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Trim Levels, is it worth it?

Gladman

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Before I bought my JT, I knew nothing about shocks. When I started reading up a bit on shocks, it seemed that Fox has a great reputation in the industry and in the off road community. So is Fox a company that has always been vastly overrated? Or did Fox cheapen their normal shock quality to meet a price point for Jeep?
You know they tailored the manufacture of the bulk shock order to Jeep to fit the price point. From there it is an advertising buffalo based on prior reputation. This will bite Fox eventually.
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OldSkull

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I went with the Overland. Got it for $38,000.00. It’s a family Jeep for weekend trail rides and camping. Might lift it a little in the future, but I couldn’t justify paying almost $20 grand more for a Rubicon for the type of wheeling we do. Lockers can be added down the road, but honestly none of my wranglers have ever had lockers and I’ve never needed them. But I don’t do any Rock Crawling here in Ky. Mostly mudding and trails.
but if moneys not an option then loaded Rubicon would be my choice.
good luck choosing!
 

eternus

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I went with the Overland. Got it for $38,000.00. It’s a family Jeep for weekend trail rides and camping. Might lift it a little in the future, but I couldn’t justify paying almost $20 grand more for a Rubicon for the type of wheeling we do. Lockers can be added down the road, but honestly none of my wranglers have ever had lockers and I’ve never needed them. But I don’t do any Rock Crawling here in Ky. Mostly mudding and trails.
but if moneys not an option then loaded Rubicon would be my choice.
good luck choosing!
What's curious is that the Wranglers and Gladiators have all of this DNA of awesome off-roading without even adding front/rear lockers. Go do a search on the YouTube for Brake Lock Differentials and you'll see that a smart person in a standard Wrangler Sport is going to be able to do almost as much as a Rubicon. Realistically, most people will NEVER need or even use their front/rear lockers. Just engaging 4 Lo and my LSD gets me out of any mild off-roading.

It's all Marketing. Jeep is the Apple of Off-Roading.
 

OldButStillJeeping

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I'd have to say that if you're building a crawler SHTF Glad, buy the cheapest model and put on selectable lockered Dana 60's (20 K +) or bigger.

Reinforce the frame (3 to 10K).

Get an Atlas T-Case (3K) to your liking.

37'S or higher (3K).

Full skids (3K) and some serious frame mounted Rock Rails.

Heavier Springs (?)

And go 'nuts' with bolt on winches, racks, overhead tent, Air tanks, Rotopax, etc, etc, etc.

If that kind of money is a concern, get a Rubicon for it's crawl ratio and front locker, or a Mojave for ride quality and reinforced frame and knuckles.
 
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OldSkull

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What's curious is that the Wranglers and Gladiators have all of this DNA of awesome off-roading without even adding front/rear lockers. Go do a search on the YouTube for Brake Lock Differentials and you'll see that a smart person in a standard Wrangler Sport is going to be able to do almost as much as a Rubicon. Realistically, most people will NEVER need or even use their front/rear lockers. Just engaging 4 Lo and my LSD gets me out of any mild off-roading.

It's all Marketing. Jeep is the Apple of Off-Roading.
I agree, none of the old CJs YJs and most TJs had Lockers. But Of course I’d still like to have lockers and a loaded Rubicon too lol.
I’ve never had or needed l them. But I don’t Rock Crawl and have no interest in bouncing a years wages off the rocks and rolling it over lol. For most of us a Stock Jeep with good tires/recovery gear will get us where we want to go. But I get it, with a Jeep it’s a hobby so we’re always looking to upgrade, that’s part of the fun. But most of us are wheeling in parks or designated trails with a group, so getting stranded isn’t really a thing anymore unless you’re out there by yourself.
 

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OldButStillJeeping

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Or... Just go buy a Ram Power Wagon or Ford Super duty XL with Rear locker and get the best axles. A massive frame. And carrying and towing capacity of a serious 3/4 ton truck.

But your gas mileage may trickle around 10 mpg.

Don't ask me how I know!
 

