Opinions and thoughts on limited budget upgrade priority.

[Caspien]

Alright.. so, I'm looking for opinions from folks on a few upgrades, and more importantly, their priority order, so if someone wants to weigh in, please do so.

I went with the JTR, primarily, due to the fact there were a lot of upgrades that I didn't want to have to deal with, including lockers and sway disconnect... and yes, I know, I know.. there are better versions.. sure.. but this was more cost effective.

I've already added the following (again.. functionality): Ace Engineering sliders, trail rail system, tonneau cover.

So... I've pretty much narrowed down a few extra upgrades that I'd like to do to my JTR, the problem is, every one of the upgrades adds a few other 'reasons' to do the next upgrade. However, I'm also the type of person that can't quite hit the brakes on my upgrades on vehicles, until they're perfect...

The list in no particular order:

1.) Rubicon Steel 3 piece bumper, with associated skid.... (Maybe? I hate the extra weight. But, I like the idea of being able to easily convert from full length, to stubby.. AND I actually prefer the stock LED lighting system.. though I'll add more, later) Wish to hell there was something similar to this, in aluminum, that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

2.) Rubicon steel rear bumper, more durable, and gives more optional functionality. Less important, than the front, imho.

2.) Winch. Preferably sticking with the 150%+ rule.. so likely a 12k winch.... I'm actually the type that WILL likely use this pretty regularly, for vehicle recovery. Mine, perhaps.. but more likely, for others. But, that also adds MORE weight to the front end... and leads me to...

3.) Winch Mount Plate - I hate that this friggen thing is $300 extra when adding the rubicon bumper... adding even MORE weight to the front end... so to offset that.... we come to...

4.)+2" Mopar lift, which will offset that sag from all of the weight, and then give a bit more clearance

5.) Recovery boards


Currently, I would PREFER to stay with Mopar products, due to the fact I'll be having my dealership install them. (No warranty denials when the parts are Mopar, and were installed by their own dang technicians... I've learned that lesson the hard way, via KIA a few years ago)



Now.. I know, ideally, the easy first one to do, is buy the recovery boards.. relatively inexpensive for 'em, and will handle many of the recoveries I'd likely encounter, on their own. (mud trails, creeks, snow banks)

The question is.. does anyone have any suggestions for the next steps, other than "do them all at once", because that's the route I'm heading.

This would be less of an issue, if I could find a used bumper and skid.. but... well.. *shrug* my luck at finding them in the STL area, are slim to none, so I'm trying to NOT create a huge bill, right now, especially since I just did a home remodel.. *groan*


That all said, I suppose I COULD just try it all out with boards and kinetic rope (flexible disposable recovery shackles too), and skip all of the above for now... but... well, to quote Queen: 'I want it all.. I want it all.. I want it all.... and I want it NOW'.

So.. any ideas/thoughts? Open to suggestions at this time...




~ Casp

Sponsored

 

[CerOf]

Bumper and winch will get you down/off any trail.

Lift will let you enjoy most trails with better ease and not need a winch….but when you do need a winch, you NEED a winch.

I’d go bumper and winch.

 

[Jefe1018]

I would personally do the lift next, it will be the only real "performance" enhancing part as it will help approach, departure and the dreaded break over angle... I would also add bigger tires to your list.

In terms of recovery boards, not sure what value those would realistically add. I feel like they work, but they are more of a gimmick than an actual need for the wheeling I do.

The winch would only be needed in the most extreme of cases with a Rubicon, you'd be high centered or bogged down in sand or mud. If you have another vehicle and a tow strap you might be jut as effective. I live about 2 hours away so I love watching the videos from Matt's off-road recovery on YouTube - and other than the most extreme of recoveries a kinnetic rope and a buddy should get you out of just about any situation. Shoot... up until he started building rigs with no budget, he 'hated winches'.

I also understand wanting to purchase only MPP, but there are truly better options out there in terms of bumpers for half the cost of OEM.

 

[WXman]

I like the Badland APEX 12000 winch. $529 with synthetic rope and battery isolator and all wiring included? Plus a wireless remote? Heck yes. Great value.

I then picked up the Rampage Rock Rage bumper. 12k winch rated, and a clean, simple design. Around $300 bucks. So altogether I'm at less than $850 for the entire setup. Saved me money for other mods.

 

[DocMike]

In the order of things I use the most.....(that you don't already have)
1. 35s
2. GMRS Radio
3. ARB Twin
4. Control arm skids/shock mount skids/diff skid

The Mopar bumpers will appear on here or CL, be patient. I got a front one from a guy on here and a rear from a CL ad. I did wheel without them for a long time.

