First Post - What Upgrades for My New JT Rubicon

[Riverdog]

I agree with what others are saying for mods, wait a bit. Mods are expensive enough but upgrading a previous mod can be a waste of time and money. Rubicon's are VERY capable stock. As for recovery and safety .... wheeling with at least 2 vehicles trumps most gear/accessories for me. Having another vehicle helps with recovery and worst case can go get more help. If that's not an option, maybe pack a CB radio....and water.

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[UTDieselRubi]

I just bought my first Jeep last summer as well, got a gladiator rubicon. Came from a Ford Ranger and Ill say this thing is the best truck I've owned. I put 20k miles on it last summer just in southern UT. I go every weekend and Im still stock. Nothing but the fun trails in Moab will stop this thing stock but here is the conclusions Ive come to about what I will be upgrading come spring for the next summer.

-MOPAR remote res lift, you can get it for $1600, which makes it the best remote res option.
-Core 4x4 adjustable track bars front and rear
-AVE dualsport wheels
-37" tire, im going with Baja Boss, they perform the best in my experience

thats it as far as capability mods, do those things and you should be able to tackle Poison Spider if thats what your into. I think the ride will remain intact as thats just at the top end of lifting and starting to make your truck feel aftermarket.

Dont forget recovery ropes, traction boards, a high lift jack, tire pump, basic tools and a Garmin Inreach.

.02

 

[406to417]

I just bought a Mojave last Friday. Things I ordered first.

Baxter oil filter adapter
Lasfit Aux switches
Mopar windshield hold down kit
JCR Off road bed front MOLLE panel
Quadratec off road light mounts.
Quick release top removal kit.

If you don't have it , I recommend the ONXoffroad app.

I have been a Jeep owner for probably 30 years or so so I have lots of gear I am reusing. So I will be mounting my WARN winch and as others have said a winch is probably one of the first things to put on. That said my maxtrax got me out of a situation where the winch couldn't.

I based my recovery gear after the AEV recovery kit. I couldn't afford to do it all at once so I pieced it together as money allowed.

 

[GCBurt]

Yankum Ropes out of Idaho makes a nice recovery kit to toss into the bed of your Gladiator:

https://yankum.com/cdn/shop/files/yankum_off-road_kit_weekender_callout.jpg?v=1732056115&width=713

 

[Soulfa535]

Damn guys... I didn't expect such a warm welcome. All the advice is greatly appreciated. It sounds like I should focus on recovery gear, trail tools, and ease of life accessories.
I'll start looking into tires and lifts after I use that Garmin Inreach the first time (sorry if my humor is off-putting).

Thanks again. If anything else comes to mind, please pop back in and drop a line.

-David

 

[ScottBeach]

A winch and a shovel. If you offroad alone you need a winch. In the desert you want a shovel

In a pinch. Dig and put your spare in the hole and use that as an anchor for the winch.

 

[Gvsukids]

A winch and a shovel. If you offroad alone you need a winch. In the desert you want a shovel

In a pinch. Dig and put your spare in the hole and use that as an anchor for the winch.

Or a boat anchor.

 

[Minty JL]

Fox ATS steering stabilizer upgrade is a nice one to get your feet wet AND you can retain it when you add a lift

 

[CyberHero]

Front bumper
Bed rack/tonneau cover
If you don’t have leather then seat covers
Armorlite (def my next purchase)
Tube doors
LED lights if don’t have
Angry eyes grill lmao jk

 

[RickF]

35 x 12.5 Nitto Ridge Grapplers fit just fine on a Rubicon with the stock wheels and no lift. No rubbing, and the spare will fit, too. I've been running them for 20,000 miles with zero issues. I did add a Tazer Mini immediately to tell the ECU and speedometer that the tire size had changed; this recalibration is an important step. The Tazer gives you many fun and interesting tweaks, such as the abiltity to start the radiator fan with a button press (for fast cooling) and to turn on the backup camera when a turn signal is activated (a sort of hacked lane-changing camera). I upgraded all of the speakers except the factory subwoofer. Seat Jackers for comfort made a huge difference by changing the angle of the front seats for better thigh support.

 

[Gvsukids]

Taser Mini

It's a Tazer mini. In case OP tried to search for it.

 

[Jaxmax]

What most are saying, get setup with recovery gear first , with traction boards , going alone, winch probably should come before lifts and tires. First and possibly only skid you should get is the Rusty’s rear lower control arm skid, rest of skids can be control arm and shock skids for rear axle (Rockhard). Run the Jeep awhile , I am still on factory tires at 47,000 miles with unlifted Mojave, and have done some tough trails and made it. Once you start lifting above the lower levels and putting 37” tires on you start spending a lot and do you need it?
Welcome Dave….Jack

 

[Minty JL]

I will say, don't blow your wad in one shot.......order a few things install them and enjoy. When you get the itch to mod again to do. Bottomline up front.......enjoy the process........but maybe that's just me

 

[Freems]

I often goes solo and you're spot on. Just got to be careful when out in the desert as there's usually nothing to hookup on.

I’m a PullPal believer its in the truck on any desert wandering trip.

 

[Harleyred66]

Many, many rabbit holes. I've spent more than an hour and still clueless sometimes

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