input = no output

 

Many of us don't really NEED to do anything to our jk's. We do mods to make our jeeps more capable and hopefully more reliable. Do we need extra axles and or chromos, no , but some get them just in case. Do we need to reinforce the C's, axle housings, trackbar brackets if warranty will cover it, no, but that warranty may or may not only help you when you tow it into the shop.That may not be such a good feeling you'd get if your stranded on a trail somewhere and or an open road with a hundred mile of nothing and no cell reception. I look at preventative measures to make my life abit easier. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. My battery crapped out early, luckily I was at home and not in the middle of nowhere. You can't plan for everything, but when you have alot of factory batteries giving out in or before 3yrs( I've seen a many on this forum) heed the warning. Just like the ripped trackbar brackets and busted axle u-joints, heed the warnings or suffer the consequences. Just my
Another thing, I still can't figure out why people think their ds boot ripping on auto tranny lifted jk's is a surprise.

 

The excuse of "eventually it will crap out" is ridiculous to me. Well my battery is almost 2 years old now, looks like Im going to have to change it be cause SOMEDAY it will crap out! I dont understand. If it works it works, and if for some reason it does crap out then just get a jump! Its simple. With the prices of batteries I dont see the point of replacing it before it goes bad...

Its like wiping before you poop... It just doesnt make sense. Now by now Im sure the OP is paranoid that his battery is "bad" and is goign to go out and spend money where he doesnt need to. Tell you what, get a new battery and send the old one my way. Ill use it till it cant even start a lawn mower!