I did a winch and I have had traction boards. Have not needed either. (yet)
I got a smoking deal on my warn 1200. And I am running a Warn winch plate it was $250 on quadratec for a Labor Day sale.

You have the disconnects and lockers....

Personally the convenience of airing up and down is amazing. I am not bumming air or hitting up tire stores for air checks.

Having the GMRS allows me to talk to people on the trail and call for help in an emergency.

I wheel pretty regular and have hit a few BOH trails. It dragged a bit, but that is what you have skids for. My last trip resulted in the purchase of a rear diff skid. I have seen a stock Rubicon do more than most will want to.....ask @Waggs as he hung with @FR33DOM and his is lifted on 37s.
We all did this section off camber and slick section that frankly had me a bit puckered:

I

 

[Caspien]

I would personally do the lift next, it will be the only real "performance" enhancing part as it will help approach, departure and the dreaded break over angle... I would also add bigger tires to your list.

In terms of recovery boards, not sure what value those would realistically add. I feel like they work, but they are more of a gimmick than an actual need for the wheeling I do.

The winch would only be needed in the most extreme of cases with a Rubicon, you'd be high centered or bogged down in sand or mud. If you have another vehicle and a tow strap you might be jut as effective. I live about 2 hours away so I love watching the videos from Matt's off-road recovery on YouTube - and other than the most extreme of recoveries a kinnetic rope and a buddy should get you out of just about any situation. Shoot... up until he started building rigs with no budget, he 'hated winches'.

I also understand wanting to purchase only MPP, but there are truly better options out there in terms of bumpers for half the cost of OEM.

*Laughing* That's the thing, I rarely find myself 'getting stuck', but often find myself in the situation of getting others out of the predicaments they've gotten themselves into. (I attribute it more to that fact that I tend to consider the limitations and area quality, before doing anything offroad in a crazy fashion) I just checked out Matt's off-road recovery, and I find myself smiling, because a number of these videos I'm seeing, remind me of some of the crap I've done over the decades since I was a boyscout who went out of his way to recover stuck people.

Even when we'd hit trails in my Renegade Trailhawk (traded that in, for the Gladiator) and the wife's Compass, we found ourselves recovering others, not ourselves. (again, I tend to look before I leap.. unlike a TON of the folks around here, who think it's fun to just blindly go into places they shouldn't.. ESPECIALLY when it's been snowing... oi)

Honestly, my wife keeps pointing out, the JTR is more capable than the Renegade ever was, and I had zero issues stacking rocks, gravel bags, and using tow straps pulling people out, with that, so she believes the winch and bumper are entirely unnecessary for this purpose... but I also suspect she's looking at the fact that I'm 'just wanting to spend more money, on a truck you've only had since April!!' lol


~ Casp

 

[Caspien]

In the order of things I use the most.....(that you don't already have)

1. 35s

2. GMRS Radio

3. ARB Twin

4. Control arm skids/shock mount skids/diff skid



The Mopar bumpers will appear on here or CL, be patient. I got a front one from a guy on here and a rear from a CL ad. I did wheel without them for a long time.



I did a winch and I have had traction boards. Have not needed either. (yet)

I got a smoking deal on my warn 1200. And I am running a Warn winch plate it was $250 on quadratec for a Labor Day sale.



You have the disconnects and lockers....



Personally the convenience of airing up and down is amazing. I am not bumming air or hitting up tire stores for air checks.



Having the GMRS allows me to talk to people on the trail and call for help in an emergency.

GMRS and portable pumps are already part of the kit, I don't consider them upgrades for the Jeep, solely, unless I hard install them... probably should have mentioned that, I guess. (Generally, anything I can just easily detach or take to another vehicle, is just a 'bag of gear' as it were, in my mindset.. that said, I DO understand how some people overlook common sense things, like that...)

Skids are on the to do list, too, but those are relatively inexpensive compared to the big things.

Boards, I'm mainly considering purchases, because of the fact that a.) I have the space to carry them, now.. and b.) it'll keep me from having to stack rocks (properly) and pour gravel when these locals do stuff they shouldn't be doing. (Watching little VWs and Subarus, that think they're rally cars, get stuck on dirt/mud roads, or near the wetlands, is humorous, sure.. but it doesn't stop me from wanting to help out if/when I can... and if it keeps me from having to dig, even better



~ Casp

 

[DocMike]

I feel you. I am from Chicago and went to undergrad at SIU in Carbondale. Did time at Drury in Springfield, MO as well. Played shows at the Creepy Crawl in STL and tore ass all over Southern Illinois and Missouri in a 71 VW bug. Shockingly good off road.