Tarantularock

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So We purchased our sport as a recreational vehicle for $35,000. The weekend before we test drove the rubicon that was at 56- looking at what I wanted to do with the gladiator & with the difference in cost, I decided that I would be happier building it up myself. I’ll let y’all know how that goes— so far 7-8k worth of gear is on it’s way here and will require a bit of work. It’s pretty fun shopping for it😀
 

eternus

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So We purchased our sport as a recreational vehicle for $35,000. The weekend before we test drove the rubicon that was at 56- looking at what I wanted to do with the gladiator & with the difference in cost, I decided that I would be happier building it up myself. I’ll let y’all know how that goes— so far 7-8k worth of gear is on it’s way here and will require a bit of work. It’s pretty fun shopping for it😀
The ability to "make it your own" is really the treasure in the Wrangler/Gladiator platform. While I hate that I feel obligated to improve suspension, I do appreciate that I can get out there and do it myself. When our ego about the model we drive and the money we spend on cars doesn't get in the way, the Jeeping community is pretty spectacular.

I hope you'll post your build and progress. (c:
 

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Having made the mistake of buying a sport model wrangler in the past and spending a fortune trying to build it into a rubicon, I went with a rubicon this time. I wheel mine, so I wanted the lockers, swayer disco, and 4:1 rock trak. As far as the seats, I went leather because my dogs make a mess of cloth seats, much easier to vacuum leather. The 8.4 was also a must for me, I wanted the bigger screen with the navigation for cross country trips, and the alpine speakers that come with it are awesome. So I guess it just depends if you want to pay for upgrades up front with a better trim, or pay as you build with a base model.
exactly
 

Axeman

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I think the mistake was building it to a rubicon. Usually you start with a sport if you
Don't need a rubicon
Or
Are going to build beyond a rubicon (Dana 60s, coil overs, etc)
Or in the truck case
Building it for a different purpose (like the mojave)

If your goal is to build a rubicon, but a rubicon
Yea, it was my first jeep (06 TJ) and I didn't research enough ahead of time. Once I started wheeling more and breaking things I realized I should have went with a rubicon model.
 

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eternus

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Before I bought my JT, I knew nothing about shocks. When I started reading up a bit on shocks, it seemed that Fox has a great reputation in the industry and in the off road community. So is Fox a company that has always been vastly overrated? Or did Fox cheapen their normal shock quality to meet a price point for Jeep?
YouTube just threw this video up for me today, it seems applicable to this question... though it's talking about Falcon v Fox for vans. In short... Fox is aggressive at reducing quality of parts to meet price points. You can be certain that the Fox branded Jeep shocks are made for the lowest pricepoint.
 

ShadowsPapa

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YouTube just threw this video up for me today, it seems applicable to this question... though it's talking about Falcon v Fox for vans. In short... Fox is aggressive at reducing quality of parts to meet price points. You can be certain that the Fox branded Jeep shocks are made for the lowest pricepoint.
Doesn't it make sense, though?
People want Fox shocks because their after-market version is great stuff, word of mouth "buy Fox, I bought a set and love them" (but they were not take-offs)
So Jeep sees that and negotiates with Fox - to meet that price point they have to do something.
I think part of it is appearance, too - looking at a Jeep either as is factory, or lifted a bit, you SEE the Fox shocks staring at you - COOL! You have Fox shocks!
 

eternus

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Doesn't it make sense, though?
People want Fox shocks because their after-market version is great stuff, word of mouth "buy Fox, I bought a set and love them" (but they were not take-offs)
So Jeep sees that and negotiates with Fox - to meet that price point they have to do something.
I think part of it is appearance, too - looking at a Jeep either as is factory, or lifted a bit, you SEE the Fox shocks staring at you - COOL! You have Fox shocks!
Yup, just returns to my other post stating that Jeep is the Apple of the off-roading world. All about marketing and “selling a lifestyle.”
 

awraynor

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I went with the Overland. Got it for $38,000.00. It’s a family Jeep for weekend trail rides and camping. Might lift it a little in the future, but I couldn’t justify paying almost $20 grand more for a Rubicon for the type of wheeling we do. Lockers can be added down the road, but honestly none of my wranglers have ever had lockers and I’ve never needed them. But I don’t do any Rock Crawling here in Ky. Mostly mudding and trails.
but if moneys not an option then loaded Rubicon would be my choice.
good luck choosing!
Your needs seem very similar to mine. As soon as I can dispose of my Tundra I hope my local dealer will come to his senses on a fairly loaded Overland with a manufacture date of 5-2019.
 

CJ5w4wdSmokyOnMyTail

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YouTube just threw this video up for me today, it seems applicable to this question... though it's talking about Falcon v Fox for vans. In short... Fox is aggressive at reducing quality of parts to meet price points. You can be certain that the Fox branded Jeep shocks are made for the lowest pricepoint.
That Falcon shock does look more robust. It would be great if someone compared Fox aftermarket shocks with Jeep Fax shocks.
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