I had to rescue a pizza guy this past winter. Bald tires on a snowy road in a civic.
I used my front door mat. Dude thought it was so clever.

Rescued an F350 on Crystal Mill by airing him down. 75 PSI in those tires. He was burning rubber on rocks.

I'm really looking forward to learning all about winch techniques.


It sounds like you got this sorted then. I did hard wire my GMRS and Twin.
you can do 35s and a Terraflex level and be great on ground clearance.

I used this link for my WARN and got my local 4wheelparts to price match.
https://www.amazon.com/WARN-103253-...ch+cover+vr+evo+10&qid=1631713718&sr=8-6&th=1

$840 for a 1200# Warn felt like a solid deal.

GMRS and portable pumps are already part of the kit, I don't consider them upgrades for the Jeep, solely, unless I hard install them... probably should have mentioned that, I guess. (Generally, anything I can just easily detach or take to another vehicle, is just a 'bag of gear' as it were, in my mindset.. that said, I DO understand how some people overlook common sense things, like that...)

Skids are on the to do list, too, but those are relatively inexpensive compared to the big things.

Boards, I'm mainly considering purchases, because of the fact that a.) I have the space to carry them, now.. and b.) it'll keep me from having to stack rocks (properly) and pour gravel when these locals do stuff they shouldn't be doing. (Watching little VWs and Subarus, that think they're rally cars, get stuck on dirt/mud roads, or near the wetlands, is humorous, sure.. but it doesn't stop me from wanting to help out if/when I can... and if it keeps me from having to dig, even better



~ Casp

 

[WXman]

I like the Badland APEX 12000 winch. $529 with synthetic rope and battery isolator and all wiring included? Plus a wireless remote? Heck yes. Great value.

I then picked up the Rampage Rock Rage bumper. 12k winch rated, and a clean, simple design. Around $300 bucks. So altogether I'm at less than $850 for the entire setup. Saved me money for other mods.

Lol 20 minutes after I posted this I saw a guy up the road from me hopelessly stuck 125 feet from the driveway in very sloppy and soft soil. The APEX 12000 saved the day and he slipped me $100 even though I didn't ask for it. He probably figured a tow truck would be $300! My good deed for the week is done.

 

[Caspien]

Lol 20 minutes after I posted this I saw a guy up the road from me hopelessly stuck 125 feet from the driveway in very sloppy and soft soil. The APEX 12000 saved the day and he slipped me $100 even though I didn't ask for it. He probably figured a tow truck would be $300! My good deed for the week is done.

Lol, that's actually partially why I don't mind the idea of spending the extra for the winch and such... Every time I help someone, they tend to slip me $50-$100, partially because most tow trucks charge extra to do offroad recovery.

That said, it also balances out with the number of folks that DON'T tip, too.. lol


~ Casp

 

[Gvsukids]

I recently installed the Mopar bumpers, but only for wanting the reinforcement in accidents. Maybe later we'll add the winch, but we usually back out of a sticky situation. We have traction boards and just recently used them for the first time. We also added m/t tires, so that'll get us further than the stock Dueler A/T.

Also depends on where you wheel.

Check out...
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/idea-thread-mods-on-a-tight-budget.40464/

 

[DocMike]

Ya'll got money for Bourbon now. Reward for a job well done.

Lol 20 minutes after I posted this I saw a guy up the road from me hopelessly stuck 125 feet from the driveway in very sloppy and soft soil. The APEX 12000 saved the day and he slipped me $100 even though I didn't ask for it. He probably figured a tow truck would be $300! My good deed for the week is done.

 

[DocMike]

Warn Winch Plate went on sale again.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/warn/winch-mount-plate-jeep-wrangler-jl-factory-steel-bumper

 

[Caspien]

Warn Winch Plate went on sale again.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/warn/winch-mount-plate-jeep-wrangler-jl-factory-steel-bumper

?? That the same as the oem one?? If so.. that's a hell of a difference in price.

https://www.bamwholesaleparts.com/search?search_str=82215182

EDIT: Hmm... doesn't look exactly the same... wonder what the major difference is.


~ Casp

 

[DocMike]

That is the Warn one to go with the Warn Winch.

I have that on mine. It holds my Evo 12K and fits perfect with the factory steel bumper and skid plate.

?? That the same as the oem one?? If so.. that's a hell of a difference in price.

https://www.bamwholesaleparts.com/search?search_str=82215182

EDIT: Hmm... doesn't look exactly the same... wonder what the major difference is.


~ Casp

Sponsored